Get 25% Upside With This 'Cyborg In The Operating Room'

Even after the tech-craze and bubble of the '90s, technological leaps still change our lives drastically and offer the most compelling cases for amazing profits.  

After researching stocks for my recent series on the "Graying of America," I was well aware of the demographic forces behind the health care industry.

The numbers forecast for the health care industry over the next decade are staggering. Total U.S. health care spending is projected to reach $4.8 trillion in 2021, 84% higher than current spending. More than 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, and life expectancy has reached 79 years. These drivers are going to create a lot of opportunities in the sector, and technology is just beginning to play a part.

That is why I am so excited about one company in particular -- one I like to call the cyborg of the operating room.

Da Vinci Meets 'The Terminator' 
Long recovery times and hospital stays associated with major surgery are a big contributor to the high cost of health care. The average hospital stay after invasive surgery is up to seven days, with the average cost per day approaching $4,000 in many states.

And the recovery time after hospitalization can take weeks because the only way to do many of these operations is to open up the patient, which leaves the patient at risk of infection and other complications.

That is, until this company invented a revolutionary new machine, one that combines the art of a surgeon's scalpel with 21st-century robotics.

Enter Intuitive Surgical (Nasdaq: ISRG) and Da Vinci, a robotic arm that allows surgeons to operate with just a single incision less than an inch in size.

	Wikipedia/Antonu
	With the Da Vinci robot, surgeons no longer need to remove organs to perform an operation, so recovery time is shortened, sometimes to as little as one day.

Surgeons no longer need to remove organs to perform an operation, so recovery time is shortened, sometimes to as little as one day. Research has also shown that surgeries using Da Vinci have a lower risk of complications and lower incidence of infection.

There were 2.6 million procedures done last year that could have used the Da Vinci technology, but only 450,000 were done using the apparatus. That amounts to 17% penetration of a market with some strong demographic growth drivers ahead.

Costly Procedures, Cheap Stock
While the technology helps to bring down costs and risks after the procedure, the equipment is not cheap to buy. In fact, the system costs between $1 million and $2.3 million with instruments, costing about $2,000 per procedure.

That's why the stock has taken a hit lately as the government rails against the high cost of medical care. ISRG is down 35% from its February high on fear that the Affordable Care Act will limit the amount paid for procedures and doctors' ability to recommend them.

Even with the slower capital spending environment, procedures were up 25% in 2012, and revenue growth has increased at a compound annual rate of 29% over the past five years. The equipment is expensive, but hospitals are still finding room in their budgets for Da Vinci's revolutionary potential. Once the spending cycle for medical equipment recovers, Intuitive's sales could jump.

The large base of installed systems provides an ongoing stream of instrument sales and service which should support the shares in the near term. Annual service agreements now account for 28% of total revenue at $343 million. With a net margin of 30%, the company could even lower its sales price to attract more purchases, which could drive instrument sales and service even higher.

A moderation in sales growth to 15% and slightly weaker margins should yield at least $16.77 per share in earnings for fiscal 2013. The five-year average price ratio for the stock is 34.3 times trailing earnings, well above the current multiple of 21.8 times. At a more realistic 28 times earnings, the shares should be worth $469 a share at the end of the current fiscal year -- a 25% upside to the current price.

Risks to Consider: The company faces considerable risk from the Affordable Care Act and the general push to lower the costs of medical procedures, which could lead to greater volatility in its stock. 

Action to Take --> Intuitive is changing the way surgery is done and improving outcomes for patients. The revolutionary technology has little to fear from Washington, and investors should consider ISRG while it's still cheap.

P.S. -- If you think 25% upside on ISRG sounds good, you'll want to take a look at our latest report, "The 11 Most Shocking Investment Predictions For 2014." Our previous predictions have given investors 89%... 92%... 293%... and even 310% gains in a year. Click here to learn more.

Hot China Companies To Buy For 2014

After rising 155 points and then closing the day down 80 points yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) has reversed its course today, falling 125 points this morning before recovering nearly all of the day's losses. As of 12:5 p.m. EDT the index is down a negligible two points. The other major U.S. indexes are more firmly in the red: The S&P 500 is down 0.3%, and the�Nasdaq is lower by 0.13%.

This morning investors sold off stocks after China's industrial purchasing was reported to be weak and the Japanese market lost 7% of its value. But a positive housing report and another decline in unemployment claims here at home have the markets turning around. Initial jobless claims dropped by 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, where economists were expecting 345,000 claims.

Hot China Companies To Buy For 2014: Spreadtrum Communications Inc.(SPRD)

Spreadtrum Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops, and markets baseband processor and RF transceiver solutions for wireless communications and mobile television markets. It offers a portfolio of integrated baseband processor solutions that support a range of wireless communications standards, including global system for mobile communication (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), and high speed packet access (HSPA), as well as offer an array of multimedia capabilities, such as MP3 digital audio playback, touch screen, JAVA acceleration, digital camera support, motion JPEG, MPEG4, AVS and H.264 digital video playback, and 64-channel polyphonic ringtone playback. The company also provides single-chip CMOS multi-mode RF transceivers that perform across various standards covering GSM/GP RS, EDGE, wideband code division multiple access, TD-SCDMA, and high speed uplink/downlink packet access. In addition, it designs, develops, and markets a CMMB-based channel demodulator and audio/video decoder processor solution for the mobile television market. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors to brand manufacturers, independent design houses, and original design manufacturers primarily in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Hot China Companies To Buy For 2014: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks For 2014: iSoftStone Holdings Limited(ISS)

iSoftStone Holdings Limited provides various information technology (IT) services and solutions in the Greater China and internationally. It offers an integrated suite of IT services and solutions, including consulting and solution services, IT services, and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. The company provides a range of consulting services for an overall engagement or discrete consulting services in conjunction with other services. It also develops industry-specific solutions, including treasury management, cash management, property and casualty insurance core, financial holding company business analysis, trust company core, and banking risk management solutions for banking, financial services, and insurance industries; supply chain management, enterprise information portals, business intelligence, business process integration, and management and e-commerce solutions for energy, transportation, and public sectors; mobile and embedded technology, next generati on platforms, business intelligence functionality, and network security products for the communications industry. In addition, the company offers various IT services consisting of application development and maintenance, research and development, and infrastructure and software services. Further, it provides a range of BPO services, such as securities trade processing services for the investment banking industry; digitization and archiving of policyholder information, as well as account processing and customer service for insurance industry; and cross-industry BPO services comprising finance and accounting, customer care, and human resources. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Hot China Companies To Buy For 2014: China Valves Technology Inc.(CVVT)

China Valves Technology, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in developing, manufacturing, and selling low, medium, and high-pressure metal valves for customers in the electricity, petroleum, chemical, water, gas, nuclear power station, and metal industries in China. The company?s product categories include high pressure and high temperature valves for power station units; valves for long distance petroleum and gas pipelines, and sewage; special valves for chemical lines; and large valves for water supply pipe networks. Its products comprise gate, globe, check, throttle, butterfly, ball, safety, water pressure test, vacuum, and extraction check valves. The company markets its products through regional agents and distributors. China Valves Technology, Inc. has a strategic cooperation frame agreement with Dongfang Electric Corporation for the development of high-end valves. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Kaifeng, the People's Republic of China.

Hot China Companies To Buy For 2014: China Green Agriculture Inc.(CGA)

China Green Agriculture, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various types of fertilizers and agricultural products in the People?s Republic of China. Its fertilizer products include humic acid-based compound fertilizers, compound fertilizers, blended fertilizers, organic compound fertilizers, slow-release fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers, and mixed organic-inorganic compound fertilizers. The company markets its fertilizer products to private wholesalers and retailers of agricultural farm products in 22 provinces, 4 autonomous regions, and 3 central government-controlled municipalities. It also engages in the development, production, and distribution of agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and colored seedlings. The company sells its decorative flowers to flower shops, luxury hotels, and government agencies; fruits and vegetables to supermarkets and upscale restaurants; and seedlings to city planning departments in Shaanxi and its neighboring provinces. China Green Agriculture, Inc. is based in Xian, the People?s Republic of China.

States With The Most Zombie Homes

There are more than 770,000 homes in foreclosure in the U.S. According to the latest data provided by RealtyTrac, roughly one in five of these, over 150,000 in all, has been abandoned by its owners, but remains unclaimed. These properties are referred to by the industry as "zombie" homes.

