Hot Financial Companies For 2014

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For the week, the worst sectors according to Portfolio Grader are the reit, metals and mining, construction materials, independent utilities and electric utilities sectors.

The reit sector looks weak, with 85% of its stocks (127 out of 150) rated a “sell”. Out of the reit stocks, American Capital Mortgage Investment Corp. (), Hatteras Financial () and Lexington Realty Trust () are near the bottom with F’s. Over the last 12 months, Hatteras Financial is the worst performer in this sector, with a 37.3% decline. This is worse than the S&P 500, which has seen a 14.9% increase over the same period.

10 Best Growth Stocks For 2015: ING Groep NV (ING)

ING Groep N.V. (ING), incorporated in 1991, is a global financial institution offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to meet the needs of the customers. The Company�� segments include banking and insurance. Banking segment includes retail Netherlands, retail Belgium, ING direct, retail central Europe (CE), retail Asia, commercial banking (excluding real estate), ING real estate and corporate line banking. Insurance segment includes insurance Benelux, insurance central and rest of Europe (CRE), insurance United States (US), Insurance US closed block VA, insurance Asia/Pacific, ING investment management (IM) and corporate line insurance. In February 2011, the Company divested its real estate investment operation ING Real Estate Investment Management (ING REIM) to CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. In June 2011, the Company sold Clarion Partners. In July 2011, ING announced the completion of the sale of Clarion Real Estate Securities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company divested its interests in ING Car Lease and ING IM Philippines. In February 2012, Capital One Financial Corp. acquired ING Direct business in the United States from the Company.

In June 2011, ING had completed the sale of its interest in China�� Pacific Antai Life Insurance Company Ltd. In June 2011, ING announced the completion of the sale of real estate investment manager of its United States operations, Clarion Partners, to Clarion Partners management in partnership with Lightyear Capital LLC. In October 2011, ING announced that it had completed the sale of REIM�� Asian and European operations to CBRE Group Inc. In December 2011 ING completed the sale of its Latin American pensions, life insurance and investment management operations.

Retail Netherlands

Retail Banking reaches its individual customers through Internet banking, telephone, call centers, mailings and branches. Using direct marketing methods, it is a provider of current account services an! d payments systems to provide other financial services, such as savings accounts, mortgage loans, consumer loans, credit card services, investment and insurance products. Mortgages are offered through a tied agents sale force and direct and intermediary channels. ING Bank Netherlands operates through a branch network of approximately 280 branches. It offers a range of commercial banking activities and also life and non-life insurance products. It also sells mortgages through the intermediary channel.

Retail Belgium

ING Belgium provides banking, insurance (life, non-life) and asset management products and services to meet the needs of individuals, families, companies and institutions through a network of local head offices, 773 branches and direct banking channels (automated branches, home banking services and call centers). ING Belgium also operates a second network, Record Bank, which provides a range of banking products through independent banking agents and credit products through a multitude of channels (agents, brokers, vendors).

ING Direct

ING Direct offers a range of financial products, such as savings, mortgages, retail investment products, payment accounts and consumer lending products. It operates in Canada, Spain, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom. In June 2011, ING Group announced the sale of ING Direct USA to Capital One Financial Corporation.

Retail Central Europe

Retail Central Europe has a presence in Poland, and Romania and Turkey. ING in Poland is an Internet bank. During 2011, ING Bank Turkey launched the Orange account, the variable savings product. ING in Turkey also launched a mobile phone banking application. ING Bank Romania carried out its Internet banking site, Home��ank. In September 2011, a mobile version of the Home��ank Website was introduced.

Retail Asia

Retail Banking has a presence in Asian markets of India, China and Thailand. As o! f Decembe! r 31, 2011, the Company had 44% interest in ING Vysya and 30% interest in TMB Bank in Thailand. Bank of Beijing (BoB), in which ING has the largest single interest (16.07%) is a commercial bank in China. ING provides principally risk management and retail banking to BoB.

Commercial Banking

ING Commercial Banking supports the banking needs of its corporate and institutional clients to invest both retail and commercial bank customer deposits. It is a commercial bank in its home markets in the Benelux, as well as in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to the banking services of lending, payments and cash management and treasury, it also provides solutions in other areas, including specialized and trade finance, derivatives, corporate finance, debt and equity capital markets, leasing, factoring and supply chain finance. Payments and Cash Management (PCM) and General Lending are its some of the product lines. Structured Finance (SF) is a specialist commercial lending business, providing loans to support capital intensive investments and working capital. It is managed in three groups: the Energy, Transport and Infrastructure Group; the Specialized Financing Group; and International Trade and Export Finance. Leasing and Factoring (L&F) provides financial and operating leasing services for a range of equipment, as well as receivables financing and other factoring solutions for commercial banking clients. The Financial Markets (FM) is the global business unit that manages ING�� financial markets trading and non-trading activities. FM is managed along three business lines: ALCO manages the interest rates exposures arising from the traditional banking activities, Strategic Trading Platform incorporates the primary proprietary risk taking units, and Clients and Products is the primary customer trading facilitation business line.

Real Estate

During 2011, Real Estate Finance (REF) maintained its credit portfolio. Real Estate Development (ING RED) and! Real Est! ate Investment Management (ING REIM) has a controlled wind down of activities.

Insurance Benelux

Duirng 2011, Nationale-Nederlanden introduced bank pension savings products and annuities. ING Life Belgium introduced a new Universal Life product. Nationale-Nederlanden also received a license from the Dutch Central Bank to launch a defined contribution DC company pension product PPI in Europe. NN Services introduced a processing and information technology system (business process management layer) for several legacy lines of retail Life businesses. NN Services IT manages all the closed book business of Nationale-Nederlanden. ING�� life insurance products in the Benelux consist of a range of traditional, unit-linked and variable annuity policies written for both individual and group customers. ING is also a provider of (re-insured) company pension plans in the Netherlands.

NG Benelux��non-life products, mainly in the Netherlands, include coverage for both individual and commercial/group clients for fire, motor, disability, transport and third party liability. Nationale-Nederlanden has also a central product manufacturing service for property and casualty insurance, which has developed products for ING Bank in Belgium and ING Bank in the Netherlands. ING offers a range of disability insurance products and complementary services for employers and self-employed professionals (such as dentists and general practitioners).

Insurance Central and Rest of Europe

Insurance Central and Rest of Europe has life insurance companies in Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey. It has pension funds in Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Bulgaria, Romania and in Turkey. ING offers a range of individual endowment, unit linked, term and whole life insurance policies designed to meet specific customer needs. It also has employee benefits products, as well as pension funds, that manage individu! al retire! ment accounts for individuals. The latter comprise both mandatory and voluntary retirement savings.

Insurance United States (Excluding US Closed Block Va)

ING Insurance US offers retirement services (primarily defined contribution plans), life insurance, fixed annuities, employee benefits, mutual funds, and broker-dealer services in the United States. ING Insurance US operates four businesses: Retirement Plans, Individual Retirement, Individual Life and Employee Benefits. ING Insurance US�� Retirement Plans business is a contribution providers, which offers a range of retirement solutions to all sizes and types of employers, including businesses for-profit ranging from start-ups to large corporations, public and private school systems, higher education institutions, state and local governments, hospitals and healthcare facilities, and not-for-profit organizations. ING Insurance US�� Retirement Plans business is a provider of defined contribution (DC) retirement plans in the United States based on assets under management and administration.

Insurance US Closed Block Va

ING US Closed Block VA consists of variable annuities issued in the United States that are primarily owned by individuals and were designed to address the demand for tax-advantaged savings, retirement planning, and wealth-protection. These annuity contracts were sold in the United States, primarily through independent third party distributors, including wirehouses and securities firms, independent planners and agents and banks.

Insurance Asia/Pacific

ING Insurance Asia/Pacific (IAP) is a provider of life insurance products and services. It is a life insurer in the region, with nine life operations in eight markets. IAP has ip operations in Japan and South Korea, operates a nt business in Malaysia, and is well in China, Hong Kong, Macau, India and Thailand. In April 2011, IAP, together with Public Bank Berhad and Public Islamic Bank Berhad, launched a joint ! venture i! n Malaysia, ING PUBLIC Takaful Ehsan Berhad, which will develop Takaful insurance products. In June 2011, IAP completed the sale of its 50% interest in Pacific-Antai Life Insurance Company Limited (PALIC).

