Apple's Simple Workaround for VirnetX Royalty Claims

Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) extremely simple workaround for VirnetX's (NYSEMKT: VHC  ) networking patents reveal how easily the company's claims can be ignored. Add in a recent court victory by Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) over many of the same VirnetX claims, and the cracks in the patent trolling strategy start to show.

In this video, Fool contributor Anders Bylund explains why these developments are bad news for VirnetX.

There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever, and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with over 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

Best Biotech Stocks For 2014

Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now

With shares of Corning (NYSE:GLW) trading around $15, is GLW an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Corning produces and sells specialty glasses, ceramics, and related materials worldwide. It operates through five segments: Display Technologies, Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies, Specialty Materials, and Life Sciences.�Corning launched Corning Lotus Glass, an environmentally friendly display glass for organic LED and LCD displays that are used in portable devices, such as smart phones, tablets, and notebook computers. Smart phones, tablets, and notebook computers and their related materials are seeing explosive growth in developed and developing countries around the world. Companies that provide the products necessary to develop and improve existing technology, like Corning, will see a continued rise in profits as consumers and companies demand products that maximize their efforts.

Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now: Rex Trueform Clothing Company Ltd (RTO)

Rex Trueform Clothing Company Limited is a South Africa-based company engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of clothing. The Company operates under two segments: Retail segment, the Company, through its ownership of Queenspark Limited, which operates a nationwide chain of Queenspark and J CREW stores, has a interest in the retailing of men�� and women�� clothing and related accessories. Through Property segment, Rex Trueform and its subsidiary have a direct investment in a portfolio of properties located in and around Cape Town. These properties are held either for the purpose of operations or for investment purposes. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated 55 stores. In September 2012, the Company launched its newest brand Cath.Nic, a new fashion label exclusive to Queenspark. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, the Company opened three new stores. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Rentokil Initial Plc (RTO) climbed 3.1 percent to 106 pence as Bank of America Corp. upgraded the U.K. pest-control and hygiene-services company to buy from neutral. The brokerage predicted that cash flow will improve in 2014 and 2015.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Rentokil Initial Plc (RTO) rose the most in almost eight weeks after a report that private-equity investor Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC is considering combining the company�� office-maintenance unit with that of Balfour Beatty Plc. Cobham Plc dropped 4.6 percent as a shareholder sold a 3.6 percent stake in the maker of defense and aerospace equipment.

Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated(VRTX)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated engages in discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing small molecule drugs for the treatment of serious diseases worldwide. Its products include telaprevir, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; and Ivacaftor, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The company markets its products under the INCIVEK brand name in the United States and Canada; INCIVO brand in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and Norway; KALYDECO brand in the United States; and TELAVIC brand in Japan. Its drug candidates comprise VX-222, a Phase II clinical trial drug candidate, and ALS-2200 and ALS-2158, a Phase I clinical trial drug candidates that are designed to inhibit the replication of HCV; VX-809 and VX-661, a Phase II clinical trial drug candidates that improve the function of defective cystic fibro sis; VX-509, a Phase II clinical trial drug candidate for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases; VX-765, a Phase II clinical trial drug for the treatment of epilepsy; and VX-787, an investigational drug candidate for the treatment of influenza A. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Here's another angle: Learn from successful companies. In other words, see what made a given company do well in the market and find others that exhibit similar attributes. There are plenty of companies to choose from, but let's see how this approach plays out with an example from the biotech world:�Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX  ) . Here are three investment strategy lessons from Vertex's success.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Hepatitis C is a slow-developing disease, so there's no immediate rush to treat newly diagnosed patients as witnessed by the drop off in sales of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: VRTX  ) Incivek. In the first quarter, sales of the drug, which also has to be used in combination with pegylated interferon, fell 42% year over year. It's hard to see how simeprevir�plus pegylated interferon would make inroads with doctors with all-oral hepatitis C combinations in the works.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Both drugs have to be taken with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, the former of which has to be injected and causes flu-like side effects. That's a big deal, especially since the drugs have to be taken for 12 weeks, although it's an improvement on the nearly year-long treatments that were required before oral medications including Vertex Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: VRTX  ) Incivek and Merck's (NYSE: MRK  ) Victrelis were introduced.

Top Performing Stocks To Own For 2014: Flushing Financial Corporation (FFIC)

Flushing Financial Corporation operates as the holding company of Flushing Savings Bank, FSB that provides banking products and services primarily to consumers and businesses. The company?s deposit products include savings accounts, money market accounts, demand accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan products portfolio comprises one-to-four family, multi-family residential, and commercial real estate mortgage loans; construction loans, primarily for residential properties; small business administration loans and other small business loans; mortgage loan surrogates, such as mortgage-backed securities; U.S. government securities, corporate fixed-income securities, and other marketable securities; and consumer loans, including overdraft lines of credit. The company also offers Internet banking services through iGObanking.com. As of December 31, 2010, it conducted its business through 16 full-service offices located in the New York City Boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, as well as in Nassau County, New York. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Lake Success, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Savings and loan holding company Flushing Financial (FFIC) raised its quarterly dividend 15% to 15 cents per share, payable March 28 to shareholders of record as of March 7.
  FFIC Dividend Yield: 2.86%

• [By Tim Melvin]

  I always find it very interesting to see what long-term investors are selling in a given quarter. Kahn Brothers lightened up on many financials that have shot up and now trade above book value. The firm sold out of Flushing Financial (FFIC), TCF Financial (TCB) and Dime Community Bank (DCOM). Khan apparently shares my views on the large-cap drug stocks, easing up on both Pfizer (PFE) and Bristol Meyers (BMY) over the summer. Khan Brothers also sold the last of the Travelers shares (TRV) it has owned since 2008 at more than twice the purchase price.

Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now: Essar Energy Plc (ESSR)

Essar Energy plc is a holding company. The Company is an energy company with assets across the power and oil and gas industries. The Company operates in the areas petroleum refining and marketing, exploration and production and power transmission and generation. The Refining and Marketing business in India comprises of the Vadinar refinery located on the west coast of India and a retail franchise network of around 1,400 fuel stations across India and the Refining, and Marketing business in the United Kingdom comprises of the Stanlow refinery located near Liverpool, north west England and on the south bank of Manchester ship canal. The Company�� exploration and production segment includes a portfolio of 15 blocks and fields in the various stages of exploration and production of oil and gas in India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Vietnam. In Power segment, the Company operates coal fired, captive fuel and gas based power plants in India and Canada together with a number of mining assets. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Essar Energy Plc (ESSR) climbed 2.5 percent to 122 pence after reporting that revenue rose 24 percent to $27.3 billion in the 12 months through March. The company cited higher margins and volumes at its Vadinar refinery in India and its Stanlow refinery in the U.K.

Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now: RetailMeNot Inc (SALE)

RetailMeNot Inc., incorporated on September 17, 2007, operates digital coupon marketplace, connecting consumers with retailers and brands. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had contracts with more than 10,000 paid retailers. The Company owns and operates digital coupon Websites in the United States (RetailMeNot.com) and the United Kingdom (VoucherCodes.co.uk). The Company�� Websites, mobile applications, e-mail newsletters and alerts and social media presence enable consumers to search for, discover and redeem digital coupons from retailers and brands. Its marketplace features digital coupons across multiple product categories, including clothing; electronics; health and beauty; home and office; travel, food and entertainment; personal and business services; and shoes. It aggregates digital coupons from retailers, performance marketing networks, its user community, its employees and outsourced providers.

Products and Services for Consumers

The Company�� product development approach is centered on building products that enable consumers to discover quality digital coupons, virtually anytime and anywhere, and redeem them online or in-store. The Company�� products and services for consumers are available through its Websites and mobile applications. The Company offers its consumers digital coupons from retailers and brands across multiple product categories. Consumers visiting its marketplace search for and discover digital coupons based on retailer name, product, category, digital coupon type, popularity, success rate and other characteristics. Once a consumer discovers a relevant digital coupon, the consumer clicks on that digital coupon and is directed to the Website of the respective retailer, where the consumer is able to purchase products and redeem the digital coupon.

The Company�� mobile applications allow consumers to shop when they want, where they want. Consumers use its mobile applications to discover, store for use later and access the digit! al coupons they want and to redeem them both online and in-store. They can browse top digital coupons, stores and product category listings. Its mobile applications allow users to share digital coupons with others through e-mail, text message or through social media channels. In addition, utilizing location-based technology, the RetailMeNot iPhone application notifies consumers of savings opportunities when they are shopping near one of 575 geo-fenced shopping malls by sending consumers alerts for digital coupons that can be used in these malls. Consumers can redeem these digital coupons by scanning the barcode at the retailer�� register or by having the sales associate enter the promotional code shown on the consumer�� mobile screen into their point-of-sale system.

Using the Company�� geo-location technology, users that opt in receive an alert when they are near a shopping mall. The alert lists digital coupons that can be redeemed at certain stores within that mall. The mobile application also allows consumers to discover and redeem digital coupons online and to find nearby stores where the digital coupon can be utilized. Consumers can subscribe to receive its periodic e-mail newsletter and alerts. Its e-mail newsletter allows consumers to stay informed about featured digital coupons, while its alerts notify consumers when digital coupons from their preferred retailers become available. As of March 31, 2013, it had over nine million subscribers to its free e-mail newsletters and alerts.

Consumers can engage with the Company on social media channels, such as Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter, to receive promotional messages from retailers and brands. In addition, it engages consumers through social and gamification features in the Community section of RetailMeNot.com, including the ability to earn points, track dollars users have helped others save, view rankings, earn badges and win prizes.

Products and Services for Retailers

The Company ! provides ! retailers and brands with access to new customers through multiple channels online on its Websites and mobile applications, by e-mail newsletters and alerts and its social media presence, and in-store by displaying a digital coupon on a mobile device or presenting a printed coupon. It allows retailers to provide digital coupons across these multiple channels. It provides its paid retailers with a range of paid placement opportunities. Its placement opportunities include placement within the top coupon carousel of its homepage, the side rail of its category pages, its weekly e-mail newsletter, solo retailer newsletter campaigns and on the landing screen of its mobile applications. It charges a fee for these advertising tools on a campaign basis for a given period of time.

The Company competes with dealspl.us, bradsdeals, dealnews, savings.com, Tech Bargains and Coupon Cabin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ari Levy]

  Facebook isn�� the only one rallying. Yelp Inc., Trulia and RetailMeNot Inc. (SALE) are among newly-public consumer-Web companies that have soared this year.

• [By James Brumley]

  RetailMeNot (SALE) is slated to report last quarter’s numbers today. If the pros are right, the young digital-coupon company should post income of 15 cents per share — that’d be the first time SALE earnings came in the black. Of course, it’s just RetailMeNot’s second-ever reported quarter after SALE stock began to trade publicly in July of this year.

