Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Time Warner Cable guy Glenn Britt: $118m in 2013…

Time Warner Cable executives will land some fat golden parachutes after the cable operator's $45 billion merger with Comcast is finalized later this year. None will come close to $118 million CEO Glenn Britt got after retiring in 2013.

Britt received compensation valued at about $14.2 million, including a $5.7 million bonus. He gained $17.5 million exercising stock options and another $24.1 million as part of a special dividend of restricted shares, Time Warner Cable said Tuesday in its annual proxy. Britt also received $62.1 million, in stock and options that vested when he retired Dec. 31. He'll get a one-time benefit valued at $81,000, which the company described as secretarial and travel support.

Time Warner Cable's board said Britt, 65, could have earned $16 million in 2013 if the company had met performance targets.

His successor, Robert Marcus, made headlines after Comcast and Time Warner announced their Feb. 12 merger, just six weeks into Marcus' watch. Under terms of his employment contract, Marcus, 48, will pocket about $80 million. Marcus received 2013 compensation valued at $8.5 million, gaining about $4.1 million exercising stock options and nearly $2.5 million from vested shares.

Among other Time Warner Cable execs, CFO Arthur Minson — who rejoined the company last May — received compensation valued at nearly $5.5 million. He'll receive a post-merger golden parachute valued at $27 million.

Top 5 Paper Stocks To Own Right Now

Executives, along with 1,800 other Time Warner Cable employees, will also be eligible for supplemental bonuses payable in 2015. The cable operator's board says the bonuses are designed to retain employees until the merger is complete.

Time Warner Cable said shareholder return jumped 43% last year, outpacing the Standard & Poors 500's 32% gain.

Follow Strauss on Twitter @gbstrauss.

Monday, April 28, 2014

5 Stocks With Strong Sales Growth — HTH INSY CREG TTWO GV

RSS Logo Portfolio Grader Popular Posts: Hottest Energy Stocks Now – RIG SDRL TDW ESV10 Best “Strong Buy” Stocks — POWR EQM TPL and more7 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 5 Stocks With Ugly Operating Margin Growth — NBIX CTEL TSRA NYNY PMFG Biggest Movers in Healthcare Stocks Now – FURX AZN TECH PFE Biggest Movers in Technology Stocks Now – ROP AVX AUO GTI View All Posts

This week, these five stocks have the best ratings in Sales Growth, one of the eight Fundamental Categories on Portfolio Grader.

Hilltop Holdings () provides business and consumer banking services in Texas. .

10 Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now

Insys Therapeutics, Inc. () develops pharmaceutical products that target the unmet needs of cancer patients, with a focus on cancer-supportive care. INSY also gets A’s in Earnings Surprises and Equity. .

China Recycling Energy () engages in the provision of energy savings and recycling products and services. CREG also gets A’s in Earnings Momentum and Cash Flow. .

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. () publishes, develops and distributes interactive entertainment software and hardware. TTWO also gets A’s in Earnings Growth, Earnings Momentum, Analyst Earnings Revisions, Equity and Cash Flow. The stock currently has a trailing PE Ratio of 7.20. .

Goldfield Corp. () conducts electrical construction operations, including the placement of fiber optic cable and is also engaged in real estate operations. GV also gets an A in Equity. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sell Dean Foods To Buy Hain Celestial And WhitWave

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2015

The dairy industry in the U.S. is trying to solve an difficult puzzle: how to revive milk sales. According to a report by Packaged Facts, the dairy alternative beverages or plant-based beverages market in the U.S. is growing rapidly. In addition, per capita fluid milk consumption has fallen to about 0.61 cup-equivalents per day from an earlier level of 0.96 cup-equivalents per day, according to a new report from the USDA's economic research service.

In response to this shift in consumer preferences, Dean Foods (DF) was quick to spin off its fast-growing WhiteWave division, which makes Horizon Organic Milk and Silk soy products, into WhiteWave Foods (WWAV). WhiteWave Foods competes with the likes of Hain Celestial (HAIN) and Blue Diamond Growers in the plant-based beverages market, but is it a good buy?

WhiteWave is on a roll

WhiteWave is known for its popular Silk brand of plant-based milk (soy, coconut, and almond milks), International Delight and Land O'Lakes creamers and iced coffees, and the Horizon brand of organic milk. WhiteWave is having a terrific run after going public in October of 2012, which has led to more than seven positive estimate revisions after the release of its third-quarter results. In its third quarter, the company reported 10% revenue growth and earnings-per-share growth of 21% from the year-ago quarter. The company ended the third quarter with $87.1 million in cash and equivalents.

WhiteWave continues to maintain the No. 1 position in all of its sub-categories with a 75% share in soy, a 65% share in coconut, and a 53% share in almond. In order to consolidate its position and propel growth to the next level, WhiteWave announced the acquisition of Earthbound Farms. Earthbound is the largest organic produce brand in North America and a leader in organic packaged salads, with anticipated sales of $500 million in fiscal 2013. The deal is expected to contribute $0.07 per share to adjusted earnings in the first fiscal year after the deal is closed.

Another good option

Hain Celestial is also having a stellar run, like WhiteWave, as a result of consumers switching to organic and natural food thanks to growing health awareness. On the back of strong demand for its assortment of organic products, Hain has posted 14 straight quarters of double-digit earnings growth . In the first quarter of fiscal 2014, Hain's revenue jumped 32.7% year-over-year to $477.5 million and adjusted earnings per share moved up 26.8% .

Hain's WestSoy brand proudly sits at the No. 1 spot in non-dairy soy beverages . Rice Dream and Soy Dream are the other milk substitutes in Hain's portfolio. The company plans to roll out numerous coconut milks, nut milk blends, almond milks, and rice milks under the Dream brand. In order to expand its offerings and also gain a stronger foothold in the international market, Hain announced the acquisition of U.K.-based Basmati rice business Tilda .

Going forward, Hain expects sales growth of 17% and earnings in the range of $2.95-$3.05 per share, which would represent a 16%-20% year-over-year gain.

Dean tries to get back to normal

Dean Foods has been struggling in the wake of declining fluid milk consumption. To make matters worse, it lost a contract from Wal-Mart last year. As a result of this, the company has completed seven of its eight announced plant closures. The plant closures are part of Dean Foods' cost-cutting initiative, with targets of $120 million in fiscal 2013 and $80 million-$100 million in the next fiscal year.

These plant closures will improve the efficiency of the remaining network and drive increased competitiveness going forward. As a consequence, Dean Foods has already added significant business wins in fiscal 2013, positively impacting fourth quarter volumes. However, looking at the current industry volume trends, Dean Foods expects volumes to decline.

One of the factors dragging Dean Foods down currently is the cost of raw milk, which is used as a feed-stock. The price of raw milk has been increasing on the back of strong demand for milk powder, especially in China. Management has cautioned that prices are expected to remain high until the second half of 2014.

As of now, Dean Foods is trying to cope with the loss of a contract from Wal-Mart and implementing a turnaround. It is also betting on products such as TruMoo low-sugar chocolate milk to fuel revenue growth going forward. Until Dean Foods shows signs of recovery from the Wal-Mart contract loss, it's worth staying on the sidelines.

Bottom line

Dean Foods is trying to recover and it has found some success. However, it will still suffer because of a drop in milk volumes. In comparison, WhiteWave would be a better buy as the company has a wide range of products that include milk substitutes. The same can be said about Hain, which is a diversified player in organic food. Investors can easily find their way around declining milk volumes in the U.S. by investing in WhiteWave or Hain.

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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015

Our latest featured turnaround idea is a company that provides electronic health record systems and other information technology products to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers, observes George Putnam, editor of The Turnaround Letter.

After a large acquisition, made in 2010, didn't work out as planned, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX) put itself up for sale in early 2012. This created concern among its clients, and potential clients, and eventually led to the replacement of its long-time CEO in December 2012.

New CEO Paul Black spent 12 years helping build competitor Cerner into a powerhouse in the healthcare technology field, and before that, he was at IBM.

