The Deal: Chrysler Test Drives Its IPO

NEW YORK (The Deal) -- Chrysler Group late Monday filed to return to public markets amid continuing conflict between the automaker's two primary shareholders.

Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler filed preliminary paperwork for a proposed offering that would be underwritten by JPMorgan, with Scott D. Miller of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP representing the company and William P. Rogers Jr. and William V. Fogg of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP serving as underwriter counsel.

The filing highlights both the remarkable success Chrysler has experienced since its 2009 government bailout, and the infighting that has plagued it more recently.

Chrysler emerged from Chapter 11 protection with financial support from Fiat as part of a complex deal that has resulted in the Italian carmaker steadily increasing its ownership to 58.5%. The remaining shares are owned by a union-managed trust established in 2007 to pay retiree healthcare costs. Fiat has been seeking to bring Chrysler in-house as a wholly owned unit, but the company to date has been unable to reach an agreement with the United Automobile Workers' Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association on a valuation of the remaining VEBA-owned shares. Combining the two companies would allow Fiat to access Chrysler's cash reserves to fund operations as well as make it easier for the Italian company to cut back office costs by further integrating their operations. Chrysler has enjoyed recent sales success thanks in part to new, more fuel-efficient designs borrowed from Fiat, generating a profit of $507 million in the second quarter of 2013. Sergio Marchionne, who serves as CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler, said earlier this month the trust wants upwards of $5 billion for its stake, about $2 billion more than Fiat is prepared to pay. The shares to be sold in the IPO, which represent about 16% of the Chrysler's total, are part of VEBA's stake. Despite the filing it is possible the shares will never be sold to the public. There are reasons for both sides to come to the table and resolve their dispute prior to an offering. Marchionne is eager to combine Fiat and Chrysler, and a public ownership figures to greatly complicate that process. Outside investors could advocate a strategy other than combining with Fiat, or at least demand Fiat pay up for the stake or otherwise prolong the process of merging the two companies.

But there are risks for VEBA as well. The trust is limited in the number of shares it can sell to the public, and the small float, coupled with Fiat's dominance over Chrysler's operations, could limit the appeal of the shares on the open market. Going through with the offering could risk fracturing the close working relationship between Fiat and Chrysler, which could frighten would-be investors.

Chrysler is also seen as overly-reliant on North America and lacking a presence in emerging markets, and could be more vulnerable than its rivals to a slowdown in the U.S.

Should demand from the public be tepid, the offering would serve to reinforce Fiat's view on Chrysler's valuation and make it more difficult for VEBA to demand a higher price for its remaining shares.

--Written by Lou Whiteman

Hot Specialty Retail Stocks To Watch Right Now

Hot Specialty Retail Stocks To Watch Right Now: CSS Industries Inc (CSS)

CSS Industries, Inc. (CSS), incorporated on November 5, 1923, is a company primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution and sale of seasonal and all occasion social expression products, principally to mass market retailers. These seasonal and all occasion products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper, decorations, classroom exchange Valentines, decorative ribbons and bows, floral accessories, Halloween masks, costumes, make-up and novelties, Easter egg dyes and novelties, craft and educational products, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items that commemorate life's celebrations. In September 5, 2012, it sold the Halloween portion of its Paper Magic business to Gemmy Industries (HK) Limited.

CSS' product provides its retail customers the opportunity to use a single ven dor for much of their seasonal product requirements. A substantial portion of CSS' products are manufactured, packaged and/or warehoused in 10 facilities located in the United States, with the remainder purchased primarily from manufacturers in Asia and Mexico. The Company's products are sold to its customers by national and regional account sales managers, sales representatives, product specialists and by a network of independent manufacturers' representatives. The Company's principal operating subsidiaries include Paper Magic Group, Inc. (Paper Magic), Berwick Offray LLC (Berwick Offray) and C.R. Gibson, LLC (C.R. Gibson). CSS designs, manufactures, procures, distributes and sells a range of seasonal consumer products primarily through the mass market distribution channel. Christmas products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card hold! ers, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper and decorations. CSS' Valentine product offerings includ e classroom exchange Valentine cards and other related Valen! tine products, while its Easter product offerings include Dudley's brand of Easter egg dyes and related Easter seasonal products. CSS also designs and markets decorative ribbons and bows, all occasion boxed greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, decorative and waxed tissue, decorative films and foils, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, floral accessories and other gift and craft items to its mass market, craft, specialty and floral retail and wholesale distribution customers, and teachers' aids and other learning oriented products to the education market through mass market retailers, school supply distributors and teachers' stores. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Dudley's, Don Post Studios, Eureka, Learning Playground, Stickerfitti and iota. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markin gs, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Seastone, Dudley's, Eureka, Learning Playground and Stickerfitti.

CSS operates 10 manufacturing and/or distribution facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas. Its boxed greeting cards are produced by Asian manufacturers to the Company's specifications. Halloween make-up and Easter egg dye products are manufactured in Asia to specific formulae by contract manufacturers who meet regulatory requirements for the formularization and packaging of such products. Ribbons and bows are primarily manufactured and warehoused in seven facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas. Memory books, stationery, journals and notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items are imported from Asian manufacturers and war! ehoused a! nd distributed from a distribution facility in Florence, Alabama. Floral accessories, including pot covers, foil, waxe d tissue, shred, aisle runners, corsage bags and other paper! and film! products, are manufactured in a facility located in Milford, New Hampshire and Juarez, Mexico. Manufacturing includes gravure and flexo printing, waxing and converting. Products are warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Other products including, but not limited to, decorative tissue paper, all occasion gift wrap, gift tags, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, classroom exchange Valentine products, Halloween masks, costumes and novelties, Easter products, decorations and school products are designed to the specifications of CSS and are imported primarily from Asian manufacturers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Gifts maker CSS Industries  (NYSE: CSS  )  announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-specialty-retail-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html

Hot Quality Companies To Watch For 2016

Hot Quality Companies To Watch For 2016: SPS Commerce Inc.(SPSC)

SPS Commerce, Inc. provides on-demand supply chain management solutions worldwide. It offers integration, collaboration, connectivity, visibility, and data analytics over the Internet using a software-as-a-service model. SPS Commerce, Inc. provides its solutions through SPSCommerce.net, a hosted software suite that enables suppliers, retailers, distributors, and other customers to manage and fulfill orders. The company?s platform delivers various solutions to suppliers and retailers, including trading partner integration, trading partner enablement, trading partner intelligence, and various peripheral solutions. It also operates Retail Universe, a collaborative online Website that facilitates relationships and communications with members of the retail ecosystem. The company was formerly known as St. Paul Software, Inc. and changed its name to SPS Commerce, Inc. in May 2001. SPS Commerce, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  SPS Commerce (Nasdaq:SPSC), a leading provider of on-demand supply chain management solutions, and Wicresoft, a leading global IT solution service provider specializing in providing consulting, information technology and business process outsourcing, and IT infrastructure services, have partnered to provide supply chain solutions in China, Hong Kong and Japan.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-quality-companies-to-watch-for-2016-2.html

5 Best Undervalued Stocks For 2016

5 Best Undervalued Stocks For 2016: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Denbury Resources (DNR) fell 2.5% to $7.95, while Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) fell 2.2% to $37.24. Schlumberger (SLB), Nabors Industries (NBR) and Newfield Exploration (NFX) each fell 1%.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Stocks with low turnover include Philip Morris International (PM), Schlumberger (SLB), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), General Electric (GE) and Automatic Data Processing (ADP).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  We see several potential sources of continued activity as: (i) Schlumberger (SLB) may look to recapture #1 spot in revenues if Halliburton/Baker Hughes do merge; (ii) Halliburton/Baker Hughes may look to plug their seismic service gap (seismic has been the worst-performing industry sub-segment this year); (iii) Halliburton/Baker Hughes may be forced to divest US assets in order to pass antitrust review. Other potential buyers could include oilfield pure-plays, which may be looking to shift exposure away from offshore rigs and more towards completion/production technologies, or large diversified industrials seeking to capitalize on their strong relative share price performance vs. the energy industry.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-undervalued-stocks-for-2016-2.html

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Watch Right Now: Crown Castle International Corporation (CCI)

Crown Castle International Corp., through its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and leases towers and other wireless infrastructure primarily in the United States and Australia. Its infrastructure includes distributed antenna system (DAS) networks, as well as rooftop installations. The company involves in the rental of antenna space of its towers to wireless communications companies. It also provides network services relating to its towers, which primarily include antenna installations and subsequent augmentations, as well as additional services, such as site acquisition, architectural and engineering, zoning and permitting, other construction, and other services related network development. As of December 31, 2010, it owned, leased, or managed approximately 23,900 towers, including 43 completed DAS networks. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  This international focus sets American Tower apart from rivals Crown Castle (NYSE: CCI  ) and SBA Communications (NASDAQ: SBAC  ) .