• [By John Udovich]

  On Monday, small cap RetailMeNot Inc (NASDAQ: SALE) jumped 7.67% to $31.01 on an analyst upgrade, but the stock had declined after a pre-Christmas run-up���meaning investors might want to take a closer look at what is going on with the company plus take a look at the performance of peer Groupon Inc (NASDAQ: GRPN).

• [By Hibah Yousuf]

  The continued shift to online shopping should help Amazon.com (AMZN, Fortune 500), as well as digital coupon site RetailMeNot (SALE).

  The Morgan Stanley analysts also expect Michael Kors (KORS) will continue to post strong sales growth as women buy more accessories. L Brands' (LTD, Fortune 500) Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works are also likely to boast solid sales during the holiday season, as they are able to attract shoppers without having to offer "irrational promotions," Morgan Stanley said.

Shiller on Investing: ‘Get an Advisor’

The S&P 500 is up about 0.75% year to date, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down about 1.23% as of mid-Friday. After the magnificent returns of 2013, investors and market experts are naturally asking if the market has topped and a correction is beginning.

Jay Jordan of Jordan Co., for instance, told CNBC on Friday that there could be a 25% market decline later this year, when quantitative easing winds down. And investor Seth Klarman of the Baupost Group told his clients earlier this month that we are "mired in a euphoric environment in which some securities have risen in price beyond all reason, where leverage is returning to rainy markets and asset classes, and where caution seems radical and risk-taking the prudent course.”

Looking at the broader roots of bubbles and busts, Yale economist Robert Shiller says there’s much experts can explain and much they can’t. Nonetheless, in an interview posted Friday by the Wall Street Journal, the Nobel Prize winner tells investors they need to work with professionals rather than do it themselves, given the irrational, unpredictable and volatile nature of stock and real estate markets.

When asked about his view on the causes of market bubbles, Shiller explained that they were a very complex beast: “The story about bubbles was that the markets appear random, but that's only because markets respond to new information and new information is always unpredictable. It seemed to be almost like a mythology to me.”

But that’s only part of the story, he adds. “The idea that people are so optimizing, so calculating and so ready to update their information, that's true of maybe a tiny fraction of 1% of people. It's not going to explain the whole market.”

What can? Human nature is a big factor, he says. We need stimulation, “and people have to have some sense of opportunity and excitement," Shiller said. "I think profits are an important motivator. In the long run, it's hard to say that bubbles are really bad.”

The alternative, attempting to “fix them” is no easy task, though it may be worth a shot.

“We could have had a Federal Reserve that tried to lean against that [Internet bubble],” he said. “Ultimately, our policies in economics are somewhat intuitive, and our models are not accurate enough to tell us what the right policy is, so I'm thinking we might have been better off if we tamed these bubbles, but there is no way to be sure.”

Storytelling

Ultimately, investors and other market participants move together, whether they intend to or not. “People think of themselves as such original thinkers when, in fact, most of their thoughts have been transmitted to them from other people,” Shiller stressed. “And there are certain stories in circulation, and they are all in all our minds.”

The stories, he adds, are what resonate with us — not rational information like statistics or theory.

Top Gold Companies To Watch For 2014

“You can still memorize numbers, of course, but you need stories. For example, the financial markets generate tons of numbers — dividends, prices, etc. — but they don't mean anything to us,” explained Shiller, who is married to a psychologist. “We need either a story or a theory, but stories come first. Most people don't really get around to much in the way of theory.”

This situation, he says, means investors can benefit greatly from financial advisors.

When asked by if he tells investors they can pick winning stocks or turn to index funds, the economist said, “I tell people to get an investment advisor; that makes sense to me.”

While Shiller thinks some people can invest in winning stocks, he says it is no walk in the park.

“The question is often whether it's possible for anyone to pick stocks, and I think it is. It's a competitive game. It's like some people can play in a chess tournament really well, but I'm not recommending you go into a chess tournament if you are not trained in that, or you will lose,” he explained.

“So for most people, trying to pick among major investments might be a mistake, because it's an overpopulated market. It's hard,” he continued. “You have to be realistic about how savvy you are.”

There’s a difference between the financial markets, and real estate, he adds. “But if you are thinking about buying real estate and renting it out, fixing it up and selling it, that's the kind of market that's less populated by experts. And for someone who knows the town, that's doing business, I'm not going to tell someone not to do that,” the economist said.

Sage Advice

As for whether or not he’s good at picking investments, the economist says he has what it takes: a focus on value, not hype.

“Well, I actually think I'm smart enough to pick winners,” Shiller said. “I've always believed in value investing. Some stocks just get talked about, and people pay all sorts of attention to them, and everyone wants to invest in them, and they bid the price up and they are no longer a good buy.”

That’s not where the money is, the economist explains: “Other stocks, they are boring. There is no news about them — they are making toilet paper or something like that — and their price gets too low. So as a matter of routine, you buy low-priced stocks and sell high-priced stocks.”

In other words, the exact advice advisors give to clients each and every day.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Ishares S&P 500 (IVV)

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, formerly iShares S&P 500 Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of United States large-cap stocks, as represented by the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for the S&P 500/Citigroup Growth and Value Index series.

The Index is a capitalization-weighted index from a range of industries chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Index is adjusted to reflect changes in capitalization resulting from mergers, acquisitions, stock rights, substitutions and other capital events. The Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  ETFs require no investment minimum beyond the price of one share. iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV) charges 0.07%, while the largest S&P 500 Index fund, SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), charges 0.09%. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) charges 0.05% and is technically a separate share class of the Vanguard 500 Index mutual fund.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Much smaller is the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: IVV  ) . With about $43 billion under management, the iShares ETF comes with lower expenses of 0.07%, but much lower average daily volume of just 3.8 million shares. Like the Spiders, its share price roughly corresponds to a tenth of the value of the S&P 500 index.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-financial-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html

Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Mechel Steel Group OAO (MTL)

Mechel OAO, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and steel businesses in the Russian Federation, other CIS countries, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Mining, Steel, Ferroalloys, and Power. The Mining segment engages in the production and sale of metallurgical and steam coal, coke, iron ore, and limestone, as well as chemical products, such as coal tar, naphthalene, and other compounds. The Steel segment produces and sells semi-finished steel products, carbon and special long products, and carbon and stainless flat products, as well as metal products, including wire products, forgings, and stampings. The Ferroalloys segment is involved in the production and sale of nickel ore, low-ferrous ferronickel, ferrochrome, and ferrosilicon. The Power segment engages in the generation and sale of electricity and heat energy from steam coal; and power distribution activities. The company, f ormerly known as Mechel Steel Group OAO, was founded in 2003 and is based in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL) shares reached a new 52-week low of $1.57. Mechel's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $120.84 million.

  Posted-In: 52-Week LowsNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL) was down, falling 2.33 percent to $2.52 after the company appointed Senior Vice-President for Economics and Management Oleg Korzhov as its Chief Executive Officer.

• [By Fede Zaldua]

  According Citigroup's analysts its about time to start accumulating Mechel's (MTL) shares. The reason for the sharp upgrade (from sell to buy) was Mechel's! recent deal with some of its creditors to ease part of the company's huge debt burden. More specifically, the Russian metals and mining company managed to seal a deal with the state controlled VTB Group through which it managed to get covenant holidays and a debt restructuring. That said, I don't think Mechel is out from the woods and I do not think its time to buy the company's shares, even when the are down by 67% year-to-date (ytd).

• [By Eric Volkman]

  The coffers of Mechel (NYSE: MTL  ) are now much fuller. The company has signed an agreement for a 40 billion ruble ($1.3 billion) loan from VTB Bank, a lender based in Mechel's home base of Russia. Of the total, roughly 25 billion ($802 million) will go toward the servicing of short-term facilities coming due in 2013. It also aims to refinance other debt obligations with the monies.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-canadian-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Ask Matt: China Internet stocks have risk, reward

USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com.

Q: Why are Chinese Internet stocks doing so well?

A: When stocks are going straight up, investors start feeling brave. And it's hard to find a corner of the market that takes more nerves than Chinese Internet stocks.

Shares of the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF is up roughly 8% this year. Chinese Internet stocks are jumping, such as Internet security firm Qihoo 360, Chinese search engine Baidu and online travel site Ctrip.

The rally in the Chinese stocks has two reasons. Investors are on a ravenous search for growth and Chinese Internet stocks have been expanding. Qihoo 360, for instance, saw its revenue more than double last year to $671.1 million last year. And at Baidu, revenue gained 43% last year, blowing away the 19% growth at Google.

But investors are also looking for speculative plays. Shares of Chinese Internet stocks tend to swing by large amounts, so traders are hoping to catch the upswings. Chinese Internet stocks, at least the ones owned by the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF, have a beta of 1.16, meaning they're more volatile than the market, says Morningstar.

Meanwhile, investors are preparing for what could be the biggest Chinese stock of them all: Alibaba. The Hangzhou, China-based Internet company is in the process of preparing its initial public offering to be listed on a U.S. exchange. The deal, if it goes well, might spur even more interest in the fast-growing Chinese Internet market.

TRACK YOUR STOCKS: Get real-time quotes with our free Portfolio Tracker

Follow Matt Krantz on Twitter: @mattkrantz.

Enzon Pharmaceuticals Just Went from Good to Great (ENZN)

With just a quick glance at the company's recent news (or lack thereof), Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ENZN) doesn't look like anything all that special... or even trade-worthy. It only takes a brief look at the chart of ENZN, however, to conclude this stock - lack of new or not - has just become something trade-worthy, because the rest of the market has clearly started to fall back in love with it; there's no telling at what price the love affair could end.

For those not familiar, ENZN is a biopharma stock. Specifically, Enzon Pharmaceuticals drives revenue by collecting royalties on sales of drugs that were/are developed on its PEGylation platform. There are seven such drugs right now, though only three of the seven make up the lion's share of the company's total revenue. Still, compared to other small cap biotech stocks of its ilk and size, three revenue-bearing products is enviable, and revenue is relatively reliable. Perhaps more important, the company has been profitable for the past three quarters, even if sales have tapered off a bit. For perspective, Enzon - a $55 million outfit - drove $34.5 million in sales for the past four quarters, and turned $18.15 million of it into a profit. Not bad.

That's not the reason a newcomer would want to step into ENZN today, however. No, the reason a trader might be interested in taking on a position in Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc. today is primarily the fact that this chart, after working on a rebound for months, is finally above key 200-day moving average line, clinching a buy signal. It's the most credible evidence we've seen yet that the stock has shrugged of months of weakness and is back in a bullish mode.

The daily chart of Enzon below tells the tale. After a couple of tries - and thanks to being able to use the 20-day moving average line (blue) as a springboard, ENZN punched through the 200-day moving average line (green) on Friday; there's nothing else left to hold it down. Better still, it made the move on very high volume, suggesting there's a lot of participation in the rally.

