Top 10 Gas Utility Companies To Own For 2015

Top 10 Gas Utility Companies To Own For 2015: IHS Inc. (IHS)

IHS Inc. (IHS), incorporated on May 5, 1994, is a source of information and insight in areas, such as energy and power; design and supply chain; defense, risk, and security; environment, health and safety (EHS) and sustainability; country and industry forecasting, and commodities, pricing, and cost. The Company is organized by geographies into three business segments: Americas, which includes the United States, Canada, and Latin America; EMEA, which includes Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and APAC (Asia Pacific). IHS sources data and transforms it into information and insight that businesses, Governments, and others use every day to make decisions. Its product development teams have also created Web services and application interfaces. These services allow its customers to integrate the Companys information with other data, business processes and applications (computer-aided design, enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, and product data/lifecycle man agement). The Company develops its offerings based on its customers' workflows, and it sells and delivers them into the industries in which IHSs customers operate. As of November 30, 2011, HIS focused on five customer workflows: strategy, planning, and analysis; energy technical; product engineering; supply chain, and EHS & sustainability. As of November 30, 2011, it was focused on six verticals: energy and natural resources; Government, defense and security; chemicals; transportation; manufacturing, and technology, media, and telecommunications. In March 2012, the Company acquired Displaybank, a global authority in market research and consulting for the display industry; the Computer Assisted Product Selection (CAPSTM) electronic components database and tools business, including CAPS Expert, from PartMiner Worldwide, and the digital oil and gas pipeline and infrastructure information business from Hild Technology Services. In March 2012, the Company acquired IMS Re! search .. In March 2012, the Company acquired BDW Automotive GmbH. I! n May 2012, it acquired Xedar Corporation, a developer and provider of geospatial information products and services. In July 2012, the Company acquired CyberRegs business from Citation Technologies, Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired GlobalSpec, Inc. On April 16, 2011, IHS acquired ODS-Petrodata (Holdings) Ltd. ODS-Petrodata is a provider of data, information, and market intelligence to the offshore energy industry. On April 26, 2011, it acquired Dyadem International, Ltd. (Dyadem). Dyadem offers operational risk management and quality risk management solutions. On May 2, 2011, the Company acquired Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI). CMAI is a leading provider of market and business advisory services for the worldwide petrochemical, specialty chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, fibers, and chlor-alkali industries. On August 10, 2011, the Company acquired Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT). SMT offers Windows-based exploration and production software, and its solutions are used by geoscientists worldwide to evaluate potential reservoirs and plan field development. On November 10, 2011, it acquired Purvin & Gertz. Purvin & Gertz is a global advisory and market research firm that provides technical, commercial, and strategic a dvice to international clients in the petroleum refining, natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and petrochemical industries. Energy and Power IHS covers the technical and economic spectrum of energy and power. Detailed records and forecasts on oil, gas and coal supplies, combined with insights on traditional and emerging energy markets, help enable its customers to make decisions. Its offerings include production information on more than 90 % of the world's oil and gas production in more than 100 countries; oil and gas well data that includes geological information on more than four million current and historic wells worldwide; energy activity data that includes current and future seismic, drilling and! developme! nt activities in more than 180 countries and 335 hydrocarbon-producing regions worldwide; information and research to develop unconventional hydrocarbon resources-shale gas, coal bed methane and heavy oil; knowledge of energy markets, strategies, industry trends, and companies; information and research summits, such as IHS CERAWeek and the IHS Herold Pacesetters Energy Conference, which offer decision makers the opportunity to interact with its experts, and critical information about analysis of coal, nuclear and renewables, including wind, solar, and hydro power. The Company competes with DrillingInfo, Inc., TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, Accenture, Deloitte, Wood Mackenzie, Ltd., Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton, LMKR and Paradigm Ltd. Design and Supply Chain IHS Design and Supply Chain solutions provide information for customers that allow them to manage a product from conception to research and development to production, maintenance and disposal. It also provides companies access to specifications and standards. The Companys offerings include market and technology research and analysis; standards management solutions, including more than 370 commercial and military standards and specification publishing organizations; advanced product design and process engineering; strategic product content and supply chain management; environmentally compliant product design; counterfeit part risk mitigation; product performance and cost optimization, and indirect parts and maintenance, repair, and operations logistics, inventory and cash flow optimization tables, including wind, solar, and hydro power. The Company competes with SAI Global and Thomson Reuters Corporation. Defense, Risk and Security IHS delivers open source intelligence in the areas of global defense, risk, and security, including maritime domain awareness. IHS offers open source intelligence solutions for military planners, national security analysts, and defense and maritime industry strategy and planning prof! essionals! . The Companys offerings include military and national security assessments; defense equipment and technology information; defense budgets and procurement forecasting; defense industry trends and analysis; terrorism and insurgency analysis; global commercial ship identification and specifications; live tracking of commercial ship movements; shipping and shipbuilding markets and forecasts, and ports and port security information. The Company competes with McGraw-Hill, Gannett, Forecast International and Control Risks Group. EHS and Sustainability IHS EHS and Sustainability solutions support critical decisions around environmental, health and safety, operational risk, greenhouse gas and energy, product stewardship and corporate responsibility. The Companys offerings include global and local software implementations; material compliance and lifecycle information content; strategic planning services in greenhouse gas management and cap-and-trade; compliance and verification expertise for local, regional, national, and international EHS and sustainability management system responsibilities, and risk management assessment across a range of industries. The Company competes with SAP and Verisk. Country and Industry Forecasting IHS delivers detailed forecasts and analysis of economic conditions within political, economic, legal, tax, operational, and security environments worldwide. Additionally, IHS provides forecasts, market-sizing, and risk assessments for a number of industries worldwide, including aerospace and defense, agriculture, automotive, chemicals, construction, consumer and retail, energy, finance, government, healthcare and pharmaceutical, military and security, mining and metals, commerce and transport, and telecommunications. Its offerings include in-depth analysis of the business conditions, economic prospects, and risks in more than 200 countries and more than 170 industries; security risk analysis and daily updates on both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and sovereign risk ratings in more than! 200 coun! tries; event-driven updates of its risk analysis and ratings; short-, medium- and long-term forecasts for business planning and decision making; historical information since 1970; De ep market intelligence for the automotive, agriculture, chemicals, construction, consumer goods, commerce and transport, energy, financial, healthcare and pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and steel industries; and scenario explorations examining alternative outcomes to the questions impacting global business. The Company competes with Economist Intelligence Unit and Moody's Corporation. Commodities, Pricing and Cost IHS offers information, forecasts, and analysis to help its customers understand the how, when, and what of commodity prices and labor costs. IHS analysts monitor and forecast more than 1,300 global price, wage, and manufacturing costs across the regions for sectors, including energy products, chemicals, steel, nonferrous metals, industrial machinery and equipment, electronic components, paper and packaging, transportation, and building materials. Its offerings include analysis and forecasts for more than 1,300 global price, wage, and manufacturing costs; market intelligence of drivers, assumptions, and risks relating to commodity and service prices; cost and price data with actionable insights; forecasts covering global spot market prices, wages, and material costs; advisory forums to assist in monitoring, forecasting, and managing power and energy portfolio project costs, and consulting capabilities that enable clients to source materials. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (NYSE: PIR), IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), Blackberry (NASDAQ: BBRY), Kroger Company (NYSE: KR) Economic Releases Expected:  Russian unemployment rate, eurozone consumer confidence, US initial and continuing jobless claims, British retail sales, Spanish trade balance

  Friday

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Data provided by IHS ! (IHS) sho! w that ReneSola merchant shipments more than tripled in the first six months of 2013 when compared to the first half of 2012 — something that should obviously have SOL stock investors smiling. More importantly, that’s something other solar stocks have not yet done.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Colorado-based IHS (NYSE: IHS  ) will be under new management soon. The business analytics provider announced Wednesday that current President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Key will take over the role of President and Chief Executive Officer from Jerre Stead on June 1.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including Family Dollar Stores(NYSE: FDO), Micron Technology(NASDAQ: MU), Constellation Brands(NYSE: STZ),IHS (NYSE: IHS), and Sonic (NASDAQ: SONC).

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-gas-utility-companies-to-own-for-2015.html

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Own Right Now

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) has been friendly to outside developers for many years. The company provided easy-to-use data access tools, giving rise to a cottage industry. Netflix even ran a tool-building contest with a million-dollar prize, until privacy hawks shut down that idea. And many of the company's in-house tools have been exported as open-source projects.

These initiatives have built a strong technology base, and a thriving ecosystem around the core operation. In many ways, that's exactly how Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) killed MySpace and rose to social media stardom. Why not follow that template, especially since Netflix CEO Reed Hastings serves on Facebook's board of directors?

