5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014

I��e seen Carl Icahn�� name in print nearly daily so I�� highly confident I can spell his surname with ease. The ��ighly confident��phraseology was Drexel Burnham speak, denoting its capacity to raise billions in capital for assorted greenmailers, LBO practitioners and takeover honchos who operated in the mid-seventies and eighties.

Carl graduated from this class of operators with distinction. It included Messrs. Riklis, Perelman, Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, Nelson Peltz, Leon Black and at least a dozen more anointed by Mike Milken who came through with deal financing.

I respect Icahn�� achievement. Over the years, Carl�� made more right decisions than clunkers. His net worth is unlikely to sink below $10 billion even in a bear market because he knows how to press sell buttons on major positions rather than marry them for life, Warren Buffett�� modus operandi.

Unlike Icahn, I never cottoned to Netflix, and actually sold Apple around $450. He owns Transocean and successfully browbeat management to increase its payout to shareholders. I�� in Halliburton, but just a silent investor.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Myriad Genetics Inc (MYGN.O)

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Myriad) is a molecular diagnostic company. The Company is focused on developing and marketing predictive medicine, personalized medicine and prognostic medicine tests. It performs all of its molecular diagnostic testing and analysis in its own reference laboratories. These technologies include the cornerstone technologies of biomarker discovery, high-throughput deoxyribo nucleuc acid (DNA) sequencing, ribo nucleic acid (RNA) expression and multiplex protein analysis. The Company uses this information to guide the development of new molecular diagnostic tests that are designed to assess an individual's risk for developing disease later in life (predictive medicine), identify a patient's likelihood of responding to drug therapy and guide a patient's dosing to ensure optimal treatment (personalized medicine), or assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recurrence (prognostic medicine).

As of June 30, 2012, the Company h ad launched nine commercial molecular diagnostic tests. The Company markets these tests through its own approximate 385-person sales force in the United States. The Company also markets its BRACAnalysis, COLARIS, and COLARIS AP tests through its own European sales force and have entered into marketing collaborations with other organizations in selected Latin American, European and Asian countries. The Company also generates revenue by providing companion diagnostic services to the pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries and medical research institutions utilizing its multiplexed immunoassay technology.

Molecular Diagnostic Tests

The Company's molecular diagnostic tests are designed to analyze genes, their mutations, expression levels and proteins to assess an individual's risk for developing disease later in life, determine a patient's likelihood of responding to a particular drug, assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recu rrence and measure a patient's exposure to drug therapy to! e! nsure optimal dosing and reduced drug toxicity. The Company's BRACAnalysis test is a analysis of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes for assessing a woman's risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. BRACAnalysis accounted for 81.7% of the Company's total revenue during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. Its The Company's COLARIS test is an analysis of the MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 genes for assessing a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer or uterine cancer.

The Company's COLARIS AP test detects mutations in the APC and MYH genes, which cause a colon polyp-forming syndrome known as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), a more common variation of the syndrome known as attenuated FAP, and the MYH-associated polyposis signature (MAP). The Company's MELARIS test analyzes mutations in the p16 gene to determine genetic susceptibility to malignant melanoma. The Company's OnDose test is a nanoparticle immunoassay that is designed to assist oncologists in optimizing 5-FU (fluorouracil) anti-cancer drug therapy in colon cancer patients on an individualized basis. The Company's PANEXIA test is a comprehensive analysis of the PALB2 and BRCA2 genes for assessing a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer later in life. The Company's PREZEON test is an immunohistochemistry test that analyzes the PTEN gene and assesses loss of PTEN function in many cancer types.

The Company's Prolaris test is a 46-gene molecular diagnostic assay that assesses whether a patient is likely to have a slow growing, indolent form of prostate cancer that can be safely monitored through active surveillance, or a more aggressive form of the disease that would warrant aggressive intervention, such as a radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. The Company's TheraGuide 5-FU test analyzes mutations in the DPYD gene and variations in the TYMS gene to assess patient risk of toxicity to 5-FU (fluorouracil) anti-cancer drug therapy.

< p>Companion Diagnostic Services and Other Revenue

! Throug! h Myriad RBM Inc., the Company provides biomarker discovery and companion diagnostic services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical researches industries utilizing its multiplexed immunoassay technology. The Company's technology enables the Company to screen large sets of clinical samples from both diseased and non-diseased populations against the Company's menu of biomarkers. The Company's companion diagnostic services consist of Multi-Analyte Profile (MAP), Multiplexed Immunoassay Kits and TruCulture.

The Company has compiled a library of over 550 individual human and rodent immunoassays for use in its multi-analyte profile (MAP) testing services. The Company has also developed RodentMAP, a panel for use in pre-clinical animal studies and OncologyMAP, which measures cancer-related proteins to assists researchers accelerate the pace of discovery, validation and translation of cancer biomarkers for early detection, patient stratification and therapeu tic monitoring. The Company has developed multiplexed immunoassay kits that enable its customers to leverage its technology services with their in-house capabilities. The Company's internally developed multiplexed immunoassay kits include all of the components necessary for a customer to perform a test on their own Luminex instrument. TruCulture is a simple, self-contained whole blood culture that can be deployed to clinical sites around the world for acquiring cell culture data without specialized facilities or training.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: ZST Digital Networks Inc.(ZSTN)

ZST Digital Networks, Inc. engages in supplying digital and optical network equipment and providing installation services to cable system operators in China, as well as in providing GPS location and tracking services to local logistics and transportation companies in China. It offers a line of IPTV devices that are used to provide bundled cable television, Internet, and telephone services to residential and commercial customers. The company has assisted in the installation and construction of approximately 400 local cable networks in approximately 90 municipal districts, counties, townships, and enterprises. ZST Digital Networks has also launched a commercial line of vehicle tracking devices utilizing its GPS tracking technologies and support services for transport-related enterprises to track, monitor, and optimize their businesses. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Zhengzhou City, the People?s Republic of China.

10 Best Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2014: Rochester Medical Corporation(ROCM)

Rochester Medical Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of PVC-free and latex-free urinary continence and urine drainage care products for the home and acute care markets. Its home care products include a line of silicone and latex male external catheters for managing male urinary incontinence; intermittent catheters for managing both male and female urinary retention, including Magic 3 line of silicone intermittent catheters; and the FemSoft Insert, a soft, liquid-filled, urethral insert for managing stress urinary incontinence in adult females. The company manufactures male external catheters in six models, including UltraFlex, Pop-On, Wide Band, Natural, Clear Advantage, and Transfix catheters; and intermittent catheters in four versions that include standard, antibacterial, hydrophilic, and antibacterial personal catheters. Its acute care products include a line of standard Foley catheters and Strata brand of Foley catheters; and Strata-NF Catheter, an antibacterial Foley catheter that reduces the incidence of hospital acquired urinary tract infection. The company?s primary customers include distributors, extended care facilities, and individual hospitals and healthcare institutions. It markets its products under the Rochester Medical brand name through a direct sales force in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, as well as through independent distributors in other international markets. The company also supplies its products to various medical product companies for sale under private label brands owned by these companies. Rochester Medical Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Stewartville, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Back in February, my colleague David Englander noted that a potential buyout was one reason to buy shares of Rochester Medical (ROCM). Today, Rochester agreed to be purchased by CR Bard (BCR) for $262 million.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Rochester Medical (Nasdaq: ROCM  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Gabelli then made two separate buys into Rochester Medical (ROCM). On Sept. 4, the guru upped his stake by over 30% and on Sept. 5, Gabelli added an additional 10.21%. The guru purchased a total of 227,600 shares at an average price of $19.90 per share. Gabelli now holds on to a total of 750,110 shares, representing about 6.12% of the company�� shares outstanding.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: Platinum Group Metals Ltd (PLG)

Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (Platinum Group) is a platinum focused exploration and development company conducting work on mineral properties it has staked or acquired by way of option agreements in the Republic of South Africa and in Canada. The Company conducts its South African exploration and development work through its wholly owned direct subsidiary, Platinum Group Metals (RSA) (Proprietary) Limited (PTM RSA). PTM RSA holds the Company�� interests in the Project 1 platinum mine (Project 1) and Project 3. PTM RSA also holds 100% of Wesplats Holding (Proprietary) Limited (Wesplats), and a 37% interest in Wildebeest Platinum (Pty) Limited (Wildebeest), a company set up to hold prospecting rights for the exploration joint venture between the Company and Sable Platinum Mining (Pty) Ltd. (Sable) and Umnotho NREF Joint Venture. In September 2011, it purchased the Providence Copper-Nickel-Cobalt-Platinum Group Metals (Cu-Ni-Co-PGM) property from Arctic Star Exploration (Arctic Star). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks Investment Research]

  Investors hoping for a turnaround in precious metals prices and looking for exposure to precious metals miners could consider Platinum Group Metals (PLG), currently ranked #2 (Buy) by Zacks.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: (NRTLQ)

Nortel Networks Corporation does not have significant operations. Previously, it engaged in supplying end-to-end networking products and solutions, including hardware, software, and services to service providers and enterprise customers. The company was founded in 1914 and is based in Mississauga, Canada. On January 14, 2009, Nortel Networks Corporation filed for creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in Canada.