The business units of IAP offer select types of life insurance, wealth management, and retail products and services. These include annuities, endowment, disability/morbidity insurance, unit linked/universal life, whole e, participating life, group life, accident and health, term life and employee benefits. In Hong Kong non-life insurance products (including medical, motor, fire, marine, personal accident and general liability) are also offered.

Insurance Latin America

ING completed the sale of its pensions, life insurance and investment management operations on December 29, 2011. These operations were in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

ING Investment Management

ING IM is an investment manager of ING Group with activities in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. In October 2011, ING IM sold ING IM Australia. ING IM provides a range of actively-managed strategies, investment vehicles and advisory services in all major asset classes and investment styles. It delivers a range of investment strategies and services to ING�� global network of businesses and third-party clients.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  ING Groep NV (NYSE: ING) was also up, gaining 4.11 percent to $14.28 after the company announced its plans to resume paying dividends in 2015.�

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of GenCorp (NYSE: GY) were down 5.16 percent to $17.64 after the company reported Q1 results. GenCorp reported a Q1 loss of $0.03 per share.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  ING Groep N.V. (NYSE: ING) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

  Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James, based on valuation after the stock went over $21 recently. Stifel Nicolaus also downgraded shares to Hold from Buy. These calls are after earnings, and the stock is down about 6% so far on Friday.

Hot Financial Companies For 2014: Ashmore Group PLC (ASHM)

Ashmore Group plc (Ashmore) is engaged in providing investment management services. The Company is a fund manager across six core investment themes, such as external debt, local currency, corporate debt, blended debt, equities, multi-strategy, alternatives and overlay/liquidity. External debt is a diversified portfolio of emerging market debt assets. Local currency takes advantage of the expanding local currency and local currency denominated debt market. Corporate debt focuses on the developing corporate debt asset class. Blended debt mandates specifically combine external, local currency and corporate debt measured against tailor-made blended indices. Multi-strategy is a dynamic asset allocation across other investment themes. Equities Focuses on liquidity and top down macro country selection in publicly traded. Overlay/liquidity helps to separate and centralize the currency risk of an underlying emerging market asset class. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Ashmore Group Plc (ASHM) jumped 5.3 percent to 382.2 pence. The U.K. fund manager that invests in emerging markets reported full-year pretax profit and revenue that exceeded estimates. The London-based company also raised its dividend.

Hot Financial Companies For 2014: Revive Therapeutics Ltd (RVV)

Revive Therapeutics Ltd., formerly Mercury Capital II Limited, is focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing treatments for major market opportunities such as sleep apnea, gout and rare diseases. The Company is focused on underserved medical needs such as opioid-induced respiratory depression in high risk patients with sleep apnea, gout, and Rett Syndrome. The Company is also developing a next generation analog of REV-001, which is an improvement of the original compound and it will have the potential to treat new diseases that would otherwise remain untreated with the original compound, such as rare diseases, breathing disorders, and cognitive dysfunction. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Whitney George is Director of Investments, Managing Director, and a Portfolio Manager of Royce & Associates, LLC, investment advisor to The Royce Funds. He serves as portfolio manager for Royce Premier Fund (RPR), Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund (RLP), Royce Global Value Fund (RGV), Royce SMid-Cap Value Fund (RSV), and Royce Focus Trust (FUND). He also serves as assistant portfolio manager for Royce Micro-Cap Fund (RMC), Royce Value Fund (RVV), Royce Value Plus Fund (RVP), Royce Focus Value Fund (RFV), and Royce Capital Fund ��Micro-Cap Portfolio (RCM). Mr. George's thoughts in this interview concerning the stock market are solely his own and, of course, there can be no assurance with regard to future market movements.

Hot Financial Companies For 2014: Simmons First National Corp (SFNC)

Simmons First National Corporation is a multi-bank financial holding company. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had total loans of $1.7 billion, deposits of $2.7 billion and equity capital of $408 million. As of December 31, 2011, it owned eight community banks, which are located throughout Arkansas and conduct its operations through 88 offices, of which 84 are branches, or financial centers, located in 47 communities in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. Its community banks are supported by its subsidiary bank, Simmons First National Bank (SFNB or lead bank), which allows its community banks to provide products and services, such as a bank-issued credit card. As of December 31, 2011, SFNB had total loans of $0.9 billion and total deposits of $1.5 billion. Simmons First Trust Company N.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of SFNB, performs the trust and fiduciary business operations for SFNB and for the Company. Simmons First Investment Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SFNB, is a broker-dealer and performs the broker-dealer operations for SFNB. Its subsidiary banks provide complete banking services to individuals and businesses throughout the market areas they serve. These banks offer consumer (credit card and other consumer), real estate (construction, single family residential and other commercial) and commercial (commercial, agriculture and financial institutions) loans, checking, savings and time deposits, trust and investment management services and securities and investment services. In September 2012, through its wholly owned bank subsidiary, Simmons First National Bank (SFNB), it acquired assets of Truman Bank of St. Louis from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC). In October 2012, SFNB acquired Excel Bank of Sedalia from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In November 2013, the Company acquired Metropolitan National Bank. Efffective November 25, 2013, the Company acquired Rogers Bancshares Inc.

Lending Activities

During the year ended December! 31, 2011, the Company�� loan portfolio, excluding loans covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) loss share arrangements, averaged $1.621 billion. As of December 31, 2011, total loans, excluding loans covered by FDIC loss share arrangements, were $1.580 billion. The components of the loan portfolio were loans to businesses (commercial loans, commercial real estate loans and agricultural loans) and individuals (consumer loans, credit card loans and single-family residential real estate loans).

Consumer loans consist of credit card loans, student loans and other consumer loans. As of December 31, 2011, consumer loans were $346.6 million or 21.9% of total loans. As of December 31, 2011, the student loan portfolio balance was $47.4 million. As of December 31, 2011, student loans were 3% of total loans. Real estate loans consist of construction loans, single family residential loans and commercial loans. As of December 31, 2011, real estate loans were $1.001 billion or 63.4% of total loans. As of December 31, 2011, its construction and development (C&D) loans represent 7% of its loan portfolio and commercial real estate (CRE) loans (excluding C&D) represent 34% of its loan portfolio. Commercial loans consist of commercial loans and agricultural loans. As of December 31, 2011, commercial loans were $227.2 million or 14.4% of total loans.

Investment Activities

Securities within the portfolio are classified as either held-to-maturity, available-for-sale or trading. Held-to-maturity securities include any security for which management has the positive intent and ability to hold until maturity, are carried at historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. As of December 31, 2011, held-to-maturity and available-for-sale investment securities were $525.4 million and $172.2 million. As of December 31, 2011, $312.8 million, or 59.5%, of the held-to-maturity securities were invested in United States Treasury securities and o! bligation! s of the United States government agencies, 60.0% of which will mature in less than five years. In the available-for-sale securities, $153.6 million, or 89.2%, were in the United States Treasury and the United States government agency securities.

Sources of Fund

Deposits are the Company�� source of funding for earning assets and are developed through its network of 84 financial centers. It offers a range of products designed to attract and retain customers with a continuing focus on developing core deposits. Its core deposits consist of all deposits excluding time deposits of $100,000 or more and brokered deposits. As of December 31, 2011, core deposits comprised 86.5% of its total deposits. As of December 31, 2011, its total deposits were $2.65 billion. As of December 31, 2011, non-interest bearing transaction accounts were $532.3 million. As of December 31, 2011, interest bearing transaction and savings accounts were $1.240 billion. As of December 31, 2011, it had $20.6 million of brokered deposits.

As of December 31, 2011, Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase were $114.8 million. As of December 31, 2011, its other short-term borrowings, consisting of the United States Treasury Tax and Loan (TT&L) Notes and short-term Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) borrowings were $272,000. As of December 31, 2011, its long-term debt was $120.8 million. As of December 31, 2011, the outstanding long-term debt balance includes $89.9 million in FHLB long-term advances and $30.9 million of trust preferred securities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Finally, Simonds First National Corp. (Nasdaq: SFNC) is a Midwestern bank with 96 branches in Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas. The stock has been strong this year, but CEO George Makris thinks there is additional upside ahead for the shares.

• [By CRWE]

  Simmons First National Corporation (Nasdaq:SFNC) reported, through its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Simmons First National Bank (“SFNB”), that it has expanded into the St. Louis, Missouri market by acquiring approximately $282 million in assets of Truman Bank of St. Louis from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”).

