What Will Kohl’s Do After This Earnings Release?

With shares of Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) trading around $53, is KSS an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Kohl’s operates department stores in the United States. Its stores offer private, exclusive, and nationally branded apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children; soft home products, such as sheets and pillows; and housewares targeted at middle-income customers. As of June 14, it operated 1,155 stores in 49 states. The company also provides online shopping through its website.

Kohl's reported third-quarter earnings Thursday morning, and, like Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), the company's results showed that the retail landscape is still challenging leading up to the holiday shopping season. Kohl's earnings came in at 81 cents per share, down 10 cents from a year earlier. Kohl's revenue fell 1 percent, to $4.44 billion. Kohl's and Wal-Mart both plan to open their stores early for Black Friday this year. Analysts believe that this holiday season could be a big strain for retailers, as they will be forced to offer large discounts in order to attract shoppers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Mixed

Kohl's stock has not made much progress in the past several years. The stock is currently pulling back from highs for the year, so it may need time to stabilize. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Kohl's is trading between its rising key averages, which signals neutral price action in the near-term.

Source: Thinkorswim

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Kohl's options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Kohl's Options	Top Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2014 27.89%	6%	4%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a minimal amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
December Options	Flat	Average
January Options	Flat	Average

As of Thursday, there is average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a minimal amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Kohl's’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Kohl's look like and, more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	N/A	4%	4.76%	-8.62%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	N/A	2%	-1.04%	5.38%
Earnings Reaction	-7.54%*	5.25%	4.73%	-1.09%

Kohl's has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have had mixed feelings about Kohl's’s recent earnings announcements.

*As of this writing.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Kohl's stock done relative to its peers – Target (NYSE:TGT), Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), and TJX Cos. (NYSE:TJX) — and sector?

	Kohl's	Target	Wal-Mart	TJX Cos.	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	25.31%	12.35%	15.78%	48.06%	26.37%

Kohl's has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Kohl's is a department store retailer that operates locations across the United States. The company reported third-quarter earnings, and, like Wal-Mart, the company's results showed that the retail landscape is still challenging leading up to the holiday shopping season. The stock has not made significant progress in recent years and is now pulling back from highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising. However, investors have had mixed feelings about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, Kohl's has been a relative performance leader year-to-date. Look for Kohl’s to OUTPERFORM.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own For 2014

With shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE) trading around $25, is GE an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

General Electric is a diversified industrial, technology, and financial services company that operates worldwide. The products and services of the company range from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing, and household appliances to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, and industrial products. General Electric�� segments are: Energy Infrastructure, Aviation, Healthcare, Transportation, Home & Business Solutions, and GE Capital. General Electric is a leading provider of a wide range of products and many are essential in daily lives of consumers and companies around the world.

General Electric reported third quarter earnings on Friday morning, saying that profit and revenue fell while earnings topped expectations by a penny and the company boasted a record backlog of orders, according to Reuters. GE�� earnings rose at six out of seven of the company�� industrial businesses, but its shrinking financial arm took a bit of a toll on the company�� report. Shares are up in pre-market trading as the market is feeling optimistic about GE�� increased orders across its portfolio of industrial goods.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own For 2014: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation(SNP)

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas properties primarily in China. It operates 16 oil and gas production fields in China. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s estimated proved reserves of crude oil and natural gas consisted of 3,963 million barrels-of-oil equivalent comprising 2,888 million barrels of crude oil and 6,447 billion cubic feet of natural gas. It also engages in the refining of crude oil; marketing and distribution of refined petroleum products; and production and sale of petrochemical products that consist of intermediate petrochemicals, synthetic resins, synthetic fiber monomers and polymers, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, and chemical fertilizers, as well as owns and operates oil depots and service stations. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Inman]

  In Hong Kong, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (HK:386) � (SNP) �posted a 20% rise in its third-quarter net profit from a year earlier, helping to lift the company�� stock by 1.7%. PetroChina Co. (HK:857) � (PTR) , however, dropped 0.6% after reporting a 19% increase in net profit over the same period.

• [By Dan Carroll]

  China's nascent energy sector's also hurting between manufacturing's fall and weak exports. Chinese diesel exports declined�to their weakest in seven months in May, and China's Xinhua News Agency sees Chinese domestic diesel demand falling further in the current quarter to match falling�prices. That's not good news for Sinopec (NYSE: SNP  ) , one of the world's largest companies and China's leading oil giant. While Sinopec's about as safe a stock as you can imagine in China -- it's the fifth-largest�oil company in the world and has engaged in multiple deals with foreign oil giants in exploration and other activities -- the firm's shares could take a hit if domestic demand and prices continue to slump.

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks inched lower early Friday, with mainland Chinese banks and energy shares among the weak spots. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) lost 0.1% to 22,824.44, with the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index down 0.4%, even as the Shanghai Composite (CN:SHCOMP) rose 0.1%. Concerns about the fiscal health of the top mainland lenders loomed again over the shares, with Bank of China Ltd. (HK:3988) (BACHY) down 0.9%, Bank of Communications Co. (HK:3328) (BKFCF) 1.3% lower, and China Construction Bank Corp. (HK:939) (CICHF) off 0.7%. In the energy sector, Cnooc Ltd. (HK:883) (CEO) gave up 0.9% after posting a 17% gain in third-quarter revenue but not reporting its profit for the period. Its peers also lost ground, as China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (HK:386) (SNP) and PetroChina Co. (HK:857) (PTR) fell 1% apiece. On the upside, China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. (HK:762) (CHU) added 1.6% after announcing a gain of more than 50% for its quarterly profit compared to a year earlier. Rival China Mobile Ltd. (HK:941

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own For 2014: Linn Energy LLC (LINE.O)

Linn Energy, LLC (LINN Energy) is an independent oil and natural gas company. The Company�� properties are located in the United States, primarily in the Mid-Continent, the Permian Basin, Michigan, California and the Williston Basin. Mid-Continent Deep includes the Texas Panhandle Deep Granite Wash formation and deep formations in Oklahoma and Kansas. Mid-Continent Shallow includes the Texas Panhandle Brown Dolomite formation and shallow formations in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Illinois. Permian Basin includes areas in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Michigan includes the Antrim Shale formation in the northern part of the state. California includes the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin. Williston Basin includes the Bakken formation in North Dakota. On December 15, 2011, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties located primarily in the Granite Wash of Texas and Oklahoma from Plains Exploration & Production Company (Plains).

On November 1, 2011, and November 18, 2011, it completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Permian Basin. On June 1, 2011, it acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in the Cleveland play, located in the Texas Panhandle, from Panther Energy Company, LLC and Red Willow Mid-Continent, LLC (collectively Panther). On May 2, 2011, and May 11, 2011, it completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Williston Basin. On April 1, 2011, and April 5, 2011, the Company completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Permian Basin. On March 31, 2011, it acquired certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Williston Basin from an affiliate of Concho Resources Inc. (Concho). During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company completed other smaller acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties located in its various operating regions. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 7,759 or 69% of its 11,230 gross produc! ! tive wells.

Mid-Continent Deep

The Mid-Continent Deep region includes properties in the Deep Granite Wash formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths ranging from 10,000 feet to 16,000 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma and Kansas, which produce at depths of more than 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Deep proved reserves represented approximately 47% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 49% were classified as proved developed reserves. The Company owns and operates a network of natural gas gathering systems consisting of approximately 285 miles of pipeline and associated compression and metering facilities that connect to numerous sales outlets in the Texas Panhandle.

Mid-Continent Shallow

The Mid-Continent Shallow region includes properties producing from the Brown Dolomite formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths of approximately 3,200 feet, as well as properties in Ok lahoma, Louisiana and Illinois, which produce at depths of less than 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Shallow proved reserves represented approximately 20% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 70% were classified as proved developed reserves. The Company owns and operates a network of natural gas gathering systems consisting of approximately 665 miles of pipeline and associated compression and metering facilities that connect to numerous sales outlets in the Texas Panhandle.

Permian Basin

The Permian Basin is an oil and natural gas basins in the United States. The Company�� properties are located in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico and produce at depths ranging from 2,000 feet to 12,000 feet. Permian Basin proved reserves represented approximately 16% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 56% were classified as proved developed reserves.

Michigan

The Michigan region includes proper ties producing from the Antrim Shale formation in the no! rthe! rn ! part o! f the state, which produces at depths ranging from 600 feet to 2,200 feet. Michigan proved reserves represented approximately 9% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 90% were classified as proved developed reserves.

California

The California region consists of the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin. California proved reserves represented approximately 6% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 93% were classified as proved developed reserves.

Williston Basin

The Williston Basin is one of the premier oil basins in the United States. The Company�� properties are located in North Dakota and produce at depths ranging from 9,000 feet to 12,000 feet. Williston Basin proved reserves represented approximately 2% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 48% were classified as proved developed reserves.

Hot Clean Energy Stocks For 2014: Neoprobe Corporation(NEOP)

Neoprobe Corporation, a biomedical company, engages in the development and commercialization of precision diagnostics that enhance patient care and improve patient benefit. The company is developing and commercializing targeted agents aimed at the identification of occult (undetected) disease. Neoprobe?s two lead radiopharmaceutical agent platforms, Lymphoseek and RIGScan are intended to help surgeons better identify and treat certain types of cancer. Lymphoseek is a diagnostic imaging agent intended for radiolabeling and administration in radiodetection and visualization of the lymphatic system draining the region of injection for delineation of the lymphatic tissue; and RIGScan is an intraoperative biologic targeting agent consisting of a radiolabeled murine monoclonal antibody. The company has a biopharmaceutical development and supply agreement with Laureate Biopharmaceutical Services, Inc. to support the initial evaluation of the viability of the CC49 master working c ell bank, as well as the initial steps in re-validating the commercial production process for the biologic agent used in RIGScan CR. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Dublin, Ohio.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own For 2014: Contango Oil & Gas Co (MCF)

Contango Oil & Gas Company (Contango) is an independent natural gas and oil company. The Company�� core business is to explore, develop, produce and acquire natural gas and oil properties onshore and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico in water-depths of less than 300 feet. Contango Operators, Inc. (COI), its wholly owned subsidiary, acts as operator on its properties.

Offshore Gulf of Mexico Activities

Contango, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, COI and its partially owned affiliate, Republic Exploration LLC (REX), conducts exploration activities in the Gulf of Mexico. COI drills, and operates its wells in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as attends lease sales and acquires leasehold acreage. As of August 24, 2012, the Company's offshore production was approximately 83.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, which consists of seven federal and five state of Louisiana wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These 12 operated wells produce through the four platforms: Eugene Island 24 Platform, Eugene Island 11 Platform, Ship Shoal 263 Platform, Vermilion 170 Platform and Other Activities.

This third-party owned and operated production platform at Eugene Island 24 was designed with a capacity of 100 million cubic feet per day and 3,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services production from the Company�� Dutch #1, #2 and #3 federal wells. From this platform, the gas flows through an American Midstream pipeline into a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana, and the condensate flows through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 22.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. The Company finished laying six inches auxiliary flowlines from the Dutch #1, #2, and #3 wells to its Eugene Island 11 Platform and is in the process of redirecting production from the Eugene Island 24! Platform to the Eugene Island 11 Platform.

The Company�� Company-owned and operated platform at Eugene Island 11 was designed with a capacity of 500 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day. These platforms service production from the Company�� five Mary Rose wells, which are all located in state of Louisiana waters, as well as its Dutch #4 and Dutch #5 wells, which are both located in federal waters. From these platforms, it can flow its gas to an American Midstream pipeline through its eight inches pipeline and from there to a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana. It can flow its condensate through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries.

The Company�� gas and condensate can flow to its Eugene Island 63 auxiliary platform through its 20 inches pipeline, which has been designed with a capacity of 330 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day, and from there to third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facilities near Patterson, Louisiana, through an ANR pipeline. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 44.6 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

The Company�� owned and operated platform at Ship Shoal 263 was designed with a capacity of 40 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 5,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from our Nautilus well, which flows through the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 3.0 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. As of June 30, 2012, the Company owed a 100% working interest and 80% net revenue interest in this well and platform.

The Company�� owned and operated platform at Vermilion 170 was designed with a capacity of 60 million cubic feet equivalent per ! day and 2! ,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from its Swimmy well, which flows through the Sea Robin Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 13.4 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

On July 10, 2012, the Company spud its South Timbalier 75 prospect (Fang) with the Spartan 303 rig. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On July 3, 2012, the Company spud its Ship Shoal 134 prospect (Eagle) with the Hercules 205 rig. The Company purchased the deep mineral rights on Ship Shoal 134 from an independent third-party. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On December 21, 2011, the Company purchased an additional 3.66% working interest (2.67% net revenue interest) in Mary Rose #5 (previously Eloise North). The Company has a 47.05% working interest (38.1% net revenue interest) in Dutch #5.

Offshore Properties

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), State Lease 19396 expired and was returned to the state of Louisiana. As of August 24, 2012, the interests owned by Contango through its affiliated entities in the Gulf of Mexico, which were capable of producing natural gas or oil included Eugene Island 10 #D-1, Eugene Island 10 #E-1, Eugene Island 10 #F-1, Eugene Island 10 #G-1, Eugene Island 10 #I-1, S-L 18640 #1, S-L 19266 #1, S-L 19266 #2, S-L 18860 #1, S-L 19266 #3 and S-L 19261, Ship Shoal 263, Vermilion 170 and West Delta 36. As of August 24, 2012, interests owned by Contango through its related entities in leases in the Gulf of Mexico included Eugene Island 11, East Breaks 369, South Timbalier 97, Ship Shoal 121, Ship Shoal 122, Brazos Area 543, Ship Shoal 134 and South Timbalier 75.

Onshore Exploration and Properties

As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested in Alta Energy Canada Partnership (Alta Energy) to purchase over! 60,000 a! cres in the Kaybob Duvernay. Contango has a 2% interest in Alta Energy and a 5% interest in the Kaybob Duvernay project. On April 9, 2012, the Company announced that through its wholly owned subsidiary, Contaro Company, it had entered into a Limited Liability Company Agreement (the LLC Agreement) to form Exaro Energy III LLC (Exaro). The Company owns approximately a 45% interest in Exaro. Exaro has entered into an Earning and Development Agreement (the EDA Agreement) with Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. (Encana) to provide funding to continue the development drilling program in a defined area of Encana�� Jonah field asset located in Sublette County, Wyoming.

As of June 30, 2012, the Exaro-Encana venture had three rigs drilling, has completed five wells and achieved first production. As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested to lease approximately 25,000 acres in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS), a shale play in central Louisiana and Mississippi.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Krauth]

  But the dynamic is suddenly changing. This is a pricing game—a global one. You see, while North Americans currently enjoy natural gas at close to $3.40 per million cubic feet (Mcf), Europeans are paying three times as much, between $10 and $11 per Mcf.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own For 2014: 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 Heather Ingrassia]

  Gastar Agreement: On April 1st it was announced that Gastar Exploration, Ltd. (GST) had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire proven reserves and undeveloped leasehold interests in Kingfisher and Canadian counties of Oklahoma from Chesapeake Energy Corporation, repurchase Chesapeake's common shares of the Company and settle all litigation for $1 million. Although smaller in scope than most of Chesapeake's previous asset-shedding transactions, the agreement with Gastar accomplishes two things. First, is the fact the settlement resolves the legal wrangling both companies were engaged in and as a result Chesapeake walks away with $85 million of the potential $130 million they were suing for. Second, is the fact Chesapeake wipes it hands of acreage, that although producing, may not be producing as much as Chesapeake had once hoped, and therefore was worth much more to Gastar in the long run.

• [By David Smith]

  Earlier, the company had pocketed $75.2 million by selling to Gastar Exploration (NYSEMKT: GST  ) leasehold acreage in Oklahoma's Kingfisher and Canadian counties. It'll obviously require a passel of sales of that magnitude to shore up an overweight balance sheet.

• [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.

UnitedHealth Downgraded to “Hold” at Cantor Fitzgerald (UNH)

On Friday, Cantor Fitzgerald reported that it has downgraded UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) to “Hold.”

The firm has cut its rating on UNH from “Buy” to “Hold,” and has lowered the company’s price target from $75 to $70. This price target suggests a 2% decline from the stock’s current price of $71.37.

Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Joseph D. France commented: “We are lowering our rating on UnitedHealth from BUY to HOLD to reflect its recent move near our $75 price target, which we are reducing to $70 to reflect our lower 2013-14 EPS estimates. Although the company’s 3Q:13 results were inline with expectations, and there is no significant change in its guidance (although management was more specific about the outlook than in the past), we see little upside in the stock, given uncertainty about reform, costs and utilization. Our new EPS estimates are $5.45 for 2013 (reduced from $5.50) and $5.75 for 2014 (vs. $6.10 previously).”

UnitedHealth shares were mostly flat during premarket trading Friday. The stock is up 32% YTD.

Holiday season ushers in retail stock jitters

Getty Images Enlarge Image A shopper carries a bag from a Ross clothing store.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Investors will be closely watching the holiday hysteria that's soon to overtake the stores and shopping malls of America, especially as Wall Street fears the coming holiday season could be a dud for retailers.

Analyst expectations are skewed to the negative, with some suggesting this holiday season could be on track for its worst performance since 2008. Morgan Stanley said last month that weak holiday sales could force stores to begin promoting their merchandise more intently.

The day after Thanksgiving is the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season, but retailers have begun to pull forward their opening times to the Thanksgiving holiday itself as they jockey for a head-start on the competition. With retailers on edge, the back-and-forth is already getting testy as companies like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) tussle to match rivals' Black Friday deals a week early.

Getty Images Enlarge Image Wal-Mart has already begun to compete for Black Friday deals.

The holiday season is generally the most profitable time of the year for retailers, but it also has a broader impact on the direction of the stock market. The department stores, apparel shops, and other retailers that make up the consumer discretionary sector of the S&P 500 index (SPX)   contribute 12.5% of the total market capitalization of the index, making it the fourth-largest sector of the market as of Thursday, according to S&P Capital IQ.

The consumer discretionary sector of the S&P 500 has been going gangbusters this year, climbing 36.6%, while the Select Sector SPDR-Consumer Discretionary exchange-traded fund (XLY) is similarly up 36.7%, hitting a record earlier this month. That outperformance has supported the broader S&P 500, which is up 26.5% this year.

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Nonetheless, the bulk of the sector's gains came in the first half of the year, before the outlook began to deteriorate. And investors got a taste of what could be in store for the rest of the year when a number of prominent retailers reported disappointing profit outlooks this past week.

On an earnings call this week, this is how Target Corp. (TGT)   Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel described customer behavior: "They want to stay within a tight, very tight household budget, which is seeing additional pressure from this year's payroll tax increase." Shares lost nearly 5% for the week.

Perpetually struggling department store J.C. Penney Co. (JCP)  said it expects a sales boost this holiday season as it returns to a promotional strategy. But for the most part, retailers including Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR)  , GameStop Corp. (GME)   and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF)   gave dour outlooks in their earnings reports.

Bloomberg Enlarge Image Macy's could hold up well in an increasingly fragmented holiday-season shopping environment.

However, all of these jitters aren't necessarily a sell signal. Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ, points to the old Wall Street proverb that you "purchase straw hats in the winter and overcoats in the summer." That's one way of saying that you should buy when there's a bargain.

"Retailers have their strongest period in March, yet December is their weakest month," said Stovall, noting data that goes back to 1990. He adds that all of this suggests, "If you are looking to pick up retail stocks, do so in December because historically that's when they have their weakest returns."

Read: The least-crowded Black Friday ever?

Given that outlook, he sees ten stocks in the consumer discretionary sector that qualify as bargains at the moment, including some of the very stocks that are expecting downbeat holiday results. They include: Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP) , AutoNation, Inc. (AN) , Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) , Carmax, Inc. (KMX)  , Nordstrom Inc. (JWN)  , PetsMart, Inc. (PETM)  , Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) , Staples, Inc. (SPLS)  , Target Corp. (TGT)  , and Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) .

That may reflect one aspect of the holiday season: the retailers that win and lose are increasingly fragmented, says Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners. He suspects higher-end stores like Macy's Inc. (M)  and Nordstrom Inc. (JWN)  will hold up well, while lower-end retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target will have a tougher time.

"It's more of a rifle type of approach, and not a shotgun approach. You have to be keyed into the right areas," he said.

Meanwhile, historical indications suggest investors shouldn't worry retail stocks could bring down the momentum of the broader market before year-end. The S&P 500 tends to perform well between the week after Thanksgiving and year-end, averaging a gain of 1.76% since 1945 and 4.41% since 2009, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Since the end of World War II, that time of year has had positive returns 71% of the time.

Will Bad Weather Mean Sour Grapes for Wine Collectors?

Sometimes when it rains, it really pours.

Mother Nature unloaded on numerous French vineyards this year. But for wine-collecting clients, it might not be a washout.

The problem with this year’s harvest is that it started early, due to a very long, late winter, says Justin Gibbs, sales and marketing director at Liv-ex, an exchange for investment-grade wine in London.

That put vines about three weeks behind their usual stage of development during the summer. Excessive rain in July was followed by August hailstorms in Burgundy that “literally tore vines to pieces,” says Gibbs. There was no relief from the bad weather during the fall harvest season, either.

“Growers had waited until October in order to ripen their fruit, which increases the risks,” he adds. “And, lo and behold, come October, it was raining, as it often does and, so, they were picking (but) they have diluted, spoiled yields. … We don’t really have firm statistics yet but they believe that Bordeaux’s production will be the lowest since I think 1991-92, which is a very dire yield indeed.”

The French agriculture ministry estimates that this year’s Bordeaux harvest will be down 19% from 2012, according to some news reports. That’s a double whammy for two reasons.

First, it means two consecutive years of smaller crops.

Chris Adams, chief executive office of Sherry Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York, points out that 2012 also saw a short vintage in several key production areas.

Second, it’s not just a question of quantity.

Gibbs notes that if the available wines were sufficiently high quality, producers could raise their prices in the face of reduced supply.

“The business aspect is that what they would do—if they could—would (be to offer) low yields, (with) high prices on release,” he says. “But they will struggle to do so if the quality isn’t there to support those prices. And, as far as we can tell, the quality will not be there. So, they won’t be able to raise their prices and they will have some very low yield.”

But there are upsides to the crop problems, according to Adams.

The Good News

If the vintage’s viable wines are priced fairly relative to their quality, that could lead to much less expensive wines coming to market. In turn, those lower prices could bring in buyers who otherwise are priced out of the market’s top end.

“If the price is fair, then you have something on your shelf that you can say, 'Look, it’s a lot less expensive than what you’ve seen from previous vintages, and it can drink pretty young,' ” he says.

Top Canadian Stocks To Own For 2014

“And, so, that fills in while people are waiting for some other wines [to mature]. It gives consumers points of access to participate in certain wines and other vintages that might be priced out of their realm…it gives them a chance to consume some wines that, as I said, can be consumed young and are probably more affordable than they’ve seen in previous vintages,” Adams concludes.

Collectors who own earlier vintages could also benefit from increased demand for their wines.

The Liv-ex Fine Wines Investables Index peaked in late June 2011 at a level of 370; as of Oct. 30, it had dropped to 283.

Both Adams and Gibbs agree that these lower market prices on many earlier vintages, several of which are highly rated, combined with recent short supplies, should spur renewed interest in previous high-quality vintages among merchants and collectors.

“Over the last couple of years, the market has actually pulled back 25 to 30%, depending on which wines you follow,” says Gibbs. “It’s not a bad time to be picking up those wines ... Still, I suspect, in conclusion, there will be an impact but it’s not yet impacted. It’s not impacted the market, despite the fact that we know what’s coming. It will be the reality of the moment when I think we might see some sort of price impact.”

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Watch Right Now

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is basically flat after slightly better than expected unemployment claims data. AT&T (NYSE: T  ) stock is holding back the Dow, though, after a hedge fund manager said that investors should be wary of the stock. As of 1:15 p.m. EDT, the Dow was up 20 points to 15,125. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) was down two points to 1,630.

There was one U.S. economic release today.

Report

Period

Actual

Previous

Weekly new unemployment claims

4/27-5/4

323,000

327,000

Source: MarketWatch U.S. Economic Calendar.

Weekly new unemployment claims fell 4,000 from last week to hit their lowest level since 2008. Analysts had expected a slight rise to 335,000. The drop brings the less volatile four-week moving average down 6,250 to 336,750 -- the lowest level since 2007 and 30,000 less than last year's average of 360,000-370,000. Fewer unemployment claims signals a strengthening job market, which is welcome news as recent data have shown the economy slowing.

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Watch Right Now: Neogenomics Inc (NEO.PH)

NeoGenomics, Inc. (NeoGenomics) operates a network of cancer-focused testing laboratories. The Company offers testing services, including Cytogenetics testing, which is the study of normal and abnormal chromosomes and their relationship to disease; fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) testing, which is a branch of cancer genetics that focuses on detecting and locating the presence or absence of specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences and genes on chromosomes; flow cytometry testing, which is a way to measure the characteristics of cell populations; immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing, this is the process of identifying cell proteins in a tissue section utilizing the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens, and molecular testing, which is a cancer diagnostic tool focusing on the analysis of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA), as well as the structure and function of genes at a molecular level.

The cancer testing services, that the Com pany offers to community-based pathologists are designed to be a natural extension of, and complementary to, the services that they perform within their own practices. In areas where the Company does not provide services to community-based pathology practices, it may directly serve oncology, dermatology, urology and other clinician practices that prefer to have a direct relationship with a laboratory for cancer-related genetic and molecular testing services. NeoGenomics services these types of clients with a global service offering where it performs both the technical and professional components of the tests ordered.

The Company offers tech-only flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry testing services. These types of testing services generally allow the professional interpretation component of a test to be billed separately from the technical component. Its NeoFISH, NeoFLOW and other tech-only service offerings allow properly trained and credentialed community- based pathologists to extend their own practices by perfor! mi! ng professional interpretations services.

The Company's tech-only services are designed to give pathologists the option to choose, on a case by case basis, whether they want to order just the technical information and images relating to a specific test so they can perform the professional interpretation, or order global services and receive a test report, which includes a NeoGenomics Pathologist�� interpretation of the test results.

The Company also offers a set of global services to meet the needs of those clients who are not credentialed and trained in interpreting genetic tests and who are looking for specialists to interpret the testing results for them. In its global service offerings, its lab performs the technical component of the tests and its doctor of medicine (M.D.s) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D) s to provide the interpretation services. Its genetic pathology solutions (GPS) report summarizes all relevant case data from its global ser vices on one summary report.

The Company competes with General Electric Healthcare Services and Novartis, A.G.

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ohio Legacy Corporation(OLCB)

Ohio Legacy Corp. operates as a bank holding company for Premier Bank & Trust, National Association that provides retail and commercial banking services to its customers located in Stark, Wayne, and Belmont Counties in Ohio. The company offers a range of deposit products, including interest-bearing demand deposits, noninterest-bearing demand deposits, personal and business checking, time accounts, savings and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, Internet banking, cash management, and direct-deposit services. It also provides commercial loans, construction loans, real estate mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, and installment and personal loans. In addition, the company offers safe deposit box facilities, courier services, night depository facilities, Internet banking, cash management, direct-deposit services, and electronic funds transfer services, as well as provides trust, wealth management, and investment brokerage services. It provides its banking s ervices through its four branch offices and a trust office. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in North Canton, Ohio. Ohio Legacy Corp. is a subsidiary of Excel Bancorp, LLC.

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Own For 2014: Copa Holdings SA (CPA)

Copa Holdings, S.A. (Copa Holdings), incorporated on May 06, 1998, is a Latin American provider of airline passenger and cargo service through its two principal operating subsidiaries, Copa Airlines and Copa Colombia. Copa Airlines operates from its position in the Republic of Panama, and Copa Colombia provides service within Colombia and international flights from various cities in Colombia to Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala and Costa Rica, complemented with service within Colombia. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated a fleet of 83 aircraft with an average age of 5.13 years; consisting of 57 modern Boeing 737-Next Generation aircraft and 26 Embraer 190 aircraft. . As of December 31, 2012, the Company offers approximately 334 daily scheduled flights among 64 destinations in 29 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, mainly from its Panama City Hub.

Copa provides passengers with access to flights to more than 150 other destinations through codeshare arrangements with UAL pursuant to which each airline places its name and flight designation code on the other�� flights. As of December 31, 2012, Copa had firm orders, including purchase and lease commitments, for 35 additional Boeing 737-Next Generation aircraft. Copa also has options for an additional 14 Boeing 737-Next Generation aircraft.

The Company competes with Avianca-Taca, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and LAN Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Asit Sharma]

  The airline industry has a singular talent for draining the pockets of well-intentioned investors. Highly leveraged balance sheets and bankruptcies are the norm. Significant labor costs and unpredictable jet fuel prices wreak havoc on variable costs. Yet some airlines generate solid returns quarter after quarter. Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK  ) , Ryanair (NASDAQ: RYAAY  ) , Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV  ) , and Copa Holdings (NYSE: CPA  ) each manage to be consistently profitable. Let's examine a few themes they share in common, and zero in on their individual strategic ideas.

• [By Arie Goren]

  After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Watch Right Now: hardy oil & gas ord usd0.01(HDY.L)

Hardy Oil and Gas plc engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties primarily in India. The company?s principal properties include PY-3 field located off the East Coast of India; CY-OS/2 block located in the northern part of the Cauvery basin and covers approximately 859 square kilometers (km2); the GS-01 exploration license located in the Saurashtra basin offshore Mumbai; AS-ONN-2000/1 exploration license located onshore Upper Assam; Block D9 covering 11,605 km2 in the Bay of Bengal; and Block D3 covering an area of 3,288 km2 in the Krishna Godavari basin. As of December 31, 2010, its total net proven and probable oil reserves amounted to 2.1 million stock tank barrels per day (mmbbl); total net contingent gas resources amounted to 174 billion cubic feet; and total net contingent oil resources amounted to 0.2 mmbbl. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Watch Right Now: F5 Networks Inc.(FFIV)

F5 Networks, Inc. provides application delivery networking technology that optimizes the delivery of network-based applications, and the security, performance, and availability of servers, data storage devices, and other network resources in the Americas, EMEA, Japan, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers BIG-IP, an application delivery controller; VIPRION, a chassis-based application delivery controller; and FirePass, an appliance that provides SSL VPN access for remote users of Internet protocol networks, and applications connected to the networks from Web browser on any device. It also offers Application Security Manager, an application firewall; WebAccelerator that speeds Web transactions by optimizing individual network object requests, connections, and end-to-end transactions from browser to databases; WAN Optimization Manager, which integrates application delivery with WAN optimization technologies; Access Policy Manager that provides secure, granular, and contex t-aware control of access to applications; Edge Gateway, a remote access product, which offers context-aware, policy controlled, and remote access to applications at LAN speed; Enterprise Manager that allows customers to discover and view company?s products in a single window; and ARX product family, a series of high performance and enterprise-class intelligent file virtualization devices. In addition, F5 Networks provides Data Manager, a software product, which interfaces with file storage devices; iControl, an application programming interface that allows customers to control their products in the network; iRules, a programming language embedded in TMOS architecture; and consulting, training, maintenance, and other technical support services. The company sells its products to enterprise customers and service providers through various channels, including distributors, value-added resellers, and systems integrators. F5 Networks, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Niamh Ring]

  F5 Networks Inc. (FFIV) fell the most in more than two years after the maker of data-management equipment reported preliminary quarterly profit and revenue that missed its forecast as North American sales slowed.

• [By John Divine]

  The victim of a severe double-whammy, F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV  ) simply got pummeled today, falling 19%, after preliminary quarterly projections caused a flurry of analyst downgrades. In a true sign of just how awful its second quarter guidance was, the network technology provider even dragged down several of its competitors today, as Wall Street worried whether the numbers were an indication of the industry's fundamental health.

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  A recent pullback on a small guidance miss at F5 Networks (FFIV) is giving us a good entry point that I want us to take advantage of ahead of strong growth catalysts.

Stock impact of JFK murder steep but short

NEW YORK -- When it comes to stock market shocks, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, ranks high in Wall Street history.

When news of the assassination spread on television and radio and shock and grief took hold, stock prices took a sharp dive. On the day JFK was shot and killed in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald, the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 plunged 2.8%. A shocked Wall Street shut down the New York Stock Exchange at 2:07 p.m. EST. Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death.

"It was a shock to the market," says Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ. "There was chaos and total uncertainty, from a political perspective."

Adding to the market downturn: An enormous scandal that broke on Nov. 19, enveloping American Express and several brokerage houses, as loans secured by tanks of salad oil proved to be worthless.

But the negative market reaction was short-lived, as is often the case after scary stock market shocks, such as wars, terror attacks, financial scares and assassinations. The losses were confined to a single day, and the market had regained all of its losses two days later, according to S&P Capital IQ data.

Still, the first-day reaction to JFK's unexpected death was among the biggest in response to unanticipated shocks over the past 70 years, according to S&P Capital IQ.

Indeed, the nearly 3% one-day drop on the day the nation's 35th president was assassinated was bigger than first-day plunges following the scare over the Cuban Missile Crisis (-2.7%) on Oct. 10, 1962; the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan (-1.2%) on March 30, 1981; the resignation of President Richard Nixon (-1.3%) on Aug. 8, 1974; and the collapse of the hedge fund Long Term Capital Management (-2.2%) on Sept. 23, 1998.

In fact, the 2.8% drop was bigger than the median drop of 2.4% following major shocks dating back to World War II, S&P Capital IQ data show.

In general, the stock mark! et tends to rebound quickly following shocks, once it is determined that the economy won't be irreparably harmed by the event, says Stovall. And despite the tragedy of JFK's death, the market quickly realized that it was an emotional event, not an economic event. The U.S. also has a well-crafted succession plan at the highest levels of government, making the transition to a new president, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, seamless.

"Wall Street assessed very early on that the assassination, while tragic, would not alter U.S. or global growth," says Stovall. "It's not as if the death of the president would close shipping lanes, or cause oil wells to shut off or interest rates to spike."

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In contrast, shocks that caused bigger one-day drops than the Kennedy assassination included the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the 9/11 terror attacks back in 2001 and the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in the fall of 2008.

The stock market tends to be resilient. And investors jump back into the market after shocks to take advantage of depressed prices caused by panic surrounding the shock.

In fact, on a median basis, shocks normally cause stocks to bottom out 6 days after the shock hits, with a total drop of 5.3%. The market has taken just 14 days to recover all its losses, S&P Capital data show.

China Stocks Rise to One-Month High on Financial Reform Outlook

China's benchmark stock index rose to a one-month high after the central bank elaborated on plans to loosen controls on financial markets. Chinese equities in Hong Kong rallied for a fifth day to erase losses for the year.

Haitong Securities Co. and China Construction Bank Corp. led gains for brokerages and lenders in Shanghai. Air China Ltd. and China Southern Airlines Co. surged more than 3 percent in Hong Kong and Shanghai after the Shanghai Securities News reported the government may issue airspace-management rules. China Life Insurance Co. rose to a nine-month high in Hong Kong after Citigroup Inc. said its earnings may exceed estimates.

The Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP) advanced 0.6 percent to 2,206.61 at the close, the highest since Oct. 22. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) rose 0.6 percent to 11,437.44 for a five-day, 11 percent gain, the biggest such advance since October 2011. The central bank's plans include a wider trading band for the yuan and the removal of investment caps for foreign money managers, central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan wrote in an article. Accelerating yuan convertibility was among key reform proposals decided at a meeting of the Communist Party, which plans to achieve the target by 2020.

"The end of the intervention in the currency market could attract more funds into Chinese shares and boost liquidity," said Zhang Yanbing, analyst at Zheshang Securities Co. in Shanghai.

Widening Gap

The CSI 300 Index advanced 0.5 percent to 2,424.85. Trading volumes on the Shanghai index increased 1.9 percent above the 30-day average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Shanghai index has fallen 2.8 percent this year as slowing growth curbed corporate earnings. The measure trades at 8.7 times projected profit, compared with the five-year average multiple of 12.5, Bloomberg data showed.

China's largest package of economic reforms since the 1990s is getting a bigger vote of confidence from foreign investors than from the nation's own citizens. The H-shares gauge has jumped 6.2 percent, more than twice the Shanghai gauge, since policy makers led by President Xi Jinping pledged to ease the one-child policy and liberalize interest rates on Nov. 15. That left mainland shares valued at a 5.8 percent discount, the most in three years, according to the Hang Seng China AH Premium Index.

Foreign investors are less bearish because China's new policies will make long-term economic growth more sustainable, said Chen Li, a strategist at UBS AG in Shanghai.

Yuan Reform

China Construction Bank, the nation's second-biggest lender, rose 0.9 percent to 4.38 yuan. Haitong Securities, the second-largest listed brokerage, added 1 percent to 11.58 yuan.

The People's Bank of China will "basically" end normal intervention in the currency market and broaden the yuan's daily trading limit in an "orderly way," Zhou wrote in an article in a guidebook explaining reforms outlined last week following a Communist Party meeting. Quotas under the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor program will be expanded and then scrapped, he wrote.

Liberalization of interest rates was also among the key reform proposals decided on at the Third Plenum and published by the official Xinhua News Agency on Nov. 15. China is reforming its policies in an effort to bolster an economy that's heading for its weakest annual expansion since 1999.

China Life Insurance advanced 0.6 percent to HK$24.35, capping a 19 percent jump over five days. Ping An Insurance gained 2.2 percent to HK$71.40. China Life's fundamentals have bottomed and its earnings may surprise "on the upside" in the second half of this year, Citigroup analyst Darwin Lam wrote in a note dated yesterday after the insurer's management spoke at financial conference.

More Upside

"Despite a notable share price rebound of late, we believe China Life still offers good relative value and remains quite under-owned by investors," Lam, who has a buy rating on stock, wrote. China Life's shares were also upgraded at Bank of America Corp. and China International Capital Corp.

A measure of industrial shares in the CSI 300 gained 1.3 percent for the second-steepest advance among 10 industry groups. Air China, the biggest international carrier, gained 3.5 percent in Shanghai and 3.7 percent in Hong Kong, while China Southern, the largest domestic carrier, advanced 3.6 percent in Shangahi and 6.3 percent in Hong Kong.

Shanghai Securities News reported China may issue airspace management rules as early as the end of this year. Air China and other carriers have expanded their fleets as economic growth spurs travel demand in China, where the air force allots only 20 percent of air space to civil aviation. Traffic congestion is set to worsen as the nation's commercial aircraft fleet is projected to double in the next seven years.

The Bloomberg China-US Equity Index slid 0.3 percent in New York yesterday, while the db X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 lost 1.5 percent. S&P Dow Jones Indices is starting an exchange-traded fund that will allow traders in China to invest in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

Coach: Aspiring to Be Your Aspiration

About a month or so ago, I heard a story about an adult woman buying a Coach (COH) Barbie doll for around $100. Actually she bought a couple, just for good measure. What struck me about this account was the fact that this woman didn't like Barbie dolls and had no plans of ever using them. She bought $100 molds of plastic for a single reason: the brand, Coach. Later she heard the dolls were sold out, and she was downright giddy about owning a pair of showcase items.

Now, whatever your view about Coach happens to be, it's hard to dispute the fact that there are many people out there who are willing to pay the premium. I don't get the excitement but it's not an aberration that it exists. In some manner, it's relatively similar to consumers paying up time and again for the Coca-Cola (KO) or Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) brand.

In this light, the most important item to consider moving forward would be the loyalty and moat provided by the Coach brand – perhaps even more so than the actual product itself. For instance, for all of the price inflation in raw materials or distribution challenges that might arise, these would likely pale in comparison to a large deflation of the brand.

Morningstar analyst Paul Swinand provides a nice summation:

"With such historically strong financial metrics, investors may worry how sustainable Coach's record is. Fashion-driven companies can often seem like high-return companies when products and styles are popular, and fade quickly when tastes and preferences change."

So the risk with investing in a company like Coach is relatively straight forward: They need to consistently innovate while simultaneously keeping loyal brand followers. With regard to innovation, the "cutting edge" of fashion is finicky at best. However, it remains that Coach has proven itself to be a well-followed brand that has been able to provide solid and consistent returns to shareholders, despite the choosy environment.

Yet that's not to say that th! e company isn't also provided with opportunities. For instance, the emergence into the men's category is seen as a true avenue for growth. Especially to this point is the expansion into the Asian markets where there is now projected to be more wealthy citizens than in North America. In tandem, this population appears to be even more receptive to the aspirational aspects behind the brand.

In addition, the underlying business of Coach held up remarkably well during the last recession. If anything could test the merits of an idea, it's churning out profits in the midst of one of the worse economic times.

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Finally, Coach Executive VP and CFO Jane Niel had some encouraging words regarding shareholder returns during the last earnings call:

"We expect that dividend growth over time will be at least in line with net income growth and that share repurchases will be executed opportunistically."

Assuredly Coach doesn't stand on the same level as the tried and true "must have" consumer staples. Nevertheless, if you personally find that the brand is defensible, then Coach's current valuation might be of interest. An easy way to review Coach's past and potential future prospects is through the powerful fundamental analyzer software tool of F.A.S.T. Graphs™.

12 Years of Growth

Coach Inc. has grown earnings (orange line) at a compound rate of 27.5% since 2002, resulting in a $15+ billion dollar market cap. In addition, Coach's earnings have risen from $0.25 per share in 2002, to today's forecasted earnings per share of approximately $3.78 for 2013. Further, Coach initiated a dividend (pink line) in 2009 and has been able to increase this payout at a robust pace since then.

For a look at how the market has historically valued Coach, see the relationship between the price (black line) and earnings of the company as seen on th! e Earning! s and Price Correlated F.A.S.T. Graph below.

12-Year Earnings and Price Correlated Graph

[ Enlarge Image ]

Here we see that Coach's market price previously began to deviate from its justified earnings growth; starting to become undervalued in 2007 and only coming back close to fair value around in the last couple of years. Today, Coach appears undervalued in relation to both its historical earnings and relative valuation.

In tandem with the strong earnings growth, Coach shareholders have enjoyed a compound annual return of 23.4% which correlates closely with the 27.5% growth rate in earnings per share. Note that the slight underperformance is due to a declining P/E ratio. A hypothetical $10,000 investment in Coach on Dec. 31, 2001 would have grown to a total value of $118,480.98, without reinvesting dividends. Said differently, Coach shareholders have enjoyed total returns that were roughly seven times the value that would have been achieved by investing in the S&P 500 over the same time period. It's also interesting to note that an investor would have received approximately 3.3 times the amount of dividend income as the index as well; and this comes despite receiving dividends for only five years.

[ Enlarge Image ]

But of course – as the saying goes – past performance does not guarantee future results. Thus while a strong operating history provides a fundamental platform for evaluating a company, it does not by itself indicate a buy or sell decision. Instead an investor must have an understanding of the past while simultaneously thinking the investment through to its logical, if not understated, conclusion.

In the opening paragraphs a variety of potential risks and opportunities were described. It follows that the probabilities of these outcomes should ! be the gu! ide for one's investment focus. Yet it is still useful to determine whether or not your predictions seem reasonable.

Thirty leading analysts reporting to Standard & Poor's Capital IQ come to a consensus five-year annual estimated return grow rate for Coach of 12%. In addition, Coach is currently trading at a P/E of 14.5, which is inside the "value corridor" (defined by the orange lines) of a maximum P/E of 18. If the earnings materialize as forecast, Coach's valuation would be $94.94 at the end of 2018, which would be a 13.1% annualized rate of return including dividends. A graphical representation of this calculation can be seen in the Estimated Earnings and Return Calculator seen below.

[ Enlarge Image ]

Now it's paramount to remember that this is simply a calculator. Specifically, the estimated total return is a default based on the consensus of the analysts following the stock. The consensus includes the long-term growth rate along with specific earnings estimates for the next two upcoming years. Further, the dividend payout ratio is presumed to stay the same and grow with earnings. Taken collectively, this graph provides a very strong baseline for how analysts are presently viewing this company. However, a F.A.S.T. Graphs' subscriber is also able to change these estimates to fit their own thesis or scenario analysis.

Since all investments potentially compete with all other investments, it is useful to compare investing in any prospective company to that of a comparable investment in low risk treasury bonds. Comparing an investment in Coach to an equal investment in a 10-year Treasury bond, illustrates that Coach's expected earnings would be 4.6 times that of the 10-year T-bond interest. This comparison can be seen in the 10-year Earnings Yield Estimate table below.

[ Enlarge Image ]

Finally, it's important to underscore the idea that all companies derive their underlying value from the cash flows (earnings) that they are capable of generating for their owners. Therefore, it should be the expectation of a prudent investor that – in the long-run – the likely future earnings of a company justify the price you pay. Fundamentally, this means appropriately addressing these two questions: "In what should I invest?" and "At what time?" In viewing the past history and future prospects of Coach we have learned that it appears to be a strong company with solid upcoming opportunities. However, as always, we recommend that the reader conduct his or her own thorough due diligence.

Disclosure: Long COH, JNJ, KO at the time of writing.

Disclaimer: The opinions in this document are for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell the stocks mentioned or to solicit transactions or clients. Past performance of the companies discussed may not continue and the companies may not achieve the earnings growth as predicted. The information in this document is believed to be accurate, but under no circumstances should a person act upon the information contained within. We do not recommend that anyone act upon any investment information without first consulting an investment advisor as to the suitability of such investments for his specific situation.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014

Walmart.com/AOL NEW YORK -- Treadmills for $33? Computer monitors for $9? The deals are too good to be true -- even at Walmart. It turns out they're not. Walmart Stores Inc. (WMT) says a "technical error" caused certain products to be priced absurdly low or high on its website earlier Wednesday morning. The company said it's working to resolve the issue and that the site may have intermittent problems with availability until then. "We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers," said Ravi Jariwala, a spokesman for Walmart's online operations. Earlier Wednesday, shoppers took to Twitter to cite ridiculously low prices like treadmills for $33.16 and Hewlett Packard LCD monitors for $8.85. Jariwala declined to comment on whether it would honor bargains that customers scooped up and said it was still working through the details. Heading into the crucial holiday shopping season, Walmart has doubled the number of items it has on its website from last year to 5 million. That's expected to help fuel a 30 percent growth in online sales to $10 billion for its current fiscal year, which ends in late January. That's still just a sliver of the $486 billion in annual sales Walmart did last year. Walmart is based in Bentonville, Ark. We're not saying you should give up shopping on Black Friday altogether. Just do it online instead. At one point it may have been true that Black Friday was for in-store deals, while Cyber Monday was for the e-commerce set. But these days, retailers are taking pains to offer a seamless experience between their online and bricks-and-mortar channels, and that means many of the marquee Black Friday deals can be had from the comfort of your couch. "[Retailers] continue to get better at syncing the online and offline experience," says Brad Wilson of BradsDeals. "95 percent-plus of deals are going to be available both online and offline."

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Greenlight Capital Re Ltd.(GLRE)

Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, operates in the property and casualty reinsurance business in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and internationally. The company?s frequency business includes contracts containing smaller losses emanating from multiple events and enables the clients to increase their own underwriting capacity; and severity business consists of contracts with the potential for significant losses emanating from one event or multiple events. It offers personal and commercial property, general and marine liability, motor liability, motor physical damage, professional liability, financial, health, medical malpractice, and workers? compensation reinsurance products. Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. sells its products primarily through reinsurance brokers. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: ARM Holdings PLC (ARMH)

ARM Holdings plc (ARM), incorporated on October 16, 1990, designs microprocessors, physical intellectual property (IP) and related technology and software, and sells development tools. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated in three business segments: the Processor Division (PD), the Physical IP Division (PIPD) and the System Design Division (SDD). ARM licenses and sells its technology and products to international electronics companies, which in turn manufacture, markets and sells microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application-specific standard processors (ASSPs) based on ARM�� technology to systems companies for incorporation into a range of end products. It also licenses and sells development tools directly to systems companies and provides support services to its licensees, systems companies and other systems designers.

ARM processor architecture and physical IP is used in embedded microprocessor applications, including cellular phones, digital televisions, mobile computers and personal computer peripherals, smart cards and microcontrollers. ARM�� principal geographic markets are Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific. ARM�� product offering includes microprocessor Cores: RISC microprocessor cores, including specific functions, such as video and graphics IP and on-chip fabric IP; embedded software; physical IP; development tools, and support and maintenance services.

Processor Division

The PD encompasses those resources that are centered on microprocessor cores, including specific functions, such as graphics IP, fabric IP, embedded software IP and configurable digital signal processing (DSP) IP. Service revenues consist of design consulting services and revenues from support, maintenance and training.

Physical IP Division

The PIPD is focused on building blocks for translation of a circuit design into actual silicon. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company�� total av! erage PIPD headcount was 557. ARM is a provider of physical IP components for the design and manufacture of integrated circuits, including systems-on-chip (SoCs). ARM Artisan physical IP products include embedded memory, standard cell and input/output components. Artisan physical IP also includes a limited portfolio of analog and mixed-signal products. ARM�� physical IP components are developed for a range of process geometries ranging from 20 nanometer - 250 nanometer. ARM licenses its products to customers for the design and manufacture of integrated circuits used in complex, high-volume applications, such as portable computing devices, communication systems, cellular phones, microcontrollers, consumer multimedia products, automotive electronics, personal computers and workstations and many others.

ARM�� embedded memory components include random access memories, read only memories and register files. These memories are provided in the form of a configurable memory compiler, which allows the customer to generate the appropriate configuration for the given application. ARM�� memory components include many configurable features, such as power-down modes, low-voltage data retention and fully static operation, as well as different transistor options to trade off performance and power. In addition, ARM�� memory components include built-in test interfaces that support the industry test methodologies and tools. ARM memory components also offer redundant storage elements.

ARM�� memory components are designed to enable the chip designer maximum flexibility to achieve the optimum power, performance, and density trade-off. ARM offers standard cell components that are optimized for high performance, high density or ultra high density. ARM logic products deliver optimal performance, power and area when building ARM Processors, Graphics, Video and Fabric IP along with general SoC subsystem implementation. ARM delivers physical interface for a range of DDR SDRAM (double-data rate s! ynchronou! s dynamic random-access memory) applications ranging from mission critical applications to low-power memory sub-systems. Silicon on Insulator (SOI) products is an alternative methodology to traditional semiconductor fabrication techniques.

System Design Division

The SDD is focused on the tools and models used to create and debug software and system-on-chip (SoC) designs. ARM�� software development tools help a software design engineer deliver products right the first time. Engineers use these tools in the design and deployment of code, from applications running on open operating systems right through to low-level firmware. The ARM Development Studio is a hardware components that allow the software designer to connect to a real target system and control the system for the purposes of finding errors in the software. The ARM DSTREAM unit allows the software developer to control the software running on the prototype product and examine the internal state of the prototype product. ARM Development Boards are ideal systems for prototyping ARM-based products. The ARM Microcontroller Development Kit supports ARM-based microcontrollers and 8051-based microcontrollers from companies, such as Analog Devices, Atmel, Freescale, Fujitsu, NXP, Samsung, Sharp, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Toshiba. The ARM Microcontroller Development Kit is used by developers who are building products and writing software using standard off-the-shelf microcontrollers.

The ARM Microprocessor Families

ARM architecture processors offers a range of performance options in the ARM7 family, ARM9 family, ARM11 family, ARM Cortex family and ARM SecurCore family. The ARM architecture gives systems designers a choice of processor cores at different performance/price points. The ARM7 offers 32-bit architecture capable of operating from 8/16-bit memory on an 8/16-bit bus through the implementation of the Thumb instruction set. The ARM9 family consists of a range of microprocessors in ! the 150-2! 50MHz range. Each processor has been designed for a specific application or function, such as an application processor for a feature phone or running a wireless fidelity (WiFi) protocol stack. The ARM9 family consists of a range of microprocessors in the 150-250 megahertz range. The ARM11 family consists of a range of microprocessors in the 300-600 megahertz range. ARM Cortex family is ARM�� family of processor cores based on version 7 of the ARM Architecture. The family is split into three series: A Series, A Series and M Series.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sneha Shah]

  5) Mobile Device entry will pay off - Microsoft has introduced both hardware and software products for the mobile industry. The company has launched Windows tablets based on both ARM (ARMH) and Intel (INTC) processors. The company has also made its Windows 8 much more mobile friendly with a totally new interface (Live Tiles). The company has also partnered with the world's second largest mobile seller Nokia (NOK) so that Nokia smartphones will only use Windows operating system. PC vendors like Acer, Lenovo etc. have also introduced new products like the PC-tablet hybrids which make use of the new Windows 8 operating system. The new "Windows Blue" operating system will go further in making Windows more tablet/smartphone friendly and it is rumored that it will unite the mobile and PC versions of the Windows OS. IDC expects that Microsoft will capture a ~10% market share of the tablet operating system segment by 2017 (up from almost 0% now).

• [By David O��ara]

  ARM Holdings' (LSE: ARM  ) (NASDAQ: ARMH  )
  ARM shares have soared off the back of the smartphone and tablet boom. In the last five years, the shares are up almost ninefold.

Best Small Cap Companies For 2014: PPG Industries Inc.(PPG)

PPG Industries, Inc. manufactures and supplies protective and decorative coatings. The company offers coatings products for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, specialty coatings for signs, and light industrial coatings; and sealants, coatings, and technical cleaners/transparencies for commercial, military, regional jet, general aviation aircraft, and transparent armor for military land vehicles. It also provides coatings and finishes for the protection of metals and structures to metal fabricators, heavy duty maintenance contractors, and manufacturers of ships, bridges, rail cars, and shipping containers; and coatings to painting and maintenance contractors. In addition, PPG sells industrial and automotive coatings to manufacturing companies; adhesives and sealants for the automotive industry; metal pretreatments and related chemicals; and coatings and inks for aerosol, food, and beverage containers. Further, it supplies lenses, sunlenses, a nd optical lens materials; amorphous precipitated silicas for tire and battery separator markets; and Teslin substrate used in radio frequency identification tags and labels, e-passports, drivers? licenses, and identification cards applications. Additionally, PPG offers chlor-alkali and derivative products, such as chlorine, caustic soda, vinyl chloride monomer, chlorinated solvents, calcium hypochlorite, ethylene dichloride, hydrochloric acid, and phosgene derivatives to chemical processing, rubber and plastics, paper, minerals, metals, and water treatment industries. It also produces flat glass and continuous-strand fiber glass for commercial and residential construction, wind energy, energy infrastructure, transportation, and electronics industries. PPG sells its products through company-owned stores, home centers, paint dealers, and independent distributors, as well as directly to customers worldwide. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pe nnsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH), Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), PrivateBancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PVTB), PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE: PPG), Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM), Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK), Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE: BTU), Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG), Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese GDP, Chinese industrial production, Chinese retail sales, US industrial production, US housing starts, US building permits

  Friday

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Players throughout the paint industry have seen their prospects rise in light of the housing recovery. In its most recent report, Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW  ) posted record profits and sales for its first quarter, as net income rose 17%. Sherwin projected that revenue growth would likely accelerate during the rest of the year. Fellow competitor PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG  ) also managed to top earnings estimates in its quarterly report last month, although its sales didn't produce the increase that analysts had expected to see.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Malbex Resources Inc(MBG.V)

Malbex Resources Inc., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal projects in Argentina and Peru. The company primarily explores for gold and silver. Its principal property includes Del Carmen project that covers approximately 15,129 hectares located near the southern end of the El Indio Gold Belt, Argentina. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Bc Desio Brianza(DESI.MI)

Banco di Desio e della Brianza SpA, together with its subsidiaries, provides various commercial banking services in Italy and internationally. It offers loans and deposits; financial, banking, and payment services; insurance products in the field of life and non life branches; asset management products; and debit and credit cards. The company also provides documentary credit, leasing and factoring, credit brokerage, and investment banking services. It serves households, artisans, producing families, professionals, financial and non financial companies, and private social institutions, as well as small, medium, and large enterprises. The company operates 171 branches. Banco di Desio e della Brianza SpA is based in Desio, Italy.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Luminex Corporation(LMNX)

Luminex Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of proprietary biological testing technologies and products for the life sciences and diagnostic industries. It offers xMAP technology, an open architecture and multiplexing technology that allows simultaneous analysis of approximately 500 bioassays from a drop of fluid by reading biological tests on the surface of microscopic polystyrene beads called microspheres. The company?s xMAP technology is used in various segments of the life sciences industry, such as the fields of drug discovery and development, clinical diagnostics, genetic analysis, bio-defense, food safety, and biomedical research. It operates in two segments, Technology and Strategic Partnerships; and Assays and Related Products. The Technology and Strategic Partnerships segment provides Luminex LX 100/200 that integrates fluidics, optics, and digital signal processing; FLEXMAP 3D system for use as a general laboratory instrument; and MAGP IX system, a multiplexing analyzer for qualitative and quantitative analysis of proteins and nucleic acids. This segment also offers consumables comprising dyed polystyrene microspheres and sheath fluids. The Assays and Related Products segment develops and sells assays on xMAP technology for use on its installed base of systems. This segment?s products are focused on the human genetics, personalized medicine, and infectious disease segments of the genetic testing market. This segment provides various assay products, which consist of a combination of chemical and biological reagents, and company?s proprietary bead technology used to perform diagnostic and research assays on samples. It serves pharmaceutical companies, clinical laboratories, research institutions, and medical institutions in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Now what: Normally, a $5 million haircut isn't a big deal. However, if a company is losing money and that $5 million is a clean 14% below its original forecasts, then it's certainly going to garner a negative reaction. It also doesn't help that Natural Molecular Testing Corporation -- that aforementioned "large customer" -- recently entered in a multi-year collaboration with Luminex (NASDAQ: LMNX  ) earlier this month, casting a gray cloud over GenMark's future revenue stream with NMTC. Until we get better visibility from GenMark's management team and see the company moving toward profitability, this is a name I'd suggest keeping your distance from.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  There's no foolproof way to know the future for Luminex (Nasdaq: LMNX  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Premier Cons Oil(PMO.L)

Premier Oil plc engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties. The company has various oil and gas interests in the North Sea, the Middle East-Pakistan, Asia, and Africa. As of 31 December 2010, it had proven and probable reserves of 261 million barrels of oil equivalent. The company, formerly known as Caribbean Oil Company, is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Euronext(NXT.L)

Next plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates retail stores in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company involves in retailing clothes, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children, as well as offers a range of home products. It operates a chain of approximately 500 stores in the United Kingdom and Eire under the Next Retail brand name; and approximately 180 stores under the Next International brand name in continental Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, the Middle East, India, and Japan. The company also operates Next Directory, a home shopping catalogue and Web site. In addition, it involves in the operation of Next Sourcing, which designs, sources, and buys Next branded products; and Lipsy that designs and sells women's fashion products through retail, Internet, and wholesale channels. The company was formerly known as J Hepworth & son and changed its name to Next plc in 1986. Next plc was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Enderby, the United Kingdom.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY): Upcoming Gaming Consoles Should Boost Sales, Traffic For Best Buy

The soon to be launched new video game consoles from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) should provide a nice sales and traffic boost for retailers such as Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY).

Sony will be releasing its PlayStation 4 video game console on Nov. 15 with a retail price of $399, while Microsoft's Xbox One will hit the market on Nov. 22 with a retail price of $499.

Prior console launch volumes were somewhat subdued for a couple reasons, which led to slower initial traction from the release for a retailer like Best Buy. Notably, there were shortages of certain components for the Xbox 360 at launch, which restrained its initial uptake.

[Related -Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY): Still A Good Buy?]

"We think the upcoming console refresh cycle will exceed volumes achieved during the seventh generation launch (though, some supply might be constrained at the outset to create additional "buzz" from the scarcity)," UBS analyst Michael Lasser wrote in a note to clients.

Both Sony and Microsoft have become better at predicting consumer demand, which should lead to a better supply / demand match this time around. Sony is targeting to sell 5 million PS4 units between its November 15th U.S. launch date and the end of the company's fiscal year on March 31st. Microsoft expects to sell 1 billion units over the next five years.

[Related -Best Buy (BBY) Is Fighting Back -- But Is It A Buy?]

For Best Buy, the stabilization of its domestic entertainment business is key for driving comp. Best Buy's domestic entertainment division includes video gaming hardware and software, DVDs, Blue-rays, CD's, digital downloads, and computer software.

While the segment only accounted for 12 percent of its fiscal 2013 total domestic revenue, it declined at a 16 percent CAGR from fiscal 2009 through fiscal 2013, accounting for about an average of 180-200 basis points (bps) of the company's total domestic comp decline over the last three years.

"Assuming that the gaming category achieves a 30 percent growth rate & BBY can sustain its ~17% market share, it should contribute 150 bps–200 bps to its domestic comp in the next several Qs," Lasser noted.

For the fourth quarter, Best Buy is expected to generate 16 percent growth in new video console and game sales growth. If Best Buy holds share, there should be about 145bps benefit to its fourth quarter comparable sales from video games. If Best Buy achieves 20 percent in total video game market share, it would see a 300bps benefit to its comps.

Best Buy is well positioned to capture more than its historic share of the gaming market. Its closer relationship with Microsoft means that it is in a better spot to get a preferential inventory allocation. Plus, its improved operational efficiency should give the vendors greater comfort that it will manage its allocation well.

While consoles have a margin rate that is well below Best Buy's average, software is closer to the mean. Thus, the profitability impact will depend in part on the company's ability to cross-sell accessories, warranties, and other products to the hearty traffic that should result from the gaming resurgence.

"Using our sales estimates from the analysis shown above, we estimate FY'14 video game hardware and new software sales of $2.4B for BBY. Assuming a 5% gross margin on the hardware sales and 18% on software sales, this leads to a gross margin rate of 12%, well below the company average," Lasser said.

That said, the excitement surrounding the new video game console launches is going to be a significant driver of traffic, and Best Buy is well positioned to cross-sell higher margin products. The obvious add-on would be video game accessory products (controllers, memory cards, headsets, etc.), which carry much more attractive gross margin rates at around 30 percent.

"We assume a 30% attachment rate for video game accessories and hardware sales. This alone raises the gross margin rate from 12! % to 15%.! Further, the gross profit contribution from BBY's total gaming (incl. hardware, software, and game accessories) business, should more than triple from 2013 to 2014," Lasser added.