$900 million UBS breakaway team forms new firm, joins Dynasty

A team of five UBS AG advisers said Tuesday that they have left the wirehouse brokerage firm to form an independent investment advisory firm, Fusion Family Wealth, and have joined Dynasty Financial Partners' platform of wealth management services and technology.

Led by firm founder Jonathan Blau, a former UBS senior vice president, Fusion's team members started their new firm over the Veterans Day holiday after exiting UBS last week.

The $900 million wealth management team has already spoken to many clients, and they are “favorably inclined” toward moving to the new firm from UBS, Mr. Blau said.

(Advisers still leaving wirehouses but there's no exodus)

He declined, however, to characterize Fusion's team as breakaway brokers.

“I like to consider myself an independent registered investment adviser,” Mr. Blau said.

“I wasn't running from something,” he said. “I was running to something.”

With offices in both New York and on Long Island, Fusion Family Wealth comprises Mr. Blau, along with managing director Harvey Radler, senior wealth advisers Jeffrey Blick and Joel Bodner, and senior client service specialist James Cloudman. All are joining from UBS.

Although the new firm is in its “nascent stages,” the five UBS team members, who had worked together for the past 10 years, “always had an eye toward adopting an independent model,” Mr. Blau said.

(Track the latest in recruiting from InvestmentNews' Advisers on the Move database)

Fusion's professionals want to offer a high legal and fiduciary standard, which is why they were attracted to Dynasty's open-architecture platform, he said.

The partnership lets Fusion work with large accounting and law firms and thus handle a wide range of client needs using Dynasty's customized platform. The platform includes proprietary research from Callan Associates and Wilshire Associates as well as Envestnet's portfolio tools and reporting technology.

Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services will provide clearing and custody services.

In starting up Fusion, Mr. Blau looks forward to using behavioral finance when working with clients.

Research shows that emotion and psychology adversely influence investor's financial decisions, he said, pointing to such maxims as “sell in May and go away,” which can prevent clients from achieving their goals.

“I wor

Bullish News Continues for Gold and Silver (GLD, SLV, ABX, GG)

It has been a bullish quarter, at long last, for gold (NYSE: GLD) and silver (NYSE: SLV).

The exchange traded fund for gold, SPDR Gold Shares, is up for the last week, month, and quarter of market action. It is the much the same story for the exchange traded fund for silver, iShares Silver Trust. There is also a bullish outlook for publicly traded companies in the sector such as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX), Wishbone Gold PLC (PINK: WISHY), and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG).

In an interview on this site with Richard Fulden, the Executive Chairman of Wishbone Gold PLC, it was stated that, "India and China are the largest gold buyers worldwide. There has been a recent move away from derivative gold products (such as Exchange Traded Funds) and a move into directly holding the metal. Industrial demand only accounts for about 3% of world purchases so the major buyers of gold are doing so for investment."

The recent economic news from China is thus very bullish for Wishbone Gold PLC and others.

Hot Heal Care Companies For 2014

What makes Wishbone Gold PLC so appealing is its holdings in Australia. China and Australia have a long standing trading relationship for natural resources, ranging from coal to gold and silver. Even more bullish for Wishbone Gold PLC was the analyst recommendation from Beaufort Securities.

Barron's recently ran a very bullish article on Barrick Gold PLC. The earnings report from Goldcorp just beat estimates. As a result, Goldcorp and Barrick Gold PLC have done very well in recent market action. Being the two largest companies in the sector, that is very positive for the other firms.

This should continue as Fulden noted in the interview that central banks in China and India were buying gold. WIth the economies improving, consumers will no doubt buy gold, too. That is very bullish news for across the gold and silver sector, ranging from a small cap like Wishbone Gold PLC to exchange traded funds like SPDR Gold Shares and iShares Silver Trust.

The Best Time to Buy a New Car

While we don't believe in timing the stock market, timing your big purchases in life can save you hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. That's especially true if you're in the market to buy a new car. If you're patient, you can score a great deal on a new car.

Buy at the end of the year

Every dealer has annual quotas and there are bonuses for salespeople who meet certain annual figures. Take advantage of this. If you can wait, buy your new car in the last two weeks of December, when dealers are dying to beat their quotas. Annual sales bonuses are sometimes incentive enough for dealers to knock off up to $3,000 from the price.

Dealers have the added incentive of clearing last year's models to make way for the new year models. If you don't need the latest and greatest, you can find a great deal on a car that's only a few months old. Unless there's a major redesign on the model you want, the small difference between this year's and last year's model isn't as significant as the price difference.

If you can't wait until the end of the year

Some buyers can't wait until the end of the year. Don't worry. There are opportune buying times year-round.

End of the quarter/month: Just like at the end of the year, dealers get bonuses for reaching sales quotas each month and quarter. If you can find a dealer who's just short of his goal, you're bound to get a good deal if you negotiate. Start searching in the last week of the month.

End of the model year: As I mentioned previously, dealers want to clear lot space for the new model year. New cars usually start shipping around late summer or early fall, but some models start their new year as early as spring. Do your research and find out when the new model is released.

When no one else is shopping: You want to avoid going to dealers when they've got lots of buyers. Try not to go in the spring when the weather is starting to warm up and people just received their tax refunds. Avoid the weekends, too. Figure out what y! ou want before, and go to the dealer on a rainy or snowy day. These days are typically slow for car dealers, and they'll be more willing to work with you on price.

Don't buy before you know what you want

Knowing exactly what you want, and more importantly what you won't pay extra for, will help you when you're sitting down to negotiate price with the salesman. If you saw a model on the lot that has everything you need and nothing you don't, ask about it. If it's unavailable, ask if there's a similar model on the lot.

Don't pay extra for something you don't want. If they don't have a model that fits your bill, ask the salesperson if he can special order it for you. Be sure to ask how long it will take before you can see it. Chances are the salesperson will throw in the extras you don't want for free just to make the sale that day.

Hit the road

The best time to buy a new car is when the dealer is willing to negotiate and you've got more leverage. But you have to be a good negotiator. Don't be afraid to hit the road without a new car if the salesperson isn't giving you the price you want. There are other dealers in town, and be sure to remind him of that fact. If you can get two dealers bidding against one another, they'll negotiate for you.

There's always a car buyers' market around the corner. Use that to your advantage to save thousands of dollars.

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Harley's Not in Hog Heaven

Back in the grim, dark years when Harley-Davidson's (NYSE: HOG  )  was owned by AMF, the standing joke was that you had to buy two motorcycles: one to ride, and one for parts. Out of all the company's 110-year history, it's not a period that Hog lovers look back on fondly.

Source: SXC.hu

While things may not be so desperate today as they were then, Harley's recall announcement for 29,000 bikes from its 2014 line is not a good omen. The bike maker, which issued a "Do Not Deliver" notice to dealers and a "Do Not Ride" notice to owners, found a problem with its hydraulic clutch that keeps it from engaging, meaning you might not be able to stop when you want to -- or need to.

In 2011 Harley was forced to recall some 300,000 bikes because of a rear brake light problem. This is a order of magnitude smaller, but the risk to the bike maker could be greater. In its 2012 annual report, the biker maker said that over the past three years, it has initiated 12 voluntary recalls of its motorcycles, which cost it some $17.2 million.

Unfortunately, product recalls are a fact of life these days for manufacturers, and bike makers from Honda to Suzuki to Triumph have all had to recall motorcycles. Last year, BMW recalled over 2,000 bikes because of a foaming brake fluid problem that could inhibit braking. Triumph recalled some 12,000 bikes because of a stalling problem. And Polaris Industries (NYSE: PII  ) recalled 6,600 Victory motorcycles for throttle cable problems. In 2011, Honda had to recall 126,000 bikes made between 2001 and 2010, as well as certain models of its 2012 Goldwing because of a braking issue.

Harley's been riding high in recent years, as sales of its iconic bikes recover from the crash of the recession. After peaking at almost 350,000 bikes shipped worldwide in 2006, shipments plunged 40% as the financial crisis gripped the country. They've only just begun to recover, with shipments reporting their first gains in 2011, running 10% higher than the year before, but already they're beginning to stall.