Hot Financial Companies For 2014: First Trust Global Wind Energy (FAN)

First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield, of an equity index called the ISE Global Wind Energy Index. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks that comprise the Index or in depositary receipts that may include American depositary receipts (ADRs), global depositary receipts (GDRs), European depositary receipts (EDRs) or other depositary receipts (collectively, Depositary Receipts) representing securities in the Index. The Fund invests in sectors, which include Consumer Discretionary, Energy, Industrials, Materials and Utilities. First Trust Advisors L.P. (First Trust) is the Investment Advisor of the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap wind stock Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ: BWEN) is up 203.7% since the start of the year, but investors might want to contain their excitement when they look closer at the�stock and�consider its�long term performance along with the performance of other wind investments like First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (NYSEARCA: FAN) and wind energy stocks Vestas Wind Systems (OTCMKTS: VWDRY) and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd (NYSE: MY) to see whether BWEN is just blowing more hot air.

Hot Financial Companies For 2014: National Australia Bank Ltd (NAUBF)

National Australia Bank Limited is a financial services organization providing products, advice and services through its major Australian franchise and businesses. The Company�� segment includes Business Banking, Personal Banking, Wholesale Banking, UK Banking and NZ Banking, MLC and NAB, Great Western Bank (GWB), the Corporate Functions and Other segment. MLC is the wealth management division of the National Australia Bank (NAB). In January 2014, Sandfire Resources NL announced that National Australia Bank Limited and its associated entities have ceased to be the substantial holder of the Company. In January 2014, Commonwealth Property Office Fund announced that National Australia Bank Ltd and its associated entities have ceased to be a substantial shareholder in Commonwealth Property Office Fund. In February 2014, Fairfax Media Ltd announced that National Australia Bank Ltd and its associated entities ceased holding interest in the capital of the Company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks inched lower in early Friday trade, with the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) down 0.1% at 5,322.00, with weakness in miners outweighing mild strength in financials. Shares of BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) fell 1.4% apiece, while Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) lost 2.2% and gold miner Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) lost 0.8%, after copper prices fell to two-week lows and Chinese steel futures also lost ground, according to Reuters. The sector could react to Chinese trade data due out later in the day, as China remains a top market for Australian commodities. Stock in Alumina Ltd. (AU:AWC) (AWCMF) retreated 2.6% after its U.S. partner Alcoa Inc. (AA) posted a quarterly loss. On the upside, the big four banks all traded higher, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) up 0.1%, National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) rising 0.2%, Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBN

• [By Daniel Inman]

  National Australia Bank (AU:NAB) � (NAUBF) �fell 1.8% in Sydney after the lender posted full-year earnings in line with market forecasts, though costs were ahead of expectations.

Hot Financial Companies For 2014: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust(PEB)

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, through Pebblebrook Hotel, L.P., operates as a real estate investment trust. The company acquires and invests primarily in hotel properties located in the United States. It holds interests in the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel and Executive Meeting Center located in Bethesda, Maryland; Sir Francis Drake Hotel located in San Francisco, California; and InterContinental Buckhead Hotel located in Atlanta, Georgia. As a REIT, the company is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marshall Hargrave]

  The other key benefit for Strategic is that it enjoys industry-leading earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) per available room. For 2012, Strategic generated $81 per room of EBITDA. Compare this to top comps LaSalle Hotel (NYSE: LHO) at $74 per room and Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) at $71. The reason for this is that Strategic is much less reliant than its peers on rooms, with much greater exposure to food and beverages. Strategic earns 53% of its revenue from rooms, while its peers get around 66% of revenues from rooms.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Hotel operator�Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.16 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after raising the payout 33% from $0.12 per share.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  In a perfect world, an investor could simply look at a company's history and its plausible earnings forecasts, and jump in (or out) knowing the stock's current price basically made sense with respect to past and future performance. We don't live or trade in a perfect world though. In the world we're actually in right now, most stocks, sectors, and industries have run up far beyond a justifiable value... perhaps except for hotel and lodging REIT stocks Host Hotels and Resorts Inc. (NYSE:HST), Strategic Hotels and Resorts Inc. (NYSE:BEE), and Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB).

5 Best Valued Stocks To Watch Right Now

Back in the golden age of big American concept cars, wonder machines that spoke to an era of almost unlimited dreams and prosperity, came one especially beautiful Lincoln.

The 1955 Indianapolis Exclusive Study showed what can happen when one of the better Italian design houses is set loose on one of the outlandishly huge chassis of the era. The result is a big car that combined American swagger with continental flair.

In this case, the body comes from Gian Carlo Boano, a promising young designer of the era, and the car itself is going on the block Thursday at the Art of the Automobile Event being held jointly by RM Auctions and Sotheby's in New York. The one-off Lincoln is valued at $2 million to $2.5 million.

The car made its big debut at the 37th Salone dell'Automobile in Turin in 1955. At the time, Lincoln, Ford's premium division, couldn't have been hotter, as the hit song Hot Rod Lincoln would later attest.

Top Forestry Companies To Own For 2015: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  For mining operations, one of the most commonly used trucks is Caterpillar's (NYSE: CAT  ) Caterpillar 797, or Cat 797 for short ��an enormous dump truck with a 400-ton capacity that's capable of hauling a million pounds of bituminous sand at a single time.

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, we'll be looking at why Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) got its target price cut, while Angie's List's (NASDAQ: ANGI  ) was upped. But first, a quick look at why...

5 Best Valued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP  ) is reaching into its corporate bowl for a fresh payout to shareholders. The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.62 per share. This will be paid on July 8 to stockholders of record as of June 19. That amount matches the firm's previous distribution, which was paid in early April. Prior to that, Tupperware Brands was rather less generous, handing out $0.36 per share.

• [By John Kell]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Dow Chemical Co.(DOW), Tupperware Brands Corp.(TUP) and Yahoo Inc.(YHOO)

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Corporate earnings took a back seat today to the Fed�� latest policy decision. Still, quarterly financial results, and other news sent shares of McCormick & Co. (MKC) and Tupperware (TUP), falling during regular market hours�Here�� a rundown of several of today�� moves:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, household products company Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

5 Best Valued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Halliburton (HAL), Schlumberger (SLB) and Baker Hughes (BHI). Three oil services firms with three very different responses to news today.

  Bloomberg

  First up, Halliburton. It reported a profit of 93 cents a share, above forecasts for 89 cents, yet Halliburton’s shares have dropped 1.8% to $49.76. Citigroup’s Robin Shoemaker and Mark Brown explain why:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Sanctions that keep Western oil service firms — like Halliburton (HAL) and Schlumberger (SLB) �� from doing business in Iran remain firmly in place. That’s a huge issue because Iran needs their help in order to get oil flowing and keep it flowing. Like much of the Middle East, Iran is facing the problem of dwindling output from its legacy oil fields and needs some Western-style technology to keep pumping.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Another reason that shale gas development has not as quickly developed is a lack of clear patent protection laws,�especially�in China. While both Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) and Haliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) have expressed an interest in developing Chinese shale gas, a lack of intellectual-property protection has them hesitant to going all in. Rather, both companies have taken minority interests in smaller,�Chinese-based companies and plan to take orders of drilling fluids and equipment. These kinds of moves are not necessary in the U.S. and have allowed companies to protect and profit from their expertise.

• [By Tony Daltorio]

  The biggest oilfield service companies should get a big lift from the boom, Moors said. That includes Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB), Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), Weatherford International Ltd. (NYSE: WFT), and Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE: BHI).

5 Best Valued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ANUP SINGH]

  Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) is among the most successful single-price-point retailers in the U.S. It operates more than 4,842 stores across 48 states in the U.S. and five Provinces in Canada. The chart below shows that the company has been performing consistently well over the past five years.

• [By John Maxfield]

  If you're anything like me, two things went through your head when you saw this. First, you regret that you missed out on the investment opportunity. Since the end of 2009, shares in all three of these companies, led by Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) , have simply trounced the broader market. Even the worst performer of the bunch, Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO  ) , beat it by nearly a factor of two.

Best Investments For 2014

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Chinese solar manufacturers Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) and Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL  ) both jumped 10% after the latter announced a new loan.

So what: The China Development Bank is giving Yingli Green Energy a $110 million one-year loan and a $55 million three-year loan to use for working capital and raw material needs. This adds to $2.5 billion of debt already on the balance sheet and doesn't bring the company any closer to profitability. �

Now what: Chinese state-run banks are now in position to pick winners and losers in the solar industry. The reason Yingli and Trina jumped today is that investors are speculating that they'll be able to outlast others in the industry. I'm still not buying this pop, because both companies are losing money, and adding more debt doesn't help their problems.

