10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Bloomberg News

A Securities and Exchange Commission advisory panel called on the SEC to move forward with a rule that raises investment-advice standards for brokers.

In a voice vote, the SEC Investor Advisory Committee approved a recommendation that the commission promulgate a rule that would require brokers to act in the best interests of their clients when providing retail investment advice. That would subject brokers to the same standard that investment advisers meet.

The Dodd-Frank financial reform law gave the SEC the authority to impose a uniform fiduciary duty for retail investment advice. But it isn't a mandatory rule, and the SEC hasn't indicated when or whether it will propose a rule.

Top 5 Freight Companies To Watch For 2015: Tutor Perini Corporation(TPC)

Tutor Perini Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides diversified general contracting, construction management, and design-build services to private clients and public agencies worldwide. It operates in three segments: Civil, Building, and Management Services. The Civil segment involves in public works construction, and the repair, replacement, and reconstruction of infrastructure. This segment?s civil contracting services include construction and rehabilitation of highways, bridges, mass transit systems, and wastewater treatment facilities. The Building segment provides services to various specialized building markets for private and public works clients, such as the hospitality and gaming, transportation, healthcare, municipal offices, sports and entertainment, education, correctional facilities, biotech, pharmaceutical, industrial and high-tech markets, electrical and mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC services. The Management Services Segment offers diversifie d construction and design-build services to the United States military and government agencies, surety companies, and multi-national corporations in the United States and internationally. This segment also provides rapid response and contract completion services; and management or general contracting services to fulfill the contractual and financial obligations of the surety on notification from the surety of a contractor bond default. The company was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Sylmar, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  On Wednesday, civil engineering firm Tutor Perini Corp. (NYSE: TPC  ) said the California High-Speed Rail Authority has identified its $985 million bid to design the initial Madera-to-Fresno segment�of California's high-speed railway as the "apparent best value" of all bids received.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Harsco have gained 4.7% to $26.43 today at 1:16 p.m., outpacing other construction & engineering companies. Dycom (DY) has advanced 0.5% to $30, KBR Inc. (KBR) has ticked up 0.1% to $33.03, Worthington Industries�(WOR) has risen 2.8% to $38.85�and Tutor Perini (TPC) has rallied 3.6% to $22.46.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Following up on the news that it's the likely winner of a $985 million contract to design the Madera-to-Fresno segment�of California's new high-speed railway, civil engineering firm Tutor Perini� (NYSE: TPC  ) announced Tuesday that it's scored a second major contract win.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc (APAM)

Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc., incorporated on October 25, 2012, is an independent investment management company that provides a range of 12 equity investment strategies spanning different market capitalization segments and investing styles in both United States and non-United States markets. It manages investments primarily through mutual funds and separate accounts. It offers its investment management capabilities primarily to institutions and through intermediaries that operate with institutional-like decision-making processes and have longer-term investment horizons. It manages separate accounts for pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, endowments, foundations, charitable organizations, governmental entities, investment companies and similar pooled investment vehicles, and also provide investment management and administrative services to Artisan Funds, a family of mutual funds. Its operations are based principally in the United States, but it is expanding its operations outside the United States.

As of December 31, 2012, Artisan Funds consisted of 53%, of the Company�� assets under management. It also serves as the investment manager and promoter of Artisan Global Funds. The Company manages separate accounts primarily for institutional clients, such as pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, endowments, foundations, charitable organizations, governmental entities, investment companies and similar pooled investment vehicles. Separate accounts consisted of 47%, of its assets under management as of December 31, 2012. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), fees from separate accounts, including United States -registered mutual funds, non- United States funds and collective investment trusts it sub-advises, represented 33%, of its revenues. The Company derives all of its revenues from investment management fees. The Company�� clients access its investment strategies through mutual funds and separate accounts, which include mutual funds and non-United ! States funds it sub-advises, as well as collective investment trusts that pool retirement plan assets together in a single portfolio maintained by a bank or trust company and are managed by it on a separate account basis.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  WisdomTree�� future appears bright. In the December ETF Deathwatch list, only five of its ETFs appeared out of the total 61. Like all asset managers, it�� not perfect, but it is the only publicly traded ETF pure-play available. So if you believe in ETFs, as I do, this is the bet to make.

  Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM)

  With approximately $97 billion in assets under management,�Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM) uses a decentralized and autonomous investment style that has made it very successful among asset managers. The stock went public in March 2013 at $30 per share, so investors who still held at the end of December were sitting on unrealized gains of 117% in just 10 months. That�� good in anybody�� book.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MWI Veterinary Supply Inc.(MWIV)

MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of animal health products to veterinarians in the United States and the United Kingdom. It primarily offers pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, capital equipment, supplies, specialty products, veterinary pet food, and nutritional products. The company?s pharmaceutical products include anesthetics, analgesics, antibiotics, ophthalmics, and hormones; vaccine products consist of small animal, equine, and production animal biologicals; and parasiticides are used for control of fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, and internal parasites. Its diagnostics products comprise consumable in-clinic tests for detecting heartworm, lyme, feline leukemia, and parvovirus, as well as consumable products for measuring blood chemistry, electrolyte balance, and cell counts; capital equipment products include anesthesia machines, surgical monitors, diagnostic equipment, dental machines, cage s, lights, and x-ray machines; and supplies consists of syringes, instruments, bandages, IV products, surgical consumables, grooming materials, and other small equipment items. The company?s veterinary pet foods products include foods for specialty diets and premium pet foods; and nutritional products comprise dietary supplements, vitamins, dental chews, and specialty treats. As of September 30, 2011, it served approximately 24,000 veterinary practices in the United States; and 1,500 veterinary practices in the United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as MWI Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. in April 2005. MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rupert Hargreaves]

  Pet-related companies are highly sought after
  Having said that, it would appear that in comparison to the rest of the pet-related sector, Zoetis is fairly valued. Peer MWI Veterinary Supply (NASDAQ: MWIV  ) trades at 27 times forward earnings, and again the company is highly defensive, engaging in the distribution of animal health products to veterinarians in the United States and the United Kingdom. Veterinary supply is exposed to the same demand factors as Zoetis -- greater demand for animal treatments will lead to more demand for the distribution of animal health products.

• [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 MWI Veterinary Supply (Nasdaq: MWIV  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Overvalued companies include MWI Veterinary (MWIV) and�Stericycle (SRCL), while companies with attractive valuations include Cardinal Health (CAH), Selected Medical (SEM). He’s not a fan of Intrexon (XON) but calls�Aratana (PETX) a “hidden gem.”

• [By Sean Williams]

  Bursting with paw-tential
  No stock goes straight up, but between 2009 and 2014 it was a steep uphill ride for stakeholders in animal health products company�MWI Veterinary Supply (NASDAQ: MWIV  ) , who saw their shares rise in value by more than 700%. But all good things must end, and shares of the company have dipped by more than 20% from their all-time high set earlier this year.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Group 1 Automotive Inc. (GPI)

Group 1 Automotive, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing and sale of automotive products and services. It sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts. The company also provides vehicle financing services; service and insurance contract services; and automotive maintenance and repair services. The company has operations located in metropolitan areas in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas in the United States; and in the towns of Brighton, Hailsham, and Worthing in the United Kingdom. As of October 25, 2012, it owned and operated 121 automotive dealerships, 158 franchises, and 30 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 32 brands of automobiles. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ning Jia]

  In 2001, Advance Auto Parts acquires Carport Auto Parts, a regional retail chain with 29 stores in Alabama and Mississippi. The combination of Advance and Carport locations establishes Advance Auto Parts as the market leader in Alabama and Mississippi. In November of 2011, Advance acquires 671 Discount Auto Parts, Inc., a regional auto parts chain in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The acquisition strengthens the company's position as the market leader in Florida. Upon completion of this merger, Advance Auto Parts becomes a publicly traded company, listed as a common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AAP. After the Company went public in 2001, AAP continued to expand both organically and through acquisition. On October 16th 2013, Advance Auto Parts entered into a definitive agreement to acquire General Parts International, Inc. (GPI), a leading privately held distributor and supplier of original equipment and aftermarket replacement products for commercial markets operating under the CARQUEST and WORLDPAC brands, in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of $2.04 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors for both companies. The deal creates the largest automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, with annual sales of more than $9.2 billion and more than 70,000 employees.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Polydex Pharmaceuticals Ltd (POLXF.PK)

Polydex Pharmaceuticals Limited, incorporated on June 14, 1979, is engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of biotechnology-based products for the human pharmaceutical market. The Company also manufactures bulk pharmaceutical intermediates for the global veterinary pharmaceutical industry. It focuses on the manufacture and sale of Dextran and derivative products, including Iron Dextran and Dextran Sulphate, and other specialty chemicals. Dextran, a generic name applied to certain synthetic compounds formed by bacterial growth on sucrose, is a polymer or giant molecule. The products of the Company include Iron Dextran and Dextran Sulphate. The wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company include Dextran Products Limited (Dextran Products) and Chemdex Inc (Chemdex).