He immediately took the ��or Sale��sign off of Allscripts and has spent the last year focused on rebuilding the company's business.

The new CEO's efforts appear to be paying off. In the latest quarter, both new bookings and backlog were up significantly. In addition, the business is shifting to a more sustainable model.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP)

Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) is engaged on the acquisition, development and production of onshore oils and natural gas properties in the United States. All of the Company's proved reserves are located in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama, the Cherokee Basin in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma and the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas and Nebraska. The Company operates its oil and natural gases properties as one business segment: the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's total estimated proved reserves were approximately 201.3 billions of cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), approximately 76% of which were classified as proved developed, and 97% of which are natural gas and 3% of which are oil. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was the operator of approximately 88% of the 2,785 net wells in which the Company owned an interest. In March 2013, it announced sale of its Robinson's Bend Field assets, located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

Black Warrior Basin

The Black Warrior Basin is a coalbed methane basins in the country. The multi-seam vertical wells in the basin range from 500 to 3,700 feet deep, with coal seams averaging a total of 25 to 30 feet of net pay per well. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 100% working interest (an approximate 75% average net revenue interest) in its wells in the Black Warrior Basin, where the Company had 507 producing natural gas wells. The Black Warrior Basin is located in western Tuscaloosa County and Pickens County, Alabama, and encompasses a surface area of approximately 109 square miles. The field has been developed on 80-acre spacing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was developing its properties in the field on both 40- and 80-acre spacing. The field has seven compressor stations with 800-1,200 horsepower compressors, approximately 170 miles of gas gathering lines (wells to header) and approximately 25 miles of trans! portation lines (header to compressor). In addition, there are approximately 152 miles of water gathering pipes and 28 miles of water transportation pipes. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Black Warrior Basin were approximately 84.9 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88% of which were classified as proved developed, and all of which are natural gas.

Cherokee Basin

The Cherokee Basin is located in the Mid-Continent region in southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and western Missouri. It covers approximately 26,500 square miles. The production is natural gas produced from coals and shales. There are multiple producing coal zones in the Cherokee Basin, including the Rowe, Riverton, Weir-Pitt, and Dawson zones. In addition, there are other productive shale zones, as well as conventional sandstone and limestone potential, which can add natural gas and oil production. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 2,261 net producing wells in the Cherokee Basin. The Company operates in excess of 20 booster compressors and stations to gets its natural gas to sales points owned by ONEOK Gas Transportation, L.L.C., Scissortail Energy, LLC, Enogex Gas Gathering & Processing, LLC, Enogex Inc., and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. The Company operates a substantial portion of its production in the Cherokee Basin. The Company also own a 50% working interest in wells operated by Bullseye Operating, L.L.C. (Bullseye) and a 50% interest in Bullseye itself. Bullseye operates approximately 500 gross wells in Washington and Nowata Counties in Oklahoma and sells its production through the Cotton Valley producers cooperative, Cotton Valley Compression, L.L.C. The Company's gross working interest in its Cherokee Basin properties is approximately 80%, with its average gross working interest in its operated properties being approximately 100% and its average gross working interest in its non-operated Cherokee Basin properties being a! pproximat! ely 50%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Cherokee Basin were approximately 110.7 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 66% of which were classified as proved developed, and 95% of which were natural gas and 5% of which were oil.

Woodford Shale

The Woodford Shale is located in the Arkoma Basin in southern Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 82 well bores, or approximately 9 net producing wells, located in Coal and Hughes counties. This area is gas-rich and is characterized by multiple productive zones. The production of natural gas in the Woodford Shale comes from shale rock that has been stimulated through fracturing jobs after a horizontal well has been drilled. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's 82 wells had an average gross working interest of 11.3% and an average net revenue interest of 9.1%. Approximately 90% of the wells are operated by affiliates of Devon Energy Corporation (Devon) and Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent, Inc. (Newfield), with the remaining wells operated by three additional companies. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Woodford Shale were approximately 5.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent.

Central Kansas Uplift

The Central Kansas Uplift is an oil prone region located in Kansas and southern Nebraska. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a gross acreage position of 4,345 acres, or approximately 1,050 net acres and the Company owned 39 gross wells, or approximately 8 net producing wells. Murfin Drilling Company, Inc., an oil producer in Kansas, operates all of the Company's wells in this region. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the average gross working interest in the wells is approximately 21% and the average net revenue interest is approximately 17%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's proved reserves in the Central Kansas Uplift were approximately 0.5 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88%! of which! were classified as proved developed and all of which were oil.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    The bulk of these awards came in the form of a single multiple-award, task-order contract to be shared among several energy companies:

    Constellation Energy Partners LLC's (NYSEMKT: CEP  ) Constellation NewEnergy subsidiary Privately held ECC Renewables LLC Enel Green Power North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Enel SpA LTC Federal LLC Siemens' (NYSE: SI  ) Government Technologies unit

    These five firms are now authorized to bid for individual task orders under an umbrella contract for the procurement of renewable and alternative energy from facilities that are designed, financed, constructed, operated and maintained by private companies on private land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The ceiling value on this contract is $7 billion, thus accounting for 84% of the value of all Pentagon contracts awarded yesterday.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT)

Alliant Energy Corporation operates in electric and gas utility businesses in the United States. The company, through its subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company, engages in the generation and distribution of electric energy; and the distribution and transportation of natural gas in Iowa and southern Minnesota. As of December 31, 2009, it supplied electric and gas service to approximately 525,334 and 233,841 retail customers. Alliant Energy Corporation also provides steam services, and various other energy-related products and services to customers in Iowa. The company, through its other subsidiary, Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), involves in the generation and distribution of electric energy; and the distribution and transportation of natural gas primarily in south and central Wisconsin markets. As of December 31, 2009, WPL supplied electric and gas service to 453,573 and 177,968 retail customers. In addition, Alliant Energy Corporation has investments in environmental consulting, and engineering and renewable energy services businesses. It also engages in transportation business, which includes a short-line railway for the provision of freight services between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City in Iowa; barge terminal and hauling services on the Mississippi River; and other transfer and storage services. The company was founded in 1917 and is based in Madison, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Alliant Energy (NYSE: LNT  ) is staying true to form and pumping out its usual reward for shareholders. The company has announced it will distribute a dividend of $0.47 per share of its common stock on May 15 to shareholders of record as of April 30. This matches the firm's previous distribution, which was dispensed at the end of January. Previous to that, Alliant had paid $0.45 per share.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    The lights of Alliant Energy (NYSE: LNT  ) are continuing to burn brightly, at least as far as the utility operator's shareholder payouts are concerned. The company has declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.47 per share, to be paid on Aug. 15 to holders of record as of July 31. That amount matches both of the firm's previous two disbursements, the most recent of which was paid in May. Before that, Alliant Energy handed out 2 cents less at $0.45 per share.

  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Alliant Energy (NYSE: LNT  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on May 3. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

    The 10-second takeaway
    Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Alliant Energy's revenues will contract 0.0% and EPS will grow 24.0%.

Top Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Athabasca Oil Corp (ATHOF.PK)

Athabasca Oil Corporation, formerly Athabasca Oil Sands Corp., is focused on the exploration and development of unconventional oil resource plays in Alberta, Canada. The Company is organized into two divisions: thermal oil and light oil. Thermal oil includes the Company�� assets, liabilities and operating results for the exploration, development and production of bitumen from sand and carbonate rock formations located in the Athabasca region of Northern Alberta. Light oil includes the Company�� assets, liabilities and operating results for the exploration, development and production of unconventional oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids located in various regions in the province of Alberta. Athabasca has accumulated more than 1.5 million (net) acres of oil sands leases in the Athabasca area of northern Alberta. The Company�� oil sands projects are Hangingstone (100%), Dover West Sands (100%), Dover West Carbonates (100%), Dover (40%), Birch (100%) and Grosmont (50%). Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephan Dube]

    Athabasca's most notable producers:

    Suncor Energy (SU) (Part 1), see article here.Suncor Energy (Part 2), see article here.Athabasca Oil (ATHOF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources, see article here.Imperial Oil, see article here.Cenovus Energy (CVE), see article here.MEG Energy (MEGEF.PK), see article here.Devon Energy, see article here.Royal Dutch Shell, see article here.Ivanhoe Energy (IVAN), see article here.Nexen (CNOOC) (CEO), see article here.