To really put the reversal in perspective though, only a weekly chart of Enzon will do. It's here we can see that the floor at $0.89 was drawn (mentally) long ago. The stock just had to brush it for a third time a couple of months ago - and even dip a bit under it to really slough off the weak holders - before being able to begin the bigger recovery process. Since then, we've seen a ton of volume behind the recovery rally... enough to say that ENZN has the interest it needs to keep chugging.

What's most interesting about the beginning of a major rebound is that there hasn't been any news from, or even really about, the company in months. There's something going on though; nothing in the market happens on accident. Most likely, someone (or enough someones) know something or are certain enough about something that the news driving the current rally will materialize sooner or later. For speculators of small cap stocks, however, the time to act is now, because ENZN is rolling now.

Besides, the revenue and earnings numbers make sense. You could almost make the case that Enzon Pharmaceuticals, with a trailing P/E of 3.3 and a price/sales ratio of 1.4, is a value play.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter. You'll get stock picks, market calls, and more, every day. Here's what you've missed recently.

Which Potash Producer Will Cut Its Dividend Next?

There seems little worry that PotashCorp (NYSE: POT  )  will cut its dividend -- which it called "sacrosanct" this past December -- even though it's planning on cutting some 18% of its workforce this year in the face of flagging demand.

Neptune Terminal facility, Vancouver, B.C. Source: Canpotex

Yet, Europe's leading potash player K+S (NASDAQOTH: KPLUY  ) just said that, because of the upheaval that's occurred in the market, it was slashing its dividend by 82% for 2013, reducing the payout ratio to just 11% of adjusted after tax earnings, a far cry from the miner's usual ratio of between 40% and 50%. Could this signal a new era of austerity that will ultimately see Potash, Agrium (NYSE: AGU  ) , and Mosaic (NYSE: MOS  )  end up whacking their payouts, as well?

Revenues at K+S barely moved at all last year, creeping up to 3.95 billion euros from 3.935 billion, but operating earnings fell by 18% from the year ago period because of lower potash prices. China recently set a new, lower floor for pricing after reaching an agreement with Russian potash producer Uralkali for $305 per metric tonne for the first half of 2014, a 24% discount to the levels paid in the same period last year. Shortly thereafter Canpotex, the North American potash marketing arm owned by PotashCorp, Agrium, and Mosaic,  also signed a contract for the sale of the fertilizer nutrient into China. Though it didn't disclose the deal's value, it said it was at competitive rates. Last year, it had secured a price of $400 per tonne.

There was a lot of speculation beforehand on what price China would pay for potash, as its purchases typically set the tone for contracts everywhere. It's the world's biggest wheat grower and second-biggest corn producer, so it remains a significant importer of potash along with the U.S., India, and Brazil. Buyers held off on making purchases until greater clarity was given as to where pricing would go, though the market expected them to settle in the $300 level following the breakup of the Belarusian cartel last summer; but no one wanted to be first to jump the gun.

Potassium Chloride (Muriate of Potash) Spot Price data by YCharts

With that event out of the way now, however, the surety potash producers were seeking seems to have returned. There's even the possibility the cartel will get back together, possibly leading to higher prices once more. Uralkali broke away from the partnership it had with Belaruskali in a bid to gain more market share. As a low-cost producer, it was willing to sacrifice price for volume. That sent everyone else into a tailspin, and caused the slump that led to K+S slashing its dividend.

The miner will use the savings to bump up its own production by expanding its Legacy project in Canada, with the goal of bringing it online in 2016 despite the weak pricing environment at the moment.

A dividend cut for PotashCorp still doesn't appear to be in the cards. Unlike K+S, which discontinued its nitrogen operations in 2012, the North American producer achieved record nitrogen sales volume of 5.9 million tonnes last year, 19% above the year-ago totals, even though prices were weaker. It's also still producing significant amounts of free cash flow, almost $1.6 billion worth at the end of 2013, suggesting it has substantial financial resources still available to it.

Agrium, on the other hand, burned through cash last year, recording a $100 million deficit in free cash flow, which could always pressure its payout that is currently yielding 3.2%. Mosaic, the fourth largest producer of potash in the world accounting for approximately 14% of estimated global annual potash production and 43% of estimated North American annual potash production, was also FCF positive, which should keep its 2% dividend intact.

If the situation in the Ukraine breaks down further, and sanctions are imposed on Russia, potash producers could even gain as potash remains an important export for the country. Although K+S found it expedient to cut its dividend to finance its growth program, I don't see Potash or Mosaic following suit. If conditions fail to markedly improve, however, Agrium could see pressure mount to conserve its cash.

A better bet
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6 Picks in Seasonally Strong Sectors

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now

Just as different markets have differing seasonalities, so do various sectors, and it helps to keep these seasonal tendencies in mind so you can establish positions in stocks that are about to enter their period of strength, says MoneyShow's Tom Aspray.

It has already been a much different stock market in 2014 than it was in 2013. The Spyder Trust (SPY) moved sideways until the latter part of January before dropping almost 6% in just 11 days. The rally from those lows has pushed the SPY almost 8% higher as the market waits for the latest FOMC announcement. The new high in the NYSE A/D line on Tuesday is a bullish sign for the market.

These wide swings are what I was expecting this year as it is more like the price action of 2012. The correlation between individual stocks and the S&P is also mush different this year as it has dropped sharply. Until the latter part of last summer, most stocks moved with the market pushing the correlation close to 1.0. In early January, the 65-day average had dropped to 0.52, well below the three-year average.

This is a plus for stock pickers and it is equally important that you look for stocks in the best sectors. There are three sectors that I like, which are typically strong seasonally until late April and May. In this week's trading lesson, I would like to take a seasonal and technical look at these sectors and review six specific recommendations. (Editor's Note: many were tweeted before the opening on March 19, 2014).

The January correction hit the Select Sector SPDR Consumer Discretionary (XLY) hard as it dropped from a high of $66.85 to a low of $61.03. The rebound has been equally sharp as XLY recently made a new high of $67.85. The seasonal analysis shows that XLY forms a major bottom on or around October 11 (line 1) and then rallies up through January 10.

The next seasonal low typically comes in late February as XLY then rallies sharply until the end of April, line 2. Last year, XLY had a six-week correction from the spring high to the June low and then continued to move higher and higher into the end of the year.

This seasonal tendency is one of many that are included in John Person's latest book Mastering the Stock Market. John suggested I look at the department stores, which have a strong seasonal trend into the end of April. He also mentioned that the last quarter of employment data reflected an uptick in female employment that could add support to retail stocks that focus on women's apparel.

The chart of the department store group typically bottoms on October 25 and then tops on April 25. Given the fact that the weather has prohibited many from shopping, I would not be surprised to see them stay strong until early summer. I am looking for similar demand to hit all of the retail space in the next few months.

NEXT PAGE: Picks in Retail

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Next Page

Rising shrimp costs put Red Lobster in hot water

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — A spike in shrimp costs is causing yet more trouble for Red Lobster.

The seafood chain's parent company Darden Restaurants on Friday reported a lower quarterly profit in line with its previously announced estimates. Sales at its struggling Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains dropped by 5.4% and 8.8% respectively, as reported on March 3.

The Orlando-based company has been fighting to win back customers at its flagship chains and has said it will spin off or sell Red Lobster to focus its attention on fixing Olive Garden with a revamped menu and marketing. Both chains have been losing customers as more affordable alternatives such as Chipotle have gained in popularity.

But in recent months, another factor weighing on Red Lobster was higher shrimp costs. Executives said that costs in the quarter rose about 30% because a "production issues in Asia." They said don't expect relief until the early part of its fiscal 2015 year.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now

On an annual basis, Chief Financial Officer Brad Richmond said the company is facing a $30 million increase in shrimp costs.

For the quarter ended Feb. 23, Darden posted a profit of $109.7 million, or 82 cents per share, matching its guidance. That was down almost 23 percent from year-ago earnings of $134.4 million, or $1.02 per share.

Analysts expected earnings of 85 cents per share.

Revenue of $2.23 billion was down 1%, below the $2.26 billion analysts expected.

Darden also said it still expects its fiscal 2014 earnings to be down between 15% and 20% from last year. Revenue at stores open at least a year, a key sales metric, is expected to fall 5.5%.

The results come a day after Starboard Value, which owns about 5.5% of Darden's stock, submitted a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking to call a special shareholders meeting. Darden has urged its shareholders ! to reject the proposal.

At issue are Darden's plans for its business. Starboard wants Darden to separate all of its large brands, including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, from its smaller, better-performing ones such as Bahama Breeze and The Capital Grille.

Its shares were down 2.9% to $50.72 at midday.

Jobless claims rise slightly

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose 5,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 320,000, which is close to pre-recession levels and suggests a stable job market.

The four-week average of applications, a less volatile figure, fell 3,500 to 327,000, the lowest since late November, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Applications are a rough proxy for layoffs. Their current pace suggests that companies are confident enough about economic growth to keep their staff levels.

About 3.35 million people received unemployment benefits as of March 1, the latest figures available. That's about 101,000 fewer than the previous week.

Jobless claims at their current levels are historically consistent with monthly job growth or roughly 200,000, said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR.

Hiring accelerated in February after two months of meager jobs gains. Cold winter weather in January and December limited consumer spending, home buying, and, consequently, economic growth. Employers added 175,000 jobs last month, up from 129,000 in January and close to the monthly average of the past two years, the Labor Department reported recently.

The unemployment rate rose to 6.7%. But the tenth of a percentage point increase happened, in part, for a positive reason: more people began looking for work and entered the job market. Employers didn't immediately hire most of them, causing the unemployment rate to increase. But the fact that they started job hunting suggests they were optimistic about their prospects.

Employers advertised more jobs in January, a separate government report said earlier this week, suggesting that hiring will likely remain steady in the coming months.

The weather did force about 6 million people with full-time jobs to work part-time in February. Many of their paychecks will shrink, likely weighing on spending.

Best Dividend St! ocks To Buy For 2014

That has contributed to economists forecasting that economic growth will be at an annual rate of 2% or less in the first three months of this year, down from 2.4% in the final three months of last year. But as the weather improves, most analysts expect growth to rebound to an annual rate near 3%.

10 Best Undervalued Stocks To Own Right Now

10 Best Undervalued Stocks To Own Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integrat! ion, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  But it just doesn't seem to matter for Schlumberger (SLB). Schlumberger is a member of my Jubak's Picks portfolio.

  On January 17, the oil services and technology company reported fourth quarter earnings of $1.35 a share, beating Wall Street estimates by two cents a share. Earnings grew by 29.8% year over year.

• [By Editor , DividendChannel.com]

  ENB operates in the Oil & Gas Equipment & Services sector, among companies like Schlumberger (SLB), and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD).

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  With a variety of oil stocks reporting full-year 2013 earnings, unconventional assets are the gifts that keep on giving for the oil service trio of Halliburton (HAL), Baker Hughes (BHI) and Schlumberger (SLB).