RealtyTrac provided 24/7 Wall St. with the latest foreclosure data by state, including the number of homes in foreclosure and the proportion of those homes that are vacant. In some states, the problem of zombie homes is particularly severe. In Indiana, for example, roughly 30% of the 16,618 foreclosed homes have been abandoned. 24/7 Wall St. identified those states with more than 10,000 homes in foreclosure, and at least a one-in-five foreclosure vacancy rate. These are the seven states with the most zombie homes.

A higher proportion of foreclosed homes in these states have been abandoned because the homes have been in the foreclosure process for much longer. A longer processing period gives homeowners more time to leave their property.

The average U.S. foreclosure ending in the second quarter of this year took 526 days to process. In some of the states with the most zombie homes, the average processing period was much higher. In Florida, the average foreclosure took 907 days to complete.

Longer processing periods can be caused by state laws, including requirements for court proceedings and filing processing time. Homes may be held in limbo longer because the price is too low.

According to RealtyTrac Vice President Daren Blomquist, many of these states have very low home prices. Indeed, as of July, home prices in the majority of these states were below the national median of $174,500. Vacant homes in foreclosure "tend to be much older homes that are low value, there's not a lot of motivation for the owners to try to save those homes," said Blomquist.

Homeowners are also likely to leave before the foreclosure process is over because of high unemployment rate. In states with healthy economies, even homeowners facing foreclosure are more likely to stay and look for jobs.

On the other hand, in states like Nevada, which had the highest unemployment rate in the country, residents are more likely to abandon their homes and look for work elsewhere. All of the states with the most zombie homes had unemployment rates higher than the national rate in July.

Top Casino Companies To Own For 2014

"One of the things that could be affecting these states is that in markets where the economy was really suffering, you tend to see people move away from those markets" explained Blomquist.

To identify the states with the most zombie homes, 24/7 Wall st. reviewed the states with at least 10,000 homes in foreclosure at last count, based on current data provided by RealtyTrac. In the seven states on our list, at least 20% of the homes in foreclosure were vacant. In addition to foreclosure vacancy data, RealtyTrac provided the number and rate of housing units in foreclosure for August, as well as median home prices for July and average times to foreclosure as of Q2 2013. We also reviewed historical home price declines and projections from Corelogic-Case Shiller's home price index, as well as July 2013 unemployment rates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. All data used was the most recent available.

These are the states with the most zombie homes.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014

On Jul 5, 2013, we reaffirmed our long-term recommendation on Highwoods Properties Inc. (HIW), a real estate investment trust (REIT), at Neutral. Our decision rests on the company�� successful portfolio repositioning measures. However, continued volatility in the office sector with job cuts, and stiff competition from commercial property developers remain our concerns.

Why Neutral?

Highwoods��first-quarter 2013 core FFO per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny and the prior-year quarter figure by 2 cents. The company has successfully implemented its strategic plans of portfolio repositioning. These position Highwoods favorably for growth. However, a rise in operating expenses acted as the dampener.

As part of the restructuring activity, Highwoods recently bought a Class A office property ��One Alliance Center ��which is the sister building of its previously acquired Two Alliance Center. The consequent strength in balance sheet and liquidity position will likely help the company to take advantage of distressed asset selling as office and retail asset values continue to fall post recession.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Coffee Holding Co. Inc.(JVA)

Coffee Holding Co., Inc. engages in manufacturing, roasting, packaging, marketing, and distributing roasted and blended coffees in the United States and Canada. The company offers three categories of products: wholesale green coffee, private label coffee, and branded coffee. The wholesale green coffee product category consists of unroasted raw beans imported from worldwide that are sold to roasters and coffee shop operators in approximately 90 varieties. The private label coffee product category includes coffee roasted, blended, packaged, and sold under the specifications and names of others. As of October 31, 2010, the company supplied private label coffee under approximately 34 different labels to wholesalers and retailers in cans, brick packages, and instants in various sizes. The branded coffee product category comprises coffee roasted and blended to the company's own specifications and offered under its seven brand names in various segments of the market. The company also offers other products, including trial-sized mini-brick coffee packages; specialty instant coffees; instant cappuccinos and hot chocolates; and tea line products. Its coffee brands include Cafe Caribe, S&W, Cafe Supremo, Don Manuel, Fifth Avenue, Via Roma, IL CLASSICO, and Entenmann. Coffee Holding Co., Inc. markets its private label and wholesale coffee through trade shows, industry publications, face-to-face contacts, internal sales force, and non-exclusive independent food and beverage sales brokers, as well as through its Web site, coffeeholding.com. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Staten Island, New York.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: China Yida Holding Co.(CNYD)

China Yida Holding, Co. operates as a diversified entertainment company in the People?s Republic of China. The company operates in two segments, Advertisement and Tourism. Its Advertisement segment operates and manages the Fujian Education Television Channel, a television channel in Fujian; and an outdoor on-train programming, including the Journey through China on the Train programming on China?s railway networks. This segment manages the content and re-sells airtime to advertisers and agencies for the television channel, and produces the content for outdoor on-train programming. The Tourism segment develops, operates, manages, and markets tourist destinations comprising natural, cultural, and historical tourist destinations and theme parks. This segment also creates/designs and constructs tourist concepts, attractions, and properties for its tourist destinations. This segment operates the Great Golden Lake tourist destination, Yunding Recreational Park tourist destinatio n, and Hua?An Tulou cluster tourist destination. The company is headquartered in Fuzhou City, the People's Republic of China.

10 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2014: Hawaiian Holdings Inc.(HA)

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., engages in the scheduled air transportation of passengers and cargo. It offers daily service on transpacific routes between Hawaii and Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, as well as daily service on its inter island routes among the four islands of the State of Hawaii. The company also provides scheduled service on its Pacific routes between Hawaii and Pago Pago, American Samoa; Papeete, Tahiti; Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; Tokyo, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea, as well as other ad hoc charters. As of December 31, 2010, its fleet consisted of 15 Boeing 717-200 aircraft for its interisland routes; 18 Boeing 767-300; and 3 Airbus A330-200 aircrafts for its transpacific, Pacific, and charter routes. Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries Inc(SCOK)

SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries, Inc. operates as a coal and coke producer in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers metallurgical coke primarily for use in steel manufacturing; and chemical coke primarily for use in the production of synthesis gas, as well as a fuel source or as an intermediate for the production of other chemicals, such as methanol, formaldehyde, and ammonia. It also provides medium coal for electricity generation, and domestic and industrial heating applications; and coal slurries for use as a fuel. The company mines and sells washed coal, as well as engages in the trading of coal. In addition, it produces electricity from its by product, coal tar and sells to the state-owned electricity grid. The company is based in Pingdingshan, the People's Republic of China.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Patni Computer Systems Limited(PTI)

Patni Computer Systems Limited, an information technology (IT) services company, provides a range of IT services through integrated onsite and offshore delivery locations. Its services include IT strategies development, system consulting and design, application development, application maintenance and support, packaged software implementation, quality assurance, infrastructure management, business process outsourcing, IT outsourcing, and OSS and BSS systems deployment services. The company offers IT services primarily to customers in insurance, manufacturing, retail, distribution, financial services, communications, media, and utilities industries. It also offers product engineering services, including engineering design and modeling, electronic design, embedded software development, and product lifecycle management for legacy products, as well as testing and migration services for new technologies to clients in electronics, automotive, medical electronics, industrial auto mation, office automation, handheld/mobile device manufacturing, and semiconductor manufacturing industries. The company operates in North America, Europe, India, and Japan, as well as in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Patni Computer Systems Limited was incorporated in 1978 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Medallion Financial Corp.(TAXI)

Medallion Financial Corp., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty finance company in the United States. The company engages in originating, acquiring, and servicing loans that finance taxicab medallions and various types of commercial businesses. It offers commercial loans to finance the purchase of the equipment and related assets necessary to open a new business, or the purchase or improvement of an existing business; asset-based loans to small businesses; and secured mezzanine loans to businesses in various industries, including manufacturing and various service providers. The company also raises deposits; originates consumer loans for the purchase of recreational vehicles, boats, motorcycles, trailers, and hearing aids; and conducts other banking activities. In addition, it provides other debt, mezzanine, and equity investment capital to companies in various industries. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: LJ International Inc.(JADE)

LJ International Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of precious and color gemstones, and diamond jewelry. The company offers colored jewelry; and pieces set in yellow gold, white gold, or sterling silver, as well as adorned with colored stones, diamonds, pearls, and precious stones. Its product line includes earrings, necklaces, pendants, rings, and bracelets. The company distributes its products to fine jewelers, national jewelry chains, department stores, TV shopping channels, discount chain stores, and electronic and specialty retailers in North America and Western Europe. It also involves in the retail of jewelry products under the ENZO brand. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 133 ENZO stores in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau. In addition, it owns commercial and residential properties in Hong Kong, which are held primarily for lease. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Hung Hom, Hong Kong.

Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Dreyfus Strategic Municipals Inc. (LEO)

Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, Inc. operates as a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The fund invests primarily in municipal obligations of various states of the United States. The Dreyfus Corporation serves as the investment adviser of the fund. Dreyfus Strategic Municipals was founded in 1987 and is based in New York City.

Could These (Promoted) Small Cap Stocks Be Winners? ACGX, DJRT, IOGA & SLTZ

Small cap stocks Alliance Creative Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ACGX), Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (OTCMKTS: DJRT), Inscor Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA) and Solar Thin Films Inc (OTCMKTS: SLTZ) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and it should come as no surprise that two out of four of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions – which tend to benefit traders. However, two out of four of these stocks also have pretty good financials for being small cap OTC stocks and that might make them attractive to investors with a long term time horizon. So which of these stocks might make traders some profits in the short term and investors some profits over the longer term? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

Alliance Creative Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ACGX) Has Pretty Good Financials for an OTC Stock

Small cap Alliance Creative Group is a printing, packaging, product development, management and procurement company. On Friday, Alliance Creative Group rose 3.70% to $0.0028 for a market cap of $41,439 plus ACGX is down 89.8% over the past year and up 600% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Alliance Creative Group? According to various disclosures, no transactions have occurred to mention Alliance Creative Group in various investment newsletters. Alliance Creative Group has not issued any press releases since the middle of May when it issued a press release to say that first quarter revenues were $2,457,105, gross profits were $683,515 and net incomes were $97,043. The press release also noted that the voting and conversion rights for the preferred shares was amended to 100 to 1, they allowed the CEO to convert 1 million preferred shares into 100 million restricted common shares and they increased the total authorized common shares to 750 million. The press release reiterated Alliance Creative Group's long-term goal is to build a "$50 Million Dollar company within the next 5 years." A quick look at Alliance Creative Group's long term financial performance (posted on Google Finance) reveals revenues of $10.56M (2012), $9.10M (2011), $11.39M (2010) and $2.70M (2009) for the past four years along with net income of $0.80M (2012), $0.79M (2011) and $0.81M (2010) plus a net loss of $0.06M (2009). That's actually pretty good but just be aware that at the end of March, Alliance Creative Group had $0.13k to cover $2.03M in current liabilities and $1.77M in long-term debt.

Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (OTCMKTS: DJRT)Also Has Pretty Decent Financials

Small cap Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure offers racing fans the opportunity to race an authentic race car on a major racetrack. Specifically, Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure's racing "adventurers" enjoy a life-defining experience. They receive training from top racing instructors, wear real racing suits and safety gear, and pilot a race car that was once driven by one of the racing greats. On Friday, Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure closed at $0.0750 for a market cap of $1.98 million plus DJRT is up 200% over the past year and down 34.8% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc? According to various disclosures, no transactions have occurred to mention Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure in various investment newsletters. Back in mid-July, Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure announced how it premiered the first-ever exotic car experience on the word famous Talladega Superspeedway with the event being sold out. The press release also noted that due to demand, the company will be holding an additional experience opportunity at Talladega Speedway on August 17thand that opportunity was already been sold to capacity. A quick look at Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure's financials reveals revenues of $3.48M (2012), $2.88M (2011), $3.08M (2010) and $2.81M (2009) for the past four years along with net losses of $0.18M (2012) and $0.33M (2011), net income of $0.07M (2010) and another net loss of $0.14M. At the end of March, Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure had $180K in cash to cover $1.39M in current liabilities. Except for the current liabilities, those financials actually look pretty good for an OTC stock in the racing business.

Inscor Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA) Could Have "Saved Detroit…."

Small cap Inscor specializes in educating and marketing the FIT OPEB plan to municipalities and corporations as a low-cost solution to funding retiree and other employee benefits. On Friday, Inscor rose 17.27% to $0.645 for a market cap of $113.88 million plus IOGA is down 41.4% over the past year and down 95% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Inscor Inc? According to various disclosures, transactions of $3k and $5k have or will occur to mention Inscor in various investment newsletters. Last Thursday, an article appeared on the financial newswires that was entitled: Would Detroit Have Failed If It Used INSCOR's Financial Solutions? Other glowing articles to appear over the last two weeks or so have included INSCOR, Inc.'s CEO Generating Explosive Revenues With New Contract; INSCOR Inc.'s New Landmark Contract Worth Hundreds of Millions in Revenue; INSCOR, Inc. Secures Contract Worth an Initial $36 Million in Annual Revenue and INSCOR, Inc. CEO Heads Home to Create Opportunities for His Nation and His Company. Apparently, Inscor has been in negotiations with the Republic of Ghana's National Mass Social Welfare Scheme (MSWS) to insure the replacement of lost or stolen welfare cards issued to its members. A quick look at Inscor's financials reveals revenues of $49k (most recent reported quarter), $52k and $116k for the past three quarters along with net losses of zero (most recent reported quarter), $251k and zero. At the end of March, Inscor had no cash to cover $414k in current liabilities. So its really hard to see how the company could have saved Detroit albeit its still in better financial shape than that city.

Solar Thin Films Inc (OTCMKTS: SLTZ) Announces an Acquisition and a New Project

Small cap Solar Thin Films is a technology company focused on delivering "turnkey" manufacturing solutions that enable its customers to produce the world's most cost effective thin film solar modules for large scale power applications. On Friday, Solar Thin Films rose 10.24% to $1.40 for a market cap of $68,232 plus SLTZ is up 46,566.7% over the past year and up 77.2% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Solar Thin Films Inc? According to various disclosures, transactions of $15k and $35k have or will occur to mention Solar Thin Films in various investment newsletters. Last Thursday, Solar Thin Films announced an agreement to acquire 100% of KLC Green Energy Corp which manufactures a solar panel system known as Smart Solar Tracking System that follows the sun's path. The parties have agreed to finalize the agreement within 30 days, but no financial details were disclosed. On Monday, the Solar Thin Films also announced an agreement-in-principle to design, supply and construct a modular school and clinic in Uganda, Africa with the contract for SLTZ being worth $10 million. Finally and in July, the company issued the following press releases: Solar Thin Films, Inc Announces Agreement-In-Principle to Build Solar Fields and Solar Thin Films, Inc. Announces Contract to Construct First Eco-House. However and before you get too excited, keep in mind that I am not seeing any financials dating from latter than 2010 on Google Finance or Yahoo Finance – meaning its investor beware.

Forget Starbucks: This Coffee Stock Is Better

"One dollar for a cup of coffee -- they are out of their minds!" my frugal, land-speculating grandfather said when we stopped at the local corner gas station on the way to visit one of his properties.  

Having lived through the Great Depression, he was convinced that coffee shouldn't cost more than a quarter a cup. A book could be filled with his assorted old-timer economic beliefs -- such as the $5 union-rate haircut -- but I'll never forget his reaction to the $1 cup of coffee.

I wish he would have lived to see the rise of Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) and its $6 cups of coffee. He would have certainly had a few choice words for people like myself who patronize the wildly popular high-end coffee emporium. 

Not only did Starbucks change the way coffee is viewed, but the company has made its investors wealthy. Shares have tripled in value to around $75 over the past three years. This success has spawned a variety of copycat operations. Some of these are established companies that have added gourmet coffee products to their existing lines; others are regional startups.

One Starbucks-influenced company that morphed into a gourmet coffee profit-making machine is none other than the once humble Dunkin' Brands (Nasdaq: DNKN).

	Flickr/Paul Downey
	Although the Dunkin' Donuts brand has been around since 1950, Dunkin' Brands is relatively young as a public company.

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.

I think my grandfather would still believe the prices at Dunkin' Donuts are too high, but Dunkin's prices are lower than Starbucks. This lower price point, combined with the wide variety of quality products and coffees, provides a strong incentive for many consumers to favor Dunkin' Donuts over Starbucks. This is particularly true when the stores are as comfortable as the newly opened location I recently visited. 

I like how Dunkin' Donuts is operated, its business ideas, and the quality of the products -- not to mention the fact that its stock is up nearly 30% this year. 

Dunkin' Brands is close to being a 100% franchised business. This means the owners of the 10,400 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in more than 60 nations (and almost 7,000 Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlors, which Dunkin' Brands also franchises) provide the capital for the brand's expansion. 

	Flickr/renaissancechambara
	Dunkin' Donuts has morphed into a gourmet coffee profit-making machine.