• [By gurujx]

  Crown Castle International Corp (CCI) Reached the 52-Week High of $80.84

  Crown Castle International Corp is incorporated in the State of Delaware. Crown Castle International Corp has a market cap of $26.99 billion; its shares were traded at around $80.84 with a P/E ratio of 206.80 and P/S ratio of 7.74. The dividend yield of Crown Castle International Corp stocks is 1.30%. Crown Castle International Corp had an annual average earnings growth of 24.10% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated Crown Castle International Corp the business predictability rank of 3.5-star.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Moreover, American Tower faces two massive rivals in Crown Castle Int! ernational (NYSE: CCI  ) and SBA Communications (NASDAQ: SBAC  ) , which operate 40,000 and 20,000 American radio towers, respectively. American Tower falls right between them, with more than 21,000 company-owned towers on American soil, and another 7,200 leased tower sites. This is a tight three-horse race, with several smaller competitors trailing far behind.

• [By Damian Illia]

  Crown Castle International Corp. (CCI) is a second-largest independent operator of wireless communication towers in the United States. It owns 40,000 tower sites in the U.S., more than 1,700 more in Australia, and 200 in Puerto Rico, and its main customers are wireless carriers such as AT&T Inc. (T), Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), Sprint Corporation (S) and T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS). The company provides network design, radio frequency engineering and site development services as well. Since the acquisition of Global Signal Inc. in 2007, the company has grown and diversified geographically, and added efficiency and pricing control, allowing Crown Castle to compete with big rivals in the industry.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-canadian-stocks-to-watch-right-now-3.html

10 Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2016

10 Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2016: Blue Water Global Group Inc (BLUU)

Blue Water Global Group, Inc. (Blue Water), incorporated on March 3, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses on developing a chain of casual dining restaurants in tourist destinations throughout the Caribbean region. The Company's initial restaurant is going to be called Blue Water Bar & Grill and will be located in St. Maarten, Dutch West Indies.

As of February 7, 2013, the Company did not operate any restaurant properties, and did not have any ownership or leaseholds in any restaurant properties. As of February 7, 2013, the Company did not have any ownership or leaseholds in any restaurant properties.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Naturalnano Inc (OTCMKTS: NNAN), Global Payout, Inc (OTCMKTS: GOHE) and Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) were either jumping higher or diving lower yesterday. To complicate matters for investors, two of these small cap stocks have been subjects of disclosures about paid promotion or investor relation campaigns. So what will these three small caps do for the rest of this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Last Friday, small cap Digital Brand Media & Marketing Group Inc (OTCMKTS: DBMM) surged 22.22% while Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) sank 18.42% and Medina International Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: MIHI) sank 50%. However, one of these small caps (Blue Water Global Group) appears to be reversing course in early morning trading today. So with it and the rest of these small cap stocks either sink or swim in trading this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

source from Top Stocks For 2015! :http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-restaurant-stocks-to-own-for-2016.html

Top Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now

Top Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Guggenheim CurrencyShares Euro Trust (FXE)

Guggenheim CurrencyShares Euro Trust, formerly CurrencyShares Euro Trust, is a grantor trust. The Trust issues shares (the Shares) in blocks of 50,000 (a Basket) in exchange for deposits of euro and distributes euro in connection with the redemption of Baskets. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the price of euro plus accrued interest. The Shares are intended to offer investors an opportunity to participate in the market for the euro through an investment in securities. The Shares are bought and sold on NYSE Arca. The Shares are backed by the assets of the Trust, which does not hold or use derivative products. The Trust holds euro and, from time to time, issues Baskets in exchange for deposits of euro and distributes euro in connection with redemptions of Baskets.

The Sponsor is Rydex Specialized Products LLC. The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Trustee. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., London Branch is the Depository. The Depos itory maintains two deposit accounts for the Trust, a primary deposit account which may earn interest and a secondary deposit account which does not earn interest (Deposit Accounts). The secondary deposit account is used to account for interest received and paid out on creations and redemptions of Baskets. The secondary account is also used to account for interest, if any, earned on the primary deposit account, pay Trust expenses and distribute any excess interest to Shareholders on a monthly basis.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Cox]

  Elsewhere, similar market reactions could were seen after last week's monetary policy meeting at the European Central Bank [ECB]. The ECB also did little to signal changes to its own stimulus programs, which was not a total surprise, given the fact that the bank reduced interest rates! by 25 basis points to new all-time lows at 0.75% at last month's meeting. The main potential for surprise, however, came from the possibility that the central bank would announce the implementation of negative interest rates (the rate paid to commercial banks when holding money). Since this would have been a bearish outcome for the EUR/USD, markets have since bought the Euro, pushing the CurrencyShares Euro Trust ETF (FXE) higher.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The euro has dropped about 0.8% against the dollar, while the CurrencyShares Euro Trust ETF (FXE) has dropped 0.7% to $136.71 and the Currency Shares Japanese Yen Trust ETF (FXY) has fallen 1%. The ProShares UltrasShort Euro ETF (EUO) has gained 1.3% to $16.77, while the ProShares UltraShort Yen (YCS) has gained 1.9% to $66.58.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-low-price-companies-to-own-in-right-now-6.html

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2016

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2016: Avon Products Inc. (AVP)

Avon Products Inc. manufactures and markets beauty and related products worldwide. Its product categories include color cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, and personal care; fashion jewelry, watches, apparel, footwear, and accessories; and gift and decorative products, housewares, entertainment and leisure, and children?s and nutritional products. Avon Products Inc. markets its products through direct selling and independent representatives, as well as through distributorships. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Avon Products (NYSE: AVP  ) plans to lay off more than 400 full-time employees and exit Irelandas part of its $400 million cost-cutting initiative, the company announced today.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  In the fourth quarter, Yacktmans biggest additions to his holdings were Research In Motion (RIMM) and Avon Products (AVP). He also surprised followers by venturing into financials, with new positions in Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC), State Street Corp. (STT) and Northern Trust Corp. (NTRS).

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Health and beauty products provider Avon Products (NYSE: AVP  ) will pay a regular quarterly dividend of $0.06 onJune 3 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 14. That's the same amount it declared in February and November.
  

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Investors seem to think so. On a day when major stock indices are all in the red, Avon (AVP) is up slightly in late afternoon market action, climbing 0.85% to $13.10 after earlier gaining as much as 8.3% to above $14 a share.

  It isnt all wine and roses for the door-to-door beauty products company. Today, it posted another quarter of lackluster sales and lower profits. But executives at the embattled beauty company believe signs of a sales turnar! ound in a key market are proof it can pull out of a years-long slump.

  Quarterly sales grew in the U.K. for the first time since 2010, thanks in part to management changes. Still the company’s overall performance remained weak despite a two-year effort to turn around its operations under CEO Sheri McCoy.

  Revenue dropped 13% to $2.2 billion as product volume dropped 6% and the number of active representatives worldwide suffered a like decline. Net profit tumbled to $19 million from $31.9 million.

  Citigroup analyst Wendy Nicholson wrote:Is Avon’s makeover Finally Gaining TractionI

  While the top line was weak and the rep deterioration is discouraging, the margins werent quite as bad as wed expected.

  McCoy is trying to reinvigorate recruiting for Avon reps, introduce new products, slash costs, and exit unprofitable markets. She has targeted double-digit operating margins by 2016, well above last year’s 7.9%. My colleague David Englander remarked in May that these efforts could produce lovely results.

  Barclays analyst Lauren R. Lieberman advised caution in a note published today.