    An analysis of the current operations of the company will be examined with the objective to provide the most complete information available to potential investors before deciding to seize the opportunity that the 54,132 square miles of the Carbonate Triangle has to offer. Let's start by introducing Athabasca, a famous and most prolific region in the Canadian oil sands as well as one of the largest reserve in the world.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Aristocrat Group Corp (ASCC)

ARISTOCRAT GROUP CORP. (AGC), incorporated on July 20, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company has limited business operations. The development of its business has been limited to organizational matters, the preparation of its business plan, and the preparation of the financial statements and other information. Through Prenatal-Postpartum Supercare Centers, the Company is focused on to provide education services, health and fitness services, and emotional well-being spa services with the ability to purchase products designed especially for women who are in any phase of the childbearing process from planning a family through the newborn�� first year of life. As of July 25, 2011, the Company had not generated revenue.

The Company focused to engage certified childbirth educators and lactation consultants to provide on-site instructional services and educational expertise. Yoga Masters, licensed professional masseuses, nutritionists, licensed estheticians, as well as licensed professional therapists and certified fitness instructors will be engaged to provide their specific services. The Company is focused to offer a variety of educational and fitness and spa services with varying fees. The Company is focused to sell products designed for the expecting or new mother, as well as infant/toddler items. These products are focused to be sold through the Prenatal-Postpartum Supercare Center and on its Website, including maternity and infant products, nutritional, health and beauty products, and items regarding fitness and physical and emotional well-being. The Website focused to offer Education, Ask An Expert and On-line Communities (Chat Rooms)

The Company competes with R��Us, Toys R��Us, Wal-Mart, Curves for Women and Shapes for Women.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Today, ASCC surged (+11.11%) up +0.060 at $.600 with 83,411 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:23PM EDT June 27, 2013).

    As part of the big promotional push planned for the upcoming release of RWB Ultra-Premium Handcrafted Vodka, Luxuria Brands��he brand management division of the Aristocrat Group Corp. is investigating high-profile sponsorship opportunities in professional sports.

    The company is gearing up to compete in the $21 billion U.S. spirits industry, in which many top brands grow their consumer loyalty with sports sponsorships.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: VizStar Inc (VIZS)

VizStar, Inc. (VizStar), formerly Easy CD Yearbook, Inc., incorporated on June 27, 2006, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses to market software, which enables schools, clubs and organizations to produce their own multimedia yearbook. On June 11, 2010, Celestial Jets, Inc. (Celestial Jets) merged with the Company. Celestial Jets merged (the merger) with and into the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, Celestial Acquisition Corp. Upon the merger, the name of Celestial Acquisition Corp. became Celestial Jets, Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired Kimberly Parry Corporation.

A multimedia yearbook is a compact disc (CD)/ digital versatile disc (DVD), which contains video, photos, audio and text that is personal computer (PC) and Mac compatible. As of May 31, 2010, the Company had no revenues.

The Company competes with Yeardisk, Digital Journey LLC and Interactive Software Designs.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks VizStar Inc (OTCMKTS: VIZS), SOHM Inc (OTCMKTS: SHMN) and American Soil Technologies, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOYL) have been getting some attention in various investment newsletters with two out of three of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions. However, there is nothing wrong with some paid for attention so long as everything is properly disclosed, but its going to be up to investors and traders alike to ultimately decide whether any of these stocks have what it takes to be the next hot stock. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three small cap stocks:

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Sedex Mining Corp (SDN)

Sedex Mining Corp. is a resource exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition and exploration of exploration and evaluation assets. The Company�� Elephant Lake property is approximately 100 kilometers south of Timmins Ontario which has produced over 67 million ounces of gold. The Nickel North property lies approximately 22 kilometers northwest of the Kidd Creek Mine. The Kidd Creek Mine has produced over 115,000,000 tons of ore averaging 2.2% copper (Cu), 7.25% zinc (Zn), 0.28% lead (Pb) and 147.43 g/t silver (Ag)). Nordica property lies 55 kilometers southeast of Timmins, a prolific gold producing camp with. The property also lies approximately 24 kilometers southeast of Langmuir Township, a well known nickel belt with four known nickel deposits and GCR's recent W4 nickel discovery. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Muhammad Bazil]

    The major change coming involves a shift from hardware laden data networking to software-defined networking (SDN). The SDN is a remarkable set of complex processes about how data gets routed across networks. Instead of stringing together several hundreds of servers and applications that makes data centres of this hi-tech age work efficiently, the SDN works by separating the control plane from the data plane so that control is centralized and moves out of the router. What that means is that the era of IP networking where Cisco is king currently will soon give way to the SDN technology. The SDN technology is basically software driven. It is capable of managing and moving data efficiently. So, the question is, does this imply that tough times await Cisco and other major network equipment producers? How much concern should investors show to this looming monumental change?

  • [By Eshna Basu]

    Juniper is increasingly becoming active in the "software defined networking" (SDN) field to make its presence felt in the booming data center space, where it is still a small player.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: TE Connectivity Ltd.(TEL)

TE Connectivity Ltd. provides engineered electronic components, network solutions, specialty products, and subsea telecommunication systems. Its Electronic Components segment supplies passive electronic components, which include connectors and interconnect systems, relays, switches, sensors, and wire and cable to original equipment manufacturers and their contract manufacturers in the automotive, data communications, industrial, appliance, computer, and consumer devices markets. The company?s Network Solutions segment supplies infrastructure components and systems for telecommunications and energy markets. This segment provides components comprising connectors, above- and below-ground enclosures, heat shrink tubing, cable accessories, surge arrestors, fiber optic cabling, copper cabling, and racks for copper and fiber networks; electronic systems for test access and intelligent cross-connect applications; and integrated cabling solutions for cabling and building management . This segment also sells insulators, power measurement products, CATV accessories, network interface devices, raceway systems, and duct accessories. Its Specialty Products segment offers engineered custom solutions, components, and connectors for electronic systems, subsystems, and devices in the aerospace, defense, and marine; touch systems; medical; and circuit protection markets. The company?s Subsea Communications segment designs, builds, maintains, and tests undersea fiber optic networks for the telecommunications, and oil and gas markets. It sells its products in the Americas, Europe/the Middle East/Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The company was formerly known as Tyco Electronics Ltd. and changed its name to TE Connectivity Ltd. on March 10, 2011. TE Connectivity Ltd. was founded in 1941 and is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By alicet236]

    TE Connectivity Ltd. (TEL): Chairman and CEO Thomas J. Lynch Sold 49,021 Shares

    Chairman and CEO of TE Connectivity Ltd. (TEL) Thomas J. Lynch sold 49,021 shares on 10/07/2013 at an average price of $51.6. Te Connectivity Ltd. has a market cap of $21.44 billion; its shares were traded at around $51.85 with a P/E ratio of 17.20 and P/S ratio of 1.70. The dividend yield of TE Connectivity Ltd. stocks is 1.80%.

  • [By Monica Wolfe]

    TE Connectivity (TEL)

    Bill Nygren�� fourth largest position is in TE Connectivity where he maintains 4,686,000 shares of the company�� stock. His holdings in TE Connectivity make up for 2.5% of his total assets managed and 1.13% of the company�� shares outstanding.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Customers Bancorp Inc (CUBI)

Customers Bancorp, Inc. (Customers Bancorp), incorporated in April 2010, through its wholly owned subsidiary Customers Bank (the Bank), provides financial products and services to small businesses, not-for-profits and consumers through its fourteen branches in Southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Berks, Chester and Delaware Counties), Rye, New York (Westchester County) and Hamilton, New Jersey (Mercer County). Customers Bank also provides liquidity to the mortgage market worldwide through the operation of its mortgage warehouse business. As of December 31, 2011, Customers Bancorp had total assets of $2.08 billion, including net loans (including held for sale loans) of $1.50 billion, total deposits of $1.58 billion. The Company offers a range of banking products and financial services to its commercial and consumer customers in Suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Central New Jersey and Southeastern New York. It offers a range of lending products to cater to its customers��needs, including small business loans, mortgage warehouse loans, multi-family and commercial real estate loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. It also offers traditional depository products, including commercial and consumer checking accounts, non-interest-bearing demand accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts and time deposit accounts and cash management services. On September 17, 2011, Customers Bank became a wholly owned subsidiary of Customers Bancorp. On September 17, 2011, Customers Bancorp acquired Berkshire Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiary Berkshire Bank. In May 2013, Customers Bancorp Inc merged with CMS Bancorp Inc.