This transferring of the expansion costs to the individual franchise owner is a brilliant and powerful means of growth. When compared to Starbucks company-owned and -financed store concept, the expansion potential is clearly on Dunkin' Brands' side. While Starbucks' market cap of more than $53 billion dwarfs Dunkin' Brands' less than $5 billion, the innovative nature of Dunkin' Brands should close this gap over time. 

Although the Dunkin' Donuts brand has been around since 1950, Dunkin' Brands is relatively young as a public company. In 2006, a group of private equity firms purchased the company, and an initial public offering followed in 2011.

In the second quarter, earnings per share (EPS) rocketed 24% higher from the same period a year earlier, and revenue rose by nearly 6%. Perhaps more importantly, domestic same-store sales increased 4% for Dunkin' Donuts and 2.6% for Baskin-Robbins during the same time. 

This is a powerful tell on the future direction of the company. It shows that consumers are willing to purchase more products at a higher price point, which will drive the bottom line higher. 

The company also recently initiated a dividend. Although nothing spectacular, the dividend is currently yielding 1.8% and was increased from last year, which may be the start of regular annual increases. Another positive move is Dunkin' Brands' repurchase of 400,000 shares of common stock; management has another $33 million available for additional buybacks. 

Risks to Consider: The gourmet coffee craze may not last forever. Consumers are fickle, and tastes change. There is also fierce competition in the space with even the fast-food giant McDonald's vying for a piece of the action. Always use stops and position size properly when investing.

Action to Take --> Price has pulled back to the 50-day simple moving average setting up a strong value buy zone opportunity. Buying now in the $43 range with stops at $42 and a 12-month target of $48 makes solid investment sense. 

P.S. -- Wouldn't you like to know about the next Starbucks before the rest of the public? Or how about the next Coke or Pepsi? Turns out there's another beverage company that's growing profits 12 times faster than Coke and 60 times faster than Pepsi. Click here to get the name of this stock now before the herd catches on.

What Icahn Knows About the New iPhone: Channel Control

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Carl Icahn gave up his position in Dell (DELL) Wednesday and bought himself some Apple (AAPL).

This is the kind of thing that makes Icahn, Icahn.

First, the Dell thing was done. By this week, Icahn found himself battling over pennies per share, against a group that had the votes to deny him even the pennies. He's pushed the price up, he's got a gain, so cash out.

Icahn informed Dell's board he held $1 billion of its shares in March, when it was selling at about $13.25/share. The current price is $13.85. In math class, we call that a profit. So what about Apple? Apple has become a battleground stock with fairly predictable patterns. When Apple makes a market move, the shares go down. When it makes a boardroom move, the shares go up. This means there is action in Apple. Its 52-week low is $385/share. Its high during 2013 is about $550/share. So the current price of $468 is in the middle of its trading range. Then there's something Icahn knows, that all the analysts dismissing the iPhone 5C and 5S models are ignoring. Apple controls the channel. (That's short for the sales channel, or the distribution channel. The channel is how phones get from manufacturers to consumers.) [Read: Apple Laughs When It Realizes Google Makes Computers] If you're going out to get a phone, chances are you're going to a carrier-owned store. A year ago, those stores were pushing Android phones. With the new announcements, they're pushing iPhones -- all of them. The key is in the pricing. Just go by the Apple store's official 5C page. You will be getting the new phone for as low as $99, with a wireless plan. That's the full retail price out of the box. They're asking $550-$650 for the same phone, unlocked. That's a really big spread. It creates a huge mark-up for the carriers carrying the phone. If a two-year wireless plan on a single phone costs just $50/month, that's $1,200 going to the carrier for a $450 subsidy. The pricing is designed to discourage buyers from thinking differently.

Top 5 Undervalued Companies To Buy Right Now

While Apple spent years going from carrier-to-carrier, all around the world, the new phones will also launch with nearly all the world's carriers simultaneously. The prices quoted are first-day retail prices. It's nearly certain that by Christmas you'll be able to get one of these phones from a carrier "free."

But a "free" phone from a carrier is not a free phone. As my daughter Robin and I learned on a recent trip to Europe, you can't buy a third-party SIM card for a locked phone and just put it in. There are ways to unlock the phone with technical knowledge, but that breaks the warranty. When the average consumer asks about unlocking their phone, the answer is just no. [Read: More Than Porn: Shame and Masculinity in the 21st Century]

We got along fine, but my daughter's iPhone became a camera and alarm clock. For service, we relied on my unlocked Nexus 4, which I bought directly from Google last Christmas for $349.

Christmas is another key term. Christmas is when most people go phone shopping. Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, and Diwali all fall within the sales period. These "free" phones are going to hit around Christmas. Consumers won't be paying for them until they get locked into contracts, next summer. While Apple and the carriers have also put in policies designed to allow faster upgrades, that doesn't mean you're being unlocked from your carrier -- just the opposite. By giving carriers their best deal ever, and by having its phones in every retail outlet around, Apple assures itself a dominant market share this fall. It's going to be harder for Samsung and Motorola and LG and HTC and even Google to reach consumers than it was before, through the channel, because the channel is getting the best possible deal from Apple. Also note that no manufacturer is better at monetizing the data traffic from its phones than Apple. An iPhone user still buys more paid-for apps than an Android user, and Apple gets a fat cut of all that business. That's what has Carl Icahn excited, and that will likely propel Apple to the top of its trading range by January, or beyond. At $468 he's getting stock with a price/earnings multiple under 12, a 2.61% yield, and an ongoing buyback program that will keep dropping the float from its current level of 908 million shares. We're not even talking about whatever other new products might be rolled out in the coming weeks or months. When everyone is stocking Apple, Apple stock becomes a buy. At the time of publication, the author owned 80 shares of AAPL. Follow @DanaBlankenhorn This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.

Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and a tech reporter since 1982. His specialty has been getting to the future ahead of the crowd, then leaving before success arrived. That meant covering the Internet in 1985, e-commerce in 1994, the Internet of Things in 2005, open source in 2005 and, since 2010, renewable energy. He has written for every medium from newspapers and magazines to Web sites, from books to blogs. He still seeks tomorrow from his Craftsman home in Atlanta.

The Deal: Dell LBO Debt Deal Signals IPO Option

NEW YORK (The Deal) After his long-fought battle with Carl Icahn, one might think Michael Dell would rest on his laurels and keep Dell (DELL) the private, nimble startup he is promising the world. However, buried in the financing details for the nearly $25 billion leveraged buyout, backed by Silver Lake, is a hint that options are being kept open for a return trip to the public markets.

The roadshow for Dell's $3.25 billion bond offering backing its buyout is kicking off this week. The offering includes $2 billion of first-lien seven-year senior notes and $1.25 billion of second-lien eight-year senior notes.

Both tranches have three years of call protection, but the second-lien notes have a clawback that would allow 50% of the notes to be called at par plus half the coupon in case of an initial public offering.

"It's a little unusual because they've just gone private," said Richard Farley, a leveraged finance partner at Paul Hastings LLC.

What the clawback does for Dell is that it will allow it to pay off some of the more expensive second-lien debt if it should decide to go public during the second year following the financing, something that would be appealing to investors reading the company's S-1 filing.

And 50% is high for this type of provision. Most equity clawbacks are set between 30% and 40%, another indication that Michael Dell and Silver Lake are considering the capital structure of the company from all strategic angles.

Argus Research Co. analyst Jim Kelleher said taking Dell private to sort out its financial situation was a good strategy but, at a minimum, this company would need three to five years to even think about going public again. That said, Kelleher did not remember seeing an IPO clawback in other buyout situations recently.

"I don't recall that same sort of detail in some other takeouts," Kelleher said. "But this LBO is so large that it's hard to come up with comparisons."

There is the example of the take-private of Hertz Global Holdings Inc. in December 2005 for $15.6 billion by a private equity group led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC. The buyout consortium took the company public eleven months later.

The major difference between the Hertz and Dell situations, however, was that the car rental chain was doing well when it went public again. Revenue was up 8%, and EBITDA was up 9% following the buyout.

Dell on the other hand, is facing a worldwide secular decline of its signature product: the personal computer. PC sales suffered their steepest decline ever in the first quarter of this year, plummeting 14% according to a survey from International Data Corp.

Dell's EBITDA dropped 22.6% for the fiscal year ending in February 2013 from 2012, according to Bloomberg data. The market had priced the company at under $9 per share in late 2012 before buyout talk began to circulate and the company ended up being sold for $13.75 per share.