Iron Dextran

Iron Dextran is a derivative of Dextran produced by complexing iron with Dextran. Iron Dextran is injected into pigs at birth as a treatment for anemia. The Company sells Iron Dextran to independent distributors and wholesalers in Europe, the Far East and Canada. Chemdex, Inc. has United States FDA approval for the manufacture and sale of Iron Dextran for veterinary use.

Dextran Sulphate

Dextran Sulphate is a specialty chemical derivative of Dextran used in research applications by the pharmaceutical industry and other centers of chemical research. Dextran Sulphate manufactured by the Company is sold primarily to independent distributors and wholesalers in the United States and Europe as analytical chemical applications.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By The GeoTeam]

  Polydex Pharmaceuticals (POLXF.PK) Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of biotechnology-based products for the human pharmaceutical market. It is also involved with manufacture of bulk pharmaceutical intermediates for the veterinary pharmaceutical industry worldwide. It primarily offers Dextran and Dextran derivative products.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Genius Brands International Inc (GNUS)

Genius Brands International, Inc., formerly Pacific Entertainment Corporation, provides music-based products, which entertains and educates infants and young children under its brands, including Baby Genius. It creates, markets and sells children�� digital versatile discs (DVDs), compact disc (CD) music and book products in the United States by distribution at wholesale to retail stores and outlets and direct to consumers through various deal for a day sites. It also licenses the use of its brands, both domestically and internationally, to others to manufacture, market and sell products based on its characters and brand, whereby the Company receives advances and royalties. In addition to the distribution of its CD and DVD products, the Company has developed and will continue to develop multiple revenue streams, which include worldwide licensing and merchandising opportunities for toys, books, and other customer products. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Pacific Entertainment Corporation, which is a California corporation, merged into the Company. On July 25, 2012, it sold approximately 500,000 Baby Genius DVDs and CDs and over 50,000 Little Genius CDs through its campaigns on Groupon.

Distribution

In 2008, the Company began self-distributing its DVD and CD products through direct relationships with customers. It also has third party licensing agreements under which it has developed musical products under other brands and receives revenue and pay a royalty for distributing those products through its distribution channels. The Company has licensed its brands for production of additional product lines, such as toys, books and other products, the products are primarily distributed by the licensee through the licensee�� marketing channels. As of December 31, 2011, it had one exclusive license agreement, which is with Jakks Pacific�� Tollytots (Tollytots) division.

Products

The Company�� products consist primarily of family and children��! DVD and CD music products. These products are manufactured and sold under brand names, such as Baby Genius, Kid Genius, Wee Worship, 123 Favorite Music and Pacific Entertainment Presents. The Company�� music products also include 50 Classic Lullabies & Soothing Songs and Favorite Guitar and Piano Melodies. During 2011, it released three new music titles, Best of Baby Genius, Sleighbells and Snowflakes and Favorite Country Christmas Music. The entire library of Baby Genius DVD and CD music products includes both English and Spanish versions. It also licenses its Baby Genius brand for various product lines, including toys, books, games and puzzles, sippy cups, and early learning aids, as well as others, and receives royalties based on sales of these products.

The Company has third party licensing agreements under which it has developed musical products under other brands, such as Guess How Much I Love You, The Snowman and Precious Moments. It also licensed the rights to eight DVDs previously created by Precious Moments in exchange for royalty payments on net sales of the DVD products. Through an exclusive licensing agreement with the San Diego Zoological Society, the Company created a series of Baby Genius DVD�� featuring footage from the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park.

The Company competes with Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby, So Smart, The Wiggles, Sesame Baby, Disney, Universal Studios, Playskool, Fisher Price, Little Tykes and Leapfrog.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Music & Video Stores: This industry jumped 1.68% by 10:25 am. The top performer in this industry was Genius Brands International (OTC: GNUS), which rose 8.7%. Genius Brands' trailing-twelve-month revenue is $2.00 million.

10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Great American Group Inc (GAMR)

Great American Group, Inc. (Great American), incorporated on May 7, 2009, is a provider of asset disposition and valuation and appraisal services to a range of retail, wholesale and industrial customers, as well as lenders, capital providers, private equity investors and professional service firms. The Company operates its business in two segments: liquidation and auction solutions and valuation and appraisal services. Its liquidation and auction divisions assist customers in the disposition of assets. Such assets include multi-location retail inventory, wholesale inventory, trade fixtures, machinery and equipment, intellectual property and real property. Great American�� valuation and appraisal services division provides its clients with independent appraisals in connection with asset-based loans, acquisitions, divestitures and other business needs. Its valuation and appraisal services division provides valuation and appraisal services to financial institutions, lenders, private equity investors and other providers of capital. These services primarily include the valuation of assets for purposes of determining and monitoring the value of collateral securing financial transactions and loan arrangements, and in connection with potential business combinations. In October 2009, Great American formed a subsidiary, GA Capital, LLC (GA Capital).

Auction and Liquidation Solutions

The Company enables its clients to dispose of under-performing assets and generate cash from excess inventory by conducting or assisting in store closings, going out of business sales, bankruptcy sales and fixture sales. It also provides merger and acquisition due diligence, through the Company�� auction and liquidation segment and reverse logistics and appraisal services, through its valuation and appraisal services segment. It provides retail auction and liquidation services on a fee and guarantee basis. In guarantee retail liquidation engagements, it takes title to any unsold inventory. The Company ! designs and implements disposition programs for its customers seeking to convert excess wholesale and industrial inventory and operational assets into capital. Assets in an orderly liquidation are available for sale on a privately negotiated basis over a period of months. This sale method is often employed to dispose of furniture, fixtures and equipment in connection with retail liquidations, as well as wholesale inventory or industrial equipment. The Company�� live auctions can cover single sites or multiple locations, and the Company utilizes point-of-sale software to generate customized sales reports and invoices and to track assets. The Company webcasts its live auctions over the Internet. This auction format allows online bidders to compete in real time against bidders at the live auction. Bidders can log onto the auction from personal computers, view and bid on lots as they come up for sale, hear the auctioneers as the sale is being conducted and, in some cases, view live streaming video of the auctioneer calling the bids on-site. In the online auction format, the sale of assets takes place online, without a live auctioneer calling the sale.

The Company provides advisory services relating to the wind down process from beginning to end, including negotiation of early lease terminations, sale of intellectual property and sale of completed inventory through the client�� historical distribution channels. It assists clients with managing the disposition of customer returns, obsolete inventory, extraneous fixtures and dated equipment. The Company serves as a broker, providing assistance in reaching target markets and potential buyers or marketing to its database of buyers and end users. The Company performs sealed bid sales in situations where asset disposition requires anonymity of the buyer or seller or involves other confidentiality concerns. In this process, potential buyers submit bids without knowledge of the amount bid by other participants. It also provides wholesale and industr! ial servi! ces on a fee, guarantee and an outright purchase basis. The Company commenced auctions for foreclosed residential real estate properties, through its joint venture with Kelly Capital during the year ended December 31, 2009. The Company coordinates the auction process, including the venue, personnel and onsite technological requirements. It also arranges for financial institutions, title and escrow companies to be onsite at the auction to provide onsite services to potential buyers. The Company provides its home auction services on a fee basis based on a percentage of sale prices and on an outright purchase basis.

Valuation and Appraisal Services

Great American�� valuation and appraisal teams provide independent appraisals to financial institutions, lenders and other providers of capital and other professional service firms for estimated liquidation values of assets. These teams include experts specializing in particular industry and asset classes. The Company provides valuation and appraisal services across five categories: Consumer and Retail Inventory, representative types of appraisals and valuations include inventory of specialty apparel retailers, department stores, jewelry retailers, sporting goods retailers, mass and discount merchants, home furnishing retailers and footwear retailers; Wholesale and Industrial Inventory, representative types of appraisals and valuations include inventory held by manufacturers or distributors of automotive parts, chemicals, food and beverage products, wine and spirits, building and construction products, industrial products, metals, paper and packaging; Machinery and Equipment, representative types of asset appraisals and valuations include a range of equipment utilized in manufacturing, construction, transportation and healthcare; Intangible Assets, representative types of asset appraisals and valuations include intellectual property, goodwill, brands, logos, trademarks and customer lists, and Real Estate, representative types of ass! et apprai! sals and valuations include owned and leased manufacturing and distribution facilities, retail locations and corporate offices.

