Best Stocks For 2014: May 2014

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies To Invest In 2015

Top 5 Up And Coming Companies To Invest In 2015: Zogenix Inc (ZGNX)

Zogenix, Inc. (Zogenix), incorporated on May 11, 2006, is a pharmaceutical company commercializing and developing products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders and pain. The Companys product Sumavel DosePro offers needle-free subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan for the treatment of migraine and cluster headache in a pre-filled, single-use delivery system. Its lead product candidate, Zohydro (hydrocodone bitartrate, formerly ZX002) is a 12-hour extended-release formulation of hydrocodone without acetaminophen for the treatment of chronic pain requiring opioid therapy. It completed Phase 3 development of Zohydro in 2011. Its second DosePro investigational product candidate, Relday, is a injectable formulation of risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia. Sumavel DosePro and Zohydro are used for the treatment options available to patients and physicians in the United States. Sumavel DosePro may serve as a treatment alternative to oral and nasal triptans and offers administration when compared to traditional, needle-based sumatriptan injection. In May, 2012, it submitted a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Companys collaboration with Astellas has been terminated on March 31, 2012. Sumavel DosePro is a pre-filled, single-use disposable, needle-free drug delivery system that subcutaneously delivers 6 mg of sumatriptan in 0.5 mL of sterile liquid. Sumavel DosePro is designed to be portable, intuitive and easy-to-use. To use, the patient simply snaps off a plastic tip, flips back a lever and presses the end of the delivery system to the skin of the abdomen or thigh. Under the force of a small amount of compressed nitrogen gas, the liquid form of sumatriptan is expelled out of the device as a thin jet of medication, which pierces the skin and selectively deposits into the subcutaneous tissue.

Zogenix competes with GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca! PLC, Endo Pha rmaceuticals Holdings Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., ! Inc., Pfizer Inc., Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc., MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Alpharma Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc., King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mallinckrodt Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Owen Mumford Ltd., Ypsomed, Sandoz Inc., Bioject Inc. and Antares Pharma Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Zogenix (NASDAQ: ZGNX ) , a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to treat central nervous system disorders and pain, jumped as much as 15% after updating the status of its severe pain medication Zohydro ER in Massachusetts.
[By Monica Gerson]
Zogenix (NASDAQ: ZGNX) shares gained 9.21% to $3.32 in the pre-market session after the company won the FDA approval for Zohydro ER capsules.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARIA) soared 5.06% to $3.74 in the pre-market trading. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals is expected to report its Q3 financial results on November 6, 2013.
[By Lauren Pollock]
The Food and Drug Administration approved an extended-release version of the narcotic painkiller hydrocodone despite a recommendation by its advisory committee that the drug should be rejected because of its potential for abuse. The federal agency approved Zohydro ER from Zogenix Inc.(ZGNX), the first hydrocodone product not mixed with milder painkillers such as acetaminophen and also the first extended-release hydrocodone product. Shares rose 15% to $3.49 premarket.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-up-and-coming-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

Best Building Product Stocks For 2015

Best Building Product Stocks For 2015: U.S. Global Investors Inc.(GROW)

U.S. Global Investors, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to investment companies. It also provides its services to pooled investment vehicles. The firm manages mutual funds for its clients. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. The firm invests in value stocks to make its equity investments. It employs a fundamental and technical analysis with bottom-up and top-down analysis to make its investments. The firm typically invests in companies specializing in gold and natural resources. U.S. Global Investors, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Morgan Myrmo]
One business that is ripe for takeover is U.S. Global Investors (GROW), a micro-cap asset manager based in San Antonio, Texas. The company specializes in the management of gold, mineral, resource and high-growth emerging market mutual funds. U.S. Global fund values have been hammered over the last five years as the current economic recovery has yet to reach commodities and emerging markets.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-building-product-stocks-for-2015.html

Friday, May 30, 2014

Hot Income Companies To Invest In Right Now

Hot Income Companies To Invest In Right Now: Landauer Inc (LDR)

Landauer, Inc. (Landauer) is a provider of technical and analytical services to determine occupational and environmental radiation exposure. The Company is domestic provider of outsourced medical physics services. The Company operates in two segments: Radiation Monitoring and Medical Physics. The Company has provided radiation dosimetry services to hospitals, medical and dental offices, universities, national laboratories, nuclear facilities and other industries. Landauer's services include the manufacture of radiation detection monitors, the distribution and collection of the monitors to and from customers, and the analysis and reporting of exposure findings. In addition to providing analytical services, the Company leases or sells dosimetry detectors and reading equipment to customers. Medical physics services are provided through the Company's Global Physics Solutions, Inc. (GPS) subsidiary. In November 2011, it acquired IZI Medical Products, LLC.

In Novem ber 2009, Landauer completed the acquisition of GPS. GPS is a nationwide service provider of clinical physics support, equipment commissioning and accreditation support and imaging equipment testing. In June 2010, Landauer, through its GPS subsidiary, completed the acquisition of Upstate Medical Physics (UMP), a provider of imaging physics services in New York. In November 2009, Landauer completed the acquisition of Gammadata Matteknik AB (GDM), a Swedish provider of radon measurement services. GDM provides measurement services throughout the Scandinavian region and Europe. In October 2009, Landauer completed the acquisition of dosimetry service in Sweden, called Landauer Persondosimetri AB (PDM).

The Radiation Monitoring revenues are realized from radiation monitoring services and other services incidental to radiation dose measurement. The Company enters into agreements with customers to provide them with radiation monitoring services, for a 1! 2 month period. As part of its services, the Company provides to its custome! rs radiation detection badges, which are produced and owned by the Company. The badges are worn for a period selected by the customers (wear period), which is usually one, two, or three months in duration. At the end of the wear period, the badges are returned to the Company for analysis. The Company analyzes the badges that have been worn and provides its customers with a report indicating their radiation exposures. The Company recycles certain badge components for reuse, while also producing replacement badges on a continual basis.

The Company offers its service for measuring the dosages of x-ray, gamma radiation and other penetrating ionizing radiations, to which the wearer has been exposed, through badges, which contain optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) material, which are worn by customer personnel. This technology is marketed under the trade names Luxel+ and InLight. A component of the Company's dosimetry system is OSL crystal material. The Company's base OSL material is manufactured utilizing a process to create aluminum oxide crystals in a structure that is able to retain charged electrons following the crystal's exposure to radiation.

Landauer's InLight dosimetry system provides in-house and commercial laboratories with the ability to provide in-house radiation monitoring services using OSL technology. InLight services involve a customer acquiring or leasing dosimetry devices, as well as analytical reading equipment from the Company. The InLight system allows customers the flexibility to tailor their dosimetry needs. Landauer's operations include services for the measurement and monitoring of radon gas. The Company offers a service, which provides radon monitoring and, when necessary, remediation to purchasers of personal residences. Testing requires the customer to deploy a radon detector and return the detector to the Company's laboratories for dose determination and reporting. Th! e Company! assists with remediation services on properties where radon measurements ! exceed a ! specified threshold.

The Company competes with Mirion Technologies.

Advisors' Opinion:

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

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-income-companies-to-invest-in-right-now.html