"For them to go back public so quickly would be an amazing turnaround," Farley said. "Can these guys really revamp Dell and execute on the business plan that currently contemplates them being private for an extended period of time so fast they'd be filing for an IPO within 18 months? That would be amazing - I'd say the likelihood of that happening seems low."

What to look for if Dell were planning to go public again quickly are signs that its credit was doing well so that company would be looking to put capital to work, Farley said. In that case, paying down the expensive debt would make sense. "It's a better use of proceeds than a dividend or a sale of equity," he said.

In a tweet following the shareholder vote that will allow him to take his eponymous company private Michael Dell wrote, "Welcome to the world's largest startup!"

And startups, as the world knows from the latest crop of tech companies, like nothing better than to go public. Just look at companies like Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and the soon to be public Twitter Inc. - the very same companies that put the Dells of the world where they are today.

Dell did not return a call seeking comment on the financing terms.

Credit Suisse Group is leading the notes offering. Joint bookrunners include Barclays plc, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets LLC and UBS. Dell is also arranging a $5.5 billion loan package to finance the buyout.

Written by Jonathan Schwarzberg

Batting Cleanup on Chat Queries

For those who are unaware, each month there is a joint web chat for subscribers of The Energy Strategist (TES) and MLP Profits. The chat is conducted by Igor Greenwald, managing editor for TES and chief investment strategist for MLP Profits, and myself. This month’s chat took place on Sept. 10.

We place a priority on answering questions about portfolio holdings and recommendations during the chat, but often we get questions about companies we don’t currently recommend. Or, we sometimes get questions or comments about a company that require an extended answer. In these cases we push those questions to the end, and attempt to answer them if time allows. For this past chat there were several questions remaining at the end, which I will address here today. For each company, a brief background is presented for readers who may not be familiar with the company.

Q: What is your view of BCEI at the present price?

Bonanza Creek Energy (NYSE: BCEI) is a Denver-based oil and gas company with operations in Colorado and southern Arkansas. While the Bakken Formation in North Dakota and the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas get more press, oil and gas plays in the Denver-Julesburg Basin have helped turn Colorado into one of the fastest growing energy producing states in the country and the fastest growing oil producer in the Rocky Mountains. Since 2008 oil production in Colorado has risen by an impressive 63 percent to a 50-year high.

BCEI is well-positioned with acreage in the Wattenberg Gas Field north of Denver. The field is one of the largest natural gas plays in the US. Wattenberg represents 60 percent of BCEI’s proved reserves, with 59 percent of those reserves classified as liquid. Of the company’s remaining reserves, 39 percent are located in the oil-bearing Cotton Valley Sands in Southern Arkansas (68 percent liquids) and 1 percent in Colorado’s North Park Basin (100 percent liquid! s).

BCEI has grown reserves at a 45 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2007, while production has grown at a 71 percent CAGR. In the most recent quarter, production was 55 percent higher than in 2012, and production in the Rocky Mountain region was 105 percent higher. This followed a first quarter that actually disappointed on production and EBITDA, and saw the company take a 10 percent hit to its market cap. But shares have since recovered, and are trading at an all-time high, which represents a 238 percent increase in the share price since the 2011 IPO.

Bonanza Creek’s incredible growth rate continues to justify the premium valuation. Nevertheless, with the share price up 21 percent in the past month and major flooding in Colorado potentially affecting Q3 operations, you will likely find a better entry point over the next two to three months.

Q: What do you think of the latest Peyto results?

Peyto Exploration & Development (TSX: PEY) is a Canadian producer of natural gas. Its production had been on the decline for several years until 2009, when Peyto joined the fracking revolution and began to use hydraulic fracturing on horizontal wells. Since then, the fortunes of the company have made a sharp reversal along with the production rate. After declining from 2005 to 2009, Peyto’s share price has risen 230 percent since the beginning of 2009.

In the most recent quarter, Peyto reported a year-over-year production increase of 41 percent to a new company record of 58,145 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The sharp recovery in natural gas prices also helped, propelling the company’s funds from operations 70 percent higher to $110 million Canadian dollars.

So, to answer the question, the quarterly results were superb, and continued the pattern of strong growth the company has shown since 2009. But strong production growth is only a part of the company’s story. They have also done a fantastic job of controlling costs. Peyto should be on anyone’s short list if they are looking to invest in natural gas, and are looking for diversification beyond the US.

Q: Would like your opinion on TAT

TransAtlantic Petroleum (NYSE: TAT, TSX: TNP) is a small energy company with interests in Turkey (primarily) and Bulgaria. There are untold numbers of small, publicly-traded energy companies operating in different regions of the world, but TAT has a story worth telling.

When people suggest to me that the world won’t produce much more oil or gas than is currently produced, my counterargument is that the fracking revolution that has made the US the fastest growing oil and gas-producing country in the world has yet to spread across the globe. It was less than a month ago that Poland became the first European country with a significant hydraulic fracturing success, producing commercial quantities of shale gas.

TransAtlantic Petroleum seeks to bring the fracking revolution to Turkey. (Bulgaria has banned fracking.) In fact, TAT has begun to hydraulically fracture wells in Turkey’s Thrace Basin. In the ideal scenario, TAT, which has seen its share price languish for years, would see the sort of renaissance experienced by Peyto once they began their program of hydraulic fracturing.

But it’s far too early to tell if TAT will have commercial success, and it faces significant competitors in the region, such as Shell (NYSE: RDS.A). Given all the risk factors, this is not one that I would feel comfortable owning at this time, but if it were to significantly increase production in Turkey as Peyto did in Canada, I might reconsider.

Q: Can you comment on the prospects for Devon Energy?

Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) is one of the major oil and gas producers in North America. Historically the company has produced more natural gas than oil — at present producing more than 3 percent of the natural gas consumed in North America — but Devon is now focused on producing more liquids. At present these make up only about a third of the output, but the company anticipates pushing that to 50 percent by 2016 and is devoting substantial capital to that goal.

The market has richly rewarded Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) for shifting production from natural gas to liquids — that stock is up 31 percent since joining The Energy Strategist’s Aggressive Portfolio four months ago.

But investors have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with Devon. This is somewhat understandable since Devon’s total production of oil and gas is about where it was 10 years ago.

Having said that, the recovery of natural gas prices since last year pushed Devon’s second-quarter earnings to $1.69 a share versus $1.16 a year ago. Oil production increased 14 percent over the previous year. The market’s response to date has been tepid; shares are up less than 5 percent since the earnings release six weeks ago.

But Devon looks like a real value to me at this level, and I would exercise a bit more patience if you are holding it. I have been tempted in the past to buy a few shares, and I don’t think they have looked like a bigger value than they do today.

Q: Please comment on LRE and MEMP

I am going to address LRR Energy LP (NYSE: LRE) and Memorial Production Partners LP (NASDAQ: MEMP) in an upcoming issue of MLP Investing Insider.

(Follow Robert Rapier on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.)

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now

Over the past week, we have seen five CEOs report insider buys costing them over $100,000. These buys can be significant to note because CEOs are expected to have the most knowledge about their companies and would likely only invest their own money if they expect the share price to rise.



Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)

Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has made the largest insider buy this week, buying nearly one million dollars worth of shares.

Richard Fain added 26,800 shares to his stake on July 29. The insider purchased these shares at an average price of $36.82 per share. This transaction cost the CEO a total of $986,776. Since his purchase, the price per share has increased approximately 1.6%. Fain now holds on to nearly 1.5 million shares of Royal Caribbean.


Fain�� most recent insider transaction is the first insider buy since Aug. 2011.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. The company also offers land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America.

Royal Caribbean�� historical price, revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company�� most recent quarterly results highlighted:

路 Net income of $24.7 million, or $0.11 per share, compared to a net loss of $3.7 million in the second quarter 2012.
路 Expects the full-year EPS to be in the range of $2.20 to $2.30.
路 Made $1.4 million in passenger ticket revenues.
路 Lost $0.05 per share as a result of the Grandeur fire.

The analysis on the company reports that the company has issued $489.992 million of debt over the past three years. It also notes that the company�� revenue has slowed down over the past year, that the price is nearing a 1-year high and that the P/S ratio is nearing a 2-year high.

Royal Caribbean has a market cap of $8.1 billion. Its shares are c! urrently traded at around $37.41 with a P/E ratio of 108.50, a P/S ratio of 1.00 and a P/B ratio of 1.00. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 2.2% over the past ten years.

There are currently 12 gurus that hold a position in Royal Caribbean. Click here to see their holding histories.