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Oilfield services giant Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) saw short interest rise 12.5% to 14 million shares, about 1% of Schlumberger's float. The largest oilfield services company reported fourth-quarter results last week and posted higher EPS and revenues than it did a year ago.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-undervalued-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

5 Best Clean Energy Stocks For 2014

5 Best Clean Energy Stocks For 2014: NanoViricides Inc (NNVC)

NanoViricides, Inc., incorporated on April 1, 2005, is a development-stage company. The Company is a nano-biopharmaceutical (nanomedicine) company whose business goals are to discover, develop and commercialize therapeutics to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening viral infections. The Company has several drugs in various stages of early development. The Company's drugs are based on several patents, patent applications, provisional patent applications, and other property held by TheraCour Pharma, Inc. (TheraCou), to which the Company has exclusive licenses in perpetuity for the treatment of human viral diseases: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS), Influenza including Asian Bird Flu Virus (INF), Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Rabies. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had six drug development programs: Oral FluCideTM, against all Influenzas; a Piggy-back version of Flucide for hospitalized patien ts; nanoviricide eye drops against adenoviral EKC and herpes keratitis; HIVCide - I against HIV/AIDS; HerpeCide - I skin cream formulation for herpes cold sores and genital warts, and DengueCide, a broad spectrum nanoviricide designed to attack all types of dengue viruses and expected to be effective in the Severe Dengue Disease syndromes including Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHS) and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS). As of June 30, 2012, it had engaged in organizational activities, sourcing compounds and materials, developing novel compounds and nanomaterials, and experimentation with studies on cell cultures and animals. In September 2011, NanoViricides Inc's Inno-Haven LLC acquired a light industrial building.

The Company's product development programs are divided into three sectors: commercially important diseases, neglected tropical diseases (NTD's) and biosecurity/! biodefense, and advanced technologies. The Company has collaborations with KARD Scientific, Inc., MA. and Southern Research Institute, AL for influenza viruse! s; National (Central) Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) (Vietnam), for H5N1 avian flu; The Long Island Jewish Medical System, Feinstein Institute of Medical Research (LIJMS), NY and TheVac, LLC. for viral diseases of the eye (adenoviruses, herpesviruses - epidemic kerato-conjunctivitis (EKC), Herpes Keratitis); TheVac, LLC and Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) for herpes virus infections; University of California at Berkeley for dengue hemorrhagic fever viruses; Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National (Central) Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for rabies virus. The Company has developed lead drug candidates against a number of viral diseases.

The Company had consolidated all of its influenza drug programs into a single pan-influenza FluCide program. It is developing a single drug for all influenzas, whether pandemic, epidemic, seasonal, novel, emerging, human, swine, or avian. It is developing a nanoviricide agai nst adenoviral EKC. The nanoviricide eye drug candidate is formulated as simple eye drops. It is developing an anti-HSV nanoviricide skin cream formulation for direct application to the lesions. It has designed the anti-HIV nanoviricides using rational drug design principles. The ligands it has designed in the case of HIV-1 are thought to be broadly neutralizing. In-silico modeling indicates that its ligands dock to the conserved CD4 binding site of gp120 of HIV-1. The Company is working on developing anti-Dengue therapeutics. Dengue is an important NTD. Its RabiCide program has resulted in candidates that have enabled survival of 20% to 30% of infected animals after disease has set in, using a particular animal model.

The Company competes with Roche, Glaxo SmithKline, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Gilead, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), Roche, Boehring! er Ingelh! eim, Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), Valeant, Schering, Pharmassett, Vertex, Intermune, Achillion and Novartis.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  
  

  One under-$10 nano-biopharmaceutical player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Nanoviricides (NNVC), which engages in the discovery, development and commercialization of anti-viral therapeutics primarily in the U.S. This stock has been ripping to the upside so far in 2013, with share up big by 198%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Nanoviricides, you'll notice that this stock has recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $4.55 to $4.52 a share. Following that bottom, shares of NNVC have now started to uptrend and move within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if NNVC manages to take out the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern, which has seen NNVC trend between $4.55 and $5.74 a share.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NNVC if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at Friday's high of $4.94 a share to its 50-day moving average of $5.28 a share, and then once it takes out some more key overhead resistance levels at $5.72 to $5.74 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 234,994 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then NNVC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.50 to its 52-week high at $7.59 a share.

  Traders can look to buy NNVC off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $4.55 to $4.52 a share. One can also buy NNVC off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-clean-energy-stocks-for-2014.html

Top 5 Gas Stocks To Buy For 2014

Top 5 Gas Stocks To Buy For 2014: Just Energy Group Inc (JE)

Just Energy Group Inc. (Just Energy), formerly Just Energy Income Fund, is engaged in the sale of natural gas and/or electricity to residential and commercial customers under long-term, fixed-price, price-protected or variable-priced contracts and green energy products. It also offers green products through its JustGreen and JustClean programs. In addition, through National Home Services (NHS), it rents and sells tankless water heaters, air conditioners and furnaces to Ontario residents. Through its subsidiary, Hudson Energy Solar, the Company completes solar power installations for customers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.The Company also produces and sells wheat-based ethanol. The Company markets its gas and electricity contracts in Canada and the United States under trade names which include Just Energy, Hudson Energy, Commerce Energy, Amigo Energy and Tara Energy. On October 3, 2011, the Company acquired Fulcrum Retail Holdings LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Natural gas and electricity retailer Just Energy (NYSE: JE  ) announced yesterday its monthly July dividend of $0.07 Canadian per share, the same rate it's paid for the past three months after cutting the payout 32% from $0.10333 Canadian per share in April.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-gas-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Top Biotech Stocks To Watch For 2014

Top Biotech Stocks To Watch For 2014: Horizon Pharma Inc (HZNP)

Horizon Pharma, Inc. (Horizon), incorporated on March 23, 2010, is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes medicines to target unmet therapeutic needs in arthritis, pain and inflammatory diseases. On April 23, 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration, approved DUEXIS (formerly HZT-501), a tablet formulation containing a fixed-dose combination of ibuprofen and famotidine in a single pill. The Company's other product, LODOTRA (NP-01), is a programmed release formulation of low-dose prednisone that is marketed in Europe by the Company's distribution partner, Mundipharma International Corporation Limited (Mundipharma). As of December 31, 2010, Horizon completed multiple Phase III clinical trials of LODOTRA. In addition to these product candidates, the Company has a pipeline of earlier-stage product candidates to treat pain-related diseases and chronic inflammation. On April 1, 2010, Horizon effected a recapitalization and acquisition pursua nt to which Horizon Pharma, Inc. became a holding company, that operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Horizon Pharma USA, Inc. (formerly Horizon Therapeutics, Inc.) and Horizon Pharma AG (formerly Nitec Pharma AG (Nitec)).

DUEXIS

DUEXIS is a combination of 800 milligram ibuprofen and 26.6 milligram famotidine in a single pill and is indicated for the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA), and to decrease the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal (GI), ulcers in patients who are taking ibuprofen for those indications. The Company has completed two Phase III clinical trials in a total of over 1,500 patients with mild to moderate pain or arthritis that demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)-induced upper GI ulcers when treated with ! DUEXIS versus ibuprofen alone.

LODOTRA

LODOTRA is a programmed release for mulation of low-dose prednisone, a well-established drug use! d to inhibit the production of various pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins associated with joint inflammation in RA. LODOTRA has received regulatory approval in Europe for the treatment of moderate to severe, active RA in adults when accompanied by morning stiffness. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had completed two pivotal Phase III clinical trials of LODOTRA in a total of over 600 patients with RA. The first pivotal Phase III trial supported the approval of LODOTRA in Europe in March 2009, where it is approved for marketing in 14 European countries. LODOTRA achieved significant results and met the primary endpoint in each of the two pivotal Phase III clinical trials. Its LODOTRA product was developed and is owned by Horizon Pharma AG. As of December 31, 2010, the Company markets LODOTRA in Europe through three separate agreements. Pursuant to two separate agreements, it granted Merck Serono GmbH and Merck GesmbH, an affiliate of Merck Serono, the rights to distribute and market LODOTRA in each of Germany and Austria, respectively, and pursuant to the third agreement, it granted Mundipharma rights to distribute and market LODOTRA in the rest of Europe. The Company also has a manufacturing and supply agreement with Jagotec AG under which Jagotec or its affiliates manufacture and supply LODOTRA to the Company as bulk tablets.

The Company competes with Pfizer Inc., Pozen Inc., Abbott Laboratories and Amgen Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Horizon Pharma (NASDAQ: HZNP) shares dropped 5.29% to $12.90 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q4 results. Horizon Pharma posted a quarterly loss of $0.04 per share on revenue of $30.10 million. However, analysts were expecting a loss of $0.08 per share on revenue of $32.18 million.

• [By Bryan Murphy] !

  After ! a 16% rally on Tuesday, it would be understandable is a newcomer wanted to steer clear of Horizon Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:HZNP). After all, how much more upside can there be for this fairly typical small cap biotech stock. Yet, HZNP may well be one of the rare exceptions to the "tough to follow-through" tendency.
  
  For those not familiar, HZNP is a biopharma name with a couple of rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, and asthma drugs on the market... Duexis, and Rayos. There's a third drug in the pipeline - Lodotra, for polymyalgia rheumatica, though it's already approved as a treatment for RA.  Either way, Horizon Pharma Inc. is unique in the sense that though it's a small biopharma company, it's at least driving revenue with a handful of marketable products.
  
  The pipeline and portfolio are secondary at this point, however. What matters most to traders now is whether or not there's actually any upside left to tap into with Horizon Pharma. The answer is, it depends.
  
  Given just the nearby daily chart, no, it looks like HZNP has burned up all of its fuel. Aside from the fact that it's overextended now, Tuesday's volume spike also implies anybody who was thinking about buying went ahead and took the plunge. That may well mean nobody is left to keep buying tomorrow. There may well be, however, plenty of nervous-Nellie profit-takers ready to head for the exit.
  
  The assessment changes quite a bit when you zoom out to a longer-term chart of Horizon Pharma, though.
  
  While this won't allow the stock to sidestep a near-term pullback, Tuesday's pop was something a game-changer for the long-term chart. The move shook the stock out of a narrow range that had trapped the stock between $2.80 and $2.12 for the last ten months.
  
  
  
  The proverbial "so what" is, with nearly a years' worth of pent-up energy finally being unleashed, we're nowhere near the end of the final resting place. Once we burn off this initial, knee-jerk reaction to the

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-biotech-stocks-to-watch-for-2014.html

Investors Flock to Buy Inflation Protection

Top 10 Japanese Stocks For 2014

Demand for inflation linked bond securities and various types of inflation protection are on the increase, as investor expectations of US inflation hit all-time highs.

Since the beginning of the year, a steady stream of economic news has sharpened investor concerns about the threat of inflation. This data includes increased wage growth, a rebound in the labor market and higher energy prices. These economic metrics indicate growth; they also mean that as the economy improves companies will more easily pass on increased costs.

