Best Mid Cap Companies To Invest In 2014

If you are looking for a semiconductor stock that�� focus on an area that�� not so cyclical, mid cap microcontroller (MCU) stock Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) could be a good choice���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with other�microcontroller�players like Microchip Technology Inc (NASDAQ: MCHP), STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE: STM) and Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: CY). Microcontrollers are programmable and�embedded�chips that are increasingly�hidden inside a all sorts of products these days e.g. if you have an appliance�with a�LED or LCD screen and a keypad, it contains some kind of�microcontroller plus all new�automobiles contain at least one�and often several. I should mention that we have also recently added Atmel Corporation to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio and we are down about 5.6% mostly due to the recent market volatility.

5 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Gafisa SA (GFA)

Gafisa S.A. (Gafisa), incorporated on November 12, 1996, is a diversified national homebuilder serving all demographic segments of the Brazilian market. The Company�� brands include Tenda, which serves the affordable entry-level housing segments, Gafisa, which offers a variety of residential options to the mid to higher income segments and Alphaville, which focuses on the identification, development and sale of residential communities. In addition, it provides construction services to third parties. Gafisa�� core business is the development of residential units in attractive locations. During the year ended December 31, 2009, approximately 55% of the value of its launches was derived from high and mid high-level residential developments under the Gafisa brand. It is also engaged in the development of land subdivisions, also known as residential communities, representing approximately 18% of the value of its launches under the Alphaville brand, and affordable entry-level housing, which represents approximately 27% of the value of its launches under the Tenda brand. In addition, it provides construction services to third parties. Gafisa operates in more than 120 cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Natal, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Porto Alegre and Belem, across 21 states and the Federal District.

Real Estate Activities

The Company�� real estate business includes developments for sale of residential units; land subdivisions (also known as residential communities); commercial buildings; construction services to third parties, and sale of units through its brokerage subsidiaries, Gafisa Vendas and Gafisa Vendas Rio, jointly referred to as Gafisa Vendas. In the residential buildings product category, Gafisa develops three main types of products: luxury buildings targeted at upper-income customers, buildings targeted at middle-income customers; and affordable entry-level housing targeted at lower-income customers. Quality residential buildi! ngs for middle- and upper-income customers are its core products. Luxury buildings units usually have over 180 square meters of private area, at least four bedrooms and three parking spaces. The development includes swimming pools, gyms, visitor parking, and other amenities.

Buildings targeted at middle-income customers have accounted for the majority of its sales. Units usually have between 90 and 180 square meters of private area, three or four bedrooms and two to three underground parking spaces. Buildings are usually developed in large tracts of land as part of multi-building developments and, to a lesser extent, in smaller lots in attractive neighborhoods. Affordable entry-level housing consists of building and house units. Units usually have between 42 to 60 square meters of indoor private area and two to three bedrooms.

Commercial Buildings

During 2009, the Company launched four commercial buildings. These buildings include Centro Empresarial Madureira, Paulista Corporate, Reserva Eco Office Life and Global Offices.

Construction Service

Gafisa provide construction services to third parties, building residential and commercial projects for developers in Brazil. The Company�� principal construction services clients are large companies, many of them developers that do not build their own projects. As of December 31, 2009, its principal construction services clients were Fibra Empreendimentos Imobiliarios S.A., Sisan-Grupo Silvio Santos, Camargo Correa Desenvolvimento Imobiliario S.A., Helbor Empreendimentos Imobiliarios Ltda., InCons S.A., SDI Desenvolvimento Imobiliario Ltda. and Abyara. It also provides construction services on certain developments where it retains an equity interest.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Gafisa S.A. (NYSE: GFA) is a homebuilder in Brazil, supposedly with more than $1 billion in projects for 2014 alone. This ADR trades at $3.05 against a 52-week range of $2.22 to $5.24, and this is down only about 2% so far in 2014.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Brazilian construction firm Gafisa (NYSE: GFA  ) is not only selling houses these days. The company has signed an agreement to sell a 70% stake in residential community developer Alphaville Urbanismo to funds managed by Blackstone (NYSE: BX  ) and the American company's Brazilian partner firm Patria Investimentos.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Gafisa (GFA) is a homebuilder in Brazil. This stock closed up 5% to $3.13 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $2.97-$3.15
  
  52-Week Range: $2.22-$5.24
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 1.70 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 1.77 million

  From a technical perspective, GFA ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $2.80 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $2.27 to its intraday high of $3.15. During that move, shares of GFA have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GFA within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if GFA manages to take out Tuesday's high of $3.15 to some past resistance at $3.30 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GFA as long as it's trending above support at $2.80 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.77 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then GFA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $3.68 to more resistance at $4.20 to $4.70.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Invest In 2014: PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III(PMX)

PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Co LLC. It invests in fixed income markets. The fund invests in a portfolio of municipal bonds, including long and short U.S. Treasury Notes, and U.S. Treasury Bond Futures. PIMCO Municipal Income Fund III was formed in 2002 and is domiciled in United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By maarnio]