The Company competes with overstock.com and eBay.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today,�GAMR has shed (-9.46%) down -0.035 at $.335 with 160�shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:31AM EDT July 8, 2013), but don�� let this get you down.

  Great American Group, Inc. has been selected to handle store closing sales at eight Orchard Supply Hardware locations, offering significant product discounts in the Citrus Heights, Fairfield, Huntington Beach, Lone Tree, Long Beach, Midtown, Newark and Vacaville stores

  Orchard previously reported on June 17, 2013, that it had reached an agreement through which Lowe�� Companies, Inc. will acquire the majority of its assets but will allow Orchard to continue day-to-day operations as a separate, standalone business with its brand, strategy and management team intact. To facilitate the acquisition agreement and restructure its balance sheet, Orchard filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The agreement with Lowe�� comprises the initial stalking horse bid in the Court-supervised auction process under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.

• [By CRWE]

  Today, GAMR surged (+8.57%) up +0.030 at $.380 with 10,000 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:28AM EDT July 12, 2013).

  Great American Group, Inc. has been selected to handle store closing sales at eight Orchard Supply Hardware locations, offering significant product discounts in the Citrus Heights, Fairfield, Huntington Beach, Lone Tree, Long Beach, Midtown, Newark and Vacaville stores

  Orchard previously reported on June 17, 2013, that it had reached an agreement through which Lowe�� Companies, Inc. will acquire the majority of its assets but will allow Orchard to continue day-to-day operations as a separate, standalone business with its brand, strategy and management team intact. To facilitate the acquisition agreement and restructure its balance sheet, Orchard filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The agreement with Lowe�� comprises the initial stalking horse bid in the Court-supervised auction process under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.

Best China Companies To Buy For 2014

The Congressional vote to avoid a debt default did not win positive reviews from China.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) America's largest overseas creditor wasn't exactly blown away by the deal Congress struck to avoid a potential default.

"[P]oliticians in Washington have done nothing substantial but postponing once again the final bankruptcy of global confidence in the U.S. financial system," government-run Chinese news agency Xinhau Thursday.

Wednesday's vote, the commentary said, "was no more than prolonging the fuse of the U.S. debt bomb one inch longer."

And a Chinese credit rating agency Dagong downgraded the United States, saying the deal did little to change the outlook for the country's financial condition.

It lowered its view of the U.S. debt rating from A to A- and kept it on negative credit outlook, which means further downgrades are possible.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: CNinsure Inc.(CISG)

CNinsure Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance brokerage and agency services, and insurance claims adjusting services in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers property, casualty, and life insurance products underwritten by domestic and foreign insurance companies operating in China. Its property and casualty insurance products include automobile, individual accident, commercial property, homeowner, cargo, hull, liability, and construction insurance; and life insurance products comprise individual whole life insurance, term life insurance, education annuity, and health insurance, as well as universal insurance and group life insurance. The company also offers insurance claims adjusting services, which include pre-underwriting survey, claims adjusting, disposal of residual value, loading and unloading supervision, and consulting services, as well as damage assessment, survey, authentication, and loss estimation to insurance companies and the i nsured; and value-added services to its customers in conjunction with distributing automobile insurance products. As of April 15, 2010, its distribution and service network consisted of 49 insurance agencies, 3 insurance brokerages, and 4 claims adjusting firms, with 571 sales and service outlets. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Guangzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Monday

  Earnings Releases Expected:  CNinsure (NASDAQ: CISG), Adept Technology (NASDAQ: ADEP), OSI Systems (NASDAQ: OSIS) Economic Releases Expected: U.S. new home sales, U.S. services PMI, German Ifo business climate index

  Tuesday

• [By Monica Gerson]

  CNinsure (NASDAQ: CISG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.10 per share.

  Ferrellgas Partners LP (NYSE: FGP) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $722.07 million.

Best China Companies To Buy For 2014: China Life Insurance Company Limited(LFC)

China Life Insurance Company Limited provides life, annuities, accident, and health insurance products in China. Its individual life insurance and annuity products consist of whole life and term life insurance, endowment insurance, and annuities. The company also engages in the writing of life insurance business. In addition, it offers group life insurance products, including group annuity products, and group whole life and term life insurance products to enterprises and institutions, as well as universal life products. Further, the company provides short-term insurance products comprising short-term accident insurance and short-term health insurance products; accident insurance products, such as individual accident insurance and group accident insurance; and health insurance products, including defined health benefit plans, medical expense reimbursement plans, and disease specific plans. It distributes its products through its direct sales representatives and exclusive ag ents, as well as through intermediaries comprising insurance agencies and insurance brokerage companies, non-dedicated agencies, bancassurance arrangements, travel agencies, and hotels and airline sales counters. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Beijing, China. China Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Life Insurance (Group) Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe] g>Sun Life Financial Inc. (USA) (SLF), which all sport a 200% ratio. Moreover, the company�� excessive capital should allow it to maintain the above average dividend yield of 2.66% offered to shareholders.

  Valuation

  Over the next five years growth in the Asian market will likely boost the overall modest premium growth rate, averaging it at 2%, while the total revenue CAGR recovers to 3% after the steep declines reported since 2012. Furthermore, Manulife�� ROE will continue its current upward trend, increasing from 2013�� 10.9% to an average 12% by 2018, accompanied by the steadily expanding net margins of 16.8%. While it will take some time for the company�� growth to accelerate, I feel bullish about management�� optimism regarding its business shift, and see the dividend yield and returns on equity as solid benefits for a long term investment. Moreover, the firm is currently trading at a 10% price discount relative to the industry average of 14.0x, making it a relatively inexpensive buy.

  Disclosure: Patricio Kehoe holds no position in any stocks mentioned.

  Also check out: George Soros Undervalued Stocks George Soros Top Growth Companies George Soros High Yield stocks, and Stocks that George Soros keeps buyingAbout the author:Patricio KehoeA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics Currently 5.00/512345

  Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote)

  Voters: Subscribe via Email Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment: $(document).ready(function(){$('#body_login, #watch, #follow, #fake_submit').click(function(){$.colorbox({innerWidth:"600px",innerHeight:"400px",iframe:false,href:"http://www.gurufocus.com/modules/login_register.php"});});});
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Best China Companies To Buy For 2014: AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc.(ASIA)

AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. provides telecommunications software solutions and information technology (IT) products and services to telecommunications carriers and other enterprises in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers business and operation support systems product suites, including OpenBilling, a billing solution for telecommunications operators; OpenCRM, a CRM solution suite for telecommunications operators; OpenBOSS, a carrier-class business operation support system solution; OpenBI, a carrier-class operating analysis and decision support system platform; OpenPRM, a system that calculates, manages, and reconciles payment for intercarrier network access. It also provides network management solutions comprising NetXpert, a data and Internet protocol network management solution; and OpenXpert, an integrated telecommunications network management system. In addition, the company offers service applications products, such as Mail Center, an online messaging softwa re; Spam Patrol software for real time anti-spam control; and Net Disk, a network hard disk product, which facilitates Internet-based file transfer, sharing, and management, as well as supports other functions, such as data processing of short message folders and synchronization of mobile devices. Its service applications products also include Internet Short Messaging Gateway, a business support platform for value-added short messaging services; and Device Management Platform that enables mobile operators to manage various mobile devices and perform remote mobile device management, such as remote diagnosis and parameter setup. In addition, it offers software enhancement and maintenance, system integration, and other value-added IT consulting and planning services. The company was formerly known as AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. in July 2010. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republ ic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bloomberg News]

  ��he prospects of Chinese equities are positive for the long-term, but near-term there are some execution risks with regard to implementing reforms,��said Teresa Chow, a Hong Kong-based money manager who helps oversee about $1.5 billion at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd. ��ainland investors seem to have more reasonable expectations.��

• [By Rajhkumar K Shaaw]

  BNP Paribas Securities (Asia) Ltd., Macquarie Capital Securities (India) Pvt. and Ambit Capital Pvt. cut their Sensex targets as the Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly increased its benchmark interest rate to stem a record decline in the rupee and curb consumer prices in the world�� second-most populous nation. Strategists reduced their average profit estimate by 4.5 percent as higher borrowing costs threaten to worsen the slowest economic expansion since 2009.