10 Best Promising Stocks To Buy Right Now

10 Best Promising Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cree Inc.(CREE)

Cree, Inc. develops and manufactures light emitting diodes (LEDs), LED lighting, and semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications. Its LED products include blue and green LED chips that are used in various applications, including video screens, gaming displays, function indicator lights, and automotive backlighting; LED components comprising a range of packaged LED products and LED modules for lighting applications; LED lighting products, such as LED downlights, LED troffers, and LED lamps or bulbs for construction, retrofit, and renovation projects in commercial, governmental, and residential applications; and silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, which are used in the manufacture of optoelectronics, microwave, power switching, and other applications. The company also provides semiconductor materials and devices primarily based on silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and related compounds. Its power and radio frequency (RF) products include SiC-based power products comprising 600, 1,200, and 1,700-volt Schottky diodes, as well as 1,200-volt SiC metal semiconductor field-effect transistor switches that are used in power factor correction circuits for power supplies in computer servers and other applications, such as solar inverters; and RF devices, including a range of GaN high electron mobility transistors and monolithic microwave integrated circuits for military or commercial applications, as well as 10 watt and 60 watt SiC transistors and metal semiconductor field effect transistor products. The company primarily operates in China, the United States, Europe, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Cree, Inc. was formerly known as Cree Research, Inc. and changed its name in January 2000. Cree, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Durham, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Vinay Singh] !
LED specialist Cree (CREE) crashed after the company's guidance for the current quarter turned out to be weaker than expected. Cree's management is looking to capture more market for its LED products, a space where bigger players such as General Electric and Philips also operate.
[By Rich Bieglmeier]
[Related -Cree, Inc. (CREE) Q2 Earnings Preview: What To Expect?]
Cree develops and manufactures semiconductor materials and devices primarily based on silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN) and related compounds. It focuses on SiC and GaN on light emitting diode (LED) products. It develops lighting-class light emitting diode (LED) products, lighting products and semiconductor products for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications.
[By John Kell var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]
Cree Inc.(CREE) said its fiscal third-quarter earnings climbed 27% on higher sales of its lighting bulbs. Shares declined 7.4% to $53.75 premarket as the company’s outlook was mostly below views.
[By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Cree (NASDAQ: CREE) was down, falling 10.08 percent to $52.20 on Q3 results. Cree reported its Q3 earnings of $0.39 per share on revenue of $405.30 million. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.38 per share on revenue of $407.29 million.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-promising-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Top 5 Construction Material Stocks For 2015

Top 5 Construction Material Stocks For 2015: CEMEX SAB de CV (CX)

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (CEMEX), incorporated on January 20, 1931, is a global cement manufacturer with operations in North America, Europe, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Company is a holding company engaged through the operating subsidiaries in the production, distribution, marketing and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and clinker. As of December 31, 2009, the Companys cement production facilities were located in Mexico, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Egypt, the Philippines and Thailand.

The Company manufactures cement through a closely controlled chemical process, which begins with the mining and crushing of limestone and clay, and, in some instances, other raw materials. The clay and limestone are then pre-homogenized, a process which consists of combining diffe rent types of clay and limestone. The mix is typically dried, then fed into a grinder, which grinds the various materials in preparation for the kiln. The raw materials are calcined, or processed, at a very high temperature in a kiln, to produce clinker. Clinker is the intermediate product used in the manufacture of cement.

Ready-mix concrete is a combination of cement, fine and coarse aggregates, admixtures (which control properties of the concrete including plasticity, pumpability, freeze-thaw resistance, strength and setting time), and water. The Company is a supplier of aggregates primarily the crushed stone, sand and gravel, used in virtually all forms of construction.

Mexican Operations

During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Mexican operations represented approximately 21% of the Companys net sales. CEMEX Mexico is a direct subsidiary of CEMEX and is both a holding company for some of the operating companies! in Mexico a nd an operating company involved in the manufacturing and ma! rketing of cement, plaster, gypsum, groundstone and other construction materials and cement by-products in Mexico. CEMEX Mexico, indirectly, is also the holding company for the international operations. The Company owns Tolteca, Monterrey, Maya, Anahuac, Campana, Gallo, and Centenario brands in Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, the Company owned 100% of CEMEX Mexico.

The Company competes with Holcim Ltd., Sociedad Cooperativa Cruz Azul, Cementos Moctezuma, Grupo Cementos Chihuahua and Lafarge Cementos in Mexico.

U.S. Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Companys operations in the United States represented approximately 19% of the Companys net sales. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX, Inc. As of December 31, 2009, CEMEX had a cement manufacturing capacity of approximately 17.9 million tons per year in the United States operations. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 14 cement plants located in Al abama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. As of December 31, 2009, it also had 48 rails or water served active cement distribution terminals in the United States. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had 336 ready-mix concrete plants located in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington and aggregates facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

Spanish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the operations in Spain represented approximately 5% of the Companys net sales. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held approximately 99.8% of CEMEX Espana, the main operating subsidiary in Spain. The cement activities in Spain are conducted by CEMEX Espana. The ready-mix concrete activities in Spain are conducted by Hormicemex, S.A., a! subsidia! r y of CEMEX Espana, and the aggregates activities in Spain ar! e conduct! ed by Aricemex S.A., also a subsidiary of CEMEX Espana.

U.K. Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Companys operations in the United Kingdom represented approximately 8% of the Companys net sales. As of December 31, 2009, it held 100% of CEMEX Investments Limited, the holding subsidiary in the United Kingdom. The Company is a provider of building materials in the United Kingdom with vertically integrated cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and asphalt operations. It is also a provider of concrete and precast materials solutions, such as concrete blocks, concrete block paving, roof tiles, flooring systems and sleepers for rail infrastructure.

The Company competes with Lafarge, Heidelberg, Tarmac, and Aggregate Industries in the United Kingdom.

German Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the operations in the Rest of Europe consisted of the operations in Germany, France, Ireland, Poland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria and Hungary, as well as the other European assets. The Company is a provider of building materials in Germany, with vertically integrated cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and concrete products operations (consisting mainly of prefabricated concrete ceilings and walls). It maintains a network for ready-mix concrete and aggregates in Germany. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Deutschland AG, the holding subsidiary in Germany.

The Company competes with Heidelberg, Dyckerhoff, Lafarge, Holcim and Schwenk in Germany.

French Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX France Gestion (S.A.S.), the holding subsidiary in France. It is a ready-mix concrete producer and aggregate producer in France. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 239 ready-mix concrete plants in France, one maritime cement terminal located in LeHavre, on the northern ! coast of ! Franc e, 20 land distribution centers and 42 aggregates quarries.

The Company competes with Lafarge, Holcim, Italcementi, Vicat, Lafarge, Italcementi, Colas (Bouygues) and Eurovia (Vinci) in France.

Irish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held approximately 61.2% of Readymix Plc, the operating subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland. The operations in Ireland produce and supply sand, stone and gravel, as well as ready-mix concrete, mortar and concrete blocks. As of December 31, 2009, we operated 43 ready-mix concrete plants, 27 aggregates quarries and 15 block plants located in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. The Company imports and distributes cement in the Isle of Man.

The Company competes with CRH, the Lagan Group and Kilsaran in the Republic of Ireland.

Polish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Polska Sp. z.o.o. (CEMEX Polska), the holding subsidiary in Poland. It is a provider of building mat erials in Poland serving the cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates markets. As of December 31, 2009, CEMEX operated two cement plants and one grinding mill in Poland, with a total installed cement capacity of three million tons per year. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated 39 ready-mix concrete plants and nine aggregates quarries in Poland. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated 10 land distribution centers and two maritime terminals in Poland.

The Company competes with Heidelberg, Lafarge, CRH and Dyckerhoff in Poland.

Southeast European Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Hrvatska d.d. (Hrvatska), the operating subsidiary in Croatia. As of December 31, 2009, it operated three cement plants in Croatia, with an installed capacity of 2.4 million tons per year. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated ten land distribution centers, three marit! ime cemen! t terminals, e ight ready-mix concrete facilities and one aggregates quarry! in Croat! ia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Vulcan have gained 7.6%, and given a lift to other cement makers today, including Martin Marietta Materials (MLM), which has risen 4.9% and reports earnings on Thursday, Cemex (CX), which has advanced 1.5%, and Texas Industries (TXI), which is up 4.9%.
[By Dan Caplinger]
Even now, though, it's far from clear whether the recent rebound has staying power. Earlier this month, peer Vulcan Materials (NYSE: VMC ) reported 5% lower shipments of aggregates, although rising prices helped offset the impact, and the company noted double-digit-percentage increases in shipments to hot housing areas including Arizona, California, and Florida. Similarly, Cemex (NYSE: CX ) posted a substantial loss for its March quarter on with 5% lower revenue, but the Mexican company pointed to strength in the U.S. and Asian markets as offsetting weakness in Mexico, Europe, and Latin America.
[By Monica Wolfe]
Cemex SAB de CV (CX)
As of the close of the third quarter there were nine guru owners of Cemex. These gurus held a combined weighting of 5.30%. During the third quarter, there were three gurus making buys and nine making sells of their stake in CX.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-construction-material-stocks-for-2015.html

Top Supermarket Stocks To Invest In 2015

Top Supermarket Stocks To Invest In 2015: Lockheed Martin Corporation(LMT)