Hot Value Stocks To Invest In 2014

Shipments rose only 6% last year, and even at the high end of its guidance, Harley's estimating it will only match that effort for 2013. Having to recall more than 10% of its estimated production run is worrisome.

Shares of Harley-Davidson sit 59% above the level they traded at a year ago, and at less than 17 times estimates, it compares favorably to rivals like Polaris, whose stock has risen by a like amount. But with growth rates slowing and with a large recall hitting its 2014 line of bikes, I see Harley-Davidson falling from hog heaven.

If you're looking to trade two wheels for four...
U.S. automakers boomed after WWII, but the coming boom in the Chinese auto market will put that surge to shame! As Chinese consumers grow richer, savvy investors can take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the help from this brand-new Motley Fool report that identifies two automakers to buy for a surging Chinese market. It's completely free -- just click here to gain access.

JPMorgan Gets Last Laugh in $13 Billion Settlement Deal

The fact that this week's $13 billion JPMorgan settlement was a record between a U.S. company and the government is not the most notable part of this deal...

What's more shocking about this record-high settlement is that more than half of it could be tax-deductible.

Under terms of the $13 billion deal, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) will pay $4 billion toward consumer relief. The remaining $9 billion goes to settle federal and state civil claims stemming from entities involved in the mortgage securities. The state of New York will receive $613.8 million, California $298.9 million, Illinois $100 million, Delaware $19.7 million, and Massachusetts $34.4 million, according to the Department of Justice.

Included in the $9 million is a $2 billion non-tax-deductible fine to the Department of Justice.

But the rest - $7 billion - is tax-deductible thanks to part of the tax code that states costs associated with corporate legal cases can be treated similarly to a company's wages or equipment expenses.

"From 1913, our tax laws have permitted companies to deduct their 'ordinary and necessary' expenses, which include compensation and restitution payments," Steve Rosenthal, a lawyer specializing in financial institution taxation and a visiting fellow at the Tax Policy Center, told CNNMoney.

JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Marianne Lake confirmed the tax deduction in a conference call Tuesday afternoon, and noted JPMorgan will seek to deduct those relief payments.

How much of a tax deduction the world's largest bank (which posted a $21.3 billion profit for all of 2012) will get will eventually be determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Classic Cons: 10 Financial Scams Fair-Minded Investors Should Avoid

Fighting the JPM Settlement Tax Break

The potential tax break has angered interest groups in Washington who have been busy trying to change the law.

The Americans for Tax Fairness and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group earlier this month amassed a 160,000 signature petition that asked the Justice Department to add a provision to the settlement that would have prohibited any tax advantage.

Then, according to Business Insider, five Senators wrote a letter to the Department of Justice to "ensure the final settlement is clear about the tax treatment of the entire settlement amount and explicitly prohibits the tax deductibility of such payment."

Finally, Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) has proposed to the House of Representatives "The Stop Deducting Damages Act," which would ban corporate tax deductibility of all legal settlements.

Welch issued the following statement after the JPM settlement was finalized:

"JPMorgan, whose conduct caused great harm to taxpayers and the American economy, should not ask the taxpayer to pay any portion of its penalty in the important settlement. Jamie Dimon should do the right thing and direct his accountants to forgo the exploitation of any tax loopholes that could reduce the burden imposed by this settlement. He should accept full responsibility for JPMorgan's egregious conduct and that includes paying the full cost of this settlement."

While it appears JPMorgan might reap a sizable tax benefit from this latest settlement, it might not be so lucky next time - especially if Welch's bill is enacted. And you can be sure there'll be a next time.

The bank is presently looking at at least nine other government probes that run the gamut from its hiring practices in China to its hand in manipulating the Libor benchmark interest rate.

And the company has prepared for more fines. JPM revealed in September it had set aside a whopping $23 billion to cover litigation fees and probes.

While the bank didn't admit to any illegal violations in the deal, its acknowledgment of "serious misrepresentations" opens the floodgates for more securities fraud claims from private investors.

The result could be some very taxing issues for the bank, indeed.

The JPMorgan tax deductible settlement isn't the only ridiculous part about this Wall Street drama: The $13 Billion JPMorgan Fine Was No Shakedown

Related Articles:

Reuters:
JP Morgan Says 'Mea Culpa' in $13 Billion Settlement with U.S. The Wall Street Journal:
JP Morgan, U.S. Settle for $13 Billion Business Insider:
Every Taxpayer Should Watch What Happens to $7 Billion of JP Morgan's Settlement

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch For 2014

When I was asked to write this piece for our ongoing series on Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A  ) (NYSE: BRK-B  ) annual meeting, I struggled to come up with seven legitimate reasons to sell the Omaha, Neb.-based company. After thinking it over, however, I believe I've drawn up a list of factors that fits the bill. To be clear, there's little about Berkshire that leads me to believe it's a "sell" right now. But that's not to say this won't change in the not-too-distant future.

1. Warren Buffett
If Buffett had it his way, he'd probably run Berkshire forever. But he doesn't. And in last year's annual letter to shareholders, the Oracle of Omaha assured investors that the board of directors has not only picked a successor ("an individual to whom they have had a great deal of exposure and whose managerial and human qualities they admire") but that they've identified two "superb backup candidates" as well.

This may be so, but the fact remains that Berkshire won't be the same without Buffett. Aside from his ethereal ability to grow and manage an increasingly massive conglomerate, Buffett has become a magnate for deals. When Solomon Brothers fell on hard times, who'd they call? When Long-Term Capital Management nearly imploded, Buffett was among the first to offer assistance. And when Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS  ) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) needed to reassure the market of their respective solvencies, it was Buffett who came to the rescue.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch For 2014: Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (PTU.V)

Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties for producing uranium in Canada. The company owns 100% interest in 10 properties covering approximately 76,657 hectares located on Red Willow, S. Newnham Lake, Turnor Lake, Umfreville Lake, William River, Fire Eye Lake, Forsythe Lake, Carson Lake, McArthur East, and Henday Lake, Athabasca Basin in Northern Saskatchewan. Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch For 2014: 49 North Resource Fund Inc. (FNR.V)

49 North Resources Inc., through Limited Partnership intends to invest in a portfolio of flow-through shares of resource issuers, who engage in mineral, or oil and gas exploration and development in Canada. It focuses on resource issuers with exploration programs in Saskatchewan. 49 North Resource Fund, Inc. serves as the general partner of the partnership. 49 North Resources Inc. was formed in 2005 and is headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada.

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Cambium Learning Group Inc.(ABCD)

Cambium Learning Group, Inc. provides intervention curricula, educational technologies, professional services, and other research-based education solutions in the United States. Its Voyager segment offers reading, math, and professional development programs, as well as online courseware and credit recovery solutions for at-risk and special education student populations. This segment also offers reading, literacy, and targeted intervention programs; interactive Web-based programs; math programs for additional student practice for grades 2-8, students in the 25th percentile and below in grades 5-9, and students at risk of failure in algebra; professional development services for teachers and leadership; and online instruction, supplemental courseware, and intervention programs. The company?s Sopris segment provides printed and technology based supplemental solutions comprising assessments, literacy and mathematics interventions, positive behavior supports, and professional development. It offers various programs that address students who score at or below the basic skill level in writing; reading and writing intervention programs; literary screening and progress monitoring tools; professional development programs for educators; programs to improve reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension for grades 3-12; and intensive, multisensory, and small group reading intervention programs for primary through intermediate grades. The company?s Cambium Learning Technologies segment provides integrated Websites for individual classrooms, schools, and districts; subscription-based online library of interactive simulations for math and science in grades 3-12; text-to-speech software literacy solutions for individuals with special needs and learning difficulties; and hardware products that target students with physical, visual and cognitive disabilities. Cambium Learning Group, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch For 2014: Meridex Software Corp (MSC.V)

Meridex Software Corporation IP security and facilities management software solutions in Canada. It offers emergency management software solutions for schools; and calendar marketing software for individuals, corporations, and organizations. The company focuses on integrated building security, camera monitoring, HAVC, and lighting control. It also develops intelligent IP surveillance and business optimization software solutions to enable real-time monitoring systems through mobile devices and wireless networks. Meridex enables educational institutions, governments, hospitals, and retail and corporate enterprises to manage, monitor, and optimize security and facilities management systems. The company�s product includes Meridex MicroView FM mobile software solution, which enables customers to record and update ARCHIBUS facilities data on the spot through the use of Palm or Windows handheld devices. Meridex Software Corporation is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch For 2014: Hudson Resources Inc. (HUD.V)

Hudson Resources Inc., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of mineral properties. It primarily mines for rare earths, diamonds, and base metals, as well as specialty metals, such as niobium and tantalum. The company holds 100% interests in 2 exploration licenses comprising Naajat Mineral Claim and Sarfartoq Mineral Claim covering an area of approximately 687 square kilometers located in west Greenland. The company was formerly known as Tekwerks Solutions Inc. and changed its name to Hudson Resources Inc. in December 2002. Hudson Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch For 2014: Rackspace Hosting Inc(RAX)