• [By Jonathan Burgos]

  ��arkets are entering a period of uncertainty,��said Yoji Takeda, Hong Kong-based head of Asian equities at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. ��here�� a policy vacuum in Japan and the government isn�� going to come up with new policies until parliament resumes sessions in September. While the possible tapering of U.S. stimulus has been more or less priced in, people tend to be a little bit cautious until it happens.��

• [By Kana Nishizawa]

  ��he market is still optimistic about the detailed reform plan�� said Teresa Chow, a fund manager at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. ��ince Hong Kong and China markets are underweighted by many fund managers, some of them might want to increase their weighting.��

Best China Companies To Buy For 2014: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

Best China Companies To Buy For 2014: Clean Diesel Technologies Inc.(CDTI)

Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of emissions control systems and products for heavy duty diesel and light duty vehicle markets. The company operates in two divisions, Heavy Duty Diesel Systems and Catalyst. The Heavy Duty Diesel Systems division designs and manufactures verified exhaust emissions control solutions that are used to reduce exhaust emissions created by on-road, off-road, and stationary diesel and alternative fuel engines, including propane and natural gas. Its products include closed crankcase ventilation systems, diesel oxidation catalysts, diesel particulate filters, Platinum Plus fuel-borne catalysts, ARIS selective catalytic reduction reagents, catalyzed wire mesh diesel particulate filters, alternative fuel products, and exhaust accessories. This division offers its products for original equipment manufacturers of heavy duty diesel equipment, such as mining equipment, vehicles, generator sets, and construction equipment, as well as retrofit customers consisting of school districts, municipalities, and other fleet operators. The Catalyst division produces catalyst formulations using its proprietary MPC technology for gasoline, diesel, and natural gas induced emissions. Its products comprise catalysts for gasoline engines, diesel engines, and energy applications. This division supplies its catalysts to automotive manufacturers and large heavy duty diesel engine manufacturers. The company sells its products through a network of distributors and dealers, and its direct sales force worldwide. Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. is based in Ventura, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Did you miss today's 123% pop from Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDTI)? If you didn't chase it higher after the bullish gap left behind at the open, then good for you - you made the right choice. As tempting as CDTI looked then (and still does), the bulk of any near-term gain here has already been realized, and there's no real point in jumping on the bandwagon now. Fear not if you missed the big move from Clean Diesel Technologies though. There's another, smaller name playing the same game, and you won't have to pay a fortune for it just to take a big risk.

• [By CRWE]

  Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:CDTI), a cleantech emissions control company, will be a presenter at the 3rd Annual Craig-Hallum Capital Group Alpha Select Conference. The presentation is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 27, 2012 at the Sentry Centers in New York.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  One Nasdaq stock posting outsized gains today is Clean Diesel Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: CDTI) which is getting a share price boost of 68.85%. The company announced that it will begin shipping emissions control systems��catalysts to Honda in the first half of this year. The stock will close at around $4.82 in a 52-week range of $1.10 to $7.39 (the high was set today and was nearly double Monday�� closing price of $2.83). Volume was about 36-times the daily average of around nearly 525,000 shares traded.

Best China Companies To Buy For 2014: China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited(CHOP)

China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of cold-rolled narrow strip steel products in the People's Republic of China. The company converts steel manufactured by third parties into thin steel sheets and strips. It sells its products directly to its customers in a range of industries, including food and industrial packaging, construction and household decorations materials, electrical appliances, and telecommunications wires and cables industries. The company was formerly known as Golden Green Enterprises Limited and changed its name to China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited in December 2009. China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited is based in Zhengzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) is expected to report its Q2 earnings.

  Ambarella (NASDAQ: AMBA) is estimated to post its Q2 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $44.67 million.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  On Tuesday, the basic materials sector proved to be a source of strength for the US market after Yellen statement. Huntsman (NYSE: HUN) shares surged 2.62 percent after reporting strong quarterly earnings, while China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) gained around 2.5 percent.

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2015

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2015: SunTrust Banks Inc.(STI)

SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank, which provides various financial services in the United States. The company?s Retail Banking segment offers consumer deposits, home equity lines, consumer lines, indirect auto, student lending, bank card, and other consumer loan and fee-based products. Its Diversified Commercial Banking segment provides commercial lending, financial risk management, capital raising, commercial card, and other treasury and payment solutions; insurance premium financing; and equipment and lease financing. The company?s Commercial Real Estate segment offers construction, mini-perm, and permanent real estate financing; capital raising services; financial risk management; treasury and payment solutions; and investment advisory and management services, as well as tailored financing and equity investment solutions. Its Corporate and Investment Banking segment provides investment banking products and services, such as strate g ic advice, capital raising, and financial risk management; and traditional lending, leasing, treasury management, and institutional investment management services. The company?s Mortgage segment offers residential mortgage products. Its Wealth and Investment Management segment provides brokerage, professional investment management, and trust services; family office solutions; administration and custody services; administrative and investment solutions; escrow; and investment advisory services. The company also offers mortgage banking, credit-related insurance, asset management, securities brokerage, and capital market services. SunTrust Banks, Inc. serves individuals and families; businesses; institutions; and governmental agencies through its network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, and telephone. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 1,659 full-service banking offices. The company was founded in 1891 and! is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ovenerio]

  The company has a current ROE of 10.72% which is higher than the industry median and BB&T (BBT), Sun Trust Banks (STI) and Regions Financial (RT). In general, analysts consider ROE ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels for investment. First Republic (FRC) is the one that is more closely to those levels.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  SunTrust Banks (NYSE: STI) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $2.14 billion.

  Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH) is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.48 per share on revenue of $3.26 billion.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Another Graseck winner was Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks (STI) Inc., which she upgraded to a buy on July 2, 2012, after digging into data that showed a recovery in the housing market in the Southeastern U.S. SunTrust is the biggest lender in Georgia and has branches in Florida, Maryland and North Carolina. She also saw that SunTrust would benefit from a new wave of refinancing following the extension of the federal Home Affordable Refinance Program, which allows Americans with little home equity to refinance. Shares of SunTrust rallied 42.9 percent from her call to Aug. 14.

• [By John Maxfield]

  So why does this matter? At least in the banking space, regional economic figures like these can make a big difference for the success or failure of lenders. It goes a long way, for instance, in explaining the problems at SunTrust Banks (NYSE: STI  ) , which is based in Georgia, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) , which assumed Wachovia's heavy Florida presence, and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , which has a significant footprint in California that was added to via its purchase of Countrywide Financial.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www! .seekpenn! ystocks.com/best-low-price-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014

General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) has lost a fortune in Europe over the past decade-plus: more than $17 billion since 1999. Those losses finally began to narrow in the first quarter, thanks to some painful restructuring -- and thanks to a new hit product, the Opel Mokka SUV.

But there's a catch to the Mokka's success: It's built by GM in South Korea, not in Europe. In this video, Fool contributor John Rosevear looks at why the Mokka's success could be a complicated victory for GM as it continues to wrestle with its German labor union over much-needed cuts.

Few companies lead to such strong feelings as General Motors. But ignoring emotions to make good investing decisions is hard. The Fool's premium GM research service�can help, by telling you the truth about GM's growth potential in coming years. (Hint: It's even bigger than you might think. But it's not a sure thing, and we'll help you understand why.) It might help give you the courage to be greedy while others are still fearful, as well as a better understanding of the real risks facing General Motors. Just click here�to get started now.