But Netflix is backing down from that developer-friendly policy these days. In this video, Fool contributor and longtime Netflix shareholder Anders Bylund explains why this move makes him very nervous.

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Own Right Now: Amcol International Corp (ACO)

AMCOL International Corporation (AMCOL), incorporated on December 3, 1959, is focused on the development and application of minerals and technology products and services to various industrial and consumer markets. It operates in five segments: performance materials, construction technologies, energy services, transportation and corporate. Its performance materials segment previously referred to as its minerals and materials segment is a supplier of bentonite related products. Its construction technologies segment previously referred to as its environmental segment provides products for non-residential construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. Its energy services segment previously referred to as its oilfield services segment offers a range of patented technologies, products and services for both upstream and downstream oil and gas production. Its transportation segment serves domestic subsidiaries, as well as third parties, is a dry van and flatbed carrier and freight brokerage service provider.

Performance Materials Segment

The Company supplies chromite and leonardite, and operates more than 25 mining or production facilities worldwide. It mines chromite, an iron chromium oxide, from open cast mines in South Africa and transport it to our nearby processing facility. Its primary uses include metalcasting, drilling fluid additive, and agricultural applications. Its performance materials segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and investments in affiliates and joint ventures throughout the world. It consists of four product lines: metalcasting; specialty materials; basic minerals, and pet products. Its principal products are marketed under various registered trade names, including VOLCLAY, PANTHER CREEK, PREMIUM GEL, ADDITROL, ENERSOL, and Hevi-Sand.

The Company�� metalcasting products include blended mineral binders containing sodium and calcium bentonite and organic additives sold under the trade name ADDITROL. I! n the ferrous casting market, the Company specializes in blending bentonite of various grades by themselves or with mineral binders containing sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, seacoal and other ingredients. It also has a line of formulated additives that introduce silicon and carbon in the melt phase of the casting process. In the steel alloy casting market, it sells a chromite product with a particle size distribution specific to a customer�� needs.

The Company�� specialty materials products contain bentonite and synthetic additives offering solutions for consumer and industrial applications. It also offers products for bio-agricultural applications. The markets and applications of its specialty materials products include fabric care, personal care, basic materials and pet products. It supply high-grade, agglomerated bentonite and other mineral additives used in fabric care products. It manufactures adsorbent polymers and purified grades of bentonite for sale to manufacturers of personal skin care products. The adsorbent polymers are used to deliver high-value actives in skin-care products. Microsponge and Poly-Pore are the principal trade names under which these products are sold. Its basic minerals product line supplies minerals to a variety of markets and industrial applications, including drilling fluid additives, ferro alloys and other industrial.

The Company�� pet products include sodium bentonite-based scoopable (clumping), traditional and alternative cat litters, as well as specialty pet products sold to grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and pet specialty stores throughout the United States. It is primarily a private-label producer of cat litter, and its products are marketed under various trade names. These products are sold solely in the United States from three principal sites from which it package and distribute finished goods. Its transportation segment provides logistics services and is a component of its capability in supplyi! ng custom! ers on a national basis.

Construction Technologies Segment

The Company�� construction technologies segment serves customers engaged in a range of construction projects, including site remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well and horizontal drilling. Its construction technologies segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout the world. This segment consists of four product lines: building materials; contracting services; drilling products, and lining technologies.

The Company sells lining and other products for a variety of applications, most of which are directed to preserving or remediating environmental issues. It helps customers protect ground water and soil through the sale of geosynthetic clay liner products containing bentonite. It market these products under the BENTOMAT and CLAYMAX trade names principally for lining and capping landfills, mine waste disposal sites, water and wastewater lagoons, secondary containments in tank farms, and other contaminated sites. It also provides associated geosynthetic materials for these applications, including geotextiles and drainage geocomposites.

The Company�� lining technologies product line also includes specialized technologies to mitigate vapor intrusion in new building construction. It also provides reactive capping technologies and solutions to contain residual contamination, reduce costs associated with ex-situ remedies, and aid in environmental protection. Products offered include Liquid Boot, a liquid applied vapor barrier system; REACTIVE CORE-MAT, an in-situ sediment capping material; ORGANOCLAY, which absorbs organic containments, and QUIK-SOLID, a super absorbent media.

The Company offer a variety of active and passive waterproofing and greenroof technolog! ies for u! se in protecting the building envelope of non-residential constructions, including buildings, subways, and parkway systems. Its products include VOLTEX, a waterproofing composite comprised of two polypropylene geotextiles filled with sodium bentonite; ULTRASEAL, an advanced membrane using a active polymer core, and COREFLEX, featuring heat-welded seams for protection of critical infrastructure. In addition to these membrane materials, it also provides roofing products and a variety of sealants and other accessories required to create a functional waterproofing system.

The Company drilling products are used in environmental and geotechnical drilling applications, horizontal directional drilling, mineral exploration and foundation construction. The products are used to install monitoring wells, facilitate horizontal and water well drilling, and seal abandoned exploration drill holes. VOLCLAY GROUT, HYDRAUL-EZ, BENTOGROUT and VOLCLAY TABLETS are among the trade names for products used in these applications. It also offer a range of drilling products used in the excavation of foundations for large buildings, bridges and dams; these products include SHORE PAC and PREMIUM GEL. Contracting services, which involve installation of products, are occasionally offered to customers for select projects.

Energy Services Segment

The Company�� energy services segment provides services to improve the production, costs, compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in the oil and gas industry. Operating as CETCO Energy Services, it offer a range of patented technologies, products and services for all phases of oil and gas production, transportation, refining, and storage throughout the world. It provide both land-based and offshore water treatment, well testing, pipeline separation, nitrogen, coil tubing and other services to the oil and gas industry. The Company provides its services through subsidiaries located in Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Ki! ngdom, an! d the United States, principally in the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding on-shore area. Its principal services include water treatment, coil tubing, well testing, nitrogen services and pipeline. The Company helps customers comply with regulatory requirements by providing equipment, technologies, personnel and filtration media to treat waste water generated during oil production.

The Company's coil tubing services utilize metal piping, which comes spooled on a large reel. It provide both equipment and operating personnel to perform services ranging from acid stimulation, reverse circulation, cementing, pressure control, nitrogen injection, and other operations that involve pumping fluids into a well. Horizontal wells and shale completions are a large component of its operations. It provide equipment and personnel to help customers control well production, as well as to clean up, unload, separate, measure component flow, and dispose of fluids from oil and gas wells. Nitrogen services are provided in jetting wells that are loaded with fluid; stimulating wells, including fracturizing and acidizing; displacing completion fluids prior to perforating; inflating flotation devices for offshore installations, and pressure testing and other maintenance activities.

Transportation Segment

The Company operates a long-haul trucking business through Ameri-Co Carriers, Inc., and a freight brokerage business through Ameri-Co Logistics, Inc. primarily for delivery of finished products throughout the continental United States. These services are provided to its subsidiaries, as well as third-party customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO  ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 26. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict AMCOL International's revenues will grow 1.6% and EPS will wither -16.9%.

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Own Right Now: Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL (CBN)

Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL is a Lebanon-based joint stock company that operates in the construction materials industry sector. The Company is engaged in the production and sale of white cement. The Company is a 65.99% owned by Holcim (Liban) SAL. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CanadianValue]

  Nigeria�� reformed banking system has provided many foreigners with an attractive means to invest in the fast-growing domestic economy. The banking industry is important, not only because of the rise of microfinance, but because of the move by banks into consumer banking. Until recently, banks were mainly financing large businesses or the government through bond purchases. Following a banking crisis in 2008, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) conducted an audit of the commercial banking sector. All banks that failed the audit had their CEOs replaced. The state-owned Asset Management Corporation (AMCON) was created to purchase non-performing loans and recapitalize the unhealthy banks. A recent review of the country�� banks by the IMF showed a dramatic increase in profits for the industry in 2012, while the capital adequacy ratio was above the minimum requirement of 10% and non-performing loans were below the mandated threshold of 5%5.

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Buy Right Now: Texas Industries Inc (TXI)

Texas Industries, Inc., incorporated on April 19, 1951, is a supplier of construction materials in the southwestern United States. The Company operates in three segments: cement, aggregates and consumer products. Its cement segment produces gray portland cement and specialty cements. The Company�� cement production and distribution facilities are concentrated primarily in Texas and California. Its aggregates segment produces natural aggregates, including sand, gravel and crushed limestone. The Company�� consumer products segment produces ready-mix concrete. It is also a supplier of natural aggregates and ready-mix concrete in Texas and northern Louisiana and in Oklahoma and Arkansas. As of May 31, 2013, the Company had 123 manufacturing facilities in five states.