  Spectral is focused on the development and commercialization of a treatment for severe sepsis utilizing its Endotox in Activity Assay (EAA) and the Toraymyxin therapeutic (PMX). If approved, this will be the first theranostics product, a targeted therapy guided by a specific diagnostic, in the area of sepsis. The company also manufactures and sells certain proprietary reagents.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Invest In 2014: BCE Inc. (BCE)

BCE Inc. provides communications solutions to residential, business, and wholesale customers primarily in Canada. The company offers local and long distance telephone services under the Bell Home Phone brand; direct-to-home satellite television (TV) services under the Bell TV name; Internet protocol TV services under the Bell Fibe TV brand; and personal video recorders and online access services. It also provides data services, including Internet access services under the Bell Internet name; Internet protocol based services; and information and communications technology solutions. In addition, the company engages in the rental, sale, and maintenance of business terminal equipment; sale of TV set-top boxes; and provision of network installation and maintenance services for third parties. Further, it offers wireless voice and data communications products and services, such as call display and voicemail, e-mail, Web browsing, social networking, text, picture and video messagi ng, music downloads, ring tunes, ringtones, games and applications, video streaming, live TV, mobile Internet, roaming, and global positioning system navigation services under the Bell and Virgin Mobile brands. Additionally, the company provides media services comprising TV programming services to broadcast distributors. It operates approximately 28 conventional over-the-air stations and 30 English and French-language specialty TV channels; 33 FM and AM radio stations and their related Websites; and Theloop.ca Website. As of December 31, 2012, the company served approximately 2.1 million high-speed Internet access customers through fiber-optic, digital subscriber line, or wireless broadband technology; and 7.7 million wireless customers. BCE Inc. offers its services through call centre representatives, independent dealer stores, and value-added resellers, as well as through its Websites. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Verdun, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Lam]

  BCE Inc. (BCE) dropped 1.3 percent to a February low, after Macquarie Group Ltd. said that phone shares are vulnerable amid increased regulation. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (CP) lost 4.4 percent to extend losses to a fourth day after its largest shareholder said it will sell part of its stake. WestJet Airlines Ltd. slid 2.3 percent after a measure of customers on its flights declined. A gauge of real estate investment trust fell for a seventh day, the longest streak in three years.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Dalio�� next largest purchase was Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B), and three new buys: BCE Inc. (BCE), The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), and Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  The economy is also expected to recover quickly from the storm's devastation, making Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (NYSE: PHI) more attractive to long-term investors than other communications firms such as BCE (NYSE: BCE), AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).

• [By Tom Taulli]

  BCE (BCE) is the largest telecom operator in Canada … and sports one whopper of a dividend.

  As should be no surprise, the traditional wired voice services segment continues to be weak for BCE, and that’s something we can expect in perpetuity. However, BCE has diversified into other businesses, such as broadband, IPTV, satellite television, radio and mobile, which is helping to smooth its transition.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Invest In 2014: Bazaarvoice Inc (BV)

Bazaarvoice, Inc., incorporated on May 25, 2005, connects businesses together to amplify the authentic voices of people where they shop. The Company�� solutions, which are primarily provided through Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, enable clients to capture and display online word of mouth about specific products and services, channel content into all the places where it will influence a purchase both within and outside its network, which it refers to as syndication, and use business insights so they can act on what consumers want.

Bazaarvoice Conversations Platform

The Company�� Conversations platform provides capabilities to capture, manage and display online word of mouth. Consumers interact with its solutions as they view or author consumer reviews, questions, photos, videos, long-format narratives and other forms of consumer-generated content. Content that is displayed by its Conversations platform is styled to match its clients��brand, preserving important branding elements of its clients��businesses. Content collected and managed by its Conversations platform is used by its clients in a range of applications, including their online Websites, mobile-optimized Websites, mobile applications, social networks, in-store kiosks, physical in-store displays, printed flyers, email and other forms of online and offline media. The Company�� Conversations platform allows clients to capture, manage and display consumer reviews about their products and services on their Websites and mobile-optimized Websites; allows clients to facilitate question and answer conversations between consumers, or between consumers and brand representatives, on their Websites; allows clients to collect consumer testimonials about their products and services and display these stories on their Websites; enables consumers to read or write reviews, product questions, product answers, or stories on its clients��pages on social networking Websites and easily share this content with the peopl! e they influence the most-their social network friends or followers, and provides third-party developers with tools to build products or extend its platform on behalf of its clients, which enables the Company to expand the use of its platform by leveraging applications built by third-party developers.

Bazaarvoice Connections Solutions

The Company�� Conversations clients are connected through its SaaS platform to form a network. The Company offers network syndication and brand engagement solutions to facilitate the sharing of online word of mouth among its clients and to enable brands to directly interact with consumers on its retail clients��Websites. BrandVoice enables brands to enter into distribution relationships allowing them to display review content from their brand Websites on retail Websites within its network, which it refers to as syndication. BrandAnswers enables brands to interact directly with consumers on retail websites within its network to answer questions and provide suggestions on alternative products that may better meet that consumer�� needs. Brand Response enables brands to interact with consumers by responding to reviews posted on retail Websites within its network.