  With AVP shares so weak heading into earnings, we think todays results fall into anti-disaster territory. Organic sales growth was still very weak (and below our estimates), but profitability was less bad as margins were down less than wed expected and North America was break-even despite another dramatic revenue decline (-20%). Longer term, we do think the Street w

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-forestry-stocks-to-own-for-2016.html

Best Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2016

Best Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2016: Pier 1 Imports Inc (PIR)

Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (Pier 1 Imports), incorporated in April 30, 1986, is a global importer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts. As of March 2, 2013, the Company had 1,062 stores in the United States and Canada. During the fiscal year ended March 2, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company opened 22 new Pier 1 Imports stores and closed 12 stores. The Company operates regional distribution center facilities in or near Baltimore, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Ontario, California; Savannah, Georgia, and Tacoma, Washington. The specialty retail operations of the Company consist of retail stores and e-Commerce operations conducting business under the name Pier 1 Imports, which sell a range of furniture, decorative home furnishings, dining and kitchen goods, candles, gifts and other specialty items for the home.

As of March 2, 2013, the Company operated 982 Pier 1 Imports stores in the United States and 80 Pier 1 Imports stores in Canada. During fiscal 2013, the Company supplied merchandise and licensed the Pier 1 Imports name to Grupo Sanborns, which sold Pier 1 Imports merchandise primarily in a store within a store format in 49 Sears Mexico stores and one store in El Salvador. The stores consist of freestanding units located near shopping centers or malls and in-line positions in major shopping centers. Pier 1 Imports operates in all major United States metropolitan areas and many of the primary smaller markets.

Decorative Accessories

This merchandise group constitutes the range of category of merchandise in Pier 1 Imports sales mix. These items are imported primarily from Asian and European countries, as well as some domestic sources. This merchandise group includes decorative accents, lamps, vases, dried and artificial flowers, baskets, ceramics, dinnerware, bath and fragrance products, candles, seasonal and gift items.

Furniture

This mer! chandise group cons ists of furniture and furniture cushions to be used in living, dining, office, kitchen and bedroom areas, sunrooms and on patios. Also included in this group are wall decorations and mirrors. These goods are imported from a variety of countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Brazil, Thailand, China, the Philippines, India and Indonesia, and are also obtained from domestic sources. This merchandise group is made of metal or handcrafted natural materials, including rattan, pine, beech, rubberwood and selected hardwoods with either natural, stained, painted or upholstered finishes.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By DailyFinance Staff]

  Stocks took a breather Thursday after racing higher on Wednesday, and the price of gold sank to a three-year low. The major averages ended mixed -- and that's good news, as the market mostly held onto the huge gains that followed the Federal Reserve's taper announcement. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) edged up 11 points, the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) slipped a point, and the Nasdaq composite index (^IXIC) fell 12 points. But the price of gold slumped by $39 an ounce, closing below $1,200 for the first time in more than three years. Gold related stocks followed suit. Newmont Mining (NEM), Barrick Gold (ABX) and Goldcorp (GG) all fell about 1.5 percent. Another story getting lots of play today is Target's (TGT) announcement that as many as 40 million credit and debit card customers may have had their account information stolen over the past few weeks. Target shares fell 2 percent. Even though earnings season is still a few weeks away, earnings news was a big factor today. On the upside: Oracle (ORCL), up 6 percent. The software maker beat Wall Street profit and revenue estimates. Food giant ConAgra (CAG), up 5 percent, after topping expectations. And Pier 1 (PIR), also up 5 percent. Net slightly missed, but the retailer raised its dividend by 20 percent.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cas! h 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 Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR) were down 10.34 percent to $21.16 after the company reported a 32% drop in its fiscal second-quarter earnings and cut its full-year earnings forecast.

• [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Thursday’s session are KBR Inc.(KBR), Pier 1 Imports Inc.(PIR) and Rite (RAD) Aid Corp.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-cheapest-companies-to-watch-for-2016.html

Top Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2015

When Supersize Me --�a documentary about the health problems one man got from eating nothing but McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) fast food -- came out in 2004, McDonald's almost immediately stopped using the term. People no longer wanted to "supersize" their meals.

Not surprisingly, there was a sharp increase in the company's healthy eating index corresponding to about the same time. Sadly, according to a study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, McDonald's and its cohorts still haven't done a good enough job of improving the quality of what is being served to customers.

A 14-year study yields minimal improvements
Back in 1997, researchers sampled food offerings from McDonald's, Berkshire Hathaway's�Dairy Queen, PepsiCo's�Taco Bell (now owned by Yum!), Yum! Brands' (NYSE: YUM  ) KFC, and Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN  ) , among others.

Top Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Twitter (TWTR)

Instantly connect to what's most important to you. Follow your friends, experts, favorite celebrities, and breaking news. TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking ... Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks Investment Research]

  The IPO market is looking forward to November 15, 2013. Twitter (TWTR) will no doubt be a hot stock and should also provide the mass media with lots to talk about. The NYSE even performed a test over the weekend to see if it could handle the expected intense volume.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) was down, falling 9.83 percent to $34.94 on the end of lockup period.

  Commodities
  In commodity news, oil traded up 0.44 percent to $99.92, while gold traded down 0.12 percent to $1,307.70.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2015: Bayer AG (BAYRY)

Bayer AG is a management holding company. The Company�� business operations are organized into three subgroups: HealthCare, CropScience and MaterialScience, supported by the service companies Bayer Business Services, Bayer Technology Services and Currenta. Bayer HealthCare is involved in the research, development and manufacture of health products for people and animals. Bayer CropScience is engaged in the crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. Bayer MaterialScience supplies polymers, and develops solution for a range of applications. In November 2009, Bayer MaterialScience acquired the polymer coatings business from Lombard Medical Technologies PLC. On November 2, 2009, it acquired Athenix Corporation. On October 1, 2009, it acquired two dermatology product lines from SkinMedica, Inc., Carlsbad, California, United States. On June 25, 2009, it acquired the remaining 10% interest in Bayer Polymers (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., China. In May 2009, it acquired the remaining 49% interest in Berlimed, s.a., Spain, from Juste s.a. Quimica Farmac茅utica (Juste), and in return sold its 51% interest of Justesa Imagen, s.a., Spain, to Juste. In May 2009, it also sold the Thermoplastics Testing Center, Krefeld, Germany, to Underwriters Laboratories Inc. In March 2010, the Company announced that its Bayer MaterialScience LLC has acquired Artificial Muscle, Inc, a company active in electroactive polymers for the consumer electronics industry.

Bayer HealthCare

The Company researches, develops, manufactures pharmaceutical and medical products. Bayer HealthCare operates in four operating divisions: Animal Health, which is engaged in manufacture of veterinary medicines and grooming products; Bayer Schering Pharma, which is engaged in manufacture of prescription medicines; Consumer Care, which is engaged in the manufacture of over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements, and Medical Care, which is engaged in manufacture of blood glucose monitoring devices and contrast agent injecti! on systems. Its products for farm animals include Baytril. Its products for companion animals include Advantage/Advantix and Baytril. Its drug discovery in the pharmaceuticals segment focuses on the areas of cardiology, oncology,

women�� healthcare and diagnostic imaging.

Bayer CropScience

CropScience maintains a global network of research and development facilities. In the Crop Protection segment it identifies and develops safe and economically sustainable insecticides, fungicides and herbicides and carries its research projects in areas, such as plant health or stress tolerance. As of December 31, 2009, its active ingredient pipeline of Crop Protection contained 20 development projects, of which 10 was at an advanced stage and 10 at an early stage of development, and an additional 45 projects was undergoing early-stage research. Its operations are structured into six business operations units: four regional Crop Protection units plus the Environmental Science and BioScience units. Its insecticides include Confidor/ Admire, Calypso, Decis, Temik and Oberon. Its fungicides include Antracol, Fandango, Flint/Stratego/Sphere/Twist, Folicur and Previcur Energy. Its herbicides include Atlantis, Basta, Betanal, Fenikan, Hoestar, Husar, MaisTer, Puma. Its seed treatment products include Bariton, Gaucho, Lamarador, Poncho and Raxil.