Lockheed Martin Corporation engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, operation, and sustainment of advanced technology systems and products in the areas of defense, space, intelligence, homeland security, and government information technology in the United States and internationally. It also provides management, engineering, technical, scientific, logistic, and information services. The company operates in four segments: Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, Information Systems & Global Services (IS&GS), and Space Systems. The Aeronautics segment offers military aircraft, including combat and air mobility aircraft, unmanned air vehicles, and related technologies. Its products and programs comprise the F-35 multi-role, stealth fighter; the F-22 air dominance and multi-mission stealth fighter; the F-16 multi-role fighter; the C-130J tactical transport aircraft; and the C-5M strategic airlifter modernization program; and support for the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, and the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The Electronic Systems segment provides air and missile defense; tactical missiles; weapon fire control systems; surface ship and submarine combat systems; anti-submarine and undersea warfare systems; land, sea-based, and airborne radars; surveillance and reconnaissance systems; simulation and training systems; and integrated logistics and sustainment services. The IS&GS segment offers information technology solutions and advanced technology primarily in the areas of software and systems integration for space, air, and ground systems to various defense and civil government agencies. The Space Systems segment provides government and commercial satellites; strategic and defensive missile systems, including missile defense technologies and systems, and fleet ballistic missiles; and space transporta! tion systems. Lockheed Martin Corporation was founded in 1909 and is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Mike Deane]
Before the opening bell on Tuesday, Lockheed Martin (LMT) reported its first quarter earnings, with net sales decreasing and earnings increasing over last year’s Q1.

LMT’s Earnings in Brief
Lockheed Martin reported first quarter revenues of $10.65 billion, down from last year’s Q1 revenues of $11.07 billion. Net earnings for the quarter came in at $933 million, a significant increase over last year’s Q1 figure of $761 million. The company's diluted EPS came in at $2.87 for the quarter, compared to last year’s figure of $2.33. LMT shattered analysts’ EPS estimates of $2.53, but came in below revenue estimates of $10.9 billion.
CEO Commentary

LMT’s chairman, president and CEO, Marillyn Hewson, had the following to say: ”The strong earnings and operating cash delivered in the first quarter are a result of our continued focus on program performance, affordability and meeting commitments to our customers. Our diverse portfolio of products and services, investment in future innovations and dedicated workforce give me confidence that we’ll continue to deliver outstanding results for our customers and return value for our shareholders.”

LMT’s Dividend

Lockheed Martin most recently paid a quarterly dividend of $1.33 on March 28. We expect the company to declare a dividend of $1.33 in the next week.

Stock Performance

LMT stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 10.56%.
LMT Dividend Snapshot
As of Market Close on April 21, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of LMT dividends.
[By Sue Chang]
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) is projected to report first-quarter earnings of $2.54 ! a share. !

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-supermarket-stocks-to-invest-in-2015.html

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Top 10 Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2015

Top 10 Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2015: Renegade Petroleum Ltd (RPL)

Renegade Petroleum Ltd. (Renegade) is an exploitation and exploration focused light oil producer. Renegade's primary focus areas are located in southeast Saskatchewan in various pools, such as Bakken, Souris Valley, Frobisher, Midale and Kisby, as well as the Dodsland area of the Viking play in west-central Saskatchewan. It also has working interests in North Dakota pursuant to a farm-in agreement respecting land in Renville County that is prospective for Bakken, Threeforks/Sanish and Frobisher light oil. In addition the Company has a light oil opportunity in the Spearfish play in Manitoba. It has two geographic segments: western Canada and the State of North Dakota, the United Sates. In December 2012, the Company acquired certain strategic light oil assets. In February 2014, the Company closed the disposition of certain oil and gas assets in southeast Saskatchewan. Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
Many American oil and gas investors are probably familiar with the major large and small cap players in the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana, but few American investors are probably familiar withthe active players further to the north in theoil and gas rich Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Albertawith small cap stocks like Alexander Energy Ltd (CVE: ALX), Renegade Petroleum Ltd (CVE: RPL) and Centor Energy Inc (OTCBB: CNTO) along with large cap Suncor Energy Inc (NYSE: SU) being among thosepumping out their share of noteworthy news lately. I should point out thatCanadas oil reserves are ranked #3 after to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia with over 95% of these reserves being the controversialoil sands of Alberta while the neighboring province of Saskatchewan (which the Bakken formation actually stretches into) along with offshore areas of Newfoundland also containing substantial production and reserves. Moreover and excluding the oil sands, Alber ta would have 39% of Canadas remaining! conventional oil reserves,followed byoffshore Newfoundland with28% and Saskatchewan with 27%.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-cheapest-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html

What Activist Investors Do to Stocks You Own

Sooner or later, an activist investor will target a stock you own.

Activist investors have been more active than ever before over the past year and increasingly have gone after some of the most commonly held stocks in Corporate America, including Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), The Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG), and J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP).

"No company, no matter how large, is beyond the reach of activists," Claudia Allen, a partner and head of the corporate governance practice at Katten Muchin Rosenman, told USA Today. "We are seeing some of the iconic names in Corporate America confronted by activists."

By now most investors realize what this scenario can mean to a company: Stocks can spike (or plunge), and the heads of CEOs may roll.

Just this year, top activist investors have made a lot of waves in the market. A few of the more prominent examples:

A series of mid-August tweets (the first on Aug. 13) from Carl Icahn, perhaps the best-known activist investor of them all, has helped push Apple stock up 5%. Icahn is urging Apple CEO Tim Cook to step up its stock buyback program. The dramatic announcement that CEO Steve Ballmer would be surrendering the reins to Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) within 12 months was driven in large part by efforts of hedge fund ValueAct. The activist shareholder used its large stake in the company to get a seat on the board. Among the items on ValueAct's agenda was a change at the top. MSFT shot up 7% on the day of the announcement. Activist investor Bill Ackman finally threw in the towel this week on his three-year attempt to revive the fortunes of troubled retailer J.C. Penney. He sold his entire 18% stake, 39 million shares, to Citigroup on Aug. 26 for a loss of some $500 million. The episode has helped erase 50% of the value of Penney stock, although the announcement that Ackman had bailed out did give JCP a 2.5% boost. Dan Loeb had much better luck than Ackman with Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO). After building up a 5% stake over 2011 and 2012, Loeb pushed for the ouster of CEO Scott Thomson in favor of Marissa Mayer and persuaded the company to sell 7% of its stake in Chinese Internet company Alibaba. Yahoo bought back Loeb's shares in July, but was able to pocket a profit of nearly 80% - as were any YHOO shareholders who were along for the ride. In one of the craziest cases of activist investing, Ackman and Icahn squared off over nutritional-supplement maker Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) earlier this year. Ackman shorted the stock while Icahn increased his stake. The fight sparked a lot of short-term volatility, but at this point Icahn is winning big time - HLF is up a whopping 75% since the battle began in February.

Clearly, it's a good idea to pay attention to what these shareholders are doing. If you know what to look for, and understand what activist investors do to stocks, you can profit from this growing trend...

Anatomy of an Activist Investor

The first thing people need to know is that activist investors are not the bad actors many believe them to be (which is exactly what most corporate boards, who fear the wrath of activist investors, want you to think.)

The negative image traces its roots back to the beginnings of activist investing in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Back then, such pioneers as Carl Icahn, derided at the time as "corporate raiders" and personified in the film character Gordon Gekko, would acquire large positions in a company and threaten to take it over unless appeased by a stock buyback or premium.

Companies often suffered as a result of the heavy-handed tactics. For instance, Icahn bought Trans World Airlines in 1985 and made nearly $500 million taking it private.

Top 5 Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now

But as he managed TWA for his own profit, he undermined its ability to survive. TWA went bankrupt in 1992.

Since then, activist investors like Icahn have come to realize they can use more deft strategies and still make money.

Now hedge fund managers like Icahn tend to identify companies that they feel are undervalued for some reason and figure out a strategy to restore that value. That can be with a new CEO, a stock buyback, or something more creative, like David Einhorn's suggestion in February that Apple create preferred stock to pay an extra-large dividend.

"The big thing we do is we make the CEO and management accountable," Icahn told The Wall Street Journal recently. "[Activists] must do the job that, with exceptions, boards are not doing."

It turns out such actions usually help the company - to the benefit of existing shareholders - rather than harming it.

And there's proof that's true...

The Truth About How Activist Investors Affect Stocks

A study released in July, "The Long-Term Effects of Hedge Fund Activism," by Alon Brav of Duke University, Lucian A. Bebchuk of Harvard University, and Wei Jang of Columbia University, showed clearly that in most cases, activist investors have a positive effect on a stock.