Best Shipping Companies To Watch In Right Now: Kimberly-Clark Corporation(KMB)

Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of various health care products worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, K-C Professional & Other, and Health Care. The Personal Care segment provides disposable diapers, training and youth pants, and swimpants; baby wipes; and feminine and incontinence care products, and related products. It offers its products primarily for household use under various brand names, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Kotex, Lightdays, Depend, and Poise. The Consumer Tissue segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, and related products for household use under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Hakle, and Page brands. The K-C Professional & Other segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, wipers, and a range of safety products for the away-from-home marketplace und er Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, KleenGuard, Kimcare, and Jackson brand names. The Health Care segment offers disposable health care products, such as surgical drapes and gowns, infection control products, face masks, exam gloves, respiratory products, pain management products, and other disposable medical products under the Kimberly-Clark, Ballard, and ON-Q brand names. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high volume public facilities. It markets its products through wholesalers, distributors, and direct sales. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Earlier this year, I singled out Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB  ) as a stock that would likely outperform the S&P 500 index,�especially should the broader market decline. I also praised the company's concentrated business model,�in which it benefits from a narrower business focus than some of its larger consumer goods peers. KMB's first quarter of 2014, reported this week, seemed a middling result: The company managed to increase net income by 1.3% against a one percent decrease in sales. Organic sales for the period rose 4% versus the prior year.�Reviewing a few themes from these earlier two articles in light of the company's first quarter earnings may illuminate Kimberly-Clark's direction for the rest of the year.�

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  Shares of Kimberly-Clark (KMB) were rising 1.4% just after 3 on Tuesday, while Avon Products (AVP) was down 1.4%, a neat symmetry that reflects BMO Capital Markets��take on the two companies.

  Analysts Connie Maneaty and Patrick Trucchio upgraded Kimberly to Outperform today, while downgraded Avon to Underperform.

  First, the good news: Maneaty and Trucchio write that they see Kimberly-Clark�� gross margin widening by 280 basis points in the second half of next year, thanks to lower commodity costs. This leads them to raise their earnings per share estimates by 25 cents and 30 cents for 2015 and 2016, respectively, and they also boosted their target price by $9 to $125.

  Highlights from the note:

  We think KMB will be perceived as the safest of the multinationals. Its sales outside the US are about 55% of total; this compares to 65%-70% for Procter & Gamble (PG) and Coty (COTY) and 80%-90% for Colgate (CL), Avon and Tupperware (TUP). In general, its risk to the most volatile currencies is below average (its exposure to Eastern Europe is less than 2% of sales), though it is still translating results in Venezuela (about 3% of sales and profit) at the official rate of 6.3 VEF/$ (the parallel rate just hit 175 VEF/$) and Argentina (also 3% of sales) may devalue again. The cost of important raw materials has started to weaken; as they follow oil�� decline they could boost gross margins in 2H15. Of note, polypropylene and natural gas are off 17% 4Q-to-date; pulp prices, while not declining much, seem manageable.

  By contrast, they see significant foreign exchange risk in emerging markets (especially Russia�� response to its currency problems) hampering Avon, and they are also concerned about the impact of the company�� debt covenants on its flexibility for any potential cash restructuring charges in the new year.

  From the note:

  AVP could have a difficult time navigating the emerging markets’ FX weakness an

• [By John Kell]

  Kimberly-Clark Corp.(KMB) said its fourth-quarter profit soared on organic sales growth and wider margins. Results beat expectations, and the consumer-products company predicted earnings for the year that bracketed the consensus view. Shares edged up 2% to $107.50 premarket.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TARO)

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., incorporated in 1959, is a science-based pharmaceutical company. The Company develops manufactures, and markets prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products, primarily in the United States, Canada and Israel. The Company also develops and manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), primarily for use in its finished dosage form products. The Company�� primary areas of focus include pediatric creams and ointments, liquids, capsules and tablets, mainly in the dermatological and topical, cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and anti-inflammatory therapeutic categories. The Company operates through three companies: Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Taro Israel), and two of its subsidiaries (including indirect), Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Taro Canada) and Taro U.S.A. The Company markets more than 180 pharmaceutical products in over 25 countries.

Taro Israel manufactures more than 160 finished dosage form pharmaceutical products for sale in Israel and for export. It produces APIs used in the manufacture of finished dosage form pharmaceutical products. It markets and distributes generic products in the local Israeli market. Taro Israel�� primary product lines include dermatology, prescription and OTC semi-solid products (creams, ointments and gels) and liquids; cardiology and neurology, prescription oral dosage products; oral analgesics, both prescription and OTC, and OTC oral and nasal sprays and ophthalmic products.

Taro Canada manufactures more than 70 finished dosage form pharmaceutical products for sale in Canada and for export. It markets and distributes generic products in the local Canadian market. Its product line includes dermatology: prescription and OTC semi-solid products (creams, ointments and gels) and liquids, cardiology, oncology, gastrointestinal and neurology: prescription oral and injects able dosage products, and allergy (antihistamine): OTC oral dosage products.

Taro U.S.A markets! and distributes generic products in the United States market. Its primary product lines include dermatology: prescription and OTC semi-solid products (creams, ointments and gels) and liquids, cardiology and neurology: prescription oral dosage products, and other prescription and OTC products.

The Company competes with Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer/Wyeth, Valeant, Galderma, Merck/Schering-Plough, Teva Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Mylan Laboratories, Perrigo Company, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Merck Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Janssen Inc., Schering-Plough Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Inc., Bayer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, Apotex Inc., Teva Canada Limited, Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC, Sandoz Canada Incorporated, Pharmascience Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Perrigo Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Dexxon Ltd., Rafa Laboratories Ltd., Bayer AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Israeli drugmaker Taro Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TARO  ) has a new CEO -- and a new Chairman of the Board, as well.

  On Thursday, Taro announced the imminent retirement of Interim Chief Executive Officer Mr. James Kedrowsk, who will be replaced August 1 by new permanent CEO Mr. Kalyanasundaram Subramanian ("Kal Sundaram"). Additionally, the company said that Dilip Shanghvi�has been appointed Chairman of its Board of Directors.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Teva has dropped 7.7% to $37.85 today at 3:23 p.m. but doesn’t seem to be spreading though the generic drug space. Taro Pharmaceuticals (TARO) ha gained 1.1% to $79, while Actavis (ACT) has gained 1.2% to $156.25 and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (RDY) has advanced 1% to $40.24. Mylan (MYL) has dropped 0.7% to $38.40.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Winthrop Realty Trust (FUR)

Winthrop Realty Trust (WRT) is a diversified real estate investment trust (REIT). WRT conducts its business through its wholly owned operating partnership, WRT Realty L.P., (the Operating Partnership).The Company is engaged in the business of owning real property and real estate related assets. The Company operates in three segments: operating properties; loan assets; and REIT securities. In June 2013, Winthrop Realty Trust sold its medical office building property located in Deer Valley, Arizona. In November 2013, Winthrop Realty Trust closed on its acquisition of four newly constructed class A luxury apartment buildings.

On May 23, 2012, the Company acquired a first mortgage loan secured by a 326,000 square foot commercial building located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida consisted of approximately 47,000 square feet of retail and 279,000 square feet of office space that was 74.4% leased. In February 2012, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation along with WRT formed a joint venture that acquired a senior mezzanine loan position of a 1.7 million-square-foot class A portfolio in Stamford, Conn. In April 2012, it acquired a 320 unit, class A, multifamily property, situated on 27.9 acres in the Germantown/Collierville submarket of Memphis, Tennessee. On February 3, 2012, the Company acquired through its venture with Elad Canada Inc. the first mortgage loan secured by Sullivan Center, Chicago. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it acquired one investment property located in New York. On November 4, 2011, Socal Office Portfolio Loan LLC acquired first mortgage encumbering a 4,500,000 square foot, 31 property portfolios of office properties situated throughout southern California. On June 3, 2011 LW SOFI LLC acquired from Concord 100% of the economic rights and obligations in mezzanine loan collateralized by an interest in the Sofitel hotel in New York City. On June 1, 2011 it acquired, from Concord Debt Holdings LLC (Concord), senior mezzanine loan totaling 2,106 units located in Orlando, Sarasota, Bra! denton and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. On March 22, 2011 the Company purchased through a 50/50 joint venture, two non-performing first mortgage loan. On February 23, 2011, it acquired first mortgage secured by a lien on a 26-story, 66 room limited service boutique hotel located in New York, New York through a 50/50 joint venture. On June 1, 2011 the Company sold to its partner, Marc Realty, its interest in three properties in its Marc Realty Portfolio, which included eight South Michigan, 11 East Adams and 29 East Madison.

Loan Assets

Loan assets segments includes the Company�� activities related to the origination and acquisition of senior loans, mezzanine loans and debt securities secured directly or indirectly by commercial and multi-family real property. The Company�� investment in Concord Debt Holdings LLC and CDH CDO LLC, which it refers to as the Company�� Concord investment platform, is held as an interest investment.