Interested in more info on Yingli Green Energy? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

Hot Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2015: Panasonic Corp (PCRFF)

Panasonic Corporation is a Japan-based electronics manufacturer. The Audio-Visual Computer (AVC) Network segment offers audio and video equipment. The Appliance segment provides household air-conditioning machines. The System Communications segment provides system network and mobile communications-related products and services. The Eco-solutions segment consists of riding, energy system, housing system and others. The Automotive systems segment provides automotive multimedia-related equipment and others. The Device segment provides electronic components, semiconductors and optical devices. The Energy segment provides solar system and lithium-ion batteries. The Others segment consists of health care, manufacturing solutions and PanaHome. On October 1, 2013, it announced it had set up a research and development center in Singapore. In December 2013, it transferred its 66.7% stake in a Japan-based subsidiary. In December 2013, it acquired a Turkey-based company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- A rising Japanese yen and weak results from Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) overnight sent Tokyo-listed shares lower in early Thursday trade, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) falling 0.4% to 14,363.59, while the Topix also lost 0.4%. With the U.S. dollar remaining below the 98-yen level amid concerns about the health of China's largest banks, some currency-sensitive shares extended their losses after driving the Nikkei Average down 2% in the previous session. Among them, trading house Mitsui & Co. (JP:8031) (MITSY) fell 1.3%, retail major J. Front Retailing Co. (JP:3086) lost 1.2%, auto maker Nissan Motor Co. (JP:7201) (NSANY) retreated 0.6%, and Fujitsu Ltd. (JP:6702) (FJTSY) traded 1% lower. The below-forecast quarterly results and outlook cut from U.S. construction-equipment maker Caterpillar sent its Japanese rivals tumbling, with Komatsu Ltd. (JP:6301) (KMTUF) dropping 3.5% and Hitachi Construction Macheriny Co. (JP:6305) (HTCMF) falling 3.1%. On the upside, Hitachi Ltd. (JP:6501) (HTHIF) soared 5.4% after raising its profit and revenue guidance for the fiscal first hal

• [By Jesse Solomon]

  And while competitors Panasonic (PCRFF), Row 44 and Viasat are vying for in-flight wi-fi space, many of Gogo's clients -- which include Delta (DAL, Fortune 500), American (AAMRQ, Fortune 500), and Virgin America -- have contracts until 2018, according to Schildkraut.

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks slipped early Monday, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) down 0.1% at 14,298.17, and the Topix dropping 0.4%. Singapore-traded lead futures for the Nikkei Average had suggested a 0.8% gain for the index, but the indicator fell after the Cabinet Office reported fourth-quarter economic growth of 0.3%, flat from the previous quarter and below expectations in separate Reuters and Wall Street Journal/Nikkei surveys. The disappointing economic data also pushed the yen higher, weighing on some exporters, with Panasonic Corp. (JP:6752) (PCRFF) down 1.8%, NEC Corp. (JP:6701) (NIPNF) off 1.3%, and Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) down 0.7% after S&P downgraded the firm's credit rating to BBB- from BBB with a negative outlook. Shares of Internet retailer Rakuten Inc. (JP:4755) (RKUNF) dropped 12% after announcing plans to buy online messaging and telecom firm Viber Media Inc. for $900 million as well as posting below-consensus full-year profit. Banks were broadly lower, with Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (JP:8411) (MFG) off 1% and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (JP:8316) (SMFG) off 1.1%, though Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (JP:8601)

Best Investments For 2014: IDEX Corp (IEX)

IDEX Corporation (IDEX), incorporated on September 24, 1987, is an applied solutions business that sells an array of pumps, flow meters and other fluidics systems and components and engineered products to customers in a variety of markets worldwide. All of the Company�� business activities are carried out through wholly owned subsidiaries. IDEX operates in three business segments: Fluid & Metering Technologies, Health & Science Technologies and Fire & Safety/Diversified Products. Reporting units in the Fluid & Metering Technologies segment consist of Banjo; Energy and Fuels (Energy); Chemical, Food & Process (CFP) and Water & Waste Water (Water). Reporting units in the Health & Science Technologies segment consist of IDEX Health & Science (IH&S); IDEX Optics and Photonics (IOP); Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE); Gast; Micropump and Materials Process Technologies (MPT). Reporting units in the Fire & Safety/Diversified Products segment consist of Fire Suppression; Rescue Tools and Band-It. In July 20, 2012, it acquired Matcon Group Limited. In March 2013, it announced the acquisition of FTL Seals Technology, Ltd. On April 11, 2012, the Company acquired the stock of PPC. On April 30, 2012, the Company acquired the stock of ERC.

Fluid & Metering Technologies Segment

The Fluid & Metering Technologies Segment designs, produces and distributes displacement pumps, flow meters, injectors, and other fluid-handling pump modules and systems and provides flow monitoring and other services for the water and wastewater industries. Fluid & Metering Technologies pump and metering solutions serve a range of end markets, including industrial infrastructure (fossil fuels, refined and alternative fuels, and water and wastewater), chemical processing, agricultural, food and beverage, pulp and paper, transportation, plastics and resins, electronics and electrical, construction and mining, pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical, machinery and other markets. Fluid & Metering Technologies accounte! d for 43% of IDEX�� sales and 82% of IDEX�� operating income, with approximately 46% of its sales to customers outside the United States as of December 31, 2012, with approximately 46% of its sales to customers outside the United States. Banjo is a provider of pumps, valves, fittings and systems used in liquid handling. Banjo is based in Crawfordsville, Indiana and its products are used in agricultural and industrial applications. Approximately 11% of Banjo�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Energy consists of the Company�� Corken, Faure Herman, Liquid Controls, S.A.M.P.I. and Toptech businesses. Energy is a supplier of flow meters, electronic registration and control products, rotary vane and turbine pumps, reciprocating piston compressors, and terminal automation control systems. Energy has facilities in Longwood, Florida and Zwijndrech, Belgium (Toptech products), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Corken products), La Ferte Bernard, France (Faure Herman products), Vadodara, Gujarat, India (Liquid Controls products), and Altopascio, Italy (S.A.M.P.I. products). Applications for Liquid Controls and S.A.M.P.I. positive displacement flow meters, electronic, registration and control products include mobile and stationary metering installations for wholesale and retail distribution of petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas, aviation refueling, and industrial metering and dispensing of liquids and gases. Corken products consist of rotary vane pumps, single and multistage regenerative turbine pumps, and small horsepower reciprocating piston compressors. Toptech supplies terminal automation hardware and software to control and manage inventories, as well as transactional data and invoicing, to customers in the oil, gas and refined-fuels markets. Faure Herman is a supplier of ultrasonic and helical turbine flow meters used in the custody transfer and control of fluids and gases. Approximately 53% of Energy�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United State! s.

!