Cement Segment

The Company produces specialty cements, such as masonry and oil well cements. Its cement production facilities are located at Midlothian, Texas, south of Dallas/Fort Worth, Hunter, Texas, between Austin and San Antonio, and Oro Grande, California, near Los Angeles. It also operates a cement terminal and packaging facility at its Crestmore plant near Riverside, California, and the Company operates its gray portland cement grinding facility on an as needed basis. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013), it produced approximately 4.3 million tons of finished cement. The Company shipped approximately 4.4 million tons during fiscal 2013, of which 3.8 million tons were shipped to outside trade customers.

Aggregates Segment

The Company�� operations are conducted from facilities primarily serving the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin areas in Texas; the southern Oklahoma area, and the Alexandria and Monroe areas in Louisiana. The Company produced approximately 14.2 million tons of natural aggregates during fiscal 2013. It shipped approximately 14.8 million tons of natural aggregates during fiscal 2013, of which 11.3 million tons were shipped to outside trade customers! . The Company shipped approximately 1.0 million cubic yards of lightweight aggregates during fiscal 2013, of which approximately 0.9 million cubic yards were shipped to outside trade customers.

Consumer Products Segment

The Company�� ready-mix concrete operations are situated in three areas in Texas (the Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton area of north Texas, the Austin area of central Texas and from Beaumont to Texarkana in east Texas), in north and central Louisiana, and in southwestern Arkansas. It is also a 40% partner in a joint venture that has ready mix concrete operations in the northern part of central Texas area centered around Waco, Texas. It shipped approximately 2.8 million cubic yards of ready-mix concrete during fiscal 2013. The Company manufacture and supply a substantial amount of the cement and aggregates raw materials used by our ready-mix plants. The Company also marketed its Maximizer packaged concrete mixes in southern California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Fox Rubin]

  Building materials company Texas Industries Inc.(TXI) is considering a sale, Bloomberg News reported, citing three people familiar with knowledge of the matter. Shares of the company jumped 12% premarket to $65.50.

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Own Right Now: Holcim Ltd (HOLN)

Holcim Ltd (Holcim) is a Switzerland-based holding company that specializes in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of building materials. The Company operates four business segments, including Cement, Aggregates, Other construction materials and services, and Corporate. The Cement segment is engaged in the development of cement and comprises clinker and other cementitious materials, among others. The Aggregates business segment includes crushed stone, gravel and sand. The Other construction materials and services business segment comprises ready-mix concrete, concrete products, asphalt, construction and paving, and trading, among others. Additionally, other construction materials and services segment provides environmental services, including waste management, among others. The Corporate segment is engaged in holding activities and general management. It operates through subsidiaries in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa and Middle East regions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Holcim Ltd. (HOLN) lost 0.9 percent to 68.15 francs in Zurich. Bank of America Corp.�� Merrill Lynch unit cut its rating on the world�� largest cement maker to underperform, similar to a sell recommendation, from neutral. Merrill Lynch cited the company�� exposure to emerging markets.

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Own Right Now: Boral Ltd (BLD)

Boral Limited (Boral), is engaged in the manufacture and supply of building and construction materials in Australia, the United States and Asia. The Company�� operating segments include Construction Materials & Cement, Building Products, Boral Gypsum, and Boral USA. The Construction Materials & Cement is engaged in quarries, concrete, asphalt, transport, landfill, property, cement and concrete placing. The Building Products segment is engaged in Australian bricks, roof tiles, masonry, timber products and windows. The Boral Gypsum involves Australian and Asian plasterboard. The Boral USA is engaged in Bricks, cultured stone, roof tiles, fly ash, concrete and quarries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Lam]

  Ballard Power (BLD), which designs and manufactures hydrogen fuel cells, slumped 15 percent to C$1.42, the biggest decline since March. The company yesterday said it will sell about 9 million units at $1.40 a unit for proceeds of about $12.6 million. The cash generated will be used to fund working capital, support growth and general corporate purposes, the company said.

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Amdocs Limited (DOX)

Amdocs Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides software and services for communications, media, and entertainment industry service providers worldwide. It offers revenue management products, including convergent charging and billing, mediation, partner management, service delivery, compact convergence, and machine-to-machine solutions that manage the end-to-end network services revenue stream from offer definition to cash-in-hand and spans the consumer, business, and partner domains. The company also provides customer management products comprising multichannel selling, multichannel care, and proactive insight products that enable service providers to simplify the customer experience in all interaction channels and touch points; operations support systems, such as network planning, service fulfillment, service assurance, inventory and discovery, business service capture, network navigator, and radio parameter manager for fixed line, wireless, and cable networks; and network control products consisting of service controllers, home subscriber servers, policy controllers, data and Wi-Fi experience solutions, and intelligent diameter routing agents. In addition, it offers digital services, which include connected home solutions, mobile payments, digital commerce solutions, personalization, and unified communications and foundation. Further, the company provides advertising and media solutions that comprise sales experience, business agility, small-medium business experience, and business content and advertising syndication solutions. Additionally, it offers business consulting, system integration, information technology outsourcing and value process operation managed services, managed transformation, and product support services. Amdocs Limited was founded in 1988 and is based in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands.

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 Amdocs (NYSE: DOX  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Iron Mountain have fallen 2.3% to $25.72 today, while comparable have been mixed. Leidos Holdings (LDOS) has ticked up 0.6% to $46.28 and Amdocs (DOX) has risen 0.8% to $37.20. Maximus (MMS), on the other hand, has fallen 1.2% to $46.22 and Xerox (XRX) is off 0.3% to $10.62.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-healthcare-equipment-companies-to-watch-in-right-now.html

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015

Strong Black�Friday�weekend sales and continued heavy demand for iPhones, iPads and Macs mean that December quarter estimates of Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) may prove conservative.

Apple sees December quarter (first quarter) revenue between $55 billion and $58 billion and gross margin between 36.5 percent and 37.5 percent. Wall Street expects revenue of $57.24 billion, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Black�Friday�Sales of Apple iPad Air, iPad, iPad Mini Retina, iPad Mini and iPhone 5S were extremely strong and could have exceeded internal expectations by at least 15 percent.

[Related -Record Sales For Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) And Three Stocks That Could Benefit]

Apple stores enjoyed heavy traffic throughout the holiday weekend. In contrast to previous years, Apple appears to be managing solid levels of supply at its retail stores and inventory restocking was frequent as the majority of stores.

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: Spherix Inc (SPEX)

Spherix Incorporated (Spherix), incorporated on May 1, 1992, is a scientific research company. The Company is engaged in developing biopharmaceutical products and providing technical and regulatory consulting services to food, consumer products and pharmaceutical companies. The Company operates in two segments: Biospherics Incorporated (Biospherics), the Company's biotechnology research and development business, and Health Sciences, a technical and regulatory consulting business. The Company has created two wholly owned subsidiaries, Biospherics Incorporated and Spherix Consulting, Inc. (Spherix Consulting), for its two operating segments. The Company's Health Sciences contracts are in the name of Spherix Consulting, and the Company's patents are in the name of Biospherics Incorporated. Spherix provides management, strategic guidance, business development, marketing and other services to its subsidiaries. In September 2013, Spherix Incorporated closed on the acquisition of North South Holdings Inc.

Biospherics

The Company focuses its studies on treating high triglycerides and other dyslipidemias with a combination of D-tagatose and SPX-106, a licensed drug compound, which combination is referred to as SPX-106T. Spherix Consulting provides scientific and strategic support for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers of conventional foods, biotechnology-derived foods, medical foods, infant formulas, food ingredients, dietary supplements, food contact substances, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, and industrial chemicals and pesticides. Biospherics has also completed a global Phase III clinical trial investigating the use of D-Tagatose, a stereoisomer of fructose, as a treatment for glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Health Sciences

The Company's Health Sciences business provides technical and regulatory consulting services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as providing technical suppo! rt for its research and development activities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Health Sciences provided services to 20 companies. The projects range from safety analyses of food ingredients to safety analyses of pharmaceutical manufacturing and dispensing equipment. Health Sciences is also monitoring and directing the clinical trials for Biospherics.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap patent stocks Spherix Inc (NASDAQ: SPEX), PDL BioPharma Inc (NASDAQ: PDLI) and Endeavor IP Inc (OTCBB: ENIP) are among the�growing number of publicly traded�US entities focused on collecting and making money from various types of patents. After all, monetizing patents can lead to incredible returns. For example: Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund wrote in a research note back in November that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is generating $2 billion per year in revenue from Android patent royalties and he�estimates that this revenue has a 95% margin. However, there are risks associated with investing in stocks that invest in patents because a bi-partisan bill called the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) is�working its way through Congress to try and reign in the activities of so-called�"patent trolls" or rather companies that buy or license patents from others.