Lending Activities

The Company focuses its lending efforts to the lending areas, such as commercial lending, which includes business, small business and multi-family and commercial real estate lending; specialty Lending, which include warehouse lending, and consumer lending, which include local market mortgage lending and home equity lending. It also pr! ovide warehouse financing worldwide and multi-family lending in the Mid-Atlantic States.

The Bank�� commercial lending is segmented into three groups, which include multi-family and commercial real estate, business banking and small business banking. The small business banking platform originates loans, including small business administration loans, through the branch network sales force and a team of dedicated small business relationship managers. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it originated and closed $121.5 million of multi-family loans commitments. As of December 31, 2011, it had $536.9 million in commercial loans outstanding, comprising approximately 35.3% of its total loan portfolio (which includes loans held for sale). During 2011, it originated and closed $167.7 million of commercial loans and commitments. As of December 31, 2011, loans in its warehouse lending portfolio, as well as loans held for sale totaled $794.3 million outstanding, comprising approximately 52.3% of its total loan portfolio (which includes loans held for sale). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it funded $7.7 billion of mortgage loans under warehouse facilities.

The Company offers a range of deposit products to its customers, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and other deposit accounts, including fixed-rate, fixed-maturity retail time deposits ranging in terms from 30 days to five years, individual retirement accounts, and non-retail time deposits consisting of jumbo certificates greater than or equal to $100,000. As of December 31, 2011, its deposit portfolio was consisted of 54.9% of core deposits. Its financial products include Internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment, lock box services, remote deposit capture services, courier services, merchant processing services, cash vault, controlled disbursements, positive pay and cash management services (including account reconciliation, collections and sweep accounts).

! Sources o! f Fund

The Company offers a range of deposit accounts, including checking, savings, money market and time deposits. Deposits are obtained primarily from its service area. As of December 31, 2011, the total deposits grew to $1.58 billion.

Investment Activities

The Company�� investment securities portfolio consists of United States Treasury, government agency and mortgage-backed securities (guaranteed by an agency of the United States government and non-agency guaranteed), municipal securities, domestic corporate debt, and asset-backed securities. In addition to generating revenue, it maintains the investment portfolio to manage interest rate risk, provide liquidity, provide collateral for other borrowings and diversify the credit risk of earning assets. As of December 31, 2011, $79.1 million of its investment securities were classified as available for sale (AFS). As of December 31, 2011, the fair value of its investment securities portfolio was approximately $409.9 million. As of December 31, 2011, it held $319.5 million of investment securities that were classified as held to maturity (HTM).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    Wyomissing, Pa.-based Customers Bancorp (NASDAQ: CUBI  ) has a new CFO.

    On Tuesday, Customers Bancorp announced that Interim Chief Financial Officer James D. Hogan�intends to retire from the bank on Aug. 13. Replacing Hogan will be Robert E. Wahlman, a new hire from Doral Financial, who will join Customers initially in the post of executive vice president on Aug. 5, and then be promoted to permanent CFO on the 13th.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Fidus Investment Corp (FDUS)

Fidus Investment Corporation, incorporated on February 14, 2011, provides customized mezzanine debt and equity financing solutions to lower middle-market companies. The Company�� investment objective is to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns by generating both current income from its debt investments and capital appreciation from its equity related investments.

The Company seeks to maintain a diversified portfolio of investments in order to help mitigate the potential effects of adverse economic events related to particular companies, regions or industries. The Company�� investment advisor is Fidus Capital, LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By BDC Buzz]

    Fidus Investment (FDUS) is one of the newer business development companies ("BDCs") but its stock performance has been strong with a steady climb to higher than average multiples. This is most likely due to its higher than average 'total return' of around 16%. Last quarter FDUS grew its net asset value ("NAV") per share more than any of the other 25 BDCs that I follow and announced a special dividend on top of its regular dividends which is currently yielding around 8%. The company announced that it received approval for a second SBIC license giving it access to cheap long-term growth capital to grow the portfolio and dividends. FDUS also reported realized gains in Q3 from exited investments that could provide for some large upcoming special dividends. I believe that investors should look beyond the current lower than average dividend yield and higher than average pricing multiples, and consider the potential total return for FDUS over the coming quarters. I will also address my key concerns for the company and some things to watch for through the end of the year.

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Texas Capital Bancshares Inc.(TCBI)

Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Texas Capital Bank, National Association that provides various banking products and services for commercial and high net worth customers in Texas. It primarily engages in generating deposits and originating loans. The company?s deposit products include consumer checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as commercial checking accounts, lockbox accounts, cash concentration accounts, and other treasury management products. Its lending products portfolio comprises commercial loans and leases; real estate loans, including loans secured by properties, and temporary financing for commercial and residential property; construction loans consisting of single-family residential properties and commercial projects; loans held for sale; and letters of credit. The company also provides trust and wealth management services, including investment management, personal tr ust and estate services, custodial services, retirement accounts, and related services, as well as offers retirement products, including individual retirement accounts and administrative services for retirement vehicles, such as pension and profit sharing plans. Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. has banking offices in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and the Cayman Islands. As of December 31, 2010, it conducted business at nine full service banking locations and one operations center. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Charley Blaine]

    Also in the list: Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), up 13.31 percent; Citigroup (NYSE: C), up 8.8 percent; U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), up 5.33 percent; and Texas Capital Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBI) up 8.18 percent.

Friday, April 25, 2014

4 Hot Tech Stocks to Trade (or Not)

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>5 Mega-Cap Stocks to Trade for Gains

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

Facebook


Nearest Resistance: $65

Nearest Support: $55

Catalyst: Q1 Earnings

Social media giant Facebook (FB) is seeing big volume this afternoon after posting its first quarter earnings numbers after the bell yesterday. Facebook reported earnings of 34 cents per share, a number that came in above consensus. Importantly, mobile ads made up almost 60% of total ad revenues, doubling over the same quarter last year. But if Facebook's 1.1% move on big volume seems less than impressive today, a look at the chart is in order.

Facebook has been forming a bearish head and shoulders setup for the last four months, a price pattern that indicates exhaustion among buyers. We're seeing that exhaustion in FB's lack of follow-through today. If shares can't move above the 50-day moving average, the $55 neckline level is the price to watch. If Facebook slips below $55, look out below.

Zynga


Nearest Resistance: $5.50

Nearest Support: $4

Catalyst: Q1 Earnings

Facebook's "little buddy," Zynga (ZNGA), is down 3.6% on big volume this afternoon, shoved lower by its own earnings call. Zynga lost 1 cent per share for the quarter, a number that met Wall Street's expectations. But the firm didn't impress with forward guidance, which it expects to come in at a narrow profit for the full year. Zynga founder Mark Pincus also announced that he would no longer be involved in day-to-day operations at the firm.

The earnings reaction isn't exactly inspiring today, but frankly, the chart could look a lot worse. ZNGA has been in a textbook uptrend since last fall, and that makes a pullback a good opportunity to get in with a buy. Support at $4 is an optimal entry point.

Apple


Nearest Resistance: $570

Nearest Support: $540

Catalyst: Q2 Earnings

Apple (AAPL) is another name that's getting big attention following earnings. For its fiscal second quarter, Apple earned $11.62 per share, a number that beat the average analyst estimate by $1.44. Strong iPhone sales made up for weakness in iPads for the quarter, helping the firm deliver more than $13.5 billion in operating cash flow last quarter in the process. Apple also announced an aggressive plan to return capital to shareholders to the tune of $130 billion by the end of next year.

