Wells Fargo's Mortgage Banking Fights the Tide

In the following video, Motley Fool financial analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson discuss a little wager they made. While Matt had bet that Wells Fargo's (NYSE: WFC  ) mortgage revenue would fall less than 10% this quarter, David bet that it would fall more. Where did the end result come out, and what does this mean for the king among banks in the mortgage sector? 

Wells Fargo's dedication to solid, conservative banking helped it vastly outperform its peers during the financial meltdown. Today, Wells is the same great bank as ever, but with its stock trading at a premium to the rest of the industry, is there still room to buy, or is it time to cash in your gains? To help figure out whether Wells Fargo is a buy today, I invite you to download our premium research report from one of The Motley Fool's top banking analysts. Click here now for instant access to this in-depth take on Wells Fargo.

 

The Week's Winners and Losers: Photo Tweets and Virtual Reality

Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images From a new player in the fast food market cleverly attacking the leader's mascot to a social giant bringing out its inner shutterbug, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world. Twitter (TWTR) -- Winner There are limitations inherent with Twitter, and the 140-character cutoff is just scratching the surface. Twitter's had its monetization challenges because it's not as interactive with multimedia, but that's taking a step in the right direction this week with the hashtag hasher sprucing up its offerings for shutterbugs. Twitter will now allow Twitter users to tag fellow users in photographs. Twitter will also let someone include as many as four photographs in a single post. We live in visual times, and while Vine and Twitter's original photo platform are decent, it's great to see the dot-com darling take things up a notch. King Digital Entertainment (KING) -- Loser There are tens of millions of Candy Crush Saga players on any given day, but apparently most of them would rather be matching candy pieces than buying into the game's developer. Game creator King Digital Entertainment went public at $22.50 on Wednesday, and unlike many of the dot-com darlings that have pulled off blazing IPOs, the market spat the Candy Crush maker out. The stock opened lower and closed its first day of trading down 16 percent, at $19. It was easy to see this coming. Many key performance metrics had peaked at King during last year's third quarter. Oculus -- Winner Few figured that Facebook (FB) would rush into any big-ticket purchases after its $19 billion deal for Whatsapp, but then the social networking leader announced the purchase of Oculus for $2 billion. Oculus is a virtual reality headwear maker that started drawing attention as a Kickstarter campaign. Critics have pointed out that the backers of that crowdfunding campaign that raised $2.5 million on Kickstarter will get nothing out of this deal. Like many Kickstarter projects, donations are made in exchange for tiers of perks. However, at the end of the day, it's a huge win for Oculus. SeaWorld (SEAS) -- Loser SeaWorld had to deal with the "Blackfish" documentary last year, but now it may have to deal with Blackstone. The company that took SeaWorld public last year -- Blackstone -- moved to sell another 15 million shares of the marine life park operator this week. It's the third time that Blackstone has unloaded a chunk of its stake, dating back to the initial public offering 11 months ago. Blackstone's sale isn't necessarily a vote of no confidence, but it certainly wasn't comforting to see SeaWorld post a decline in attendance last year. SeaWorld hopes to draw crowds with a "Sea of Surprises" celebration commemorating the opening of first SeaWorld in San Diego 50 years ago. Yum! Brands (YUM) -- Winner Taco Bell went national with its breakfast menu on Thursday. The taco-shaped waffle may seem like a novelty, but there are about a half-dozen eggy concoctions that the Yum! Brands subsidiary is hoping will help it stand out in a niche that's dominated by McDonald's (MCD). Taco Bell knows that it's competing against the burger giant. New commercials promoting the breakfast menu featuring real people named Ronald or Ronnie McDonald enjoying the menu. It's a very sneaky attack.

Most states see more jobs, lower unemployment

Employment increased in 33 states last month and jobless rates fell in 29, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday.

California, Texas and Florida led the nation with the largest monthly increases in employment, gaining a total of 129,000 jobs among them. The same three also rank highest in job gains over the past 12 months -- California is up by 336,600; Texas, 314,200; Florida, 211,500.

Over the year, nonfarm payroll jobs are higher in 46 states and the District of Columbia and lower in four.

Unemployment rates were below February's 6.7% national average in 32 states. Rates rose in 10 states and held steady in 11 others and the District of Columbia.

Rhode Island had the highest unemployment rate at 9% and North Dakota, where an energy boom is in progress, is still the state with the lowest rate at 2.6%.

Other findings from the report:

• The largest over-the-year percentage increases in nonfarm jobs were in North Dakota, 4.1%; Nevada, 3.6% and Colorado, Florida, and Texas, all up 2.8%.

• The West continued to have the highest regional unemployment rate in February, 7.2%, while the South had the lowest rate, 6.1%.

• South Carolina's unemployment rate showed the largest percentage point decline compared with February 2013 — down 2.4 points to 5.7%. North Carolina was next, down 2.2 points to 6.4%.

Tesla Motors: Here Comes the Competition

No one expected the legacy automakers to remain on the sidelines and let Tesla Motors (TSLA) dominate electric autos. And today, there’s word on the competition as Honda Motor (HMC) and Toyota Motor (TM) both updated plans for their fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

AFP

Reuters has the details on Toyota’s and Honda’s plans:

Honda Motor Co Ltd and Toyota Motor Corp plan to launch fuel-cell vehicles in the consumer market in 2015, with each producing about 1,000 eco-friendly cars a year, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

The automakers now offer fuel-cell cars on lease, with users centering on municipalities and businesses, the daily said.

Initial prices of these zero-emission vehicles, which cover longer distances than electric cars, will set below 10 million yen ($97,700), the Nikkei said.

Deutsche Bank’s Rod Lache and team think Tesla Motors has the competitive advantages necessary to withstand the competition:

And while we acknowledge the risk of new competition, we believe that this risk is mitigated by the company's growing list of competitive advantages. Interesting, we've noted that Toyota still maintains 60% of the U.S. Hybrid Electric Vehicle market 17-years after the introduction of the Prius, and in some ways Toyota's competitive advantages appear to be dwarfed by those being put into place by Tesla in the Battery Electric Vehicle market. Moreover, we don't believe that that Tesla's market share objectives (including a 500,000 unit target by 2020) are not particularly lofty. We'd note, for example, that the BMW 3-Series sells 538k units per year, including 120k in the U.S., and it achieves 30% of the global small luxury sedan market; Tesla's Model S has already achieved 13% of the market for vehicles in the $70k-$110k price range in the U.S. market. And BMW faces significantly more developed competition in the premium sedan market than Tesla faces in the EV market.

Still, Lache gives Tesla Motors a Neutral rating and a $220 price target. The reason: Tesla’s valuation and the fact that he finds the potential risks and rewards evenly balanced. UBS started Tesla at Neutral today for similar reasons.

Shares of Tesla have dropped 2.2% to $215.67 at 12:08 p.m. today, while Toyota Motors has gained 3% to $111.70 and Honda Motor is little changed at $34.66.

Kickstarter backlash over Oculus overblown?

Oculus Kickstart investors feel betrayed

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Facebook might not have a "dislike" button, but its $2 billion deal to buy Oculus VR is getting plenty of negative feedback, especially from people who participated in a Kickstarter campaign to help the fledgling virtual reality company.

Oculus VR chief Palmer Luckey used Kickstarter to raise $2.4 million. Over 9,500 people backed the initial call for funding in August and September 2012. Many who donated felt they were helping a cool new product -- the Oculus Rift headset -- that was outside of the influence of the usual Silicon Valley giants. Then Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) came calling.

It seems the reality of business, the plans of a social media powerhouse, and the hopes and dreams of mom and pop investors who liked the idea of "starting the next big thing" are colliding in a nasty mix of bile, disappointment and a belief that the "little guy" (aka crowdfunders) got double crossed.

On the Kickstarter's "backers" page Sergey Chubukov said, "You selling out to Facebook is a disgrace. It damages not only your reputation, but the whole of crowdfunding. I cannot put into words how betrayed I feel by this."

That was but one of many outraged voices. Sander van Rossen left this comment, "Glad you guys were able to sell out with a product built on our money. I can understand that you guys need more money to be able to compete with Sony, Bat Facebook? Come on!"

Philipp Struchtrup spouted this: "Thanks for selling us out Palmer! You couldn't have chosen a worse company. Why not also team up with the NSA... Sadly I supported this company. A mistake which will not happen again."

There were a few backers, like Jeff McMorrris, who took a more sanguine approach, "I am not sure why everyone's so upset. Facebook is going to increa! se resources available to Oculus. It's just silly to think it's going to become an advertising platform. Facebook is smart. They saw the future, just like the rest of us here and bought it for $2 billion. They got a bargain."

  Punch a shark with the Oculus Rift

Reaction on social media site Reddit was largely tame. Many people there looked at the bigger picture.

"I know people are offended and outraged about this, but turning down such a huge number of cash for your creation is too hard to ignore. They basically do not have to work for the rest of their lives, several of them, and their families. For a virtual gadget, nonetheless. People don't seem to understand that the creators don't owe you anything," one commenter wrote.

Some on Reddit even noted that the Oculus founders may take Facebook's money and start something else with it, although some thought the team behind Oculus may have lost their most important edge: the "it" factor. As one commenter said, "At the very least its gone from "cool" to "not cool" in a flash."

Kickstarter backers understand they have no real stake in the company. Sometimes they receive t-shirts or other promotional items, but they do not get stock or any decision making power. Those who contributed over $300 in the Oculus VR crowdfunding campaign were supposed to receive a pair of the gaming glasses in the development phase.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the influential MIT Media Lab told CNNMoney, "They have no right to be angry. I was astonished at the naivete of people. Each side...Facebook and Oculus will get better partners. This is analogous to people who were complaining when Google bought Nest. I find it surprising."

When asked about the level of acrimony that some crowdfunders seeme! d to feel! , Negroponte attributed it to envy.

We'll see soon enough whether this anger lasts, and, more importantly, if it has any impact on future Kickstarter campaigns for emerging tech companies.

Stones and Glass Houses

You can't swing a dead iPhone 4 without hitting a trader or analyst who has a differing outlook on Corning (NYSE: GLW).

Corning manufactures and sells specialty glasses, ceramics, and related materials worldwide. The company operates through five segments: display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences.

But it's Corning's tight relationship with Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) that's causing a stir among investors this week.

Some say that Apple's recent embrace of Sapphire, which could replace Corning's Gorilla Glass as the cover glass for Apple's next generation of iPhone, is a threat to revenues. That would be a sell trigger for GLW shareholders, they say, as Corning Glass would have trouble replacing the revenue lost from the iPhone deal. (For the record, Apple has made no announcement on Sapphire replacing Gorilla Glass on its iPhones.)

But there is no shortage of Wall Street watchers who say that Corning is a winner, and can withstand any attack on its Gorilla Glass product line.