Bayer MaterialScience

The Company supplies materials, such as polycarbonates and polyurethanes and system solutions for a range of everyday uses. It operates in three business units: Polyurethanes, Polycarbonates, and Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties. Its Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties producst include Desmodur, Bayhydur, Dispercoll and Artwalk. Its Polycarbonates include Makrolon, Makrofol / Bayfol, Fantasia and Bayblend. Its Polyurethanes include Multitec, Baydur, Bayflex, Baypreg and Vulkollan. Its Thermoplastic Polyurethanes include Desmopan / Texin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  If investors want to find the best German stocks, they should look for the most global firms. Take Bayer (NASDAQOTH: BAYRY  ) , for example. The German chemical and pharmaceutical maker has pivoted toward globalization in order to counteract Europe's crunch, which has slammed hospital budgets and health care spending. Bayer recently picked up a majority stake in California-based birth-control maker Conceptus -- a buy that capitalizes on Bayer's own birth control business -- and the firm's North American business has surged recently, posting a 17% revenue gain in 2012. Meanwhile, Bayer's European sales flattened last year. Geographic diversity will win the day for Germany's top stocks, and Bayer's shares have pulled in double-digit gains year-to-date.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2015: Euronet Worldwide Inc.(EEFT)

Euronet Worldwide, Inc. provides payment and transaction processing and distribution solutions to financial institutions, retailers, service providers, and individual consumers. The company operates in three segments: EFT Processing, epay, and Money Transfer. The EFT Processing segment provides electronic payment solutions consisting of automated teller machine (ATM) network participation, outsourced ATM and point-of-sale (POS) management solutions, credit and debit card outsourcing, card issuing, and merchant acquiring services; advertising, customer relationship management, currency conversion, mobile top-up, bill payment, fraud management, and foreign remittance payout services; and integrated software solutions for electronic payments and transaction delivery systems. As of December 31, 2011, it processed transactions for a network of 14,224 ATMs and approximately 57,000 POS terminals in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. The epay segment engages in the ele ctronic distribution of prepaid mobile airtime and other electronic payment products, and provides collection services for various payment products, cards, and services. This segment operates a network of approximately 615,000 POS terminals to enable electronic processing of prepaid mobile airtime top-up services and other electronic payment products in Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, North America, and South America, as well as distributes vouchers and physical gifts in Europe. The Money Transfer segment provides consumer-to-consumer money transfer services through a network of sending agents and company-owned stores in North America and Europe; customers bill payment services; payment alternatives, such as money orders and prepaid debit cards; check cashing services for various issued checks; and foreign currency exchange services. The company serves customers in approximately 150 countries worldwide. Euronet Worldwide, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquarte red in Leawood, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap money transfer stock Euronet Worldwide, Inc (NASDAQ: EEFT) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc (NYSE: WMT) have announced an exclusive money transfer service called "Walmart-2-Walmart,��meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of peers like Moneygram International Inc (NASDAQ: MGI), Xoom Corp (NASDAQ: XOOM) and The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) which fell 17.68%, 4.32% and 4.98%, respectively.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2015: Sonic Corp.(SONC)

Sonic Corp. operates and franchises a chain of quick-service drive-in restaurants in the United States. As of October 03, 2011, the company operated and franchised approximately 3,500 drive-ins. It also leases signs and real estate. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Sonic (SONC) �shares advanced 5.2% to $22.01 on moderate volume after the company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of 7 cents a share on revenue of $109.7 million. Analysts had expected 6 cents a share on revenue of $110.3 million.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC) shares surged 7.53% to $29.13 in pre-market trading after the company announced upbeat results for its first fiscal quarter.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2016

Top 10 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2016: BP p.l.c.(BP)

BP p.l.c. provides fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services, and petrochemicals products. Its Exploration and Production segment engages in the oil and natural gas exploration, field development, and production; midstream transportation, and storage and processing; and marketing and trading of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and power and natural gas liquids (NGL). This segment has exploration and production activities in Angola, Azerbaijan, Canada, Egypt, Norway, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as in Asia, Australasia, South America, North Africa, and the Middle East. This segment also owns and manages crude oil and natural gas pipelines; processing facilities and export terminals; and LNG processing and transportation, as well as NGL extraction facilities. BP p.l.c. has interests in the Trans-Alaska pipeline system, the Forties pipeline system, the Central Area transmission sys tem pipeline, the South Caucasus Pipeline, and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, as well as in LNG plants located in Trinidad, Indonesia, and Australia. The company?s Refining and Marketing segment involves in the supply and trading, refining, manufacturing, marketing, and transportation of crude oil, petroleum, and petrochemicals products and related services to wholesale and retail customers primarily under the BP, Castrol, ARCO, and Aral brands. Its Other Businesses and Corporate segment produces and markets rolled aluminum products, as well as generates energy through wind, solar, biofuels, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage sources; and engages in shipping activities. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mark Rogers]

  Today I'm looking at the earnings per share (EPS) forecasts forBP (LSE: BP  ) (NYSE: BP  ) , the FTSE 100 oil gi! ant. All my figures are courtesy of S&P Capital IQ.

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Part of what keeps the world of energy interesting is that new oil and gas discoveries are constantly being made. Most recently, London-based oil giant BP (NYSE: BP  ) and its joint venture partners announced what could be a major new gas discovery off the eastern coast of India. Let's take a closer look.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-warren-buffett-companies-to-buy-for-2016.html

Best Oil Companies To Invest In 2015

Independent natural gas producer Cabot Oil & Gas (NYSE: COG  ) announced yesterday it would split its stock 2-for-1 that would be issued to shareholders in the form of a stock dividend. The board of directors said the�additional shares will be distributed on�August 14�to shareholders of record on�August 6.

The board also announced�its second-quarter dividend of $0.02 per share pre-split would be doubled to $0.04 per share. The quarterly payout�will be paid on�August 23�to shareholders of record as of the close of business on�August 6.

Now that the stock will have approximately 422 million shares outstanding after the split ,which will increase its liquidity,�Cabot Chairman, President, and CEO�Dan O. Dinges said, "The Board's decision to double the dividend was due to the Company's long-term prospects for free cash flow generation."��

The regular dividend payment equates to a $0.16-per-share annual dividend, pre-split, yielding 0.2% based on the closing price today of Cabot Oil & Gas's stock.

Best Biotech Stocks For 2016: EV Energy Partners LP (EVEP)

EV Energy Partners, L.P. (the Partnership) is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's properties were located in the Barnett Shale, the Appalachian Basin (which includes the Utica Shale), the Mid Continent areas in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana, the San Juan Basin, the Monroe Field in Northern Louisiana, the Permian Basin, Central and East Texas (which includes the Austin Chalk area), and Michigan. On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Mid Continent area. On December 1, 2011, the Company along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Barnett Shale. It acquired a 31.02% proportional interest in these properties. On December 20, 2011, the Company, along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, acquired additional oil and natural gas properties in the Barnett Shale. It acquired a 31.63% proportional interest in these properties. On February 7, 2012, the Company along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, had a second closing on the oil and natural gas properties, and acquired a 31.63% proportional interest in these properties.

Barnett Shale

The Barnett Shale properties are located in Denton, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties in Northern Texas. Its portion of the estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, was 647.4 one billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), 72% of which is natural gas. During 2011, the Company drilled 35 wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 100% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and the Company owns an average 29% working interest in 976 gross productive wells.

Appalachian Basin

The Company�� activities are concentrated in the Ohio and West Virginia areas of the Appalachian Basin. Its Ohio area properties are producing from the Knox and Clinton f! ormations and other Devonian age sands in 41 counties in Eastern Ohio and 11 counties in Western Pennsylvania. Its West Virginia area properties are producing from the Balltown, Benson and Big Injun formations in 23 counties in North Central West Virginia. Its estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 126.4 Bcfe, 76% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled 33 grosswells, 26 of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 92% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 41% working interest in 8,670 gross productive wells.

Mid-Continent Area

The properties are located in 47 counties in Oklahoma, 17 counties in Texas, four parishes in North Louisiana, one county in Kansas and six counties in Arkansas. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 81.2 Bcfe, 63% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled 82 wells, all of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 33% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 12% working interest in 1,864 gross productive wells.

San Juan Basin

The properties are located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico and La Plata County in Colorado. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, 68.6 Bcfe, 59% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled two wells, one of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 94% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 71% working interest in 227 gross productive wells.

Monroe Field

The properties are located in two parishes in Northeast Louisiana. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 60.9 Bcfe, 100% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled one well, which was completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 100% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 100% working i! nterest i! n 3,930 gross productive wells.

Permian Basin

The properties are located in the Yates, Seven Rivers, Queen, Morrow, Clear Fork and Wichita Albany formations in four counties in New Mexico and Texas. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 54.1Bcfe, 37% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it did not drill any wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 99% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 93% working interest in 160 gross productive wells.

Central and East Texas

The properties produce primarily from the Austin Chalk formation and are located in 30 counties in Central and East Texas. Its portion of the estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011 was 60.9 Bcfe, 46% of which is natural gas. During 2011, the Company drilled 16 gross wells, 15 of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 93% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 12% working interest in 1,829 gross productive wells.

