Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.
Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
5 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd (NPD)
China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. operates retail drugstores in the People?s Republic of China. The company?s drugstores provide pharmacy services and other merchandise, including prescription drugs; over-the-counter drugs; nutritional supplements, such as healthcare supplements, vitamins, minerals, and dietary products; herbal products, including drinkable herbal remedies and packages of assorted herbs for making soup; and private label products. Its stores also offer personal care products, such as skin care, hair care, and beauty products; family care products, including portable medical devices for family use, birth control products, and early pregnancy test products; and convenience products, such as soft drinks, packaged snacks, other consumables, cleaning agents, and stationeries, as well as seasonal and promotional items. The company operates its stores under the China Nepstar brand name. As of December 31, 2009, its store network comprised 2,479 retail drugstores located in approximately 71 cities in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Shandong, Hunan, Fujian, Sichuan, and Hubei provinces, as well as in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing municipalities of the People?s Republic of China. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.
5 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: Top Global Limited (519.SI)
Top Global Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in property development and other real estate related businesses primarily in Singapore. The company�s activities comprise development and sale of real estate properties; investment in and rental of real estate properties; property and facility management services; and real estate agency services. It is also involved in the car parking services business. Top Global Limited is based in Singapore.
Hot Bank Companies To Watch For 2014: CytRx Corporation(CYTR)
CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company, engages in the development of human therapeutics, specializing in oncology. Its drug development pipeline includes INNO-206, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas and is in Phase Ib/2 clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors; and tamibarotene that is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer and acute promyelocytic leukemia. The company also develops Bafetinib, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and advanced prostate cancer, as well as in pharmacokinetic clinical trial for brain cancer. CytRx Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Biopharmaceutical development company CytRx Corp.(CYTR) and early-stage diagnostics company Cancer Genetics Inc.(CGIX) separately disclosed plans to sell stock. CytRx, whose offering of 10 million shares priced at an 18% discount, is aiming to raise money to fund its clinical trials, while Cancer Genetics wants to hire more sales and marketing personnel, as well as fund research and development. CytRx dropped, while Cancer Genetics fell.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
Another under-$10 biotechnology player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is CytRx (CYTR), which has an oncology pipeline that includes two programs in clinical development for cancer indications: aldoxorubicin and tamibarotene. This stock has been moving to the upside during the last three months, with shares up by 21%.
If you take a look at the chart for CytRx, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months, with shares moving between $2.27 on the downside and $2.68 on the upside. That consolidation pattern has occurred right above this stock's 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Shares of CYTR have now started to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $2.49 a share. That move is quickly pushing CYTR within range of triggering an even bigger breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.
Market players should now look for long-biased trades in CYTR if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.68 to $2.80 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average action of 154,838 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then CYTR will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $3.20 to $4 a share.
Traders can look to buy CYTR off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 200-day at $2.33 a share or below more support at $2.27 a share. One can also buy CYTR off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
Though worth keeping on your radar, until today, CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR) wasn't actually a name worth taking a swing on. Today's action changed everything, for the better. Thanks to Wednesday's 6.0% pop, the CYTR tide has convincingly turned bullish.�
5 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: Lakeland Financial Corporation(LKFN)
Lakeland Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Lake City Bank that provides various commercial and retail banking, wealth advisory, and investment management services in Indiana. The company accepts checking accounts, savings accounts, time deposits, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and health savings accounts. It provides commercial, real estate, and agricultural loans; direct and indirect consumer loans; and commercial and residential real estate mortgage loans, as well as home equity lines of credit and retail installment loans, including indirect automotive financing. In addition, the company offers retail and merchant credit card services, corporate treasury management services, retirement services, bond administration, safe deposit box services, and trust and brokerage services, as well as involves in the sale of securities under agreements to repurchase. Further, it provides retail brokerage services, including various financial an d investment products, such as annuities and life insurance; and Internet business banking and on-line treasury management services. As of October 25, 2011, it had 43 branches in Kosciusko, Elkhart, Allen, St. Joseph, DeKalb, Fulton, Huntington, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble, Pulaski, and Whitley counties of northern Indiana, as well as a loan production office in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company was founded in 1872 and is headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana.
5 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: Vendanta Resources Ord Usd 0.1(VED.L)
Vedanta Resources plc operates as a diversified metals and mining company in India, China, the United Kingdom, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It involves in mining, smelting, refining, and producing aluminum, alumina, copper, and zinc products; producing lead and iron ore products; processing gold and silver; and bauxite mining. The company also provides various financing services, port services, and accomodation and catering services, as well as engages in power generation business activities. Vedanta Resources plc was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
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