Rackspace Hosting, Inc. operates in the hosting and cloud computing industry. It provides information technology (IT) as a service, managing Web-based IT systems for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprises worldwide. The company?s service suite includes dedicated hosting comprising customer management portal and other management tools that manage data center, network, hardware devices, and operating system software; and cloud computing that enables customers to provide and manage a pool of computing resources, as well as delivery of computing resources to business when they need them. It offers cloud servers, cloud files, and cloud sites, as well as cloud applications, such as email, collaboration, and file back-ups; and hybrid hosting that provides a combination of dedicated hosting and cloud computing services. The company also offers customer support services. It sells its service suite through direct sales teams, third-party channel partners, an d online ordering. The company was formerly known as Rackspace.com, Inc. and changed its name to Rackspace Hosting, Inc. in June 2008. Rackspace Hosting, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Monday

  Earnings Releases Expected: Sotheby�� (NYSE: BID), Otelco (NASDAQ: OTEL), Rackspace Hosting, Inc. (NYSE: RAX), Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE: RLH) Economic Releases Expected: Italian industrial production, Mexican industrial production, Portuguese trade balance

  Tuesday

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now

October has historically been a scary month in the stock market, but not this year, and MoneyShow’s Tom Aspray investigates whether November can top October’s strong performance.

The stock market surprised the majority of analysts again in October as the S&P was up 4.4%, the Nasdaq 100 was up 3.8%, and the Russell 2000 gained 2.5%. The Dow Industrials did a bit better than the small caps, for a change, as it was up 2.7% but the Dow Transports led the pack, up close to 6%.

Last summer, several analysts warned investors about the poor historical record for stock prices in September as in the past 60 years, the S&P was down on average 0.8%. The technical picture in early September had improved as many stocks had already reached good support.

At the end of September, many were again concerned about the potential for an “October crash” and the government shutdown caused some to sell in a panic. The dramatic rally from the October lows reinforces that it is better to invest or trade based on hard data not emotion.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Panera Bread Company(PNRA)

Panera Bread Company, together with its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises retail bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada. Its bakery-cafes offer fresh baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads, custom roasted coffees, and other complementary products, as well as provide catering services. The company also manufactures and supplies dough and other products to company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes. As of March 29, 2011, it owned and franchised 1,467 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., and Paradise Bakery & Cafe names. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  Growth investing relies on a simple premise: Find great companies that will outperform over the long haul, outgrowing their premium valuations over time. This, of course, is easier said than done. In the video below, Fool contributor Daniel Sparks discusses a great way to tell the gold from the fool's gold. To illustrate, he takes a look at Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM  ) and Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA  ) .

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The key for Flowers going forward will be to avoid the high food costs that have plagued some fellow bakers. Restaurant-bakery operator Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA  ) managed to avoid some of the impact of high input costs by producing its own dough, but Flowers will need to secure equally stable supplies or else hope for more favorable weather conditions to prevail this season.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Voyager Oil & Gas Inc.(VOG)

Voyager Oil & Gas, Inc. engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas in the United States. It primarily focuses on oil shale resource prospects in Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, and Wyoming. As of May 17, 2011, the company controlled approximately 141,500 net acres in the five primary prospect areas comprising 28,000 net acres targeting the Bakken/Three Forks in North Dakota and Montana; 14,200 net acres targeting the Niobrara formation in Colorado and Wyoming; 800 net acres targeting a Red River prospect in Montana; 33,500 net acres in a joint venture targeting the Heath Shale formation in Musselshell, Petroleum, Garfield, and Fergus counties of Montana; and 65,000 net acres in a joint venture in the Tiger Ridge gas field in Blaine, Hill, and Chouteau counties of Montana. It supplies energy and fuel for industrial, commercial, and individual consumers. The company is based in Billings, Montana.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Watch For 2014: InterDigital Inc.(IDCC)

Interdigital, Inc. engages in the design and development of digital wireless technology solutions. The company offers technology solutions for use in digital cellular and wireless products and networks, including 2G, 3G, 4G, and IEEE 802-related products and networks. It holds patents related to the fundamental technologies that enable wireless communications. The company licenses its patents to equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular and IEEE 802-related products; and licenses or sells mobile broadband modem solutions, including modem IP, know-how, and reference platforms to mobile device manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and other equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular products. InterDigital?s solutions are incorporated in various products comprising mobile devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, notebook computers, and wireless personal digital assistants; wireless infrastructure equipment, such as base stations; and components, dongles, and modules for wireless devices. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC) reported that certain of its subsidiaries have completed the previously announced sale of roughly 1,700 patents and patent applications to Intel Corporation for $375 million in cash.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of InterDigital (NASDAQ: IDCC  ) have gotten crushed today by as much as 20% after the company lost a patent suit against several smartphone makers.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

Texas Instruments Incorporated engages in the design and sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. The company?s Analog segment offers high-performance analog products comprising standard analog semiconductors, such as amplifiers, data converters, and interface semiconductors; high-volume analog and logic products; and power management semiconductors and line-powered systems. Its Embedded Processing segment includes DSPs that perform mathematical computations to process and enhance digital data; and microcontrollers, which are designed to control a set of specific tasks for electronic equipment. The company?s Wireless segment designs, manufactures, and sells application processors and connectivity products. Its Other segment offers smaller semiconductor products, which include DLP products that are primarily used in projectors to create high-definition images; and application-specific integrated circuits. This segment also provides handhe ld graphing and scientific calculators, as well as licenses technologies to other electronic companies. The company serves the communications, computing, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education sectors. Texas Instruments Incorporated sells its products through a direct sales force, distributors, and third-party sales representatives. It has collaboration agreements with PLX Technology Inc.; Neonode, Inc.; and Ubiquisys Ltd. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) engages in the design, manufacture, sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. September 19th the company increased its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.30 per share. The dividend is payable November 18, 2013, to stockholders of record on October 31, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 3.9%.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN  ) results for the company's Q1 have been released. For the quarter, revenue was nearly $2.89 billion, an 8% decline from the $3.12 billion in the same period the previous year. Net income moved in the other direction, advancing to $362 million ($0.32 per diluted share), or 37% over Q1 2012's $265 million ($0.22).

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Next Monday, Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

PetroQuest Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and gas company. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, as well as onshore and in the shallow waters offshore the Gulf Coast Basin. As of December 31, 2009, the company had estimated proved reserves of 1,931 thousand barrels of oil and 167,361 million cubic feet equivalent of natural gas. It owned working interests in 9 net producing oil wells and 277 net producing gas wells. PetroQuest Energy was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  PetroQuest Energy Inc. (NYSE: PQ) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

  Rubicon Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: RBCN) was downgraded to Underperform from Perform at Oppenheimer.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: bebe stores inc.(BEBE)

bebe stores, inc. engages in the design, development, and production of women?s apparel and accessories. Its products include a range of separates, tops, dresses, active wear, and accessories in career, evening, casual, and active lifestyle categories. The company markets its products under the bebe, BEBE SPORT, bbsp, and 2b bebe brand names targeting 21 to 34-year-old woman. As of July 2, 2011, it operated 252 retail stores, and an online store at bebe.com in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Japan, and Canada, as well as 60 international licensee operated stores in south east Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, Mexico, and Turkey. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Brisbane, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Bebe Stores (NASDAQ: BEBE  ) were back in style today, gaining as much as 11% after receiving an upgrade from Janney Capital from Neutral to Buy.

• [By CRWE]

  bebe stores, inc. (Nasdaq:BEBE) reported that its Board of Directors declared bebe�� quarterly cash dividend of $0.025 per share. The dividend is payable on December 4, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 20, 2012

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines include upgrades for both industrialist Aixtron (NASDAQ: AIXG  ) and fashionista bebe stores (NASDAQ: BEBE  ) . But the news isn't all good, so let's start off with a few words on...

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: OCZ Technology Group Inc(OCZ)

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes computer components for computing devices and systems worldwide. It primarily offers solid state drives, flash memory storage, memory modules, thermal management solutions, AC/DC switching power supply units, and computer gaming solutions. The company?s products are used in industrial equipment and computer systems; computer and computer gaming solutions; mission critical servers and high end workstations; personal computer (PC) upgrades to extend the useable life of existing PCs; high performance computing and scientific computing; video and music editing; home theatre PCs and digital home convergence products; and digital photography and digital image manipulation computers. OCZ Technology Group, Inc. offers its products to retailers, on-line retailers, original equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, and distributors. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Jose, Califo rnia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The not-so-great and wonderful OCZ
  There was no company-specific news that caused solid-state-drive maker OCZ Technology (NASDAQ: OCZ  ) to fall almost 8% Wednesday. But an article that appeared on Seeking Alpha �questioning whether the company had six months or less to live before it filed for bankruptcy seemed to coincide with its fall.

Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Sify Technologies Limited(SIFY)

Sify Technologies Limited provides enterprise and consumer Internet services primarily in India. The company offers various corporate network/data services comprising e-commerce and network connectivity solutions, such as end-to-end services network, application, and security services; voice origination and termination services; co-location and managed hosting services; and system integration services for data centre build, hardware distribution, security solutions, and turnkey projects. It also provides application services, including SLEMS and Microsoft Exchange messaging platforms; I-test for online assessment and LiveWire, which enable management of training processes across the organization; document management system for the management of documents electronically; and Forum, a forward supply chain solution. In addition, the company operates e-Ports that offer browsing, chat, email, gaming, utility bill payment, travel ticketing, hotel booking, mobile recharge, Intern et telephony, and online share trading services; and portals, which provide news, views, reviews, interactions, and services in the areas of movies, sports, finance, food, videos, astrology, online games, shopping, and travel, as well as offers content offerings and broadband services. Further, it provides infrastructure management services, such as network management, datacenter and helpdesk outsourcing, desktop and storage outsourcing, IT security outsourcing, LAN and WAN outsourcing, database and telecom outsourcing, and application monitoring and management services to automotive, chemical, media, and financial enterprises; and virtualization design, integration, and deployment services for servers, storage, networks, and end user clients. Sify has approximately 1,278 e-Ports in 200 towns and cities; and serves 1,06,000 broadband subscribers through 1500 cable TV Operators. The company, formerly known as Sify Limited, was founded in 1995 and is based in Chennai, India.

Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014

Think about how much data the average individual tries to access on any given day. To put this into perspective, when people want to look up something on the Internet, they don’t “surf the Web,” they “Google it.” The demand placed on companies for storage and retrieval of data is becoming gigantic.

Last week, the cloud technology team from Cowen & Co. attended 451 Group�� Hosting and Cloud Transformation Summit in Las Vegas. During the two-day event the analysts met with several chief technology officers and financial sponsors, and they attended several panel discussions. In a new research report, they pointed out that mergers and acquisitions in the space could be right around the corner. They also highlighted several names within their coverage universe as solid ways for investors to play “the cloud.”

Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) has been able to offer scalable benefits associated with offloading services from client infrastructures, allowing clients to have fewer hard assets in place while providing an ongoing revenue stream for Akamai. This translates into more than 125,000 servers operating dedicated, hybrid cloud and true cloud servers to provide IT and, increasingly, security services in a vast array of companies across a widely diversified group of industries. With an impressive client list that grows each quarter, the company is firing on all cylinders. The Thomson/First Call price objective for the stock is $53.50. Akamai closed Thursday at $51.16.

Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Princeton National Bancorp Inc.(PNBC)

Princeton National Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Citizens First National Bank, which provides commercial banking and trust services to individuals, businesses, and governmental bodies in Illinois. The company provides consumer services, such as demand, savings, and time deposit accounts; home mortgage loans; installment loans; and brokerage services. It also offers secured and unsecured commercial loans, including real estate loans to companies and individuals for business purposes, and to governmental units; and agricultural and agricultural real estate loans secured by crops, machinery, and real estate to finance capital improvements and farm operations, as well as acquisitions of livestock and machinery. In addition, the company offers ATM and debit cards, and Internet banking services. Further, it provides insurance and farm management services; and equity, bond, and mutual fund portfolio management services. As of December 31, 2010, it managed or a dministrated 907 trust accounts. The company operates through 21 offices in 17 in Aurora, DePue, Genoa, Hampshire, Henry, Huntley, Millbrook, Minooka, Newark, Oglesby, Peru, Plainfield, Plano, Princeton, Sandwich, Somonauk, and Spring Valley; and 25 automated teller machines. Princeton National Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Princeton, Illinois.

Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Magyar Bancorp Inc.(MGYR)

Magyar Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Magyar Bank, which provides various banking products and services in New Jersey. The company?s deposit products include demand accounts, savings accounts, now accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and retirement accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, commercial business loans, home equity lines of credit, and consumer loans. The company also provides non-deposit investment products and financial planning services, including insurance products, fixed and variable annuities, and retirement planning for individual and commercial customers. As of September 30, 2009, it operated five branch offices, including two in New Brunswick, and one each in North Brunswick, South Brunswick, and Branchburg, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Magyar Bancorp, Inc. is a subsi diary of Magyar Bancorp, MHC.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks For 2014: Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IEP)

Icahn Enterprises L.P., through its subsidiaries, engages in investment, automotive, gaming, railcar, food packaging, metals, real estate, and home fashion businesses in the United States and internationally. Its Investment segment provides investment advisory, and administrative and back office services to the investment funds. The company�s Automotive segment offers powertrain energy, powertrain sealing and bearings, vehicle safety and protection, and aftermarket products for original equipment manufacturers. Icahn Enterprises L.P.�s Gaming segment owns and operates casino gaming properties. It has 9 casino facilities with 7,485 slot machines, 226 table games and 6,048 hotel rooms in Nevada, Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Aruba. The company�s Railcar segment designs, manufactures, sells, and leases hopper and tank railcars; custom designed railcar parts and other industrial products, primarily aluminum and special alloy steel castings; and provides r epair and maintenance services for railcar fleets. Icahn Enterprises L.P.�s Food Packaging segment produces and sells cellulosic, fibrous, and plastic casings for the processed meat and poultry industry. The company�s Metals segment collects, processes, and sells ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as processes and distributes steel pipe and plate products. Icahn Enterprises L.P.�s Real Estate segment engages in the rental of retail, office, and industrial properties; construction and sale of single-family and multi-family homes, lots in subdivisions and planned communities, and raw land for residential development; and golf and resort activities. The company�s Home Fashion segment manufactures, sources, distributes, markets, and sells home fashion consumer products, including bed, bath, basic bedding, and kitchen textile products. Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc. serves as the general partner of the company. Icahn Enterprises L.P. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MarketWatch]

  Netflix's share price has more than quintupled since Mr. Icahn originally invested in the company at $58 a share just more than a year ago, Icahn Enterprises LP (IEP) said.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Carl Icahn’s majority-owned investment vehicle, Icahn Enterprises (NYSE: IEP), had already racked up a 37 percent return since Sept. 9 as of 10 days ago, when we recommended that subscribers along for the ride sell half of their position. The other half is now up more than 40 percent following today’s 6.5 percent jump in response to earnings that proved better than expected.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Last week, Carl Icahn's Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP  ) teamed up with Southeastern Asset Management to propose a leveraged recapitalization for Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) . Icahn and Southeastern, along with some other top Dell shareholders, have been upset by company founder Michael Dell's recent attempt to take the company private.

Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: American Independence Corp.(AMIC)

American Independence Corp., through its subsidiaries, engages in the health insurance and reinsurance businesses in the United States. The company provides specialized health coverage and related services to commercial customers and individuals. It offers various insurance products comprising medical stop-loss, fully insured health and dental, and short-term statutory disability. American Independence Corp. offers its products and services through managing general underwriter and agency subsidiaries, independent brokers, producers, and agents. The company was incorporated in 1956 and is headquartered in New York, New York. American Independence Corp. operates as a subsidiary of Independence Holding Co.

Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership, operation, management, development, acquisition, and redevelopment of properties for the life sciences industry. Its properties consist of buildings containing scientific research and development laboratories, and other improvements. The company offers its properties for lease primarily to universities and independent not-for-profit institutions; and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, life science product, service, biodefense, and translational research entities, as well as governmental agencies. As of December 31, 2006, it had 159 properties, including 156 properties located in 9 states in the United States and 3 properties located in Canada. As a REIT, the company is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes 100% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Pasadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Owens Realty Mortgage's competitors include American Assets Trust (AAT), Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) and Boston Properties (BXP). American Assets Trust has seen five insider buy transactions and four insider sell transactions this year. American Assets Trust has a dividend yield of 2.78%. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has seen 14 insider sell transactions this year. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a dividend yield of 4.10%. Boston Properties has seen one insider buy transaction and four insider sell transactions this year. Boston Properties has a dividend yield of 2.43%.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (ARE) announced on Tuesday that its board has approved a 4.6% increase to its quarterly dividend.

  The firm has raised its dividend from 65 cents to 68 cents per share, or $2.72 annually. The dividend will be paid on October 15 to shareholders of record on September 30. The stock will go ex-dividend on September 26.