In fact, investor expectations for inflation over the next five years, as measured by comparing yields on Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and nominal Treasury bonds, known as the break-even, have hit a new high in their long-term average, at 1.97, and a daily market high on March 13 of 1.86 (See Chart A), levels not seen in a year. 

Chart A: US Inflation Expectations are on the Rise

Created with Y Charts

Furthermore, the intraday price on five-year inflation expectations rose briefly above 2 percent in early March for the first time in seven months, after a report showed the economy added more jobs than forecast in February, according to Bloomberg data.

Break-even inflation is the difference between the nominal yield on a fixed-rate investment and the real yield (fixed spread) on an inflation-linked investment of similar maturity and credit quality. If inflation averages more than the break-even, the inflation-linked investment will outperform the fixed-rate. Conversely, if inflation averages below the break-even, the fixed-rate will outperform the inflation-linked.

Meanwhile,! the high demand for TIPS indicates investors believe the market is underpricing future inflation. In early March, funds that invest in TIPS took in a net of $359 million, the largest weekly inflow since May 2012, according to EPFR Global. This is the first gain since last April, when Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke's stimulus tapering caused an initial sell-off as investors repositioned their portfolios out of a fear that the economy was weak.

The Data Driving Expectations

Since the beginning of the year, several positive economic reports have bolstered the Federal Reserve's contention that the economy has been improving and no longer needs stimulus. However, the improvement in economic growth also suggests the central bank's efforts have been successful in spurring inflation to achieve its stated goal of reduced unemployment.

Below, we take a look at the numbers behind energy prices, unemployment, wage gains, and consumer confidence to more closely discern the underlying fundamentals that are driving investors’ new inflation expectations.

Energy Prices on the Rise

The single biggest new development that has prompted investors to seek inflation protection this year has been the steady increase in energy prices.

This is a state of affairs that will likely continue, according to Robert Rapier, chief investment strategist at Investing Daily’s The Energy Strategist, our sister publication. Rapier argues that natural gas prices will remain at elevated levels after demand increased for natural gas as a result of the arctic weather that blasted the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

Rapier makes the case for why oil has been stubbornly high and will continue:

“In a nutshell, it's the demand side of the equation keeping pace with the growing supply. Over the past decade, demand in the US and the EU fell, but this was more than compensated for by growing demand in developing countries. This kept the price of oil high, despite s! upply/dem! and fundamentals that in isolated countries would have encouraged lower prices.”

But the world's oil markets aren't local. And now demand in the US is starting to regain strength, recently rising to the highest level since 2008, he argues.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that global demand for oil will increase this year by 1.2 million barrels a day. For perspective, over the past five years the world has increased oil production by nearly 3.9 million barrels (2 million of which was from the US) — an average increase each year of 770,000 barrels per year. “I believe the long-term direction for both commodities [natural gas and oil] is inevitably higher prices,” Rapier concludes.

Unemployment and Wage Gains

As my Inflation Survival Letter colleague Benjamin Shepherd identified last week in his analysis entitled, “The Mixed Picture on Jobs,” the economy added 175,000 new jobs last month and a more-than-expected 129,000 in December, but the unemployment rate actually ticked up from 6.6 percent in January to 6.7 percent in February.

To explain this ostensible discrepancy, Shepherd points to analysis by HSBC as to how inflation becomes increasingly unpredictable after the official unemployment rate falls below 6.5 percent, with inflation about as likely to go up as to go down.

We have long contended (and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has acknowledged) that one of the challenges of the central bank is identifying the number of unemployed to gauge its monetary policy. The headline number, many have argued, does not seem to be representative of what is going on in the real economy, given the high numbers of long-term unemployed that are failing to be counted. This oversight increases the chances that the Federal Reserve will fail to time its stimulus and contain inflation.

Responding to the higher rate of unemployment that was reported, Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, the nominee to be Federal Reserve Chair Janet! Yellen�! �s top lieutenant, asserted on March 13 that the US economy still needs unprecedented accommodation amid high joblessness.

"At 6.7 percent, the unemployment rate remains too high," Fischer said in remarks prepared for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.

The number of people who applied for US unemployment benefits fell by 9,000 to 315,000 in the week ended March 8, marking the lowest level since the end of November, the US Labor Department reported. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch expected claims to total 330,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average of new claims over the past month, a more reliable gauge than the volatile weekly number, declined by 6,250 to 330,500. That’s the lowest level since early December and a reminder that, though sluggish, the economy is improving.

Meanwhile, between discussions of raising the minimum wage and new indications of wage growth, many investors are watching these developments closely and forming new inflation expectations.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported average weekly earnings rose 0.3 percent in March from a year ago, using the data from the consumer prices report to adjust for inflation. That's a static growth rate but wages overall are up since the recession’s start. They’re down from the end of 2008, broadly flat over the past decade, and on an inflation-adjusted basis, wages peaked in 1973, fully 40 years ago. Regardless of these fluctuations, the wage trend points to continued economic recovery.

Consumer Spending on the Rise

Consumer confidence rose last week to the second-highest level since August, as Americans grew more upbeat about the economy. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index climbed to minus 27.6 in the period that ended March 9 from minus 28.5 the prior week. The advance was the fifth straight and the reading was second only to the minus 27.4 in the week ended Dec. 22, which was the strongest since mid-Au! gust.
!
Consumers surveyed were more optimistic about the economy than at any time in the last seven months, reflecting stocks near record highs and a labor market that's showing signs of improving, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, “discussions about raising the minimum wage are probably helping lift spirits at the bottom of the income scale,” the Bloomberg report surmised. This improvement in consumer confidence was also confirmed by the widely watched University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of sentiment rose to 81.6 last month from 81.2 in January. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for the measure to hold at its preliminary reading of 81.2. Sustained sentiment indicates spending may pick up after bad winter weather across much of the US caused some Americans to stay close to home rather than shop at the mall.

Furthermore, the Michigan sentiment survey's index of expectations six months from now increased to a six-month high of 72.7 from 71.2 last month. The preliminary reading was 73. The gauge of current conditions, which measures Americans' view of their personal finances, dropped to 95.4 in February from 96.8 a month earlier. The initial reading for February was 94.

Another report from the US Commerce Department in late February showed the economy expanded in the fourth quarter at a 2.4 percent annual rate, slower than initially estimated.

The upshot: The seeds have been planted for higher inflation and you should get ready now.

5 things about money you need to know Friday

Can Dow avoid wipeout?

The Dow Jones industrial average declined Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The damage? A drop of 344 points, or 2.1%. The blue-chip stock gauge, which is being hampered by turmoil in Ukraine, signs of slowing economic growth in China and talk of a frothy U.S. market, is looking to avoid its fifth straight day of declines this week. The last full-week wipeout occurred May 14-18, 2012.

MARKETS TODAY: Stock futures flat in pre-market trading

Crimea crisis

Wall Street will be closely watching the rhetoric ahead of Sunday's referendum vote in Crimea. At stake: whether the southern, Russian-dominated region of Ukraine will secede from Ukraine and come under control of the Kremlin. A move into the Russian orbit will likely result in economic sanctions against Russia, which could roil markets.

S&P 1850

When the benchmark U.S. stock index broke out to new record highs earlier this month, it blew through the key 1,850 level, which Wall Street figured would act like a new "floor" on prices. But the key level gave way in Thursday's selloff, as the benchmark index closed at 1846.34. Chart watchers are watching to see if the index can regain its footing. If not, they say more market weakness could follow.

Consumer confidence

The University of Michigan releases its March consumer sentiment index this morning, and Wall Street will be using it as a gauge of the mood on Main Street after a dreary winter. Economists are expecting a reading of 82, a tad above last month's reading of 81.6.

Aeropostale

Shares fell 12% in pre-market trading after the retailer posted a fourth-quarter loss of 35 cents a share in the final quarter of 2013, wider than the 31-cent projected by analysts.

Top 5 Long Term Stocks To Buy For 2014

Top 5 Long Term Stocks To Buy For 2014: FirstMerit Corporation(FMER)

FirstMerit Corporation operates as the bank holding company for FirstMerit Bank, N.A. that provides a range of banking, fiduciary, financial, insurance, and investment services to corporate, institutional, and individual customers in northern and central Ohio, and western Pennsylvania. The company?s commercial business offers commercial term loans, revolving credit arrangements, asset-based lending, leasing, commercial mortgages, real estate construction lending, letters of credit, cash management services, and other depository products. Its retail business provides various financial products and services, including consumer direct and indirect installment loans, debit and credit cards, debit gift cards, residential mortgage loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, fixed and variable annuities, and ATM network services, as well as deposit products comprising checking, savings, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s wealth business provides a sset management, private banking, financial planning, estate settlement and administration, and credit and deposit products and services. FirstMerit Corporation also offers trust and investment services, including personal trust and planning, and investment management; retirement plan services; retail mutual funds, other securities, variable and fixed annuities, personal disability and life insurance products, and brokerage services; and private banking services, including credit, deposit, and asset management solutions. As of December 31, 2009, it operated a network of 160 full service banking offices and 182 ATMs. The company was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Akron, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  The year ahead should be a great one for the smaller bank stocks. Larger regionals like Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) and! Capital Ban Financial (CBF) have made it clear they intend to grow by acquisition in the years ahead. Banks like First Merit (FMER) and First Merchants (FRME) have done deals in the past year and are open to doing more to increase their market share and footprints. This should be the year the floodgates open and we see the first wave of merger activity in small banks.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-long-term-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Boeing shares drop amid safety concerns

Boeing shares fell 2.5% at midday Monday after safety concerns arose over the weekend that put pressure on the stock. The stock helped drag the Dow Jones industrial average lower and was the biggest loser of the 30 stocks making up the blue-chip index.

A Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777 disappeared early Saturday with 239 people aboard. The fate of the jet remained a mystery Monday after investigators said oil slicks off the coast of Vietnam were not linked to the flight.

Separately, Boeing said Friday that it had discovered hairline cracks on the wings of 42 Dreamliner 787 jets that are being built. No cracks were found in the 122 planes already delivered.

The company said the problem stemmed from changes in the manufacturing process at a Tokyo-based supplier, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and could result in delivery delays.

Business analysts said the Boeing 777 is one of the safest planes on earth, and the Malaysia Airlines tragedy should not significantly tarnish that record unless a flaw is found to have caused the incident.

"This is the best international plane ever built yet — it's got an impeccable track record after 20 years and over 1,200 deliveries," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis with the Teal Group in Virginia. "It's typically used on international routes, and it's established a new standard for international safety."

BOEING STOCK: Malaysia disaster not expected to tarnish Boeing

FULL COVERAGE: Malaysia Airlines disaster

The disaster in the South China Sea with 239 people aboard is Malaysia Airlines' first crash in nearly 20 years.

An Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash that killed three people in July also involved a 777, which struck a seawall and broke apart at San Francisco's airport. National Transportation Safety Board investigators have focused their attention on pilot training and confusion in that incident.

Boeing issued a statement saying it was assembling a team to offer technical assistance in investigat! ing the crash, and that "our thoughts remain with all on board and their families."

Henry Harteveldt, an analyst with Hudson Crossing in San Francisco, said the plane's "black box" that records data about the flight needs to be recovered and examined along with the rest of the recoverable wreckage.

Top 5 Internet Stocks To Watch Right Now

"Only after investigators can determine the crash's cause will we be able to determine whether there will be any long-term impact to Boeing," Harteveldt said.

Shares were down $3.24 to $125.30. The stock is up 58% the past year. In January, the company said its fourth-quarter profit rose 26% as it delivered more commercial planes.

Aussie falls along with copper; dollar up vs. euro

An earlier version of this story identified the wrong day when quoting the yen's value on Monday. The story has been corrected.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The dollar rose against the Australian dollar and several emerging-market currencies Tuesday as investors continued to react to recent weak data out of China, which have amplified concerns that the second-biggest economy is losing steam.

Click to Play China's Mounting Vulnerabilities

A series of dramatic episodes over the past few days, most recently the disappearance of a jetliner packed with Chinese passengers, reveals a China grappling to get control of its security challenges.

"I think that has to do with the perception of the growth rate in China as sort of a lightning rod for all of the other weak numbers," said Lane Newman, director at ING Capital Markets, noting recent subpar data in the U.S.

Over the weekend, Chinese data showed an unexpected 18.1% drop in exports in February from a year ago, which resulted in a monthly trade deficit of $22.98 billion. The saga took another turn with the selloff in copper futures, which tend to be predictive of growth and are correlated with the Aussie, though that correlation has been decreasing, said Newman.

Best Energy Stocks To Buy For 2015

"At the end of the day, I think people look at the selloff in copper and whether it has predictive qualities or not, there's a spillover," he said.

High-grade copper for May delivery (HGK4)  fell 2.6% to end at $2.95 a pound on Tuesday.

The result is a third straight session of declines for the Australian currency. The Aussie (AUDUSD)  fell to 89.78 U.S. cents from 90.17 U.S. cents late Monday.

Stocks fell Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP)   logging its fourth-straight loss. The dollar rose against several emerging-market currencies Tuesday, including the South African rand, Turkish lira and Brazilian real.

The euro (EURUSD)  fell to $1.3860 from $1.3872 late Monday.

Comments from ECB President Mario Draghi last week appeared to suggest the central bank wouldn't ease policy further in the short term , even as the region remains mired in low inflation. But ECB Vice President Vitor Constancio said Tuesday the market has misinterpreted the message and emphasized that the central bank could implement quantitative easing or asset purchases, as well as cut rates, if the economic outlook deteriorates, according to Reuters .

The euro, which jumped more than 1 cent after the European Central Bank held rates steady on Thursday, needs a catalyst to test the $1.40 level, said Michael Woolfolk, global markets strategist at BNY Mellon. That catalyst, likely data, could come within the next week, he added.

The dollar (USDJPY)  moved down to ¥102.95 from ¥103.21 late Monday. The Bank of Japan held its policy steady and made few changes in its broad economic assessment.

In its statement released on Tuesday, the BOJ maintained its pledge to expand its monetary base by 60 to 70 trillion yen ($581 billion to $677 billion) annually, saying that "Japan's economy has continued to recover moderately, and a front-loaded increase in demand prior to the consumption tax hike (scheduled in April) has recently been observed."

Reuters Enlarge Image A pedestrian walks past the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo.

"Kuroda reiterated that yen weakening was instrumental in pushing inflation higher and once again reaffirmed that the BOJ will not hesitate to adjust policy if obstacles emerge to meeting its price target," said Boris Schlossberg, managing director of foreign-exchange strategy at BK Asset Management, in a note. The Nikkei index (JP:NIK)   closed 0.7% higher Tuesday .

The British pound (GBPUSD)  declined to $1.6616 from $1.6640 late Monday. U.K. industrial production rose 0.1% in January from December, slightly missing expectations. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney defended his policy of linking future interest-rate hikes with the unemployment rate, which was initiated in August, in front of lawmakers on Tuesday. The central bank in February said it would look at a broad range of indicators, not just the unemployment rate.

The ICE dollar index (DXY) , which pits the U.S. unit against six rivals, rose to 79.790 from 79.769 late Monday. The WSJ dollar index (XX:BUXX) , a measure of the greenback's strength against a broader basket of currencies, rose to 73.54 from 73.49.

Other must-read MarketWatch stories:

Gayed: Will China lead emerging markets out of the cellar?

Copper prices may have hit the bottom, next move up: Barclays

The chart that explains why the White House expects the economy to accelerate

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015

With a price-to-book ratio of 1, this stock�� featured buy in our model portfolio��s among the cheapest large banks in the world, suggests Briton Ryle of The Wealth Advisory.

Banco Santander (SAN) isn't just a European bank. In its most recent quarterly earnings report, Spain accounted for just 15% of profits. And the bank has only 20% of its assets in Spain.

The bank has extensive operations across the lucrative areas of Latin America, and emerging markets account for half of profits in the latest quarter.

By country, Brazil accounted for 26% of total profit, with Mexico providing 13% and Chile 5%. The US and UK each account for 12% of profits.

Santander made a couple acquisitions lately. It paid nearly $190 million to buy the majority stake of the consumer finance unit of the large department store and retailer, El Corte Ingles.

And most recently, it acquired a stake in the Bank of Shanghai that's worth $468 million. Seems to us, the bank can't be so bad off if it is making investments.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Immunomedics Inc.(IMMU)

Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, and other serious diseases in the United States and Europe. The company?s products include epratuzumab, a Phase III clinical trail product for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma; Veltuzumab, a Phase I/II clinical study completed product for the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Yttrium Y 90 Clivatuzumab tetraxetan, a humanized monoclonal antibody for pancreatic cancer that is in Phase Ib/II clinical trail; and Yttrium Y 90 epratuzumab tetraxetan, a Phase I/II clinical study product for patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma. Its early phase clinical trial products comprise Milatuzumab, a transmembrane protein product for antibody-drug conjugate therapy. The com pany also develops Dock-and-Lock methodology for making fusion proteins and multifunctional antibodies, as well as a new method of delivering imaging and therapeutic agents selectively to disease, primarily different solid cancers. In addition, it markets and sells a diagnostic product, LeukoScan, which is used to treat infection and inflammation in bones for patients with suspected osteomyelitis, including patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Immunomedics, Inc. has a license and collaboration agreement with Nycomed GmbH to develop, manufacture, and commercialize veltuzumab in the subcutaneous formulation for the treatment of various non-cancer indications; and a partnership and cross-licensing agreement with Alexis Biotech Ltd., to develop vaccines against cancers that include melanoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and infectious diseases, such as AIDS. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Immunomedics Inc. (IMMU) �shares rose 19% to $6.18 on heavy volume after the small cap biotech said it just started treating patients with its pancreatic cancer drug in a late-stage clinical trial.

• [By Sean Williams]

  In terms of clinical data, small-cap biotechnology company Immunomedics (NASDAQ: IMMU  ) jumped by double digits after reporting early stage, but nonetheless positive, data from its antibody-drug conjugate program. Two of Immunomedics' ADC's, IMMU-130 which is targeted at metastatic colorectal cancer, and IMMU-132, which is being tested on 13 different cancer types, demonstrated tumor shrinkage and some partial responses. We're still a long way from an approval, but ADC's certainly look like one pathway to effectively treating cancer. Make sure this is a company you've added to your Watchlist.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Immunomedics (IMMU), which is focused on the development of monoclonal antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases. This stock is off to a very bullish start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 110%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Immunomedics, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending decent for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $4.85 to its recent high of $6.54 a share. During that uptrend, shares of IMMU have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This uptrend is coming after shares of IMMU downtrended during July from $6.91 to that $4.65 a share low. Shares of IMMU are now starting to push within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in IMMU if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $6.54 a share and then once it clears its 52-week high at $6.91 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 volume of 1.15 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then IMMU will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $8 to $10 a share, or possibly even north of $10 a share.

  Traders can look to buy IMMU off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $5.52 a share or below more support at $5 a share. One can also buy IMMU 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.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Central Fund of Canada Limited (CEF)

Central Fund of Canada is an closed-ended commodity mutual fund launched and managed by Central Group Alberta, Ltd. It invests in the commodity markets. The fund primarily invests in commodities like silver and gold. Central Fund of Canada was formed on November 15, 1961 and is domiciled in Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Parnell]

  It also remains worthwhile to hedge stock allocations to protect against any major downside event along the way. This includes positions with low correlations such as the PIMCO Total Return ETF (BOND) or the PIMCO Global Advantage Inflation Linked Bond ETF (ILB). This also includes allocations that are likely to rally sharply in the event of a stock pullback but can also continue to rise along with the market such as long-term Treasuries (TLT) or Build America Bonds (BAB). And despite the recent thrashing they have endured, the precious metals complex including gold (GLD), silver (SLV), platinum (PPLT) and palladium (PALL) continue to provide attractive long-term portfolio diversification benefits. I remain long all of these metals via the Central GoldTrust (GTU), the Central Fund of America (CEF), the Sprott Physical Silver Trust (PSLV) and the Sprott Physical Platinum and Palladium Trust (SPPP).

Top 5 High Dividend Stocks For 2015: Sirona Dental Systems Inc (SIRO)

Sirona Dental Systems, Inc. (Sirona), incorporated on April 25, 1997, and its subsidiaries is a manufacturer of dental equipment, and is focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing solutions for dentists around the world. The Company operates in four segments: Dental CAD/CAM Systems, Imaging Systems, Treatment Centers and Instruments. The Company markets its products globally to dental practices, clinics and laboratories through an international network of distributors. The dental distributors supply both dental equipment and consumables, and have regular contact with the ultimate end-users. In addition, the Company also distributes its products through its own sales and services infrastructure.

Dental CAD / CAM Systems

Dental CAD/CAM Systems address the dental restorations, which includes several types of restorations, such as inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, bridges, copings and bridge frameworks made from ceramic, metal or composite blocks. Sirona's CEramic REConstruction (CEREC) system is an in-office application that enables dentists to produce high quality restorations from ceramic material and insert them into the patient's mouth during a single appointment. The CEREC system consists of an imaging unit and a milling unit. The imaging unit scans the damaged area, captures the image of the tooth or teeth requiring restoration and proposes the specifications for the restoration. The milling unit then mills the ceramic restoration to the required specifications based upon the captured image and the dentist's design specifications.