Technically speaking, AAPL's 8% gap up today is an important breakout. Shares had been basing in an inverse head and shoulders setup for the last few months, but today's move has Apple testing 52-week highs again. Once AAPL can catch a bid above $570, shares should have considerable room to move higher.

Qualcomm


Nearest Resistance: $84

Nearest Support: $77

Catalyst: Q2 Earnings

Bad guidance is to blame for Qualcomm's (QCOM) 3.4% stumble on big volume this afternoon. The mobile chipmaker reported profits of $1.31 per share, beating Wall Street's $1.22 best guess. But QCOM's guidance came in on the low side of analysts' estimates, and that's a big part of today's downside move.

Qualcomm has been a "buy the dips" name since last fall, when it started bouncing higher in an uptrending channel. So while today's stumble looks negative at first glance, it's giving QCOM buyers yet another dip to buy -- the last seven have been optimal buying opportunities. If you decide to go long here, I'd recommend putting a protective stop just below the 50-day moving average.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.


RELATED LINKS:



>>QE5 Is Coming -- Here's What It Means to Your Portfolio



>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying



>>3 Big-Volume Stocks to Trade for Breakouts

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author was long AAPL.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


Thursday, April 24, 2014

FDA slaps rules on e-cigarettes, cigars

As electronic cigarettes soar in popularity, the U.S. government Thursday is proposing historic rules to ban their sale to minors and require warning labels as well as federal approval.

Three years after saying it would regulate e-cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration is moving to control not only these battery-powered devices but also cigars, pipe tobacco, hookahs (water pipes) and dissolvable tobacco products. Currently, the FDA regulates cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless products such as snuff.

The proposed rules won't ban advertising unless the products make health-related claims nor will they ban the use of flavors such as chocolate or bubble gum, which public health officials say might attract children.

"This is an important moment for consumer protection," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, noting tobacco remains "the leading cause of death and disease in this country." The rules will require manufacturers to report their ingredients to the FDA and obtain its approval. They also ban free tobacco samples and most vending-machine sales.

"Some of these regulations will be very restrictive," said Ray Story, founder of industry group TVECA (Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association), who added he obtained his own pre-release copy of the rules. He said they could be costly for smaller businesses and slow the growth of a product that advocates say has helped many smokers kick the habit.

Still, Story said, consumers might benefit, because "it provides them a product that will be consistent." E-cigarettes contain varying ingredients and levels of nicotine that are heated into a vapor that users inhale in a practice known as "vaping." Most look like conventional cigarettes but some resemble everyday items such as pens and USB memory sticks.

The rules come as e-cigarette sales, buoyed by TV ads with Hollywood celebrities , have soared in recent year and debate has risen about whether the devices are more apt to lure kids toward tobacco! or help adults quit smoking.

An increasing number of states have cracked down by extending indoor smoking restrictions to e-cigarettes. Last month, U.S. poison centers reported a surge in illnesses linked to the liquid nicotine used in the devices.

While they don't contain many of the harmful chemicals of conventional cigarettes, the FDA found trace amounts of toxic and carcinogenic ingredients in several samples in late 2008 when the e-cigarette market was just beginning in the United States. It sought to regulate them as drug-delivery devices, but in 2010, a federal judge ruled it could only do so if they made therapeutic claims. So in April 2011, the agency said it would regulate them as tobacco products, because the nicotine is derived from tobacco leaves.

"It's taken more than three years to issue a proposed rule, which we think is inexcusable," said Vince Willmore of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an anti-smoking group. "It's allowed a Wild West marketplace with irresponsible marketing and no control over the product." He says the FDA should quickly finalize the rules, which face a 75-day public comment period and further review.

The proposed rules walk a narrow path. They will require tobacco products that weren't on the market by Feb. 25, 2007 — a date set by a federal law — to apply for FDA review within 24 months after the rules are issued. The products can stay on the market pending FDA's review, says Mitch Zeller, director of FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, adding they can seek an exemption from additional reviews if minor changes are made.

Despite these requirements, the proposal doesn't contain the marketing restrictions sought by some critics that were almost sure to trigger litigation. Craig Weiss, CEO of NJoy, a top-selling e-cigarette, said he supports "reasonable regulation" but would "respond very forcefully to any attempt to limit my free speech right to promote my product."

Several dominant e-cigarette manufacturers, which now inclu! de the na! tion's three largest cigarette makers — Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard — have embraced limited regulation such as a ban on sales to minors. Yet they've argued that their e-products shouldn't be regulated as tightly as conventional cigarettes — an approach the FDA appears to be taking.

The FDA said the rule aims to bolster product safety. It said since e-cigarettes have not been fully studied, consumers have no way to know how much nicotine or other chemicals they contain and whether they're safe or beneficial.


FDA's 20-year road to regulating tobacco:

August 1996: FDA issues rules to ban tobacco sales to minors and its advertising near schools or playgrounds

March 2000: U.S. Supreme Court, in 5-4 decision, rules that Congress did not give FDA such authority

December 2008: FDA, after detaining import shipments of e-cigarettes, declares they're unapproved drug delivery devices

April 2009: E-cigarette distributor Smoking Everywhere files suit against the FDA, joined a month later by Sottera (doing business as NJOY)

June 2009: Congress passes law granting FDA authority to regulate tobacco products

January 2010: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia bans FDA from stopping e-cigarette imports

June 2010: FDA issues final rules to ban the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to minors and to restrict their marketing

December 2010: U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, upholding lower court decision, rules e-cigarettes can be regulated as tobacco products but not as drugs/devices unless marketed for therapeutic purposes

April 2011: FDA says it intend to expand to its authority over tobacco products to include e-cigarettes

June 2011: FDA issues new graphic warning labels that will need to be placed on cigarette packs and ads by Sept. 2012

April 2014: FDA proposes rules to regulate e-cigarettes and cigars as tobacco products


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015

When it comes to flying, Southwest makes the experience a lot easier to handle than its peers.

That's according to a new index to be released today that ranks companies based on how simple they are to engage with.

Southwest was the highest-ranked travel company, coming in at No. 9 out of 125 businesses whose brands are well-known in the U.S., according to a survey by New York-based strategic branding firm Siegel and Gale. The low-cost carrier leaped six spots from where U.S.-based respondents ranked it last year. Amazon was No. 1.

The perception that Southwest offers fair prices that don't dramatically spike because of a host of extra fees being tacked on is key to customers feeling the airline is easy to deal with, says Brian Rafferty, director of global research for Siegel and Gale. "Transparency is one thing Southwest is doing well,'' he says, "and people also . . .feel they have very good service and they care about the customer.''

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Copa Holdings SA (CPA)

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

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Asit Sharma]

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

  • [By Michael J. Carr]

    Copa Holdings (NYSE: CPA) is also undervalued with a PEG ratio of 0.53. Copa Holdings provides airline passenger and cargo services within Colombia and international flights from various cities in Colombia to Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: US Airways Group Inc (LCC)

US Airways Group, Inc. (US Airways Group) is a holding company whose primary business activity is the operation of a network air carrier through its wholly owned subsidiaries, US Airways, Piedmont Airlines, Inc. (Piedmont), PSA Airlines, Inc. (PSA), Material Services Company, Inc. (MSC) and Airways Assurance Limited (AAL). MSC and AAL operate in support of the Company�� airline subsidiaries in areas, such as the procurement of aviation fuel and insurance. It has hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Washington National). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it offered scheduled passenger service on more than 3,100 flights daily to more than 200 communities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It also has an East Coast route network, including the US Airways Shuttle service.