Michigan

The properties are located in the Antrim Shale reservoir in Otsego and Montmorency counties in northern Michigan. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 44.9 Bcfe, 100% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it did not drill any wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 99% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it has an average 84% working interest in 370 gross productive wells.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Investors in oil and gas MLP EV Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) have endured a very rough year. The company's units have been cut by nearly a third since the year started. With units now trading at a much lower price, let's look at three reasons why you might want to add these units to your portfolio.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  2013 Performance of Alerian MLP Index versus the S&P 500 Index

  While the average MLP investor was probably happy with 2013’s performance, there was of course a wide variation of performance in the MLP world. Among the conventional midstream and upstream MLPs, performance ranged from American Midstream Partners (NYSE: AMID) — the best performing midstream MLP with a gain of 98.5 percent in 2013 — down to the upstream MLP EV Energy Partners (Nasdaq: EVEP), which lost 40 percent for the year.
  
  
  

  2013 Performance of American Midstream Partners versus EV Energy Partners

• [By Robert Rapier]

  VNR is one of 14 companies/partnerships that are categorized as exploration and production, or ��pstream.��Other notable entries in this category include BreitBurn Energy Partners (Nasdaq: BBEP), Linn Energy (Nasdaq: LINE), Memorial Production Partners (Nasdaq: MEMP), QR Energy (NYSE: QRE), Legacy Reserves (Nasdaq: LGCY), EV Energy Partners (Nasdaq: EVEP), and Mid-Con Energy Partners (Nasdaq: MCEP).

• [By Imperiya]

  Over the past few years, government bonds have produced almost zero income for investors. This has led to many people searching high and low for income opportunities. High-yield bonds (though recently falling out of favor) and dividend factories have benefited greatly from this search. MLPs fall into this category, as distribution yields have grown. One such MLP, EV Energy Partners (EVEP), is currently yielding over 8%, which is why it landed high on the list of stock screens. After careful analysis, it is easy to realize there is more to this company than a great yield can tell us.

Best Oil Companies To Invest In 2015: Transocean Ltd (RIGN)

Transocean Ltd. (Transocean) is an international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The Company operates in two segments: contract drilling services and drilling management services. Contract drilling services, the Company�� primary business, involves contracting its mobile offshore drilling fleet, related equipment and work crews primarily on a dayrate basis to drill oil and gas wells. Its drilling management services segment provides oil and gas drilling management services on either a dayrate basis or a completed-project, fixed-price (or turnkey) basis, as well as drilling engineering and drilling project management services. As of February 14, 2012, it owned or had partial ownership interests in and operated 134 mobile offshore drilling units. On October 4, 2011, the Company acquired Aker Drilling ASA (Aker Drilling). In February 2011, it sold the subsidiary that owns the High-Specification Jackup Trident 20.

During the year ended December 31, 2011 (during 2011), the Company completed the sale of its 50% ownership interest in ODL to Siem Offshore Inc. In October 2011, the Company completed the sale of Challenger Minerals (North Sea) Limited. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fleet consisted of 50 High-Specification Floaters (Ultra-Deepwater, Deepwater and Harsh Environment semisubmersibles and drillships), 25 Midwater Floaters, nine High-Specification Jackups, 49 Standard Jackups and one swamp barge. In addition, it had two Ultra-Deepwater Floaters and four High-Specification Jackups under construction.

Drilling Fleet

The Company engaged in both types of drilling activity: floaters, including drillships and semisubmersibles, and jackups. Also included in its fleet is a swamp barge drilling unit. It categorized the drilling units of its fleet as High-Specification Floaters, consisting of its Ultra-Deepwater Floaters, Deepwater Floaters and Harsh Environment Floaters, Midwater Floaters, High-Specification Jackups, St! andard Jackups and a swamp barge. High-Specification Floaters are specialized offshore drilling units that it categorize into three sub-classifications based on their capabilities. Ultra-Deepwater Floaters are equipped with mud pumps and are capable of drilling in water depths of 7,500 feet or greater. Deepwater Floaters are generally those other semisubmersible rigs and drillships capable of drilling in water depths between 7,500 and 4,500 feet. Harsh Environment Floaters are capable of drilling in harsh environments in water depths between 10,000 and 1,500 feet and have displacement, which offers variable load capacity, more useable deck space and motion characteristics. Midwater Floaters are generally consists of those non-high-specification semisubmersibles that have a water depth capacity of less than 4,500 feet.

As of February 14, 2012, the Company�� fleet was located in the Far East (27 units), Middle East (16 units), West African countries other than Nigeria and Angola (14 units), United States Gulf of Mexico (13 units), United Kingdom North Sea (12 units), India (12 units), Brazil (10 units), Nigeria (10 units), Norway (eight units), Angola (four units), Australia (three units), the Mediterranean (two units), Canada (two units), and Romania (one unit).

Contract Drilling Services

The Company specializes in offshore drilling business with a particular focus on deepwater and harsh environment drilling services. Its contract drilling operations are geographically dispersed in oil and gas exploration and development areas throughout the world.

Drilling Management Services

The Company provides drilling management services primarily on a turnkey basis through Applied Drilling Technology Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary, which primarily operates in the United States Gulf of Mexico, and through ADT International, a division of one of its United Kingdom subsidiaries, which primarily operates in the North Sea (together, ADTI). As part o! f its tur! nkey drilling services, the Company provides planning, engineering and management services. Under turnkey arrangements, it designs and executes of a well and delivers a logged or cased hole to an agreed depth. In addition to turnkey drilling services, Transocean participates in project management operations that include providing certain planning, management and engineering services, purchasing equipment and providing personnel and other logistical services to customers.

Integrated Services

Transocean provides well and logistics services in addition to its normal drilling services through third party contractors and the Company�� employees. These other services include integrated services. As of February 10, 2011, it was performing such services in India.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Nestle, which makes up 21 percent of the benchmark Swiss Market Index by weight, slid 2.6 percent after reporting the slowest first-half revenue growth in four years. Adecco SA jumped to a two-year high as the biggest provider of temporary workers posted income that exceeded projections. Transocean Ltd. (RIGN), the largest offshore-rig contractor, added 1.1 percent after posting a second-quarter profit.

Best Oil Companies To Invest In 2015: Target Energy Ltd (TEXQY)

Target Energy Limited is an Australia-based company engaged in the development, production and exploration of oil and gas in the United States of America. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, the Company continued to develop and explore its oil and gas prospects in Texas and Louisiana. The Snapper wells in St Martin Parish, the Pine Pasture #1 and #2 wells in the East Chalkley field, the Merta #1 well at the Highway 71 prospect continued to produce. The Merta #1 well at the Highway 71 prospect continued to produce. Drilling commenced in the Fairway project on September 10, 2011, with the BOA 12 #1 well being completed as a producer. On August 12, 2012, the Darwin #1 well was drilled to a total depth of 3,070 meter. It is located three kilometer north-east of the BOA wells and will test both the Wolfberry and Fusselman formations. The Company�� subsidiaries include TELA (USA) Inc, TELA Louisiana Limited Inc, TELA Texas Holdings Limited Inc and Target Energy Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Target Energy Limited (OTCQX:TEXQY, ASX:TEX) (http://targetenergy.com.au/) is an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and trading under ticker “TEX” and OTC Markets trading under ticker “TEXQY”.

  Today�(July 10), Target Energy Limited ticker (OTCQX:TEXQY) had remained (0.00%) +0.000 at $6.48 thus far (ref. google finance 12:34PM EDT�July 10, 2013), and Target Energy Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange ticker (ASX:TEX) had surged (+9.68%) +0.006 at $.068 with�106,557 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance July 10, 2013 – Close).

  Target Energy Limited previously reported that the company is continuing drilling operations at the Pine Pasture #3 oil well on their East Chalkey Oil Field in Parish, Louisiana. The Company had independent studies which indicated that put upside recoverable reserves for Pine Pasture #3 range between 250,000 and 450,000 barrels of oil. In addition, the report also revealed that the East Chalkey Field has an upside estimate of 4 million barrels of oil.

• [By CRWE]

  Target Energy Limited (OTCQX:TEXQY, ASX:TEX) (http://targetenergy.com.au/) is an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and trading under ticker “TEX” and OTC Markets trading under ticker “TEXQY”.