  Alexandria Real Estate Equities shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Tuesday. The stock is down 9% YTD.

Best Financial Stocks To Own For 2014: City National Corporation (CYN)

City National Corporation operates as the bank holding company for City National Bank that provides various banking, investing, and trust services to small to mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals, and affluent individuals. Its deposit products include demand and interest checking deposits, savings deposits, and money market accounts. The company�s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, including lease financing; residential mortgage loans; commercial real estate mortgages; real estate construction loans; equity lines of credit; and installment loans. It also offers cash management, international banking, equipment financing, and other products and services. In addition, the company provides investment management, advisory, and brokerage services, including portfolio management, securities trading, and asset management; personal and business trust and investment services comprising employee benefit trust services, and 401(k) and defined benefit plans; and estate and financial planning, and custodial services. Further, it offers various asset classes and investment styles, including fixed-income instruments, mutual funds, domestic and international equities, and alternative investments, such as hedge funds. City National Corporation provides its services through 79 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers in Southern California; the San Francisco Bay area; Nevada; New York City; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Given that you clicked on this article, it seems safe to assume you either own stock in City National Corp. (NYSE: CYN  ) or are considering buying shares in the near future. If so, then you've come to the right place. The table below reveals the nine most critical numbers that investors need to know about City National stock before deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold it.

Can Microsoft Benefit From a New CEO?

With shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) trading around $37, is MSFT an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Microsoft is engaged in developing, licensing, and supporting a wide range of software products and services. The company also designs and sells hardware and delivers online advertising to customers. It operates in five segments: Windows and Windows Live, Server and Tools, Online Services Division, Microsoft Business Division, and Entertainment and Devices. As a mature company, Microsoft is also offering a stable dividend, which is currently yielding around 3.32 percent annually.

The clock is ticking to choose a successor to Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, but reports indicate the company's board hasn't come close to a decision, though they have set a time-frame for drawing up a shortlist. What everyone agrees on is the importance of fundamental changes in the software maker's business, something Ballmer told the Wall Street Journal he couldn't do fast enough.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Microsoft stock has seen its fair share of volatility in the last couple of years. The stock is currently trading at near highs and looks set to continue. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Microsoft is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Microsoft options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Microsoft Options	25.95%	60%	58%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a significant amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
December Options	Flat	Average
January Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Microsoft’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Microsoft look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	-3.08%	11.94%	20.00%	-2.56%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	7.36%	10.17%	17.71%	2.78%
Earnings Reaction	5.96%	-10.85%	3.36%	0.90%

Microsoft has seen mixed earnings and increasing revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been pleased with Microsoft’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Microsoft stock done relative to its peers, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL), Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), and sector?

	Microsoft	Apple	Oracle	Google	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	39.99%	-1.56%	5.31%	47.74%	23.87%

Microsoft has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Microsoft is a technology company that provides valuable software products and services to consumers and companies worldwide. The company’s clock is ticking to choose a successor to Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, but reports indicate the company's board hasn't come close to a decision. The stock has been moving higher in recent years and is now trading near highs. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising which has left investors optimistic about the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Microsoft has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Microsoft to OUTPERFORM.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

The 2013 Ford Escape. Source: Ford.

Ford's (NYSE: F  ) Escape has been one of the company's best success stories over the past couple of years. It has a chance to do something that only the F-Series has accomplished over the past decade -- break 300,000 in vehicle sales for an entire year. That would be a huge accomplishment, since the F-Series has been America's best-selling vehicle for 31 years, and the best-selling truck for 36.

But what makes the new Escape so popular? Let's look at what consumers love about the new ride, what critics are saying, and why Ford investors should be excited.

So many perks!
Consumers have gravitated toward the Escape SUV because of its numerous technological and fuel-efficient options. Here's a quick run-down of what you can expect when buying a new, fully loaded Escape. Let's start with the fresh outside appearance and design.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: MakeMusic Inc.(MMUS)

MakeMusic, Inc. develops and markets music education technology solutions that transform how music is composed, taught, learned, and performed. It offers SmartMusic, an interactive music teaching and learning solution for band, orchestra, and vocal students to use at schools and homes; SmartMusic Gradebook, a Web-based grade book for teachers to post assignments to students, receive completed assignments from students, assess student achievement, and manage student records; and SmartMusic Inbox, a free application for Android and Apple platforms. The company also provides Finale family of music notation products for use with Macintosh and Windows PC operating systems that enable a musician to enter musical data into a computer using the computer keyboard, a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI)-equipped electronic music keyboard, or other MIDI-equipped instruments, as well as to display the data on a computer screen as a musical score. Its SmartMusic software solutio ns serve public and private school music administrators, instrumental music educators, and their students primarily in the United States and Canada; and Finale family of notation products serve composers, arrangers, publishers, and music teachers worldwide. The company markets its SmartMusic software solutions directly through its Website, smartmusic.com; and Finale family of notation products through channel-specific distributors and retailers in musical instrument, educational, and consumer electronic channels, as well as directly through its Website. MakeMusic, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: QLogic Corporation(QLGC)

QLogic Corporation engages in the design and supply of storage networking, high performance computing networking, and converged networking infrastructure solutions. It offers various host products, including fiber channel and Internet small computer systems interface (iSCSI) host bus adapters; fiber channel over Ethernet (FCoE) converged network adapters; and intelligent Ethernet adapters. The company also provides network products, which consist of fiber channel switches, including stackable edge switches, bladed switches, virtualized pass-through modules, and high-port count modular-chassis switches; Ethernet pass-through modules; and storage routers for bridging fiber Channel, FCoE, and iSCSI networks, as well as for migrating data between storage devices. In addition, it offers silicon products comprising fiber channel, iSCSI, converged network, and Ethernet controllers. Further, the company involves in the design and development of application-specific integrated circ uits, adapters, and switches based on fiber channel, iSCSI, FCoE, and Ethernet technologies. Its products are used in server, workstation, and storage subsystem solutions that are used by small, medium, and large enterprises with various business data requirements. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and distributors worldwide. QLogic Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  I��l focus on a particularly interesting case here: Q-Logic (QLGC). Q-Logic has a high buyback yield (around 12%). And it has a very, very high return on its buyback (about 25%). However, there is a complication with Q-Logic. It is using what I call ��nti-leverage.��This makes the buyback less effective ��because it�� actually much smaller ��than it first appears to be.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Also in the news ...
  Let's not sugarcoat this one iota: It was a really busy week for earnings news, with network equipment maker QLogic (NASDAQ: QLGC  ) , printing and IT specialist Xerox (NYSE: XRX  ) , and telecommunication services provider Orange (NYSE: ORAN  ) all reporting results.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Mobile TeleSystems (MBT)

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services primarily in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Belarus. The company provides a range of mobile and fixed line voice and data telecommunications services, including transmission, broadband, pay-TV, and various value-added services; and sells equipment and accessories. It also offers network access services, including mobile cellular voice and data communication services; automatic roaming services; GPRS and Internet access services; and 3G technology. In addition, the company�s services include the design, construction, and installation of local voice and data networks capable of interconnecting with fixed line operators; installation and maintenance of cellular payphones; lease of digital communication channels; and provision of access to open computer databases and data networks, including the Internet, as well as video conferencing, and fixed, local, and long-distance telecommunications services. Its value-added services comprise call divert/forwarding, caller ID and anti-caller ID display, conference calling, WiFi, GPRS, intelligent call assistant, APN remote access point, fixed mobile convergence, enhanced data rates for GSM Evolution, call barring, SMS, mobile office, voicemail, mobile banking, wireless application protocol, MTS-Connect, SIM-browser, point-to-point transfer, unstructured supplementary services data, downlink packet access, mobile TV, call waiting, MMS, ring tones, missed call alert, itemization of monthly bills, information and directory, international access, WEB and WAP portal, customer care system, ring back tone, collect call, and location-based services. As of December 31, 2011, the company had a mobile subscriber base of approximately 101.14 million. It has a strategic partnership with Vodafone. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Over in Russia, market-leading cell phone provider Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT  ) has just confirmed that, as of 2012, it no longer sells Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) new iPhone models to its customers directly. The company does still stock, and sell, some older iPhone models. But for iPhone5 and on up, MTS now answers phone calls from Apple with a Spasibo, ne nada. ("Thanks, but no thanks.")

• [By Eric Lam]

  Manitoba Telecom (MBT) gained 5.7 percent to C$33.93 after selling its Allstream fiber network business to Accelero Capital Holdings for C$520 million. The company will use the cash to invest in new wireless spectrum and improve the speed of its existing networks, Manitoba Telecom said in a statement.