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: STARWOOD PROPERTY TRUST INC.(STWD)

Starwood Property Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust, primarily focuses on originating, investing in, financing, and managing commercial mortgage loans and other commercial real estate debt investments, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. It also focuses to invest in commercial properties subject to net leases, residential mortgage loans, and residential mortgage-backed securities. SPT Management, LLC serves as the manager of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. The company qualifies as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes, if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Starwood Property Trust was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment, our analysts discuss some of the day's big movers and shakers.�Shares of Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT  ) rise after Deutsche Bank initiates coverage with a buy rating. Trading in Herbalife (NYSE: HLF  ) is halted after the company's auditor resigns. Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) gains ground on the news that inflation in China is slowing. And Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD  ) declines after the real estate company announces a secondary stock offering.�

• [By Doug Fabian]

  This fund is pegged to the FTSE NAREIT All Mortgage Capped Index, a benchmark measure that includes top names in the space such as Annaly Capital (NLY), American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC), Starwood Property Trust (STWD) and Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO).

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Other companies are currently mulling single-family REIT IPOs, too. Colony recently announced�that it plans to spin off its Colony American Homes, which owns over 9,500 homes with average monthly rents of $1,277. Barry Sternlicht, CEO of commercial mortgage investment REIT Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD  ) has also said that he is seriously considering�spinning off his company's real estate holdings into a single-family REIT within the next few months.

10 Best High Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Assa Abloy AB (ASAZY.PK)

Assa Abloy AB is a Sweden-based company engaged in the secure door opening solutions. It is organized into five divisions: Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), North and South America (Americas), Asia, Australia and New Zealand (Asia Pacific), Global Technologies and Entrance Systems. The EMEA, Americas and Asia Pacific divisions manufacture mechanical and electromechanical locks, security doors and hardware in their respective geographical markets. The Global Technologies division operates in the product areas of access control systems, secure card issuance, identification technology and hotel locks. The Entrance Systems division is a supplier of entrance automation products and services. The Company�� subsidiaries include ASSA Sverige AB, Timelox AB and ABLOY Holdings Ltd., among others. In November 2013, it acquired Ameristar Fence Products Inc, a manufacturer of ornamental fences and gates. In January 2014, it acquired IdenTrust. In February 2014, it acquired Lumidigm. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Weighing Machine]

  Domiciled in Sweden, Assa Abloy (ASAZY.PK) is the largest lock maker in the world with a global market share of nearly 12%. While the construction market has been difficult since the financial crisis, Assa has continued to increase revenue and operating profit every year since 2010 and is on track to do so again in 2013. While commercial construction has been subdued, the aftermarket (which represents ~70% of the total lock market) is driven by changes in tenancy, renovation, and extensions have not been very cyclical and provides the company with a steady stream of profits. Assa has been cobbled together through 150+ acquisitions since the early 1990s and while management has done a good job of rationalizing facilities, there remain opportunities to increase manufacturing efficiencies. Similarly, the company's back office is still running dozens of IT systems (as a result of acquisitions) but management plans to consolidate these over the next few years. Further, Assa remains an active consolidator of the locks industry - it should be able to add 5% per year to sales via acquisitions (as an aside, those interested in micro-caps should have a look at Securidev in France which trades at less than half the private market value Assa has paid for lock makers on average over the past decade). Having the highest margins in the industry, Assa is able to achieve significant synergies on acquired businesses and earn good returns on capital for its shareholders through M&A. Thus even in a difficult economy, we expect Assa will continue to grow its operating profit given its steady after market revenue, opportunity to improve results through cost cutting, and through value accretive M&A. While its shares are not cheap, at 19x earnings, shares could offer investors with a five year holding period and an 8-10% annualized return.

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: Waste Connections Inc. (WCN)

Waste Connections, Inc., an integrated solid waste services company, provides solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services. The company also offers intermodal services, including repositioning, storage, maintenance, and repair of cargo containers for international shipping companies for the rail haul movement of cargo and solid waste containers in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, it provides container and chassis sales and leasing services to its customers. Further, the company offers residential, commercial, and industrial solid waste collection services; and provides recycling services for various recyclable materials, including cardboard, office paper, plastic containers, glass bottles, and ferrous and aluminum metals. Its transfer stations receive, compact, and load solid waste to be transported to landfills via truck, rail, or barge. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned or operated a network of 135 solid waste collection operations, 54 t ransfer stations, 39 recycling operations, 44 active landfills, and 7 intermodal facilities, as well as one exploration and production waste treatment and disposal facility. It serves approximately two million residential, commercial, and industrial customers from a network of operations in 27 states in the United States. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Folsom, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Rich Smith]

  Treasure in trash
  Markets are up modestly in early trading Monday, and one company leading the way upwards is trash collector Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN  ) . Up nearly 39% over the past year, and up nearly twice as much as the S&P 500, Waste Connections got a further boost today when analysts at Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on the stock to $47 a share.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Other players in the field, such as Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN  ) , have viewed traditional refuse collection as too crowded and have looked toward unique ways of boosting their bottom line. Waste Connection last year purchased R360 Environmental Solutions for $1.3 billion to get a foothold in the oil and natural gas industry. R360 generates revenue by cleaning contaminated fields, recovering oil from storage tanks, and washing drilling facilities.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Integrated municipal solid waste services company Waste Connections (WCN) raised its quarterly dividend 15% to 11.5 cents per share, payable on Nov. 19 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 5.
  WCN Dividend Yield:�1.04%

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: Douglas Emmett Inc. (DEI)

Douglas Emmett, Inc., a real estate investment trust, owns and operates office and multifamily properties in California and Hawaii. As of December 31, 2007, the company�s office portfolio consisted of 48 properties and multifamily portfolio consisted of 9 properties. Its properties are located in Brentwood, Olympic Corridor, Century City, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Westwood, Sherman Oaks/Encino, Warner Center/Woodland Hills, and Burbank submarkets of Los Angeles County, California, as well as in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  High-quality office and multi-family real estate investment trust Douglas Emmett (DEI) raised its quarterly dividend 11% to 20 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 30.
  DEI Dividend Yield: 3.38%

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Office and multifamily housing operator�Douglas Emmett� (NYSE: DEI  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.18 per share, the same rate it's paid for the last two quarters after raising the payout 20% from $0.15 per share.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Breaking news

  NASDAQ OMX Group (Nasdaq: NDAQ) and Borsa Istanbul A.S. have today concluded a wide-ranging agreement, which includes the delivery of market-leading technologies and advisory services to Borsa Istanbul, and NASDAQ OMX taking an equity stake in Borsa Istanbul. To read the full news, click here. Acacia Research (NASDAQ: ACTG) announced today that its Bolt MRI Technologies LLC subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Fonar Corporation (NASDAQ: FONR). To read the full news, click here. Douglas Emmett, (NYSE: DEI) announced that William Kamer will be retiring from full time service as its Chief Investment Officer effective January 31, 2014. Mr. Kamer will continue to be employed by Douglas Emmett as a Senior Advisor. To read the full news, click here. Acacia Research (NASDAQ: ACTG) announced today that its Brandywine Communications Technologies LLC subsidiary has entered into a settlement and patent license agreement with Alcatel-Lucent USA (NYSE: ALU). To read the full news, click here.

  Posted-In: Benchmark US Stock FuturesNews Eurozone Futures Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: JTH Holding Inc (TAX)

JTH Holding, Inc. (JTH Holding), incorporated in September 2010, is a holding company engaged through its subsidiaries as a franchisor and operator of a system of income tax preparation offices located in the United States and Canada. The Company is a retail preparer of individual tax returns. JTH Holding's principal operations are conducted through its subsidiary, JTH Tax, Inc. (JTH Tax). Through this system of income tax preparation offices, JTH Holding also facilitates to its customer refund-based tax settlement financial products, such as refund anticipation loans, electronic refund checks, and personal income tax refund discounting. On September 30, 2010, JTH Tax entered into an Agreement of Merger and Plan of Reorganization with JTH Holding. At the closing of the merger on September 30, 2010, JTH Tax merged with and became a wholly owned subsidiary of JTH Holding.

As of September 2, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company had 3,900 tax offices and the number of United States tax returns prepared in its offices is approximately 1.7 million. The Company provides its customers with value-added federal and state tax preparation services and related financial products both in retail offices and online. During fiscal 2011, the Company and its franchisees operated 3,590 offices in the United States in tax season. Approximately 63% of its revenue for fiscal 2011 was derived from franchise fees, royalties and advertising fees. During fiscal 2011, during tax season its online customers prepared approximately 98,000 tax returns using its online tax offering, eSmartTax.