The analytical firm Argus recently hiked its share price outlook on GLW from $20 to $24, citing an accelerated share repurchase agreement with Citibank. The firm also calls for "double-digit earnings per share growth in 2014 and 2015.

So which is it? Strong share growth based on healthy revenues, or a dip if and when Apple decides to replace Gorilla Glass with Sapphire.?

Let's take a look, and see why the naysayers could be wrong about GLW:

A stronger balance sheet – Corning's call last week for an accelerated share repurchasing program should be a good sign for the firm's share price.

The rollout, which is ongoing now and will end in the second quarter of 2014, will see Corning buy back outstanding shares worth $1.25 billion.

According to company financial statements, the buy back program is par! t of Corning's $2 billion share repurchase program made effective concurrent with the closing of Corning's full acquisition of Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. (now Corning Precision Materials) on Jan. 15, 2014.

"This ASR, coupled with other repurchase activity in the first quarter, essentially offsets the dilution related to the Samsung Corning Precision acquisition and further demonstrates our commitment to creating, enhancing, and returning value to our shareholders," said James B. Flaws, chief financial officer at Corning.

The company has already repurchased 100 million shares of stock, with no set number at the end of Q2, 2014. So far, the company has spent about $1.08 billion in share repurchase funds, but still has a balance sheet worth $5.24 billion, and a strong net cash position of $307 million.

A bullish 2014 outlook – Last month, company chief executive officer Wendell Weeks told analysts and reporters via a conference call that Corning had delivered five consecutive quarters of core earnings-per-share growth, outperforming major competitors, along with its planned announcement to buy Samsung Corning Precision Materials, Co., Ltd. Weeks also said that his firm would funnel cash back to its to shareholders by doubling the dividend payment and repurchasing 13 percent of outstanding shares since October 2011.

"We did what we said we were going to do. We restored earnings growth," Weeks said on the call. "Now we need to create Corning's next growth surge. Fortunately, this is familiar territory to us and we're armed with the right tools."

Weeks cited game changing technologies and products for the company’s upward growth path. "[New tech] transformed industries and created long-term advantages for Corning" through glass ceramics, low-loss optical fiber, and LCD glass substrates, he said. "Our track record also reflects a culture that is committed to research and development—because we understand that our investme! nts in in! novation create Corning's future revenue drivers. And we continue to apply that strategy and philosophy today," Weeks added.

But it's Corning's Gorilla Glass, used as cover glass in 2,400 global products, for 33 major brands (including Apple), that can help sustain the company's growth rate. Major automakers, smartphone developers, and tablet and laptop manufactures still make Corning the go-to specialty glass product on the marketplace.

Operationally, Corning is cutting the cost of making all that by transferring its Gorilla Glue manufacturing site from Japan to South Korea, a move the company says will add $100 million to its bottom line.

The company also says it will add $2 billion in annual sales via its 43 percent stake in Samsung Corning Precision Materials, resulting in about $350 million in new net profits.

Add it all up, and I'm taking a glass half-full approach with Corning, and expect to see the stock rise by 20 percent as all of the above positive elements coalesce in 2014.

Brian O'Connell is an investment analyst at Investing Daily and chief investment strategist of 401k Millionaire. He has appeared as an expert financial commentator on CNN, NPR, Fox News, Bloomberg, CNBC, C-Span, CBS Radio, and many other media broadcast outlets.

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Top Safest Companies To Buy Right Now

Top Safest Companies To Buy Right Now: Belgacom SA (BELG)

Belgacom SA is a Belgium-based company registered under the Belgian public law that provides both fixed and mobile telecommunication services, including telephony, Internet and television services for both professional and private customers. Its activities are divided into five product lines: Packs (offering mixed all-in-one products, such as Internet together with Television and Mobile telephony); Proximus telephony, Internet, Television and Fixed telephony. It also offers its customers e-services (helping in account managing online), help and support through its Website. The Belgian State is the Company's major shareholder. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Belgacom SA (BELG) rallied 9.1 percent to 18.34 euros, its biggest gain since at least 2004, after reporting second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and some items of 430 million euros. Analysts on average had estimated Ebitda of 414.2 million euros.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-safest-companies-to-buy-right-now.html

Weatherproof Profits: Plays on Climate Change

Politics aside, Benjamin Shepherd looks at the long-term investment implications of global climate change. The editor of the Inflation Survival Letter also highlights two companies poised to benefit from this trend.

Steve Halpern: We're here with Benjamin Shepherd, editor of the newsletter Inflation Survival Report. How are you doing today, Ben?

Benjamin Shepherd: Good, and it's actually the Inflation Survival Letter.

Steve Halpern: Oh, I'm sorry. Forgive me.

Benjamin Shepherd: That's fine.

Steve Halpern: Before we turn to specific investment ideas, would you tell our listeners about Inflation Survival Letter and your overall strategy and the longer-term goals behind the publication?

Benjamin Shepherd: Sure, we actually launched this past November. It's our belief that we're seeing rising inflationary pressures in the US economy as it returns to growth and continues to return to health following the massive recession of a few years back.

We've seen the price of food double over the past ten years. We're seeing wages not keeping up with the rising costs so, really, our goal is to help people hedge their investment portfolios to keep up and exceed these rising costs.

Basically, we do that by focusing on companies and industries that have some built-in resistance to inflation, because they have the power to pass those cost increases through to consumers or end users.

We also really pay a lot of attention to valuation. It's very important that you not overpay for assets, especially income-generating assets, which we use quite a bit to add an extra cushion against inflation.

Steve Halpern: Now, you recently explored a fascinating subject in your newsletter; climate change. And you looked at the potential investment implications of what is a very long-term trend. Could you expand on that for our listeners?

Benjamin Shepherd: Sure, climate change is actually something that's really overlooked, particularly in the context of inflation.

When people think about inflation, they tend to think about the monetary policy side of things, governments printing money, but the other leading cause of inflation is, primarily, supply shocks, and climate change has the potential to be the mother of all supply shocks.

We've already seen that as far as green prices go, just over the past few years with the massive droughts that we experienced in the Midwest, droughts and fires in Russia and Ukraine, fires and massive flooding in Australia, and all of those forces have combined to drive a more than 30% average increase in the cost of grains, just over the past few years and, ultimately, that causes a whole host of price increases.

Obviously, there are the foodstuffs themselves, things like cereal. The price of meat goes up with the higher cost of grain.

Even the cost of gasoline goes up because of the ethanol mandates, so climate change really has the potential to have a huge impact on investors' portfolios and it's really a stealth impact because people generally just don't think about it.

Steve Halpern: Now, one investment idea in the sector that you like is the area of water management. Could you tell us about Lindsay Corp. (LNN)?

Benjamin Shepherd: Sure, Lindsay Corp. is a large conglomerate. It operates primarily in two main markets. The first is highway infrastructure.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Next Page The expert featured in this column, Benjamin Shepherd, may or may not own positions in any investment vehicle mentioned here. The views and opinions expressed are his or her own.

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now

JCPenney (JCP) shareholders have sprinted for the exits in the past week or so, and that number now includes hedge fund and top shareholder Perry Capital dumping JCP stock.

Perry Capital was one of a few hedge funds that took the bull defense for struggling JCPenney stock back in August, right around the time Bill Ackman of Pershing Capital stopped holding his breath for a JCP turnaround.

But as JCPenney stock was whittled down ever further last week — thanks in large part to an unexpected�secondary offering underwritten by Goldman Sachs (GS) — Perry Capital whittled its JCP bet down as well. A recent filing shows the fund ditched nearly half of its JCP stock holdings in late September.

For fans of the retailer searching for a bright spot in the recent spiral of JCP news, optimism is getting harder and harder to find. JCPenney stock opened to gains of around 3% this morning, but even today’s mini-recovery for JCP has already dwindled to 1% range.

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

TrueBlue, Inc. provides temporary blue-collar staffing services in the United States. It supplies on demand general labor to various industries under the Labor Ready brand; skilled labor to manufacturing and logistics industries under the Spartan Staffing brand; and trades people for commercial, industrial, and residential construction, and building and plant maintenance industries under the CLP Resources brand. The company also provides mechanics and technicians to the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerospace manufacturing, and assembly industries, as well as to other transportation industries under the Plane Techs brand; and temporary drivers to the transportation and distribution industries under the Centerline brand. It primarily serves small and medium-size businesses. The company was formerly known as Labor Ready, Inc. and changed its name to TrueBlue, Inc. in December 2007. TrueBlue, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  When looking at small cap stocks, it is useful to compare the company with others that have expanded in both share price and size. For those considering investing in the $100 billion staffing industry, the growth of TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) shows what could be the potential path for Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), as both operate in the $29 billion demand labor sector. Other firms have done well in the staffing industry include Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and ManPower Group (NYSE: MAN).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In 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]

  Who wins?
  It's important to remember that the only change from two months ago is that Chinese panels will have a higher price. So, companies such as LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) , who were trying to compete on price alone, will likely be left in the dust. Investors should focus on higher-quality manufacturers like Yingli Green Energy, Trina Solar, and Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) as potential winners from the negotiated solar deal.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  There's no denying that LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK) has been a notable laggard this year compared to performances from First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) and Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL). RSOL is up nearly 180% year-to-date, with a decent chunk of that gain unfurling in just the last couple of months. FSLR is up 25% for the year so far, though that more modest gain would have been much bigger had it not been for February's 24% plunge. Meanwhile, LDK shares are down 22% year-to-date, and have barely even blipped despite the fact that solar energy has become all the rage again in recent months.

• [By Rich Smith]

  On April 15 -- Tax Day -- millions of Americans got bad news from their tax software programs, about money they'd have to pay the IRS. That same day, lenders to Chinese integrated solar power company LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) got even worse news -- the company was running out of cash and would default on a scheduled debt payment, and they would need to reschedule their payments if they hoped to get anything back at all.

Hot Growth Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cameco Corporation(CCJ)

Cameco Corporation operates as a uranium producer, supplier of conversion services, and fuel manufacturer. The company?s Uranium segment is involved in the exploration for, mining, milling, purchase, and sale of uranium concentrate. Its operating uranium properties include the McArthur River and Key Lake, and Rabbit Lake located in Saskatchewan, Canada; the Crow Butte located in Nebraska and the Smith Ranch-Highland located in Wyoming; and the Inkai uranium deposit located in Kazakhstan. Cameco Corporation?s Fuel Services segment engages in the refining, conversion, and fabrication of uranium concentrate; and the purchase and sale of conversion services. Its products include uranium trioxide, uranium hexafluoride, and uranium dioxide. This segment also manufactures fuel bundles, reactor components, and monitoring equipment to Candu reactors; and provides nuclear fuel and consulting services to Candu operators. The company?s Electricity segment engages in the generation and sale of nuclear electricity, through its 31.6% interest in Bruce Power L.P. This segment operates four nuclear reactors at the Bruce B generating station in southern Ontario, Canada. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuben Brewer]

  Relatively weak demand for thermal coal in China has pushed coal prices lower in Australia. That's a problem for big miners like Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) , BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP  ) , and Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  ) . However it could add to the allure of uranium miner Cameco (NYSE: CCJ  ) .