CFP consists of the Company�� Richter, Viking and Warren Rupp businesses. CFP is a producer of air-operated and motor-driven double-diaphragm pumps and replacement parts, lined pumps, valves and control equipment for the chemical, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and external gear pumps. Richter�� corrosion resistant fluoroplastic lined products offer solutions for applications in the process industry. Viking�� products consist of external gear pumps, strainers and reducers, and related controls used for transferring and metering thin and viscous liquids sold under the Viking and Wright Flow brands and air-operated double-diaphragm pumps sold under the Blagdon brand. Markets served by Viking products include chemical, petroleum, pulp and paper, plastics, paints, inks, tanker trucks, compressor, construction, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical and biotech. Warren Rupp products (which also include Pumper Parts and Versa-Matic products) are used for abrasive and semisolid materials, as well as for applications where product degradation is a concern or where electricity is not available or should not be used. Markets served by Warren Rupp products include chemical, paint, food processing, electronics, construction, utilities, mining and industrial maintenance. CFP maintains operations in Kampen, Germany (Richter products), Cedar Falls, Iowa (Richter and Viking products), Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, Shannon, Ireland (Viking products) and Mansfield, Ohio (Warren Rupp products). CFP primarily uses independent distributors to market and sell its products. Approximately 54% of CFP�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Water consists of the Company�� ADS, IETG, iPEK, Knight and Pulsafeeder businesses. Water is a provider of metering technology and flow monitoring products and underground surveillance services for water and wastewater markets, as well as a manufacturer of pumps and dispensing equipment for industrial laundries! , commerc! ial dishwashing and chemical metering, and a provider of metering pumps, special-purpose rotary pumps, peristaltic pumps, fully integrated pump and metering systems, custom chemical-feed systems, electronic controls and dispensing equipment. ADS�� products and services provide integrated solutions that enable industry, municipalities and government agencies to analyze and measure the capacity, quality and integrity of wastewater collection systems, including the maintenance and construction of such systems. IETG�� products and services enable water companies to manage their water distribution and sewerage networks, while its surveillance service specializes in underground asset detection and mapping for utilities and other private companies. iPEK supplies remote controlled systems used for infrastructure inspection. Knight is a manufacturer of pumps and dispensing equipment for industrial laundries, commercial dishwashing and chemical metering. Pulsafeeder products are used to introduce precise amounts of fluids into processes to manage water quality and chemical composition, as well as peristaltic pumps. Its markets include water and wastewater treatment, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper, chemical and hydrocarbon processing, and swimming pools. Water maintains operations in Huntsville, Alabama and various other locations in the United States, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (ADS products), Leeds, England (IETG products and services), Hirschegg, Austria, and Sulzberg, Germany (iPEK products), Lake Forest, California, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, Unanderra, Australia, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (Knight products), Rochester, New York, Punta Gorda, Florida and Milan, Italy (Pulsafeeder products). Approximately 47% of Water�� sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Water Services & Technology (WST) consists of the Company�� ADS, IETG and iPEK businesses. WST is a provi! der of me! tering technology and flow monitoring products and underground surveillance services for wastewater markets. ADS�� products and services provide integrated solutions that enable industry, municipalities and government agencies to analyze and measure the capacity, quality and integrity of wastewater collection systems, including the maintenance and construction of such systems. IETG�� products and services enable water companies to manage their water distribution and sewerage networks, while its surveillance service specializes in underground asset detection and mapping for utilities and other private companies. iPEK supplies remote controlled systems used for infrastructure inspection. WST maintains operations in Huntsville, Alabama and various other locations in the United States and Australia (ADS products and services); Leeds, England (IETG products and services); and Hirschegg, Austria, and Sulzberg, Germany (iPEK products). Approximately 40% of WST�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with Pump Solutions Group, Dover Corporation, Milton Roy and Tuthill Corporation.

Health & Science Technologies Segment

The Health & Science Technologies Segment designs, produces and distributes a range of precision fluidics, rotary lobe pumps, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, roll compaction and drying systems used in beverage, food processing, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, pneumatic components and sealing solutions, including pumping solutions required in analytical instrumentation, clinical diagnostics and drug discovery, molded and extruded, biocompatible medical devices and implantables, air compressors used in medical, dental and industrial applications, optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, defense, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing, laboratory and commercial equipment used in the production of micro and nano scale materials, precision pho! tonic sol! utions used in life sciences, research and defense markets, and precision gear and peristaltic pump technologies. The segment accounted for 35% of IDEX�� sales and 35% of operating income in 2012, with approximately 54% of its sales to customers outside the United States.

IH&S consists of Eastern Plastics, Rheodyne, Ismatec, Sapphire Engineering, Upchurch Scientific and ERC, which was acquired in April 2012. IH&S has facilities in Rohnert Park, California (Rheodyne products); Bristol, Connecticut (Eastern Plastics products); Wertheim-Mondfeld, Germany (Ismatec products); Middleboro, Massachusetts (Sapphire Engineering products); Oak Harbor, Washington (Ismatec and Upchurch Scientific products); and Kawaguchi, Japan (ERC products). Eastern Plastics products, which consist of high- precision integrated fluidics and associated engineered plastics solutions, are used in a set of end markets including medical diagnostics, analytical instrumentation, and laboratory automation. Rheodyne products consist of injectors, valves, fittings and accessories for the analytical instrumentation market. Rheodyne products are used by manufacturers of high pressure liquid chromatography equipment servicing the pharmaceutical, biotech, life science, food & beverage, and chemical markets. Ismatec products include peristaltic metering pumps, analytical process controllers, and sample preparation systems. Sapphire Engineering and Upchurch Scientific products consist of fluidic components and systems for the analytical, biotech and diagnostic instrumentation markets, such as fittings, precision-dispensing pumps and valves, tubing and integrated tubing assemblies, filter sensors and other micro-fluidic and nano-fluidic components, as well as advanced column hardware and accessories for the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) market. Sapphire Engineering and Upchurch Scientific products primarily serve the pharmaceutical, drug discovery, chemical, biochemical processing, genomics/proteomics research, envir! onmental ! labs, food/agriculture, medical lab, personal care, and plastics/polymer/rubber production markets. ERC manufactures gas liquid separations and detection solutions for the life science, analytical instrumentation and clinical chemistry markets. ERC�� products consist of in-line membrane vacuum degassing solutions, refractive index detectors and ozone generation systems. Approximately 52% of IH&S�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

IOP consists of CVI Melles Griot (CVI MG), Semrock and AT Films (the Precision Photonics portion of the AT Films business was acquired in April 2012). CVI MG is a into design and manufacture of precision photonic solutions used in the life sciences, research, semiconductor, security and defense markets. CVI MG�� products are focused on the generation, control and productive use of light for a variety of key science and industrial applications. Products consist of specialty lasers and light sources, electro-optical components, specialty shutters, opto-mechanical assemblies and components. In addition, CVI MG produces critical components for life science research, electronics manufacturing, military and other industrial applications including lenses, mirrors, filters and polarizers. These components are utilized in a number of applications such as spectroscopy, cytometry (cell counting), guidance systems for target designation, remote sensing, menology and optical lithography.

CVI MG is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional manufacturing sites located in Carlsbad, California; Rochester, New York; Isle of Man, British Isles; Leicester, England; Kyongki-Do, Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Didam, The Netherlands; and Singapore. Semrock is a provider of optical filters for biotech and analytical instrumentation in the life sciences markets. Semrock�� optical filters are produced using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes which enable it to offer its customers improvements in instrument performance and reliability.! Semrock ! is located in Rochester, New York. AT Films specializes in optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, defense, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. The Precision Photonics portion of its business specializes in optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. AT Films is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Approximately 57% of IOP�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United Sates.

Containment consists of Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE). PPE, which is located in Blackburn, England, is a provider of high performance seals and advanced sealing solutions for a diverse range of global industries and applications, including hazardous duty, analytical instrumentation, semiconductor/solar, process technologies, pharmaceutical, electronics, and food applications. Approximately 79% of PPE�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Gast consists of the Company�� Gast and Jun-Air businesses. The Gast business is a manufacturer of air-moving products, including air motors, low-range and medium-range vacuum pumps, vacuum generators, regenerative blowers and fractional horsepower compressors. Gast products are used in a variety of long-life applications requiring a quiet, clean source of moderate vacuum or pressure. Gast products primarily serve the medical equipment, environmental equipment, computers and electronics, printing machinery, paint mixing machinery, packaging machinery, graphic arts, and industrial manufacturing markets. The Jun-Air business is a provider of low-decibel, ultra-quiet vacuum compressors suitable for medical, dental and laboratory applications. Based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Gast also has a logistics and commercial center in Redditch, England. Approximately 27% of Gast�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Micropump, headquartered i! n Vancouv! er, Washington, produces, precision-engineered, magnetically and electromagnetically driven rotary gear, piston and centrifugal pumps. Micropump products are used in low-flow abrasive and corrosive applications. Micropump products primarily serve the printing machinery, medical equipment, paints and inks, chemical processing, pharmaceutical, refining, laboratory, electronics, pulp and paper, water treatment, textiles, peristaltic metering pumps, analytical process controllers and sample preparation systems markets. Approximately 77% of Micropump�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

MPT consists of Quadro, Fitzpatrick, Microfluidics and Matcon Group Limited (Matcon), which was acquired in July 2012. Quadro is a provider of particle control solutions for the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Quadro�� activities include fine milling, emulsification and special handling of liquid and solid particulates for laboratory, pilot phase and production scale processing within the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets. Fitzpatrick is into the design and manufacture of process technologies for the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets. Fitzpatrick designs and manufactures customized size reduction, roll compaction and drying systems to support their customers��product development and manufacturing processes. Fitzpatrick is headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. Microfluidics is into designing and manufacturing of laboratory and commercial equipment used in the production of micro and nano scale materials for the pharmaceutical and chemical markets. Microfluidics is the producer of the Microfluidizer family of high shear fluid processors for uniform particle size reduction, robust cell disruption and nanoparticle creation. Microfluidics has offices in Newton, Massachusetts. Matcon is into material processing solutions for high value powders used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food, plastics, and fine chemic! als.