Sirona offers a service contract on its CEREC product, which includes software updates and upgrades and maintenance on software-related hardware. In addition to CEREC, Sirona also offers CAD/CAM products for dental laboratories, including the inLab restoration fabrication system and the extra-oral inEos scanner. These products are designed to improve efficiency and reduce costs for the dental lab. The inLab system scans the ! models received from the dentists and then mills ceramic or composite block restorations, such as crown copings and bridge frameworks to the specifications of the captured image.

Imaging Systems

Imaging Systems comprise a broad range of systems for diagnostic imaging in the dental practice. Sirona has developed a comprehensive range of imaging systems for two dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D), panoramic and intra-oral applications. Intra-oral x-ray systems use image-capture sensor devices, which are inserted into the mouth behind the diagnostic area, and take images of one or two teeth. Panoramic x-ray systems produce images of the entire jaw structure by means of an x-ray tube and an image capture device, which rotates around the head.

Treatment Centers

Treatment Centers consists of a range of products from basic dentist chairs to chair-based units with integrated diagnostic, hygiene and ergonomic functionalities, as well as specialist centers used in preventative treatment and for training purposes. Sirona offers specifically configured products to meet the preferences of dentists within each region in which it operates. Sirona's treatment center configurations and system integration are designed to enhance productivity by creating a seamless workflow within the dental practice.

Instruments

Sirona offers a range of instruments, including handheld and power-operated handpieces for cavity preparation, endodontics, periodontology and prophylaxis, which are regularly updated and improved. The instruments are supplemented by multi-function tips, supply and suction hoses, as well as care and hygiene systems for instrument preparation. Sirona's instruments are often sold as packages in combination with treatment centers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap dental stock BIOLASE Inc (NASDAQ: BIOL) surged 17.69% after announcing it had received a license from the Health Canada-Medical Device Bureau to sell its EPIC dental soft-tissue diode laser systems throughout Canada, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of mid cap dental stocks like Sirona Dental Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: SIRO), DENTSPLY International Inc (NASDAQ: XRAY) and Align Technology, Inc (NASDAQ: ALGN).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Align have surged 24% to $57 at 12:37 p.m. Sirona Dental Systems (SIRO) has risen 0.8% to $69.61, Dentsply International (XRAY) is up 0.1% at $45.44, Integra Lifesciences (IART) has� gained 0.4% to $44.23 and Danaher (DHR) has fallen 0.3% to $72.13.

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Dentists may find that patients are more willing to spend on restorative procedures now that the job market is recovering and consumer sentiment is heading higher. That offers new opportunities for providers of dentistry equipment, such as Sirona Dental Systems (NASDAQ: SIRO  ) , a company that was spun out of Siemens in 1997 and brought public in 2006.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Websense Inc. (WBSN)

Websense, Inc. provides unified Web, data, and email content security solutions to protect data and users from cyber-threats, information leaks, legal liability, and productivity loss. The company?s Web security solutions include Web Filter that enables employers to proactively analyze, report, and manage employee access to Web sites; Web Security, which enables organizations to manage, as well as block access to sites associated with spyware, phishing, keylogging, and other threats; Web Security Gateway, a network-based Web security solution; and Web Security Gateway Anywhere, and data loss prevention technology and hybrid deployment options to protect against data leaks via the Web, and allow IT administrators to create unified policies throughout the organization, as well as offers V-Series Appliances as standard server hardware platforms optimized for its software products. Its Data Security solutions include Data Security Suite, Data Discover, Data Monitor, Data Prote ct, and Data Endpoint to protect against the loss of confidential information and data due to internal threats, such as inadequate business process controls, employee error and malfeasance, and theft, including undetected malicious code embedded in the networks. The company?s email security technologies include Hosted Email Security and Email Security to provide protection from spam and email-borne viruses, as well as basic inbound and outbound content filtering. In addition, it offers TRITON Enterprise solutions that provide Web, data, and email security across the enterprise; and technical support and professional services. The company offers its products and services to public sector entities, enterprise customers, small and medium sized businesses, and Internet service providers through a network of value-added resellers and original equipment manufacturers worldwide. Websense, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Websense (NASDAQ: WBSN  ) shareholders have until June 25 to decide on a $24.75-a-share acquisition offer by Vista Equity Partners.

  The board of cyber attack security specialist Websense has agreed to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners in the $903 million deal announced earlier this month. This morning, the companies announced that the�tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Websense common stock has begun.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: NCI Inc.(NCIT)

NCI, Inc. provides information technology (IT) and professional services and solutions to the United States Federal Government defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. It offers enterprise systems management services, including infrastructure operations and management; outsourcing and managed; infrastructure consolidation and modernization; public/private cloud computing; planning and disaster recovery; virtual desktop infrastructure; application and network management; network design, implementation, and migration; network monitoring and performance evaluation; multi-site environments; and data center modernization and consolidation. The company also provides network engineering services comprising architecture development and design; protocol and topology optimization; disaster response planning and recovery; installation, test, and evaluation; network configuration and compliance audit; network security evaluation; protocol and topology optimization; reliability an d contingency assessment; requirements analysis; redundant routing/switching solutions; and enterprise vulnerability management. In addition, it offers cybersecurity and information assurance services consisting of intrusion detection/prevention system development; public key infrastructure implementation; certification and accreditation; computer forensics and ediscovery; policy and procedures development; threat assessment and mitigation; products evaluation and integration; security test and evaluation; cybersecurity fusion centers; and risk management and continuous monitoring. Further, the company provides software development and systems engineering services; program management and lifecycle support services; professional engineering, logistics, and support services; health IT and informatics services; and modeling, simulation, and training services. NCI, Inc. is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  NCI, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCIT) will issue its third quarter 2012 financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. Management will then discuss the results, as well as operating trends and future performance expectations, on a conference call beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Golar LNG Partners LP (GMLP)

Golar LNG Partners LP (the Partnership), incorporated on September 24, 2007, is a limited partnership formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Golar LNG Limited (Golar), an independent owner and operator of floating storage re-gasification units (FSRUs) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, to own and operate FSRUs and LNG carriers under long-term charters. The vessels in its fleet are chartered to BG Group, Pertamina, Petrobras and Dubai Supply Authority. As of December 31, 2012, Golar owned its 2.0% general partner interest, all of its IDRs and a 49.9% limited partner interest in it. As of December 31, 2012, its fleet consisted of a 100% interest in the Golar Spirit, which is operating under a time charter with Petrobras; a 100% interest in the Golar Winter, which is operating under a time charter with Petrobras; a 100% interest in the Golar Freeze, which is operating under a time charter with Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP), the purchaser of natural gas in Dubai; a 100% interest in the Methane Princess, which is operating under a time charter with BG Group PLC (BG Group), and a 60% interest in the Golar Mazo, an LNG carrier, which is operating under a time charter with PT Pertamina (Pertamina). In July 2012, Golar sold its interests in the companies that own and operate the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Nusantara Regas Satu to the Company. As of April 30, 2013, the Company has a fleet of four FSRUs and four LNG carriers. In November 2012, the Company acquired from Golar interests in subsidiaries that lease and operate the LNG carrier, the Golar Grand.

FSRU Charters

The Company provides the services of each of the Golar Spirit and the Golar Winter to Petrobras under separate time charter parties (or TCP) and operation and services agreements (OSAs). The TCPs and OSAs are interdependent and when combined have the same effect as the time charters for its LNG carriers. The services of the Golar Freeze are provided to DUSUP under a TCP. The Golar Spirit and ! Golar Winter charters also contained provisions giving Petrobras the option to purchase the vessels from it under certain circumstances.

LNG Carrier Charters

The Company provides the LNG marine transportation services of the Golar Mazo, Methane Princess and the Golar Maria under a time charters with LNG Shipping SpA. A time charter is a contract for the use of the vessel for a fixed period of time at a specified daily rate. Under a time charter, the vessel owner provides crewing and other services related to the vessel�� operation.

The Company competes with Royal Dutch Shell, BP, BG, Malaysian International Shipping Company, National Gas Shipping Company, Qatar Gas Transport Company, Excelerate Energy, Hoegh LNG, Exmar, Teekay LNG and MISC Berhad.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Q: Golar (GMLP) has been doing well lately after an up/down and eventually flat year in 2013. �While sometimes diverging TGP performed about the same. Thoughts on any catalyst this year that might help GMLP start to trend up consistently?

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Golar LNG Partners Limited Partnership (Nasdaq: GMLP  ) reported earnings on May 30. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Golar LNG Partners Limited Partnership met expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Taylor Muckerman]

  One segment of energy transportation on the high seas that has shown investors that tankers can still deliver on Wall Street has been liquefied natural gas, LNG, tankers. Teekay LNG Partners (NYSE: TGP  ) and Golar LNG Partners (NASDAQ: GMLP  ) have both churned out returns north of 15% in the past year along with paying investors more than 6% in distributions just for owning shares. As LNG exporting becomes a bigger part of global energy trade both of these companies stand to benefit. While there has only been approval for two LNG exporting facilities in the U.S., there are many others with applications submitted. Combined with countless other plans around the world, the prospects look rather bright.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Konared Corp (KRED)

KonaRed Corporation., formerly TeamUpSport Inc., incorporated on October 4, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is focused to develop and commercialize on its Website www.teamupsport.com. As of May 31, 2011, the Company had not generated revenue. On October 4, 2013, the Company acquired Sandwich Isles Trading Co. Inc. dba KonaRed.

The Company's Website will be designed to integrate into a single online offering people�� interest in sports with the capabilities of online social networking. The Website will become a sports focused social networking Website.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Consider this an official warning for PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP). And, The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is being put on notice too. There's a newcomer in the world of functional beverages, and it's poised to be a disruptor for some of the beverage industry's presumably-prolific brands. This newcomer? KonaRed Corp. (OTCBB:KRED). It's not just a new name either. It's bringing a whole new flavor to the healthy drinks market that's not only creative, but delicious.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Cardiovascular Systems Inc.(CSII)

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., a medical device company, focuses on developing and commercializing minimally invasive treatment solutions for vascular disease. Its primary products include catheter-based platforms, such as the Diamondback 360�PAD System, the Diamondback Predator 360�PAD System, and Stealth 360�PAD System that are used for the treatment of a range of plaque types in leg arteries above and below the knee. The PAD Systems consists of a single-use catheter that travels over its proprietary ViperWire guidewire and are used in conjunction with a reusable external control unit or a saline infusion pump. It markets and sells its products through direct sales force to hospitals and office based laboratories in the United States. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, medical device company Cardiovascular Systems (NASDAQ: CSII  ) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Hudson City Bancorp Inc.(HCBK)

Hudson City Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Hudson City Savings Bank that provides a range of retail banking services. It offers a range of deposit accounts, including passbook and statement savings accounts, interest-bearing transaction accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and time deposits, as well as IRA accounts and qualified retirement plans. The company?s loan portfolio primarily comprises one-to four-family first mortgage loans for residential properties; multi-family and commercial mortgage loans; construction loans; and consumer loans, such as fixed-rate second mortgage loans and home equity credit line loans, as well as collateralized passbook loans, overdraft protection loans, automobile loans, and secured and unsecured commercial lines of credit. As of December 31, 2009, it operated 95 branches located in 17 counties throughout the State of New Jersey; 10 branch offices in Westchester County, 9 branch offices in Suffolk Cou nty, 1 branch office each in Putnam and Rockland Counties, and 6 branch offices in Richmond County; and 9 branch offices in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The company was founded in 1868 and is based in Paramus, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB  ) will take a little longer to absorb fellow lender Hudson City Bancorp (NASDAQ: HCBK  ) . The companies said in a joint press release that they believe more time will be needed to address regulatory issues in order to effect the planned acquisition, first announced in Aug. 2012.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  M&T Bank Corp.(MTB) and Hudson City Bancorp Inc.(HCBK) said they expect additional delays in completing their merger deal, and any action isn’t expected to occur until the latter half of 2014. “While all parties are disappointed that the transaction is delayed further, we are gratified that M&T continues to see the value in the Hudson City franchise,” said Hudson City CEO Ronald E. Hermance Jr.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Beyond the Dow, Hudson City Bancorp (NASDAQ: HCBK  ) has dropped more than 5% after the bank and its proposed acquirer, M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB  ) , said there would be a delay in completing their merger. M&T, which has slipped almost 4%, cited regulatory concerns from the Federal Reserve over its bank secrecy and anti-money-laundering programs. Despite the two banks' plan to extend their agreement until the end of January 2014, they aren't sure the merger will be complete even by then. Shareholders will still vote on the deal later this month, but the delay has to be disconcerting for investors on both sides.