• [By Jim Wallingford]

  Cameco (CCJ) was created in 1988 through the merger of two Canadian crown (government-owned) corporations. It's IPO debuted on the Toronto exchange in 1991 and a NYSE listing occurred in 1996. The McArthur River mine, the highest grade mine in the world (16.36% U3O8, 100 times the global average), began production in November 2000. Cameco's share of the proven and probable resources is 264 mil lbs. The mine has produced 230 mil lbs in the last 13 years. CCJ's current year share is over 13 mil lbs.

• [By Dividend]

  Cameco (CCJ) has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion. The company employs 3,470 people, generates revenue of $2.234 billion and has a net income of $254.68 million. Cameco�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $704.68 million. The EBITDA margin is 31.54 percent (the operating margin is 11.60 percent and the net profit margin 11.40 percent).

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now: C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.(CHRW)

C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., a third-party logistics company, provides multimodal freight transportation services and logistics solutions to companies in various industries worldwide. It offers freight transportation services through its contractual relationships with various transportation companies, including motor carriers, railroads, air freight carriers, and ocean carriers. The company has contractual relationships with approximately 49,000 transportation companies. Its transportation and logistics services include truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, ocean, and air freight transportation, as well as transportation management, customs brokerage, and warehousing services. In addition, it engages in buying, selling, and marketing fresh produce to grocery retailers, restaurants, produce wholesalers, and foodservice distributors under the Fresh 1 and OurWorld Organics names, as well as under Tropicana, Welch?s, Mott?s, and Glory Foods names. Further, the company provides spend management and payment processing services through a platform that facilitates funds transfer, vendor payments, fuel purchasing, and online expense management primarily for motor carriers and truck stop chains. It operates through a network of 232 branch offices in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and the Middle East. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Shares of C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW) �skidded 7.9%. The transportation and logistics company posted a 64% drop in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, missing expectations.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  CH Robinson Worldwide (NASDAQ: CHRW) was down, falling 8.99 percent to $53.37 after the company reported downbeat Q4 results.

  Commodities
  In commodity news, oil traded up 0.07 percent to $97.26, while gold traded up 0.60 percent to $1,258.70.

• [By Arie Goren]

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

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Omnicare Inc (OCR)

Omnicare, Inc. (Omnicare) is a healthcare services company. The Company operates in two primary businesses: Long-Term Care Group (LTC) and Specialty Care Group (SCG). Through LTC, Omnicare provides pharmaceuticals and related pharmacy and ancillary services to long-term care facilities, as well as chronic care facilities and other settings. SCG provides commercialization services for the biopharmaceutical industry in addition to end-of-life pharmaceutical care management for hospice care agencies. At December 31, 2011, LTC provided its pharmacy services in 47 states in the United States, the District of Columbia and in Canada. In September 2012, Five Star Quality Care, Inc. sold its pharmacy business to Omnicare.

Long-Term Care Group

Omnicare operates the institutional pharmacy business in North America. LTC's customers consist of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), assisted living facilities (ALFs), independent living communities, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other healthcare service providers. LTC consisted of approximately 83% of the Company�� total net sales during the year ended December 31, 2011 and dispensed approximately 115.1 million prescriptions. The Company provides pharmacy consulting, including monthly patient drug therapy evaluations, assist in compliance with state and federal regulations and provide clinical and health management programs (utilizing outcomes-based algorithm technology). LTC also provides a range of technology solutions based on its Omniview Web-based platform.

LTC also provides a range of other products and services, including intravenous medications and nutrition products (infusion therapy products and services), respiratory therapy services, medical supplies and equipment (including billing the Medicare Part B program for eligible patients) and clinical care planning. It also provides pharmaceutical case management services for retirees, employees and dependents. The Company purchases, repackages and dispenses presc! ription and non-prescription medication in accordance with physician orders and deliver such prescriptions to long-term care facilities for administration to individual residents (by the facilities��nursing staff for SNFs).

The Company services long-term care facilities typically within a radius of approximately 150 miles of its pharmacy locations and maintain an around-the-clock, seven-day per week, on-call pharmacist service for emergency dispensing and delivery, and for consultation with the facility's staff or attending physician. The Company utilizes a unit-of-use drug distribution system. This means that its prescriptions are packaged for dispensing in individual doses. The Company�� range of technologies allow Web-based access to electronic medical records, automated pharmacy billing, online medication refills and returns processing, census tracking, pre-admission medication assessment and access to the Omnicare Guidelines.

Specialty Care Group

SCG serves the needs of biopharmaceutical manufacturers, physicians, nurses, caregivers and patients. Its services are based on five platforms: brand support services, third party logistics, patient assistance programs, specialty pharmacy and disease management for end-of-life care. In the Company�� specialty pharmacy platform, it provides dispensing of specialized pharmaceuticals. These specialized drugs deal primarily with specific categories of drugs and disease states, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, oncology and growth hormones. In its end-of-life care platform, Omnicare provides hospice care pharmaceutical management. SCG accounted for approximately 17% of the Company�� total net sales during 2011.

Omnicare competes with PharMerica Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  Omnicare Inc.(OCR) raised its quarterly dividend by 43% and boosted its stock buyback program by $500 million in a bid to increase shareholder value.

• [By John Kell]

  Omnicare Inc.(OCR) swung to an unexpected fourth-quarter loss on write-downs related to its hospice pharmacy business and certain certain retail operations that have been classified as discontinued operations. Results missed expectations, sending shares down 5.5% to $61 premarket.

Bank Bets: New York to Palo Alto

Doug Hughes, explains the attraction of smaller, regional banking stocks; here, the editor of Bank Newsletter, also highlights two current favorites in this niche market.

Steve Halpern: Joining us today is bank sector expert, Doug Hughes. How are you doing today, Doug?

Doug Hughes: Good, how are you?

Steve Halpern: Very good. In your Bank Newsletter, you specialize in smaller regional banks. Could you briefly explain for our listeners the attraction of these smaller firms relative to the larger national financial institutions?

Doug Hughes: The main attractions are, usually, you can speak to management and get to know them on a personal basis, and/or they have a valuation that's just much simpler and easier to understand, and usually they're at a small niche market where they can write much better profits than the bigger banks if they're run correctly.

Steve Halpern: Now, are these also areas where you're looking at these banks and other analysts may not be following them closely?

Doug Hughes: Yeah, a lot of the smaller or mid-sized regionals are trading, maybe 10,000, maybe 20,000 shares a day and that's probably not enough shares or volume for the bigger mutual funds—hedge funds—to get involved in these situations.

Steve Halpern: Okay, today we're going to walk through two specific investment ideas that you find attractive in the banking sector. The first is Chemung Financial (CHMG), a New York-based operation that happens to be one of the oldest banks in the country. Could you tell us a little more about that?

Doug Hughes: Correct. It was established in 1833, if you can believe it. It's just an upstate New York bank that's probably doing quite a bit of expansion.

They've just picked up a bunch of branches from Bank of America, in summary, the same markets, decent growth college towns, and they've expanded to Albany area of New York where there's definitely some better growth and they seem to be growing their loans, finally, at a decent clip, and management owns 25% of the stock.

The hidden asset on this one is they own almost a $2 billion fund that they actually manage at their bank. It's bigger than the size of their bank in assets, so there's some definitely some value there.

It's trading just $2 over book value, pays a 3.5% cash dividend, and, if it was to sell out, which is one of the main reasons to own these community banks, its worth, at least, double the current trading range.

Steve Halpern: So, when you look at a bank like this that could possibly be a buyout, I assume you like the bank—if it remained as an independent, you would still like the operations?

Doug Hughes: Of course. Always. This bank has earning power of $5 a share, if it was run correctly. Currently it's earning under $3 a share, and/or if management is gone, the top 10 guys pay themselves over $2.5 million, right there is another 70 cents in earnings per share.

So there's many ways to value this company, but I always go by earnings. That's the number one thing, if there is no takeout, and $5 times a fee of, say $12, would give you the $60 buyout price, which would be even low.

Steve Halpern: Now, you also like the outlook for a company called AVIDBANK Holdings (AVBH), which you notice is a fast-growing bank in an area that's best known for its technology companies. Could you share your thoughts on AvidBank?

Doug Hughes: Sure, also, this one is a completely, basically, opposite of the slower growth Chemung areas. This is in Palo Alto, California, the hottest part of the country, where Facebook is headquartered. Tons of new technology companies, old technology companies, everybody is in this market.

They do all kinds of commercial lending, so all different types of offers. And the one thing that you have to be careful of here is, they're not having any bad loans, this bank has none. It's run by very smart management. Management owns 25%, also, of the stock here.

They also did a secondary back about nine months ago, the management bought 25% of that, institutions bought the rest. It was like a private placement to raise capital because they're growing so fast. This bank, in this type of market, is worth at least two times book.

Currently, it's trading about one times book, maybe a buck over that, and has earnings power here of $2.50 a share next year, once it gets running on all cylinders, which, again, gives it a buyout price, honestly, over $25, and it's currently trading at only $11.

Steve Halpern: Well, we appreciate you taking the time today. Thank you so much for joining us.

Doug Hughes: You're welcome. Have a nice day.

Subscribe to Bank Newsletter here...

Starbucks Targets $100 Billion Market Value

Howard Schultz, the ambitious founder and CEO of Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX), believes the coffee company can have a market value of $100 billion, about twice its current level. He figures that Starbucks operates with an unequaled mix of store and e-commerce sales, which will be the key to years of rapid growth. The goal is ambitious, but based on Starbucks’ track record, Schultz has good ammunition for his case, keeping in mind how many tens of thousands of places sell coffee.

At the Starbucks annual meeting Schultz said:

“We’re still in the early stages of the growth and development of Starbucks, we’re delivering record profits and revenue, sharing our success with our partners and heading towards a $100 billion market cap.”

With a 66-foot-wide backdrop of company stock symbols scrolling behind him, Schultz said there are more than 5,000 publicly listed companies on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Of those, 150 have a market cap greater than $50 billion, he said as symbols on the ticker disappeared. Only 16 companies are increasing revenue by 10 percent or greater a year. Only 13 are growing earnings per share of at least 15 percent a year — including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Visa and MasterCard.

“Only one on the NASDAQ is a brick-and-mortar retailer with the unique combination of physical and digital assets to navigate the seismic changes in consumer behavior we witnessed this past holiday. Starbucks.”

Starbucks currently has a market cap of about $57 billion, which is about the same as that of General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX). Schultz probably would argue that coffee is a more promising business than entertainment or car making. The challenge to that argument is the breadth of Starbucks’ competition and the modest annual improvement in its own revenue.

