5 Best Oil Service Stocks To Own For 2015

Having repurchased 23 million shares, or $1 billion worth of company stock, in the second quarter, oil services giant Halliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) announced today it had approved an increase to $5 billion in its buyback program.

The board of directors said that with just�$0.7 billion of repurchasing capacity remaining on the existing authorization that was initiated in 2006, it would increase by another $4.3 billion its ability to buy back shares. It also declared its third-quarter dividend of $0.125 per share, the same rate it's paid for the last two quarters after having increased the payout 39% from $0.09 per share.

Noting the first-quarter dividend hike reflected management's increased confidence in the strength of the company's outlook, Halliburton Chairman, President, and CEO�Dave Lesar said, "We believe that our relentless focus on generating best-in-class returns and our commitment to shareholder distributions will deliver increased value to our shareholders going forward."

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Watch For 2016: Barry Callebaut AG (BARN)

Barry Callebaut AG is a Switzerland-based producer of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products. The Company�� manufacturing process involves all stages of the cocoa and chocolate value chain from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of the finished products. The Company operates three geographical segments, including Europe, Americas and Asia-Pacific, as well as its business segment Global Sourcing & Cocoa. The Global Sourcing & Cocoa business segment is responsible for the procurement of ingredients for chocolate production, including mainly cocoa, as well as sugar, dairy and nuts as common ingredients, as well as the Company's cocoa processing business. The Company serves the food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to professional or artisanal users of chocolate. The Company operates more than 50 chocolate and cocoa factories, and is present in over 30 countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Elan Corp. jumped 8.4 percent in Dublin after authorizing the process of its sale. Hochtief AG gained the most in four months after the German builder said it will buy as much as 260 million euros ($346 million) of its own shares. Michelin & Cie, Europe�� largest tiremaker, added 4.7 percent after data on its website showed tire demand surged in Brazil last month. Barry Callebaut AG (BARN) lost 3.4 percent after the maker of bulk chocolate sold about $302 million of new shares.

5 Best Oil Service Stocks To Own For 2015: Advent Software Inc. (ADVS)

Advent Software, Inc. provides software and services that automate work flows and data across investment management organizations, as well as the information flows between an investment management organization and external parties. The company develops, markets, and sells stand-alone and client/server software products, hosting services, data and data interfaces, and related maintenance and services that automate, integrate, and support the functions of the front, middle, and back offices of investment management organizations. It also provides professional services, such as consulting, project management, implementation, integration, custom report writing, and training. The company?s clients include asset managers, registered investment advisors, prime brokers, fund administrators, hedge funds, family offices, broker dealers, foundations, endowments, fund of funds, and wealth managers. It operates in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Advent Software, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  Advent Software (ADVS) provides software products and services for automating and integrating data and work flows across the investment management organization, as well as between the investment management organization and external parties worldwide. This stock closed up 4% at $33.49 in Wednesday's trading session.

   

  Wednesday's Volume: 720,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 296,403
  
  Volume % Change: 165%

   

  From a technical perspective, ADVS ripped sharply higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $32.05 with above-average volume. This strong spike higher on Wednesday also pushed shares of ADVS into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $33.25. Shares of ADVS are now quickly moving within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ADVS manages to clear Wednesday's intraday high of $33.55 to some more key overhead resistance levels at $34.59 to its 52-week high of $36.11 with volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ADVS as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $32.05 or above its 200-day at $31.15 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 296,403 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ADVS will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $36.11, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $45, or even $50.

   

5 Best Oil Service Stocks To Own For 2015: China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd (NPD)

China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. operates retail drugstores in the People?s Republic of China. The company?s drugstores provide pharmacy services and other merchandise, including prescription drugs; over-the-counter drugs; nutritional supplements, such as healthcare supplements, vitamins, minerals, and dietary products; herbal products, including drinkable herbal remedies and packages of assorted herbs for making soup; and private label products. Its stores also offer personal care products, such as skin care, hair care, and beauty products; family care products, including portable medical devices for family use, birth control products, and early pregnancy test products; and convenience products, such as soft drinks, packaged snacks, other consumables, cleaning agents, and stationeries, as well as seasonal and promotional items. The company operates its stores under the China Nepstar brand name. As of December 31, 2009, its store network comprised 2,479 retail drugstores located in approximately 71 cities in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Shandong, Hunan, Fujian, Sichuan, and Hubei provinces, as well as in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing municipalities of the People?s Republic of China. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares dropped around 0.20 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included K12 (NYSE: LRN), China Nepstar Chain Drugstore (NYSE: NPD), and Du Pont (NYSE: DD).

5 Best Oil Service Stocks To Own For 2015: Intellicheck Mobilisia Inc. (IDN)

Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. develops, integrates, and markets wireless technology and identity systems for mobile and handheld access control and security systems. The company offers identity systems products, including commercial identification products, such as IDvCheck SDK for software developers; IDvCheck point of sale, a software application that runs on various VeriFone devices; IDvCheck browser helper object for Internet explorer; ScanInn that speeds up check-in and ID verification at hotels and motels; AssureScan, an application, which assists pharmacies with ID verification and tracking drug related purchases; IDvCheck PC, a software solution; IDvCheck Mobile for hand held devices; software products for data collection devices; and instant credit application kiosk software applications. It also provides government identification products comprising Defense ID systems to read barcodes, magnetic stripes, radio frequency identification, and optical character recognit ion codes printed on current forms of identification cards; Fugitive Finder that scans driver�s licenses, and military IDs or passports; transportation worker identification credential readers; and visitor center, a component of Defense ID or Fugitive Finder systems. In addition, the company offers wireless security products and services, such as Wireless Over Water technology that allow passengers of moving vessels to access the Internet while in motion on water; Floating Area Network for the U.S. Navy; Aegeus wireless security buoy and littoral sensor grid for security monitoring of harbors and waterways; and AIRchitect, a wireless LAN design expert system. Further, it provides wireless services; and design, engineering, and integration services for commercial wireless communications systems. The company serves government, military, and commercial markets through its sales force and distributors. Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Port Townsend, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  While it may be an overstatement to deem Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. (NYSEMKT:IDN) the most underappreciated and underestimated stock out there right now, there's no way of denying IDN is a name that most traders are missing the boat on. Consider this an impartial remedy to that wrong - Intellicheck Mobilisa looks to be on the verge of a strong bullish move, fueled by all the right reasons.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Just for the record, yes, I was the same guy who two days ago was telling you to bail out of Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. (NYSEMKT:IDN), locking in whatever gain you could on the falling stock while there was a gain to be hand. So why am I calling IDN a buy now? Because my bearish worries were from two days ago... a lifetime, in trading terms.

• [By Damian Illia]

  Based in California, VeriSign Inc. (VRSN) is an internet infrastructure services provider, which includes domain name registry services and infrastructure assurance services, responsible for top-level domains such as .com, .net, .tv, .edu, .gov and .name among others. The company also provides Registry services and Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) services. Working with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, the company can register exclusive domain names abiding these entities��terms. The company�� relationships with these entities has been prospering full steam: ICANN approved the renewal of the agreement with VeriSign to serve as the authoritative registry operator for the .com registry, it got exclusive registry for the .tv and .cc country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), and has additionally started providing back-end systems for all .gov, .jobs and .edu domain names, as well as internationalized domain name (IDN) services that enable web-users to access websites in their local language.