The study looked at 2,000 cases of activist investing from 1994 through 2007.

One key observation was that the activist investors targeted companies that were substantially underperforming their peers. Over the next five years, those companies closed two-thirds of that gap in terms of return on assets.

The study also found that stock gains made when an activist investor first announces his intentions, which average about 6%, held up over the ensuing five years.

So all the bluster from CEOs and board members about how activist investors are bad for companies is just that - bluster.

"The people who are saying that are usually just saying: 'Hey, give me more time to make the same mistakes,'" Ralph Whitworth, a founder of Relational Investors LLC, told the Journal. "This is what I always tell these people: We bought the stock from your long-term shareholders. And if I am here, I am the longest-term shareholder you've got."

What to Do When an Activist Investor Targets Your Stock

Perhaps the most important thing retail investors need to keep in mind when a restless hedge fund manager takes an interest in a stock they own is that by the time you've heard about it, there's little you can do.

In fact, if you already own a stock targeted by an activist investor, the best strategy is simply to hold onto your shares.

What you don't want to do, experts say, is chase after activist investors.

Although activist investors always begin by accumulating large stakes in the companies they target, those positions only get revealed in quarterly 13F filings, although the fund must file a 13D form within 10 days if the stake exceeds 5%.

Still, for retail investors, it's generally too late to jump on the bandwagon once an activist investor goes public with his intentions.

Yet there is one way retail investors can share some of the gains generated by activist investors - buy a fund that tracks what top hedge funds are doing.

Two exchange-traded funds apply proprietary screens to the 13F filings to generate their portfolios: the AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF (NYSEARCA: ALFA) and the Global X Top Guru Holdings Index ETF (NYSEARCA: GURU).

But the best bet for piggybacking on the strategies of the top activist investors is a mutual fund, the 13D Activist Fund (MUTF: DDDAX). This fund invests in the companies listed in the 13D filings of the most experienced activist investors, a strategy that has paid off well this year, with the fund up more than 24% in 2013.

Next: Will activist investor Bill Ackman's latest target - Air Products & Chemicals - pay off or end in disaster like his misadventure with J.C. Penney? Here's what to expect...

Money Morning:
Two Bank Stocks to Buy Now Before Activist Investors Goose Share Prices Money Morning:
Will Carl Icahn's Latest Move Push Dell Stock Even Higher? The Wall Street Journal:
Activist Investors: A Roar or a Bark? USA Today:
Activist Investors Eye Big Brand-Name Companies The Wall Street Journal:
The Myth of Hedge Funds as 'Myopic Activists'

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Top computer hacker gets leniency

NEW YORK — A top computer hacker who helped investigators disrupt at least 300 cyberattacks on targets ranging from the U.S. armed forces and Congress to a TV network and a video game maker was spared additional prison time Monday after prosecutors argued for leniency.

Hector Xavier Monsegur could have faced more than 26 years behind bars for his confessed cyberattacks as a former member of the Anonymous and LulzSec hacking collectives.

But U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska imposed a term of seven months behind bars — the exact equivalent of what he'd already served — which means Monsegur was a free man after his sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court.

Federal prosecutors argued Monsegur merited the far lesser punishment because he "was an extremely valuable and productive cooperator" whose help led to the arrest and conviction of eight co-conspirators.

They did not specifically name the targets saved from potentially crippling cyberattacks as the result of Monsegur's cooperation. But they estimated in a government sentencing memorandum filed Friday that his actions "prevented at least millions of dollars in loss to these victims."

"Monsegur's cooperation was complex and sophisticated, and the investigations in which he participated required close and precise coordination with law enforcement officers in several locations," Manhattan Assistant U.S. Attorney James Pastore wrote in the memo.

Among other specifics, Pastore credited Monsegur's assistance in the 2012 arrest of Jeremy Hammond, who at the time was the FBI's number one cybercriminal target. Hammond pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 120-month prison term in November 2013.

Monsegur's assistance was invaluable because he was a trusted member of hacking groups involved in numerous hacking episodes. Using the online alias "Sabu," he was known for analyzing computer code for vulnerabilities that could be exploited, Pastore wrote.

Some of those cyberattacks listed in the sentencing memo ! included the hack that compromised the database of the Fox reality TV show X-Factor, and attacks on PBS, Sony Pictures, Nintendo and Infragard Unveillance, an FBI affiliate in Atlanta.

Monsegur pleaded guilty to computer-hacking crimes in August 2011 as part of a government cooperation deal after FBI agents confronted him about his online activities. He served the seven months imprisonment because the government moved to revoke his bail in 2012 after he made unauthorized online postings.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, Monsegur could have faced 259 months to 317 months imprisonment. But the U.S. Probation Office recommended in a pre-sentence report that he not spend additional time behind bars.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Start-ups see gold mine in burst of Net domains

Visit GoDaddy for a new Internet domain name and you'll be greeted with an advertisement for one of at least 16 new domain alternatives to .com, .gov or .edu, descriptive of whatever it is you're trying to do.

Are you an expert? There's .guru. Starting an organization? Try .club. Opening a restaurant in New York City? Consider .nyc. Running a daily news site? How about .today?

The new names, called generic top-level domains (gTLDs), might seem like they were created overnight. But seven years of international discussion and debate, and billions of dollars of investment are pushing these and hundreds of other new names into the market this year and next. And Internet enthusiasts and experts predict they'll cause the next online gold rush.

This will be true in particular for small businesses and start-ups, they say. Why? Because, just like in the bricks-and-mortar world, location matters. Businesses are only as good as a customer's ability to find them. And with 270 million Web addresses already claimed — 110 million of those .coms — it's getting harder to snap up a good one.

That opens up two major opportunities for start-ups: creating new registries around the new gTLDs, and registering domains (through registrars like GoDaddy) and building businesses around them.

Hot Up And Coming Companies To Buy For 2015

Andy Churley is leading the charge for a Gibraltar, Spain start-up called Famous Four Media that raised $100 million in venture capital to create at least 60 new registries. So far, 15 have been approved by the domain name system's governing body, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). They include .trade, .webcam, .science and .men.

The investment is a big one — $185,000 to apply for a single registry, additional legal fees to defend against objections allowed through ICANN's approval process and, now, marketing and operational costs as! sociated with creating a registry, Churley says. And Famous Four still competes with other entities for the other 45 names.

More common are small companies snapping up new domains to serve certain industries, betting that more descriptive names will offer better exposure and help businesses save money on pay-per-click advertising and search engine optimization. For example, Mexico City start-up Punto 2012 on June 15 will release registries for .bar and .rest, marketing names to the restaurant and bar industry.

Luxury Partners of Beverly Hills, Calif., is targeting high-end boutiques, manufacturers, vehicles, consumers and retailers with .luxury. It hopes to be a central place for engagement around luxury brands and is charging a premium annual rate of $799.99 (and more) to get in early. Considering most names go for $10 or $20 a year, Luxury is betting big there will be interest in an elite domain community.

.CLUB Domains has raised $7 million to create the .CLUB registry, and so far has sold nearly 50,000 names to become the second most popular of the new domains (behind .guru with 56,000). Besides registering new names, the Florida start-up also offers tools to help start, grow and manage clubs and organizations, not typical offerings for a domain name registry.

But marketing is key for any registry or start-up entering the field, says Ben Anderson, product director for new gTLDs at NetNames, an established registry operator. Despite GoDaddy's ads, consumers are still generally unaware of the change to the domain name system. And Google, though it applied for nearly 100 of its own gTLDs, hasn't yet announced how it will rank the new domains in its search engine.

That's causing some hesitation among business owners and entrepreneurs to buy and promote the new domains. Fewer than 1 million names are taken so far, Anderson says.

"The word of caution (is) not many day-to-day Internet users understand that these TLDs exist," he says. "If you build up a business around on! e of them! , will your consumers understand?"

But young companies like Churley's are bullish anyway. They believe it's only a matter of time — along with some education and promotion from the likes of GoDaddy — for the power of descriptive names to prevail.

"It's like a rebirth of the domain name system," Churley says. "There is the opportunity to grow at a phenomenal rate and redefine how the domain name system works in the future."