Winmark Corporation (WINA)

Chairman and CEO John Morgan of Winmark Corporation made a notable buy on July 29. The CEO purchased 2,000 shares at approximately $68.55 per share. This transaction cost the CEO $137,100. Since his most recent buy, the price per share has increased approximately 5.56%. Morgan currently holds over 1.7 million shares of Winmark.


This insider buy comes as the share price continues to exceed past the company�� 10-year high price.

Winmark is a franchisor of five retail store concepts that buy, sell, trade and consign merchandises. The five stores include: Play It Again Sports, Once Upon a Child, Plato�� Closet, Music Go Round and Style Encore. Style Encore is Winmark�� most recent concept, and the company recently announced the signing of Style Encore�� franchise agreements.

Winmark�� historical price, revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company�� second quarter results reported:

路 Net income of $4,336,900, or $0.83 per diluted share, up from $3.4 million last year.
路 An additional 67 retail franchises have been awarded but are not open yet.
路 The company�� lease portfolio is up to $37.2 million.
路 Free cash flow of $2.04 million, down from $2.23 million at the close of 2012.

The Peter Lynch Chart shows that Winmark appears to be overvalued:

[ Enlarge Image ]

Winmark has a market cap of $375 million. Its shares are currently being traded at around $72.36 with a P/E ratio of 26.20, a P/S ratio of 6.80 and a P/B ratio of 13.20. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 24.5% over the past ten years.

Jim Simons is the only guru that maintains a! position! in Winmark. He holds 55,400 shares representing 1.11% of the company�� shares outstanding.

Phillips 66 Partners LP (PSXP)

Chairman and CEO Greg Garland made a significant buy during the company�� IPO on July 26. Garland purchased 35,000 shares at $23 per share. This transaction cost him a total of $805,000.

During the IPO, seven other insiders made buys. These insiders consisted of CFO Gregory Maxwell, President Timothy Taylor, VP of Investor Relations Craig Clayton, VP and COO J.T. Liberti, VP and Controller Charles Johnson, Director Mark Haney and Director Joseph O��oole. These insiders bought a total of 187,500 shares at $23 per share. These buys cost the insiders a cumulative total of $4,312,500.



Phillips 66 Partners is a growth-oriented, traditional master limited partnership recently formed by Phillips 66 to own, operate, develop and acquire primarily fee-based crude oil, refined petroleums and natural gas liquids, pipelines and terminals and other transportation and midstream assets.

Since the IPO, the share price has increased by 38.09%

There are currently no gurus that hold a position in Phillips 66 Partners.

Solitario Exploration & Royalty (XPL)

Several insiders made significant buys this week as the company�� share price continues to dwindle beneath its all-time lows. Most notably, President and CEO Christopher Herald bought 400,000 shares. He purchased these shares at $0.84 per share for a total transaction amount of $336,000. Since this buy, the share price has increased approximately 11.9%.

Four other insiders made buys this week. These insiders purchased a total of 206,665 shares at $0.84 per share. These buys cost the insiders a combined total of $173,599.


These buys were as a result of a private placement of 2.45 million shares at $0.84 per share, and marked the lowest share price Solitario has seen since 2011. These buys also mark the first insider buys for the company since June 2012.

! Solitario! is a gold, silver, platinum-palladium and base metal exploration, development and royalty company that is actively exploring in Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Nevada.

Solitario�� historical price, revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The analysis on Solitario Exploration & Royalty reports:

路 Revenue has been in a decline over the past year.
路 The company is having difficulty collecting payments.
路 The operating margin has been in a 5-year decline.
路 The price is currently sitting near a 10-year low.

Solitario Exploration & Royalty has a market cap of $31.9 million. Its shares are currently being traded at around $0.94 with a P/S ratio of 107.60 and a P/B ratio of 3.80. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 2.7% over the past five years.

Guru Robert Bruce holds 254,040 shares of Solitario representing 0.73% of the company�� shares outstanding.

Alexza Pharmaceuticals (ALXA)

As Alexza Pharmaceuticals��price has continued to stay at a 10-year low price, President and CEO Thomas King decided to increase his holdings in the company.

King purchased 40,000 shares of his company�� stock at $4.48 per share. This transaction cost the CEO a total of $179,200. Since his buy, the price per share has increased approximately 4.24%. King now holds a total of 245,823 shares of company stock.


King�� buy marks the first insider buy since Dec. 2012.

Alexza Pharmaceuticals is focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel, proprietary products for the acute treatment of central nervous system conditions, including agitation, acute repetitive seizures and insomnia.

Alexza�� historical price, revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company is set to release their second quarter financial results on August 8, 2013.

The analysis on the company reports:

路 The company displays signs of poor business operation.
路 The revenue has been in decline! over the! past three years.
路 The P/S ratio is near a 2-year high of 22.32.

Alexza Pharmaceuticals has a market cap of $74 million. Its shares are currently being traded at around $4.67 with a P/S ratio of 22.50.

There are currently no gurus that maintain positions in Alexza Pharmaceuticals.

You can view all CEO buys and sells here. Also, check out the new Canadian Insider Trade Page.

Try a free 7-day Premium Membership Trial here.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Cathay Intl(CTI.L)

Cathay International Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, operates primarily in the healthcare sector. It engages in the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of specialty western pharmaceuticals, modern Chinese medicine extracts, and generic pharmaceuticals in the People?s Republic of China; manufacturing, marketing, and sale of plant extracts for use as active ingredients in food, beverages, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and healthcare products; and the development of pharmaceutical products. The company also operates Crowne Plaza Landmark Hotel & Suites Shenzhen, a five star business traveler hotel in the Lowu district of Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China. Cathay International Holdings Limited is based in Central, Hong Kong.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Zena Mining Corp (ZCC.V)

Zena Mining Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the exploration and development of industrial minerals, including barite in British Columbia, Canada. It holds 100% mineral rights in properties consisting of 9 claims covering 300 hectares situated in the Greenwood mining division of British Columbia near the town of Rock Creek. The company was formerly known as Zena Capital Corp. and changed its name to Zena Mining Corp. in June 2009. Zena Mining Corp. was founded in 2000 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Casino Companies To Buy For 2014: United Bancshares Inc.(UBOH)

United Bancshares, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for The Union Bank Company that engages in the provision of commercial banking services to small and middle-market businesses and individuals. It accepts various deposit products, including checking accounts, savings and money market accounts, time certificates of deposit, time deposits, and demand deposits. The company also offers various loan products that consist of commercial, consumer, agricultural, residential mortgage, and home equity loans. In addition, it provides automatic teller machine services, safe deposit box rentals, and other personalized banking services. The company serves primarily in the Ohio counties of Allen, Hancock, Putnam, Sandusky, Van Wert, and Wood, as well as with office locations in Bowling Green, Columbus Grove, Delphos, Findlay, Gibsonburg, Kalida, Leipsic, Lima, Ottawa, and Pemberville, Ohio. United Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Columbus Grove, Ohio.< /p>

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: SMG ORD GBP0.50(STVG.L)

STV Group plc engages in the production and broadcasting of television programmes in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company also provides Internet services; sells advertising airtime and space in these media; creates and produces content for broadcast networks; and offers content in various platforms, including digital terrestrial, cable and satellite, online, and connected devices for advertisers to attract mass audiences. In addition, it operates digital channels and Website stv.tv, which offer news, sport, and entertainment; STV Player that provides STV programmes; and STV Local, a network of hyper-local Websites. STV Group plc is headquartered in Glasgow, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Saratoga Electronic Solutions I (SAR.V)

Saratoga Electronic Solutions Inc. engages in placing and operating a network of automated teller machines (ATMs) primarily in eastern Canada. It also involves in the wholesale distribution of prepaid cards, point-of-sale activated prepaid phone personal identification numbers (P.O.S.A.), prepaid debit cards, long distance calling cards, and various electronic gift card solutions to consumers. The company provides its prepaid products through freestanding intelligent machines, P.O.S.A. terminals, and traditional merchants. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of approximately 445 ATMs, as well as managed approximately 2,670 point-of-sale locations. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Montreal, Canada.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)