It would be short of generous to say that Starbucks has not grown well. Fiscal 2013 revenue was $14.9 billion, on top of $13.3 billion in fiscal 2012. For the trailing 12 months, the number has jumped to $15.4 billion. Starbucks has a current growth rate of about 12% a year. Its net income margin has run just over 10% recently. This hardly puts it in the tier of Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) or Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), which can argue that in good years their net income margins should be well into the double digits.

And Starbucks will be nagged forever by the fact it was flanked by McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) in the coffee business. Wall Street has not forgotten that one of America’s oldest fast-food companies trumped one of its newest ones using distribution heft, brand and a huge store chain size to stagger Starbucks within the business in which it claimed to be the leader.

Starbucks is still in the store business. It cannot help that this is a model that has moved out of vogue. In the world of fast food, there are still too many locations around the United States, and too many of those still sell coffee of one sort of another.

5 Best Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014

5 Best Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Dot Hill Systems Corporation(HILL)

Dot Hill Systems Corp. designs, manufactures, and markets a range of software and hardware storage systems for the entry and midrange storage markets worldwide. Its storage solutions consist of integrated hardware, firmware, and software products employing a modular system that allows end-users to add various protocol, performance, capacity, or data protection schemes. The company offers AssuredSAN products, a flexible line of networked data storage solutions for open systems environments, including fiber channel, Internet small computer systems interface, and serial attached small computer systems interface, or SAS storage markets. Its AssuredSAN product lines range from approximately 146 gigabyte to 192 terabyte storage systems. The company also provides RAID software for industry standard Windows and Linux servers, as well as storage management applications, which manage its storage system configurations. In addition, it sells DMS software products comprising AssuredSna p, AssuredCopy, AssuredRemote, and RAIDar. Further, the company offers standalone storage software products, such as AssuredUVS, a unified virtual storage appliance product; and AssuredVRA. It sells its products through original equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, distributors, and value added resellers. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Longmont, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Monday, small cap storage stock Violin Memory Inc (NYSE: VMEM) surged 21.56% after booting out its CEO in the wake of disappointing earnings and IPO, meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of potential or better known storage peers like large caps SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) and Western Digital Corp (NASDAQ: WDC) plus small cap Dot Hill Systems Corp (NASDAQ: HIL! L).

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap storage stock Dot Hill Systems Corp (NASDAQ: HILL) is up 193.4% since the start of the year for a much better performance than its larger cap peers Western Digital Corp (NASDAQ: WDC) and SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), which are 55.5% and 35.3%, respectively, since the start of the year. So why has this relatively unknown small cap storage stock been a better performer than its better known storage stock peers?

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-tech-stocks-to-invest-in-2014.html

What ETFs Currently Have the Most Value?

As long as it's fear, not fundamentals, that's driving selling, Jim Lowell is almost always going to be buying and he offers some ETFs to consider before you do.

TERRY:  I'm Terry Savage from MoneyShow.com talking with Jim Lowell of the Fidelity Advisor, and he writes the Forbes ETF newsletter.  Let's talk about exchange traded funds.  It's like the hottest fad for the last three or four years.  Don't buy a regular mutual fund, by an exchange traded fund.  I guess you can get in and out during the day. 

JIM:  You can trade them like a stock, that's probably their single best characteristic.  They tend to not be less expensive or more tax efficient or inefficient for that matter.  Within a well run mutual fund, especially a good low cost, no-load fund from T. Rowe Price, Vanguard, Fidelity, so there's a lot of hype.  People were basically thinking that they were not only new but somehow a much better investment vehicle.  I don't believe that's the case at all, even though I write about ETFs frequently.  I started writing about them in 1996, made our first professional investment in them in 1998, so they can play a role and should play a role in your portfolio. 

TERRY:  Right, so there's lots of ETFs out there  - 

JIM:  Yeah. 

TERRY:  - and there's sector funds and there's specific industry groups. 

JIM:  Yeah. 

TERRY:  What do you do, just throw a dart and have one of each, or how do you play that game?  

JIM:  No, I have model portfolios in the newsletter that really I hope do a good job of figuring out how to piece together for different risk tolerances and objectives, good ETFs, but I almost always opt for very narrowly defined, narrowly specified ETFs rather than the broad market averages. 

TERRY:  All right.  Here we are only in 2014.  What ETFs do you think have the most promise given the fact the market was down in January and who knows from here? 

JIM:  I'll give you two that I think would be reasonable for any investor to consider.  One would be the Dow Diamonds, the multi-national battleship balance sheet blue chip stocks.  They trade globally, they're still undervalued by any historical measure although you'd think by now they would be at least relatively fairly valuable.  They aren't, they're undervalued. 

TERRY:  Why?  I mean, the Dow isn't undervalued to the S&P. 

JIM:  A big flood of money continues to push momentum and valuations up in the small and mid cap space here in the US, so you are getting a reasonable level of valuation left over in that really truly mega cap space, and then Vanguard Europe ETF, great way to play Europe.  I prefer active management but if I'm going the EFT route, that would be the recommendation that I would make. 

TERRY:  A lot could blow up in Europe, the Euro for one. 

JIM:  Sure. 

TERRY:  What about that? 

JIM:  Well, if things don't threaten to blow up, then chances are you're not going to be able to find many bargains in the street, so as long as it's fear, not fundamentals, that's driving the selling I'm almost always going to be on the buy side. 

TERRY:  Okay, thank you very much, Jim Lowell.  You can find him at FidelityInvestor.com.  I'm Terry Savage for MoneyShow.com.

Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In 2014

Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In 2014: Emerald Oil Inc (EOX)

Emerald Oil, Inc. (Emerald) incorporated on May 31, 2011, is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company. The Company focuses on developing oil wells in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana primarily targeting the Bakken and three forks shale oil formations. Emerald controls approximately 35,000 net acres in the Williston Basin. In February 2014, Emerald Oil Inc acquired core Bakken and Three Forks producing properties and undeveloped leasehold in McKenzie and Williams Counties, North Dakota.

Emerald holds positions in the Rocky Mountain oil and natural gas plays. It has approximately 14,500 net acres in the Sand Wash Basin in northwest Colorado prospective for oil in the Niobrara formation. It has approximately 33,500 net acres in central Montana prospective for oil in the Heath formation. The Company also has approximately 72,800 net acres in the Tiger Ridge Field located in Blaine, Hill, and Chouteau Counties, Montana, prospective for natural gas, and another approximate 1,700 net acres in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin in Weld County, Colorado, prospective for oil in the Niobrara formation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Emerald Oil (NYSE: EOX) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $0.02 per share on revenue of $18.04 million.

  Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $26.83 million.

• [By Bret Jensen]

  Emerald Oil (EOX) is a small (~$330mm) capitalization Bakken producer that I think has significant upside. It has fast growing production with sales tracking to better than a 70% gain this fiscal year and analysts' consensus for FY2014 have revenue more than doubling. A beneficial owner obviously finds the shares attractive as the entity took more than a $16mm ! stake in the firm in late May.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-long-term-stocks-to-invest-in-2014.html

Best Value Stocks To Buy For 2014

Best Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  But it just doesn't seem to matter for Schlumberger (SLB). Schlumberger is a member of my Jubak's Picks portfolio.

  On January 17, the oil services and technology company reported fourth quarter earnings of $1.35 a share, beating Wall Street estimates by two cents a share. Earnings grew by 29.8% year over year.

• [By Editor , DividendChannel.com]

  ENB operates in the Oil & Gas Equipment & Services sector, among companies like Schlumberger (SLB), and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD).

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  With a variety of oil stocks reporting full-year 2013 earnings, unconventional assets are the gifts that keep on giving for the oil service trio of Halliburton (HAL), Baker Hughes (BHI) and Schlumberger (SLB).

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-value-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014: AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES INC. (AMP)

Ameriprise Financial Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company's Advice and Wealth Management segment offers financial planning and advice, as well as brokerage and banking services primarily to retail clients through its financial advisors. The Asset Management segment provides investment advice and investment products to retail and institutional clients. The Annuities segment offers variable and fixed annuity products to retail customers through affiliated and unaffiliated advisors, and financial institutions. The Protection segment provides various protection products through financial advisors to address the protection and risk management needs of retail clients, including life, disability income, and property-casualty insurance. The company was formerly known as American Express Financial Corporation and changed its name to Ameriprise Financial, Inc. in September 2005. Ame riprise Financial Inc. was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks]

  Currently, shares of T. Rowe Price carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Among other investment managers, Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) is scheduled to report December quarter end results on Jan 30, Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: LM) on Jan 31 and Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) on Feb 4.

• [By U.S. News]

  Getty Images Recently, a client came to me with a difficult dilemma. He was retired and living comfortably but didn't have much room in his budget for additional expenses. His son was a high-ranking executive with a midsize company. He was married, with three children, all of whom were in private school in New York City. The son lost his job as a consequence of restructuring. He was! having difficulty finding another position at anything close to his prior income. He had been looking without success for more than six months. He was at a point where he could no longer meet his substantial monthly expenses. He asked my client to provide the funds necessary to maintain his lifestyle and the education of his children, until he was able to "land on his feet." My client could afford to make these payments for a limited period of time but his retirement plans would be jeopardized if the time period was prolonged and if his son did not pay him back. He asked for my advice. For many Americans, the goal of helping children and grandchildren pay for their education and preserving wealth to leave to their children is an important goal. Unfortunately, the 2008 recession reduced the confidence of investors in their ability to meet those goals. According to a report prepared by Ameriprise Financial (AMP), only 24 percent of those surveyed in 2012 were "very confident" they could help with education and only 16 percent had confidence in their ability to leave an inheritance to their children. What is more troubling is the finding that only one-third of those surveyed felt very confident in their ability to provide adequately for themselves and their family. My client had never discussed his finances with his children. He is not alone. More than one-third of the parents of boomers believe they haven't adequately discussed finances with their children, according to the Ameriprise study. Their children were often reluctant to engage in these discussions with aging parents b

• [By Ian Katz]

  "The consumer is still in a holding pattern, still waiting for better employment prospects," said Russell Price, senior economist at Ameriprise Financial Inc. (AMP) in Detroit.

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  Founded in 1894, Ameriprise Financial (AMP) has a long history as a financial services business but only recently has been trading on the NYSE in its current formation a! fter a 20! 05 spinoff from American Express (AXP).