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  VimpleCom, a joint venture of Norwegian telecom Telnor and the Russian Alfa Group, operates under the BeeLine brand in Russia. BeeLine has joined the two other ex-iPhone carrying Russian heavyweight mobile carriers, Megafon and Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT  ) , and not renewed its iPhone contract with Apple.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Semtech Corporation(SMTC)

Semtech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and markets analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. The company?s product lines include protection products comprising filter and termination devices that provide protection for electronic systems from voltage spikes; power management products consisting of switching voltage regulators, combination switching and linear regulators, smart regulators, and charge pumps; and discrete semiconductor products, such as rectifiers, assemblies, and other products. It also offers wired communication, ultra-high speed Serializer/Deserializer, and modulator driver products that perform timing, synchronization, and amplification functions in high-speed networks; chips and transceivers for short reach, metro, and long haul applications; and high performance transceivers for datacenter applications. In addition, the company provides wireless and sensing products that perform radio frequency functions in indust rial, medical, and networking applications; and sensing functions in industrial and consumer applications. It serves original equipment manufacturers and their subcontractors in the computing, communications, consumer, and industrial end-markets directly, and through independent distributors and sales representative firms in North America, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. Semtech Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Camarillo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Semtech (Nasdaq: SMTC  ) .

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: KVH Industries Inc.(KVHI)

KVH Industries, Inc. engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of mobile communication products for the marine, land mobile, and aeronautical markets primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company also offers navigation, guidance, and stabilization products for the defense and commercial markets. Its mobile communications products and airtime services include TracVision; TracPhone; CommBox system, a middleware software; and mini-VSAT broadband airtime, which enable customers to receive voice, Internet, and live digital television services in their marine vessels, recreational vehicles, automobiles, and commercial airplanes through satellite. The company?s guidance and stabilization products consist of precision fiber optic gyro based systems that help stabilize platforms, such as gun turrets, remote weapon stations, and radar units, as well as provides guidance for munitions; and tactical navigation systems that offer access to navigation and point ing information in a range of military vehicles, including tactical trucks and light armored vehicles. Its guidance and stabilization products are used in various commercial applications comprising precision mapping, dynamic surveying, autonomous vehicles, train location control and track geometry measurement systems, industrial robotics, and optical stabilization. The company sells its mobile communications products through an international network of retailers, distributors, and dealers; and guidance and stabilization products directly to the United States and allied governments, and government contractors, as well as through an international network of authorized independent sales representatives. It also leases its products directly to end users. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Middletown, Rhode Island.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on KVH Industries (Nasdaq: KVHI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on KVH Industries (Nasdaq: KVHI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Responsys Inc.(MKTG)

Responsys, Inc. provides on-demand software and professional services primarily in North America, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. The company offers Responsys Interact suite, a software-as-a-service platform that provides marketers with a set of integrated applications to create, execute, optimize, and automate marketing campaigns in various channels, including email, mobile, social, and the Web. Its platform also leverages third-party applications and data from real-time sources allowing customers to deliver targeted content to its customers and known prospects as part of their interactive marketing campaigns. In addition, it provides professional services, such as strategic, creative, deliverability, campaign, and education services. The company offers its on-demand software and professional services to retail and consumer, travel, financial services, and technology industries through a direct sales force. Responsys, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Bru no, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Responsys (Nasdaq: MKTG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By The GeoTeam]

  Our recent 2013 articles on SaaS companies Selectica (SLTC), E2open (EOPN), Responsys (MKTG), Vocus (VOCS), and ExactTarget (ET) highlighted such opportunities. The average return since the inception of our coverage currently stands at around 34% (55% at their highs).

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: tw telecom inc.(TWTC)

tw telecom inc. engages in the provision of managed network services in the United States. The company offers data networking, converged, Internet protocol based virtual private network (IP VPN), and Internet access services. The company?s data services include switched native local area network (NLAN), point-to-point elite NLAN, E-Line, extended NLAN, regional ethernet, and IP VPN and managed IP VPN services; and converged and integrated services. It also provides high capacity Internet service with bandwidth speeds ranging from 1.5 Mbps to 10 Gbps to access the Internet and other external networks; and managed services comprising enhanced management services, managed security services, collocation services, and distributed denial of service mitigation. In addition, the company offers network access services for voice, data, image, and video transmission, such as private line, special access, transport arrangements, and metropolitan and regional connectivity; and voice s ervices that provide customers with local and long distance calling capabilities consisting of access trunk, long distance, local toll, local telephone, business access line, and IP trunk services. Further, it offers intercarrier services, such as switched access and local traffic termination services. As of December 31, 2011, the company?s fiber network spanned approximately 27,000 route miles connecting to 15,438 buildings. Its customers include enterprise organizations in the distribution, health care, finance, service, and manufacturing industries; state, local, and federal government entities; system integrators; and communication service providers, such as incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, wireless communications, and cable companies. The company was formerly known as Time Warner Telecom Inc. and changed its name to tw telecom inc. in March 2008. tw telecom inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Warwick Valley Telephone Company(WWVY)

Warwick Valley Telephone Company provides communication services to the residential and business customers. It operates in two segments, Telephone and Online. The Telephone segment provides telecommunication services, including local network services, network access services, and long distance services; directory services comprising publishing and selling yellow and white page advertising in print and online; wholesale services, such as origination and termination services to carriers and business customers; and voice conferencing services. It also offers billing and collections services to other carriers; and resells toll telephone services. The Online segment provides broadband and dial-up Internet access services, voice over Internet protocol services, and video over its landline network. It also offers digital television services, domain name registration, and Web hosting services. The company provides its services primarily in the towns of Warwick, Goshen, and Wallkil l, New York; and the townships of Vernon and West Milford, New Jersey. Warwick Valley Telephone Company was founded in 1902 and is based in Warwick, New York.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Keynote Systems Inc.(KEYN)

Keynote Systems, Inc. provides Internet and mobile cloud monitoring and testing solutions worldwide. The company?s Internet cloud products and services comprise Transaction Perspective for visibility into the performance and availability of Web transactions; Application Perspective, a Web application monitoring service; Cloud Application Perspective that provides software-based performance monitoring; Private Agents for the performance of mission critical extranet and intranet applications; Streaming Perspective to measure, compare, and assure the performance of audio and video streams; and Performance Scoreboard, a custom dashboard to monitor Web performance. Its Internet cloud products and services also include Enterprise Adapters to integrate performance measurement data into enterprise systems management platforms; Keynote Internet Testing Environment, a desktop tool for real-time testing, diagnosing, and troubleshooting Web performance issues; LoadPro, a Web load tes ting service; Test Perspective, a self-service load testing service; Red Alert to test devices connected to the Internet; and consulting services, such as performance insights, Web site performance assessment, automated reporting, and custom competitive research. In addition, the company?s mobile cloud products and services primarily consist of System Integrated Test Environment System to test and measure the quality and reliability of mobile networks and applications, and content delivery for mobile operators; GlobalRoamer to certify and validate roaming agreements; Mobile Device Perspective to enhance the quality of mobile content, applications, and services; Mobile Web Perspective to monitor and troubleshoot the quality and performance for mobile Web sites; and Mobile Internet Testing Environment, a desktop tool. Further, it offers professional services, mobile competitive monitoring and analysis, and mobile insights. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc (Q)

Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc. is a provider of biopharmaceutical development services and commercial outsourcing services. The Company operates in two segments: Product Development and Integrated Healthcare Services. The Company�� Product Development segment operates as a contract research organization (CRO) focused primarily on Phase II-IV clinical trials and associated laboratory and analytical activities. The Company�� Integrated Healthcare Services segment is a global commercial pharmaceutical sales and service organizations and Integrated Healthcare Services provides a range of services, including commercial services, such as providing contract pharmaceutical sales forces in geographic markets, as well as healthcare business services for the healthcare sector, such as outcome-based and payer and provider services. In August 2012, it acquired Expression Analysis, Inc.

Product Development

Product Development provides services and that allow biopharmaceutical companies to outsource the clinical development process from first in man trials to post-launch monitoring. The Company�� service offering provides the support and functional necessary at each stage of development, as well as the systems and analytical capabilities. Product Development consists of clinical solutions and services and consulting. Clinical solutions and services provides services necessary to develop biopharmaceutical products, including project management and clinical monitoring functions for conducting multi-site trials (generally Phase II-IV) (core clinical) and clinical trial support services that improve clinical trial decision making and include global laboratories, data management, biostatistical, safety and pharmacovigilance, and early clinical development trials, and strategic planning and design services that improve decisions and performance. Consulting provides strategy and management consulting services based on life science and advanced analytics, as well as regulatory and comp! liance consulting services.

The Company competes with Covance, Inc., Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., PAREXEL International Corporation, ICON plc, inVentiv Health, Inc. (inVentive), INC Research and PRA International.