!

Matcon�� products consist of the original cone valve powder discharge system and filling, mixing and packaging systems, all of which support its customers��automation and process requirements. Matcon is located in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. Approximately 61% of MPT�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with Gardner Denver, Inc., Thermo Scientific Dionex, Gooch & Housego PLC, Parker Hannifin and Valco Instruments Co., Inc.

Fire & Safety/Diversified Products Segment

The Fire & Safety/Diversified Products segment produces firefighting pumps and controls, rescue tools, lifting bags and other components and systems for the fire and rescue industry, engineered stainless steel banding and clamping devices used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications, and precision equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing colorants and paints used in a variety of retail and commercial businesses around the world. The segment accounted for 22% of IDEX�� sales and 53% of IDEX�� operating income in 2012, with approximately 56% of its sales to customers outside the United States.

Fire Suppression consists of the Company�� Class I, Hale and Godiva businesses, which produce truck-mounted and portable fire pumps, stainless steel valves, foam and compressed air foam systems, pump modules and pump kits, electronic controls and information systems, conventional and networked electrical systems, and mechanical components for the fire, rescue and specialty vehicle markets. Fire Suppression�� customers are primarily OEMs. Fire Suppression is headquartered in Ocala, Florida (Class 1 and Hale products), with additional facilities located in Warwick, England (Godiva products). Approximately 41% of Fire Suppression�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Rescue consists of the Company�� Dinglee, Hurst Jaws of Life, Lukas and Vetter businesses, which produce hydraulic! , battery! , gas and electric-operated rescue equipment, hydraulic re-railing equipment, hydraulic tools for industrial applications, recycling cutters, pneumatic lifting and sealing bags for vehicle and aircraft rescue, environmental protection and disaster control, and shoring equipment for vehicular or structural collapse. Rescue Tool�� customers are primarily public and private fire and rescue organizations. Rescue has facilities in Shelby, North Carolina (Hurst Jaws of Life products); Tianjin, China (Dinglee products); Erlangen, Germany (Lukas products); and Zulpich, Germany (Vetter products). Approximately 75% of Rescue�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Band-It is a producer of stainless steel banding, buckles and clamping systems. Band-It products are used for securing exhaust system heat and sound shields, industrial hose fittings, traffic signs and signals, electrical cable shielding, identification and bundling, and in numerous other industrial and commercial applications. Band-It products primarily serve the automotive, transportation equipment, oil and gas, general industrial maintenance, electronics, electrical, communications, aerospace, utility, municipal and subsea marine markets. Band-It is based in Denver, Colorado, with additional operations in Staveley, Derbyshire, England, and a IDEX shared manufacturing facility in China. Approximately 39% of Band-It�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Dispensing Equipment produces precision equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing colorants and paints used in a variety of retail and commercial businesses worldwide. Dispensing Equipment is a global supplier of precision-designed tinting, mixing, dispensing and measuring equipment for auto refinishing and architectural paints. Dispensing Equipment products are used in retail and commercial stores, hardware stores, home centers, department stores, automotive body shops as well as point-of-purchase dispensers. Dispensing Equipmen! t is head! quartered in Wheeling, Illinois with additional facilities in Sassenheim, The Netherlands; Unanderra, Australia; and Milan, Italy, as well as IDEX shared manufacturing facilities in India and China. Approximately 59% of Dispensing Equipment�� 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Holmatro, Inc., Nordic Capital and Panduit Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damon Churchwell]

  Lastly, a growth company�
  The third example of a thriving flow technologies company is IDEX� (NYSE: IEX  ) . This one is situated in a unique set of end markets, namely fluid & metering, health & science, and fire & safety/diversified.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Diversified technology machinist�IDEX (NYSE: IEX  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.23�per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after raising the payout 15% from $0.20 per share.

Best Investments For 2014: Northwest Natural Gas Company(NWN)

Northwest Natural Gas Company stores and distributes natural gas primarily in Oregon, Washington, and California. The company operates in two segments, Local Gas Distribution and Gas Storage. The Local Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas in Oregon and southwest Washington. The Local Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas in Oregon and southwest Washington. This segment engages in building and maintaining pipeline distribution system, purchasing gas from producers and marketers, contracting for the transportation of gas over pipelines from the supply basins to service territory, and reselling the gas to customers. It also transports gas owned by customers from the interstate pipeline connection, or city gate, to the customers? facilities. This segment serves various industries, including pulp, paper, and other forest products; companies manufacturing electronic, electrochemical, and electrometallurgical products; companies engaged in processing of fa rm and food products; metal fabrication and casting companies; organizations that produce various mineral products, machine tools, machinery, and textiles; companies that manufacture asphalt, concrete, and rubber; printing and publishing companies; nurseries; government and educational institutions; and electric generation companies. It has approximately 674,000 utility customers comprising approximately 611,000 residential, 62,000 commercial, and 1,000 industrial customers. The Gas Storage segment offers underground natural gas storage services to interstate and intrastate customers. It holds interests in approximately 9,900 net acres of underground natural gas storage in Oregon and approximately 5,000 net acres of underground natural gas storage in California. This segment serves primarily natural gas distribution, electric generation, and energy marketing companies. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fredrik Arnold]

  The balance of the top ten included one technology firm, AT&T Inc. (T) in fourth place; one consumer goods, Altria Group Inc. (MO), placed fifth; Bowl America Class A (BWL.A) in seventh place was the lone service dog. Two utilities, Northwest Natural Gas (NWN), and Consolidated Edison (ED), in ninth and tenth places completed the representation of market sectors in the champions index.

Best Investments For 2014: Redwood Trust Inc.(RWT)

Redwood Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust, together with its subsidiaries, engages in investing, financing, and managing real estate assets. The company?s investments include residential and commercial real estate loans; and securities backed by residential and commercial loans, including senior and subordinate securities. The senior securities are those interests in a securitization that have the first right to cash flows and are last to absorb losses; and subordinate securities are those interests in a securitization that have the last right to cash flows and are first in line to absorb losses. As of March 31, 2011, it had 77 real estate owned properties primarily in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, and Georgia. It would elect to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of net taxable income to its stockholders. Red wood Trust, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in Mill Valley, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  On the mortgage front, Two Harbors notes that it has acquired a passel of prime jumbo home loans, which it likely plans to securitize. The company's CEO, Tom Siering, also addresses this issue on the earnings call, where he states that the trust was involved in a $400 million securitization of prime jumbo loans. This puts Two Harbors in the company of mREIT Redwood Trust (NYSE: RWT  ) , which has nearly single-handedly brought back the jumbo-loan securitization market over the past two years. If Redwood's success is any indication -- it recently reported first-quarter net income�of $61 million, compared to the year-ago figure of $30 million -- Two Harbors is on the right track.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Luxury market is doing just fine
  Jumbo loans are back, and these mortgages -- which start at $625,000 in some affluent areas -- are being given out like candy�to those with the wealth to back them up. Once considered risky because they are not backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, lenders are falling over themselves to make these loans, driven by a securitization market dominated by entities like Redwood Trust (NYSE: RWT  ) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) . Earlier this month, Redwood offered its seventh securitization backed by jumbos, and JPMorgan just recently announced�its second offering of the year, as well.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Real estate investment trust��Redwood Trust� (NYSE: RWT  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.28 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 12% from $0.25 per share.