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-clean-energy-stocks-to-invest-in-2014.html

Top Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Osiris Therapeutics Inc.(OSIR)

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., a stem cell company, focuses on the development and marketing of therapeutic products to treat various medical conditions in the inflammatory, autoimmune, orthopedic, and cardiovascular areas. It operates in two business segments, Therapeutics and Biosurgery. The Therapeutics segment focuses on developing biologic stem cell drug candidates from a readily available and non-controversial source, adult bone marrow. The Biosurgery segment works to harness the ability of cells and novel constructs to promote the body's natural healing. This segment focuses on developing biologic products for use in surgical procedures. The company?s lead biologic drug candidate is Prochymal, which is in phase 2 and 3 clinical trails for various indications, including acute graft versus host disease (GvHD), Crohn's disease, acute myocardial infarction, type 1 diabetes, pulmonary disease, and gastrointestinal injury resulting from radiation exposure. Its biologic drug c andidates also include Chondrogen, a preparation of adult mesenchymal stem cells that is in phase 2 clinical trials for osteoarthritis and cartilage protection. The company has collaboration agreements with Genzyme Corporation for the development and commercialization of Prochymal and Chondrogen in various countries except in the United States and Canada. It also has a partnership with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for the development of Prochymal as a treatment for the preservation of insulin production in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus. Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Osiris Therapeutics Inc.(OSIR) said Friday a proposed ruling from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services won’t immediately affect ! reimbursements for its Grafix stem-cell product. The regenerative medicine company said Grafix will maintain its current reimbursement status — also called transitional pass-through status — potentially through late 2015.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Additionally, stem cell therapies have remained elusive as the industry's ultimate Holy Grail. Osiris (NASDAQ: OSIR  ) received Canadian approval for the world's first stem cell drug, Prochymal, for children battling acute graft-versus-host disease, or GvHD, last year. The approval meant more symbolically than to the bottom line, but it definitely put the potential of stem cells front and center for investors.

• [By Alexander Maxwell]

  One of the companies attempting to develop a better treatment for chronic diabetic foot ulcers is Osiris Therapeutics  (NASDAQ: OSIR  ) . Earlier this month, Osiris shares more than doubled as the company announced positive data for its CDFU drug Grafix. The study results were very impressive to say the least; the study was stopped early due to the overwhelming efficacy exhibited by the treatment. A main highlight is the fact that 62% of Grafix patients had their wound closed at 12 weeks, compared to only 21% of patients using conventional methods. Clearly, the efficacy in this endpoint was overwhelming. Grafix also achieved all of the secondary endpoints for the trial, and more importantly demonstrated a relatively benign safety record. 

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-biotech-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Krispy Kreme, Williams-Sonoma gain after hours

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Shares of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. climbed in the after-hours trading session late Wednesday after the company raised its financial guidance for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Inc.'s (WSM)  stock also gained after the retailer reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped market expectations and announced a hike in its dividend. Shares in Magicjack VocalTec Ltd. (CALL)  also saw active trading, rallying as the company's results for the quarter beat the market's target.

Getty Images Enlarge Image Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shares (KKD)  were up 9.4% in the after-hours trading session.

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For fiscal 2015, the doughnut retailer expects to see adjusted earnings of 73 cents and 79 cents per share. When it announced third-quarter results, it had offered a preliminary 2015 forecast for adjusted earnings per share of between 71 cents and 76 cents.

It reported adjusted earnings of 12 cents a share for its fourth quarter, on revenue of $112.8 million. Analysts expected it report earnings of 13 cents a share and revenue of $118.8 million, according to a consensus survey by FactSet.

Krispy Kreme also said same-store sales rose 1.6% for the quarter, its 21st-consecutive quarterly increase, and the board of directors raised the company share repurchase authorization to $80 million from $50 million.

Williams-Sonoma, meanwhile, said it earned $1.38 for its fourth quarter, on revenue of $1.47 billion. The specialty retailer was expected to report quarterly earnings of $1.35 a share on revenue of $1.4 billion.

Top 5 China Stocks To Watch Right Now

The company, which also lifted its quarterly cash to 33 cents a share from 31 cents, saw its stock climb 6.8% in after-hours trading.

Shares in Magicjack VocalTec surged 25% Wednesday evening. The cloud communications company posted adjusted income of 69 cents a share and revenue of $38.2 million. Analysts were looking for a profit of 40 cents a share and revenue of $35.9 million.

2 Years Later, Congress Poised to Undo Flood Law

Wayne Parry/AP WASHINGTON -- Less than two years after Congress approved a landmark bill to overhaul the federal flood insurance program, lawmakers are poised to undo many of the changes after homeowners in flood-prone areas complained about sharp increases in premiums. The House overwhelmingly passed a bill Tuesday night that would allow sellers to give their subsidized, below-market insurance rates to new buyers and lower the cap on how much flood insurance premiums can rise each year. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who co-sponsored the bill, said it would ensure that families across the country, including those still struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy, can avoid "a wave of devastating premium hikes and foreclosures." The Senate could soon follow. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., says he supports the House measure, which mirrors a bill he sponsored and the Senate approved in January. The House bill "will end the most egregious problems with the flood insurance program and bring some real relief to thousands of homeowners who desperately need our help," Menendez said in a statement Tuesday night. "I'm encouraged by this progress and hope we can bring the bill over the finish line very, very soon." A White House spokesman declined to comment on the House bill, but the White House said during debate on the Senate measure that it strongly supports a phased transition to risk-based flood insurance rates to help ensure that the federal flood insurance program has adequate resources to pay future claims. "The administration recognizes that many policyholders may be challenged financially by the new rates and remains committed to working with the Congress to develop approaches that ensure economically distressed policyholders are not unduly burdened while maintaining the financial stability" of the flood insurance program, the White House said in a Jan. 27 statement. Both the House and Senate measures are aimed at weakening a 2012 law designed to wean hundreds of thousands of homeowners off subsidized flood insurance rates. The federal flood insurance program is now some $24 billion in the red, mostly because of huge losses from Sandy and Hurricane Katrina. The 2012 law required extensive updating of the flood maps used to set premiums. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., co-sponsored the 2012 law as well as the latest fix to what she called the original law's "unintended effects" of dramatic rate increases for homeowners. "Relief is on the way," Waters said Tuesday night, adding that the new bill would make insurance premiums more affordable while making the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the flood program, more accountable. Some GOP lawmakers complained that the Republican-controlled House was going along with a measure widely supported by Democrats. A total of 180 Democrats joined 126 Republicans in supporting the bill. The measure was approved 306-91. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, called the flood insurance program poorly run and doomed to failure, noting that it charges just 70 percent of what officials say is needed to break even. The program uses a faulty model that understates flood risks, with the result that a single mother in Dallas who works at a grocery store subsidizes a millionaire's beachfront home, Hensarling said. "That is the definition of unfair," he said. Implementation of the 2012 law has stirred anxiety among homeowners along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in other flood plains. Many homeowners have complained they face unaffordable rate increases. Anger over the higher rates has fueled a bipartisan drive to delay or derail many of the 2012 changes. The Senate bill approved in January delays implementation of the insurance overhaul for four years. The House bill would permanently repeal a provision that imposes sharp rate increases on people who buy homes in flood-prone areas. The bill also preserves below-market rates for people whose homes meet federal flood map standards. Rates imposed by the 2012 law are particularly high in older coastal communities in states such as Florida, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey and have put a damper on home sales as prospective buyers recoil at the higher premium rates. The House bill was brought to the floor under special rules that limited debate and required two-thirds support from those voting. That standard proved little challenge for bill supporters, despite opposition from tea party groups and other conservatives who said the measure would continue unfair federal subsidies for people who choose to live in flood-prone areas. Some environmental groups also opposed the bill, saying that climate change has increased the risk of flooding in coastal areas, making it illogical to continue to rebuild in flood zones. The House measure would also give relief to people who have bought homes after the 2012 overhaul and therefore face sharp, immediate jumps in their premiums. Those homeowners would see rate increases capped at an average of 15 percent, with a maximum of 18 percent per year. People whose second home is in a flood zone and those whose properties have repeatedly flooded would continue to see their premiums go up by 25 percent a year until reaching a level consistent with their real risk of flooding. FEMA would retain the ability to increase premiums each year, but the increases wouldn't be as steep as mandated under the 2012 law. A surcharge on each of 5.6 million policyholders would offset the cost of continued subsidies for about 1.1 million homeowners. The changes proposed by the House dismayed supporters of the 2012 law, who said it began to remove incentives for people to live in costly, flood-prone areas. "Nobody wants to see their rates go up. But taxpayers across the country don't want to support a program that is $24 billion in debt and climbing," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington-based watchdog group, of the federal flood insurance program. A far better solution than either the House or Senate bill would be to slow down the rate increase, even dramatically, "but still allow rates to continue to move toward their risk-based" level, Ellis said.

Top 9 Biggest Tax Scams of 2013

Schemes to defraud the taxman likely sprang to life the second the first penny was collected. But who could have imagined that billions would be paid out every year to those brazen enough to ask the government for refunds they didn’t deserve?

Last year, the IRS mailed out fraudulent refunds worth $3.6 billion. That was at least an improvement over the $5.2 billion doled out in 2012.

Still, it’s hard to fathom how a system could miss the half-million dollars to an address in Bulgaria that was used on 700 income tax returns.

For its part, the IRS said it spotted more than 12 million suspicious returns seeking a total of $40 million. So maybe the batting average isn’t so bad.

Looking at a list of the top tax fraud cases for 2013, it’s not surprising to see that identity theft is a part of many of them. That crime topped the IRS’ 2013 list of top tax scams.

Of course, identity theft isn’t the only way fraudsters try to outfox the government. Last year, even a former big-city mayor was nailed for simply failing to pay all of his taxes.

Check out our Top 9 Tax Scams of 2013 Countdown:

9. Kwame Kilpatrick: $195,500 owed in back taxes

The amount owed by former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is a drop in the bucket when compared to the Motor City’s budget deficit, but it’s another reminder of how far the city’s fortunes have fallen. Kilpatrick, who was ordered to repay $4.5 million after his conviction on corruption charges centered on acts while he was in office, owed the city another $854,000 because of a conviction on state charges. Oh, and there’s the 28-year prison term he faces. Ironically, because he was mayor when the offenses occurred, taxpayers paid more than $800,000 to Kilpatrick’s lawyers to defend him.

 

8. Miles Julison: $400,000 sought from IRS

The self-described “bond servant of Jesus Christ” tried the patience of a judge for his claim that the U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore., had no jurisdiction over him. A jury disagreed, finding he had falsely claimed he was owed a tax refund of more than $400,000. The claim after he had filed a tax return stating he had made more than half million in “other income” and that the entire amount had been withheld. Somehow, despite the fact that the claim was false, the IRS mailed him a check. Julison even held a seminar at a local motel explaining to others how they could file false tax forms. None of his schemes involved bonds. No explanation has been forthcoming about his stated connection to Jesus.

 

7. California Tax Prep Company Employees: $1.35 million falsely claimed

Most of the big cases involving stolen identities used to file fake tax returns involved individuals, but what makes eight workers at two California tax preparation offices stand out is that they were professionals. The employees, who worked for either Total Tax Preparations Inc. or Nancy L. Olson & Associates, ran their scam from 2008 to 2012, according to the government.