Bazaarvoice Analytics Solutions

The Company�� Conversations platform includes its Intelligence solution, which is it enhanced analytics solution, and a Workbench Analytics solution, which provides analytics and self-service administration tools. Intelligence allows clients to derive sophisticated market, consumer and product insights in a timely manner from the underlying data it collects on their behalf through its platform. Workbench Analytics provides basic analytics capabilities that allow its clients to generate reports highlighting simple ratings trends, text analysis and product and service issue identification.

Bazaarvoice Media

The Company�� Bazaarvoice Media sells advertising on behalf of retailers, brands and agencie! s, and pr! ovides capabilities that incorporate consumers��authentic opinions in advertising campaigns, creating advertisements that are trusted, relevant and targeted. Bazaarvoice Media sells advertising on retail Websites, utilizing its relationships and knowledge of the intricacies of the retail environment. It develops custom programs for brands to reach consumers while they are in the shopping environment, while also selling to non-retail brands, such as within the automotive and financial industries, that wish to reach the engaged shopper within this channel. Word of Mouth Advertisements provides brands with the ability to increase engagement with their advertising through the inclusion of authentic consumer sentiment. Mobile Advertising enables brands to reach consumers on their mobile devices.

The Company competes with Pluck, Reevoo, Gigya, Viewpoints, Google and Facebook.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eddie Staley]

  Bazaarvoice (NASDAQ: BV) tumbled 11.52 percent to $7.30 as the US District Court in the Northern District of California ruled against the company's acquisition of PowerReviews. Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD) was down, falling 13.88 percent to $36.66 after the company reported a 7.4% drop in same-store sales at Kmart and Sears for the nine-week period ended January 6. The department store expected to post a loss for the fourth quarter and full year.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Invest In 2014: Vonage Holdings Corp.(VG)

Vonage Holdings Corp. provides broadband communication services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company offers voice and messaging services through session initiation protocol (SIP) based voice over Internet protocol network. The company?s primary product offering is Vonage World, a residential plan with unlimited calling domestically and to approximately 60 countries, including India, Mexico, and China for a flat monthly rate. It also provides broadband telephone replacement services to residential, small office, and home office customers through various service plans with a range of basic features, including call waiting, caller ID with name, call forwarding, and voicemail. In addition, the company offers mobile services through mobile applications that can be downloaded for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android OS devices. Further, the company provides Vonage Mobile, a free downloadable mobile application that provides free calling and messagi ng between users who have the application, as well as traditional paid international calling to any other phone. It markets its services through in-bound telemarketing and online direct sales, as well as through regional and national retailers. As of December 31, 2011, the company had approximately 2.4 million subscriber lines. Vonage Holdings Corp. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Vonage Holdings (NYSE: VG) was down as well, dropping almost five percent to $3.53 despite seemingly little news into the end of trading.

  Global markets

• [By Greg Madison]

  Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) had a notorious, comically bad IPO. The Internet communications company had ubiquitous advertising and a decent product, Voice over Internet Protocol, which essentially offered phone calls for free or at a low cost over the broadband connections. Vonage raised a very tidy $531 million on the first day. The first day was the best day, and for all intents and purposes the last day. Over the week that followed, the company lost something like 30% of its value. Analysts for MSNBC said the firm "may never be profitable." Vonage won the dubious honor of the single worst trading day for a company in 2006. Shares that debuted at $17 per share are now worth about $3.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  If Vonage (NYSE: VG  ) has its way, the days of AT&T (NYSE: T  ) , Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) , and their big-carrier peers controlling the way area codes are assigned are coming to an end.

• [By Johan Seijkens]

  The first one is a company called Vonage Holdings (NYSE: VG  ) and the second is magicJack VocalTec, Ltd (NASDAQ: CALL  ) .

Best Mid Cap Companies To Invest In 2014: 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.

• [By Peter Graham]

  The Q1 2014 Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ: PBPB) earnings report is scheduled for after the market closes on Tuesday, May 6th, with investors and traders alike who follow either the sandwich restaurant chain stock (which debuted last October and is down some 44% for retail investors)�or who are into potential small cap peers like Cosi Inc (NASDAQ: COSI), Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: BAGL) and Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) should be paying attention. Aside from the Potbelly Corp earnings report, it should be said that the Q1 2014 Panera Bread Co earnings report was last Tuesday while the�Q1 2014 Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc earnings report came last Thursday and the the Q1 2014 Cosi Inc�earnings report is likely scheduled for Monday, May 12. However, Potbelly Corp has attracted a bit of attention for its potential growth trajectory as well as its�vision to be the ��eighborhood Sandwich Shop.��/p>