YRC Worldwide Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various transportation services worldwide. The company?s YRC National Transportation unit offers a range of services for the transportation of industrial, commercial, and retail goods, such as apparel, appliances, automotive parts, chemicals, food, furniture, glass, machinery, metal, metal products, non-bulk petroleum products, rubber, textiles, wood, and other manufactured products. It serves manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and government customers. As of December 31, 2009, it had 11704 owned tractors, 1239 leased tractors, 50083 owned trailers, and 3244 leased trailers. Its YRC Regional Transportation unit?s service portfolio includes regional delivery, which comprises next-day local area delivery and second-day services, consolidation/distribution services, protect-from-freezing and hazardous materials handling, and various specialized offerings; expedited delivery, that comprises day-definite, hour-definite, and time definite capabilities; inter-regional delivery; cross-border delivery; and operation of my.yrcregional.com and NewPenn.com, which are e-commerce Websites offering online resources to manage transportation activity. The company?s YRC Logistics units? service portfolio consists of distribution services that include flow through and pool distribution, dedicated warehousing, and value-added services; global services, which comprise international freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and value-added services; and transportation services, such as truckload brokerage, domestic freight forwarding, and transportation management. Its YRC Truckload unit provides customized truckload services on regional and national level through the use of company and team-based drivers. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)

Biogen Idec Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hemophilia, and autoimmune disorders in the United States and internationally. Its marketed products include the AVONEX for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS); RITUXAN for treating relapsed or refractory, CD20-positive, and B-cell Non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma (NHL); TYSABRI to treat relapsing MS; FUMADERM for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients; and FAMPYRA, an oral compound for the improvement of walking in adult patients with MS with walking disability. Biogen Idec Inc.?s products under Phase III consist of PEGylated interferon beta-1a designed to prolong the effects and reduce the dosing frequency of interferon beta-1a; BG-12 for the treatment of MS; Daclizumab, a monoclonal antibody in relapsing MS; Long-lasting factor IX and VIII fusion protein for the treatment of hemophilia B; GA101, a monoclonal antibody for t he treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and NHL; and Dexpramipexole, an orally administered small molecule for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The company?s Phase I clinical trial products include Anti-LINGO for use in multiple sclerosis, Neublastin for use in neuropathic pain, CD40L for use in systemic lupus erythematosus, ANTI-TWAEK humanized monoclonal antibody for TWEAK, and BIIB037 for use in Alzheimer's disease; and Phase II clinical trial product comprises OCRELIZUMAB, a humanized monoclonal antibody for treating CD20. It has collaboration agreements with Genentech, Inc.; Elan Pharma International, Ltd; Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB; Abbott Biotherapeutics Corp; and Vernalis plc. The company was formerly known as IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation and changed its name to Biogen Idec Inc. in November 2003. Biogen Idec Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Weston, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ken Sweet]

  Biogen Idec (BIIB), a maker of specialized treatments for neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, benefited from two positive developments in its drug pipeline this year.

  In April, the company announced positive results from a Phase 3 clinical trial for a new MS treatment called BG-12. Phase 3 trials are often the last step in a drug's development before it heads to market.

  Later that month, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Rituxan, which Biogen co-developed with Roche's (RHBBY) Genentech, for use in treating two extremely rare diseases -- Wegener's Granulomatosis and Microscopic Polyangiitis.The combination of those two events sent shares of Biogen up more than 30% in April alone.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: 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.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Canada Fluorspar Inc (CFI.V)

Canada Fluorspar Inc., a specialty mineral resource company, engages in the development and production of fluorspar deposits in Canada. It holds a 100% interest in the St. Lawrence Fluorspar project, which consists of six mineral licenses located in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador. The company is headquartered in St. John�s, Canada.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Exoma Energy Ltd (EXE.AX)

Exoma Energy Limited engages in the exploration of oil and gas properties in Australia. The company explores for conventional oil, shale oil, and gas and coal seam gas contained in coal and carbonaceous shales. Exoma Energy Limited holds a 50% interest in 5 exploration permits covering an area of approximately 27,000 square kilometers of the Eromanga and Galilee Basins in Central Queensland. The company is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: 3D, Hasbro, Dollar Tree, Tyson and More

This will be an interesting week for Wall Street analyst coverage as many traders, investors and analysts are out ahead of Labor Day. Still, we are seeing a surprising number of research calls from analysts now that stocks have pulled back from their recent all-time highs. Some investors want to know if they should sell or avoid certain stocks, while others are looking for stocks to buy.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of Wall Street analyst research reports each day to find new ideas for investors. Some picks are growth, some are value, some are stocks to buy and some are stocks to sell. These are Monday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from Wall Street.

Citigroup has initiated coverage in the 3D printing market positively on Monday: 3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD) was started as Buy with a $60 price target and Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) was started as Buy with a $125 price target.

Deutsche Bank is making a change in its coverage of dollar store themes on Monday: Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) was raised to Buy from Hold and Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) was downgraded to Hold from Buy, but the price target was raised to $74 from $70.

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) was reiterated as Hold as shares are perceived to be fully valued at Argus.

Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at J.P. Morgan.

Darling International Inc. (NYSE: DAR) was raised to Buy from Hold and the price target was raised to $25 from $22 at Canaccord Genuity.

Hasbro Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) was raised to Buy all the way from Sell by Citigroup.

Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU) may not be a formal upgrade, but shares are up 3% after Barron’s covered it over the weekend, calling for it to potentially double off of its lows. One analyst was quoted as saying that it could rise to $30 or $35, as business already hit a bottom and is poised to recover.

ResMed Inc. (NYSE: RMD) was raised to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) was downgraded to Neutral rom Buy at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

We saw the analyst quiet period end for American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) and we have seen some mixed coverage in the name: BofA/Merrill Lynch was at Neutral, Goldman Sachs was at Neutral, Wells Fargo was at Market Perform and J.P. Morgan was at Overweight.

Credit Suisse has identified solid earnings winners that refuse to use smoke and mirrors in their reporting. Also, after seeing the Amgen-Onyx deal, we want readers to revisit superior growth companies via the 10 companies expected to double revenues in the next two to four years.

Top Performing Companies To Buy Right Now

Shares of Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN  ) have been on a tear of late. Since the beginning of last year, they're up nearly 37%, outperforming the S&P 500 by roughly eight percentage points and ascending recently to a new 52-week high. As I write, they're trading for the highest price since the financial crisis took its toll on the bank. For current or prospective investors in Huntington, in turn, this performance begs the question: What's left for its shares going forward?

HBAN data by YCharts.

While it's impossible to predict the future, what can be said is that Huntington's valuation leaves room for further gains. Trading at 1.25 times its tangible book value, the bank is by no means cheap -- a common saying in the industry is to "buy at half of book value and sell at two times book value." At the same time, it's far from expensive. Take U.S. Bancorp, the nation's largest regional bank, as a counterpoint. Its shares trade for 2.54 times tangible book value. Or even BB&T, a regional bank operating primarily throughout the mid-Atlantic region. It changes hands at 1.86 times tangible book.

Top Performing Companies To Buy Right Now: Land Securities(LAND.L)

Land Securities Group PLC, a real estate investment trust, engages in the ownership, development, and management of commercial properties primarily in the United Kingdom. It provides customers with access to retail units in shopping centers, retail warehouses, shops, and other regional properties. The company also offers customers with access to offices and creates office developments supporting complementary uses, such as retail, public space, and residential. In addition, Land Securities Group enables customers to outsource the construction and maintenance of buildings, as well as leasing, developing, managing, refurbishing, repairing, and maintaining properties, facilities, and land in the area of public private partnership in sectors, such as education, waste defense training, and local government infrastructure. The company also involves in urban community development operations through its multi-billion pound development program, transforming regional city centers an d key sites in Central London. As of December 31, 2007, its property portfolio comprised 1.7 million square meters of retail accommodation; 1.1 million square meters of office and retail accommodation; and 3.1 million square meters properties in property outsourcing partnerships. The company was founded in 1944 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top Performing Companies To Buy Right Now: Excellence Investments Ltd (EXCE)

Excellence Investments Ltd is an Israeli company active in the financial sector. The Company offers services to institutional and corporate clients, and high net worth individuals. The Company's services include global and domestic asset management, investment banking and underwriting, foreign exchange trade and advisory services, derivatives trading, brokerage, mutual fund and provident fund management, pension fund management and exchange traded funds (ETF).

Top 5 Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Agilent Technologies Inc (A&)

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (Agilent), incorporated on May 5, 1999, is a measurement company providing bio-analytical and electronic measurement solutions to the communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis industries. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), it had three business segments: electronic measurement business, chemical analysis business and life sciences business. Its electronic measurement business addresses the communications, electronics and other industries. Agilent�� chemical analysis business focuses on the petrochemical, environmental, forensics and food safety industries. Its life sciences business focuses on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic and Government, bio-agriculture and food safety industries. In addition to its three businesses, it conducts research through Agilent Technologies Laboratories (Agilent Labs). In fiscal 2011, the Company acquired A2 Technologies, Lab901 and Biocius Life Sciences Inc. On December 21, 2011, the Company acquired BioSystem Development business and P.V.R. s.r.l., a vacuum pump manufacturer. In February 2012, the Company acquired software solutions and technology for device-level modeling and validation from Accelicon Technologies. In June 2012, the Company acquired cancer diagnostics company, Dako. In August 2012, the Company acquired Aurora SFC Systems, Inc.