Charged with 25 counts of income tax fraud, identity theft, conspiracy and other violations were Barbara J. Connor, 56; Denise Gray, 53; Nancy L. Hilton, 68; Curtis D. Lowe, 27; Kawasaki D. Morris, 34; Staff Voundy, 51; Vincent Voundy, 46; and Michael J. White, 51. The indictment claims they sought about $3 million in illicit refunds and actually received about a third.

6. Rashia Wilson: $3 million falsely claimed

The self-styled “queen of IRS tax fraud” earned 21 years in prison for filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen identities. While collecting food stamps, Wilson bought an Audi worth $90,000 and spent more on jewelry, trips and parties. Prosecutors said Wilson shelled out $30,000 for a birthday party for her daughter that included carnival rides. All told, she was found guilty of stealing at least $3 million from taxpayers. The judge who sentenced her was so put off by her behavior he refused to allow her to hug her kids before she was hauled away to prison.

5. Cheryl Womack: $7 million in taxes evaded

Cheryl Womack was a big wheel in Kansas City, and she had the money to go with her clout. In 2002, she unloaded her interest in the National Association of Independent Truckers, which sold liability insurance to drivers, for a cool $35 million. That should have allowed Womack to live the good life. She started out in style, buying wine worth $1.5 million. Then things got a bit sticky, according to the IRS, which filed charges in November. The agency said that when Womack put up half her collection for auction in 2008, the $1.6 million she netted never showed up on her tax returns. Instead, the IRS says, it was diverted to a company in the Cayman Islands — along with millions more she had stocked away in at least 19 accounts there, prosecutors alleged.

 

4. 45 Busted in South Florida: $11.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds

The biggest instance of identity theft used to file for fraudulent tax refunds hit the news in October. The defendants face charges that they sought a total $38.6 million; the IRS paid out nearly a third of that total. The defendants swept up were part of an investigation that involved 30 separate cases, which shows just how widespread the problem has become.

3. David Pinski & Michael Senatore: $12 million in fraudulent tax refunds

The two men used identity theft to file more than 8,000 phony tax returns. Pinski, of Fort Lee, N.J., and Senatore, of Moscow, Pa., were tripped by a simple mistake: the thousands of tax forms they filed came from just a few IP addresses. Although they asked for $65 million in tax refunds, they only received $12 million before the scheme was stopped. In November, the pair admitted their crimes and face up to 15 years in prison.

2. Beda Singenberger: $184 million tax evasion scam

If there’s one lesson criminals should have learned by now, it’s to never commit their misdeeds to paper. Singenberger, a Swiss financial advisor, should have a corollary to that rule named after him: never put a list of the clients you helped cheat on their U.S. taxes in a mailbox. Singenberger did just that, and the list somehow found its way to U.S. authorities in 2009. The list included the names of more than 60 clients whose money had been placed in secret offshore accounts. Singenberger’s clients were slowly being arrested through last year, while Singenberger remains free in Switzerland. He has been indicted in the United States for consipracy to cheat the IRS.

1. Paul Daugerdas: $7 billion tax-loss forgeries

Creativity is the hallmark of tax shelters, and sometimes, things are taken a little far — make that way too far. Daugerdas was in charge of the Chicago office of Jenkins & Gilchrist, a Texas law firm. For his part in a scheme to forge $7 billion in tax losses in clients’ accounts, Daugerdas faces 58 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to defraud the IRS, evade taxes and commit mail and wire fraud. Prosecutors have won other convictions in the case and one partner in the firm was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $200 million.

-- Check out these related stories:

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, specialty coffee retailer Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Starbucks and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Starbucks facts

�

�

Headquarters (founded)

Seattle, Wash. (1985)

Market Cap

$47.2 billion

Industry

Restaurants

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc (BAGL)

Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (ENRGI), incorporated on October 21, 1992, is an owner/operator, franchisor and licensor of bagel specialty restaurants in the United States. ENRGI operates under the Einstein Bros. Bagels (Einstein Bros.), Noah�� New York Bagels (Noah��) and Manhattan Bagel Company (Manhattan Bagel) brands. ENRGI operates in three business segments: the Company-owned restaurants segment, the manufacturing and commissary segment, and the franchise and license segment. The Company-owned restaurants segment includes the restaurants that it owns. The manufacturing and commissary segment produces and distributes bagel dough and other products to its Company-owned restaurants, licensees and franchisees and other third parties. The franchise and license segment earns royalties and other fees from the use of trademarks and operating systems developed for the Einstein Bros., Noah�� and Manhattan Bagel brands.

During the fiscal year ended January 1, 2013 (fiscal 2012), ENRGI acquired eight restaurants and opened an additional 15 Company-owned restaurants. It closed one Company-owned restaurant during fiscal 2012. On January 31, 2012, the Company sold a Company-owned restaurant. As of January 1, 2013, it had 816 restaurants in 39 states and in the District of Columbia. In January 2013, the Company opened an Einstein Bros. franchise in Montana. Its product offerings include fresh-baked bagels and other bakery items baked onsite, ma de-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches on a range of bagels, breads or wraps, gourmet soups and salads, assorted pastries, premium coffees and an assortment of snacks. Its manufacturing and independent distribution network delivers ingredients that are delivered fresh to its restaurants.

Company-owned restaurants

Einstein Bros. offers a menu that provides food for breakfast and lunch, including fresh-baked bagels and hot breakfast sandwiches, freshly prepared lunch sandwiches, cream cheese and other spreads, specia! lty coffees and teas, soups, salads and other menu offerings. Noah�� is a neighborhood-based bakery/deli restaurant that serves fresh-baked bagels, hot breakfast sandwiches, made-to-order deli-style sandwiches, cream cheese and other spreads, specialty coffees and teas, soups, salads and other menu offerings. Manhattan Bagel provides a traditional New York style boil and baked bagel. Manhattan Bagel also serves a range of grilled sandwiches, freshly made deli sandwiches, freshly prepared breakfast sandwiches, soups, and a range of other fresh-baked sweets. Similar to Einstein Bros. and Noah��, Manhattan Bagel also features a line of fresh brewed coffees and specialty coffee/espresso beverages. During fiscal 2012, ENRGI generated approximately 90% of its total revenue from restaurant sales at its Company-owned restaurants.

Manufacturing and Commissaries

ENRGI operates a bagel dough manufacturing facility in Whittier, California and has contracts with two suppliers to produce bagel dough and sweets to the specifications. These facilities provide frozen dough, partially-baked frozen bagels and fully baked sweets for its Company-owned restaurants, franchisees and licensees. These operations provide the restaurants with food products, such as sliced meats, cheeses, and/or certain salad ingredients. It has recipes and production processes for the bagel dough, cream cheese and coffee. Frozen, or partially baked and frozen, bagel dough is shipped to all of its Company-owned, franchised and licensed restaurants where the dough is then baked onsite. Its purchases other ingredients used in the restaurants, such as meat, lettuce, tomatoes and condiments, from a select group of third party suppliers.

Franchise and Licensing

ENRGI offers Einstein Bros. franchises to qualified area developers. As of January 1, 2013, the Company was registered to offer Einstein Bros. franchises in 49 states and the District of Columbia. It also has a franchise base in the Manhatt! an Bagel ! brand. Its licensees are located primarily in colleges and universities, hospitals, airports and military bases. As of February 25, 2013, it had 28 development agreements in place for 136 total restaurants, 34 of which have already opened. During fiscal 2012, it opened 13 franchised locations and 27 licensed locations. During fiscal 2012, approximately 3% of its total revenue was generated by the Company�� franchise and license operations.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Wall Street hedge-fund investor David Einhorn was active in the last quarter of 2013, taking new stakes in technology and energy companies, while trimming existing holdings in insurer Aetna (AET) , NCR Corp (NCR) and WPX Energy (WPX) , according to an SEC filing Friday. Einhorn's Greenlight Capital picked up stakes in Anadarko Petroleum (APC) , BP (BP) , McDermott Intl. (MDR) , Micron Technolgy (MU) and Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) , according to the latest 13F filing. He trimmed stakes in Aetna, Einstein Noah (BAGL) and WPX Energy, according to the filing.

• [By John Udovich]

  At the end of last week, small cap sandwich stock Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ: PBPB) had a delicious surge of 120% for its IPO���meaning its probably a good idea to see whether its still worth getting in on the action plus take a look at the performance of peers�Cosi Inc (NASDAQ: COSI), Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) and Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: BAGL) as Subway remains private. I should mention that competing with Subway in the sandwich business is a tall order as they have 40,229 restaurants in 102 countries and territories as of early September���making them the�largest single-brand restaurant chain and the largest restaurant operator globally. However, Potbelly Corp and its peers Cosi Inc, Panera Bread Co and Einstein Noah Restaurant Group aren�� slugging it out directly with Subway.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Brinker International Inc (EAT)

Brinker International, Inc. (Brinker), incorporated on September 30, 1983, owns, develops, operates and franchises the Chili�� Grill & Bar (Chili��) and Maggiano�� Little Italy (Maggiano��) restaurant brands. As of June 27, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company's system of Company-owned and franchised restaurants included 1,591 restaurants located in 50 states, and Washington, D.C. It also has restaurants in the Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Chili�� Grill & Bar

Chili�� operates in the Bar and Grill category of casual dining. The Company has operations worldwide, with locations in 32 foreign countries and two United States territories. Chili�� menu features items, such as Baby Back Ribs smoked in-house, Big Mouth Burgers, Sizzling Fajitas, hand-battered Chicken Crispers and house-made Chips and Salsa. The all-day menu offers a range of appetizers, entrees and desserts. A special lunch section is available on weekdays. In addition to its flavorful food, Chili�� offers a line of alcoholic beverages available from the bar, including Margaritas and draft beer. During fiscal 2013, food and non-alcoholic beverage sales constituted approximately 86.1% of Chili�� total restaurant revenues, with alcoholic beverage sales accounted for the remaining 13.9%.

Maggiano�� Little Italy

Maggiano�� is a full-service, casual dining Italian restaurant brand. Its Maggiano�� restaurants feature individual and family-style menus, and its restaurants also have banquet facilities designed to host party business or social events. It has lunch and dinner menu offering chef-prepared, classic Italian-American fare in the form of appetizers, entrees with portions of pasta, ch! icken, seafood, veal and prime steaks, and desserts. The Company�� Maggiano�� restaurants also offer a range of alcoholic beverages, including wines. In addition, Maggiano�� offers a full carryout menu, as well as local delivery services. During fiscal 2013, food and non-alcoholic beverage sales constituted approximately 83.0% of Maggiano�� total restaurant revenues, with alcoholic beverage sales accounted for the remaining 17.0%.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Grin and bear it
  Darden did its best to put a bright face on the numbers. CEO Clarence Otis took pains to point out that at least Darden's same-restaurant sales are growing, and "well above industry average" this quarter. He's right about that. If Darden's sales look weak this week, then the numbers coming out of rivals Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ: BLMN  ) and Brinker (NYSE: EAT  ) -- growth of just 3.5% and 0.1%, respectively -- are downright depressing.

