Top 10 Chemical Stocks To Own For 2015

Top 10 Chemical Stocks To Own For 2 015: Sensient Technologies Corp (SXT)

Sensient Technologies Corporation, incorporated on December 07, 1882, is a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances. Sensient uses advanced technologies at facilities around the world to develop specialty food and beverage systems, cosmetic and pharmaceutical systems, inkjet and specialty inks and colors, and other specialty and chemicals. The Company's customers include international manufacturers representing some of the Known brands. The Company operates in two segments: Flavors & Fragrances Group and the Color Group. The Asia Pacific and the China Groups are included in the Corporate & Other category, along with the Company's corporate expenses. The Company's principal products include: flavors, flavor enhancers and bionutrients; fragrances and aroma chemicals; dehydrated vegetables and other food ingredients; natural and synthetic food and beverage colors; cosmetic and pharmaceutical colors and additives; and technical colors, inkjet colo rs and inks, and specialty dyes and pigments.

Flavors & Fragrances Group

The Company is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of flavor and fragrance systems for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and household-products industries. The Company's flavor formulations are used in consumer products. Under the unified brand names of Sensient Flavors, Sensient Dehydrated Flavors and Sensient Fragrances, the Company is a supplier to multinational companies. The Flavors & Fragrances Group produces flavor and fragrance products, which impart a taste, texture, aroma and/or other characteristics to a range of consumer and other products. It includes the Company's dehydrated flavors business, which produces ingredients for food processors. The products are systems products, including flavor-delivery systems, and compounded and b! lended products. In addition, the Company is engaged in selected ingredient products, such as essential oils, natu ral and synthetic flavors, and aroma chemicals. The Company ! serves food and non-food industries. In food industries, markets include savory, beverage, dairy, confectionery and bakery flavors. In non-food industries, the Company supplies fragrance products to the personal and home-care markets and supplies flavor products to the pharmaceuticals market.

Operating through the Company's Sensient Dehydrated Flavors business, the Company is produces dehydrated onion and garlic products in the United States. The Company is also producers and distributors of chili powder, paprika, chili pepper and dehydrated vegetables, such as parsley, celery and spinach. Domestically, the Company sells dehydrated products to food manufacturers for use as ingredients and also for repackaging under private labels for sale to the retail market and to the food service industry. In addition, Sensient Dehydrated Flavors is dehydrators of specialty vegetables in Europe. The Flavors & Fragrances Group operates through the Company's subsidiaries Sens ient Flavors LLC and Sensient Dehydrated Flavors LLC. The Company's principal manufacturing plants are located in California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Belgium, Canada, the People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Color Group

The Company is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of colors for businesses globally. The Company provides natural and synthetic color systems for use in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals; colors and other ingredients for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and technical colors for industrial applications and digital imaging. The Company sells its synthetic and natural colors to domestic and international producers of beverages, bakery products, processed foods, confections, pet foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The Compa! ny also m! akes inkjet inks and other dyes and pigments used in a variety of non-food applications.

The Color Group operates through the Company's subsidiary Sensient Col! ors LLC. ! Its principal manufacturing plants are located in California, Missouri, New Jersey, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Color Group operates under trade names of Sensient Food Colors (food and beverage colors); Sensient Pharmaceutical Coating Systems (pharmaceutical colors and coatings); Sensient Cosmetic Technologies (cosmetic colors and ingredients and systems). and Sensient Industrial Colors (including paper colors; industrial colors for plastics, leather, wood stains, antifreeze and other uses; inkjet colors and inks; specialty inks, and display imaging).

Asia Pacific and China Groups

The Asia Pacific Group and the China Group focus on marketing the Company's diverse product line in the Pacific Rim under the Sensient name. Through these operations, the Company offers a range of products from its Flavors & Fragrances Group and Color Group, as well as products developed by regional technical teams to appeal to local preferences. Sales, marketing and technical functions are managed through the Asia Pacific Group's headquarters in Australia. Manufacturing operations are located in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines. The Asia Pacific Group maintains offices for research and development, as well as sales, in India, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

  sou! rce from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-chemical-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html

Top Oil Stocks To Watch For 2014

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Pipelines and midstream energy firms are supposed to be boring investments. And historically, energy logistics giant Kinder Morgan (KMI) has fit into that camp. That is, until analysts at Hedgeye Risk Management began to question the company�� — and its subsidiaries Kinder Morgan Energy Partners’ (KMP) and El Paso Pipeline Partners’ (EPB) — cash flows, CAPEX spending and incentive distribution rights (IDRs).

Top 10 Sliver Companies To Own For 2015: Exxon Mobil Corporation(XOM)

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, and manufacture of petroleum products, as well as transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products. The company manufactures and markets commodity petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics, and other specialty products. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 35,691 gross and 30,494 net operated wells. The company has operations in the United States, Canada/South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania. Exxon Mobil Corporation was founded in 1870 and is based in Irving, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Every Chevron shareholders' biggest nightmare
  The biggest concern for Chevron and its largest rival, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) , is declining energy prices. Weakening global economies could send oil and natural gas prices significantly lower, which would dramatically affect both companies' bottom lines. Lower prices became a reality for both Chevron and ExxonMobil in their most recent quarters. Chevron's average realized price for a barrel of oil and natural gas liquids fell to $94 from $102 in the year prior. For ExxonMobil, lower oil price realizations coupled with higher natural gas price realization lowered year-over-year earnings by $230 million.�

• [By Claudia Assis]

  Shares of Chevron Corp. (CVX) �were also among the worst hit on Thursday, off 1.9%. The two other major oil and gas companies fared better, with shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) �down 0.8% and shares of ConocoPhillips (COP) �off 1.1%.

Top Oil Stocks To Watch For 2014: Bonavista Energy Corp (BNPUF.PK)

Bonavista Energy Corporation (Bonavista) is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas assets. The Company operates approximately 87% of its assets which are concentrated within three core regions in western Canada. Each core region contains a well-balanced portfolio of oil and natural gas assets with considerable opportunities. Its operations are geographically focused within three regions of Western Canada, which includes Western region, Northern region and Eastern region. The Company�� subsidiaries include Bonavista Petroleum (BP), Bonavista Energy LP (BELP) and Bonavista Energy Inc. (BEI). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

  Husky Energy (HUSK.PK), see article here.Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGH), see article here.Southern Pacific Resource (STPJF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), see article here.Devon Energy (DVN), see article here.Imperial Oil (IMO), see article here.Baytex, see article here.Bonavista Energy (BNPUF.PK), see article here.

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

Top Oil Stocks To Watch For 2014: Parker Drilling Co (PAD)

Parker Drilling Company (Parker), incorporated on August 4, 1970, is a provider of contract drilling and drilling-related services. The Company operates in six segments: Rental Tools, U.S. Barge Drilling, U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, Technical Services and Construction Contract. During year ended December 31, 2012, the Company operated in 12 countries. The Company has operated in over 50 foreign countries and the United States. In April 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of International Tubular Services Limited and certain affiliates (ITS), subsidiaries of ITS Tubular Services (Holdings) Limited.

Rental Tools Business

The Company provide premium rental tools for land and offshore oil and natural gas drilling and provide equipment used for drilling, workover and production applications, such as drill pipe, heavy-weight drill pipe, tubing, high-torque connections, blow-out preventers (BOPs) and drill collars. The Company also hold an inventory of rental tools and provide service to its customers from locations in Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota and West Virginia.

U.S. Barge Drilling Business

The Company�� U.S. Gulf of Mexico barge rig fleet is marketed barge fleet in the GOM region, with rigs ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 horsepower with drilling depth capabilities ranging from 13,000 to over 30,000 feet. The Company�� rigs drill for oil, natural gas, and a combination of oil and natural gas in the shallow waters in and along the inland waterways and coasts of Louisiana, Alabama and Texas.

U.S. Drilling Business

The Company�� U.S. Drilling segment primarily consists of two new-design Arctic Alaska Drilling Unit (AADU) land rigs. In addition to the two AADU rigs, the Company has one land rig at its facility in New Iberia, Louisiana.

International Drilling Business

The Company�� international drilling business includes operations related to Parker-owned and operated ri! gs as well as customer-owned rigs. In addition, it perform drilling-related activities for operators who own their drilling rigs and who choose to utilize its drilling experience and technical expertise to perform services on a contracted basis, including Operations and Maintenance (O&M) work, and other project management services (such as labor, maintenance, and logistics).

Technical Services Business

The Company�� technical services business primarily includes its engagement in concept development, pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design), Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) projects. During the EPCI phase, it focuses primarily on the drilling systems engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation and provide customer support during construction. As of December 31, 2012, it provides these services on the Berkut platform project for Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL).