The Company had approximately 53 million passengers boarding its mainline flights in 2011. During 2011, the Company�� mainline operation provided scheduled service or seasonal service at 133 airports, while the US Airways Express network served 156 airports in the United States, Canada and Mexico, including 78 airports also served by its mainline operation. US Airways Express air carriers had approximately 28 million passengers boarding their planes in 2011. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 340 mainline jets and was supported by its regional airline subsidiaries and affiliates operating as US Airways Express under capacity purchase agreements, which operated 233 regional jets and 50 turboprops. The Company�� prorate carriers operated seven turboprops and seven regional jets at December 31, 2011.

In May 2011, US Airways Group and US Airways entered into an Amended and Restated Mutual Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement (the Mutual APA) with Delta Air Lines, Inc. (Delta). Pursuant to the Mutual APA, Delta agreed to acquire 132 slot pa! irs at LaGuardia from US Airways and US Airways agreed to acquire from Delta 42 slot pairs at Washington National and the rights to operate additional daily service to Sao Paulo, Brazil. On December 13, 2011, the transaction contemplated by the Mutual APA closed and ownership of the respective slots was transferred between the airlines. During 2011, the US Airways Express network served 156 airports in the continental United States, Canada and Mexico, including 78 airports also served by its mainline operation. During 2011, approximately 28 million passengers boarded US Airways Express air carriers��planes, approximately 44% of whom connected to or from its mainline flights.

The Company competes with Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant, Frontier, Virgin America and Spirit.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Blake Bos]

    In the following video, Motley Fool industrials analyst Blake Bos takes a question from a Motley Fool reader on Facebook, who asks, "What's your Foolish take on US Airways Group, (NYSE: LCC  ) and the airlines in general ... buy, sell, hold?" Blake references an article by Fool.com contributor Adam Levine-Weinberg on US Airways' spiraling labor costs in connection with its proposed merger with American Airlines.

  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    A federal judge cleared the way for AMR (AAMRQ) to exit bankruptcy, clearing the way for a merger between American Airlines (owned by AMR) and U.S. Airways Group (LCC). AMR and U.S. Airlines�rose 2.7% and 0.6%�respectively.

  • [By DAILYFINANCE]

    Matt Rourke/AP DALLAS -- US Airways began studying a potential merger with American Airlines several months before American filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2011, according to papers filed Monday by the two companies. The documents give a blow-by-blow account of how the merger was negotiated, including the thorny issues of how to share ownership of the merged company and who would run it. The companies also revived a proposed $20 million severance deal for Tom Horton, the CEO of American parent AMR Corp. A federal judge had declined to approve the payout, finding that it violated a 2005 bankruptcy law, but he had left open the possibility that a payment could be reconsidered later. US Airways Group Inc. (LCC), whose CEO, Doug Parker, will run the combined company, played up the importance of Monday's filings with the bankruptcy court in New York and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "With these materials filed, we are one step closer to completing the merger, which we expect to occur in the third quarter of this year," US Airways officials said a memo to employees. The bankruptcy court has already signaled approval for the merger, which would create the world's largest airline. The deal faces only a few more hurdles, including approval from the U.S. Justice Department and US Airways shareholders. AMR will have 60 days to win support among creditors for its reorganization plan. Major creditors were closely involved in negotiations leading to the merger announcement in February, so it seems unlikely that they would derail the plan that will be considered by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane. It's less clear whether antitrust regulators in the Justice Department will impose major conditions on the deal. Regulators approved other big airline mergers -- Delta and Northwest, United and Continental, Southwest (LUV) and AirTran -- so industry analysts expect them to let this deal pass. The Justice Department, however, could require the American-

Top Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Gogo Inc (GOGO)

Gogo Inc incorporated on December 14, 2009, is a holding company. The Company operates through its two operating subsidiaries, Gogo LLC and Aircell Business Aviation Services LLC. The Company provides in-flight connectivity and wireless in-cabin digital entertainment solutions. It provide turnkey solutions for passengers to extend their connected lifestyles to the aircraft cabin. It operates in two segments: commercial aviation (CA) and business aviation (BA). Its CA business provides in-flight connectivity and digital entertainment solutions to commercial airline passengers through their personal Wi-Fi enabled devices.

The Company provides Gogo Connectivity to passengers to nine North American airlines that provide Internet connectivity to their passengers. It provide Gogo Connectivity to passengers on Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Virgin America, Alaska Airlines, US Airways, Frontier Airlines and Air Tran Airways. It also provide Gogo Connectivity to passengers on a small number of aircraft operated by United Airlines and Air Canada. As of September 30, 2011, the Company had equipped 1,177 commercial aircraft, representing approximately 85% of Internet-enabled North American commercial aircraft, which were operated on more than 4,200 daily flights.

The Company�� BA segment sells equipment and provides services for in-flight Internet connectivity and other voice and data communications under its Gogo Biz and Aircell branded products and services. BA�� customers include original equipment manufacturers of private jet aircraft such as Gulfstream, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, NetJets, Flexjets, Flight Options and CitationAir. It sells equipment for three of the primary connectivity network options in the business aviation market: Gogo Biz, through which it delivers broadband Internet connectivity over its (air-to-ground )ATG network, and the Iridium and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satellite networks. As of September 30, 2011, the Company had m! ore than 700 Gogo Biz systems in operation and more than 4,600 aircraft with Iridium satellite communications systems in operation, and it has sold more than 100 Inmarsat SwiftBroadband systems. It provides in-flight broadband connectivity across the contiguous United States and portions of Alaska through 3 MHz of FCC-licensed ATG spectrum and its network of cell sites.

Through its Gogo platform, the Company provides passengers with a convenient and easy way to access the Internet, view video content, send and receive email and instant messages, and access corporate VPNs on Gogo-equipped commercial aircraft. It provides Internet access through Gogo Connectivity, on-demand streaming video offerings through Gogo Vision and access to a variety of free entertainment and service offerings, customized for each airline, through Gogo Signature Services.

The Company competes with Panasonic Avionics, Row 44, OnAir, LiveTV and Thales.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jesse Solomon]

    Gogo (GOGO) shares have more than doubled since its June IPO, making it one of the hottest stocks on the Nasdaq.

    But not everyone is jumping on board.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC�� Mad Money, recently touted ViaSat, Inc (NASDAQ: VSAT) as an in-flight WiFi or satellite communications related play, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of small cap in-flight WiFi provider Gogo Inc (NASDAQ: GOGO) and small cap satellite communications firm Iridium Communications Inc (NASDAQ: IRDM). I should mention that I have written about Gogo Inc in the past (Small Cap Gogo Inc (GOGO): Is There Turbulence Ahead? IRDM�and Is In-flight WiFi Stock Gogo, Inc. (GOGO) the Next Iridium?) and Cramer also touched on some of the differences between the in-flight wifi service offerings of both. Cramer also interviewed ViaSat, Inc�� CEO who said they had been waiting for a new satellite to ��isrupt��the market.

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK)

Alaska Air Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, Inc., operates as an airline company serving destinations in the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company provides passenger air services; and freight and mail services primarily to and within the state of Alaska and on the West Coast. As of December 31, 2009, it operated a fleet of 110 jet aircraft; and Horizon Air Industries operated a fleet of 18 jets and 40 turboprop aircraft. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dimitra DeFotis]

    “… taken off over the past year as the industry’s ‘rationalization’ has meant higher fares, reduced capacity, and fewer amenities for passengers. Some measure of competition still comes from discounters such as Southwest (LUV), JetBlue (JBLU), and Spirit (SAVE). What’s left of antitrust enforcement ought to prevent these cut-rate carriers being scooped up by the big three of the skies, although Jack Hough noted … that Alaska Air (ALK) could draw takeover interest over the long haul (“Merger Mania May Soon Be on the Way,” Nov. 21) (subscription required).

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    When�United Continental�(UAL) pledged to cut costs on its investors day, it got a big boost that helped it outpace competitors like Delta Air Lines (DAL), US Airways (LCC) and Alaska Airlines (ALK). Can the good times continue?

  • [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

    Unintended consequences?
    As I detailed last month, virtually every major U.S. airline is participating in the upgauging trend. Some, like JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU  ) , are expanding their fleets with larger aircraft than they have previously flown. Others, including Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK  ) , are retrofitting existing planes to fit more seats onboard. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV  ) is doing both of these things! Others, like Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL  ) , are buying larger planes to replace smaller ones that are being removed from service.