Operating Properties

The Company invested in a portfolio transaction, which it refers to as the Vintage portfolio. Vintage portfolio which has 25 multifamily and senior housing properties consist of 4,167 units located primarily in the Pacific Northwest and California. The average occupancy of its consolidated properties was approximately 75.1%, during 2011. As of December 31, 2011 WRT�� consolidated properties were approximately 74.2% leased. Occupancy at its Lisle, Illinois property known as 550-560 Corporetum was 61% occupied, as of December 31, 2011. At WRT�� other Lisle, Illinois property, referred to as 701 Arboretum, its major tenant, which occupied approximately 53% of the building vacated their space at the expiration of their lease term, on May 31, 2011. In addition, another tenant who occupied approximately 15% of the building vacated at the expiration of their lease, in August 2011. As a result, this property is 17% occupied, as of December 31, 2011. The Company�� 82,000 square foot Deer Valley Profes! sional Bu! ilding, located in Phoenix, Arizona was 95.6% leased, as of December 31, 2011. WRT�� Crossroads I and II buildings, which consisted of approximately 236,000 square feet, were 72.4% leased, as of December 31, 2011.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had two tenants, Spectra Energy and Siemens Real Estate, which represented approximately 21.8% and 9.8%, respectively, of its annualized base rental revenues from consolidated commercial operating properties. As of December 31, 2011 it held interests in three real estate ventures with Sealy & Co. which had an aggregate of approximately 2,097,000 rentable square feet consisted of 18 office flex buildings and 13 light distribution and service center properties. Two of the investment properties are located in Atlanta, Georgia, (Northwest Business Park and Newmarket), which had occupancies of 77% and 52% respectively, as of December 31, 2011. As of December 31, 2011, WRT held interests in nine properties with Marc Realty, which consisted of an aggregate of approximately 1,407,000 rentable square feet of office and retail space, which was 78.5% occupied. Of the properties, in which the Company held an interest, as of December 31, 2011, two downtown Chicago properties consisted of approximately 389,000 rentable square feet of the aggregate Marc Realty portfolio. These two properties had a combined occupancy of 79.1% at December 31, 2011.

REIT Securities

The REIT securities segment includes all of the Company�� activities related the ownership of interest and debt securities in other real estate investment trusts (REITs). During 2011, it began investing again in REIT common shares, particularly in Cedar Realty Trust Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Fugro NV (FUR) slumped 5.8 percent to 43.90 euros, the worst performance on the Stoxx 600. The world�� biggest deepwater-oilfield surveyor said first-half earnings before interest and taxes amounted to 133 million euros, compared with 154 million euros a year earlier. Fugro said that

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

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

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

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

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Safran SA (SAF)

Safran SA is a France-based high-technology company which produces aircraft and rocket engines and propulsion systems. It divides its work into three segments: Aerospace, Aircraft, Defense and Security. The Aerospace Propulsion division provides engines, turbines and parts for aircraft, and rocket boosters for civil, military and spatial markets through several subsidiaries, including Snecma, among others. The Aircraft Equipment division produces landing gear, wheels and carbon brakes, aircraft engine nacelles and airborne power electronics through its subsidiaries, including Aircelle, among others. The Defense division includes the subsidiary, Sagem, and makes systems and equipment for inertial navigation and other defense applications to be used on military transport and combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, armored vehicles and artillery systems. In October 2013, the Company completed the sale of its United States-based subsidiary, Global Motors Inc to Allied Motion Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Vivendi SA climbed 2.7 percent after posting better-than-estimated third-quarter profit and saying it plans to spin off its French phone carrier SFR by July 2014. Serco Group Plc (SRP) increased 1.7 percent as UBS AG upgraded the stock. Safran SA (SAF) lost 3.2 percent as its largest shareholder sold a stake.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Bank of Hawaii Corp (BOH)

Bank of Hawaii Corporation, incorporated on February 4, 1998, is a bank holding company. The Company�� operating subsidiary is Bank of Hawaii (the Bank). The Bank provides a range of financial services and products primarily to customers in Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific Islands. The Bank's subsidiaries include Bank of Hawaii Leasing, Inc., Bankoh Investment Services, Inc. and Pacific Century Life Insurance Corporation. The Bank's subsidiaries are engaged in equipment leasing, securities brokerage, investment services and providing credit insurance. It operates in four segments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Investment Services, and Treasury and Other. Its other subsidiary is the BOHC Investment Fund, LLC (the Fund). The Fund was organized to invest in and hold securities of Qualified High Technology Businesses.

Retail Banking

Retail Banking offers a range of financial products and services to consumers and small businesses. Loan and lease products include residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases and installment loans. Deposit products include checking, savings, and time deposit accounts. Retail Banking also offers retail insurance products. Products and services from Retail Banking are delivered to customers through 65 Hawaii branch locations, 494 automated teller machines (ATMs) throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, e-Bankoh (on-line banking service), around-the-clock customer service center, and a mobile banking service.

Commercial Banking

Commercial Banking offers products, including corporate banking, commercial real estate loans, commercial lease financing, auto dealer financing, and deposit products. Commercial lending and deposit products are offered to middle-market and large companies in Hawaii. Commercial real estate mortgages focus on customers that include investors, developers, and builders predominantly domiciled in Hawaii. Commercial Banking also includes international banking a! nd operations at the Bank's 11 branches in the Pacific Islands and also provides merchant services to its small business customers.

Investment Services

Investment Services includes private banking, trust services, investment management, and institutional investment advisory services. The private banking and personal trust group assists individuals and families in building and preserving their wealth by providing investment, credit, and trust services to high-net-worth individuals. The investment management group manages portfolios utilizing a variety of investment products. Institutional client services offer investment advice to corporations, government entities and foundations. Investment Services also provides a full service brokerage offering equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products.

Treasury and Other

Treasury consists of corporate asset and liability management activities, including interest rate risk management and a foreign exchange business. This segment's assets consist of interest-bearing deposits, investment securities, federal funds sold and purchased, government deposits, and short and long-term borrowings. The primary sources of noninterest income are from bank-owned life insurance, net gains from the sale of investment securities, and foreign exchange income related to customer driven currency requests from merchants and island visitors.

Investment Securities

The Bank�� investment securities portfolio includes debt securities issued by the United States Treasury and Government Agencies, debt securities issued by states and political sub-divisions, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage-backed securities issued by government agencies and the United States Government-Sponsored Enterprises. As of December 31, 2012, its available-for-sale investment securities portfolio consisted of securities with an average base duration of less than three years.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Percentages aside, the benefit of the relative health of these housing markets can be seen in the performance of smaller, regional banks like Bank of Hawaii (NYSE: BOH  ) , BB&T (NYSE: BBT  ) , and TD Bank (NYSE: TD  ) which have large presences in Hawaii, West Virginia, and Maine, respectively. Shares of all of these banks have more than recovered since the financial crisis as a testament to this.

5 Best Airline Stocks To Buy Right Now

Emerging stocks declined to a four- month low as U.S. jobs data missed forecasts and the threat of a bird flu epidemic sent Chinese airlines tumbling. The MSCI BRIC Index dropped 10 percent from this year�� peak.

China Southern Airlines Co. (1055) sank 8.5 percent in Hong Kong, while Hyundai Motor (005380) Co. led losses in Seoul as the risk of conflict with North Korea spurred capital outflows. Russian shares dropped a third week as OAO Mobile TeleSystems slumped on concern the country�� largest mobile provider will lose market share. Brazil�� Bovespa index erased an earlier decline as utility Cia. Paranaense de Energia jumped 8.3 percent.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index (MXEF) slipped 0.9 percent to 1,008.13 in New York, extending its weekly slump to 2.6 percent. Stocks fell on data showing U.S. employers hired fewer workers than forecast in March, while international investors sold the most South Korean equities since May. Six people have died from a new strain of bird flu in China.

Top 10 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2015: AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK)

AMR Corporation (AMR), incorporated in October 1982, operates in the airline industry. The Company�� principal subsidiary is American Airlines, Inc. (American). As of December 31, 2011, American provided scheduled jet service to approximately 160 destinations throughout North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia. AMR Eagle Holding Corporation (AMR Eagle), a wholly owned subsidiary of AMR, owns two regional airlines, which do business as American Eagle - American Eagle Airlines, Inc. and Executive Airlines, Inc. (collectively, the American Eagle carriers). American also contracts with an independently owned regional airline, which does business as AmericanConnection (the AmericanConnection carrier). As of December 31, 2011, AMR Eagle operated approximately 1,500 daily departures, offering scheduled passenger service to over 175 destinations in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

American, AMR Eagle and the AmericanConnection airline served more than 250 cities in approximately 50 countries with, on average, 3,400 daily flights and the combined network fleet numbered approximately 900 aircraft as of December 31, 2011. American Airlines is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, which includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LAN Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, JAL, Malev Hungarian, Mexicana, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines. Together, oneworld members serve 750 destinations in approximately 150 countries, with about 8,500 daily departures. American is also one of the scheduled air freight carriers in the world, providing a range of freight and mail services to shippers throughout its system onboard American�� passenger fleet.