Best Investments For 2014: AudioCodes Ltd. (AUDC)

AudioCodes Ltd. and its subsidiaries design, develop, and market products and services for voice, data, and video over Internet protocol (IP) networks to service providers and channels, original equipment manufacturers, network equipment providers, and systems integrators in the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Israel. Its networking products consist of media gateways, enterprise session border controllers, multi-service business routers, IP phones, mobile voice over IP (VoIP), media servers, and various products that are tailored for Microsoft unified communication environments. The company also offers VoIP network assessment for enterprises; and value added applications for unified communications, as well as supports its networking products with a range of professional services. Its technology products comprise signal processor chips that process and compress voice, data, and fax, as well as enable connectivity between traditional telephone networks and pa cket networks; VoIP communications boards; media processing boards for enhanced services and functionalities; and voice and data logging hardware integration board products. AudioCodes Ltd. was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Lod, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  AudioCodes (AUDC) designs, develops and sells products and services for voice and data over packet networks. This stock closed up 8.4% to $4.75 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $4.57-$4.86
  
  52-Week Range: $1.20-$5.04
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 493,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 108,175

  From a technical perspective, AUDC gapped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $4.43 with heavy upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of AUDC within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if AUDC manages to take out its 52-week high at $5.04 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in AUDC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $4.43 or above more support at $4.29 and then once it sustains a move or close above its 52-week high at $5.04 with volume that hits near or above 108,175 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then AUDC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $5.75 to $6.50, or even $7.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  AudioCodes (AUDC) and its subsidiaries design, develop and market products and services for voice, data and video over Internet protocol networks to service providers and channels, original equipment manufacturers, network equipment providers and systems integrators in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Israel. Its This stock closed up 8% to $6.73 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $6.23-$6.85
  
  52-Week Range: $2.13-$7.07
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 574,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 261,738

  From a technical perspective, AUDC spiked sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $6.04 with above-average volume. This move also pushed shares of AUDC into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $6.70. Shares of AUDC are now quickly moving within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if AUDC manages to clear Tuesday's high of $6.85 and then once it takes out its 52-week high at $7.07 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in AUDC as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $6.25 or $6.04 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 261,738 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then AUDC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $8 to $9.

Best Investments For 2014: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Prudential Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, offers various financial products and services in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The company operates through three divisions: The U.S. Retirement Solutions and Investment Management, The U.S. Individual Life and Group Insurance, and The International Insurance and Investments. The U.S. Retirement Solutions and Investment Management division provides individual variable and fixed annuity products, as well as offers retirement investment and income products and services to retirement plan sponsors in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. This division also provides investment management and advisory services to the public and private marketplace. The U.S. Individual Life and Group Insurance division offers individual variable life, term life, and universal life insurance products; and group life, long-term and short-term group disability, long-term care, and group corporate-, bank-and trus t-owned life insurance products to institutional clients. This division also sells accidental death and dismemberment, and other ancillary coverages, as well as provides plan administrative services; and offers preferred provider and indemnity dental coverage plans to clients. The International Insurance and Investments division provides international individual life insurance products in Japan, Korea, and other foreign countries; and offers proprietary and non-proprietary asset management, investment advice, and services to retail and institutional clients internationally. In addition, the company engages in real estate brokerage franchise business, which involves marketing its franchises to the real estate companies. Further, it provides institutional clients and government agencies with various services in connection with the relocation of their employees. Prudential Financial, Inc. was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Beyond mortgage insurance, not everything has gone well at Genworth. Its long-term care insurance business continues to struggle, with operating profits having fallen by more than 40% as Genworth struggles to get regulators to allow it to increase rates enough to make the business economically viable. Major competitors MetLife (NYSE: MET  ) and Prudential (NYSE: PRU  ) have already pulled back from long-term care, and Genworth might have to follow suit if it can't find other ways to make money from the segment. In addition, Genworth joined other insurers in settling claims that it and others failed to pay policy benefits to life-insurance customers, serving as a reminder that litigation risks continue to exist throughout the financial industry.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

Natural gas and electricity retailer�Just Energy (NYSE: JE  ) announced yesterday its monthly July dividend of $0.07 Canadian per share, the same rate it's paid for the past three months after cutting the payout 32% from $0.10333 Canadian per share in April.

The board of directors said the dividend is payable on July 31 to the holders of record at the close of business on July 15. The energy retailer has made monthly payouts to investors under its current organization since 2011, but has been paying dividends to investors since 1997.�The dividend is designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes.

Just Energy also notes that for U.S. and Canadian investors that own a minimum of 100 shares, they can avail themselves of the company's dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan.

It also said�that as of June 30, the conversion price for each $1,000 Canadian of its outstanding 6% convertible unsecured subordinated debenture that it issued on Oct. 2, 2007, has been adjusted in accordance with the trust indenture dated Dec. 2, 2007, to $25.04 Canadian convertible into 39.94 common shares of Just Energy.

Hot Logistics Stocks To Watch Right Now: FX Energy Inc (FXEN)

FX Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with production, appraisal, and exploration activities in Poland. The Company operates within two segments of the oil and gas industry: the exploration and production (E&P) segment in Poland and the United States, and the oilfield services segment in the United States. The Company also has oil production, oilfield service activities, and a shale acreage position in the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its oil and gas production was 4.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas (12.0 million cubic feet equivalent per day). The Company concentrates its exploration operations in Poland primarily on the Rotliegend sandstones of the Permian Basin. The Company has identified a core area consisting of approximately 852,000 gross acres surrounding PGNiG�� producing Radlin field.

Activities and Presence in Poland

The Company conducts its activities in Poland in project areas, including Fences, Blocks 287, 246, and 229 near the Fences concession, Warsaw South, Kutno, Northwest, and Edge. In the Fences during 2011, it completed the Lisewo-1 well as a commercial well and drilled the Plawce-2 well in a tight sand area. In its other concessions it drilled the Machnatka-2 well, a noncommercial Zechstein/Carboniferous test, in the Warsaw South concession, and started drilling the Kutno-2 well, a deep Rotliegend test, in the Kutno concession. The Fences concession area encompasses 852,000 gross acres (3,450 square kilometers) in western Poland�� Permian Basin. The Fences concession area encompasses 852,000 gross acres (3,450 square kilometers) in western Poland�� Permian Basin. The Company has drilled 11 conventional wells targeting Rotliegend structures through the date of this filing. Eight of these wells are commercial. The Company is produce from four of these eight wells.

The Block 287 concession area is 12,000 acres (50 square kilometers) located approximately 25 miles so! uth of the Fences concession area. The Company owns 100% of the exploration rights. As of December 31, 2011, it has reentered only the Grabowka-12 well. During 2011, it produced at an average daily rate of approximately 0.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The Company has a 100% interest in a concession south of its Fences project area covering approximately 241,000 acres (975 square kilometers). The Company hold a 51% interest in a total of 874,000 acres (3,538 square kilometers.) in east-central Poland. During 2011, it entered into a farmout agreement with PGNiG under which it earned a 49% interest in the entire Warsaw South concession in return for paying certain seismic and drilling costs. It subsequently drilled the Machnatka-2 well to test Zechstein and Carboniferous potential in the western part of the concession area.

The Company holds a 100% interest in 706,000 acres (2,856 square kilometers). The area encompasses a Rotliegend structure (Kutno) with projected four-way dip closure. It started drilling the Kutno-2 well during 2011. It hold concessions on 828,000 acres (3,351 square kilometers) in west-central Poland, in Poland�� Permian Basin directly north of PGNiG�� BMB and MLG oil and gas fields. The Company has a 100% interest in four concessions in north-central Poland covering approximately 881,000 acres (3,567 square kilometers). As of December 31, 2011, it held oil and gas exploration rights in Poland in separately designated project areas encompassing approximately 4.6 million gross acres. The Company is the operator in all areas, except its 852,000 gross-acre core Fences project area, in which it hold a 49% interest in approximately 807,000 acres and a 24.5% interest in the remaining 45,000 acres.

U.S. Activities and Presence

The operations consist of shallow, oil-producing wells in the Southwest Cut Bank Sand Unit (SWCBSU), of Montana. Its oil wells produce approximately 155 barrels of oil per day, net to its interest. From its fie! ld office! in Montana, the Company also provides oilfield services. The Company produces oil from approximately 10,732 gross (10,418 net) acres in Montana and 400 gross (128 net) acres in Nevada. In 2011, the Company entered into a joint venture with two other companies, American Eagle Energy, Inc., and Big Sky Operating LLC, in which it pooled our approximately 10,000 net acres in our SWCBSU with their approximately 65,000 net acres, the Americana leases, along with a farmout agreement that provides the group with an ability to earn an interest in an additional 7,000 acres covered by the Somont leases. During 2011, it drilled three vertical wells on joint venture acreage to obtain log and core data. The Company also drilled a 3,600-foot lateral from one of these three wells, the Anderson 14-29, and carried out a multistage fracture. The Company is testing oil potential in the Anderson 14-29 well. The Company has a one-third working interest in all formations below the Cut Bank in its SWCBSU.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another energy player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is FX Energy (FXEN), which is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with principal production, reserves and exploration in Poland and oil production, oilfield service and exploration activities in the U.S. This stock is off to a slow start in 2013, with shares off by 14%.