  • [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

    US Airways (NYSE: LCC  ) has also favored the A321 recently, and has the largest A321 fleet in the world. All of its 16 narrowbody deliveries this year will be A321s, which have 30% more seats than the Boeing 737-400s that are being retired. Meanwhile, Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK  ) is following Southwest by moving to new "slimline" seats that will allow it to add six seats to each of its 737-800 aircraft and nine seats to each 737-900 aircraft. Moreover, while Alaska currently operates a variety of Boeing 737 models, the vast majority of its future orders are for the largest variant. These new aircraft, which seat 181 passengers, are replacing older planes with as few as 124 seats each.

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Air France KLM SA (AFLYY.PK)

Air France-KLM SA (Air France-KLM), incorporated on April 23, 1947, is an airline engaged in the business of passenger transportation. It has four segments: Passenger, Cargo, Maintenance and Other. The Company�� primary business is to hold direct or indirect interests in the capital of air transport companies and, more generally, in any companies in France or elsewhere whose purpose is related to the air transport business. Air France-KLM activities also include cargo, aeronautics maintenance and other air-transport related activities including, principally, catering and charter services. At March 31, 2011, the Air France-KLM group fleet consists of 609 aircraft, of which 593 were operational. At March 31, 2011, 274 aircraft were fully owned (45% of the fleet), 117 aircraft were under finance lease representing 19% of the fleet and 218 under operating lease representing 36% of the fleet.

Passenger

Passenger operating revenues primarily come from passenger transportation services on scheduled flights with the Company�� airline code, including flights operated by other airlines under code-sharing agreements. They also include commissions paid by SkyTeam alliance partners, code-sharing revenues, revenues from excess baggage and airport services supplied by the Company�� to third party airlines and services linked to information technology (IT) systems.

Cargo

Cargo operating revenues come from freight transport on flights under the companies��codes, including flights operated by other partner airlines under code-sharing agreements. Other cargo revenues are derived principally from sales of cargo capacity to third parties. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, the Company transported more than 1.5 million tons of cargo, of which 66% in the bellies of passenger aircraft and 33% in the cargo fleet, to a network of approximately 254 destinations in approximately 111 countries. Air France-KLM Cargo has a product range organized around four prod! uct families, Equation, Cohesion, Variation and Dimension.

Maintenance

Maintenance operating revenues are generated through maintenance services provided to other airlines and customers globally. The Company�� two engine shops are located in Amsterdam and Paris. CFM56 engine shops support the fleet of CFM56-5 power plants in the world, with nearly 400 engines operated by numerous airlines. CF6-80E1 provides full-service maintenance. KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) provides an alternative to the manufacturer�� services in terms of overhaul and services on this engine with its offering supported by technological infrastructure.

Other

The revenues from this segment come primarily from catering supplied by the Company to third-party airlines and to charter flights operated primarily by Transavia. The catering business is regrouped around Servair, an Air France subsidiary which generates more than 90% of the revenues of this activity, and KLM Catering Services, a subsidiary of KLM.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By El Torero]

    The airline will undoubtedly pounce on the likely failings of rival companies, though this is also an area where easyJet will be eager to move in. Spanair is gone as is Malev Zrt, two former Ryanair rivals. Air France-KLM (AFLYY.PK) and Iberia are in trouble, among other European airlines. Ryanair will take advantage of such weaknesses in its aim of becoming Europe's out-and-out dominant short-haul carrier. As other airlines cut routes, airports are now looking to Ryanair to take up the newly available airport space. As a result of this, with "opportunities opening up in Germany, Scandinavia and Central Europe" in particular, Ryanair's deputy chief executive, Howard Millar sees the Irish company increase its market share from 15 percent to 20 percent before the end of the decade.

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL)

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (Delta) provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. The Company�� route network gives it a presence in every domestic and international market. Delta�� route network is centered around the hub system it operate at airports in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Each of these hub operations includes flights that gather and distribute traffic from markets in the geographic region surrounding the hub to domestic and international cities and to other hubs. The Company�� network is supported by a fleet of aircraft that is varied in terms of size and capabilities.

Delta has bilateral and multilateral marketing alliances with foreign airlines to improve its access to international markets. These arrangements can include code-sharing, reciprocal frequent flyer program benefits, shared or reciprocal access to passenger lounges, joint promotions, common use of airport gates and ticket counters, ticket office co-location, and other marketing agreements. Its international code-sharing agreements enable it to market and sell seats to an expanded number of international destinations. The Company has international codeshare arrangements with Aeromexico, Air France, Air Nigeria, Alitalia, Aeroflot, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Olympic Air, Royal Air Maroc, VRG Linhas Aereas (operating as GOL), Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia and WestJet Airlines.

In addition to the Company�� marketing alliance agreements with individual foreign airlines, it is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Delta also has frequent flyer and reciprocal lounge agreements with Hawaiian Airlines, and codesharing agreements with American Eagle Airlines (American Eagle) and Hawaiian Airlines. It has air service agreements with multiple do! mestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to its route system by serving passengers primarily in small-and medium-sized cities.

Through the Company�� regional carrier program, it has contractual arrangements with 10 regional carriers to operate regional jet and, in certain cases, turbo-prop aircraft using its DL designator code. In addition to Delta�� wholly owned subsidiary, Comair, it has contractual arrangements with ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. and SkyWest Airlines, Inc., both subsidiaries of SkyWest, Inc.; Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. and Shuttle America Corporation, both subsidiaries of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.; Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (Mesaba), both subsidiaries of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (Pinnacle); Compass Airlines, Inc. (Compass) and GoJet Airlines, LLC, both subsidiaries of Trans States Holdings, Inc. (Trans States), and American Eagle.

The Company�� SkyMiles program allows program members to earn mileage for travel awards by flying on Delta, Delta�� regional carriers and other participating airlines. Mileage credit may also be earned by using certain services offered by program participants, such as credit card companies, hotels and car rental agencies. In addition, individuals and companies may purchase mileage credits. The Company reserves the right to terminate the program with six months advance notice, and to change the program�� terms and conditions at any time without notice.

SkyMiles program mileage credits can be redeemed for air travel on Delta and participating airlines, for membership in the Company�� Delta Sky Clubs and for other program participant awards. Mileage credits are subject to certain transfer restrictions and travel awards are subject to capacity controlled seating. During the year ended December 31, 2011, program members redeemed more than 275 billion miles in the SkyMiles program for more than 12 million award redemptions. During 2011, 8.2% of revenue miles flown on Delta were from a! ward trav! el.

The Company generates cargo revenues in domestic and international markets through the use of cargo space on regularly scheduled passenger aircraft. Delta is a member of SkyTeam Cargo, an airline cargo alliance. SkyTeam Cargo offers a network spanning six continents and provides customers an international product line.

The Company has several other businesses arising from its airline operations, including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO); staffing services for third parties; vacation wholesale operations, and its private jet operations. Delta�� MRO operation, known as Delta TechOps, is an airline MRO in North America. In addition to providing maintenance and engineering support for its fleet of approximately 775 aircraft, Delta TechOps serves more than 150 aviation and airline customers. Its staffing services business, Delta Global Services, provides staffing services, professional security, training services and aviation solutions to approximately 150 customers. The Company�� vacation wholesale business, MLT Vacations, is the provider of vacation packages in the United States. Its private jet operations, Delta Private Jets, provides aircraft charters, aircraft management and programs allowing members to purchase flight time by the hour.