Electronic Measurement Business

The Company�� electronic measurement business provides electronic measurement instruments and systems, software design tools and related services that are used in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronics equipment, and microscopy products. Related services include start-up assistance, instrument productivity and application services and instrument calibration and repair. It also offers customization, consulting and optimization services throughout the customer's product lifecycle. It sells products and services applicable to a rang! e of communications networks and systems, including wireless communications and microwave networks, voice, broadband, data, and fiber optic networks. Test products include Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software, vector and signal analyzers, signal generators, vector network analyzers, one box testers, oscilloscopes, logic and protocol analyzers, and bit-error ratio testers.

The Company�� wireless communications and microwave network products include radio frequency and microwave test instruments and electronic design automation software tools. These products are required for the design and production of wireless network products, communications links, cellular handsets and base stations. It provides handheld products for the installation and maintenance of wireless networks. Its electronic design automation software tools and instruments are used by radio frequency integrated circuit design engineers to model, simulate and analyze communications product designs at the circuit and system levels.

The Company�� suite of fiber optic test products measure and analyze a range of optical and electrical parameters in fiber optic networks and their components. Components which can be tested with Agilent solutions include source lasers, optical amplifiers, filters and other passive components. Test products include optical component analyzers, optical power meters and optical spectrum analyzers. It sells the products into the general purpose test market, including general purpose instruments, modular instruments and test software, digital test products, semiconductor and board test solutions, electronics manufacturing test equipment, atomic force microscopes and radio frequency and network surveillance solutions. The Company�� general purpose products include spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, logic analyzers, digitizing oscilloscopes, voltmeters, multimeters, frequency counters, bench and system power supplies, function generators and waveform synthesizers. Modular! instrume! nts and test software are used by the designers and manufacturers of electronic devices as the building blocks of systems that can be configured for a range of test applications.

The Company�� digital test products are used by research and development engineers across a range of industries to validate the function and performance of their digital product and system designs. These designs include a range of products from digital control circuits to high speed systems, such as computer servers and the gaming consoles. The test products offered include oscilloscopes, logic and serial protocol analyzers, logic-signal sources and data generators.

The Company�� semiconductor and board test solutions enable customers to develop and test semiconductors, test and inspect printed circuit boards, perform functional testing, and measure position and distance information to the sub-nanometer level. It is a supplier of parametric test instruments and systems used to examine semiconductor wafers during the manufacturing process. Its in-circuit test system helps identify quality defects, such as faulty or incorrect parts, that affect electrical performance. Its laser interferometer measurement systems provide precise position or distance information for dimensional measurements. Its atomic force microscopes (AFM) are imaging devices. An AFM allows researchers to observe and manipulate molecular and atomic level features. Its portfolio of AFM products provides customers with tools for a range of nanotechnology applications, including semiconductor, data storage, polymers, materials science and life science studies. The Company�� surveillance systems and subsystems are used by defense and government engineers and technicians to detect, locate and analyze signals of interest. The products offered include receivers for detecting radio frequency signals, probes for detecting wire line signals and software that enables the identification and analysis of these signals. Agilent's electronic measureme! nt custom! ers include contract manufacturers of electronic products, handset manufacturers and network equipment manufacturers who design, develop, manufacture and install network equipment, service providers who implement, maintain and manage communication networks and services, and companies who design, develop, and manufacture semiconductors and semiconductor lithography systems. Its customers use its products to conduct research and development, manufacture, install and maintain radio frequency, microwave frequency, digital, semiconductor, and optical products and systems and conduct nanotechnology research.

The Company competes with Aeroflex Incorporated, Anritsu Corporation, Ansys Corporation, EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering, Inc., National Instruments Corporation, Rohde & Schwartz GmbH & Co. KG, Spirent plc, Danaher Corporation, Bruker Corporation, LeCroy Corporation, Teradyne, Inc., Test Research Inc. and Zygo Corporation.

Chemical Analysis Business

The Company�� chemical analysis business provides application-focused solutions that include instruments, software, consumables and services that enable customers to identify, quantify and analyze the physical and chemical properties of substances and products. Its product categories in chemical analysis include gas chromatography (GC) systems, columns and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instruments; atomic absorption (AA) instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) instruments; software and data systems; vacuum pumps and measurement technologies; services and support for its products. Agilent provides custom or standard analyzers configured for specific chemical analysis applications, such as detailed speciation of a complex hydrocarbon stream, calculation of gas calorific values in the field, or analysis of a new bio-fuel formulation. It also offers related software, accessories and consumable ! products ! for these and other similar instruments. Its MS products incorporate technologies for measuring mass, including single-quadrupole, triple-quadrupole, and ion trap mass spectrometers. It combines its mass spectrometers with other instruments to instruments, such as GC/MS, and ICP-MS. It also offers related software, accessories and consumable products for these and other similar instruments. The Company�� spectroscopy instruments include atomic absorption (AA) spectrometers, inductively coupled plasma-optical emissions spectrometers (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometers (ICP-MS), fluorescence spectrophotometers, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometers, Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometers, near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometers, Raman spectrometers and sample automation products. It also offers related software, accessories and consumable products for these and other similar instruments.

The Company�� vacuum technologies products are used to create, control, measure and test vacuum environments in life science, industrial and scientific applications where clean and vacuum environments are needed. Products include a range of vacuum pumps, including diffusion, turbomolecular and ion getter; intermediate vacuum pumps, including rotary vane, sorption and dry scroll, vacuum instrumentation, including vacuum control instruments, sensor gauges and meters, and vacuum components, including valves, flanges and other mechanical hardware. Its products also include helium mass spectrometry and helium-sensing leak detection instruments used to identify and measure leaks in hermetic or vacuum environments. The Company offers a range of services, including an exchange and rebuild program, assistance with the design and integration of vacuum systems, applications support and training in basic and advanced vacuum technologies. The Company offers a range of consumable products, which support its technology platforms, including sample preparation consumables, suc! h as soli! d phase extraction (SPE) and filtration products, self manufactured GC and LC columns, chemical standards, and instrument replacement parts. Consumable products also include scientific instrument parts and supplies, such as filters and fittings for GC systems; xenon lamps and cuvettes for UV-Vis-NIR, fluorescence, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy instruments; and graphite furnace tubes, hollow cathode lamps and specialized sample introduction glassware for its AA, ICP-OES and ICP-MS products.

The Company competes with Bruker Corporation, PerkinElmer Inc., Shimadzu Corporation and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Life Sciences Business

The Company�� life sciences business provides application-focused technologies and solutions, which include instruments, software, consumables and services. Its product categories include liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, microarrays, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrumentation, bioreagents, electrophoresis, software and informatics, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, and, consumables and services. The Agilent liquid chromatograph (LC) portfolio is modular in construction and can be configured as analytical and preparative systems. Agilent's liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometer (LC/MS) portfolio includes instruments built around five analyzer types, such as single quadrupole, triple quadrupole, ion trap, time-of-flight (TOF) and quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF). It is a provider of microarray-based, genomics research solutions. It provides products for sequencing platforms. Its portfolio of PCR instrumentation, reagents and kits, coupled with its other products, such as microarrays and target enrichment systems for sequencing, provides a range of workflow solutions to customers in the genomics marketplace.

Agilent is a supplier of electrophoretic separation solutions. The 2100 Bioanalyzer analyzes biomolecules or cells in microfluidic networks of channels and wells etched i! nto glass! chips. The 3100 OFFGEL Fractionator resolves proteins or peptides by isoelectric point with liquid-phase recovery. It provides software for instrument control, data acquisition, data analysis, laboratory content and business process management, and informatics. With OpenLab, Agilent has open architecture, which enables capture, analyze, and share scientific data throughout the lab and across the enterprise. It offers a range of consumable products, which support its LC, and MS technology platforms. These consumable products include sample preparation products; self manufactured LC columns and instrument replacement parts, and consumable supplies to meet its customers' analysis needs. It offers a range of startup, operational, educational and compliance support services for measurement and data handling systems. Its support services include maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and training for all of its chemical and bioinstrumentation analysis hardware and software products.

The Company competes with Affymetrix Inc., Bruker Corp., Danaher Corporation, Illumina, Inc., Life Technologies Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and Waters Corp.