Laura Baverman is a Raleigh, N.C.-based business journalist covering start-ups and entrepreneurship for regional and national publications. She previously covered entrepreneurship for the Cincinnati Enquirer, a Gannett newspaper. Baverman can be reached via e-mail at lbaverman@gmail.comor Twitter @laurabaverman.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Top High Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

Top High Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: iSoftStone Holdings Limited(ISS)

iSoftStone Holdings Limited provides various information technology (IT) services and solutions in the Greater China and internationally. It offers an integrated suite of IT services and solutions, including consulting and solution services, IT services, and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The company provides a range of consulting services for an overall engagement or discrete consulting services in conjunction with other services. It also develops industry-specific solutions, including treasury management, cash management, property and casualty insurance core, financial holding company business analysis, trust company core, and banking risk management solutions for banking, financial services, and insurance industries; supply chain management, enterprise information portals, business intelligence, business process integration, and management and e-commerce solutions for energy, transportation, and public sectors; mobile and embedded technology, next generati on platforms, business intelligence functionality, and network security products for the communications industry. In addition, the company offers various IT services consisting of application development and maintenance, research and development, and infrastructure and software services. Further, it provides a range of BPO services, such as securities trade processing services for the investment banking industry; digitization and archiving of policyholder information, as well as account processing and customer service for insurance industry; and cross-industry BPO services comprising finance and accounting, customer care, and human resources. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Seth Jayson]
iSoftStone Holdings (NYSE: ISS ) reported earn! ings on May 17. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), iSoftStone Holdings beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-high-tech-stocks-to-own-right-now-3.html

Friday, May 23, 2014

China’s World Quest for Energy

On Wednesday, China and Russia signed a 30-year natural gas deal that’s worth an estimated $400 billion. Starting in 2018, Russia is to export up to 1.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a year to China, equal to more than 15 percent of China’s current demand.

China would become Russia’s second-largest market for natural gas, after Germany. The deal, which came after about 15 years of talks, calls for at least $75 billion in spending on pipelines and other infrastructure on both sides of the Russia-China border.

The agreement seems to be a win-win. It enables Russia to both significantly boost gas exports and diversify away from Europe. The two fields expected to provide most of the gas to China are in Russia’s East Siberia region. Without China as a customer, the fields likely wouldn’t be developed. The deal also strengthens Russia’s hand amid the threat of European sanctions over Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, even though Russia is Europe’s largest single gas supplier.

For China, this is yet another way to meet its steadily rising demand for energy at what is likely an attractive price, while easing some of its dependence on unstable sources.

China’s agreement with Russia is just the latest in a long line of actions taken in recent years to secure new energy sources. China is willing to use a variety of methods to meet that goal. China now has operations, investments or projects all over the rest of the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Africa, North America and South America.

For example, China is Iraq’s biggest oil customer and a major investor in its oil fields. Yet China otherwise maintains a very low profile there. In contrast, China is actively involved with Venezuela and Ecuador, both with anti-U.S. governments. China also has significant properties in Africa.

In early May, China brought a huge, $1 bi! llion deepwater drilling rig to waters in the South China Sea that have long been the subject of a dispute with Vietnam. This happened only six months after the two countries announced that they would seek ways to jointly develop oil and gas fields.

Also along for the ride was a Chinese flotilla of support vessels, including several naval warships. Increasing tensions subsequently included ships from both countries ramming each other and the Chinese naval forces using water cannons against the Vietnamese.

In 2000, China used only half as much energy as the U.S. In 2009, it became the world's biggest energy user. It consumed 10.1 million barrels of oil per day last year, one-ninth of the world's total. Now China also is the foremost oil importer, and it now burns as much coal as the rest of the world combined.

Indeed, global energy demand, primarily from other emerging markets as well as China, continues to rise. Another source of potentially increasing energy demand is India, the world’s second most populous nation, not far behind China, but currently just the 10th largest economy.

Last week, voters in India ousted the long-dominant Congress Party from power. The winner in a landslide was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP’s Narendra Modi, the nation's first Hindu nationalist prime minister, campaigned on a promise to revive India's economic growth. With a majority in parliament, he's expected to enact numerous pro-growth policies. Of course, the growth will take a while to develop. But growth inevitably increases demand for energy, particularly oil.

Meanwhile, many major oil-producing nations face various production constraints. Examples: Iran, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria and Venezuela. The U.S. is a dramatic exception: We’re responsible for more than half of the world’s total oil-production increase over the last five years. But we don’t export our crude oil, at least not yet.

The price China is paying for Russia’! ;s gas wa! s not disclosed. The agreement is said to include a pricing formula linked to crude oil. But some reports suggest that the new China-Russia agreement really only specifies the amounts of gas to be shipped, so that construction of the pipeline could begin.

Shortly before the deal was officially announced, it was reported that the two nations had failed to agree on price. But if Putin had left China without the expected agreement, his negotiating position with Europe would have been significantly weakened. Then the agreement was signed, with or without a specific price. According to some analysts, the implied terms will give China a steady supply of Russian gas at 25-40 percent less than the current cost of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from overseas.

The China-Russia agreement seems to offer good news and bad news for the global LNG market. The good news is that it suggests strong global demand for LNG.

The possible bad news is the future impact on global LNG prices, and therefore the viability of the many LNG export plants planned in the US, Canada and elsewhere to ship cheap natural gas to foreign markets, including Asia. There's a huge spread between the low prices of North American natural gas and the high-priced LNG that's shipped to Asia.

With ongoing global energy-demand increases, supply constraints and possibilities for production disruptions, China’s energy ambitions likely will have significant political, economic and other implications for the rest of us.

First Look: Surface Pro 3 tablet targets laptops

NEW YORK — The burning question facing Satya Nadella during his early — and so far highly praised — reign as Microsoft's chief executive was how he would manage the company's hardware business, notably the Surface tablets that to date haven't posed any meaningful threat against Apple's still-dominant iPad.

With Tuesday's launch of the Surface Pro 3 tablet, we have an answer: a slate that Microsoft insists is a viable replacement for your laptop. On the surface anyway — I need to spend more time testing — it appears that Microsoft might just be able to pull it off.

Microsoft defied some of the speculation leading up to Tuesday's event: that it would go small and compete against the iPad mini — a battle that in all likelihood would leave Microsoft bloodied and beaten. Instead, Microsoft is fighting on a productivity-based playing field. Microsoft still expects to compete against Apple, of course, and not just against the iPad but against the company's popular MacBook Air notebook. Analyst Avi Greengart thinks it will also be competing against Windows-based Ultrabooks.

"Microsoft has rightly decided its future is not at the low end of consumer tablets, where ultra-thin margins and highly competitive vendors from the Far East have and will continue to dominate," says analyst Jack Gold. "Instead, it has concentrated on its key strength, business users who look at tablets as extensions and/or replacements for full laptop capability."

Surface Pro 3, which Microsoft takes preorders on starting Wednesday, will cost $799 on up, with the first units available June 20. The new slate has an impressive-looking 12.1-inch full HD display that is larger than the 10.6-inch display on current Surface Pro models. It runs off Windows 8.1 software and fourth-generation Intel Core processors and appears to have enough oomph to handle powerful third-party software such as Adobe Photoshop. Microsoft says you'll get up to nine hours of battery life while surfing the web.

The magnesium ! machine is light (1.76 pounds) and thin, and it has a single USB 3.0 port, micro SD card slot and a mini HDMI port. There will be an optional docking station available at $199.99 that will add ports and connectors and give you more of a desktop PC experience.

Surface Pro 3 has a more flexible kickstand than prior models, even letting you lower the angle to use as a canvas you might draw on.

Indeed, Microsoft is also putting heavy emphasis on the pressure-sensitive pen that the company claims is as natural and personal as writing with real pen on paper (quickie impression, it is better). As you might imagine, there are close ties to Microsoft's OneNote program, which is free and will be preloaded. You'll have to subscribe to Office 365 for other Office programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint or purchase them separately.

Plus, you'll have to buy an optional $129.99 Surface Type Cover to add a keyboard and an improved trackpad.

Microsoft executive Panos Panay actually dropped the tablet intentionally on stage, and it came through unscathed, though Microsoft isn't making any formal durability claims.

"You've been told to buy a tablet, but you know you need a laptop," says Panos.