  Today (June 27), Target Energy Limited ticker (OTCQX:TEXQY) has remained (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.00 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:�9:32AM EDT June 27, 2013 – Close), and Target Energy Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange ticker (ASX:TEX) �surged�(+4.92%)+0.003 at $.064 with 230,000 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance June 27, 2013 – Close).

  Target Energy Limited previously reported that the company is continuing drilling operations at the Pine Pasture #3 oil well on their East Chalkey Oil Field in Parish, Louisiana. The Company had independent studies which indicated that put upside recoverable reserves for Pine Pasture #3 range between 250,000 and 450,000 barrels of oil. In addition, the report also revealed that the East Chalkey Field has an upside estimate of 4 million barrels of oil.

• [By CRWE]

  Target Energy Limited (OTCQX:TEXQY, ASX:TEX) (http://targetenergy.com.au/)�is an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and trading under ticker “TEX” and OTC Markets�trading under�ticker “TEXQY”.

  Today (June 19), Target Energy Limited ticker (OTCQX:TEXQY)��has remained�(0.00%) +0.000 at $7.90 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 3:45PM EDT June 19, 2013), and Target Energy Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange ticker (ASX:TEX) remained�(0.00%) +0.000 at $.065 (ref. google finance June 17, 2013 – Close).

  Target Energy Limited�previously reported that the company is continuing drilling operations at the Pine Pasture #3 oil well on their East Chalkey Oil Field in Parish, Louisiana. The Company had independent studies which indicated that put upside recoverable reserves for Pine Pasture #3 range between 250,000 and 450,000 barrels of oil. In addition, the report also revealed that the East Chalkey Field has an upside estimate of 4 million barrels of oil.

Best Oil Companies To Invest In 2015: CAMAC Energy Inc (CAK)

CAMAC Energy Inc. (CAMAC), incorporated on December 12, 1979, is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on energy resources in Africa. Its asset portfolio consists of nine production and exploration licenses in four countries covering an area of 43,000 square kilometers (approximately 10 million acres), including existing production and other projects offshore Nigeria, as well as exploration licenses with hydrocarbon potential onshore and offshore Kenya, offshore Gambia, and offshore Ghana.

Nigeria

The Company owns 100% of the economic interests under a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and related assets, contracts and rights pertaining to those certain Oil Mining Leases 120 and 121 (OMLs 120 and 121) including the producing Oyo Field which is located in deep-water (200-500 meters) approximately 75 kilometers (46 miles) offshore Nigeria. In September 2013, drilling operations commenced on the Oyo-7 well in OML 120. In October 2013, the preliminary results from the Oyo-7 well were announced. Based on logging while drilling (LWD) data, the well encountered gross oil pay of 133 feet (net oil pay of 115 feet) and gross gas pay of 103 feet (net gas pay of 93 feet) in the gas cap from the producing Pliocene reservoir, with reservoir. The top of the reservoir was penetrated at 5,564 feet.

Kenya

The Kenya PSCs for blocks L1B and L16 each provide for an initial exploration period of two years with specified minimum work obligations during that period. The Company conducts, for each block, a gravity and magnetic survey and acquire, process and interpret two dimensional (2D) seismic data. The gravity and magnetic survey on blocks L1B and L16 was completed in April 2013. The Company has the right to apply for up to two additional two-year exploration periods with specified additional minimum work obligations, including the acquisition of three dimensional (3D) seismic data and the drilling of one exploratory well on each block du! ring each such additional period. In December 2013, the Company initiated an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study in blocks L1B and L16 in order to obtain the license to carry out a 2D seismic survey.

The Kenya PSCs for blocks L27 and L28 each provide for an initial exploration period of three years with specified minimum work obligations during that period. The Company conducts, for each block, a regional geological and geophysical study, acquire 2D seismic data and acquire, process and interpret 3D seismic data. The Company has the right to apply for up to two additional two-year exploration periods with specified additional minimum work obligations, including the drilling of one exploratory well on each block, during each such additional period. CAMAC is participating in a multi-client combined gravity / magnetic and 2D seismic survey which is underway in blocks L27 and L28.

The Gambia

The Gambia Licenses for both blocks provide for an initial exploration period of four years with specified minimum work obligations during that period. The Company conducts, for each block, a regional geological study, acquire process and interpret 750 square kilometers of 3D seismic data, drill one exploration well to the total depth of 5,000 meters below mean sea level and evaluate drilling results. The Company has the right to apply for up to two additional two-year exploration periods with specified additional minimum work obligations, including the drilling of one exploration well during each additional period for each block.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  But, we'll take a look at CAMAC Energy Inc (NYSEMKT:CAK).� Since the odds are you haven't heard of CAK, the company is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on energy resources in Africa. Its asset portfolio consists of nine production and exploration licenses in four countries covering an area of 43,000 square kilometers (approximately 10 million acres), including existing production and other projects offshore Nigeria, as well as exploration licenses with hydrocarbon potential onshore and offshore Kenya, offshore Gambia, and offshore Ghana.

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2016

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2016: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulati! ng-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is base d in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean O'Reilly]

  O'Reilly: Sorry to interrupt, but a lot of companies have come out -- not to knock another tech firm, but IBM  (NYSE: IBM  ) obviously had that $20 earnings per share by, was it 2015?

• [By Anders Bylund]

  In general, stock splits and their reverse siblings normally don't affect your dividend payouts at all. For a real-world example of what I mean, let's look at IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) .

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The promise of an easy Fed sure has investors excited. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 421.28 points, or 2.4%, to 17.778.15 today, while the S&P 500 rose 2.4% to 4,748.40. Every stock in the Dow finished up today, with Microsoft (MSFT) and International Business Machines (IBM) and Goldman Sachs (GS) leading the way. Perhaps more frightening: By my count, just 21 S&P 500 stocks finished in the red today, as Oracle (ORCL) and First Solar (FSLR) led the benchmark higher.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Can Big Blue equal big green?
  Few companies can claim as steady a rise throughout history than IT infrastructure and software developer IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) . But since the beginning of October, Big Blue's shareholders can't bury their heads under the covers quick enough.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-blue-chip-companies-to-buy-for-2016.html

Best Low Price Companies To Watch For 2015

Last August, StreetAuthority analyst Nathan Slaughter made a bold prediction.

At the time, the price of natural gas had reached decade-low prices just a few months before, falling below $2 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in April of 2012.

Nathan predicted that natural gas was due for a rebound. He also spotted a huge disconnect between the rising price of natural gas and the share prices of the companies that produce it.

Since June 2012, the price of natural gas has doubled, reaching $4.40 in April before tapering off.

Now, if we were to take a look at the share price for the stock of a "pure play" natural gas company (as opposed to one that produces a combination of gas and oil), we might expect the share price to mirror the price of gas. After all, the spread between how much it costs for these companies to drill for gas and how much they are able to sell it for on the open market is how they make money.

Top European Companies To Own In Right Now: ING Risk Managed Natural Resources Fund (IRR)

ING Risk Managed Natural Resources Fund the (Fund) is a non- diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is total return through a combination of current income, capital gains and capital appreciation. The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing in a portfolio of equity securities of companies in the energy and natural resources industries. ING Investments, LLC is the Fund�� investment adviser.

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its managed assets in the equity securities of, or derivatives linked to the equity securities of companies that are primarily engaged in owning or developing energy, other natural resources and basic materials, or supplying goods and services to such companies (Natural Resources Companies). Equity securities held by the Fund could include common stocks, preferred shares, convertible securities, warrants and depository receipts.

The Fund�� top 10 holdings include ExxonMobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, Schlumberger Ltd., Occidental Petroleum Corp., Marathon Oil Corp., Valero Energy Corp., Hess Corp., XTO Energy, Inc. and EI DuPont de Nemours & Co.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Value Digger]

  Manitok's total cost per Well (Drill, Case, Complete, Equip & Tie) is about $5.5 million. With average reserves per well ranging from 300 to 850 MMboe, the average payout is about 1.5 years and the peak Internal Rate of Return (IRR) reaches even 150% in some of the most productive properties of the company. Considering the company's balanced production mix, the average operating netback for 2013 is strong and hovers at approximately $33/boe.