• [By Damian Illia]

  The restaurant industry has not been easy these days, as many setbacks seem to have interfered with companies��performance. Holiday seasons, bad weather and other challenges lead to under top-line results for many. Firms such as Chili�� of Brinker International (EAT) or McDonald's (MCD) have complained about the hostile weather conditions striking their business.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Brinker International Inc. (EAT) owns, develops, operates, and franchises various restaurant brands primarily in the United States. August 22nd the company increased its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.24 per share. The dividend is payable Sept. 26, 2013 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 6, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.3%.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) shot up 6.40 percent to $49.68 as the company reported upbeat FQ2 earnings.

  Shares of Textron (NYSE: TXT) got a boost, shooting up 7.51 percent to $38.81 after the company reported a 13% rise in its fourth-quarter income.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2015: Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (CCSC)

Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd. (CSC Cayman), incorporated on August 14, 2007, is a quick service restaurant chain in China. The Company offers delicious, everyday Chinese food. The Company conducts all of its restaurant operations through CSC China and its subsidiaries. As of June 30, 2012, it had 256 restaurants, including 124 restaurants in Chongqing municipality and 85 restaurants in Sichuan province.

Chongqing municipality and Sichuan province cover a region of 110 million people in Southwest China. CSC Cayman directly operates all of its restaurants. Its standard menu features its main dishes prepared in the Sichuan style, as well as a selection of other dishes, appetizers, desserts and beverages. The Company periodically offers new dishes and seasonal menu selections.

The Company competes with McDonald��, KFC and Yoshinoya.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd (NYSE:CCSC), a fast-growing quick service restaurant chain in China, plans to release its unaudited second quarter 2012 financial results on Tuesday, August 14, 2012, after the market closes.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc (FRGI)

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (Fiesta Restaurant Group), incorporated on April 27, 2011, owns, operates and franchises two fast-casual restaurant brands, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants offer a range of tropical and Caribbean inspired food, while the Company's Taco Cabana restaurants offers a range of fresh, authentic Mexican food. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company owned and operated a total of 251 restaurants across four states, which included 91 Pollo Tropical and 160 Taco Cabana restaurants. The Company franchises its Pollo Tropical restaurants internationally. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company had 35 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama and on several college campuses in Florida. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company had eight Taco Cabana franchised restaurants located in Georgia, New Mexico and Texas.

Pollo Tropical

The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants offer tropical and Caribbean inspired menu items, featuring grilled chicken marinated in the Company's blend of tropical fruit juices and spices. The Company's diverse menu also includes a line of TropiChops (a casserole bowl of grilled chicken, roast pork or grilled vegetables served over white, brown or yellow rice and red or black beans and topped with a range of condiments and sauces), a range of chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, roast pork, grilled ribs and wings offered with a range of salsas, sauces and Caribbean style made from scratch side dishes, including black beans and rice, Yucatan fries and sweet plantains, as well as menu items, such as french fries, corn and salads. The Company also offers Hispanic desserts, such as flan and tres leches, and at certain locations, the Company offers a range of sangria, wine and beer.

The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants feature signature dining areas. In additiona, the Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants ! provide its guests the option of take-out, as well as the convenience of drive-thru windows. The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants are open for lunch, dinner and late night orders seven days per week. As of December 30, 2012, its company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants were freestanding buildings. The Company's typical free-standing Pollo Tropical restaurant ranges from 2,800 to 3,500 square feet and provide interior seating for approximately 70 guests. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company owned and operated a total of 91 Pollo Tropical restaurants, of which 89 were located in Florida and two were located in Georgia. The Company is franchising its Pollo Tropical restaurants internationally. As of December 30, 2012, the Company had 35 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama and on college campuses in Florida. The Company also has agreements for the future development of franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants in Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Guatemala and India.

Taco Cabana

The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants serve Mexican food, including flame-grilled beef and chicken fajitas served on sizzling iron skillets, quesadillas, hand-rolled flautas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, fresh-made flour tortillas, a selection of made from scratch salsas and sauces, customizable salads served in a Cabana bowl, traditional Mexican and American breakfasts and other Mexican dishes. The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants also offer a range of beverage choices, including soft drinks, frozen margaritas and beer.

The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants feature interior dining areas, as well as semi-enclosed and outdoor patio areas. In addition, the Company's Taco Cabana restaurants provide its guests the option of take-out. The Company's freestanding Taco Cabana restaurants average approximately 3,500 square feet (exclusive of the exterior dining area) and provide seating for approximatel! y 80 gues! ts, with additional outside patio seating for approximately 50 guests. As of December 30, 2012, its company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants were freestanding buildings. As of December 30, 2012, the Company owned and operated 160 Taco Cabana restaurants, of which 156 are located in Texas and four in Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) owns, operates and franchises fast-casual restaurants under the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana brand names. This stock closed up 10.5% to $34.73 in Friday's trading session.

  Friday's Volume: 552,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 220,525
  
  Volume % Change: 140%

  From a technical perspective, FRGI ripped sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $30.89 and back above its 50-day moving average of $34.23 with strong upside volume. This move pushed shares of FRGI into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $33.14. Shares of FRGI are now starting to move within range of triggering another key breakout trade. That trade will hit if FRGI manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $35.73 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FRGI as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $34.23 or above $33 and then once it sustains a move or close above $35.75 with volume that hits near or above 220,525 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then FRGI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its all-time high at $38.84. Any high-volume move above that level will then give FRGI a chance to trend north of $40.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) was the Fund's best performing position in the fourth quarter and for all of 2013. Over the past year the stock g ained over 240 percent and added 212 basis points of return. The fast-food chain has con tinued to restructure after spinning off Burger King restaurants and is now successfully ach ieving organic growth. We continue to believe the stock is undervalued and expect further growth ahead.

• [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 Fiesta Restaurant Group (Nasdaq: FRGI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: BAB Inc (BABB)

BAB, Inc., incorporated on July 12, 2000, franchises and licenses bagel and muffin retail units under the Big Apple Bagel (BAB) and My Favorite Muffin (MFM) trade names. At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and 6 licensed units in operation in 24 states. The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: BAB Systems, Inc. (Systems) and BAB Operations, Inc. (Operations). At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and six licensed units in operation in 24 states.

The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The BAB franchised brand consists of units operating as Big Apple Bagels, featuring daily baked bagels, flavored cream cheeses, premium coffees, gourmet bagel sandwiches and other related products. Licensed BAB units serve the Company's par-baked frozen bagel and related products baked daily. BAB units are primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Western United States. The MFM brand consists of units operating as My Favorite Muffin, featuring a variety of freshly baked muffins, coffees and related products, and units operating as My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe, featuring these products as well as a variety of specialty bagel sandwiches and related products.

The Company�� BAB offering franchises in all 50 states, its initial development focus is targeted for the Midwest, specifically Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. A! s part of its introductory development plan, BAB will be donating 10% of the initial franchise fee from its 50 SweetDuet units to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, of which BAB is a corporate sponsor. SweetDuet, as its name implies, is a fusion concept, pairing self-serve frozen yogurt with BAB's exclusive line of My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins, broadening the shop's offering and therefore differentiating itself from the numerous frozen yogurt outlets already populating the market. SweetDuet shops include BAB's Brewster's Coffee and a streamlined breakfast menu. The concept is designed to work in 1600 square feet of space.

BAB franchised stores daily bake a variety of fresh bagels and offer up to 11 varieties of cream cheese spreads. Stores also offer a variety of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, salads, soups, various dessert items, fruit smoothies, gourmet coffees and other beverages. A typical BAB store is in an area with a mix of both residential and commercial properties and ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. The Company's current store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons, and includes approximately 750 square feet devoted to production and baking. A satellite store is typically smaller than a production store, averaging 800 to 1,200 square feet. Although franchise stores may vary in size from other franchise stores, store layout is generally consistent.

MFM franchised stores daily bake 20 to 25 varieties of muffins from over 250 recipes, plus a variety of bagels. They also serve gourmet coffees, beverages and, at My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe locations, a variety of bagel sandwiches and related products. The typical MFM store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons.The Company advertises its franchising opportunities in directories, newspapers and the Internet.

The Company competes with Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Panera Bread Company and Brue! gger's Ba! gel Bakery.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, BABB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.800 thus far (ref. google finance July 11, 2013).

  For the quarter ended May 31, 2013, BAB had revenues of $658,000 and net income of $125,000, or $0.02 per share, versus revenues of $826,000 and net income of $267,000, or $0.04 per share, for the same quarter last year. For the quarter ended May 31, 2012, the Company received a $171,000 payment for the buyout of the Franchise Agreement from its Minot, ND franchisee so the franchisee could pursue its other business interests associated with the local energy boom. In that acceptance by the Company of the voluntary buyout is unique, no such transaction occurred nor was such income earned in the quarter ended May 31, 2013.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW)

Burger King Worldwide, Inc., incorporated on April 2, 2012, is a fast food hamburger restaurant, under the Burger King brand. The Company generates revenues from three sources: franchise revenues, consisting primarily of royalties based on a percentage of sales reported by franchise restaurants and fees paid by franchisees; property income from properties that it leases or subleases to franchisees, and retail sales at Company restaurants. In September 2012, it sold 41 Company-owned BURGER KING restaurants in Singapore to Rancak Selera Sdn Bhd. As of December 31, 2012, it owned or franchised a total of 12,997 restaurants in 86 countries and United States territories. In April 2013, it announced the sale of Burger King Restaurants of Canada (BKRC), including 94 Company owned BURGER KING restaurants in the Canada market to Redberry Investments Corp.

The Company operates in the FFHR category of the quick service restaurant (QSR), segment of the restaurant industry. In the United States, the QSR segment is the segment of the restaurant industry and has demonstrated steady growth over a long period of time. The Company launched four new menu platforms (salads, wraps, smoothies and desserts) and expanded its chicken, coffee and ancillary menu platforms. It has established a data driven marketing process, which is focused on driving restaurant sales and traffic, while targeting a broader consumer base with more inclusive messaging to reach women, parties with children and seniors.

United States and Canada (U.S. and Canada)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 7,293 franchise restaurants and 183 Company restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company refranchised 752 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, bringing the region to 98% franchised. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it also continued to implement its Four Pillars strategy to improve comparable sales growth and franchise profitability by enhancing its Menu, Marke! ting Communications, Image, and Operations.

Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 2,989 franchise restaurants and 132 Company restaurants in EMEA. While in Germany continues with 684 restaurants as of December 31, 2012, Turkey and Russia are two of its growing markets with net openings of 78 restaurants and 47 restaurants, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2012.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,290 franchise and 100 Company restaurants in LAC. In 2011, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Vinci Partners for Brazil and granted franchise and development rights to the joint venture. The Company received a minority stake and board seats in the joint venture without deploying its own capital.