For now, Microsoft is still selling the prior Surface models, including those based on a flavor of Windows called Windows RT that will not run older PC software, though it does come preinstalled with Office. It remains to be seen what kind of future RT continues to have, especially if Microsoft does deliver on a smaller tablet.

In the meantime, stay tuned for a more complete review of Surface Pro 3.

Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow @edbaig on Twitter.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Best Stocks to Play the Housing Trend: AvalonBay Communities, Essex Property Trust, and Equity R

Source: Flickr / archer10.

The U.S. Census Bureau's recent housing construction report for April showed a 43% month over month surge in the number of multi-family housing starts, while single-family homes barely moved, showing a paltry 0.8% increase. Since last April, authorizations for buildings with five or more units rose by 29%, compared to a 12% increase in single-family houses.

Apartment REITs: The new housing play?
The upturn in the multifamily space looks like the new normal, with single-family home ownership below the 50-year average of 65.4% -- and some analysts predicting that it will fall even further.

With 93% of the multifamily units breaking ground in the first quarter slated for rental, apartment REITs like AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB ) , Essex Property Trust Inc. (NYSE: ESS ) and Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR ) are looking like a great way to invest in the new "renter nation".

Stocking up on rentals
The apartment REIT sector has been buying up a storm, investing in $1.5 billion apartments in just the first quarter – not counting Essex Property's purchase of BRE Properties, which closed on April 1. That deal, the terms of which included $6.2 billion in cash and stock, created the biggest REIT on the west coast. The combined value of the company is now a little over $1 billion.

In late 2012, AvalonBay and Equity Residential banded together to purchase Archstone, the huge, high-end multifamily landlord whose acquisition in 2007 helped bankrupt Lehman Brothers. In addition to acquiring Archstone's nearly $10 billion in debt, the two REITs put up $6.5 billion in cash and stock to close the deal. AvalonBay acquired 22,000 apartments, while Equity took on 23,000.

As for 2014, AvalonBay management notes that it is on track to deliver over 5,000 new apartments by the end of the year, and Equity bought a five-year-old apartment project in Los Angeles in the first quarter, after selling one of their older San Diego assets in late 2013. Equity is planning to continue in this vein, selling its older, more suburban properties in order to buy apartments in well-populated urban locations.

Top High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now

Source: Flickr / Kevin Dooley.

Apartment REITs are having a great year
All in all, this sector is having a wonderful year. Vacancies are the lowest in the sector since 2001, and rents are rising nicely, averaging $1,089 per month last quarter, compared to $1,055 one year earlier. In its first-quarter earnings call, AvalonBay management noted that, as the job market has begun to recover, the stronger economy will be able to support not only higher rents, but more apartment deliveries, as well .

So far, all three REITs have gained at least 19% since the beginning of the year, and yields are sweet, at around 3%. According to NAREIT, the apartment REIT sector was up 16.4% from January to April of this year.

With the economy healing and the employment market improving, rising rents will likely fuel higher dividends, too. For investors looking for a place to put their real-estate investment dollars, the multifamily sector looks hard to beat.

More great dividend stocks for the next decade
The smartest investors know that dividend stocks simply crush their non-dividend paying counterparts over the long term. That's beyond dispute. They also know that a well-constructed dividend portfolio creates wealth steadily, while still allowing you to sleep like a baby. Knowing how valuable such a portfolio might be, our top analysts put together a report on a group of high-yielding stocks that should be in any income investor's portfolio. To see our free report on these stocks, just click here now.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

3 e-Commerce Stocks to Sell Now

Popular Posts: 10 Best “Strong Buy” Stocks — EQM DAL ILMN and more13 “Triple A” Stocks to Buy7 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: Biggest Movers in Healthcare Stocks Now – PDLI SIRO THC RDY Biggest Movers in Financial Stocks Now – PVTB BOFI KYE TFSL Biggest Movers in Technology Stocks Now – MENT AUO ULTI CSOD View All Posts

The overall ratings of three e-commerce stocks are down on Portfolio Grader this week. Each of these rates a “D” (“sell”) or “F” overall (“strong sell”).

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. Class A’s () rating falls to a D (“sell”) this week, down from C (“hold”) the week prior. 1-800-Flowers.com provides customers around the world with the freshest flowers and finest selection of plants, gift baskets, gourmet foods and confections, and plush stuffed animals perfect for every occasion. The stock currently has a trailing PE Ratio of 36.90. .

Amazon.com, Inc. () is having a tough week. The company’s rating falls from a C to a D. Amazon.com is an online retailer that offers a wide range of products. The stock gets F’s in Earnings Revisions and Earnings Surprise. The stock has a trailing PE Ratio of 468.90. .

PetMed Express, Inc. () experiences a ratings drop this week, going from last week’s C to a D. PetMed Express offers prescription and nonprecription pet medications, as well as health and nutritional supplements. As of May 20, 2014, 20.5% of outstanding PetMed Express, Inc. shares were held short. Shares of the stock have been trading at an exceptionally rapid pace, up twofold from the week prior. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Monday, May 19, 2014

United Continental v. American Airlines: First One to a Dividend Wins

Dividends are in with airlines, as Alaska Air (ALK), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Southwest Airlines (LUV) have all increased theirs so far this year. Cowen’s Helane Becker and Conor Cunningham ponder whether American Airlines (AAL) or United Continental (UAL) will return capital to shareholders first:

AFP/Getty Images

Over the last two weeks three airlines (Alaska Air Group, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines) announced significant share repurchase authorizations and in two cases (Delta and Southwest) announced an increase to their dividend. Alaska raised their dividend earlier this year. These companies have led the industry in returning capital to shareholders as all three have sound balance sheets, manageable CAPEX plans and increasing profits. The next airlines to return capital to shareholders will likely be United and American. United continues to have PRASM issues which has led to a lagging stock price and potentially pushing out of returning capital to shareholders. United’s management continues to point to the end of 2014 as an announcement date. American is also likely to announce its plans for returning capital to shareholders year-end 2014…It will be interesting to see who announces their plans first: United or American. United has more invested in the announcement as they are several years ahead of American in the merger process but probably several years behind in execution.

Top Media Stocks To Buy Right Now

Shares of United Continental have gained 2.2% to $41.40 at 11:28 a.m. today, while American Airlines has risen 1.1% to $38.94, Delta Air Lines has advanced 1.7% to $38.50, Southwest Airlines has jumped 2.1% to $25.12 and Alaska Air Group is up 1.7% at $97.23.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

3M and Danaher: A Tale of Two Industrials

3M (MMM) has outperformed Danaher (DHR) during the past six months. Does the way investors view how they deploy capital help explain the difference?

Reuters

Nomura’s Shannon O’Callaghan and team don’t think the market gets how much 3M could benefit from better capital deployment:

Back in December, we upgraded 3M with a view that the company could take a more aggressive stance on capital allocation, and that has begun with $1.7B of share repurchase in each of the last two quarters, and an increase in debt. But, after recently spending a couple of days with management, there are several factors we view as underappreciated: 1) the driver of management's plan to add debt is not to boost EPS with buyback (though that is a nice side effect) but rather to lower 3M's cost of capital; 2) this suggests that the buyback won't slow even if organic earnings surprise on the upside; and 3) another use of added debt is expected to be medium and larger acquisitions, which is a capability historically missing at 3M that could further benefit the P/E. We think 3M could be changing from a sleepy mid-single-digit EPS grower to a double-digit EPS grower with drivers of potential upside.

3M has gained 8.3% during the past six month, which suggests that the market has bought into 3M’s capital-deployment story. That hasn’t been the case with Danaher, which has risen just 0.3% during the same period. Morgan Stanley’s Nigel Coe and team wonder if the market thinks Danaher’s capital allocation model “is broken.” They explain:

With Danaher underperforming 3M and with its traditional P/E premium compressing from 15% to nothing, the market is clearly taking an overly bearish view that Danaher’s capital allocation model is broken. Note that Danaher now trades cheap on 2015 FCF, while 3M is the most expensive. In this light, we have to conclude that given the premium the market is paying for 3M's growth visibility – which is essentially replicated by Danaher – the Danaher capital deployment option value, which we estimate at $14 per share, is now a free option.

Shares of 3M have dropped 0.7% to $140.55 today at 10:04 a.m., while Danaher has fallen 07% to $74.66.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Why Bank of America Is Set to Grow

Top 5 Gas Stocks To Invest In 2015

Bank of America (BAC), inclusive of yesterday's poor trading, has still provided investors a 37.9% return in the last 12 months, and has recently upped its dividend after passing its Federal Stress Test in the last month.