Best Low Price Companies To Watch For 2015: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc (BFAM)

Bright Horizons Family Solution Inc., incorporated on May 9, 2008, provider of child care and early education services, as well as other services designed to help employers and families better address the challenges of work and life. The Company provides services primarily under multi-year contracts with employers who offer child care and other dependent care solutions as part of their employee benefits packages to improve employee engagement, productivity, recruitment and retention. The Company�� service offerings include Center-based full service child care and early education; back-up dependent care, and educational advisory services. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated a total of 773 child care and early education centers across a range of customer industries with the capacity to serve approximately 87,400 children in the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada and India. In April 2013, it announced the acquisition of kidsunlimited, operator of nurseries throughout England and Scotland.

The Company�� curriculum adapts to the changing needs, interests, and abilities of each child in its care. The Company�� Great Places for Babies program provides a caring, welcoming environment where baby can grow from a bundle of joy to a bundle of curiosity. The Company develops a personal care plan for each infant based on his or her schedule, nutritional guidelines, and any other special attention he/she requires. The Company�� Growing World of Toddlers program uses hands-on exploration and social interaction in safe, engaging surroundings to help the child learn about his or her world. The Company�� back-up dependent care programs provide employees with a safety net for those days when regular arrangements fall through.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Watertown, Mass.-based Bright Horizons Family Solutions (NYSE: BFAM  ) , the international employer-sponsored child care and education company, is expanding its business in one country in particular this week. On Thursday, Bright Horizons announced that it has acquired Britain's kidsunlimited, operator of 64 nurseries in England and Scotland.

Best Low Price Companies To Watch For 2015: James Hardie Industries SE (JHX)

James Hardie Industries plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells fiber cement products and systems for interior and exterior building construction applications primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Europe. Its products principally include fiber cement interior linings, exterior siding products, and related accessories products. The company offers fiber cement products with various patterned profiles and surface finishes for a range of applications, including external siding and soffit lining, internal linings, facades, floor and tile underlay, lattice, fencing, decorative columns, flooring, and ceiling applications; and manufactures and sells fiber reinforced concrete pipes. Its products are used in various markets, such as new residential construction, which include single and multi-family housing; manufactured housing that comprise mobile and pre-fabricated homes; repair and remodeling; and various commerc ial and industrial applications, such as stores, warehouses, offices, hotels, motels, schools, libraries, museums, dormitories, hospitals, detention facilities, religious buildings, and gymnasiums. The company markets its fiber cement products and systems under various Hardie brand names, such as HardieBacker; and other brand names, such as Artisan Lap and Artisan Accent Trim by James Hardie, Cemplank and Prevail siding, Scyon, and Stria siding. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors, large home center retailers, small to medium size dealer outlets, and specialist distributors to dealers or lumber yards, consumers, builders, real estate developers, and distributor/hardware stores. James Hardie Industries plc was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Dublin, the Republic of Ireland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ian Sayson]

  Exporters dropped. Samsung Electronics slipped 2.9 percent to 1.329 million won in Seoul. Canon Inc., the world�� biggest camera maker, fell 1.1 percent to 3,215 yen in Tokyo. James Hardie Industries SE (JHX), a building materials supplier that gets about 70 percent of sales from the U.S., tumbled 2.8 percent to A$9.37 in Sydney.

Best Low Price Companies To Watch For 2015: CannaVEST Corp (CANV)

CannaVEST Corp., formerly Foreclosure Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 9, 2010, is engaged in the business of developing, producing, marketing and selling end consumer products to the nutriceutical industry containing the hemp plant extract, Cannabidoil (CBD). The Company produces raw ingredients for neutraceutical markets. This substance can be used with foods and nutritional supplements for consumer health and wellness benefits, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. On March 4, 2013, the Company acquired KannaLife Sciences, Inc. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of PhytoSPHERE Systems, LLC (PhytoSPHERE). It also secured the license to the name PhytoSPHERE and PhytoSPHERE Systems for use in the development and commercialization of hemp-based products.

The Company focuses to develop applicable raw ingredients, and provide raw ingredients for the production and development of multiple existing and developing product applications. Its focus is to produce, market and distribute hemp-based consumer products, as well as acquire existing businesses involved in the industrial hemp industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Burrows]

  But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Redrow PLC (RDW)

Redrow PLC is a United Kingdom-based company engaged in residential development, which includes mixed use development. The Company's operations are primarily focused on house building. Its completed projects include Signature, In the City/Regeneration and Debut. The Company's land holdings consist of both a current and forward land bank. As of June 30, 2010, the current land bank consisted of 11,600 plots owned with planning and 1,570 contracted plots, and its forward lank bank stood at around 22,000 plots. Its subsidiaries include Redrow Homes (Scotland) Ltd, Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd, Redrow Homes (Lancashire) Ltd, Redrow plc & Redrow Homes (NW) Ltd, Redrow Homes (Midlands) Ltd, Redrow Homes (South Midlands) Ltd, Redrow Homes (South West) Ltd, Redrow Homes (South Wales) Ltd and Redrow Homes (Eastern) Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Redrow Plc (RDW) rallied 3.2 percent to 245.6 pence as Deutsche Bank AG increased its 12-month share-price estimate and profit forecasts for 2013 and 2014. The U.K. builder yesterday jumped the most in five months after saying pretax profit for the year ended June will beat analysts' estimates.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-clean-energy-stocks-to-watch-right-now-3.html

Best Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Best Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Advantest Corp (ATE)

Advantest Corporation, incorporated in December 1954, is a part of Advantest group. The Company operates in three segments: semiconductor and component test system segment; mechatronics system segment, focusing on peripheral devices including test handlers and device interfaces, and services, support and others segment. The semiconductor and component test system segment provides customers with test system products for the semiconductor industry and the electronic component industry. The mechatronics system segment focuses on peripheral devices to the semiconductor and component test systems. The services, support and others segment consists of comprehensive customer solutions provided in connection with the semiconductor and component test system and mechatronics system segments, support services and an equipment lease business.

Semiconductor and Component Test Systems Segment

Semiconductor and component test systems are used during the semicond uctor and electronic component manufacturing process to confirm that a semiconductor functions properly. Semiconductor and component test systems consist of test systems for memory semiconductors and test systems for non memory semiconductors. Advantest's test systems for memory semiconductors are test systems designed to test high-speed/high performance dynamic random access memory (DRAM) semiconductors used in equipment such as personal computers and servers, as well as flash memory semiconductors used in digital consumer products.

Test systems for memory semiconductors consist of a mainframe and one or more test heads. During testing, a device interface is attached to the test head. During the front-end testing process, wafers are loaded by a prober and are connected to the test system for memory semiconductors through the device interfac! e. Electric signals between the die and the test systems for memory semiconductors are transmitted through probe pins lo cated in the device interface and tested. After front-end te! sting is completed, the wafer is diced into separate dies and properly functioning dies are packaged. During back-end testing, test handlers are used to load these packaged devices onto the test heads, and electric signals are transmitted between the devices and the test heads via the device interface and tested. The test results are analyzed by the test systems for memory semiconductors' hardware circuits and software programs. Customized software programs for each semiconductor are required to analyze the semiconductor tests and test data.

Advantest's main product lines of test systems for memory semiconductors are the T5500 series, the T5300 series and the T5700 series. The T5593 is a test system targeted at the market for high speed memory semiconductors, such as DDR2- Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) and Synchronous Graphics Random Access Memory (SGRAM). The T5383 is a multi-functional test system for memory semiconductors that reduces testing costs for semiconductor manufacturers. Advantest's main line of test systems for non memory semiconductors relates to test systems for SoC semiconductors, test systems for liquid crystal display (LCD) driver integrated circuits and test systems for semiconductors used in car electronics. The T6577 test systems for SoC semiconductors in the T6500 series were primarily developed to test micro controller unit (MCU) and SoC semiconductors that control digital consumer products at the production lines. The T6300 series are test systems for LCD driver integrated circuits used with high-definition LCD displays. The T7721, T7722 and T7723 are test systems for non memory semiconductors for mixed signal integrated circuits. The T8571A is a test system for non memory semiconductors that is primarily used to evaluate and analyze CCDs which are image se! nsors.

Mechatronics System Segment

The Main products in the Mechatronics System Segment are test han dlers which handle semiconductor devices and automate the te! sting, an! d device interfaces which are the interfaces with devices being tested. Test handlers are used with semiconductor and component test systems to handle, condition temperature, contact and sort semiconductors and other electronic components during the back-end testing of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Advantest's test handlers are sold primarily in conjunction with the sale of its semiconductor and component test systems. The M6242 test handler for test systems for memory semiconductors, including DDR-3SDRAM, can handle up to 512 semiconductors at a time. Advantest's test handlers for non memory semiconductors, including SoC semiconductors, are the M4841, the M4741A and the M4742A, among others.