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  For example, a bank might explain why they choose to focus on a certain area ��as Hudson City (HCBK) does here:

  ��hrough our branch offices, we have operations in 10 of the top 50 counties in the United States ranked by median household income. Operating in high median household income counties fits well with our jumbo mortgage loan and consumer deposit business model��he northern New Jersey market represents the greatest concentration of population, deposits and income in New Jersey. The combination of these counties represents more than half of the entire New Jersey population and more than half of New Jersey households. The northern New Jersey market also represents the greatest concentration of Hudson City Savings retail operations ��both lending and deposit gathering ��and based on its high level of economic activity, we believe that the northern New Jersey market provides significant opportunities for future growth.��/p>

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: AEP Industries Inc.(AEPI)

AEP Industries Inc. engages in the production, manufacture, and distribution of plastic packaging products in the United States and Canada. The company offers a line of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene flexible packaging products for consumer, industrial, and agricultural applications. Its products include custom films for industrial applications, including sheeting, tubing, and bags; films that protect items stored outdoors or in transit, such as boats and cars; a range of shrink films, barrier films, and overwrap films; stretch film products for hand wrap and rotary applications; and pre stretch and high performance products for commodity and specialty uses. The company also provides food wraps products, including blown plastic film fold-top bags, twist-tie bags, and food containers under the Seal Wrap brand for the supermarket and industrial markets; a range of coextruded polyolefin films and monolayer films for food, pharmaceutical, and medical appli cations; and canliners product line comprising trash bags and institutional bags. In addition, it offers printed rollstock to the food and beverage industries, and manufacturing and distributing companies; and unplasticized polyvinyl chloride films for use in battery labels, twist films, and credit card laminates; and various film products with agricultural applications, such as silage, smooth mulch films, and fumigation films. Further, the company provides disposable consumer and institutional plastic products, which include table covers and skirts, aisle runners, aprons, bibs, gloves, boots, freezer/storage bags, saddle pack bags, locker wrap and custom imprint designs for the food service, party supply, and school/collegiate markets under the Sta-Dri brand. AEP Industries Inc. markets its products directly to end-users, as well as through distributors. The company was founded in 1970 and is based in South Hackensack, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of plastic packaging manufacturer AEP Industries (NASDAQ: AEPI  ) sank 14% today after its quarterly results and outlook disappointed Wall Street.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp (SBY)

Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp., incorporated on June 29, 2012, is focused on the acquisition, renovation, leasing and management of single-family properties. The Company generates all of its revenue by leasing its portfolio of single-family properties.

As of September 30, 2012, the initial portfolio consisted of more than 2,540 single-family properties. As of September 30, 2012, Two Harbors owned a portfolio of approximately 1,660 single-family properties through its wholly owned subsidiary, Two Harbors Property Investment LLC. The Company is managed by PRCM Real Estate Advisers LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  This spring, however, signs of a slowdown began to appear. The number of distressed properties began to diminish, prices began ticking upward, and interest rates started a slow rise. However, two snippets of good news may help float the boats of private equity firm Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX  ) , and single-family REITs Silver Bay (NYSE: SBY  ) and American Residential Properties (NYSE: ARPI  ) : easier credit, and higher foreclosure rates.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Comcast�and Prudential Financial. Other new holdings of interest include Silver Bay Realty Trust (NYSE: SBY  ) , a hybrid mortgage REIT (real estate investment trust). Spun off by Two Harbors Investment, Silver Bay will focus on single-family homes, profiting from foreclosures. The company is worth watching, especially with a housing recovery under way, even though some question the recovery. In its last quarter, Silver Bay acquired 1,200 single-family properties, bringing its portfolio to 4,600. Its overall occupancy rate is 53%, but 92% among its stabilized properties.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  2013 is starting off sweet for the hybrid REIT
  Despite missing earnings per share estimates by $0.03, Two Harbors managed to keep its net interest spread at 2.9%, with no decrease from the previous quarter. The trust took a hit on book value of $0.35 -- not too disappointing considering the special Silver Bay Realty (NYSE: SBY  ) dividend of $1.01 Two Harbors passed around with its own $0.32 payout, about six weeks ago.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: TICC Capital Corp.(TICC)

TICC Capital Corp., a business development company, operates as a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The firm invests in both public and private companies. It invests in secured and unsecured senior debt, subordinated debt, junior subordinated debt, preferred stock, and common stock. The firm primarily invests in debt and/or equity securities of technology-related companies that operate in the computer software, Internet, information technology infrastructure and services, media, telecommunications and telecommunications equipment, semiconductors, hardware, technology-enabled services, semiconductor capital equipment, medical device technology, diversified technology, and networking systems sectors. It concentrates its investments in companies having annual revenues of less than $200 million and a market capitalization or enterprise value of less than $300 million. The firm invests between $5 million and $30 million per transaction. It seeks to exit its investments within 7 years. It serves as the investment adviser to TICC. The company was formerly known as Technology Investment Capital Corp. and changed its name to TICC Capital Corp. in December 2007. TICC Capital Corp. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, closed-end asset manager TICC Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: TICC  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  TICC Capital (NASDAQ: TICC) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $28.43 million.

  Fuel-Tech (NASDAQ: FTEK) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $29.00 million.

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Delcath Systems Inc.(DCTH)

Delcath Systems, Inc., a development stage company, operates as a specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company. It focuses on cancers in the liver. The company involves in the development and clinical study of the Delcath chemosaturation system. Its clinical trial include a Phase III multi-center study for patients with unresectable metastatic ocular or cutaneous melanoma exclusively or predominantly in the liver; and a multi-arm Phase II clinical trial of the Delcath chemosaturation system with melphalan in patients with primary and metastatic liver cancer, which comprise neuroendocrine tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma, ocular or cutaneous melanoma, and metastatic adenocarcinoma. Delcath Systems, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Biotech in general has been one of the market�� hottest sectors this year thanks to plenty of mostly good news�along with�new IPOs while small cap biotech stocks Delcath Systems (NASDAQ: DCTH), ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc (NASDAQ: ZIOP), Recro Pharma (NASDAQ: REPH), TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TLOG)�and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) have also produced their share of news�this week or in recent weeks. Just consider the following:

Best Cheapest Stocks For 2015: Becton Dickinson and Company(BDX)

Becton, Dickinson and Company, a medical technology company, develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents worldwide. The company?s BD Medical segment produces medical devices that are used in various healthcare settings. This segment?s products include needles, syringes, and intravenous catheters for medication delivery; prefilled IV flush syringes; syringes, pen needles, and other drugs to treat diabetes; prefillable drug delivery systems; anesthesia needles and trays; sharps disposal containers; and closed-system transfer devices. Its BD Diagnostics segment provides products for the safe collection and transport of diagnostics specimens, as well as instrument systems and reagents to detect various infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and cancers. This segment?s products consist of integrated systems for specimen collection; safety-engineered blood collection products and systems; automated blood culturing systems; molecular testing systems; microorganism identification and drug susceptibility systems; liquid-based cytology systems for cervical cancer screening; rapid diagnostic assays; and plated media. The company?s BD Biosciences segment produces research and clinical tools that facilitate the study of cells and their components. This segment?s products comprise fluorescence-activated cell sorters and analyzers; monoclonal antibodies and kits for performing cell analysis; reagent systems for life science research; cell imaging systems; laboratory products for tissue culture and fluid handling; diagnostic assays; and cell culture media supplements for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. It markets its products through independent distribution channels and independent sales representatives to healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry, and the general public. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Medical device maker�Becton, Dickinson� (NYSE: BDX  ) gave investors a shot in the arm today reporting strong financial results for its second fiscal quarter and raising its guidance for the full year.

• [By Russ Krull]

  Becton Dickinson's (NYSE: BDX  ) second-quarter earnings report is a good reason to give the company a onceover with a SWOT -- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats -- analysis. Becton met analysts' expectations for revenue and earnings beat estimates.�The market liked the report, injecting more than $2.50 to the share price and send sending it to a new high.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Becton Dickinson (BDX) has gained 1.2% to $101.97 this morning after�Piper Jaffray�raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral. Analysts�William Quirk and�David Clair�explain why they’re optimistic about the medical technology company:

  Associated Press

  Observations from multiple diagnostic conferences all suggest significant interest in�microbiology investment. This interest spans track systems (Kiestra), new identification�technologies (Maldi/BioTyper) and Molecular (gram +/- assays). When considering�AST (antimicrobial susceptibility testing) recall from Siemens, we believe BD’s�microbiology business is poised to accelerate its performance over the next several years.�Combined with a delayed JNJ/Ypsomed pen needle launch and incremental European�safety adoption, we believe numbers for BD will continue to climb…

  They also raised their price target to $117 from $91.

  While Becton has gained today,�Johnson & Johnson�(JNJ) has dropped 0.6% to $88.50,�Medtronic�(MDT) has fallen 1%to $53.43,�Boston Scientific�(BSX) has declined 0.9% to $11.79 and Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is off 1.2% at $70.90.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Becton, Dickinson & Co.� (NYSE: BDX  ) shareholders will receive their next dividend at the end of September. The company has declared its latest common stock payout, which is to be $0.495 per share paid on September 30 to shareholders of record as of September 9. That amount matches each of the firm's previous three distributions, the most recent of which was paid at the end of last month. Prior to that, Becton Dickinson handed out $0.45 per share.