Throughout 2014, the bank has continued to make progress in this regard. It's been settling litigation left and right, and CEO Brian Moynihan appears to continue steering the ship in the right direction. USA Today reported on recent litigation leading up to the bank's earnings:

Bank of America in March agreed to pay $9.3 billion to settle claims it marketed risky mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. At the same time, the bank reached a $15 million settlement with the New York State Attorney General's office over its 2009 purchase of Merrill Lynch.

And on April 9, the bank also agreed to pay $772 million in refunds and fines to settle allegations by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of Comptroller of the Currency that it had bilked millions of customers with deceptive credit card practices. The agreement was "in line with what we expected," bank spokesman Tony Allen said last week.

Although many people seemed to be surprised by Bank of America's earnings, there were some of us that were expecting exactly what we got: good underlying bank performance that was negatively affected by one time legal costs.

When the smoke cleared, the bank had beat on its revenue line, posting a number of $22.76 billion versus analyst estimates of $22.33 billion to $22.4 billion. Ex-items, the bank wound up earning $0.35 per share.

In addition to its legal costs, the bank saw its mortgage business — which it has been trimming over the last couple of years — slowing. Mortgage originations were down 65%.

The bank's balance sheet strength continued to improve. It had $1.4 billion in charge offs, down from $2.5 billion in the same quarter the year prior.

Some of the more important news came later on in the afternoon when it reported the bank was close to settling with the DOJ, a reason which I think is one of the reasons it bolstered its legal reserves in quarter one:

Bank of America (-2.5%) boosted legal reserves by $2.4 billion in the first quarter, and management is playing coy about why, but the WSJ says the bank is near a multi-billion dollar settlement with the DOJ to end civil probes into a number of legacy issues. The talks have been ongoing for months, but intensified, say sources, after JPMorgan late last year settled for $13 billion.

If settled, it'll surely cost the bank a significant amount of money. But, it'll be over, and that's the important part. Putting their heads down and knocking each one of these out of the way until there's none left. It may not look like it, but the bank is making significant progress in this regard.

The bank continues to get leaner and meaner under the watchful eye of Moynihan. The bank's total employees was down to 238,600 from 262,800 in the same quarter a year prior. It's also operating with 5% fewer branch locations. This is all part of a cost-cutting initiative that was put into place a couple of years ago, that is concluding during this year.

Bank of America's banking division posted a profit of $1.66 billion, as compared to $1.45 billion a year earlier. This shows underlying fundamental progress for the bank's "meat and potatoes" business.

As the bank continues to stay on the front line of the automation adoption curve in the banking sector, and continues to keep its head down and make progress, I think better days will be ahead for shareholders.

Moynihan seems to be doing a damn good job in making progress to get the bank over the hump of the '07 to '08 disaster, which was the main item he was tasked with as CEO of the bank.

I contend that BAC is a buy here. There's likely to be a couple more months of legalese headlines that could potentially mire the stock price, but in the long term, the bank's underlying business is performing. Better days are ahead for Bank of America; it just needs to hold on and wait. Moynihan has been doing a brilliant job since he began, and my trust is with him and Buffett that Bank of America will soon rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

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Friday, May 16, 2014

Benzinga's Volume Movers

Related ZU Benzinga's Top #PreMarket Losers Stocks Hitting 52-Week Lows Zulily Falls 30% on Earnings (Fox Business) Related SIVB SVB Financial Plans New Stock Offering - Analyst Blog Why SVB Financial (SIVB) Could Beat Earnings Estimates Again - Tale of the Tape

zulily (NASDAQ: ZU) shares moved up 9.65% to $35.10. The volume of zulily shares traded was 1005% higher than normal. Zulily's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $806.58 million.

SVB Financial Group (NASDAQ: SIVB) shares rose 0.98% to $103.42. The volume of SVB Financial shares traded was 957% higher than normal. SVB Financial Group priced 3.9 million shares common stock at $101.00 per share.

DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ: DXPE) shares climbed 3.46% to $68.42. The volume of DXP Enterprises shares traded was 771% higher than normal. DXP Enterprises' PEG ratio is 0.64.

EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) surged 9.38% to $26.13. The volume of EZchip Semiconductor shares traded 407% higher than normal. EZchip Semiconductor reported better-than-expected Q1 results.

Posted-In: volume moversNews Intraday Update Markets Movers

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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Why Energy Is Back in Fashion

The last time the energy sector topped the annual returns for S&P 500 sectors was 2007. In fact, from 2004 to 2007, as oil and natural gas prices broke new ground, energy was the top performing S&P 500 sector in all years but 2006, when it slipped to second place.

Since 2007, the energy sector has been in the bottom five during four out of six years, and never finished higher than 4th place. After turning in the 3rd worst sector performance in 2013 (albeit still with a gain of 22.3 percent), the energy sector could return to the top of the list this year. (And if you have forgotten what a bear market can do to your portfolio, look at the returns from 2008.)

Thus far, 2014 has marked a return to the top for the energy sector. As Bloomberg notes, $5 billion has flowed into the energy sector via exchange traded funds (ETFs) this year, which is an astounding 17 times more than in the final quarter of 2013. So far this year the energy sector has taken 63 percent of all the money flowing into sector ETFs, and the Standard & Poor's Energy Index has been setting record highs.

A rising tide may lift all boats, but our objective – which we achieved in 2013 and so far in 2014 in The Energy Strategist portfolios — is to outperform the sector indexes whether the tide is rising or falling.

Energy is such a diverse sector that there are always opportunities regardless of the broader sector performance. Thus, I don't attempt to time the sector, but seek instead to find the best opportunities within.

Over the course of the past year, more and more energy companies began to look undervalued, so I am not surprised at this influx of new money into the sector. But it will be more challenging to find good picks in the months ahead ! as this money rotation into the sector should fully value many of our favorite companies.

It may seem a bit ironic, but on the day that the National Climate Assessment report was released, the Standard & Poor's Energy Index reached a new record high. This index of 44 companies includes major energy names like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Chevron (NYSE: CVX), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI), Peabody (NYSE: BTU) and Valero (NYSE: VLO). All of the companies in the index produce or enable the production of fossil fuels, which end up as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Why the disconnect between urgent calls to take action on climate, and all the money pouring into fossil fuel companies? It's because demand for energy continues to grow, but the money hasn't flowed evenly. Per the aforementioned Bloomberg article:

"Natural gas companies also will be the first beneficiaries of President Barack Obama's climate policy, which has consistently discouraged the use of coal without requiring renewables to be used as a substitute, said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in Knoxville, Tennessee."

Regular readers know that I have been beating the natural gas drum for more than a year now. One of the factors behind my bullishness is that natural gas is a much cleaner fuel than coal, and regulations are going to increasingly tighten the noose around the latter. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the average air emissions from natural gas-fired power are half as much carbon dioxide, less than a third as much nitrogen oxides, and one percent as much sulfur oxides as the emissions from a equivalent amount of coal-fired generation. So trading coal for natural gas looks like a very attractive option for slashing our carbon emissions.

In a future where the world treats climate change as a crisis and acts — as the National Climate Assessment urges — the options are ! fairly li! mited because the world will continue to demand energy. Coal is by far the biggest threat. A 2012 paper by Neil C. Swart and Andrew J. Weaver that was published in Nature Climate Change showed that a whopping 80 percent of the potential climate warming is tied to the potential use of coal. Thus, lower emission replacements for coal are imperative.

The options are fairly few. While renewables like wind and solar will continue to grow exponentially, they are growing from a tiny base and still provide a small fraction of the overall power supply. Further, baseload power is needed due to the intermittency of wind and solar and the inadequacy of current energy storage options. That leaves nuclear power and natural gas as the two scalable, baseload power options for displacing coal. Each has its critics on environmental grounds, but unfortunately we don't have a totally consequence-free, massively scalable alternative. Natural gas has gained ground from coal, and is expected by the US Energy Information Administration to continue to do so.

Top 5 Gas Stocks To Invest In 2015

Utilities in the US have begun to switch to natural gas (although there was some backsliding last year as natural gas prices rose), and this is a major factor behind falling carbon emissions in the US. Carbon dioxide emissions fell by 217 million metric tons (MMT) in 2012 to lead all countries. Over the past five years carbon dioxide emissions in the US have fallen by 738 MMT, a decline of 11 percent from 2007 levels, once again placing the US in the global lead.