Construction Contract Business

The Company�� construction contract segment includes only the BP-owned Liberty extended-reach drilling rig construction project. Under the consulting services agreement, it assisted BP in a review of the rig�� design, the creation of a new statement of requirements for the rig, and the transition of documentation and materials to BP.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Oberweis]

  Among our latest small-cap recommendations is a medical device company focused on developing minimally invasive treatment solutions for vascular disease, including peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), explains Jim Oberweis, Editor of The Oberweis Report.

Top Oil Stocks To Watch For 2014: Tallgrass Energy Partners LP (TEP)

Tallgrass Energy Partners, LP incorporated on February 6, 2013, is a limited partnership company. It provides natural gas transportation and storage services for customers in the Rocky Mountain and Midwest regions of the United States through its Tallgrass Interstate Gas transportation system and processing services for customers in Wyoming through its Midstream Facilities. The Company operates in two segments: Gas Transportation and Storage and Processing. The Gas Transportation and Storage segment is engaged in ownership and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines and related natural gas storage facilities that provide services to third-party natural gas distribution utilities and other shippers. The Processing segment is engaged in ownership and operation of natural gas processing and treating facilities that produce natural gas liquids and residue gas that is sold in local wholesale markets or delivered into pipelines for transportation to additional end markets.

The Company provides processing services for customers in Wyoming through its Casper and Douglas natural gas processing and West Frenchie Draw natural gas treating facilities. The Casper and Douglas plants have combined capacity of 138.5 138.5 MMcf/d. The Company has its operations in Lakewood, Colarado. The Company owns and natural gas processing plants in Casper and Douglas, Wyoming and a natural gas treating facility at West Frenchie Draw, Wyoming through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Tallgrass Midstream, LLC.

The Company competes with Kinder Morgan and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier] There were a half a dozen initial public offerings (IPOs) by master limited partnerships in the first half of the year, and all but one are now in the green while one has nearly doubled in value.
  
  The first MLP IPO of 2013 debuted on Jan. 15. USA Compression Partners (NYSE: USAC), which I mentioned in last week’s issue, provides compression services for the oil and gas industry. Units have advanced 36 percent since the IPO, and at the current price yield 7.3 percent.
  
  The day after the USA Compression Partners IPO, CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR) made its debut.  CVRR was spun off from CVR Energy (NYSE: CVI), and both companies remain majority-owned by Carl Icahn. CVR Refining’s primary assets are two refineries located in Kansas and Oklahoma with a combined processing capacity of approximately 185,000 barrels per day (bpd). These refineries are strategically located near the major Cushing, Oklahoma shipment and storage hub, with easy access to discounted feedstock from the nearby Permian basin, as well as the Bakken shale and Canadian oil sands.
  
  But refiners have struggled with diminished margins in 2013 because of a much lower Brent-WTI differential. After the recently concluded second quarter, CVRR declared a distribution of $1.35 per unit, bringing its per-unit distributions for the first half of the year to $2.93. At the same time, CVR Refining lowered its annual distribution target to a range of $4.10 to $4.80 per unit. This was lower than the outlook issued in March, when it foresaw annual distributions of $5.50 to $6.50. CVRR units slid on the news, and are presently trading slightly below the $25 IPO price. The lower end of the revised forecast implies distributions of $1.17 per unit in the second half of the year, for a forward annualized yield of 10 percent based on the recent $23.50 unit price.
  
  SunCoke Energy Partners (NYSE: SXCP) was the third IPO to debut during a very busy third week of January. SXCP is the first M
• [By Robert Rapier]

  Tallgrass Energy Partners (NYSE: TEP) is a midstream limited partnership that provides natural gas transportation and storage services in the Rocky Mountain and Midwest regions of the US. The partnership launched on May 13, 2013 and in late June increased EBITDA guidance above analysts’ expectations, causing units to climb nearly 21 percent by year-end. In December TEP reiterated guidance for 1.2x distribution coverage for the entire year. The partnership recently declared a distribution of $0.3150 per unit for the fourth quarter of 2013 – a 5.9 percent increase from the Q3 2013 distribution. TEP’s annualized yield based on the most recent distribution is 4.8 percent, its current EV is $1.28 billion and its total debt/equity (mrq) is 30.5 percent.

Best Gas Companies To Invest In 2015

Best Gas Companies To Invest In 2015: Questerre Energy Corp (QEC)

Questerre Energy Corporation (Questerre) is engaged in the exploration for, and the development, production and acquisition of oil and gas projects, particularly shale oil and gas. Questerre holds assets in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec. Questerre has three core areas where it conducts the majority of its activity: Oil Shale Mining, Western Canada and the St. Lawrence Lowlands, Quebec. The Company has a 100% interest in two licenses covering approximately 100,000 acres in the Pasquia Hills area of east central Saskatchewan. The Antler area is approximately 200 kilometers from Regina in southeast Saskatchewan. The Vulcan area in Southern Alberta is prospective for natural gas and oil in multiple horizons. The Lowlands are situated in Quebec south of the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City. As at December 31, 2011, the Company had an interest in 98 gross (55.2 net) producing and 40 gross (17.8 net) non-producing oil and natural gas . Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, that answers that question. Questerre Energy Corp. (TSE:QEC) and Crescent Point Energy Corp. (TSE:CPG) likely knew they had some shale-oil mining neighbors in the Bakken Shale neighborhood in Saskatchewan, Canada, but they hadn't seen much of that competition. That's about to change soon. Adequately funded and eager to begin laying its final mining plans, Centor Energy Inc. (OTCBB:CNTO) is going to officially own 55% of a 21,000 acre shale oil property that's anywhere from just a few miles away to just a few meters away from and Crescent Point Energy's and Questerre Energy's operations in one of the oil-richest known areas in the Bakken formation. And to be clear, it's not like Centor Energy is just getting the ball rolling; the planning for this project has been underway for months. Once the property-acquisition deal is inked in mid-February, CNTO will likely finish up its feasibil! ity study and begin the approval process for its facility later in the year. That's pr etty quick, but as was noted, a great deal of the legwork has already been done.

• [By John Udovich]

  While the Bakken formation is already on most investor radars,few American investors may realize that the formation stretches North into the oil and gas rich Canadian province of Saskatchewan wherestocks like Surge Energy Inc (TSE: SGY), Questerre Energy Corp (TSE: QEC), Crescent Point Energy Corp (TSE: CPG), Keyera Corp (TSE: KEY) and Centor Energy Inc (OTCBB: CNTO) have been pumping out a good flow of newsworthy news in recent weeks. I should mention that Canadas oil reserves are ranked #3 after to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia with over 95% of these reserves being the oil sands of Alberta while the neighboring province of Saskatchewan (which the Bakken formation stretches into from South Dakota and Montana) along with offshore areas of Newfoundland also contain substantial production and reserves (Note:Excluding oil sands, Alberta would have 39% of Canadas remaining conventional oil reserves,followed byoffshore Newfoundland with28% and Saskatchewan with 2 7%).

• [By James E. Brumley]

  What do Questerre Energy Corp. (TSE:QEC) and Crescent Point Energy Corp. (TSE:CPG) know about oil in Saskatchewan that Centor Energy Inc. (OTCBB:CNTO) doesn't? Absolutely nothing. All three companies know there's oil in the southern part of the Canadian province, and they know exactly how to go get it. The only difference between QEC, CPG, and CNTO is, Questerre Energy and Crescent Point Energy are further along the development of their operations there than Centor Energy.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-gas-companies-to-invest-in-2015-2.html

Time to Sell These 5 'Toxic' Stocks

BALTIMORE ( Stockpickr) -- Which stocks should I buy? It's the eternal question that most investors spend most of their time wondering. But is it the wrong question?

Must Read: Warren Buffett's Top 10 Dividend Stocks

More so than any other year since 2008's market crash, 2014 has been a year for stock pickers. That's because, as the end of the calendar year creeps closer, one in three S&P 500 components is actually down since January. And considering the fact that the big index is up more than 10% year-to-date, those underperformers are missing the mark by a big margin. In a big way, knowing which stocks not to buy has almost been more important for your ability to book gains in 2014 than knowing which ones you should.

That's why we're taking a closer technical look at five "toxic stocks" to sell this week.

Just to be clear, the companies I'm talking about today aren't exactly junk. By that, I mean they're not next up in line at bankruptcy court. But that's frankly irrelevant; from a technical analysis standpoint, sellers are shoving around these toxic stocks right now. For that reason, fundamental investors need to decide how long they're willing to take the pain if they want to hold onto these firms in the weeks and months ahead. And for investors looking to buy one of these positions, it makes sense to wait for more favorable technical conditions (and a lower share price) before piling in.