  If you take a look at the chart for FX Energy, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months and change, with shares moving between $2.93 on the downside and $3.98 on the upside. Shares of FXEN are now starting to bounce higher off its 50-day moving average of $3.36 share, and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FXEN if it manages to break out above some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.62 to $3.71 a share and then above more resistance at $3.98 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action 377,632 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then FXEN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.50 to $4.76 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give FXEN a chance to tag or trend above $5 a share.

  Traders can look to buy FXEN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $3.15 or $2.93 a share. One could also buy FXEN off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  I hate to be the one to say I told you so, but, I told you so. Within the past week I suggested both FX Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FXEN) and MeetMe Inc. (NYSEMKT:MEET) were on the verge of breakouts, and sure enough, both are making good on that promise today; FXEN is up 5%, and MEET shares are higher by nearly 13%. Granted, the market's bullish tide is helping... a little. But, with both of these stocks outpacing the market's gain today, odds are that we would have seen these breakout moves anyway.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  FX Energy (FXEN) is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with principal production, reserves and exploration in Poland and oil production, oilfield service and exploration activities in the U.S. This stock closed up 5.7% to $3.69 in Thursday's trading session.

  Thursday's Range: $3.34-$3.71
  
  52-Week Range: $2.48-$8.78
  
  Thursday's Volume: 524,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 672,515

  From a technical perspective, FXEN bounced notably higher here right above some near-term support at $3.31 and back above its 50-day moving average of $3.66 with decent upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of FXEN within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if FXEN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $3.89 to more resistance at $3.98.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FXEN as long as it's trending above support at $3.31 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 672,515 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then FXEN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.50 to $4.76. Any high-volume move above those levels will then put its recent high at $5 into range for shares of FXEN.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Gastar Exploration Ltd (GST)

Gastar Exploration Ltd (Gastar) is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas and oil in the United States. The Company�� principal business activities include the identification, acquisition, and subsequent exploration and development of natural gas and oil properties with an emphasis on unconventional reserves, such as shale resource plays. As of December 31, 2011, it is pursuing the development of liquids-rich natural gas in the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachia area of West Virginia and, to a lesser extent, central and southwestern Pennsylvania. The Company also holds prospective acreage in the deep Bossier play in the Hilltop area of East Texas and conduct limited coal bed methane (CBM) development activities within the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. The Company is a holding company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Gastar Exploration (NYSE: GST) is another Aggressive Portfolio pick made on Dec. 11, and so far it has rallied quite aggressively, producing a three-week capital gain of 26 percent. It helped here too to catch the very bottom of the recent correction, but Gastar has continued to report strong test well results from the Hunton Limestone play it’s pioneering in Oklahoma.

• [By Josh Young]

  The parallel to Goodrich in the transaction is Gastar Exploration (GST), which has approximately 100,000 net acres in the Hunton (excluding additional exposure from the WEHLU deal). Gastar, similar to Goodrich prior to the Sanchez TMS deal, seems to trade at a discount to a $2,000 per acre implied value for its unconventional oil acreage. In fact, Gastar's CEO recently said he thought the current liquidation value of Gastar's Marcellus assets would be $4-7 per share, net of debt, versus the current $4.25 share price.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Lightstream Resources Ltd (LSTMF.PK)

Lightstream Resources Ltd, formerly PetroBakken Energy Ltd., is a Canada-based oil and gas exploration and production company. The Company�� principal operating areas include southeastern Saskatchewan where it targets the Bakken formation and conventional Mississippian reservoirs, central Alberta, where it is focused on the Cardium formation, and north-central Alberta, where it is engaged in exploring for light oil resource plays. In addition, the Company also has land holdings in the Horn River and Montney plays in northeast British Columbia. On December 31, 2012, Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. and PetroBakken Energy Ltd. announced the completion of the reorganization. The Reorganization resulted in a newly incorporated company PetroBakken Energy Ltd. (New PetroBakken). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MLP Trader]

  Here are the current top five companies in the list:

  CompanySymbolEV/BOEPD/NetbackPrice/NAVEV/DACFPinecrest(PNCGF.PK)53564%4.0XLightstream(LSTMF.PK)131753%4.5XNovus(NOVUF.PK)133290%4.1XZargon(ZARFF.PK)138664%5.6XTwin Butte(TBTEF.PK)155885%5.5X

  Of the larger companies, one that remains obstinately near the top of the list is Lightstream . Lightstream trades at 40% of its book value and a whopping 13.4% yield.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: CGG SA (CGG)

CGG SA, formerly Compagnie Generale de Geophysique-Veritas, is a manufacturer of geophysical equipment and a provider of a range of seismic services in data acquisition and processing both onshore and offshore, principally to clients in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. The Company operates in two segments: Services and Equipment.

Services

The services segment includes land contract, marine contract, multi-client land and marine, and processing, imaging and reservoir. The land contract includes seismic data acquisition for land, transition zones and shallow water undertaken by the Company on behalf of a specific client. The marine contract includes seismic data acquisition offshore undertaken by the Company on behalf of a specific client. The multi-client land and marine includes seismic data acquisition undertaken by the Company and licensed to a number of clients on a non-exclusive basis. The processing, imaging and reservoir includes processing, imaging and interpretation of geophysical data, data management and reservoir studies for clients.

Land seismic acquisition includes all seismic surveying techniques where the recording sensor is either in direct contact with, or in close proximity to, the ground. The Company�� land business line offers integrated services, including the acquisition and on site processing of seismic data on land, in transition zones and on the ocean floor (shallow water and seabed surveys). It undertakes land surveys with both a contract and multi-client basis. The land operations include surveying and recording crews. Surveying crews lay out the lines to be recorded and mark the sites for shot-hole placement or equipment location. Recording crews produce acoustic impulses and use recording units to synchronize the shooting and record the seismic signals through geophones.

The Company provides a range of three-dimensional (3D) marine seismic services, principally in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea an! d off the coasts of West Africa and Brazil, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a fleet of 19 vessels, including 11 three dimension (3D) high capacity vessels (12 or more streamers), two 10 streamer 3D vessels, three eight streamer 3D vessels and three 3D/two dimension (2D) vessels of lower capacity. Marine seismic surveys are conducted through the deployment of submersible cables (streamers) and acoustic sources (airguns) from marine vessels.

Seismic data processing operations transform seismic data acquired in the field into 2D cross-sections, or 3D images of the earth�� subsurface or four-dimensional (4D) time-lapse seismic data using Geovation and Hampson-Russell software, or third party applications. These images are then interpreted by geophysicists and geologists for use by oil and gas companies in evaluating prospective areas, selecting drilling sites and managing producing reservoirs. The Company provides seismic data processing and reservoir services through the network of data processing centers and reservoir teams located worldwide. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 43 worldwide processing and imaging centers, including 13 dedicated client centers.

Equipment

The Company conducts its equipment development and production operations through Sercel and its subsidiaries. Sercel operates five seismic equipment manufacturing facilities, located in Nantes and Saint Gaudens in France, Houston, Singapore and Alfreton in England. In China, Sercel operates through Hebei Sercel-JunFeng Geophysical Equipment Co. Ltd, based in Hebei. Sercel offers and supports worldwide a range of geophysical equipment for seismic data acquisition, including seismic recording equipment, software and seismic sources, and provides its clients with integrated solutions. Sercel�� principal product line is seismic recording equipment, particularly the 400 family of recording systems, the 408UL and the 428XL. Sercel also markets for vibros! eismic ve! hicles and for vibrator electronic systems (VE 464). Sercel develops and produces a range of geophysical equipment for seismic data acquisition and other ancillary geophysical products, such as geophones, cables and connectors.

The Company competes with WesternGeco, Global Geophysical Services, BGP, Geokinetics, PGS, Fugro and Ion Geophysical Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Smith]

  Despite Craighead's relative ebullience regarding North America, it nevertheless appears that the sizzle at Baker Hughes lies in the international markets. As I noted last week, the company has teamed up with CGGVeritaz (NYSE: CGG  ) to add substantial seismic capabilities to its global repertoire. Further, it's working with Norway's Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) on new projects in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea. It's also been contracted by Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) for work on the giant Gorgon project in Australia, and its gearing up with Russia's Lukoil and Statoil on the West Qurna-2 oil fields in Iraq.