Advantest develops and manufactures device interfaces for semiconductor and component test systems and supplies device interfaces, such as high performance and high density connectors, socket boards and sockets. For test systems for memory semiconductors, Ad vantest provides motherboards capable of handling a maximum of 512 semiconductors at a time. For test systems for non memory semiconductors, Advantest provides motherboards that are compatible with a maximum of 3,072 signals. Advantest also provides motherboards designed for use in front-end testing. Advantest provides custom manufacturing of socket boards and performance boards for each device under test in accordance with customers' specifications.

Advantest provides sockets for test systems for memory semiconductors. Advantest provides low-inductance (0.4nH) sockets and fine pitch (0.4mm) sockets for semiconductors that are becoming more high-speed and more compact in size. Advantest provides carrying and contacting mechanism components compatible with each device under test for test handlers for memory semiconductors and! test han! dlers for non memory semiconductors.

Services, Support and Others Segment

In the services, support a nd others segment, Advantest has focused on maintenance serv! ices, suc! h as installation and repair of Advantest's products. It also focused on lease and rental services of its products as a part of Advantest's effort to provide customers with comprehensive solutions.

The Company competes with Teradyne, Inc., Verigy Ltd., LTX-Credence Corporation, Yokogawa Electronic Corporation, FROM30 CO., LTD., EXICON Ltd., UniTest Inc., Delta Design, Inc., Seiko Epson Corporation, Mirae Corporation, TechWing, Inc., TSE Co., Ltd. and Secron Co., Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  Nissan's done better this year than electronics maker Advantest (NYSE: ATE  ) , but this stock absolutely blew up over the past week. Advantest's shares shot higher by more than 9%, wiping out pessimism over the company's weak earnings released a few weeks ago. Advantest's net loss and operating profit both fell below its guidance, and despite this week's investor optimism, the future's murky for this company. Financial site TheStreet downgraded the stock last week, citing Advantest's falling earnings, among other issues.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-semiconductor-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Buy For 2016

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Buy For 2016: Wartsila Oyj Abp (WRT1V.HE)

Wartsila Oyj Abp is a Finland-based company. Its operations are divided into four segments: Power Plants, Ship Power, Services and PowerTech. The Power Plants segment offers multi-fuel solutions for power generation markets, such as gas power plants, dual-fuel power plants, oil power plants and liquid biofuel power plants, among others. The Ship Power segment offers a range of products and services to both shipyards and ship owners, such as medium-speed and low-speed engines, seals and bearings, automation systems, ship design and ballast water treatment systems, among others. The Services segment offers solutions, such as basic support, installation and commissioning, performance optimization and upgrades, among others. The PowerTech segment comprises research and development for medium-speed engines and other operations, with a focus on gas, environmental solutions and Smart Power Generation drives. It has operations in more than 160 locations in over 70 countries around th e world. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Wall var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(fu]

  The British company tried to strengthen its maritime engine business through a $10 billion takeover of Finland's Wärtsilä Oyj (WRT1V.HE) which rebuffed Rolls-Royce’s preliminary approach. The attempted acquisition of a company of that size surprised investors who hadn't realized expansion was on management's agenda so soon after its full takeover of Tognum, a German engineering company originally acquired in partnership with Daimler.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-industrial-conglomerate-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

How to Win With Stocks

I included the following chart as a part of a longer article two weeks ago, but I think its descriptive power is sufficiently (i.e., extremely) important to discuss on its own. It demonstrates to me one of the most important keys to successful investing.

At first glance, this may look like a lot of gobbledygook, so let me explain. The chart compares the growth of three variables since 1950: gross domestic product, corporate earnings, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) -- you could include the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) and the results would be analogous. To normalize for the difference in numbers, I converted the figures into an index, setting the year 1950 equal to 100, and controlled for inflation. By doing so, we can cleanly and meaningfully see the relationship between the figures.

So what does the chart tell us?

It illustrates the indelible correlation among GDP, corporate profits, and the Dow. To many of you, this won't be a surprise, as it makes sense that a higher GDP would result in higher corporate profits and vice versa. And taking it one step further, because stock valuations are a function of earnings (thus, the P/E ratio), the connection between corporate profits and the Dow (and thus GDP and the Dow) should be obvious as well.

Now to the interesting part: While there's a clear long-term relationship between these variables, there are also significant short-term deviations. This is particularly true when you compare the Dow's performance to GDP.

Speaking generally, there are three distinct time periods here. The first is from 1953 until 1972, when the performance of stocks outpaced GDP growth. The second is from 1973 until 1996, when stocks underperformed national output. And the third is from 1996 until the present, when, with the exception of the financial crisis and subsequent recession, stocks again outperformed GDP.

There are innumerable takeaways, but the most obvious is a sort of mean reversion. That is, when the Dow has either under- or overperformed GDP, the relationship is bound to correct itself. Following the "go-go years" of the 1960s came the crash of 1973-74, recession, and stagflation, all of which exerted a downward influence on blue-chip stock prices relative to GDP. This trend reversed itself beginning with the great bull market of 1982, which lasted until the Internet and housing bubbles successively popped.

So what does this mean for investors? To me, this chart reveals the roadmap for a successful investment strategy. Assuming GDP grows at 2% to 3%, your investment portfolio could as well, simply by investing in the SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEMKT: SPY  ) ETF. Want to juice those returns? Go instead for the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT: SDY  ) , which tracks the S&P High-Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index. And in purchasing these, to control for the variations, it'd be prudent to use dollar-cost averaging -- that is, buying the same dollar amount of the index each month or year come rain or shine.

At the end of the day, it's nice to think that picking individual stocks is the best way to beat the market. But the reality is that most stock-picking strategies will lead to suboptimal performance relative to the market, if not absolute losses. Over the long run, keeping it simple is the way to win with stocks.

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Why ATMI's Earnings May Not Be So Hot

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

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

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. FCF = free cash flow. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over the past 12 months, ATMI generated $32.3 million cash while it booked net income of $46.9 million. That means it turned 7.8% of its revenue into FCF. That sounds OK. However, FCF is less than net income. Ideally, we'd like to see the opposite.

All cash is not equal
Unfortunately, the cash flow statement isn't immune from nonsense, either. That's why it pays to take a close look at the components of cash flow from operations, to make sure that the cash flows are of high quality. What does that mean? To me, it means they need to be real and replicable in the upcoming quarters, rather than being offset by continual cash outflows that don't appear on the income statement (such as major capital expenditures).

For instance, cash flow based on cash net income and adjustments for non-cash income-statement expenses (like depreciation) is generally favorable. An increase in cash flow based on stiffing your suppliers (by increasing accounts payable for the short term) or shortchanging Uncle Sam on taxes will come back to bite investors later. The same goes for decreasing accounts receivable; this is good to see, but it's ordinary in recessionary times, and you can only increase collections so much. Finally, adding stock-based compensation expense back to cash flows is questionable when a company hands out a lot of equity to employees and uses cash in later periods to buy back those shares.

So how does the cash flow at ATMI look? Take a peek at the chart below, which flags questionable cash flow sources with a red bar.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. TTM = trailing 12 months.

When I say "questionable cash flow sources," I mean items such as changes in taxes payable, tax benefits from stock options, and asset sales, among others. That's not to say that companies booking these as sources of cash flow are weak, or are engaging in any sort of wrongdoing, or that everything that comes up questionable in my graph is automatically bad news. But whenever a company is getting more than, say, 10% of its cash from operations from these dubious sources, investors ought to make sure to refer to the filings and dig in.

With questionable cash flows amounting to only 9.4% of operating cash flow, ATMI's cash flows look clean. Within the questionable cash flow figure plotted in the TTM period above, stock-based compensation and related tax benefits provided the biggest boost, at 10.0% of cash flow from operations. Overall, the biggest drag on FCF came from capital expenditures, which consumed 57.5% of cash from operations.

A Foolish final thought
Most investors don't keep tabs on their companies' cash flow. I think that's a mistake. If you take the time to read past the headlines and crack a filing now and then, you're in a much better position to spot potential trouble early. Better yet, you'll improve your odds of finding the underappreciated home-run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

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