For the unfamiliar, technical analysis is a way for investors to quantify qualitative factors, such as investor psychology, based on a stock's price action and trends. Once the domain of cloistered trading teams on Wall Street, technicals can help top traders make consistently profitable trades and can aid fundamental investors in better

So, without further ado, let's take a look at five "toxic stocks" you should be unloading.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering

We're starting things off with Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASX), a Taiwan-based chipmaker. Overwhelmingly, overseas stocks have been lagging the broad market here at home -- but that hasn't been the case at Advanced Semiconductor. In fact, this $10 billion chip stock is up more than 30% since the calendar flipped to January. But investors should think about taking their gains here; ASX is starting to look toxic for your portfolio.

That's because ASX is currently forming a descending triangle pattern, a bearish price setup that's formed by downtrending resistance above shares, and horizontal support to the downside at $5.80. Basically, as ASX bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer to a breakdown below its $5.80 price floor -- if that line in the sand gets violated, then Advanced Semiconductor is a sell.

For short sellers, the most recent high at the $6.40 level is a logical place to park a protective stop.

Must Read: 12 Stocks Warren Buffett Loves in 2014

ResMed

Medical equipment maker ResMed (RMD) is another name that's starting to look "toppy" after a bullish start to the year. RMD has more or less kept pace with the S&P 500 in 2014, climbing just over 11% from January to today -- but shares started forming a long-term triple-top over the summer, and that setup is getting close to completion this fall.

It's worth noting that long-term price setups come with equally long term trading implications when they trigger.

The triple-top that RMD is showing is a fairly rare pattern, but the trigger is pretty perfunctory: if shares break down below support at $48, then sellers are in control, and it's time to unload them. Downside isn't a foregone conclusion in ResMed, but this setup only gets invalidated if shares can close above their prior highs at $54.

Bitauto Holdings

A similar setup is shaping up in shares of mid-cap Chinese internet stock Bitauto Holdings (BITA). BITA is forming a double-top, a more common topping patten that looks just like it sounds. The double-top in BITA is formed by a pair of swing highs that peak at approximately the same resistance level ($95 in this case). The sell signal comes on a drop below the trough at $65 that separated those highs.

If $65 gets violated, then look out below.

Why all of the significance at $65? It's not magic. Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to keep buyers and sellers in mind. Patterns like the double or triple-top are a good way to quickly describe what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable -- instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for BITA's shares.

That $65 level in Bitauto is the spot where there's previously been an excess of demand for shares; in other words, it's a price where buyers have been more eager to step in and buy shares at a lower price than sellers were to sell. That's what makes a breakdown below support so significant -- the move means that sellers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess demand at the at price level.

Must Read: 7 Stocks Warren Buffett Is Selling in 2014

Ultra Petroleum

As energy commodity prices have sold off in recent months, so too have the E&P stocks that pull those resources out of the ground. And Ultra Petroleum (UPL) has been no exception. The good news is that you don't need to be an expert technical trader to figure out why this stock looks toxic here -- the setup in shares of Ultra Petroleum is about as simple as they get.

UPL is bouncing its way lower in a textbook downtrending channel, a price setup that's formed by a pair of parallel trendlines that have kept UPL range-bound since April. The price channel in UPL identifies the high-probability range for shares to stay within, and so, with shares pressing up against resistance for the eighth time since this price channel kicked off, it makes sense to be a seller on the next bounce lower.

Kennametal

Last up on our "toxic stocks" list today is Kennametal (KMT), an industrial tool company that's sold off more than 23% since the beginning of the year. Like UPL, Kennametal is bouncing its way lower in a textbook downtrending price channel. That means that the high-probability trade is to sell the next bounce down.

Waiting for that bounce lower before clicking "sell" is a critical part of risk management for two big reasons: it's the spot where prices are the highest within the channel, and alternatively it's the spot where you'll get the first indication that the downtrend is ending. Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're confirming that sellers are still in control before you unload shares of KMT.

The 50-day moving average has been a good proxy for resistance since this summer -- the fact that it's accelerating lower here doesn't bode well for Kennametal owners. This stock is likely to keep up its underperformance in the near-term.

To see this week's trades in action, check out the Toxic Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

Must Read: 10 Stocks Billionaire John Paulson Loves in 2014

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory that returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Top Solar Stocks To Buy Right Now

What does everyone want this holiday? Why tech gear. But just what gift is the right gadget gift? From top tablets to simple smartphones, desks that make you stand up for your health to devices that make you unplug for your sanity ��here are a whole bunch of ideas that I've hand-picked out of the thousands of gadgets I've seen over the past year.

1. Wireless portable speakers

The right wireless portable speaker can make a gadget-lover's day and this is a go-to gift for just about everyone on your list. These little speakers now come in every shape, size, and price range ��and some are even solar powered and waterproof. If money's no object, the $200 Logitech UE Boom is a compact, loud, water-and-stain resistant choice with a whopping 15-hours of battery life. In the $100 range, JBL, Jabra Solemate, Jawbone Jambox, and Oontz XL all offer better than average sound, let you charge other gadgets on the go with a USB port, and rock a full day of battery life. For the mini-models, you can't go wrong with the HDMX Jam Plus ($50).

Hot Undervalued Companies To Own For 2015: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited(YGE)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and installation of photovoltaic (PV) products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. The company offers PV cells, PV modules, and integrated PV systems, as well as polysilicon ingots, blocks, and wafers. It sells its PV modules to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators in Germany, the United States, Italy, China, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan under the Yingli and Yingli Solar brand names. The company also offers its integrated PV systems directly to end-users or to contractors for use in the electricity projects, as well as to mobile communications companies in the People's Republic of China. Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Baoding, the People? s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Source: Company earnings releases.��

  Solar companies have reported losses for some time now, but LDK Solar has more debt than most companies, and won't be able to survive with such feeble numbers. At the end of 2012, debt stood at $2.8 billion, and we know now that the company ran out of cash just this week. There's no way LDK Solar can survive on just $135.9 million in quarterly revenue and that kind of debt level.� � A problem across solar High debt loads and feeble margins aren't a challenge faced by LDK Solar alone. Suntech Power gave in to these pressures last month, defaulting on its own debt. Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) is now the most indebted Chinese solar company, with $2.5 billion in debt, and I wouldn't doubt if they're not far behind LDK and Suntech. The defaults of Suntech and LDK has to be concerning for all of Chinese solar, especially if banks don't keep the free flow of funds that have powered a rapid expansion in production.� � Balance sheets matter
  What's becoming clearer and clearer every quarter is that balance sheets matter, not just for investors, but also for solar installers. Solar modules come with warranties, sometimes stretching as long as 25 years, and if a customer questions whether a company will be around in only a year or two, they may choose another option. Since Chinese modules vary very little from a performance perspective, the customer may choose a better-capitalized company like JinkoSolar instead of Yingli or LDK, or even move to a U.S. company like First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) or SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) . As financial conditions get worse at these companies more and more customers leave and the problems get worse, creating a downward spiral. LDK and Suntech are the poster children for this and are a major reason investors need to stick with quality in solar. � I've been down on LDK Solar since I began predicting its failure in 2011. Investors interested in g
• [By Travis Hoium]

  In China, LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) and Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) are trying to grow in systems but with billions of dollars in debt and extremely low margins they can't compete with First Solar. So, even their higher-efficiency modules put them behind the curve.

Top Solar Stocks To Buy Right Now: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 6.8% at $3.68. Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV) is up 2.2% at $5.15.

  Stocks on the move: Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is up 9.3% at $21.74 after being adding to the S&P 500 index. BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) is up 6.4% at $11.53 on reports that a former board member has nearly lined up financing to take the company private. Molex Inc. (NASDAQ: MOLX) is up 31.6% at $38.60 following an agreement to be acquired by Koch Industries Inc.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  News and notes
  Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) announced another $100 million in financing this week, this time a term loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea. �

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Hanwha SolarOne (HSOL), which manufactures a number of silicon ingots, PV cells and PV modules using advanced manufacturing process technologies. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up 301%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Hanwha SolarOne, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $2.60 to its recent high of $4.28 a share. During that uptrend, shares of HSOL have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of HSOL within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HSOL if it manages to break out above its 52-week high at $4.28 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.61 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HSOL 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 $6 to $7 a share.

  Traders can look to buy HSOL off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average at $3.40 a share, or near more support at $3.35 a share. One can also buy HSOL off strength once it clears $4.28 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 13.9% at $4.36. D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is up 4.7% at $18.91 on good earnings boosted by land sales.

Top Solar Stocks To Buy Right Now: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  In China, LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) and Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) are trying to grow in systems but with billions of dollars in debt and extremely low margins they can't compete with First Solar. So, even their higher-efficiency modules put them behind the curve.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  China continues to prop up solar
  Suntech Power and LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) have both defaulted on loans, but that doesn't appear to be a clear sign that China is willing to let its solar industry consolidate. These two companies along with countless others would be bankrupt in the U.S. or Europe but investments from state-owned entities and loans from state-owned banks have propped up the entire industry.