Integrated Healthcare Services

Integrated Healthcare Services provides the healthcare industry with both geographic presence and commercial capabilities. The Company�� commercialization services are designed to accelerate the commercial of biopharmaceutical and other health-related products. Service offerings include commercial services (sales representatives, strategy, marketing communications and other areas related to commercialization), outcome research (drug therapy analysis, real-world research and evidence-based medicine, including research studies to prove a drug�� value) and payer and provider services comparative and cost-effectiveness research capabilities, clinical management analytics, decision support services, medication adherence and health outcome optimization services, and Web-based systems for measuring quality improvement.

The Company competes with inVentiv, PDI, Inc., Publicis Selling Solutions, United Drug plc, EPS Corporation and CMIC HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.

Best Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014

JPMorgan Chase� (NYSE: JPM  ) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) both reported lower mortgage banking income in their earnings report this week, which was widely expected. But as the two dominant players in this space for the past few years, does this mean a shift in the industry? Will this be an opportunity for other big banks to steal some of the market share, or can investors expect these numbers to be lower across the board?�

Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, Financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

�

Best Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Encore Capital Group Inc(ECPG)

Encore Capital Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in consumer debt buying and recovery business primarily in the United States. The company purchases and manages portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables, such as consumers? unpaid financial commitments to credit originators, including banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, commercial retailers, auto finance companies, and telecommunication companies; and receivables subject to bankruptcy proceedings or consumer bankruptcy receivables. It also provides bankruptcy services to the finance industry, such as negotiating bankruptcy plans, monitoring and managing consumer?s compliance with bankruptcy plans, and recommending courses of action to clients in case of a deviation from a bankruptcy plan. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap debt collection stocks like�Asta Funding, Inc (NASDAQ: ASFI), Encore Capital Group, Inc (NASDAQ: ECPG) and Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc (NASDAQ: PRAA) could be the latest target of a government shakedown or crackdown as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said this week that�before it formally proposes any rules for debt collection, it wants to hear how collectors verify borrowers' information and communicate with consumers. In other words, debt collectors could be restricted from using text messages, social media or other Internet-based tools in their pursuit to collect debts. With about one in 10 Americans coming out of the financial crisis with some debt in collection, investing in small cap�debt collection stocks has been profitable for investors. However, there is no timeline for when any new rules might be released for review or come into effect.

• [By Sally Jones]

  Today�� diverse companies were chosen for their speculative enterprises. Both companies deal in the territory of what if. If Encore Capital Group Inc. (ECPG) can collect more from a huge portfolio of consumer debt, the company would grow. If Sophiris Bio Inc. (SPHS), a 10-person biopharm, is successful in competing to provide relief for prostate BPH symptoms, the company would soar.
  

Best Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: CompuCredit Holdings Corporation(CCRT)

CompuCredit Holdings Corporation provides credit and related financial services and products to underserved consumer credit market in the United States. It operates in five segments: Credit Cards, Investments in Previously Charged-Off Receivables; Retail Micro-Loans; Auto Finance; and Internet Micro-Loans. The Credit Cards segment involves in credit card investment and servicing activities with respect to receivables underlying accounts originated and portfolios purchased by the company. The Investments in Previously Charged-Off Receivables segment acquires and sells previously charged-off credit card receivables. The Retail Micro-Loans segment, through a network of storefront locations, provides small-balance, short-term cash advance loans that are due on the customer?s next payday; state installment loans, title loans, and other credit products; money transfer, bill payment, and related financial services; and tax preparation services, money order, and wire transfer ser vices. Its loans and products are marketed through retail branch locations in Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The Auto Finance segment purchases auto loans and services the loans to pre-qualified auto dealers. The Internet Micro-Loans segment involves in Internet micro-loan operations. The company also offers other ancillary products, such as memberships, insurance products, subscription services, and debt waiver. CompuCredit Holdings Corporation was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ameris Bancorp(ABCB)

Ameris Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for the Ameris Bank, which provides a range of banking products and services to retail and commercial customers in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. The company engages in generating deposits and originating loans. Its deposit products and services primarily include commercial and retail checking accounts, regular interest-bearing savings accounts, money market accounts, individual retirement accounts, certificates of deposit, and time deposits. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans for acquisition, development, or construction of commercial properties; residential real estate mortgage loans; and agricultural financing for crop production, and the purchase of farm-related equipment or farmland, as well as the operations of dairies, poultry producers, livestock, and timber growers. Its loan portfolio also includes commercial and industrial loans to manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of goods, service companies, and other industries for the acquisition, expansion, and working capital purposes; and consumer loans, such as motor vehicle, home improvement, home equity, and student and signature loans, as well as small personal credit lines. As of March 31, 2011, Ameris Bancorp operated 59 domestic banking offices. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia.

Best Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Gramercy Capital Corp (GKK)

Gramercy Capital Corp. operates as an integrated commercial real estate investment and asset management company in the United States. Its Gramercy Realty division manages commercial properties leased primarily to regulated financial institutions and affiliated users. The company�s Gramercy Finance division manages whole loans, bridge loans, subordinate interests in whole loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and other real estate securities, which are financed through three non-recourse collateralized debt obligations. Its portfolio consists of 2 sub-portfolios, including the core portfolio comprising 67 assets located in 10 states; and the held-for-sale portfolio comprising 48 assets located in 13 states. Gramercy Capital Corp. has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. As a result, it would not be subject to corporate income tax on that portion of its net income that is di stributed to shareholders. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Best Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Validus Holdings Ltd.(VR)

Validus Holdings, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance coverage in the property, marine, and specialty lines markets worldwide. The company underwrites property catastrophe reinsurance, property per risk reinsurance, and property pro rata reinsurance products; and reinsurance on marine risks covering damage to or losses of marine vessels and cargo, third-party liability for marine accidents, physical loss, and liability from principally offshore energy properties. It also underwrites specialty lines of business, which include aerospace and aviation, agriculture, terrorism, life, accident and health, financial lines, nuclear, workers? compensation catastrophe, crisis management, political risks and violence, war, and contingency. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.

Best Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation(AMTD)

TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage services and technology-based financial services to retail investors, traders, and independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) in the United States. The company?s offerings include TD Ameritrade for self-directed retail investors; TD Ameritrade Institutional, which provides brokerage and custody services to independent RIAs and their clients; thinkorswim that offers a suite of trading platforms serving self-directed and institutional traders, and money managers; and Investools, which provides investor education products and services for stock, option, foreign exchange, futures, mutual fund, and fixed-income investors. Its offerings also include Amerivest, an online advisory service that develops portfolios of exchange-traded funds to enable long-term investors pursue their financial goals; and TD Ameritrade Corporate Services, which provides self-directed brokerage services to employees and executives of corporations. In addition, the company offers various products and services, such as common and preferred stocks; exchange-traded funds; a range of option trades, including complex, multi-leg option strategies; futures trades in various commodities, stock indices, and currencies; and foreign exchange products. Further, it provides mutual funds; treasury, corporate, government agency, and municipal bonds; mortgage-backed securities and certificates of deposit; new issue securities; margin lending; and cash management services. Additionally, the company offers trustee, custodial, and other trust-related services to retirement plans; and cash sweep and deposit account products through third-party relationships. It provides its products and services through the Internet, network of retail branches, mobile trading applications, and interactive voice response and registered representatives via telephone. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquart ered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Bellying up to the bar
  E*TRADE isn't the only one enjoying the party. Its rivals have come in through the front door and are currently enjoying the cocktails and snacks as well. TD AMERITRADE's (NYSE: AMTD  ) DARTs rang in at around 417,000 in May, a 9% increase over April's 383,000, which in turn bettered the March number (361,000) by 6%. Like E*TRADE, the company's stock is also floating above its multi-year high.

• [By Alexis Xydias]

  Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW), TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD) and E*Trade Financial Corp. (ETFC) have climbed 38 percent on average in 2013, beating the S&P 500 by 23 percentage points and eclipsing returns in financial shares from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to Bank of America Corp. (BAC), according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The last times that happened, equity mutual funds received about $91 billion, 24 percent more than the annual average in the two decades before the financial crisis, the data show.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The problem for Schwab, though, is that its competitors have seen similarly strong performance lately. TD AMERITRADE (NYSE: AMTD  ) weighed in with a 9% increase in daily average revenue trades in May, posting its best level in a year as it has gone head-to-head with Schwab with their similarly sized offerings of commission-free ETFs. Meanwhile, shares of E*TRADE Financial (NASDAQ: ETFC  ) hit a 52-week high earlier this week, as the company rode on its own success with a 15% gain in trades from May. As the industry has gotten more cutthroat, brokers have been fighting to boost business, giving out expensive incentives to draw new customers in an effort to capture long-term relationships.