One caveat is that certainly these declines are coming from a very high starting point. But we have been headed in the right direction, and should continue to build on these recent successes. And we will try to continue to invest accordingly.

(Follow Robert Rapier on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.)

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

3 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Stocks Ready to Break Out

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently.

VeriFone Systems

VeriFone Systems (PAY) designs, markets and services electronic payment solutions at the point of sale worldwide. This stock closed up 8.7% to $34.94 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 4.60 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.57 million

Volume % Change: 162%

From a technical perspective, PAY gapped up sharply higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $32.51 with strong upside volume flows. This move pushed shares of PAY into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $34.58 to $34.78. Shares of PAY are now quickly moving within range of triggering an even bigger breakout trade. That trade will hit if PAY manages to take out its 52-week high of $35.11 to some past resistance at $36.13 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PAY as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $33.34 or above its 50-day at $32.61 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.57 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PAY will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $45.

Monotype Imaging

Monotype Imaging (TYPE) develops, markets and licenses technologies and fonts in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan and rest of Asia. This stock closed up 4.1% at $26.66 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 472,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 159,530

Volume % Change: 179%

From a technical perspective, TYPE ripped higher here with above-average volume. This stock has been downtrending over the last month and change, with shares moving lower from its high of $31.41 to its recent low of $23.52. During that move, shares of TYPE have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of TYPE have now started to bounce off those recent lows and it's entered breakout territory above some near-term overhead resistance at $25.92. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if TYPE manages to take out Monday's intraday high of $26.93 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in TYPE as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $25.06 or above more near-term support at $24.53 and then once it sustains a move or close above $26.93 with volume that's near or above 159,530 shares. If that move gets underway soon, then TYPE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day of $28.38 to its 50-dayat $28.85. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give TYPE a chance to tag $30 to $31.50.

AMC Networks

AMC Networks (AMCX) owns and operates various cable television brands delivering content to audiences, and a platform to distributors and advertisers in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 1.1% at $58.68 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 2.22 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 909,736

Volume % Change: 147%

From a technical perspective, AMCX trended modestly higher here right above its recent 52-week low of $53.99 with above-average volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months and change, with shares moving lower from its high of $78.39 to its recent low of $53.99. During that downtrend, shares of AMCX have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. Shares of AMCX also gapped down recently from just above $66 to $53.99 with heavy downside volume. That said, shares of AMCX have now started to spike off its 52-week low with volume and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if AMCX manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $60.46 to its gap-down-day high of $60.90 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in AMCX as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $56.63 or above its 52-week low of $53.99 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 909,736 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then AMCX will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone that started just above $66.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

Monday, May 12, 2014

How Much Does Motherhood Really Cost Women?

Happy smiling mother and her baby Alamy My birth was meticulously planned. My mother, a teacher, and my father, a businessman, strategized their baby-making agenda around my mother's schedule. I would be born at the end of May, giving her the summer for her maternity leave, during which she wouldn't lose any wages or use any of her sick or personal days, before returning to work. I arrived promptly in the latter part of May and then screwed everything else up. My mother, a fiercely strong and independent woman, made what was, for her, a surprising choice to become a stay-at-home mom to raise me (and the younger sister who showed up later). In another previously unpredicted turn, our family moved overseas, making it even harder for my mother to return to the workforce later. For nearly 21 years, my mother sacrificed her career and her earning potential to raise two daughters. Now, in my mid-20s, I've watched my peers struggle with the question of whether or not to have children. Those who decide to pursue the path to dirty diapers, sleepless nights and unconditional love seem to fall into two groups: those who blindly hope they'll be able to make ends meet; and those who begin crafting idyllic budgets around their fictional child. What Price Motherhood? The decision to have children or not is incredibly personal. While one choice provides a host of obvious emotional and intangible rewards (and the possibility of having someone other than paid staff to care for you in your twilight years), the other has distinct financial advantages. Those financial disadvantages for mothers involve more than just the costs of raising a child -- both parents take those on. But women in particular need to consider the income, retirement savings and Social Security benefits they sacrifice by electing to walk away from the workforce. Even mothers who return to work relatively rapidly tend to suffer financial setbacks often referred to as the "motherhood penalty*." Maternity Leave The monetary losses start from the moment the labor contractions set in. Bringing new life into the world warrants legally mandated paid leave in most developed nations -- except the United States, where employers aren't required to provide it. How much compensation women are entitled to while out on maternity leave varies by country: It could be as little as 50 percent of their normal wages. But that's far more than the disturbing zero required of American companies. "Only about half of all first-time moms in the United States are able to take any paid leave after childbirth; and just a fifth of working women with young children receive leave with full pay," according to WorkingMother.com's evaluation of National Partnership for Women & Families' Census data. Salary Over the years, studies have shown mothers earning less, facing more workplace discrimination and receiving fewer opportunities than women without children. In fact, this issue may be more pressing than that of the general pay gap between men and women. Women who leave the workforce entirely sacrifice their salaries for a job that pays in cuddles, kisses, temper tantrums and heart-melting moments. But you can't pay the bills in a child's laughter, your daughter's first steps or when your teenage son says, "I love you" for no reason. Even though motherly tasks require dedication, multitasking, high-level communication skills, the ability to prioritize and handle expenses, employers still don't see the work as proof of ability. The role of a mother (working or stay-at-home) demands an incredible amount of effort; it's every bit as much of a job as any 9-to-5 occupation, but employers still discriminate against mothers. "Employed mothers are hit with a 5 percent wage penalty per child, on average," according to a study conducted by Cornell University sociologists and published in the American Journal of Sociology. Social Security Benefits It isn't just salary that women walk away from when they leave the workforce to raise children. Their eligibility to earn Social Security benefits suddenly comes to a screeching halt. Women who fail to put in a total of 10 years of work will not be able to collect Social Security retirement benefits, according to the Social Security Administration's 2014 pamphlet on earning credits (though there are some exceptions). But more important than just qualifying for Social Security is how your benefit is calculated. To quote the SSA:

Social Security benefits are based on your lifetime earnings. Your actual earnings are adjusted or "indexed" to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then Social Security calculates your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most.

Working for fewer years, working at lower wages, bringing home a lower aggregate amount over your lifetime -- all of these factors cut into the size of the benefit checks mothers can expect when they retire from the work force. Of course, some millennial women may not be taking the potential reduction in their Social Security benefits as seriously, because they expect the entitlement program will likley have been restructured by the time their generation faces retirement. As the Social Security Administration notes on its website,

"Your estimated benefits are based on current law. The law governing benefit amounts may change because, by 2033, the payroll taxes collected will be enough to pay only about 77 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits."

But regardless of how the system is reformed (or isn't), the reduction to a mother's benefits should still be viewed as a loss. Other Retirement Savings Plans Social Security may be nothing to depend on -- at least not at current levels -- but most workers today can use an employer's 401(k) -- or similar retirement plan -- to prepare for the future. A woman who leaves the workforce to become a mother loses the benefit of her employer-matched retirement plan, and without any taxable income; she can't contribute to an IRA. Mothers who stay in the workforce still won't reap the same benefits from an employer-matched retirement plan as their childless counterparts. A 5 percent reduction in salary (per child) would translate to a lower amount to contribute and (because it's based on a percentage of salary) a lower employer match. And of course, those who forgo children don't have to prioritize the needs of a child over retirement plans. There won't be any debate about saving for retirement versus paying for braces, private schools or college. Ultimately, It Doesn't Really Come Down to the Money I'm thankful to have been raised by a mother who could play dress-up with me, heal my scrapes, and attend all of my activities growing up. My mother sacrificed career advancement to raise me, and I'll always be incredibly grateful to her. She, like most women who become mothers, will always claim it was the right decision and one she's never regretted (except probably, for a brief period during my teen years). The numbers may indicate that it's financially better for women to resist their biological urges, but on this Mother's Day, I thank my own Mom and everyone else's who didn't. More from Erin Lowry
•Fostering a Dog: It's Good for Your Heart and Your Wallet •3 Funny Money Lessons from TV's Greatest Minds •Credit Limits: How They Keep You from Chasing a Dangerous Pot of Gold