Top Solar Stocks To Buy Right Now: DAQQ New Energy Corp.(DQ)

Daqo New Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells polysilicon in China. The company sells its polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers for use in the processing of ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. It also produces and sells mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline modules to photovoltaic system integrators and distributors in China and internationally under its Daqo brand. The company was formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited and changed its name to Daqo New Energy Corp. in August 2009. Daqo New Energy Corp. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered Wanzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ali Berri]

  In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.42 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), up 9.4 percent, and Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP), up 6.2 percent.
  

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ) shares gained 12.78% to $33.58 on quarterly results.

  SINA (NASDAQ: SINA) rose 7.26% to $51.29 after the company reported upbeat quarterly results.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).

Top Asian Companies To Own For 2014

October 16, 2013: U.S. markets opened higher Wednesday morning after negotiations for a Senate deal got started again on Tuesday night. Shares had already touched daily highs by the time a deal was announced. Senate passage appears to be a lock, and word from House Speaker Boehner is that the Republicans will not block a House vote. The President is reported to be prepared to sign a bill as soon as it is presented to him.

European and Asian markets closed mixed today while Latin American markets were higher.

Thursday�� calendar includes speeches by Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, Kansas City Fed President Esther George, and Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota and the following scheduled data releases and events (all times Eastern).

8:30 a.m. – Housing starts (delayed due to government shutdown) 8:30 a.m. – New claims for unemployment data (delayed) 9:15 a.m. – Industrial production (delayed) 10:00 a.m. – Philadelphia Fed survey 10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly natural gas storage report (delayed) 11:00 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report (delayed) 4:30 p.m. – Fed balance sheet and money supply

Here are the closing bell levels for Wednesday:

Top 5 Dividend Stocks For 2015: Superior Energy Services Inc.(SPN)

Superior Energy Services, Inc. provides specialized oilfield services and equipments to serve the production and drilling-related needs of oil and gas companies. It operates through three segments: Subsea and Well Enhancement; Drilling Products and Services; and Marine. The Subsea and Well Enhancement segment provides integrated subsea and engineering services, coiled tubing, electric line, pumping and stimulation, gas lift, well control, hydraulic workover and snubbing, recompletion, stimulation and sand control equipment and services, well evaluation, offshore oil and gas tank, vessel cleaning, decommissioning, plug and abandonment, and mechanical wireline services. This segment also manufactures and sells drilling rig instrumentation equipments; and involves in the production and sale of oil and gas from its properties in the Gulf of Mexico. The Drilling Products and Services segment manufactures, sells, and rents equipments for use with offshore and onshore oil and gas well drilling, completion, production, and workover activities. This segment?s products and services include pressure control equipment, drill pipe and landing strings, connecting iron, handling tools, stabilizers, drill collars, and on-site accommodations. The Marine segment owns and operates a fleet of liftboats in the Gulf of Mexico. The company operates 25 rental liftboats with leg lengths ranging from 145 feet to 265 feet. Superior Energy Services, Inc. sells its products and services in Latin America, North America, North Sea and Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  As a result, the knives have come out. Cowen’s analysts downgraded six stocks–Baker Hughes (BHI), Cameron International (CAM), Nabors Industries (NBR), CGG (CGG), Superior Energy Services (SPN) and Helmerich & Payne (HP)–and cut their estimates on even more. Its analysts explain why:

Top Asian Companies To Own For 2014: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend Growth Investor]

  Altria Group (MO) was able to spin-off its Kraft Foods division in 2007. Shareholders in Altria received shares in Kraft for each share of Altria stock they held. In 2008, this was followed by the spin-off of Phillip Morris International (PM), which represented the international tobacco business of Altria Group.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Russia's move could pose a threat to global cigarette producers such as Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM  ) and British American Tobacco. Although both tobacco producers operate around the globe, a dramatic shift in curbing smoking from the world's third-largest tobacco consumer is bound to sting. In Philip Morris' case, according to Trefis, Russia accounted for approximately 6% of its total revenue last year, and the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region accounted for roughly one-quarter of sales.�

Top Asian Companies To Own For 2014: Carnival Plc ADS (CUK)

Carnival plc operates as a cruise company. It operates in North America Cruise Brands, EAA Cruise Brands, and Tour and Other segments. The company offers cruises under the brand names of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn in North America; and AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK), and P&O Cruises (Australia) in Europe, Australia, and Asia. It also owns Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, a tour operator in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon, which owns and operates 12 hotels or lodges, 300 motor coaches, and 20 domed rail cars. The company sells its cruises through travel agents, including wholesalers, general sales agents, and tour operators. Carnival plc was founded in 1850 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q3 2014 earnings report for cruise ship stock Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), which also has a listing as Carnival plc (NYSE: CUK) and is a peer of�Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE: RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: NCLH), is scheduled to report earnings before the market opens on Tuesday (September 23rd). Aside from the Carnival Corporation earnings report, it should be said that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd reported Q2 2014 earnings on July 24th (profit rose fivefold on higher European demand) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd reported Q2 2014 earnings on July 29th (investments in new ships and fleet modernization helped earnings that beat expectations). However and the last time around when Carnival Corporation reported earnings, year over year comparisons may have been misleading because�of an embarrassing February 2013 incident when a�fire on the Carnival Triumph left the ship without power in the Gulf of Mexico and�passengers stranded aboard the stalled ship for four days until it was pulled into port by several tugboats.

Top Asian Companies To Own For 2014: RealNetworks Inc.(RNWK)

RealNetworks, Inc. provides network-delivered digital media products and services to manage, play, and share digital media in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It develops and markets software products and services that enable the creation, distribution, and consumption of digital media, including audio and video. The company?s Core Products segment develops and provides software as a service (SaaS) services, including ring-back tone, music-on-demand, video-on-demand, and messaging services for mobile carriers; and e-commerce services, such as business intelligence, subscriber management, and billing for carrier customers. It also licenses Helix server software that allows companies and institutions to broadcast live and on-demand audio, video, and other multimedia programming to users over the Internet. In addition, this segment provides professional and systems integration services; and SuperPass, a subscription service, which provides consumers with acces s to a range of digital entertainment content. Its Emerging Products segment offers RealPlayer, a media player software, which include features and services that enable consumers to discover, play, download, manage, and edit digital video. The company?s Games segment is involved in developing, publishing, licensing, and distributing casual games, such as board, card, puzzle, word, and hidden-object games for PC?s, social networks, mobile handsets, and smartphones through digital download, online subscription play, third-party portals, social networks, and mobile devices. It distributes games principally in North America, Europe, and Latin America through the company?s own Websites, which are operated under the GameHouse, Zylom, and Atrativa brands, and through Websites owned or managed by third parties. RealNetworks, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Carol Hymowitz]

  CEOs who aren�� comfortable around technology and digital trends will have difficulty setting strategy for the future, said Dawn Lepore, former CEO of Drugstore.com and a director at AOL Inc., TJX Cos. (TJX) and RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK)

Hot Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now

The wealth-building power of compound interest will never cease to amaze me. It's a story of patience and attention to detail, where small, short-term differences add up to massive divergence over decades. And in the end, the biggest winners don't always deliver the fattest share-price returns.

Today, I'm looking at telecom giant AT&T (NYSE: T  ) . The company leans on an extremely dependable revenue source based on 108 million wireless subscribers. These customers are so reliable that they stick around and invite some friends over even as Ma Bell raises prices on a regular basis.

The rock-solid revenue stream and predictable expenses combine to form a torrential flow of free cash. AT&T uses that active cash influx to power one of the most generous dividend policies on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) . It's an eternal race between AT&T and fellow telecom Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) , and Ma Bell currently runs ahead of Big Red:

Top 10 Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2015: Neustar Inc (NSR)

NeuStar, Inc., incorporated on December 8, 1998, is a provider of real-time information and analysis. The Company operates in three segments: carrier services, enterprise services and information services. The Company combines data sets to develop algorithms, models, point solutions and complete work flow solutions. The Company provides services, such as database services (telephone number databases, domain names, short-codes and fixed Internet protocol (IP) addresses), analytics platforms used for Internet security services, caller identification services, Web performance monitoring services and real-time information and analytics services. In October 2013, Neustar, Inc acquired Aggregate Knowledge, Inc.