The Company competes with SkyTeam, United Air Lines, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    On Monday, United Continental (UAL) announced that Cleveland would no longer be used as a hub. Imperial Capital’s Bob McAdoo and Scott Buck�explain what United Continental stands to gain–and why it could be good news for American Airlines (AAL) and Delta Air Lines (DAL), too:

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Based on our revised forecasts, and on a fully taxed basis, shares in UAL are trading at 13x 2014E earnings, vs. 10x for [Delta Air Lines (DAL)] and 6x for [US Airways (LCC). Meanwhile, our expectations ask little of Delta�� or US Airways��management aside from staying the course and maintaining momentum. Meanwhile, even our reduced expectations for United require relatively heavy lifting by management. We simply are more comfortable recommending cheaper stocks where little incremental is required from management than recommending more expensive names where the execution bar is set high…

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK)

AMR Corporation (AMR), incorporated in October 1982, operates in the airline industry. The Company�� principal subsidiary is American Airlines, Inc. (American). As of December 31, 2011, American provided scheduled jet service to approximately 160 destinations throughout North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Asia. AMR Eagle Holding Corporation (AMR Eagle), a wholly owned subsidiary of AMR, owns two regional airlines, which do business as American Eagle - American Eagle Airlines, Inc. and Executive Airlines, Inc. (collectively, the American Eagle carriers). American also contracts with an independently owned regional airline, which does business as AmericanConnection (the AmericanConnection carrier). As of December 31, 2011, AMR Eagle operated approximately 1,500 daily departures, offering scheduled passenger service to over 175 destinations in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

American, AMR Eagle and the AmericanConnection airline served more than 250 cities in approximately 50 countries with, on average, 3,400 daily flights and the combined network fleet numbered approximately 900 aircraft as of December 31, 2011. American Airlines is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, which includes British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LAN Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, JAL, Malev Hungarian, Mexicana, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines. Together, oneworld members serve 750 destinations in approximately 150 countries, with about 8,500 daily departures. American is also one of the scheduled air freight carriers in the world, providing a range of freight and mail services to shippers throughout its system onboard American�� passenger fleet.

To improve access to each other�� markets, American has established marketing relationships with other airlines and rail companies. As of December 31, 2011, American had marketing relationships with Air Berlin, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska Airlines , British Airways, Cape Air, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern ! A! irlines, Dragonair, Deutsche Bahn German Rail, EL AL, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, GOL, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines (JAL), Jet Airways, JetStar Airways, LAN (includes LAN Airlines, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru), Niki Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.

American has established the AAdvantage frequent flyer program (AAdvantage). AAdvantage members earn mileage credits by flying on American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection carrier or by using services of other participants in the AAdvantage program. Mileage credits can be redeemed for free, discounted or upgraded travel on American, American Eagle or other participating airlines, or for other awards. American sells mileage credits and related services to other participants in the AAdvantage program. There are over 1,000 program participants, including a credit card issuer, hotels, car rental companies, and other products an d services companies in the AAdvantage program. As of December 31, 2011, AAdvantage had approximately 69 million total members.

The Company competes with Alaska Airlines (Alaska), Delta Air Lines (Delta), Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways (JetBlue), Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines (Southwest) and AirTran Airways (Air Tran), Spirit Airlines, United Airlines (United) and Continental Airlines (Continental), US Airways and Virgin America Airlines.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Insider Monkey]

    Last but not the least is US Airways Group (LCC), in which Y/Cap slightly increased its position, now owning around $7.9 million. U.S. Airways is currently on the minds of many investors, mainly due to its plans to merge with American Airlines parent AMR Corp (AAMRQ.PK). While European regulators approved the merger, the U.S. Department of Justice put a spoke in the wheel, and is trying to block the move. The companies filed a motion to the court to set the trial date for November 12. Amid these actions, U.S. Airways and American Airlines prolonged the outside date at which one of the companies can terminate the proposed merger.

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (NAS)

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is a Norway-based company active in the low-cost airline industry. It operates scheduled services with additional charter services. It has a route portfolio that stretches across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East, as well as Thailand and the US. The Company operates approximately 400 routes and over 120 destinations. It has a fleet of over 80 jet aircrafts, including Boeings 737-800, Boeings 787-8 Dreamliners, Boeings 737 MAX8 and Airbuses A320neo. It is the parent company of the Norwegian Group and operates through subsidiaries, including Norwegian Air Shuttle Polska Sp z o o, Norwegian Air Shuttle Sweden AB, Call Norwegian AS, NAS Asset Management Norway AS, among others. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By GURUFOCUS]

    EMC�� products ��both hardware and software - are litearlly a geek�� wonderland alphabet soup, which include Storage Area Network (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS), Direct Attached Storage (DAS), Virtual SAN, All-Flash XtremIO, Atmos, Avamar, �Data Domain, Isilon, Pivotal, ViPR Software Defined Storgae, VMAX, VNX, VNXe, VPLEX, VSPEX (none of these are typos).� Information storage makes up 70% of revenues and virtualization 23% of revenues.� Products generate 55% of revenues.� Services generate 45% of revenues.� The Company�� gross profit split is approximaltey 67% data storage and 31% virtualization.

Best Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Energie Holdings Inc (ELED)

Energie Holdings Inc, formerly Alas Aviation Corporation, incorporated on June 10, 2013, is in the process of acquiring, assembling and operating passenger airlines, air cargo and related ground service operators. The Company's business model includes purchasing low-scale regional operators then assembles and integrates them as subsidiaries. Corporacion Ygnus Air, S.A. (Cygnus) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. It is engaged in acquisition discussions with several operators throughout Europe and around the world.

Cygnus is an aeronautical company is an integrated provider of air cargo transportation specializing in medium and long-range cargo routes. Cygnus operates a fleet of two Boeing 757-200PCF cargo jets to Europe and Africa. Cygnus has managed multi-plane operations, carrying both freight and passengers throughout Spain, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Wi-Fi Wireless Inc (OTCMKTS: WFWL), Energie Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: ELED) and Trend Exploration, Inc (OTCMKTS: TRDX) surged 47.06%, 25% and 12.50%, respectively, last Friday. However, none of these small cap stocks appear to be the subject of paid promotions or investor relations activities ��something that could be a good thing for investors who are not traders. Keeping that in mind, are these three small cap stocks going to be winners over the long term? Here is a closer look to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Today's 3 Worst Stocks

The world's equity markets are extremely complex and interconnected -- perhaps too interconnected, as we saw a few years back -- and it can be difficult to discern how exactly the gears are working together. Is this stock rising because of X? Or perhaps it's Y? Maybe someone pressed the wrong button; the weather may have something to do with it; possibly the Super Bowl is to blame; are people just flipping coins?

Sometimes it's just not so clear what the psychology behind the trade is. But not today: Monday's three biggest S&P 500 Index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) laggards all fell for good reason, although the index itself added 8 points, or 0.5%, to close at 1,640.

The most notable loser in the whole index was chip giant Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) , which lost 3.6% after a chorus of discontent from Wall Street investment houses. Intel, historically, has dominated the market for PC processors, but with PCs on the down and out, shareholders and analysts alike are pressing the company to establish itself in the mobile market. Intel isn't totally unprepared -- its new Atom processors are designed for mobile devices -- but concerns that margins are destined to fall drove the stock lower today.

Intel has such a frightening presence in the chipmaking industry that its slump today rippled out to rival SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK  ) , which saw shares slump 2.9% Monday. SanDisk, which makes flash storage as opposed to semiconductors and is only a fraction of Intel's size, tends to be a more volatile stock and more of a growth play than the blue-chip mainstay. Trading at more than 30 times earnings, it's also a bit more expensive after a 63% rally in the past year.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Lastly, residential construction bigshot PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM  ) shed 2.9%. Homebuilders have been seriously hit in the past few weeks as interest rates sharply rise ahead of the Federal Reserve's anticipated pullback on quantitative easing efforts later this year. PulteGroup alone has fallen 14% in the last month; rising interest rates mean higher mortgage rates, and with 30-year mortgage costs jumping from less than 3.6% annually in April to more than 4.6% currently, markets fear that homebuyers will scale back.

The mobile revolution is still in its infancy, but with so many different companies it can be daunting to know how to profit in the space. Fortunately, The Motley Fool has released a free report on mobile named "The Next Trillion-Dollar Revolution" that tells you how. The report describes why this seismic shift will dwarf any other technology revolution seen before it and also names the company at the forefront of the trend. You can access this report today by clicking here -- it's free.