Asia Pacific (APAC)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,007 franchise and 3 Company restaurants in APAC. As of December 31, 2012,the Company had 357 restaurants in Australia. It contributed 44 Company restaurants in China. In September 2012, the Company sold 38restaurants to Rancak Selera, the Burger King franchisee in Malaysia.

The Company competes with McDonald�� Corporation, Wendy�� Company, Carl�� Jr., Jack in the Box and Sonic.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Goodboy]

  I was pleasantly surprised that a Dunkin' Donuts I recently visited in South Carolina offered free Wi-Fi, a lounge area full of leather chairs, a variety of coffee flavors, sandwiches and, of course, donuts that are vastly superior to Starbucks' offerings. During my travels recently, I have noticed Dunkin' Donuts sprouting up in the same general areas as established Starbucks locations. This strategy resembles Burger King's (NYSE: BKW) pursuit of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) locations.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The restaurant sector is extremely competitive to begin with, so any negative publicity can crush a company, regardless of its size or dominance, over the short term. This week has been something of a nightmare for fast-food restaurant chains McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) and Burger King Worldwide (NYSE: BKW  ) .

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  We can start with Burger King Worldwide (NYSE: BKW  ) .�The Whopper flipper is returning more of its money to investors as it shakes up its management ranks. The fast-food chain's new quarterly dividend of $0.06 a share is a 20% improvement. Burger King's board is also authorizing a $200 million buyback.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: DineEquity Inc (DIN)

DineEquity, Inc., incorporated on May 07, 1976, owns franchise and operate two restaurant concepts: Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, (Applebee's), in the bar and grill segment of the casual dining category of the restaurant industry, and International House of Pancakes (IHOP), in the family dining category of the restaurant industry. As of December 31, 2012, the franchise operations segment consisted of 2,011 restaurants operated by Applebee's franchisees in the United States, one United States territory and 15 foreign countries and 1,569 restaurants operated by IHOP franchisees and area licensees in the United States, two United States territories and five foreign countries. As of December 31, 2012, the Company restaurant operations segment consisted of 23 Applebee's Company-operated restaurants, 10 IHOP Company-operated restaurants and two IHOP restaurants reacquired from franchisees and operated by IHOP on a temporary basis until refranchised. Financing operations revenue primarily consists of interest income from the financing of franchise fees and equipment leases, as well as sales of equipment associated with refranchised IHOP restaurants and a portion of franchise fees for restaurants taken back from franchisees not allocated to IHOP intellectual property. In October 2012, it completed the refranchising program and completed the transitioning to a 99% franchised restaurant system.

Applebee's

The Company develops, franchises and operates restaurants in the bar and grill segment of the casual dining category of the restaurant industry under the name Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar. As of December 31, 2012, 68 franchise groups operated 2,011 of these restaurants and 23 restaurants were Company-operated. The restaurants were located in 49 states, one United States territory and 15 countries outside of the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2012, 20 domestic franchise restaurants opened, six domestic franchise restaurants closed. 154 Company-operated! restaurants were franchised. The number of restaurants held by an individual franchisee ranges from one to 438 restaurants. As of December 31, 2012, it is focusing on international franchising primarily in Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Mediterranean/Middle East. As of December 31, 2012, there were 149 international Applebee's franchise restaurants. During 2012, 14 international franchise restaurants opened and 13 international franchise restaurants closed.

IHOP

The Company develops franchises and operates restaurants in the family dining category of the restaurant industry under the names IHOP and International House of Pancakes. As of December 31, 2012 there were a total of 1,581 IHOP restaurants of which 1,404 were subject to franchise agreements, 165 were subject to area license agreements, 10 were Company-operated restaurants and two restaurants were reacquired from franchisees and operated by IHOP on a temporary basis. The Company owns and operates 10 IHOP restaurants in the Cincinnati market area primarily to test new remodel programs, operating procedures, products, technology, cooking platforms and service models. IHOP restaurants are located in all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands and internationally in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. As of December 31, 2012, the area licensee for the state of Florida and certain counties in Georgia operated or sub-franchised a total of 152 IHOP restaurants, and the area licensees for the province of British Columbia, Canada operated or sub-franchised a total of 13 IHOP restaurants. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had signed commitments and options from franchisees to build 245 IHOP restaurants over the next 17 years, comprised of 5 restaurants under single-restaurant or non-traditional development agreements, 120 restaurants under multi-restaurant development agreements and 63 restaurants! under in! ternational development agreements. As of December 31, 2012, there were 1,525 domestic IHOP franchise and area license restaurants. During 2012, its franchisees and area licensees opened 40 domestic franchise restaurants and 17 domestic franchise and area license restaurants were closed. As of December 31, 2012, there were 44 international IHOP franchise and area license restaurants. During 2012, its franchisees opened eight international franchise restaurants and no restaurants were closed.

The Company competes with Chili's, T.G.I. Friday's, Ruby Tuesday's, Denny's, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Bob Evans Restaurants.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  DineEquity Inc. (NYSE: DIN) seems to be a likely winner if travelers will�be spending more. With some 3,600 Applebee’s�and IHOP restaurant chain locations offering meals for the “budget-minded but not fast food” crowd, the 15% sell-off from highs earlier in 2013 seems to be a possible gift now that its dividend yield is up at 4.5%. Analysts on average see upside of almost 20% for this restaurant chain.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From an automaker committing to add thousands of high-paying jobs in the new year to a home craft icon's payroll going the other way, here's a rundown of the week's most interesting moves in the business world. Sysco (SYY) -- Winner Leave it to a food company to eat the competition. Sysco is the country's largest food service company, providing restaurants, schools, and other institutions with their edibles. It's about to get bigger. Sysco kicked off the week by announcing a deal valued at $3.5 billion in cash and stock for its nearest competitor, US Foods. There isn't likely to be a lot of regulatory hassle over the combination. This is a highly fragmented sector, with Sysco commanding just 18 percent of the overall market. It will be 27 percent after completing the deal. Given the nature of the business, there are advantages of being big, and Sysco is about to get substantially bigger at a reasonable price relative to its own valuation. lululemon athletica (LULU) -- Loser Shares of Lululemon stumbled 12 percent on Thursday after the retailer of high-end yoga apparel offered up a gloomy outlook for the holiday quarter. The Canadian chain spooked investors by forecasting flat comparable-store sales for the period. Its profit guidance also fell short of expectations. For a hot growth stock like Lululemon, proving ordinary after years of heady store-level sales growth isn't enough. Ford (F) -- Winner Things have been going well for automakers, and things are about to get even better for Ford. The popular automaker revealed in a presentation on Thursday that it plans to hire 3,000 salaried workers in 2014 -- and we're not talking about low-paying jobs here. Most of these new jobs will be in engineering and product development. Ford is also opening three plants overseas, but the stateside job creation will be significant. Martha Stewart Living Om

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle/MCT via Getty Images In the food world, pumpkin is the new black. The squash offshoot that was once relegated to jack o' lanterns on Halloween and whipped into pies for Thanksgiving is experiencing a foodie renaissance. A lot of coffee houses, restaurants, and fast food chains are embracing the pumpkin for a seasonal spark on their menus. Here are some of the many ways that consumers are enjoying pumpkin this season at publicly traded eateries. Starbucks (SBUX) It's safe to say that pumpkins had arrived as a trendy menu add-on when Starbucks introduced them into its seasonal latte line. The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is a combination of espresso, steamed milk, and pumpkin-flavored syrup -- topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices. It's as decadent as it sounds. A venti-sized offering made with whole milk clocks in at 510 calories and a whopping 12 grams of saturated fat -- 60 percent of the recommended daily fat intake in a single cup. But you can nix the whipped cream and go with skim milk for a fat-free indulgence. How popular is the drink? Starbucks claims to have sold 200 million of them over the years before it began pouring them out last month. The grande 16-ounce option will set you back $4.55, on average (prices do vary from location to location). McDonald's (MCD) It's been a few years since the world's largest fast food chain ripped a page out of the Starbucks playbook with its McCafe line of premium coffee beverages. This season, it's moving a step closer to Starbucks by offering its own Pumpkin Spice Latte. McDonald's knows how to price its offerings aggressively. It's 16-ounce version sells for $2.89, and it will be available through mid-November. It's not the only way that McDonald's is playing up the gourd this season. Customers can also order a pumpkin pie treat, served in the same turnover style as its baked apple pie. Jamba (JMBA) You know it's fall when pumpkin finds its way into Jamba Juice's blender

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Planet Platinum Ltd (PPN)

Planet Platinum Limited is an Australia-based company engaged in the operation of Showgirls Bar 20 and the on-going rental of property in Elsternwick. The Company operates in two segments: hospitality and entertainment and property rental businesses. The Company�� hospitality and entertainment segment comprises operations of Showgirls Bar 20 in Melbourne and is engaged in the nightclub through the provision of beverages and adult entertainment. Property segment comprise maintaining of rental property at Home Street, Elsternwick. The Company continues to receive lease rentals from its Home Street property. The investment property is located at 12 Home Street, Elsternwick Victoria. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]

  Americans consume a lot of chicken. It estimated that Americans consume about 81 pounds of poultry per year, per capita. With there being upwards of 310 million people living in the United States, it is no wonder why poultry production is big business. Two of the biggest names in poultry production are Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) and Pilgrim's Pride (NASDAQ: PPN).

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Sodexo SA (SW)

Sodexo SA, (formerly Sodexho Alliance SA), is a global provider of services in three primary business areas: The On-site Services Solutions offer various services that range from food services to construction management, reception to the maintenance of scanners and laboratory equipment, management of data centers, leisure cruises and provides housekeeping to rehabilitation services at correctional facilities. The Motivation Solutions division provides passes and vouchers, comprising Restaurant Pass, Gift Pass, Sport Pass, Training Voucher, Service Card and Book Card, among others. The Company also provides Personal and Home Services in the form of childcare, tutoring, concierge services and in-home service care facilities. The Company is present in 80 countries in a number of geographic areas, such as North America, South America, Continental Europe and United Kingdom and Ireland. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenwoods]

  Recently giant food conglomerate, Cargill announced it had partnered with the Swiss biosynthetic pharmaceutical company, Evolva (EVE:SW), to develop a more consistent and less expensive stevia sweetener via Evolva�� microbial fermentation-based process.� This is big news for the future of stevia because a microbial fermentation-based process does not have to rely on soil conditions or weather, and stevia can be manufactured anywhere, thus having the potential of guaranteeing an endless supply line of stevia.� Through the microbial fermentation, the manufacturer has the capability to process the key sweet individual components of stevia using low-cost plant sugars, and allows for the individual components of stevia, regardless of how minute, to be developed creating blends in any volume, which then could open the door for these manufacturers to fine-tune its stevia to local tastes.� But what would be most attractive is that, because the fermentation process does not require the entire plant, the method could conceivably shave upwards of 70% off the cost of producing stevia extracts.