The Company earns franchisee fees from its franchisees and advertisements (Ads). The Company offers its franchisees structures and financing options for franchise fees and royalty payments. The Company earns royalty revenue from its franchisees. Its franchise agreement requires franchisees to pay the Company a base royalty equal to 14% of the franchisee's tax preparation revenue, subject to certain specified minimums. Fran! chisees acquiring territories under its no franchise fee alternative will be required to pay it franchise royalties of 25% through their first five tax seasons, and thereafter 14% of their tax preparation revenue. The Company earns advertising fee revenue from its franchisees. Its franchise agreement requires all franchisees to pay the Company an advertising fee of 5% of the franchisee's tax preparation revenue.

The Company offers two types of financial products: refund transfer products, such as electronic refund checks (ERCs), which involve providing a means by which a customer may receive his or her refund, and refund-based loans, such as refund anticipation loans (RALs) and instant cash advances (ICAs). The Company earns fees from the use of these financial products. The Company also earns tax preparation revenue directly from both the operation of company-owned offices and the provision of tax preparation services through its eSmartTax online product.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  H&R Block (NYSE: HRB  ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and as you'd expect outside of tax season, the tax-preparation company will almost certainly post a sizable loss. But the bigger question investors want answered is whether H&R Block can meet the long-term threat of Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU  ) and its TurboTax software on one end, as well as the live tax-preparation competition of JTH Holdings' (NASDAQ: TAX  ) and its Liberty Tax Service chain.

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: VAALCO Energy Inc (EGY)

VAALCO Energy, Inc. (VAALCO), incorporated in 1985, is an independent energy company principally engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. VAALCO owns producing properties and conducts exploration activities as operator in Gabon, West Africa, conducts exploration activities as an operator in Angola, West Africa, and has conducted exploration activities as a non-operator in the British North Sea. The Company owns minor interests in production activities as a non-operator in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields produced approximately 8.1 million barrels of oil (2.3 million barrels of oil net to the Company).

Offshore Gabon

The Company�� primary source of revenue is from the Etame Production Sharing Contract related to the Etame Marin block located offshore the Republic of Gabon. VAALCO operates the Etame Marin block on behalf of a consortium of companies. As of December 31, 2010, VAALCO owned a 30.35% interest in the exploration acreage within the Etame Marin block. The Company owns a 28.1% interest in the development areas surrounding the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields, each of which is located on the Etame Marin block. The Company produces from the Etame, Avouma, South Tchibala and Ebouri fields on the block.

Onshore Gabon

The Mutamba Iroru block is ocated onshore near the coast in central Gabon. The Mutamba Iroru block contains an exploration area of approximately 270,000 acres.

Offshore Angola

The Company has 40% working interest in Offshore Angola. The four year primary term with an optional three year extension awards the Company exploration rights to 1.4 million acres offshore central Angola.

Onshore Domestic-Texas

In July 2011, the Company acquired a 480 acre lease in the Granite Wash formation in North Texas. In November 2011, the Company commen! ced drilling a second well on the initial Granite Wash formation lease.

Onshore DomesticMontana

In May 2011, the Company acquired a 70% working interest in approximately 5,200 acres (3,640 net acres) in Sheridan County, Montana in the Middle Bakken formation. In September 2011, it acquired a 65% working interest in approximately 22,000 gross acres covering the Middle Bakken and deeper formations in the East Poplar unit and the Northwest Poplar field in Roosevelt County, Montana.

DomesticOutside Operated

The Company has minor interests in Brazos County, Texas producing from the Buda/Georgetown formations. The Company also owns certain minor non-operated interests in the Ship Shoal area of the Gulf of Mexico and in Pickens County, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVEO), Kirkland��, Inc (NASDAQ: KIRK), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT: NASDAQ), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: MRFM), SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS), Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese retail sales, French CPI, Brazilian retail sales, US retail sales, Japanese industrial production

  Friday

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Friday

  Earnings Expected From: Covidien plc. (NYSE: COV), Eldorado Gold Corporation (NYSE: EGO), Vaalco Energy Inc. (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: �US Wholesale Trade, US non-farm payrolls

  Posted-In: Bank Of England European Central Bank Federal ReserveNews Eurozone Previews Global Economics Federal Reserve Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: Extreme Biodiesel Inc (XTRM)

Extreme Biodiesel Inc., formerly Book Merge Technology, Inc., incorporated on February 28, 2008, is engaged in manufacturing of home biodiesel processors. The Company focuses to produce alternative fuel. The Company has a bio diesel refinery and factory for refining diesel oil and manufacturing bio diesel processors. On October 11, 2010, the Company acquired a 51% interest in EGT. on October 11, 2010, the reverse acquisition was effected. On March 31, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of EGT.

The Company�� products include standard extractor, extreme extractor, extreme mini-refinery, extreme purification system, titration kit, dispensing pump with meter and oil collection pump. The standard extractor is a biodiesel processor, which requires a water-wash process to purify the biodiesel. Extreme extractor is a waterless purification system. The Mini Refinery is the waterless system, which can make 600 gallons of quality biodiesel per day.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap resource or green stocks Paradigm Resource Management Corp (OTCMKTS: PRDC), Extreme Biodiesel Inc (OTCMKTS: XTRM) and Pan Global Corp (OTCMKTS: PGLO) have all been getting some attention lately thanks in part to a few paid stock promotions. However, two of these small cap appear to be the subject of minimal paid promotion activity, but even a small paid promotion or investor relations campaign can increase a stock�� volatility. So do these three small cap resource or green stocks have what it takes to deliver some Christmas cheer for investors and traders alike? Here is a quick reality check:

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: Express Inc. (EXPR)

Express, Inc. operates specialty retail stores in the United States. The company?s stores offer apparel and accessories for women and men between 20 and 30 years old across various aspects of the lifestyles comprising work, casual, jeanswear, and going-out occasions. It also sells gift cards. As of January 29, 2011, the company operated 591 stores, including 547 dual-gender stores, 25 women?s stores, and 19 men?s stores located primarily in high-traffic shopping malls, lifestyle centers, and street locations in 47 states throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In addition, it operates seven Express stores in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates through its Development Agreement with Alshaya Trading Co.; and sells its products through e-commerce Website, express.com. The company was formerly known as Express Parent LLC and changed its name to Express, Inc. in May 2010. Express, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in C olumbus, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Christopher & Banks Corporation (NYSE: CBK), Brown Forman Corporation (NYSE: BFB), Express, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR), Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: AVGO) Economic Releases Expected: US nonfarm employment change, US trade balance, Canadian trade balance, US new home sales, US ISM non-manufacturing PMI

  Thursday

10 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Watch For 2015: Techne Corporation(TECH)

TECHNE Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells biotechnology products, and hematology calibrators and controls worldwide. The company?s Biotechnology segment offers proteins, such as cytokines, and enzyme substrates and inhibitors; antibodies, including polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies; immunoassays comprising quantikine kits for the detection of human and animal proteins, and immunoassays that allow researchers to quantify a specific analyte in a biological fluids sample; clinical diagnostic immunoassay kits consisting of erythropoietin, transferrin receptor, and beta2-microglobulin immunoassays for use as in vitro diagnostic devices; flow cytometry products, such as fluorochrome labeled antibodies and kits; intracellular cell signaling products, including antibodies, phospho-specific antibodies, antibody arrays, active caspases, kinases, and phosphatases, and ELISA assays to measure the activity of apoptotic and signaling molecules; and natural and synthetic c hemical compounds for use as agonists, antagonists, and inhibitors of various biological functions by investigators. Its Hematology segment provides whole blood CBC controls controls and calibrators; linearity and reportable range controls for the assessment of the linearity of hematology analyzers for white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and reticulocytes; whole blood reticulocyte controls for manual and automated counting of reticulocytes; whole blood flow cytometry controls for the identification and quantification white blood cells; whole blood glucose/hemoglobin control to monitor instruments, which measure glucose and hemoglobin in blood; erythrocyte sedimentation rate control to monitor erythrocyte sedimentation rate tests; and multi-purpose platelet reference controls, such as Platelet-Trol II and Platelet-Trol Extended for use by automated and semi-automated analyzers, which monitor platelet levels. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in M inneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Biologics researcher�Techne� (NASDAQ: TECH  ) �will pay a regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 on May 24 to the holders of record at the close of business on May 10.

• [By Nicolas73]

  Digitalized data (documents, books, articles) volume is growing at an incredible pace. Moreover, it would be simply not possible (nor useful) to print everything.Company and institutions encourage people to print something only when strictly needed, both for environmental and for cost-cutting purposes.Fax machines will quickly become (tech) museum pieces, replaced by emails (people are free to print an email whenever it is really necessary).Combo printers (scanner and printer) will quickly replace most photocopiers (people will scan everything and print only when it is really necessary).
  I think Xerox's management felt the responsibility to deal with these kinds of business dangers as soon as they became evident. I also think they brilliantly addressed and solved them.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015

Small cap stocks IN Media Corp (OTCMKTS: IMDC), Epazz Inc (OTCMKTS: EPAZ) and Polaris International Holdings (OTCMKTS: PIHN) have been busy developing new devices/products or making acquisitions. Moreover, at least two of these small cap stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. Keeping that in mind, will new devices/products or acquisitions help these small caps along with their investors or traders? Here is a closer look:

IN Media Corp (OTCMKTS: IMDC) Is Developing New Devices

Small cap IN Media Corp is an integrator of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services, products and content for major platform and service providers (e.g. cable, satellite, and Internet providers). On Monday, IN Media Corp rose 7.14% to $0.0750 for a market cap of $4.46 million plus IMDC is down 61.5% over the past year and down 93.2% since December 2009 according to Google Finance.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: QCR Holdings Inc.(QCRH)

QCR Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides commercial and consumer banking, and trust and asset management services for the Quad City, Cedar Rapids, and Rockford communities. The company accepts deposits and invests in loans/leases and securities. Its deposit products comprise interest bearing deposits, non-interest bearing and interest bearing demand deposits, savings deposits, time deposits, and brokered time deposits. The company also offers a range of commercial and retail lending and investment services to corporations, partnerships, individuals, and government agencies. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, including loans to wholesalers, manufacturers, building contractors, business services companies, other banks, and retailers; business loans, which include lines of credit for working capital and operational purposes; term loans for the acquisition of facilities, equipment, and other purposes; commercial real estate loans; and consumer loans c omprising motor vehicle, home improvement, home equity, and signature loans, as well as small personal credit lines. In addition, the company engages in the direct financing lease contracts; holding the real estate property; and issuing various trust preferred securities. QCR Holdings was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moline, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  QCR Holdings (QCRH) is another bank that has consistently had a lower return on assets than its peer group. The Illinois based bank has 9 offices and about $2.4 billion in total assets. The bank has an equity-to-assets ratio of just 7.4, which is well below the national average. The Illinois market has seen strong merger and acquisition activity in the past year, and this bank could become a target .

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: Atech Holdings Ltd (ATH)

ATech Holdings Limited is an Australia-based company. As of June 30, 2010, the Company was engaged in the investment of its cash reserves. The Company�� controlled entities include SEAA (151 Sturt St, South Melbourne) Pty Limited and SEAA (Boronia) Pty Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Lam]

  Athabasca Oil Corp. (ATH), which is seeking a joint-venture partner for its Duvernay holdings, jumped 9.3 percent to C$7.97, the most in seven weeks.

Hot Income Companies To Watch For 2015: Perceptron Inc.(PRCP)

Perceptron, Inc. develops, produces, and sells non-contact measurement and inspection solutions in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It offers AutoGauge systems that are used in the assembly and fabrication plants of automotive manufacturers; AutoGauge Plus, which offers freeform surface scanning and discrete feature measurement in one solution; AutoFit systems that are used in automotive manufacturing plants to contain, correct, and control the fit of exterior body panels; AutoScan systems, which provide a non-contact method of gathering data for the analysis of the surface contour of a part or product; and AutoGuide systems to calculate the difference between theoretical and actual relationships of a robot and the part being assembled, and send compensation data in six degrees of freedom to the robot. The company also offers ScanWorks, a hardware/software component set that allows customers to add digitizing capabilities to their machines or systems; ScanWorks xyz, a 3D sc anning solution designed for retrofitting 3-axis machines; ToolKit, a software solution for CMM manufacturers, system integrators, and application software developers; WheelWorks software and sensors that offer a non-contact method of measuring wheel position for use in automated or manual wheel alignment machines in automotive assembly plants; and Multi-line Sensors for use in automotive assembly plant wheel alignment systems. In addition, it manufactures visual inspection devices and accessories for the mechanical market; plumbing diagnostic equipment, meter imager systems, line detector accessories, and handheld inspection devices for the plumbing market; optical inspection devices for the construction and DIY market; and imaging solutions for the electrical market, as well as offers value-added services, including training, field services, launch support, consulting, maintenance agreements, repairs, and software tools. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  In trading on Tuesday, industrials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.26 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Perceptron (NASDAQ: PRCP), up 10.9 percent, China Ming Yang Wind Power Group (NYSE: MY), up 4.8 percent.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS)

Hydrogenics Corporation, incorporated on June 10, 2009, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops and provides hydrogen generation and fuel cell products based on water electrolysis technology and proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology. The Company conducts its business through two business units: OnSite Generation, which focuses on hydrogen generation products for renewable energy, industrial and transportation customers, and Power Systems, which focuses on fuel cell products for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) systems integrators and end users for stationary applications, including backup power, and motive applications, such as forklift trucks. The Company�� products include HySTAT hydrogen generation equipment in its OnSite Generation business and HyPM fuel cell products in its Power Systems business.

The Company maintains operations in Belgium, Canada and Germany. Its OnSite Generation business segment is based in Oevel, Belgium and develops products for industrial gas, hydrogen fueling and renewable energy storage markets. The Company�� Power Systems business segment is based in Mississauga, Canada, with a satellite facility in Gladbeck, Germany, and develops products for energy storage, stationary and motive power applications.

OnSite Generation

The Company�� OnSite Generation business segment, is based on water electrolysis technology, which includes the decomposition of water into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) by passing an electric current through a liquid electrolyte. Its brand includes HySTAT electrolyzer products, which is configured for both indoor and outdoor applications. Its OnSite Generation products are sold to merchant gas companies, such as Air Liquide and Linde Gas and end-users requiring hydrogen produced on-site for industrial applications. The Company also sells and services products for oil and gas companies, such as Shell Hydrogen, requiring hydrogen fueling stations for transportation applications.

Power Systems

The Company�� Power Systems business segment is based on PEM fuel cell technology, which transforms chemical energy liberated during the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy. It also develops and delivers hydrogen generation products based on PEM water electrolysis, which can also be used to serve the energy storage markets. Its target markets include backup power for telecom and data centre installations and motive power applications, such as buses, trucks and utility vehicles. The Company�� Power Systems products are sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as CommScope, Inc. (CommScope) to provide backup power applications for telecom installations and vehicle and other integrators for motive power, direct current (DC) and alternative current (AC) backup. In addition, its products are sold for prototype field tests. The Company also sells its Power Systems products to the military.

HySTAT Hydrogen Stations

HySTAT Hydrogen Stations offer an on-site supply of hydrogen for a range of hydrogen applications, including vehicle fuelling, distributed power, and a variety of industrial processes. It also provides spare parts and service for its entire installed base.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company offered its HySTAT Hydrogen Station in multiple configurations based on the amount of hydrogen required. This product is suitable for producing continuous or batch supplies of hydrogen for industrial processing applications and generates between 10 - 60 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/hr) of hydrogen.

HyPM Fuel Cell Products

The Company�� HyPM fuel cell products provide electrical power from clean hydrogen fuel. Its HyPM fuel cell products include HyPM Fuel Cell Power Modules, HyPX Fuel Cell Power Pack, Integrated Fuel Cell Systems and Engineering Development Services. Its HyPM power module runs on hydrogen and produces direct current (DC) power. This product! is suita! ble for a range of stationary, mobile and portable power applications. The HyPM XR model is targeted at backup power applications and the HyPMHD model is targeted at motive power applications. The Company�� HyPX Power Pack includes a HyPM power module integrated with hydrogen storage tanks and ultracapacitors that provide higher power in short bursts. Its integrated fuel cell systems are built around its HyPM power modules and used for portable and stationary applications, including portable and auxiliary power units for military applications and DC backup power system for cellular tower sites. The Company also enters into engineering development contracts with certain customers for new or custom products.

The Company competes with Air Liquide and Linde Gas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Peers Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP), and Hydrogenics Corp. (NASDAQ: HYGS) have also shared in the stock price run-up. Any investor expecting more from FuelCell�� results was, perhaps, being irrationally exuberant.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap hydrogen fuel stocks Hydrogenics Corporation (NASDAQ: HYGS), FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ: FCEL), HyperSolar Inc (OTCMKTS: HYSR) and HydroPhi Technologies Group, Inc (OTCMKTS: HPTG) are some of the lesser known small caps that are�working with hydrogen fuel or hydrogen fuel cell related technology. I should say that small cap hydrogen stocks are not for risk adverse investors as there are considerable unanswered questions about hydrogen fuel related technology and whether it can be a viable green technology given the fueling infrastructure needed along with the�energy and expense involved in creating hydrogen�(Note: None of these small cap�stocks are profitable at ). But any new technology will pose the same types of risks for early stage investors���especially if its so-called green technology.�

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: Globe International Ltd (GLB)

Globe International Limited is an Australia-based company, engaged in the design, marketing and distribution of apparel, footwear and skate hardgoods brands for the action sports and street fashion markets. The company operates in the sale of goods in the Action Sports market. The Company operates in three segments include Australasia, North America and Europe. Globe International products were sold to nearly 100 countries around the world.The Company maintains distribution business of third party owned brands for the Australian and New Zealand market operating under its Hardcore and 4 Front divisions. As of June 30, 2012, the Company�� proprietary brands include Globe, Enjoi, Blind, Dusters, Almost, Cliche, Darkstar, Speed Demons, Tensor and Gallaz. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Glanbia Plc (GLB) rallied the most in more than two years as food and beverage shares gained. Hennes & Mauritz AB jumped 6.9 percent after reporting monthly sales that beat estimates. Edenred SA rose 7.8 percent after Raymond James Financial Inc. said margins may improve in 2014. Fresnillo Plc sank 14 percent after missing out on inclusion in a gold-miners gauge.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: ZipRealty Inc.(ZIPR)

ZipRealty, Inc., a residential real estate brokerage company, provides brokerage services to buyers and sellers in the United States. The company, through its Website ziprealty.com, provides access to Multiple Listing Services (MLS) home listings data, including pictures from the local MLSs; and allows consumers to receive an automatic email notification each time a property that meets their desired search criteria, is made available on the local MLSs. Its Website also offers neighborhood data, such as population, comparable home sales, average income, education level, occupation mix, cost of living, crime statistics, weather, school district information, maps, and driving directions; online images and virtual tours; schedule visits; and home offers. In addition, the company operates ZAP, a Web-based agent platform and customer relationship management system integrated to its Website. Its ZAP integrates and records consumer contact information and Website behavior, agent b ehavior, and transaction information into a common platform; and records relevant consumer behavior, such as logon frequency and times, specific homes viewed and printed, searches made by clients, requested visits to view homes, and online offers, as well as captures and stores agent activities, including agent email communications organized by clients. The company offers its services through its agents in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. ZipRealty, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Emeryville, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shaun Currie, CFA]

  ZipRealty (ZIPR) is a company that meets 5 of the 6 criteria listed above. The stock has fallen out of favor over the last several years as performance declined during the recession. The company has completed a major restructuring and recently returned to positive EBITDA margins. Operations of the company are further supported by a pickup in home sales in the US. There has also been significant insider buying over the past month, and the company trades at a deep discount to its competition. I believe the stock has at least 60% upside from its current price.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: Ocwen Financial Corporation(OCN)

Ocwen Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides residential and commercial mortgage loan servicing, special servicing, and asset management services in the United States and internationally. The company provides loan servicing, including asset management and resolution services primarily to owners of subprime residential mortgages. It also invests in subprime residential loans held for resale; and is involved in subprime residual mortgage backed trading securities related to subprime loan origination operation and whole loan purchase and securitization activities, as well as engages in the management of residential assets. Ocwen Financial Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Bank of America involved, again
  Reuters reports that fraud fighter Lisa Epstein discovered that mortgage servicers have been feeding mortgage bond investors incorrect information concerning the mortgages that lie within the MBSes they hold. Servicers such as Bank of America and Ocwen Financial (NYSE: OCN  ) , for example, have supplied information to bond trustees Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) and Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK  ) indicating that homes that have long since been sold or paid off are still in foreclosure.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  An immensely profitable enterprise
  With a line-up of willing sellers -- and free of the capital constraints of banks -- mortgage servicers like Nationstar Mortgage (NYSE: NSM  ) , Ocwen Financial (NYSE: OCN  ) , and Walter Investment (NYSE: WAC  ) have seen their stars rise quickly, experiencing stock price surges of at least 100% over the past year.

• [By Stephen Quickel]

  In the financial sectors, we are intrigued by the 25% to 27% a year earnings growth expectations for Ocwen Financial Corp. (OCN).

  Ocwen, located in Atlanta, is a holding company specializing mainly in originating and servicing mortgage loans. Though not widely known, both stocks trade at rock-bottom PEG ratios.

• [By Dakin Campbell]

  Banks accelerated sales in 2012 with servicer Residential Capital LLC, a unit of Ally, selling a $374 billion portfolio to Ocwen Financial Corp. (OCN) and Walter Investment Management Corp. for $3 billion.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: CarMax Inc(KMX)

CarMax, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of used vehicles in the United States. It also sells vehicles that do not meet its retail standards to licensed dealers through on-site wholesale auctions, as well as sells new vehicles under franchise agreements. In addition, the company provides customers financing alternatives through its finance operation, CarMax Auto Finance, as well as through its third-party financing providers. Further, it offers a range of other related products and services, including the sale of extended service plans, guaranteed asset protection, and accessories; the appraisal and purchase of vehicles directly from consumers; and vehicle repair services. As of December 21, 2011, the company operated 107 used car superstores in 52 markets. CarMax, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Friday
  CarMax (NYSE: KMX  ) closes out the trading week with its revved-up financials. The popular retailer of used cars is smashing the stereotype of shady dealers selling secondhand vehicles. With massive inventory levels and haggle-free pricing, CarMax has succeeded. Analysts see revenue and earnings climbing 13% and 12%, respectively, in Friday's quarterly report.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  CarMax�(KMX) has 4.6% to $52.30 after it reported earnings of 62 cents a share, above analyst forecasts of 56 cents.

  CIT Group�(CIT) has gained 0.6% to $47.10 after it was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.

• [By Rex Moore]

  In this installment of Investor Beat, Motley Fool analysts Matt Koppenheffer and Jason Moser explain why they're keeping a close eye on shares of CarMax (NYSE: KMX  ) and Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) .

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: Fluidigm Corporation(FLDM)

Fluidigm Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of microfluidic systems for growth markets in the life science and agricultural biotechnology (Ag-Bio) industries. The company?s proprietary microfluidic systems consist of instruments and consumables, including chips (integrated fluidic circuits) and reagents. Its technology enables customers to perform and measure various biochemical reactions on samples smaller than the content of a single cell by utilizing minute volumes of reagents and samples; and rapid preparation of multiple samples in parallel for next generation DNA sequencing. The company?s products include the BioMark HD system, which performs high-throughput gene expression analysis using real-time and end point PCR, SNP genotyping, single-cell analysis, and digital PCR using TaqMan, EvaGreen dye, and other chemistries; The EP1 System that performs end point PCR and is commonly used in production settings for Ag-Bio, digital PCR, and copy number variation experiments using TaqMan, EvaGreen dye, and other chemistries; and the Access Array system that enables automated sample preparation and tagging for next generation DNA sequencers. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, diagnostic laboratories, and Ag-Bio companies. Fluidigm Corporation distributes its instruments and supplies through direct field sales and support organizations in North America, Europe, and Japan; and through distributors or sales agents in parts of Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company was formerly known as Mycometrix Corporation and changed its name to Fluidigm Corporation in April 2001. Fluidigm Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell]

  Bio-technology company Fluidigm Corp.(FLDM) agreed to acquire DVS Sciences Inc. for about $208 million to expand its portfolio of single-cell technology products. DVS manufactures and distributes bioanalytical products for biological research and future clinical applications. Shares dropped 2.3% to $40.02 premarket.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Fluidigm (Nasdaq: FLDM  ) reported earnings on May 1. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Basic guidelines
  In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Fluidigm (Nasdaq: FLDM  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Fluidigm doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 24.0%, and inventory increased 14.4%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue expanded 32.8%, and inventory increased 14.4%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue dropped 7.2%, and inventory grew 2.8%.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Fluidigm (NASDAQ: FLDM  ) , a manufacturer of microfluidic systems for the biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic research sectors, shot higher by as much as 14% after reporting its first-quarter-earnings results.

Top Integrated Utility Companies For 2015: Ishares Trust United States Treasury (TIP)

iShares Lehman TIPS Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the inflation-protected sector of the United States Treasury market as defined by the Lehman Brothers U.S. Treasury TIPS Index (the Index). The Index includes all publicly issued, the United States Treasury inflation-protected securities that have at least one-year remaining to maturity, are rated investment grade and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in United States dollars and must be fixed-rate and non-convertible securities.