To improve access to each other�� markets, American has established marketing relationships with other airlines and rail companies. As of December 31, 2011, American had marketing relationships with Air Berlin, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska Airlines , British Airways, Cape Air, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern ! A! irlines, Dragonair, Deutsche Bahn German Rail, EL AL, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, GOL, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines (JAL), Jet Airways, JetStar Airways, LAN (includes LAN Airlines, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru), Niki Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.

American has established the AAdvantage frequent flyer program (AAdvantage). AAdvantage members earn mileage credits by flying on American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection carrier or by using services of other participants in the AAdvantage program. Mileage credits can be redeemed for free, discounted or upgraded travel on American, American Eagle or other participating airlines, or for other awards. American sells mileage credits and related services to other participants in the AAdvantage program. There are over 1,000 program participants, including a credit card issuer, hotels, car rental companies, and other products an d services companies in the AAdvantage program. As of December 31, 2011, AAdvantage had approximately 69 million total members.

The Company competes with Alaska Airlines (Alaska), Delta Air Lines (Delta), Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways (JetBlue), Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines (Southwest) and AirTran Airways (Air Tran), Spirit Airlines, United Airlines (United) and Continental Airlines (Continental), US Airways and Virgin America Airlines.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Sandlow]

  Synopsis: As a result of the terms of its bankruptcy and the proposed merger with U.S. Airways (LCC), an equity investment in AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK) is equivalent to a series of derivatives on LCC. At current market values, AAMRQ is undervalued by approximately 40%. It is possible to create an arbitrage position that should capture this pricing differential over the next 6 months.

• [By Insider Monkey]

  Last but not the least is US Airways Group (LCC), in which Y/Cap slightly increased its position, now owning around $7.9 million. U.S. Airways is currently on the minds of many investors, mainly due to its plans to merge with American Airlines parent AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK). While European regulators approved the merger, the U.S. Department of Justice put a spoke in the wheel, and is trying to block the move. The companies filed a motion to the court to set the trial date for November 12. Amid these actions, U.S. Airways and American Airlines prolonged the outside date at which one of the companies can terminate the proposed merger.

5 Best Airline Stocks To Buy Right Now: American Airlines Group Inc (AAL)

American Airlines Group Inc., formerly AMR Corporation, incorporated in October 1982, operates in the airline industry. The Company's principal subsidiary is American Airlines, Inc. (American). As of December 31, 2011, American provided scheduled jet service to approximately 160 destinations throughout North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia. AMR Eagle Holding Corporation (AMR Eagle), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, owns two regional airlines, which do business as American Eagle-American Eagle Airlines, Inc. and Executive Airlines, Inc. (collectively, the American Eagle carriers). American also contracts with an independently owned regional airline, which does business as AmericanConnection (the AmericanConnection carrier). As of December 31, 2011, AMR Eagle operated approximately 1,500 daily departures, offering scheduled passenger service to over 175 destinations in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

American, AMR Eagle and the AmericanConnection airline served more than 250 cities in approximately 50 countries with, on average, 3,400 daily flights and the combined network fleet numbered approximately 900 aircraft as of December 31, 2011. American Airlines is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, which includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LAN Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, JAL, Malev Hungarian, Mexicana, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines. Together, oneworld members serve 750 destinations in approximately 150 countries, with about 8,500 daily departures. American is also one of the scheduled air freight carriers in the world, providing a range of freight and mail services to shippers throughout its system onboard American's passenger fleet.

To improve access to each other's markets, American has established marketing relationships with other airlines and rail companies. As of December 31, 2011, American had marketing relationships with Air Berlin, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cape Air, C! athay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, Dragonair, Deutsche Bahn German Rail, EL AL, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, GOL, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines (JAL), Jet Airways, JetStar Airways, LAN (includes LAN Airlines, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru), Niki Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.

American has established the AAdvantage frequent flyer program (AAdvantage). AAdvantage members earn mileage credits by flying on American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection carrier or by using services of other participants in the AAdvantage program. Mileage credits can be redeemed for free, discounted or upgraded travel on American, American Eagle or other participating airlines, or for other awards. American sells mileage credits and related services to other participants in the AAdvantage program. There are over 1,000 program participants, including a credit card issuer, hotels, car rental companies, and other products and services companies in the AAdvantage program. As of December 31, 2011, AAdvantage had approximately 69 million total members.

The Company competes with Alaska Airlines (Alaska), Delta Air Lines (Delta), Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways (JetBlue), Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines (Southwest) and AirTran Airways (Air Tran), Spirit Airlines, United Airlines (United) and Continental Airlines (Continental), US Airways and Virgin America Airlines.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  UBS analysts Darryl Genovesi and Raymond Wong explain what Delta Air Lines’ (DAL) disappointing update yesterday means for American Airlines (AAL), United Continental (UAL) and other carriers:

5 Best Airline Stocks To Buy Right Now: Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (VBHLF)

Virgin Australia Holdings Limited (VAH) is an Australia-based company engaged in the development and operation of domestic and international airlines. VAH�� fleet includes ATR-72, Embraer 190, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, AIRBUS A330 and Boeing 777-300ER. It product includes Airbus A330 Business Class. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, the Company carried 19,468,929 guests on 216 city pairs to 52 destinations, and operated 162,817 flights. On February 22, 2012, under the proposal, all of the shares in the international airline business of Virgin Australia were transferred to a new holding company, Virgin Australia International Holdings Pty Ltd. In April 2013, it acquired 100% of the issued share capital in Skywest Airlines Ltd. In July 2013, Virgin Australia Holdings Limited announced that it has acquired 60% interest of Tiger Airways Australia Pty Limited from Tiger Airways Holdings Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks gave ground in early Friday trading, with banks broadly lower after overnight losses in the U.S., where investors worried that better-than-expected data would prompt the Federal Reserve to roll back stimulus soon. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) lost 0.4% to 5,178.30, as National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) fell 1.8%, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) lost 0.8%, and Macquarie Group Ltd. (AU:MQG) (MCQEF) retreated 1.3%. Among the resource shares, losses for gold both in New York and in early Asian electronic trade helped send Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) down 1.9% and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) off 4.5%, though Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) held the drop to 0.4%. Oil prices managed a modest gain, however, resulting in a 0.2% rise for Oil Search Ltd. (AU:OSH) (OISHF) and Karoon Gas Australia Ltd. (AU:KAR) (KRNGF) , while Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (AU:WPL)

5 Best Airline Stocks To Buy Right Now: Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (VLRS)

Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (Volaris Aviation Holding Company) is a Mexico-based company principally engaged in the airline passenger transportation industry. The Company is a law-cost carrier airline. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV offers direct, point-to-point flights. The Company serves through secondary, lower cost airports and provides a single class of service. The Company utilizes such aircraft as the Airbus A319 and A320 families, among others. The Company has such subsidiaries as Comercializadora Volaris SA de CV, Servicios Corporativos Volaris SA de CV, Concesionaria Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAPI de CV, Deutsche Bank Mexico SA Trust 1484, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  When most American investors think of discount airline stocks, they probably think of relatively large capped Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV)�or sort of small cap�JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU) rather than�small cap Controladora Vuela Co Avcn SA CV (NYSE: VLRS) which owns Volaris���a discount airline serving the�Mexican market. However, any investor who has read Benjamin Graham�� Intelligent Investor might want to remember his sage advice about avoiding airline stocks���mainly because airlines were such a new and unproven sector that had yet to make money. But could Controladora Vuela Co Avcn SA CV actually be an airline stock worth owning?

Top Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2014

Anite� (LSE: AIE  ) -- a leading provider of software solutions to the international wireless and leisure travel industries -- released a trading update today, ahead of its final results, due on July 2, 2013.

The company says that trading in the final quarter was strong -- slightly ahead of predictions in its Q3 interim management statement -- and that it now anticipates pre-tax profit for the full-year at the top end of market expectations.

And while revenue will still be below expectations, Anite said that margins across all of its businesses continue to follow the positive trends seen in the first half of the year. Anite's share price is currently up over 5%.