Carrier Services

The Company�� carrier services include numbering services, order management services and IP services. Its numbering services enable the dynamic routing of calls and text messages. In particular, the Company provides near real-time updates to the North American telephone numbering system that is essential for the accurate routing of telephone calls and text messages. In addition, it also facilitates order management and work-flow processing among carriers, including telephone number inventory management, and allow carriers to manage and optimize the addressing and routing of IP communications. The numbering services the Company provides to its carrier customers using these databases include number portability administration center services (NPAC Services), in the United States and Canada and local number portability (LNP), services in Taiwan and Brazil, or international LNP solutions, and number inventory and allocation management. The Company�� order management services permit its carrier customers to exchange essential operating information with multiple carriers in order to provision and manage services. The Company provides these services through a single interface or on-premise installations. In addition, it offers inventory management services that! allow its carrier customers to manage their assigned telephone numbers and associated resources. The Company provides scalable IP services to global carriers and service providers that allow them to manage access for the routing of IP communications, such as multimedia messaging service. Its solutions also provide accurate and reliable routing of text messages and voice calls by identifying terminating service provider networks. In addition, it provides a solution for carriers to migrate from the public switched telephone network to IP Interconnect through mapping a phone number to an IP address for accurate and reliable routing to a carrier�� network.

Enterprise Services

The Company�� Enterprise Services include Internet infrastructure services and registry services. It provides Internet infrastructure services that its customers use in order to direct, prioritize and manage Internet traffic. In addition, enterprise customers rely on its services to optimize their Website performance, including protecting against malicious traffic. Enterprises use its infrastructure and its datasets to identify the location of their online customers for a variety of purposes, including fraud prevention and marketing. It also operates the authoritative common short codes registry on behalf of the United States wireless industry. The Company provides a suite of domain name systems (DNS) services to its enterprise customers built on a global directory platform. These services play a key role in directing and managing Internet traffic flow, resolving Internet queries, providing security protection against distributed denial of service attacks, providing geolocation services used to enhance fraud prevention and online marketing, and monitoring, testing and measuring the performance of Websites and networks. The Company operates the authoritative registries of Internet domain names for the .biz, .us, .co, .tel and .travel top-level domains. It also provides international registry gateways for! China�� s .cn and Taiwan�� .tw country-code top-level domains. All Internet communications routed to any of these domains must query a copy of its directory to ensure that the communication is routed to the appropriate destination. The Company also operates the authoritative common short codes registry on behalf of the United States wireless industry. In addition, it operates the user authentication and rights management system, which supports the UltraViolet digital content locker that consumers use to access their entertainment content.

Information Services

The Company�� Information Services include identification services, verification and analytics services, and local search and licensed data services. It utilizes databases and solutions to inform real-time decisions on customer initiated interactions over the telephone, Internet and at points of sale. Its services correlate attributes, such as demographic information, projected buying behaviors and location. Its business listings identity management services manage the placement of its customers��online local business listings on search engines, improving brand awareness and targeted advertising. The Company provides Caller ID services to carriers in the United States and real-time identification and location services to over 1,000 businesses in the United States across multiple industries. Its location service enables clients to match a 10-digit phone number to a latitude and longitude, and is used for a number of applications, including intelligent site planning, market scoring, and Web-based location lookup. In addition, it provides services that enable clients to remarket to non-converting prospects and to help identify whether an inbound inquiry is coming from an existing customer or a prospect. The Company provides lead verification services that allow clients to validate customer data, enhance leads and assign a lead quality rating to each lead to provide a client the ability to contact a customer. The Company provide! s an onli! ne local business listing identity management solution that serves local search platforms, national brands, authorized channel partners and local businesses. This service provides businesses and channel partners the essential tools to verify, enhance and manage the identity of local listings on local search platforms across the Web, and offers local search platforms an accurate, complete and up-to-date database of local business listings for online publishing.

The Company competes with Accenture plc, Computer Sciences Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, International Business Machines Corporation, Noblis, Inc., Nortel Networks Corporation, Pearson Education, Inc., Perot Systems Corporation, Telcordia Technologies, Inc., VeriSign, Inc., Afilias Limited, Oracle Corporation, Synchronoss Technologies, Inc., Syniverse Technologies, Inc., Akamai Technologies, Inc., F5 Networks, Inc., Keynote Systems, Inc., Compuware Corporation, TNS, Inc., eBureau, LLC, Acxiom, Nielsen Holdings N.V., DataLogix International Inc. and infoGROUP Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rex Moore]

  You may not have heard of NeuStar (NYSE: NSR  ) , but the services it provides can affect you greatly. This $3 billion company is also handily beating the market as it shifts its focus to move deeper into the information and analytics industry.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  My guess is that few traders are at their desks this morning–there’s almost no one at Barron’s office either–and stocks reflect that. Some, like Tesla�(TSLA) and CalAmp (CAMP), are seeing sizable� news-related moves.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Koninklijke KPN NV (KPN)

Koninklijke KPN NV (KPN) is a Netherlands-based telecommunications and information and communication technology (ICT) service provider. It is divided in two business areas: the Netherlands and Mobile International. The Netherlands includes segments: Mobile Consumer, which offers voice, text and data services, and mobile wholesale; Consumer Residential, providing fixed line services; Business, responsible for wireline and wireless voice and Internet, Cloud and integrated packages for corporate clients; NETCO, which offers wireless, copper and fiber network infrastructure and services for retail and wholesale customers; and Corporate Network, which provides solutions for workspace management, connectivity, information security and data centers, cloud-based and traditional software services and consulting. Mobile International consists of segments such as Germany, Belgium, Rest of the world; and iBasis, providing wholesale voice services and terminating of international calls worldwide. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Royal KPN NV (KPN), the former Dutch phone monopoly, surged 13 percent to 1.80 euros as three people familiar with the matter said Telefonica SA is in advanced talks to take over its German mobile-phone business.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  KPN (KPN) surged 16 percent to 2.32 euros as America Movil offered 2.40 euros a share for the company. The price -- a 20 percent premium to KPN�� close yesterday -- would value the stake that America Movil doesn�� already own at 7.2 billion euros ($9.6 billion). The Mexican mobile-phone operator has a 29.8 percent holding in KPN. An agreement between the two companies to limit America Movil�� stake to 30 percent expired after KPN agreed last month to sell its German business E-Plus to Telefonica SA.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now: West Corp (WSTC)

West Corporation, incorporated on February 22, 1994, is a provider of technology-driven, communication services. The Company offers a broad portfolio of services, including conferencing and collaboration, unified communications, alerts and notifications, emergency communications, business process outsourcing and telephony / interconnect services. The scale and processing capacity of its technology platforms, combined with its managing voice and data transactions, enables them to provide reliable, mission-critical communications designed to maximize return on investment for its clients.

Its clients include Fortune 1000 companies, along with small and medium enterprises in a variety of industries, including telecommunications, retail, financial services, public safety, technology and healthcare. It focuses on addressable markets with attractive growth characteristics have allowed them to deliver steady and profitable growth.

Unified Communications

The Company provides its clients with an integrated global suite of meeting services. Conferencing and Collaboration Services include On-Demand Audio Conferencing, which is an automated conferencing service that allows clients to initiate an audio conference at any time, without the need to make a reservation or rely on an operator; Web Conferencing and Collaboration Tools allow clients to connect remote employees and bolster collaboration among groups. These tools provide clients with the capability to make presentations and share applications and documents over the Internet, these services are offered through product, InterCall Unified Meeting, as well as through the resale of Cisco, Microsoft and Adobe products, Web conferencing services can be customized to each client�� individual needs; Video Managed Services and Video Bridging allows clients to experience real-time face-to-face conferences. These services are offered through its products, InterCall Video Conferencing and InterCall Video Managed Services in conj! unction with third-party equipment, and can be used for a wide variety of events, including training seminars, sales presentations, product launches and financial reporting calls.

InterCall offers multimedia platforms designed to give its clients the ability to create, manage, distribute and reuse content internally and externally. Through a combination of products and strategic partnerships, its clients have the tools to support diverse internal and external multimedia requirements. Event Services solutions include Audio and Video Webcasting Services, which allows users to broadcast small or multimedia presentations over the Internet. It offers its clients the flexibility of broadcasting any combination of audio, video (desktop or high-end) or PowerPoint slides using any operating system; Virtual Event Design and Hosting offers clients consulting, project management and implementation of hosted and managed virtual event and virtual environment solutions. Clients are able to provide audiences easy and instant access to content, experts and peers. Examples of virtual events include trade shows, user groups, job fairs, virtual learning environments and town hall meetings, and Operator-Assisted Audio Conferencing Services are pre-scheduled conferences for complex or important events. Operator-assisted services are customized to a client�� needs and provide a wide range of scalable features and enhancements, including the ability to record, broadcast, schedule and administer meetings.

The Company provides its clients with enterprise class IP-based communications solutions including Hosted IP-PBX and Enterprise Call Management, which allows an enterprise to upgrade its use of communications technology with a suite of cloud-based, on-demand services including full private branch exchange (PBX) functionality, advanced enterprise and personal call management tools and edge unified communications features. These services can be fully integrated with a client�� existing IP o! r legacy ! time-division multiplexing (TDM) infrastructure where required, leveraging investments already made in telephony infrastructure and providing a seamless enterprise-wide solution; Hosted and Managed Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Network, which is a suite of IP trunking solutions designed to provide enterprise clients with carrier-grade service, along with the benefits of IP-based service that allows their business to run more efficiently. These solutions deliver a consistent set of voice services across an enterprise�� infrastructure, with flexible IP and TDM trunking options for clients��on-site PBX; Unified Communications Partner Solution Portfolio, which enables them to engineer flexible and scalable solutions suitable to an enterprise�� needs, leveraging a portfolio of Microsoft and Cisco offerings integrated with its products, applications and services; Cloud-Based Security Services aggregate a set of technologies into one simple and scalable cloud-based solution that provides clients with network protection. This service can help protect the client�� network from spam and viruses, unauthorized intrusions and inappropriate Web content, while providing simplicity and consistency of security policy management and eliminating single points of failure and bottlenecks that can occur with premise-based security solutions, and Professional Services and System Integration provides its clients with advice and solutions to integrate their unified communication systems. It offers consulting, design, integration, and implementation of voice, video, messaging, and collaboration systems and services.

The Company�� technology platforms allow clients to manage and deliver automated, proactive and personalized communications. It uses multiple delivery channels (voice, text messaging, email, social media and fax), based on the preference of the recipient. For example, it delivers patient notifications, confirm appointments and send prescription reminders on behalf of its healthca! re client! s; send and receive automated outage notifications on behalf of its utility clients and transmit emergency evacuation notices on behalf of municipalities. It offers Automated Voice Notifications are customized voice messages sent on behalf of its clients that are delivered with personalized information. Its systems provide accurate detection of voice mail versus live answer, customized caller ID and retry logic; Short Message Service (SMS)/Email Alerts and Notifications are customized electronic notifications sent on behalf of its clients directly to their customers��handheld devices, wireless phones, two-way pagers or email inboxes; Social Media Messaging enables clients to deliver targeted, personalized messaging to social media sites; Multichannel Preference Management and Campaign Management Solutions allow its clients to create and manage customer information in a real-time environment. Its Web-based user interface tool allows clients to upload customer contact information, create reusable notification templates and customize campaigns, and Website and Customer Portal Management , which is a Web design service whereby it creates custom-built, interactive websites for clients. It also provides a variety of additional features and services, including hosting, search engine optimization and maintenance.

The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon, PGi, BT Conferencing, NTT, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, IBM, ON24, Thomson Reuters, Sonic Foundry, TalkPoint, Adobe, BT Conferencing, PGi, Arkadin , INXPO, 6Connex, WebEx, Verizon, BT, ShoreTel, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, XO Communications, 8x8, M5, Varolii, SoundBite Communications, PhoneTree , Silverlink Communications, Patient Prompt, Sesame Communications and Google

Communication Services

The Company is one of the providers of emergency communications services, based on the number of 9-1-1 calls that the Company and other participants in the industry facilitate. Its services are critical in facilitating public safety! agencies! ��ability to receive emergency calls from citizens. Its clients generally enter into long-term contracts and fund their obligations through monthly charges on users��telephone bills. It offers 9-1-1 Network Services are the systems that control the routing of emergency calls to the appropriate 9-1-1 centers. Its next generation 9-1-1 call handling solution is an IP-based system designed to significantly improve the information available to responders by integrating capabilities such as the ability to text, send photos or video to 9-1-1 centers as well as providing stored data such as building blueprints or personal medical data to responders. Its carrier-grade Location Based Services process over 125,000 daily requests in support of its clients��Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) and commercial applications and 9-1-1 Telephony Systems and Services include its fully-integrated desktop communications technology solutions which public safety agencies use to enable E9-1-1 call handling. Its next generation 9-1-1 solution can be deployed in a variety of local, hosted and remote configurations, allowing public safety agencies to grow with minimal incremental investment. It operates in approximately 5,000 call-taking positions in more than 1,000 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in North America.

The Company�� services allow its clients to effectively communicate with their customers through inbound and outbound IVR applications using natural language speech recognition, automated voice prompts and network-based call routing services. In addition to these front-end customer service applications, it also provide analyses that helps its clients improve their automated communications strategy. Its open standards-based platform allows the flexibility to integrate new capabilities, such as mobility, social media and cloud-based services. Its Automated Call Processing includes Automated Customer Service Solutions range from speech/IVR applications and mobile solutions to SMS, chat and email. It helps ! its clien! ts engage their customers through the channels they prefer. Examples of self-service applications used by its clients are: access account balances, activation of credit cards, placing orders, FAQ�� and stop/start utility service and Voice and Data Network Management Services assist its clients as they manage or update their own contact center communications networks. It offers hosted or managed services for the operation, administration and management of voice and data networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network management, network automated call distribution (ACD)/multi-channel contact routing, workforce management, monitoring and predictive dialing.

The Company's telephony / interconnect Services support the merging of traditional telecom, mobile and IP technologies to service providers and enterprises. It is a provider of local and national tandem switching services to carriers throughout the United States. It leverages its customer traffic information system, sophisticated call routing and control facility to provide tandem interconnection services to the competitive marketplace, including wireless, wire-line, cable telephony and VoIP companies. Toll-Free Origination transports and switches toll free traffic originated by traditional wireline, VoIP, cable, and wireless carriers to all inter-exchange carriers (IXC) in the United States. This service provides a scalable and efficient means to pass toll free traffic to IXCs. Termination Services using its soft switch platform, national optical backbone and direct network interconnections allow for the termination of outbound toll traffic. Termination Services using its soft switch platform, national optical backbone and direct network interconnections allow for the termination of outbound toll traffic.

The Company provide its clients with agent-based services. It target opportunities that allow its agent-based services to be a part of larger strategic client engagements and with clients for whom these serv! ices can ! add value. It believes that it is known in the industry as a provider of these services. It offers a flexible model that includes on-shore, off-shore and virtual home-based agent capabilities to fit its clients needs. Agent-Based Services include Customer Care and Acquisition Services support its clients with their consumer-based communications needs. It provides customer acquisition and retention, customer care, technical support and sales services. Its customized process strategically matches its client�� goals to the appropriate solutions to maximize results; Business-to-Business and Account Management Services combines its experience, sales methodologies and technology to deliver an integrated suite of solutions that allow its clients to overcome a variety of common sales challenges across a multitude of business segments. Examples of these services include lead management, team sell, account management and sole territory coverage; Receivables Management Services support many of businesses and institutions with a fully licensed collection agency that has integrated partnerships across the telecommunications, financial services, government, healthcare and utilities industries, and Overpayment Identification and Recovery Services provides cost containment programs to organizations including: health insurance payers, third party administrators, managed care organizations, hospitals/physicians and self-insured companies. It analyzes data from multiple healthcare sources, identify incorrectly paid claims, provide targeted communications and collect funds on behalf of its clients.

The Company competes with Cassidian Communications, EmergiTech, 911-Inc, Inteliquent (formerly Neutral Tandem), Peerless Network, Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC), Convergys, TeleTech, Sykes, NCO, GC Services, Infosys Limited and Aegis Global.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Abbvie (ABBV)
  Ameren Corp. (AEE)
  Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG)
  E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD)
  ENSCO (ESV)
  Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)
  General Mills (GIS)
  H&R Block (HRB)
  Hancock Holding (HBHC)
  Kraft Foods Group (KRFT)
  Lorillard (LO)
  Magellan Midstream Partners LP (MMP)
  MarkWest Energy Partners L P (MWE)
  McDonald’s (MCD)
  Microchip Technology (MCHP)
  NextEra Energy (NEE)
  Regency Centers (REG)
  TELUS Corp. (TU)
  West Corp. (WSTC)
  Williams Companies (WMB)

• [By Garrett Cook]

  West Corp (NASDAQ: WSTC) shares tumbled 3.66 percent to $26.65 after the company announced an offering of $1 billion senior notes. Analysts at Morgan Stanley downgraded West Corp from Overweight to Equal-Weight.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Intelsat SA (I)

Intelsat S.A., incorporated on July 18, 2011, is a satellite services business, providing a layer in the global communications infrastructure. The Company operates satellite capacity, holds orbital location rights, contract backlog, serve commercial customers and deliver services. It provides diversified communications services to the world�� media companies, fixed and wireless telecommunications operators, data networking service providers for enterprise and mobile applications, multinational corporations and Internet service providers (ISPs). It is also the provider of commercial satellite capacity to the United States government and other select military organizations and their contractors.

The Company has a satellite fleet comprised of more than 50 satellites, covering 99% of the Earth�� populated regions. Its fleet, combined with the IntelsatOne terrestrial fiber network and a collection of teleports, form a singular unmatched global infrastructure to meet any communications requirement. As the provider of satellite services, the Company provides mission critical communication services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Satellite services provider�Intelsat (NYSE: I  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.799 per share on its 5.75% Series A mandatory convertible junior non-voting preferred stock, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol I.PRA.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Satellite services provider Intelsat (NYSE: I  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.71875 per share on its 5.75% Series A mandatory convertible junior non-voting preferred stock, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol I.PRA.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ruckus Wireless Inc (RKUS)

Ruckus Wireless, Inc (Ruckus), incorporated August 19, 2002, is a provider of Wi-Fi solutions. The Company�� solutions, which it calls Smart Wi-Fi, are used by service providers and enterprises to solve network challenges. The Company�� products include gateways, controllers and access points. These products incorporate its technologies, including Smart Radio, Smart QoS, Smart Mesh, SmartCell and Smart Scaling. The Company sells its products to service providers and enterprises globally, and as of December 31, 2012, had sold its products to over 21,700 end-customers worldwide. During 2012, the Company added over 10,100 new end-customers. The Company�� enterprise end-customers are typically mid-sized organizations in a variety of industries, including hospitality, education, healthcare, warehousing and logistics, corporate enterprise, retail, state and local government and public venues, such as stadiums, convention centers, airports and outdoor public areas. Effective July 23, 2013, Ruckus Wireless Inc acquired YFind Technologies Pte Ltd.

The Company sells directly and indirectly to a range of service providers, including mobile operators, cable companies, wholesale operators and fixed-line carriers. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had over 65 service provider end-customers, including Bright House Networks, The Cloud (a BSkyB Company), KDDI, Tikona Digital Networks, Time Warner Cable and Towerstream. The Company�� Smart Wi-Fi solutions are marketed under the SmartCell, ZoneDirector, ZoneFlex and FlexMaster brands and include a range of indoor and outdoor access points (APs), long range point-to-point and point-to-multipoint bridges, wireless local area network (LAN), controllers, network management software and gateway systems with integrated advanced wireless software.

The Company�� core Smart Wi-Fi technologies include Smart Radio, Smart QoS, Smart Mesh, SmartCell and Smart Scaling. Smart Radio is a set of advanced hardware and software capabilities that auto! matically adjust Wi-Fi signals to changes in environmental conditions. A primary component of Smart Radio technology is BeamFlex, a smart antenna system that makes Wi-Fi signals stronger by focusing them only where they are needed and dynamically steering them in directions that yield the highest throughput for each receiving device. Another component is ChannelFly, a performance optimization capability that automatically determines, which radio frequencies or channels deliver the network throughput based on actual observed capacity, a key benefit for high-density, noisy Wi-Fi environments.

Smart QoS is a software technology that manages traffic load to enhance the user experience. Smart QoS was developed to handle the increasing volumes of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and streaming video traffic. Smart QoS offers automatic prioritization of different traffic types through intelligent analytics that classify, prioritize and schedule traffic for transmission. Smart QoS employs advanced queuing techniques and dedicated software queues on a per device basis to ensure fairness and optimize overall system performance. Smart QoS includes its band steering, rate limiting, client load balancing and airtime fairness techniques.

Smart Mesh is software technology that uses advanced self-organizing network principles to create Wi-Fi backbone links between access points. Smart Mesh automatically establishes wireless connections between individual access points using patented smart antenna technology and self-heals in the event of a failed link.

SmartCell is a key technology behind the Company�� SmartCell Gateway platform that integrates software and specialized hardware deployed at the edge of service provider networks to facilitate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular infrastructures. SmartCell includes a set of modular software components ,as well as standard network interfaces into the mobile core that enable Wi-Fi to become a standard access mechanism for service ! providers! . Management components provide configuration, user management, analytics, accounting and other operational and maintenance functions.

Smart Scaling uses advanced database management techniques to enable the support of hundreds of thousands to millions of client devices across the Wi-Fi network. Smart Scaling employs intelligent data distribution techniques to extend client information, statistics and other vital user information across any number of nodes within the system without a single point of failure and with linear scalability. Smart Scaling is incorporated in its purpose-built hardware and software, making it capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of access points and user session workloads at the scale required by service providers.

SmartCell Gateway is a platform that integrates software and specialized hardware deployed at the edge of service provider networks to facilitate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular infrastructures. The Company�� SmartCell Gateway is designed to be vendor-agnostic and can control third-party APs. SmartCell Gateway provides standard-based interfaces into existing and future mobile networks to simplify integration.

SmartCell access point addresses the capacity and density needs of service providers deploying networks within urban environments. SmartCell APs employ modular multimode architecture to enable service providers to deploy Wi-Fi, 3G/4G small cell cellular technology and Wi-Fi mesh backhaul within a single device. This provides operators with the ability to enhance and extend their macro networks, injecting much needed capacity into high traffic user environments with the flexibility to deploy Wi-Fi with Smart Mesh backhaul and upgrade to Wi-Fi with 3G/LTE when and where desired without any mounting or backhaul changes.

The Company�� ZoneDirector Smart WLAN controllers use a intuitive Web user interface to make configuration and administration extremely simple. This software includes a variety of ! advanced ! capabilities such as adaptive meshing, integrated client performance tools, authentication support, simplified guest access and user policy, wireless intrusion prevention, automatic traffic redirection, integrated Wi-Fi client performance tools and robust network management. ZoneFlex access points incorporate BeamFlex adaptive antenna array technology to deliver robust Wi-Fi performance, reliability and capacity. These devices support multiple virtual wireless LANs, Wi-Fi encryption and advanced traffic handling. The Company�� ZoneFlex outdoor Smart Wi-Fi access points and point-to-point and multipoint bridges can be deployed as stand-alone APs or be centrally managed.

In addition to the Company�� hardware products, the Company also sells software products. FlexMaster is a Linux-based Wi-Fi management service platform used by enterprises and service providers to monitor and administrate networks. FlexMaster provides configuration, fault detection, audit, performance management and optimization of remote Ruckus access points or wireless LAN controllers. It offers a single point for management and a number of automated and customized facilities such as an intuitive dashboard. FlexMaster is designed to operate with existing operational support system and features tiered administration to provide managed wireless LAN or cloud-based wireless services.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Ericsson; Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and Aruba Networks.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Ruckus Wireless (NASDAQ: RKUS) were down 5.09 percent to $14.36. Buckingham Research downgraded Ruckus Wireless from Buy to Neutral and raised the price target from $15.00 to $16.00.

Homes are getting harder to afford

  Ben Bernanke can't refinance his home NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Affording a home is getting more difficult these days.

According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), nearly 62% of all homes sold nationwide last quarter could be afforded by a family earning the national median income. Two years ago -- when affordability peaked -- 78% of people could afford homes.

While mortgage rates are near record lows, home prices are on the rise -- and incomes aren't keeping up.

Of course, where you buy makes all the difference.

Short on cash? Steer clear of California, especially the Bay Area where tech money has sent home prices skyrocketing.

In San Francisco, the median home price is $875,000, making it the least affordable major U.S. city. Only 11.4% of homes sold in San Francisco during the third quarter were reasonably priced enough for the average family to buy, the index found.

Other major cities where home prices were out of reach included Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Calif., San Jose and New York.

Where home prices were most affordable was predominantly in cities that were hard hit during the recession.

In Youngstown, Ohio, for example, nearly 90% of all homes sold last quarter could be comfortably purchased by families earning the local median wage.

Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies For 2015

Syracuse, N.Y., Indianapolis, Ind., Harrisburg, Pa., and Dayton, Ohio, all recorded affordability rates of 84.9% or higher.

Despite the growing affordability gap, most buyers are still in a favorable position, said David Crowe, NAHB's chief economist. "Even with nationwide home prices reaching their highest level since the end of 2007, affordability still remains fairly high by historical standards," he said.

Rose Quint, a vice president for survey research with NAHB, said conditions should remain favorable through at least next year. She believes home prices growth should slow while an improving economy should help people find jobs and boost their incomes.

One headwind could be rising mortgage rates, which could climb in the next year or so, said Tom Wind,! executive vice president of home lending for EverBank.

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014

Check out Jim Cramer's latest trading recommendations on "Action Alerts Plus".

(Updates with closing information.)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Here's what Jim Cramer had to say on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" Friday.

Of Western Digital (WDC), Cramer said: "Citigroup says buy this. Why? Because of the revival of the PC." WDC rose 19 cents to $79.05.

Cramer said CSX (CSX) is interesting. "There's re-pricing going on," he said of the railroad. "It's a good buy." CSX rose 1.1% to $27.57.

Trulia (TRLA) has been "a disaster of late and that's because of a lot of competition," Cramer said. "It's overvalued." TRLA jumped 8.5% to $31.73.

Credit Suisse put out a positive note on ADT (ADT), but Cramer urged caution. "It's been a horrendous performer," he said. "Stay away." ADT was down 1.2% to $38.80.

Cramer likes Diana Shipping (DSX). "This has been a remarkable performer," he said. "I want to buy as a spec." DSX zoomed 10.1% to $12.27.

Cramer said a lot of people are deserting United Technologies (UTX) today but he thinks it has a "federal government problem that'll be resolved. Buy it, [do] not sell it." UTX fell nearly 1% to $107.35.

5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Watch Right Now: Medbox Inc (MDBX)

Medbox Inc. (Medbox) offers a machine that dispenses medication to individuals based on biometric identification (fingerprint sample). The machine allows pharmacies, hospitals, doctors' offices, and alternative medicine clinics to manage employee possession of sensitive drugs. The system also allows these clinics to demonstrate that the user visiting the machine is a registered patient and that the patient has a valid and unexpired authorization from a physician to possess and use the medicine dispensed. The Company has national and international presence with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London and Tokyo.

Medbox, through its subsidiaries, offers consulting services to the alternative medicine industry, as well as to the mini self-storage market. The Company provides consulting services primarily to individuals and groups seeking to establish new clinics and facilities, often in jurisdictions that have recently passed legislation concerning the availability of alternative medicines, as well as existing jurisdictions, nationwide.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap marijuana stocks Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA), Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS: CBIS), Medbox Inc (OTCMKTS: MDBX), Growlife Inc (OTCBB: PHOT) and HEMP, Inc (OTCMKTS: HEMP) were all surging by double digits yesterday thanks in part to legal sales of pot beginning in Colorado.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  But, as the Huffington Post points out, most of the companies that stand to benefit are very small–they make micro caps look big–trade over the counter–good bye liquidity. That includes transaction-processing company MediSwipe (MWIPD), GreenGro Technologies (GRNH) Medbox (MDBX), which makes dispenser for high-risk drugs, and GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPRF).

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: La-Z-Boy In (LZB)

La-Z-Boy Incorporated, incorporated on May 1, 1941, is a global producer of reclining chairs. The Company manufactures, markets, imports, distributes and retails upholstery products, accessories and casegoods (wood) furniture products. The Company sells its products, primarily in the United States and Canada, to furniture retailers and directly to consumers through Company-owned stores. The Company operates in three segments: Upholstery Group, Casegoods Group and Retail Group. As of April 27, 2013, the Company had network of 313 La-Z-Boy furniture galleries stores and 565 Comfort Studios, and it owned 94 of the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores. The Kincaid, England and Lea operating units also have in-store gallery programs.

Upholstery Group

The Company�� operating units in the Upholstery Group are England and Bauhaus. It manufactures and sells upholstered furniture to furniture retailers and stores. Upholstered furniture includes recliners and motion furniture, sofas, loveseats, chairs, sectionals, modulars, ottomans and sleeper sofas. It sells directly to La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores, operators of Comfort Studios locations, major dealers and other independent retailers.

The Company competes with Ashley, Bassett Furniture, Bernhardt, Ethan Allen, Flexsteel, Furniture Brands International, Klaussner, and Natuzzi.

Casegoods Group

The Casegoods Group is an importer, marketer, manufacturer and distributor of casegoods (wood) furniture, such as bedroom sets, dining room sets, entertainment centers, and accent pieces, as well as some coordinated upholstered furniture. The operating units in the Casegoods Group consist of two groups, one including American Drew, Lea and Hammary, and the second being Kincaid. The Casegoods segment primarily sells to dealers and other independent retailers.

The Company competes with Ashley, Bassett Furniture, Bernhardt, Ethan Allen, Flexsteel, Furniture Brands International, Klaussner, a! nd Natuzzi.

Retail Group

The Retail Group consists of 94 Company-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores located in 11 markets ranging from the Midwest to the East Coast of the United States and also, including Southeastern Florida and southern California. The Retail Group sells upholstered furniture, as well as casegoods and other accessories to end consumers through the retail network.

The Company competes with Arhaus, Ashley, Bassett Furniture Direct, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen, Restoration Hardware, Thomasville Home Furnishings Stores, Costco, Home Depot, IKEA, Sam�� Club, Target, Wal-Mart and Williams Sonoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB) were 8.62 percent to $22.70 after the company reported downbeat fourth-quarter revenue. The company also announced its plans to stop production at Hudson plant this year. Its same-store sales declined 0.9% in the quarter, versus an 11.2% gain in the year-ago quarter.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB) was also up, gaining 10.11 percent to $26.89 after the company reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter results and lifted its dividend.

• [By The Part-time Investor]

  The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

  Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

  Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Investors can sit back and relax as uber-comfy reclining-chair maker La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB  ) said Tuesday it�will pay a�regular quarterly dividend�of $0.04 per share on June 10 to the holders of record at the close of business on May 30.�

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: New York & Company Inc.(NWY)

New York & Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of women's fashion apparel and accessories in the United States. The company offers a range of wear-to-work, and casual apparel and accessories, including pants, jackets, knit tops, blouses, sweaters, denim, T-shirts, activewear, handbags, and jewelry. It sells its products under the New York & Company, Lerner, Lerner New York, New York Style, City Stretch, City Style, and NY&C brand names. The company sells its branded merchandise through its network of retail stores and E-commerce store at nyandcompany.com. As of March 15, 2012, it operated 532 stores in 43 states. The company, formerly known as NY & Co. Group, Inc., was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang]

  New York & Co. (NWY) �is likely to post earnings of 10 cents a share in the fourth quarter.

Top 5 Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: AB SKF (SKFRY.PK)

AB SKF, formerly SKF AB, is a global supplier of products, solutions and services within rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems. The services provided by the Company include technical support, maintenance services, condition monitoring and training. The Company operates in three divisions: Industrial Division and Service Division, servicing industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers respectively, and Automotive Division, servicing automotive OEMs and aftermarket customers. SKF operates in around 40 customer segments, including cars and light trucks, wind energy, railway, machine tool, medical, food and beverage and paper industries. In April 2009, the Company acquired the remaining 49% interest in SKF Polyseal.

In February 2008, the Company acquired QPMAerospaces�� metallic rods business. In October 2008, the Company acquired Cirval S.A Argentina. In November 2008, the Company acquired GLO s.r.l. Italy. In December 2008, the Company acquired the remaining 30% of the operations of SKF Automotive Bearings Company. In September 2008, the Company acquired PEER Bearing Company and its manufacturing units in the People�� Republic of China and Thailand.

Industrial Division

The Industrial Division serves industrial OEMs customers in some 30 global industry customer segments with a range of energy-efficient offerings. The solutions and know-how are based on the manufacturing of a wide range of bearings, such as spherical and cylindrical roller bearings, angular contact ball bearings, medium deep groove ball bearings and superprecision bearings, as well as lubrication systems, linear motion products, magnetic bearings, by-wire systems and couplings.

Service Division

The Service Division serves the global industrial aftermarket providing products and knowledge-based services for customers��plant asset efficiency. The solutions are based on SKF�� knowledge of bearings, sea! ls, lubrication systems, mechatronics and services, and customers are served by SKF and its network of over 7,000 authorized distributors. The division runs a network of Condition Monitoring Centres, which designs and produces global hardware and software. Service Division is also responsible for all SKF�� sales in certain markets.

Automotive Division

The Automotive Division serves manufacturers of cars, light trucks, heavy trucks, buses, two-wheelers and the vehicle service market, supporting them in bringing solutions to global markets. In addition, the division provides energy-saving solutions for home appliances, power tools and electric motors. Within the Automotive Division, SKF develops and manufactures bearings, seals and related products and services. Products include wheel hub bearing units, tapered roller bearings, small deep groove ball bearings, seals, and automotive specialty products for engine, steering and driveline applications. For the vehicle service market, the division provides complete repair kits, including a range of drive shafts and constant velocity joints.

Logistics Services

SKF�� business is supported by its logistics processes and systems, which involve all parts of the logistics needs in the supply chain. SKF Logistics Services provides warehousing, transportation, packaging and inventory management based on seamless information and communication technology for the SKF Group globally.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

  I wrote on bearings and velocity control products company Kaydon (KDN) in early March of this year, and I didn't see a lot of value at the time. As the year went on, that call looked worse and worse, as the stock climbed about 18% - well above the S&P 500, and well above industry peers/competitors like Timken (TKR) and SKF (SKFRY.PK). To top it all off, Kaydon announced this morning (September 5) that it had received and accepted a buyout offer from SKF valuing the company at $35.50 - some 45% higher than the price when I thought it looked only about 10% undervalued. So what did I get wrong here, and what can investors do to avoid a similar mistake?