The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  By increasing the money you're investing now, you can improve your nest egg when the trust funds do empty, better protecting your lifestyle from those pending benefit cuts. Here are four investments to consider as you sock away extra money to make up for Social Security's shortfall:

  The S&P Depository Receipts (NYSEMKT: SPY  ) is one ETF that tracks the S&P 500, providing a low-cost way to get stock market return potential to help build your nest egg. For the potential of providing portfolio ballast, the iShares Barclay's US Treasury Bond (NYSEMKT: GOVT  ) ETF owns U.S. Treasury bonds. With interest rates so low, the returns from the bonds in that ETF are not likely to be stellar, but they at least do carry a government-backed guarantee of repayment. If you're worried about inflation ravaging your purchasing power over time, the iShares Barclay's TIPS Bond (NYSEMKT: TIP  ) ETF offers a way to buy government bonds that will increase along with inflation. But while those bonds may be able to keep up with the official inflation rate, they won't help much if your costs, like many people's, increase faster than inflation as you age. For the potential of an income stream that may grow faster than inflation but carries more risk of potential default or reduction, Vanguard's Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) may fit the bill. It's a low-cost way to invest in companies with solid track records of increasing their dividends. Still, there's a trade-off in that unlike Treasury bonds, there are no guarantees that dividends will get paid.

  No matter how you invest, the reality is that even lousy investing beats not investing at all. It certainly beats waking up sometime in the next two decades to find that your Social Security check has been slashed by a fourth and not having any alternative source of cash.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In recent years, though, investors have discounted the potential impact of inflation on their portfolios. Consider these facts:

  Gold is the traditional safe-haven investment for those who believe that inflation will take away the purchasing power of paper currency. Yet the plunge in gold prices has led to a mass exodus of investor interest in gold, with the popular SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) losing billions of dollars not just due to price declines but also as investors have taken money out of the ETF entirely. Inflation-indexed bonds like the Treasury's TIPS have climbed so far in price that their real inflation-adjusted yields are negative, even for bonds that don't mature for another 20 years. That's been excellent news for existing investors in iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (NYSEMKT: TIP  ) and similar inflation-indexed bond investments, but it presents no inflation protection for those considering purchases now. The sole fly in the inflation ointment has come from energy prices, with gasoline and heating-oil prices having remained stubbornly high despite plentiful domestic production from unconventional plays as refiners Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX  ) , Valero (NYSE: VLO  ) , and others have greatly boosted their exports of refined products rather than letting Americans reap the benefits of high supply. Yet even the oil market has seen international spreads narrow, and gasoline prices have finally started to come down modestly, providing further downward pressure on inflation.

  Based on the conventional understanding of inflation, you'd think that all these signs of its demise were a good thing. The truth is far less clear.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Investors saw the impact of the inflation numbers on the price of inflation-indexed bonds. The iShares Barclays TIPS Bond ETF (NYSEMKT: TIP  ) has risen 0.3% on the day. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, benefit from the rising CPI, as the bonds see their face value at maturity rise to reflect increasing price levels.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But bond investments have seen huge losses. Consider how broad-based the bond-market massacre has been:

  Broad measures of the overall bond market have shown definite signs of weakness, with iShares Core U.S. Bond (NYSEMKT: AGG  ) falling more than 3% since the end of April and the actively managed PIMCO Total Return (NYSEMKT: BOND  ) down almost 4% over that time frame. Longer-term-focused bonds have posted even worse results, with iShares 20+ Treasury (NYSEMKT: TLT  ) having fallen more than 8% since late April. Inflation-protected bonds are generally seen providing some defense against rising interest rates, but iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (NYSEMKT: TIP  ) has fallen by more than 7%. Even niche areas of the bond market have seen big losses, with the municipal-bond-focused iShares S&P Municipal Bond (NYSEMKT: MUB  ) down almost 5%, while the emerging-market bond ETF WisdomTree Emerging Markets Local Debt has fallen 10%.

  A combination of factors has led to some of these declines, with the strong U.S. dollar hurting international bonds. But the driving force behind all of the drops comes from rising interest rates, and investors need to understand the threat that those rates pose to the future of their bond investments.

Hot Sliver Stocks To Watch Right Now

Hot Sliver Stocks To Watch Right Now: iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (EZA)

iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the South African market, as measured by the MSCI South Africa Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the South African equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion to the Index.

The Index is reviewed quarterly by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Funds investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  For starters, theres theiShares MSCI South Africa ETF(EZA). The fund is down about 11% in the last year, but remember that emerging markets dramatically underperformed across the board in 2013. And if you believe in value investing, this may be a good opportunity to buy.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-sliver-stocks-to-watch-right-now-2.html

Top Oil Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top Oil Companies To Invest In Right Now: Helmerich & Payne Inc (HP)

Helmerich & Payne, Inc., incorporated on February 29, 1944, is engaged in contract drilling of oil and gases wells for others and this business. The Company's contract drilling business is composed of three reportable business segments: U.S. Land, Offshore and International Land. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company's U.S. Land operations drilled in Oklahoma, California, Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Utah, Arkansas, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia. Offshore operations were conducted in the Gulf of Mexico, and offshore of California, Trinidad and Equatorial Guinea. During fiscal 2012, the Company's International Land segment operated in six international locations: Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Tunisia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates. The Company is also engaged in the ownership, development and operation of commercial real estate and the research and development of rotary steerable techn ology. Each of the businesses operates independently of the others through wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company's real estate investments located exclusively within Tulsa, Oklahoma, include a shopping center containing approximately 441,000 leasable square feet, multi-tenant industrial warehouse properties containing approximately one million leasable square feet and approximately 210 acres of undeveloped real estate. The Company's subsidiary, TerraVici Drilling Solutions, Inc. (TerraVici), is developing rotary steerable technology. As of September 30, 2012, it had 176 rigs under fixed-term contracts. During fiscal 2012, the Company leased a 150,000 square foot industrial facility near Tulsa, Oklahoma for the purpose of overhauling/repairing rig equipment and associated component parts.

U.S. Land Drilling

As of September 30, 2012, the Co! mpany had 282 of its land rigs available for work in the United States. During fiscal 2012, the Company's U.S. Land operations contributed approximately 85% of the Compan! y's consolidated operating revenues. During fiscal 2012, rig utilization was approximately 89%. During fiscal 2012, the Company's fleet of FlexRigs had an average utilization of approximately 97%, while the Company's conventional and mobile rigs had an average utilization of approximately 11%. As of September 31, 2012, 231 out of an available 282 land rigs were working.

Off Shore Drilling

During fiscal 2012, the Company's Offshore operations contributed approximately 6% of the Company's consolidated operating revenues. During fiscal 2012, rig utilization was approximately 79%. During fiscal 2012, the Company had eight of its nine offshore platform rigs under contract and continued to work under management contracts for four customer-owned rigs. During fiscal 2012, revenues from drilling services performed for the Company's offshore drilling customer totaled approximately 56% of offshore revenues.

International Land Drilling

During fiscal 2012, the Company's International Land operations contributed approximately 9% of the Company's consolidated operating revenues. During fiscal 2012, rig utilization was 77%. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had nine rigs in Argentina. During fiscal 2012, the Company's utilization rate was approximately 52%. During fiscal 2012, revenues generated by Argentine drilling operations contributed approximately 2% of the Company's consolidated operating revenues. The Argentine drilling contracts are with international or national oil companies. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had seven rigs in Colombia. During fiscal 2012, the Company's utilization rate was approximately 79%. During fiscal 2012, revenues generated by Colombian drilling operations contributed approximately 3% of the Company's consolidated operating revenues. During fiscal 20! 12, reven! ues from drilling services performed for the Company's customer in Colombia totaled approximately 1% of co nsolidated operating revenues and approximately 16% of inter! national ! operating revenues. The Colombian drilling contracts are with international or national oil companies. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had five rigs in Ecuador. During fiscal 2012, the utilization rate in Ecuador was 97%. During fiscal 2012, revenues generated by Ecuadorian drilling operations contributed approximately 2% of consolidated operating revenues. As of September 30, 2012, the Company had two rigs in Tunisia, four rigs in Bahrain and two rigs in United Arab Emirates.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  Shares of Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (HP), the leading land drilling contractor in the U.S., rose significantly in the first quarter. Over the past three years, Helmerich's market share has increased to 23% from 16%, while generating higher margins and returns than its main competitors. Its share price benefited from growing optimism that U.S. horizontal drilling activity will increase, spurring customer demand for new rigs. Helmerich also signed its biggest international contract in a decade in the first quarter. Helmerich is a best-in-class operator and remains a core position. (James Stone)

• [By Editor , EnergyStockChannel.com]

  So when dividend stocks turn up that see insider buying, and are also top ranked, investors are wise to take notice. One such company is Helmerich & Payne (HP) which saw buying by Director Thomas A. Petrie.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-oil-companies-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html