Commenting on the update, Anite's chief executive, Christopher Humphrey, said:

The Group has capitalized on its growing pipeline of opportunities, resulting in a strong finish to the year. This has enabled us to achieve our full year target and I am pleased with the progress we have made throughout the year.

Best New Companies To Buy For 2015: Ply Gem Holdings Inc (PGEM)

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc. (Ply Gem Holdings), incorporated on January 23, 2004, is a manufacturer of residential exterior building products in North America. The Company operates in two segments: Siding, Fencing, and Stone and Windows and Doors. These two segments produce a product line of vinyl siding, designer accents, cellular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trim, vinyl fencing, vinyl and composite railing, stone veneer and vinyl windows and doors used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Western Canada. It also manufactures vinyl and aluminum soffit and siding accessories, aluminum trim coil, wood windows, aluminum windows, vinyl and aluminum-clad windows and steel and fiberglass doors, enabling it to bundle complementary and color-matched products and accessories with its core products. The Company�� subsidiaries includes including Ply Gem Industries, MWM Holding, AWC Holding Company, MHE, and Pacific Windows. On July 30, 2012, Ply Gem acquired substantially all of the assets of Greendeck Products, LLC.

Siding, Fencing, and Stone Segment

In the Siding, Fencing, and Stone segment, its principal products include vinyl siding and skirting, vinyl and aluminum soffit, aluminum trim coil, J-channels, wide crown molding, window and door trim, F-channels, H-molds, fascia, undersill trims, outside/inside corner posts, rain removal systems, injection molded designer accents, such as shakes, shingles, scallops, shutters, vents and mounts, vinyl fence, vinyl and composite railing, and stone veneer. It sells its siding and accessories under its Variform, Napco, Mastic Home Exteriors, and Cellwood brand names and under the Georgia-Pacific brand name through a private label program. It also sells its Providence line of vinyl siding and accessories to Lowe�� under its Durabuilt private label brand name. Its vinyl and vinyl-composite fencing and railing products are sold under its Kroy and Kroy Express brand names. Ply Gem Holdings stone veneer produ! cts are sold under its United Stone Veneer brand name.

The Company sells the siding and accessories to specialty distributors (one-step distribution) and to wholesale distributors (two-step distribution). Its specialty distributors sell directly to remodeling contractors and builders. Its wholesale distributors sell to retail home centers and lumberyards who, in turn, sell to remodeling contractors, builders and consumers. In the specialty channel, it has developed a network of approximately 800 independent distributors, serving over 22,000 contractors and builders nationwide.

Windows and Doors Segment

In the Windows and Doors segment, its principal products include vinyl, aluminum, wood and clad-wood windows and patio doors, and steel, wood, and fiberglass entry doors that serve both the new home construction and the repair and remodeling sectors in the United States and Western Canada. Its products in its Windows and Doors segment are sold under the Ply Gem Windows, Great Lakes Mastic by Ply Gem, and Ply Gem Canada brands.

The Company competes with Alsco, Gentek, U.S. Fence, Homeland, Westech, Bufftech, Royal, Azek., Eldorado Stone, Coronado Stone, Jeld-Wen, Simonton, Pella and Andersen, MI Home Products, Atrium, Weathershield, Milgard, Jeld-Wen, Gienow, All Weather and Loewen.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Installed Building Products��debut follows mixed performance from shares of some newly public building-products companies. Through Tuesday, siding manufacturer Ply Gem Holdings Inc.(PGEM)�� shares were down 39% from the offer price in its $381 May debut. Wood-products maker Boise Cascade Co.(BCC) was up 46% from its $284 million February IPO.

Top Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2014: Eagle Materials Inc (EXP)

Eagle Materials Inc., incorporated on January 27, 1994, manufactures and distributes gypsum wallboard and also manufactures and sells cement. Gypsum wallboard is distributed throughout the United States with particular emphasis in the geographic markets nearest to its production facilities. The Company sells cement in six regional markets, including northern Nevada and California, the greater Chicago area, the Rocky Mountain region, the Central Plains region and Texas. Its gypsum wallboard business is supported by its recycled paperboard business, while its cement business is supported by its concrete and aggregates business. The Company operates in Cement and Concrete and Aggregates, and Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard segments. As of March 31, 2013, the Company operated six cement plants (one of which belongs to its joint venture company), five gypsum wallboard plants, one recycled paperboard plant, seventeen concrete batching plants and four aggregates facilities. The Company�� products are used in the construction and renovation of houses, roads, bridges, commercial and industrial buildings and other, newer generation structures like wind farms.

Cement, Concrete and Aggregates Operations

The Company�� cement production facilities are located in or near Buda, Texas; LaSalle, Illinois; Laramie, Wyoming; Sugar Creek, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fernley, Nevada. The Company�� cement subsidiaries are wholly-owned except the Buda, Texas plant, which is owned by Texas Lehigh Cement Company LP, a limited partnership joint venture owned 50% by the Company and 50% by Lehigh Cement Company LLC, a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement AG. Its LaSalle, Illinois plant operates under the name of Illinois Cement Company; the Laramie, Wyoming plant operates under the name of Mountain Cement Company; the Fernley, Nevada plant operates under the name of Nevada Cement Company and its Sugar Creek, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma plants operate under the name Central Plains Cement Com! pany. The Company produces and distributes ready-mix concrete from Company-owned sites north of Sacramento, California; Austin, Texas and the greater Kansas City area. The Company�� activities in its frac sand business are in the Utica, Illinois area and in south Texas. The Company sells aggregates to building contractors and other customers engaged in a variety of construction activities.

Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard Operations

The Company owns five gypsum wallboard manufacturing facilities. As of March 31, 2013, the Company�� gypsum wallboard production totaled 1,950 million square feet. Total gypsum wallboard sales were 1,909 million square feet during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013). The Company also manufactures alternative products, including containerboard grades (such as linerboard and medium) and lightweight packaging grades (such as bag liner). In addition, recycled industrial paperboard grades (tube/core stock and protective angle board stock) are produced to maximize manufacturing efficiencies. The Company�� manufactured recycled paperboard products are sold to gypsum wallboard manufacturers and other industrial users.

The Company competes with USG Corporation, National Gypsum Company and Koch Industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Cement and building materials maker�Eagle Materials� (NYSE: EXP  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.10 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top decliners in the sector included Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), off 6.3 percent, and Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP), down 4.3 percent.

  Top Headline
  Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) announced its plans to buy Furiex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FURX) for up to $1.46 billion. Forest will pay around $95 per share, or around $1.1 billion in cash. Forest Labs will also pay up to $30 per share, or around $360 million in a contingent value right. The deal is projected to close in the second or third quarter of 2014.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top decliners in the sector included Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), off 6.3 percent, and Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP), down 4.3 percent.

  Top Headline
  Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) announced its plans to buy Furiex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FURX) for up to $1.46 billion. Forest will pay around $95 per share, or around $1.1 billion in cash. Forest Labs will also pay up to $30 per share, or around $360 million in a contingent value right. The deal is projected to close in the second or third quarter of 2014.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Tomorrow, Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Top Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2014: 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 Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2014: 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%.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  In trading on Friday, Basic Materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by 0.78 percent. Top gainer in the sector was AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO), up 9 percent.

Top Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2014: 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.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Texas Industries (NYSE: TXI) was down, falling 4.36 percent to $65.78 after Longbow Research downgraded the stock from buy to neutral.

  Commodities
  In commodity news, oil traded down 1.37 percent to $97.07, while gold traded up 1.73 percent to $1,223.10. Silver traded up 3.69 percent Thursday to $20.09, while copper fell 0.34 percent to $3.39.

Top Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2014: CEMEX SAB de CV (CX)

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

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

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

Mexican Operations

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

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

U.S. Operations

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

Spanish Operations

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

U.K. Operations

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

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

German Operations

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

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

French Operations

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

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

Irish Operations

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

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

Polish Operations

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

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

Southeast European Operations

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Vulcan have gained 7.6%, and given a lift to other cement makers today, including Martin Marietta Materials (MLM), which has risen 4.9% and reports earnings on Thursday, Cemex (CX), which has advanced 1.5%, and Texas Industries (TXI), which is up 4.9%.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Cemex SAB de CV (CX)

  As of the close of the third quarter there were nine guru owners of Cemex. These gurus held a combined weighting of 5.30%. During the third quarter, there were three gurus making buys and nine making sells of their stake in CX.

• [By GuruFocus]

  George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated