Top 10 Insurance Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 10 Insurance Companies To Own In Right Now: CNA Financial Corp (CNA)

CNA Financial Corporation (CNAF), incorporated in 1967, is an insurance holding company. The Companys core business commercial property and casualty insurance operations operate in two segments: CNA Specialty and CNA Commercial. Its non-core businesses are managed in two business segments: Life & Group Non-Core and Corporate & Other Non-Core. The Companys insurance products primarily include commercial property and casualty coverages, including surety. Its services include risk management, information services, and warranty and claims administration. Its products and services are marketed through independent agents, brokers and managing general underwriters to a wide variety of customers, including small, medium and large businesses, associations, professionals and other groups. CNA's property and casualty and remaining life and group insurance operations are primarily conducted by Continental Casualty Company (CCC), The Continental Insurance Company, Western Surety Company and Continental Assurance Company (CAC). On June 10, 2011, CNA completed the acquisition of CNA Surety Corporation. In July 2012, the Company acquired Hardy Underwriting Bermuda Ltd. On December 14, 2012, the Company sold SUR Insurance Agency, Inc. and The Bond Exchange to California Contractors Insurance Services.

CNA Specialty

CNA Specialty provides professional and management liability and other coverages through property and casualty products and services, both domestically and abroad, through a network of brokers, independent agencies and managing general underwriters. CNA Specialty provides solutions for managing the risks of its clients, including architects, lawyers, accountants, health care professionals, financial intermediaries and public and private companies. Product offerings also include surety and fidelity bonds and warranty services.

CNA Specialty includes four business groups: Professional & ! Management Liabilit y, International, Surety, and Warranty and Alternative Risks. Professional & Management Liability provides management and professional liability insurance and risk management services and other specialized property and casualty coverages in the United States. This group provides professional liability coverages to various professional firms, including architects, real estate agents, small and mid-sized accounting firms, law firms and technology firms. Professional & Management Liability also provides D&O, employment practices, fiduciary and fidelity coverages. Products within Professional & Management Liability are distributed through brokers, agents and managing general underwriters. Professional & Management Liability, through CNA HealthPro, also offers insurance products to serve the healthcare delivery system. Products include professional liability and associated standard property and casualty coverages, and are distributed on a national basis through brokers, agents an d managing general underwriters. Customer segments include long term care facilities, allied health care providers, life sciences, dental professionals and mid-size and large health care facilities.

International provides similar management and professional liability insurance and other specialized property and casualty coverages in Canada and Europe. Surety consists primarily of CNA Surety Corporation (CNA Surety) and its insurance subsidiaries and offers small, medium and large contract and commercial surety bonds. CNA Surety provides surety and fidelity bonds in all 50 states through a combined network of independent agencies.

Warranty and Alternative Risks provides extended service contracts and related products that provide protection from the financial burden associated with mechanical breakdown and other related losses, primarily for vehicles and portable electronic communication devices. These products are distributed through and administer ed by a wholly owned subsidiary, CN! A Nationa! l Warranty Corporation, or through third party administrators.

CNA Commercial

CNA Commercial works with an independent agency distribution system and a network of brokers to market a range of property and casualty insurance products and services to small, middle-market and large businesses and organizations domestically and abroad. Products include standard and excess property coverages, as well as marine coverage, and boiler and machinery. Casualty products include standard casualty insurance products such as workers compensation, general and product liability, commercial auto and umbrella coverages. It also offers pecialized loss-sensitive insurance programs to those customers viewed as higher risk and less predictable in exposure.

The Business insurance group serves smaller commercial accounts and the Commercial insurance group serves middle markets and larger risks. In addition, CNA Co mmercial provides total risk management services relating to claim and information services to the insurance marketplace, through a wholly owned subsidiary, CNA ClaimPlus, Inc., a third party administrator. The International insurance group primarily consists of the commercial product lines of its operations in Europe, Canada, as well as Hawaii.

CNA Select Risk (Select Risk) includes excess and surplus lines coverages. Risk provides specialized insurance for selected commercial risks on both an individual customer and program basis. Select Risks products are distributed throughout the United States through specialist producers, program agents and brokers.

Life & Group Non-Core

The Life & Group Non-Core segment includes the results of the life and group lines of business that are in run-off. It retains block of group reinsurance and life settlement contracts.

Corporate & Other Non-Core

Corporate & Other Non-C ore primarily includes certain corporate expenses. This also includes interest on corporate debt, and the ! results o! f certain property and casualty business in run-off, including CNA Re and A&EP.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Centrica Plc (CNA), the biggest energy supplier to U.K. homes, slipped 4.1 percent to 375.6 pence, the biggest drop since May 2010. Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party, yesterday pledged to freeze energy bills if he wins the next general election. He added that rising prices have enriched power companies at the expense of consumers.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-insurance-companies-to-own-in-right-now.html

Top Low Price Companies To Buy For 2016

Top Low Price Companies To Buy For 2016: Hospitalit y Properites Trust (HPT)

Hospitality Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in buying, owning, and leasing hotels. The companys hotels are operated as Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites, AmeriSuites, Prime Hotels and Resorts, Homestead Studio Suites, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott or Marriott Hotels and Resorts. As of June 30, 2005, it owned 298 hotels located in 38 states in the United States; Puerto Rico; and Ontario, Canada. The companys hotels are primarily designed for business, governmental, and family travelers. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax provided it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. Hospitality Properties was formed in 1995 and is based in Newton, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Hotel and travel REIT Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) raised its quarterly dividend 2.1% to 48 cents per share, payable Nov. 22 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 25.
  HPT Dividend Yield: 6.71%

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap TravelCenters of America LLC is the largest full-service travel center company in the United States, serving professional drivers and motorists traveling on highways with the finest full-service facilities on the road. More specifically, TravelCenters of America LLC offersdiesel fuel and gasoline plusfull-service restaurants, branded lodging and nationally known fast food restaurants at165 sites with 145sites owned by Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE: HPT) and operated by TA; 10 sites owned by HPT and franchise operated; and 10 franchisee-owned and operated.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-low-price-companies-to-buy-for-2016.html

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Liberty All-Star Equity Fund(USA)

Liberty All Star Equity Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund managed by ALPS Advisers, Inc. The fund is co-managed by Matrix Asset Advisors, Inc., Pzena Investment Management, LLC, Schneider Capital Management Corporation, Cornerstone Capital Management, Inc, and TCW Investment Management Company. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund invests in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in the combination of both value and growth stocks of large cap companies. Liberty All Star Equity Fund was formed in October 1986 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mani]

  Investors of Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc (USA) (NYSE:TC) (TSE:TCM) are concerned with the company's high debt levels and may impact the long-term investment case due to the need to repay debt versus invest in new projects.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-healthcare-technology-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Top 5 Construction Companies To Invest In 2016

Top 5 Construction Companies To Invest In 2016: Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL (CBN)

Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL is a Lebanon-based joint stock company that operates in the construction materials industry sector. The Company is engaged in the production and sale of white cement. The Company is a 65.99% owned by Holcim (Liban) SAL. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CanadianValue]

  Nigeria's reformed banking system has provided many foreigners with an attractive means to invest in the fast-growing domestic economy. The banking industry is important, not only because of the rise of microfinance, but because of the move by banks into consumer banking. Until recently, banks were mainly financing large businesses or the government through bond purchases. Following a banking crisis in 2008, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) conducted an audit of the commercial banking sector. All banks that failed the audit had their CEOs replaced. The state-owned Asset Management Corporation (AMCON) was created to purchase non-performing loans and recapitalize the unhealthy banks. A recent review of the country's banks by the IMF showed a dramatic increase in profits for the industry in 2012, while the capital adequacy ratio was above the minimum requirement of 10% and non-performing loans were below the mandated threshold of 5%5.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-construction-companies-to-invest-in-2016.html

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Watch Right Now: Thor Industries Inc.(THO)

Thor Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells a range of recreation vehicles and small and mid-size buses, as well as related parts and accessories in the United States and Canada. The company offers a range of travel trailers and motorhomes under the trade name of Airstream, which include Airstream Safari, International, Flying Cloud, and Bambi travel trailers, as well as Interstate Class B motorhomes. It also manufactures and sells conventional travel trailers and fifth wheels under the trade names of Dutchmen, Four Winds, Aero, Grand Junction, Colorado, Cruiser, Seville, Zinger, and Sunset Trail; travel trailers and fifth wheels under trade names of Montana, Springdale, Hornet, Sprinter, Outback, Laredo, Everest, Mountaineer, Challenger, Cougar, Komfort, and Trailblazer; and gasoline and diesel Class C, Class A, and Class B motorhomes under the trade names of Four Winds, Hurricane, Windsport, Mandalay, Dutchmen, Chateau, Serrano, Ventura, and Fun Mover. In addition, it manufactures and sells gasoline and diesel Class A motor homes under the trade names of Daybreak, Challenger, Astoria, Tuscany, Outlaw, and Avanti; travel trailers, fifth wheels, truck campers, and park models under the trade name of General Coach; and park models under the trade names of Tranquility, Westchester, and Breckenridge. Further, the company manufactures small and mid-size transit and commercial buses under the trade names of Aerolite, AeroElite, Aerotech, Escort, MST, Transmark, EZ Rider, Axess, Challenger, Defender, Crusader, American Cruiser, Classic Coach, EZ Trans, GC II, and Pacer. It markets its vehicles through independent dealers to municipalities and private purchasers, such as rental car companies and hotels. The company has a joint venture agreement with Cruise America, Inc. to provide short-term rentals of motorized recreation vehicles to the public. Thor Industries was founded in 1980 and is based i! n Jackson Center, Oh io.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialty vehicle maker Thor Industries (NYSE: THO  ) is selling substantially all of the assets of its ambulance division, SJC Industries, to privately held Wheeled Coach Industries, a subsidiary of Allied Specialty Vehicles, which is based in Orlando. Fla.

• [By Sue Chang]

  Thor Industries (THO) is expected to report fiscal first-quarter earnings of 70 cents a share. The recreational-vehicle maker in early November released a preliminary first-quarter sales target of $802.6 million, below the average estimate of $845 million at the time, The Wall Street Journal said. Thor manufactures Four Winds, Airstream and Dutchman.

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  Shares of Winnebago have gained 4.4% to $28.47 today at 3pm. Thor Industries (THO), which also makes recreational vehicles, has ticked up 0.1% to $57.56, Drew Industries (DW) has risen 0.3% to $48.74, Arctic Cat (ACAT) has advanced 1% to $59.87 and Polaris Industries (PII) has fallen 0.3% to $132.08.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-canadian-stocks-to-watch-right-now-2.html

BrightScope Defends a Business Model Modeled After Morningstar

Independent registered rep David Sterling was infuriated last month when a BrightScope Advisor Pages salesman called to see if he wanted to pay a fee to manage the information on the Web page that describes Sterling’s business.

Until then, Sterling wasn’t aware that there was such a page. But when he checked it out, he discovered that anybody who looked him up on BrightScope would find a red mark against his name and a link to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck, where FINRA lists what Sterling believes is an out-of-date and irrelevant report on his long-resolved dispute with a contractor over payment on a kitchen remodeling job.

“For just under $1,000 per year I can subscribe to BrightScope so that I can have access to and edit information gathered about me. Of course, the gentleman went on to explain how valuable this option is to my business and branding. What a farce,” Sterling wrote in an complaint emailed to ThinkAdvisor.

But while advisors such as Sterling are upset about BrightScope's sales methods and online business model, others in the advisor industry say that's exactly how the website is supposed to work.

One such fan of BrightScope is Chip Roame, managing partner of industry consultant Tiburon Strategic Advisors, who calls BrightScope an innovative disruptor. “BrightScope will disrupt the advisor industry, and become a portal for advisor data,” said Roame when commenting on Michael Kitces’ decision in April to join BrightScope’s advisory board. Kitces, a partner with Pinnacle Advisory Group, publishes The Kitces Report financial planning blog and is a regular speaker at industry events. He also is a contriubtor to ThinkAdvisor.

Morningstar Is BrightScope’s Role Model

BrightScope officials, too, have argued the merits of online transparency since their launch of Advisor Pages two years ago, and they point to Morningstar as their role model.

BrightScope CEO and co-founder Mike Alfred said last week that he and his team of executives have engaged in regular discussions with officials at Morningstar for several years. Alfred described BrightScope as the Morningstar of financial distribution channels, because it intends to democratize information about advisors and 401(k) plans and make those markets more efficient.

“I think our business model is pretty much misunderstood,” Alfred said. “But we’ve seen how Morningstar has evolved since 1984. Although Morningstar had people screaming when it was new, the service that Morningstar offers today is huge. Morningstar drives real consumer decision-making, and now the asset managers have to be users of Morningstar because between 70% and 80% of the mutual funds that sell the most have Morningstar ratings of four or five stars. If you’re rated two stars, you’re probably not moving flows. That’s powerful.”

Alfred said his privately held company has almost 70 employees. Though he wouldn’t reveal BrightScope’s market cap or revenues, he said the firm has been cash flow positive for three straight years, with more than 60% revenue growth every year. He said the public website represents only 3% of what’s going on at BrightScope, at the very front end of the business, and the revenue is generated at the back end through software and data subscriptions sold to large asset managers, recordkeepers, large plan sponsors and financial advisory firms in the RIA, wirehouse and IBD channels.

When told of Sterling’s complaints, Alfred said his firm is building out additional functionality to benefit non-subscribers. “We’re trying to make it more inclusive so that advisors who don’t use the subscription service can still get something out of it,” he said in a phone interview.

‘When I Got the Solicitation, I Felt Painted Into a Corner’

But Sterling, who in addition to being a registered rep is a practicing attorney and vice-chairman of the American Bar Association’s Insurance and Financial Planning Committee, expressed concern in a separate phone interview that any consumer who checks him out online will see the red mark against his name in the BrightScope regulatory disclosures section and not even bother to do further due diligence on FINRA’s BrokerCheck site.

Further, Sterling said, he resented feeling forced to pay a fee to clear his name.

“It felt like a solicitation that’s so poorly viewed in the finance industry, where you get a sales pitch in a cold call,” he said. “The foundation of my concern centers on the question of the fiduciary issue. Compliance is a way of life for me, and a lot gets lost in translation. That’s the concern I have with all these online digital deals. I laughed when I told a client about the kitchen repair, but I don’t have the opportunity to do that on BrightScope. When I got the solicitation, I felt painted into a corner. Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of the database.”

Alfred disagreed with David Sterling’s argument that online consumer searches of advisors should be viewed as a problem. /* .premium-promo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px; float: left; } .premium-promo li, .premium-promo ul { list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .premium-promo li { margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0 0 10px; border-bottom: 1px dotted #ddd; } .premium-promo h3 { text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 11px; } .premium-promo h4 { font-size: 16px; } .premium-promo a { text-decoration: none !important; } .premium-promo .btn { background: #0069a1; border-radius: 4px; display: inline-block; padding: 5px 10px; clear: both; color: #fff; font-weight: bold; } .premium-promo .btn:hover { background: #034c92; } */ “Advisors are more sensitive about their disclosures now because they’re public. They’re Googling themselves,” Alfred said. “I’m sensitive to what the lawyer [David Sterling] is saying, but he’s complaining about the wrong thing. Now the lawyer has to have a discussion with clients, which is a good thing, and he also should have a conversation with FINRA because we’re going to publish whatever FINRA puts out.”

Kitces: BrightScope Does a Better Job Than Regulators

Financial advisor Kitces, meanwhile, believes that Sterling’s complaint of a red mark against his name for a kitchen repair payment is a perfect example of why BrightScope should help clean up the financial services industry.

“This red mark has been on his record since FINRA put it there. The only difference is that Brightscope has made it easier to find,” said Kitces, who admitted to disliking BrightScope’s business model until he studied it closely. “If his complaint is that FINRA’s BrokerCheck shows an infraction that he doesn’t like, he should take it up with the regulator.”

The “awkward reality,” Kitces asserted, is that many advisors aren’t doing a very good job of filing their Form ADV when they submit it personally to their regulator. “Frankly, hardly any consumers actually go to regulators. That’s why I’m a fan of BrightScope, because they’re doing a better job than the regulators at getting regulatory information to consumers.”

Kitces added that he expects to see a backlash against FINRA as more advisors go online and find what they feel are unfair infractions against their record. He pointed to a June 13 Reuters story that says FINRA soon expects to send the Securities and Exchange Commission a proposal to make it easier for brokers to erase certain black marks from their records.

“BrightScope is helping to unearth these regulatory infractions that technically are public but nobody can find in the real world,” Kitces said. “Nobody had ever noticed that David Sterling had a regulatory infraction, not even David Sterling, until he saw it on BrightScope.”

4G LTE in Africa: Courtesy Alcatel-Lucent - Analyst Blog

Leading communication equipment company Alcatel-Lucent, S.A (ALU) and Surfline Communications Ltd. recently announced that they have successfully deployed the first commercial 4G LTE (long-term evolution) network in Ghana. The collaboration of these companies to provide high-speed mobile broadband services is intended to meet the demand for fast wireless internet access in West and Central Africa.

Alcatel-Lucent will assist Surfline to roll out next-generation mobile communication by providing hardware and software in major cities, followed by a nationwide rollout. Additionally, Alcatel-Lucent will also provide installation, optimization, maintenance and managed services.

Alcatel-Lucent believes that its new IP architecture-based network will assist Surfline to expeditiously and economically expand mobile broadband capacity in order to meet the burgeoning customer demand, driven by the launch of low-cost smart phones.

The 4G LTE network is expected to provide quality service to Surfline's customers to access social networking sites, indulge in online gaming, view streamed videos and avail video calling and e-mail services. Moreover, the 4G-LTE network launch in Africa is likely to benefit the associated industries, thereby developing the overall economy. Thus the Alcatel-Lucent and Surfline collaboration is expected to positively contribute to Ghana's social and economic growth.

Alcatel-Lucent has been strategically forming alliance with a number of telecom companies to provide technology backup srvices for wireless broadband. Last month, it entered into an agreement with Telenor Group to provide high speed Internet services to Telenor's 2G, 3G and 4G customers across Europe and Asia.

Alcatel-Lucent currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Relatively better players within the Computer and Technology sector worth mentioning include AVG Technologies N.V. (AVG), Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (AFOP) and Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM), each holding a Zacks! Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Sirius XM Smokes Its Shorts

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) just keeps growing.

The satellite radio provider delivered robust quarterly results this morning. Revenue climbed 12% to $940.1 million, just ahead of the $934.4 million that Wall Street was forecasting. A 9% increase in subscribers over the past year was the major contributor to the top-line spurt, though it also helps that Sirius XM is squeezing a little more revenue out of the average listener.

Earnings of $126 million -- or $0.02 a share -- matched expectations.

As a scalable model, once again we're seeing results get rosier as we work our way down the company's financial statements. Pre-tax profits rose 47%, and adjusted EBITDA clocked in 19% higher.  

We knew that this would be a good quarter the moment that Sirius XM revealed that it closed out the period with 715,000 net new subscribers two weeks ago. We now know that it was 715,762 net additions during the last three months, making this Sirius XM's most successful quarter in terms of base growth since the merger of Sirius and XM five summers ago. 

Naysayers were already starting to come around. There were just 325.6 million shares of Sirius XM sold short as of mid-July, and that's the lowest number of shorts since late last year.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2016

It's not just the frustrated pessimists placing buy orders to cover their short positions. Sirius XM revealed this morning that it has spent $1.3 billion this year to buy back 391 million shares. The only negative point there is that the number of fully diluted shares outstanding over the past year has only shrunk from 6.51 billion to 6.48 billion in that time. The media darling is going to have to do a lot more buying -- and a lot less issuing -- if it seriously wants to make a dent in its huge share count.

Sirius XM had boosted its subscriber guidance two weeks ago, so the other thing worth watching would be if it increased its other outlook metrics this morning. We got one out of three, as Sirius XM boosted its adjusted EBITDA forecast while keeping revenue and free cash flow the same. 

Despite the growing number of cheaper streaming alternatives, Sirius XM is as sticky as ever. Folks buying new cars with free satellite radio trial subscriptions continue to convert at a 45% clip, and the good news is that the monthly churn of subscribers already on the service fell to just 1.7%.

Once again, Sirius XM delivers.

A revolution that may be bigger than satellite radio
With the U.S. relying on the rest of the world for such a large percentage of our goods, many investors are ready for the end of the "made in China" era. Well, it may be here. Read all about the biggest industry disrupters since the personal computer in "3 Stocks to Own for the New Industrial Revolution." Just click here to learn more.

Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Buy For 2016

Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Buy For 2016: SMART Technologies Inc.(SMT)

SMART Technologies Inc. designs, develops, and sells interactive technology products and solutions that enhance learning and enable people to collaborate worldwide. The company offers a range of SMART Board interactive whiteboards and displays, as well as other interactive products, such as interactive tables, interactive pen displays, student response systems, wireless slates, audio enhancement systems, document cameras, conferencing software, and a line of interactive learning software. Its portfolio of related attachment products include SMART Response, SMART Slate, SMART Document Camera, SMART Table, SMART Audio, and SMART Classroom Suite. SMART Technologies also provides free online learning resources, an online teacher community, and training and professional development. It sells its interactive whiteboards through a network of distributors and dealers to the education, business, and government markets. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Calgary , Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  Smart Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: SMT) is a company that literally lives up to its name. It's a supplier of interactive education tools used by more than 40 million students in more than 175 countries.

• [By Michael Robinson]

  Smart Technologies (SMT)

  Smart Technologies is a company that literally lives up to its name. It's a supplier of interactive education tools, used by more than 40 million students, in more than 175 countries.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-diversified-bank-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Hot Media Companies For 2015

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) reported third quarter 2013 results after markets closed on Thursday. The social media game company posted an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) loss of $0.02 and revenues of $202.58 million. In the same period a year ago, Zynga reported an EPS loss of zero on revenues of $316.64 million. Bookings totaled $152 million in the quarter compared with $255.61 million in the year-ago quarter. Third-quarter results compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for an EPS loss of $0.04 and $142.67 billion in revenues. In Zynga�� case, revenue estimates are compared with the company�� reported bookings, which represent the total of revenues and deferred revenues.

Online game revenue was down 39% year-over-year and 14% sequentially. Advertising revenue was down 9% from last year, but up 3% sequentially. Deferred revenue totaled $50.47 million in the quarter, somewhat better than the $61.03 million in the same period a year ago.

For the fourth quarter, Zynga forecast revenue in the range of $175 to $185 million. Adjusted EPS loss is projected at $0.04 to $0.05, worse than the consensus estimate of $0.03. Bookings are projected at $130 to $140 million, which is below the consensus estimate for revenues of $147.85 million.

Best Specialty Retail Companies To Watch In Right Now: CBS Corporation(CBS)

CBS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mass media company in the United States and internationally. The company?s Entertainment segment distributes a schedule of news and public affairs broadcasts, sports, and entertainment programming; produces, acquires, and distributes programming, including series, specials, news, and public affairs; produces and distributes theatrical motion pictures across various genres; and operates online content networks for information and entertainment. Its Cable Networks segment owns and operates multiplexed channels that offers subscription program services, including recently released theatrical feature films, original series, documentaries, boxing, mixed martial arts and other sports-related programming, and special events; and CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour cable program service related to college sports. This segment also owns and manages Smithsonian Networks, which operates Smithsonian Channel, a basic cab le service in the United States. The company?s Publishing segment publishes and distributes adult and children?s consumer books in printed, audio, and digital formats. Its Local Broadcasting segment owns 29 broadcast television stations; owns and operates 130 radio stations in 28 U.S. markets and related online properties; and owns local Websites that combine television and radio local media brands online to provide the latest news, traffic, weather, and sports information, as well as local discounts, directories, and reviews. The company?s Outdoor segment sells advertising space on various media, including billboards, transit shelters and other street furniture, buses, rail systems, mall kiosks, stadium signage, and in retail stores. CBS Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  CBS is one of the largest nationwide providers of entertainment and mass media services. The company�� dispute with Time Warner Cable is now settled, to the benefit of CBS. The stock has been rising higher over the last few years and is now trading near all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been increasing which have resulted in upbeat investors. Relative to its peers and sector, CBS has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for CBS to OUTPERFORM.

Hot Media Companies For 2015: News Corporation(NWSA)

News Corporation operates as a diversified media company worldwide. Its Cable Network Programming segment produces and licenses news, business news, sports, general entertainment, and movie programming for distribution through cable television systems and direct broadcast satellite operators primarily in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment produces and acquires live-action and animated motion pictures for distribution and licensing in entertainment media, as well as produces and licenses television programming worldwide. Its Television segment operates 27 broadcast television stations in the United States. The company?s Direct Broadcast Satellite Television segment distributes programming services via satellite and broadband directly to subscribers in Italy. Its Publishing segment provides newspapers and information services, such as publishing national newspapers in the United Kingdom, approximately 146 newspapers in Australia, and a metropolitan and a national newspaper in the United States; book publishing services, including the publishing of English language books worldwide; and integrated marketing services comprising the publishing of free-standing inserts, which are marketing booklets containing coupons, rebates, and other consumer offers, as well as provides in-store marketing products and services, primarily to consumer packaged goods manufacturers in the United States and Canada. The company also sells advertising, sponsorships, and subscription services on the company?s various digital media properties and outdoor advertising space on various media primarily in Russia and eastern Europe; and provides data systems and professional services that enable teachers to use data to assess student progress and deliver individualized instructions. News Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWSA) shares gained 0.61% to touch a new 52-week high of $18.13. 21st Century Fox announced its plans to sell its 47% stake in Star China TV.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  News Corp. provides a wide range of media and information services to consumers and companies interested in the latest and greatest around the world. The stock has been on a strong run in recent years but is now seeing a slight pullback that may take some time. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have been improving, however, investors have had mixed feelings about their reports. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for News Corp. to continue to OUTPERFORM.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  News Corp. (0.4%) (NWSA - $16.06 (0.3%) NWS - $16.43 (0.1%) - NASDAQ)(NWSA), based in New York, operates in five segments: 1) News and information services ��U.S., United Kingdom, and Australian publishing businesses, including The Wall Street Journal, the Times of London, and the New York Post, along with News America Marketing Corp., a leading provider of free standing inserts (FSIs or cents off coupons); 2) Cable network programming ��Fox Sports Australia; 3) Digital real estate services ��a 62% interest in publicly traded REA Group Ltd. (Australia); 4) Book publishing ��Harper Collins, one of the largest English language publishers in the world; and 5) Other ��primarily the company's K-12 education business ��Amplify. On June 28, 2013, 'old News' Corp. (now Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (2.4%)) spun off most of its non entertainment assets ('new News') to holders on a one for four basis. We estimate that the company will generate about $800 million of EBITDA on $8.7 billion of revenues for the year ending June 30, 2014.�

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Digital distribution was front and center in the bidding war for the popular comedy's syndication rights two years ago. Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX  ) Turner Broadcasting vocally dropped out of contention, arguing that the show was too exposed in cyberspace. Hulu and�Disney's (NYSE: DIS  ) ABC.com -- but not Netflix -- were streaming earlier episodes. News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA  ) COO Chase Carey backed Time Warner's move to pass on the sitcom that had become huge for Disney's ABC.

Hot Media Companies For 2015: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)

Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  Along the way, the industry became segregated into wired and wireless sectors. Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC  ) dominated the wired side, while AT&T and Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) primarily call the shots in wireless.

• [By Dan Moskowitz]

  Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC  ) �doesn't have the best reputation among its customers, but all that matters to investors is whether or not the company can make shareholders money through stock appreciation and dividend payments. Let's take a look at the Time Warner Cable situation and compare the company's potential to that of Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) and Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR  ) .

Hot Media Companies For 2015: DISH Network Corporation(DISH)

DISH Network Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides direct broadcast satellite (DBS) subscription television services in the United States. It offers programming that includes approximately 280 basic video channels, 60 Sirius satellite radio music channels, 30 premium movie channels, 35 regional and specialty sports channels, 2,800 local channels, 250 Latino and international channels, and 55 channels of pay-per-view content. The company also offers local HD channels in approximately 160 markets and 215 national HD channels; and receiver systems, including a small satellite dish, digital set-top receivers, and remote controls. In addition, it provides DISHOnline.com, which enables DISH Network subscribers to watch 150,000 movies, television shows, clips, and trailers; DISH Remote Access that enables subscribers to remotely manage their DVRs using compatible mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops through their broadband-connected receiver; and Go ogle TV that enables DISH Network subscribers to search the Internet, check email, interact with social media, and find additional online programming content while simultaneously watching television. As of March 31, 2011, the company had approximately 14.191 million customers. DISH Network provides receiver systems and programming through direct sales channels; and independent third parties, such as small satellite retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers, and telecommunications companies. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Sprint (NYSE: S  ) is in play, and DISH�Network's (NASDAQ: DISH  ) surprise bid for the country's third-largest wireless carrier is huge.

Hot Media Companies For 2015: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harold L. Vogel]

  *Includes AMC (AMCX), Cablevision (CVC), Charter, Comcast Cable (CMCSA) and networks, Discovery (DISCA), Disney (DIS) cable networks, Time Warner Cable (TWC) and cable networks, Viacom (VIAB) networks.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Comcast, as you probably know, is a huge player in media, entertainment and communications. It is perhaps best known for Comcast Cable, which beats out Time Warner Cable (TWC) as the largest cable operator in the U.S., with over 22.3 million subscribers.

Hot Media Companies For 2015: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Touchstone/Getty ImagesBen Affleck in a scene from the 1998 film "Armageddon." Only a handful of actors have been given the privilege of playing Batman. Last week, Ben Affleck joined a list that includes the likes of Adam West, Christian Bale and Kevin Conroy, who has voiced the character in animated features since 1992. He'll join Henry Cavill, who plays Superman, in an epic that pits the two iconic superheroes against each other. Time Warner (TWX) plans to release the film in July 2015. Many fans were outraged by the choice. "Christian Bale IS 'THE' BATMAN and I refuse to watch this movie even after it comes out on video," wrote one commenter to an article I published at Fool.com last week. Another organized a petition asking Warner to reconsider its choice. More than 85,000 have signed as of this writing. Tale of the Tape Are fans overreacting, or is Warner taking a huge chance by asking Affleck to play one of its most valuable superhero brands? I'd argue the former after looking at the data. Pound for pound, Affleck's credentials are about as good as Bale's: Metric Ben Affleck Christian Bale Films made 33 31 Lifetime gross (U.S.) $1.67 billion $1.91 billion Average per film $50.7 million $61.6 million Top-grossing film "Armageddon" ($537.7 million worldwide) "The Dark Knight Rises" ($1.08 billion worldwide) Lowest-grossing film "Glory Daze" ($15,134 worldwide) "All the Little Animals" ($26,558 worldwide) Academy Awards 2 1 Age / Height / Weight 41 / 6'2" / 200 lbs. 39 / 6' / 180 lbs. Comic book films "Daredevil" "Batman Begins" "The Dark Knight" "The Dark Knight Rises" Best-delivered line in a comic book film "Hey, that light? At the end of the tunnel? Guess what? That's not heaven ... That's the C train!"-- from "Daredevil" "You'll hunt me. You'll condemn me. Set the dogs on me. Because that's what needs to happen. Because sometimes the truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their f

• [By Tim Beyers]

  And I'm not alone. More than 6,000 have rated Season 3 of The Walking Dead at the iTunes Store. HBO's�Game of Thrones is also as much a hit at iTunes as it is in the ratings. Seasons 2 and 1 rank first and second, respectively, in the iTunes Store for Sci-Fi & Fantasy, a small but nice catalyst for HBO parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) .

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX  ) HBO service has been incredibly successful in maintaining a big subscriber base despite offering a limited content library. If Netflix can develop some of its originals into popular franchises, the company may realize its dream of becoming the next HBO, even if its content library shrinks on a "net" basis.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Iron Man 3

  Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) / Buena Vista �$1,211.7 �$407.1 �$200 2 Fast & Furious 6 Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) / Universal Studios �$712.7 �$237.3 �$160 3 Man of Steel Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) / Warner Brothers �$635.8 �$285.8 �$225 4 Despicable Me 2 Comcast / Universal Studios �$595.6 �$287.2 �$76 5 The Croods DreamWorks (NASDAQ: DWA  ) / 20th Century Fox �$582.4 �$186.2 �$135 6 Monsters University Disney / Buena Vista �$535.7 �$251.8 �$200* 7 Oz the Great and Powerful Disney / Buena Vista �$491.9 �$234.9 �$215 8 World War Z Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB  ) / Paramount� �$458.7 �$189.2 �$190 9 Star Trek Into Darkness Viacom / Paramount �$448.8 �$225.3 �$190 10 G.I. Joe: Retaliation Viacom / Paramount �$371.9 �$122.5 �$130

  Source: boxofficemojo.com, numbers as of July 25, 2013.
  *Estimated (Disney has not disclosed the budget for Monsters University).
  

Top 10 High Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2016

Top 10 High Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2016: Glatfelter (GLT)

P. H. Glatfelter Company manufactures and sells specialty papers and fiber-based engineered materials in the United States and internationally. It offers carbonless and forms papers for credit card receipts, multi-part forms, security papers, and other end-user applications; book publishing papers for the production of hardbound books and other book publishing needs; envelope and converting papers for the direct mail market, shopping bags, and other converting applications; and engineered products for digital imaging, transfer, casting, release, postal, playing card, and other niche specialty applications. The company also provides food and beverage paper used for tea bags and single serve coffee products; metallized products used in the labeling of beer bottles, innerliners, gift wrap, self-adhesive labels, and other consumer products applications; and composite laminates papers used in production of decorative laminates, furniture, and flooring applications, as well as a line of paper products used in batteries, medical masks, and other engineered applications. In addition, it offers airlaid non-woven fabric-like materials used in feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence products, cleaning pads and wipes, food pads, napkins and tablecloths, and baby wipes. The company markets its products directly, as well as through wholesale paper merchants, brokers, and agents. P. H. Glatfelter Company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in York, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Specialty papers and and fiber-based materials manufacturer P.H. Glatfelter (GLT) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 11 cents per share, payable May 1 to shareholders of record as of April 3.
  GLT Dividend Yield: 1.44%

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Glatfelter (NYSE: GLT  ) has a ne! w asset in its portfolio. The company announced it has finalized the acquisition of Germany-based Dresden Papier, which according to the American firm is "the leading global supplier of nonwoven wallpaper base materials."

• [By CRWE]

  Glatfelter (NYSE:GLT) reported that the previously announced presentation by Dante C. Parrini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, at the Deutsche Bank Global Industrials and Basic Materials Conference on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 will be available via a live web cast.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-high-dividend-stocks-to-watch-for-2016-2.html

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now

Being the largest provider of hydraulic fracturing services in the world means that Halliburton's (NYSE: HAL  ) actions resonate throughout the energy industry. For those who are worried about the effect of natural gas fracking on the environment, this is a great thing. With its "Frac of the Future" initiative, Halliburton will begin supplying its customers with some of the most environmentally friendly equipment the business has ever seen.�

Whether its the Q10 pumps, which can operate on either liquefied or compressed natural gas in lieu of gasoline or diesel, or the solar powered SandCastle PS-2500 sand storage and delivery system, Halliburton has efficiency and the environment on its mind. A Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL  ) vice president even publicly praised the operations and its ability to minimize the company's "footprint both physically and with emissions".

Does the combination of big energy and clean energy pique your interest?
Domestic oil and gas service companies have taken a hit due to a slowdown in the natural gas drilling boom of the last couple of years. As this market looks to rebound, investors would be wise to consider Halliburton, one of the top companies in the business and one of those most in tune with the domestic market. To access The Motley Fool's new premium research report on this industry stalwart, simply click here now and learn everything you need to know about how Halliburton is positioning itself both at home and abroad.

Top 10 European Companies To Watch In Right Now: DTS Inc.(DTSI)

DTS, Inc. provides audio technologies that are incorporated into various consumer electronics devices worldwide. Its audio technologies enable the delivery and playback of clear and compelling high-definition audio. The company?s technologies are used in various product applications, including audio/video receivers, soundbars, Blu-ray disc players, DVD based products, personal computers, car audio products, video game consoles, network capable televisions, digital media players, set-top-boxes, mobile phones, tablets and home theater systems. It also offers products and services to motion picture studios, radio and television broadcasters, game developers, and other content creators to facilitate the inclusion of compelling and realistic DTS-encoded soundtracks in their content. In addition, the company provides a suite of audio processing technologies to enhance the entertainment experience in televisions, personal computers (PC), and mobile electronics. It serves home au dio/video, automotive, PC, broadcast, mobile electronics, professional content, and other consumer electronics markets. The company was formerly known as Digital Theater Systems, Inc. and changed its name to DTS, Inc. in May 2005. DTS, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Calabasas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  DTS (NASDAQ: DTSI) surged 3.64% to $20.23. The volume of DTS shares traded 148% higher than normal. DTS's PEG ratio is 0.76.

  Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) shares climbed 3.02% to $42.65. The volume of Lululemon Athletica shares traded was 138% higher than normal. Dow Jones reported that the company's founder Dennis Wilson, is exploring options, including a potential sale of the company to private equity.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  www.fossil.com From the world's largest retailer stepping up with fresh financials to a maker of fashionable timepieces proving that it can still grow in this unwelcome climate for watchmakers, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Sounds Good DTS (DTSI) has carved a cozy living providing sound-enhancing technology in Blu-ray players, video game consoles and other devices. Despite its success, DTS is trading a lot closer to its 52-week low than its 52-week high. One thing holding it back is that it has failed to impress the market with its quarterly financials. It's coming off back-to-back quarters of falling short of Wall Street's profit expectations. It's against this setting that DTS will step up after Monday's market close to deliver its latest results. Will the streak of disappointment stretch to three quarters, or is DTS finally going to put out a report that looks as good as its audio technology sounds? We will know soon. Tuesday -- Fossil Fuel Fossil (FOSL) may seem to be toiling away in an industry worthy of its name. Aren't wristwatches dinosaurs? Who wears watches anymore when we have smartwatches to tell us the time. Folks with active lifestyles are saving their wrists for fitness bracelets. Well, Fossil is growing just nicely in this environment, thank you very much. When the trendy watchmaker reports on Tuesday analysts see revenue climbing 13 percent. They see top-line growth of 10 percent for all of 2014. Fossil's profitability isn't expected to clock in as nicely, but unlike DTS,we've seen Fossil blow Wall Street's profit targets away consistently over the past year. Wednesday -- Press Hard CafePress (PRSS) has been a disappointment for investors since going public at $19 two years ago. The stock opened higher on its first day of trading, but it's been mostly downhill for the shares, which now fetch less than a third of the initial public offering price. CafePress was hoping

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Pegasystems Inc.(PEGA)

Pegasystems Inc. develops, markets, licenses, and supports software to automate business processes primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and rest of Europe. The company offers PegaRULES Process Commander, which provides a platform to build, deploy, and change enterprise applications; purpose or industry-specific solution frameworks that enable organizations to implement new customer-facing practices and processes, and provide customized or specialized processing to meet the needs of different customers, departments, geographies, or regulatory requirements; and Pega customer relationship management software to automate customer service inquiries and marketing, and apply analytics to predict and adapt customer service processes. It also offers Pega decision management products, which include Pega Decision Strategy Manager and Next-Best-Action Advisor that support decision-making for offer management, risk, and other marketing and customer management solutions; and Pega Cloud, which enables customers to create and/or run Pega applications using an Internet-based infrastructure. In addition, the company provides implementation, consulting, training, and technical support services to its customers. The company markets its software and services primarily through its direct sales force to financial services organizations, healthcare organizations, insurance companies, communications and media organizations, and government agencies. Pegasystems Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3 - Hold, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of ��utperfom�� For investors looking for a Zacks Rank # 1 ��Strong Buy, Dealertrack Technologies Inc (TRAK), Open Text Corporation (OTEX), Pegasystems Inc. (PEGA) Solera Holdings (SLH) or Ultimate Software Group Inc. (ULTI) could be the options.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: PowerSecure International Inc (POWR)

PowerSecure International, Inc. provides energy and smart grid solutions to electric utilities and their commercial, institutional, and industrial customers. The company?s products and services include Interactive Distributed Generation power systems, smart grid monitoring for electric utilities, peak shaving and demand response, and standby power dispatch and control products; and switchgear products and systems under the NexGear brand name. It also offers utility infrastructure products and services, including transmission and distribution system construction and maintenance under the UtilityServices brand name; engineering, regulatory consulting, and electric grid system design services under the UtilityEngineering and PowerServices brand names; LED lighting for grocery, drug, and convenience stores under the EfficientLights brand name; other LED-based lighting, including street lights; lighting and efficiency products for commercial and industrial customers under the E nergyLite brand name; and LED lighting and lighting components for OEMs and electronics manufacturers, as well as for commercial, industrial, and consumer lighting applications under the IES brand name. PowerSecure serves electric utilities, as well as commercial, institutional, and industrial customers in the United States, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, and the Gulf Coast regions. The company was formerly known as Metretek Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to PowerSecure International, Inc. in August 2007. PowerSecure International, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  PowerSecure International Inc.(POWR) said its revenue soared 57% in the fourth quarter, driven by strong gains in its energy efficiency and utility infrastructure businesses. Shares climbed 12% to $25.80 in light premarket trading.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: US Ecology Inc.(ECOL)

US Ecology, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste treatment, disposal, recycling, and transportation services to commercial and government entities in the United States. The company offers treatment and disposal services for radioactive, hazardous, polychlorinated biphenyl, and non-hazardous industrial wastes. Its customers include oil refineries, chemical production facilities, manufacturers, electric utilities, steel mills, biotechnology companies, military installations, waste brokers/aggregators, and medical and academic institutions. The company was formerly known as American Ecology Corporation and changed its name to US Ecology, Inc. in February 2010. US Ecology, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the stocks to watch in Monday’s session are US Ecology Inc.(ECOL), Akamai, and Dow Chemical Co.(DOW)

  US Ecology again raised its earnings guidance for the year, pointing to strong volumes and accelerated project shipments, but warned its results for next year may take a hit as a result. The company, which provides waste- management and recycling services, also outlined plans to offer about $100 million in stock. Shares dropped 10% to $34.51 premarket.

• [By Damian Illia]

  As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than Amrep Corporation (AXR) but is well below the one registered by US Ecology Inc. (ECOL) and Cintas Corporation (CTAS).

• [By Damian Illia] ides waste management and recycling services to manufacturing, industrial and energy-related sectors. The company�� five waste sites treat hazardous and non-hazardous industrial waste, as well as radioactive and PCB waste. In addition, the company麓s Robstown treatment plant in Texas counts with a thermal desorption unit that treats refinery sludge.

  In the following sections I will show you that we are dealing with a very profitable growth stock, that has an above average ROE rate of 13.89%, and operates with a net margin of 15.99%.

  Holding a Strong Position in the Market

  ECOL has two revenue streams. Business contracts to treat customers��periodic disposal needs on the one hand, and event-driven services that apply to special projects or cleanup work on the other.

  Furthermore, the company has a wide economic moat largely stemming from three factors: its efficient scale, its high switching costs and its intangible assets. Of the 20 commercial hazardous-waste landfills operational in the U.S., the majority are run by US Ecology and its main competitors Waste Management Inc. (WM), and Clean Harbors Inc. (CLH). With barriers to entry stemming from regulatory permits, and a limited market size, ECOL has managed to achieve an efficient scale in the market with five hazardous waste-sides. The company�� intangible assets consist of long-term regulatory permits, which enable US Ecology to posses a ��atekeeper privilege��regarding barriers to new entrants. In addition, customer switching costs are high, thus further adding to the firm�� ability to sustain growth in the long term.

  Good Investments and New Management Should Ensure Profitable Growth

  A range of new treatment services should also help ensure profitable growth for coming years. For example, the Texas facility which operates a new thermal desorption technology for oil refinery sludge since 2008 has been responsible for 10% of revenue and is expected to keep grow

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, hazardous waste disposal specialist US Ecology (NASDAQ: ECOL  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Coach Inc (COH)

Coach, Inc. (Coach), incorporated in June 2000, is a marketer of fine accessories and gifts for women and men. Coach�� product offerings include women�� and men�� bag, accessories, business cases, footwear, wearables, jewelry, sunwear, travel bags, watches and fragrance. The Company operates in two segments: Direct-to-Consumer and Indirect. Accessories include women�� and men�� small leather goods, novelty accessories and women�� and men�� belts. Women�� small leather goods, which coordinate with its handbags, include money pieces, wristlets, and cosmetic cases. Men�� small leather goods consist primarily of wallets and card cases. Novelty accessories include time management and electronic accessories. Key rings and charms are also included in this category. Men�� handbag collections include business cases, computer bags, messenger-style bags and totes. Footwear is distributed through select Coach retail stores, coach.com and about 1,000 United States department stores. Wearables category is comprised of jackets, sweaters, gloves, hats and scarves, including both cold weather and fashion.

The Company�� Jewelry category is comprised of bangle bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings offered in both sterling silver and non-precious metals. Marchon Eyewear, Inc. (Marchon) is the Coach�� eyewear licensee. Coach sunglasses are sold in Coach retail stores and coach.com, department stores, select sunglass retailers and optical retailers in major markets. The travel collections are comprised of luggage and related accessories, such as travel kits and valet trays. Movado Group, Inc. (Movado) is the Company�� watch licensee, which develops a collection of watches.

Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (Estee Lauder), through its subsidiary, Aramis Inc., is Coach�� fragrance licensee. Fragrance is distributed through Coach retail stores, coach.com and about 4,000 United States department stores and 500 international locations. Coach offers four women�� fragrance col! lections and one men�� fragrance. The women�� fragrance collections include eau de perfume spray, eau de toilette spray, purse spray, body lotion and body splashes.

Direct-to-Consumer Segment

The Direct-to-Consumer segment consists of channels that provide the Company with immediate, controlled access to consumers: Coach-operated stores in North America; Japan; Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and the Internet. This segment represented approximately 89% of Coach�� total net sales during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), with North American stores and the Internet, Coach Japan and Coach China contributing approximately 63%, 18% and 6% of total net sales, respectively. Coach stores are located in regional shopping centers and metropolitan areas throughout the United States and Canada. The retail stores carry an assortment of products. Its stores are located in locations, such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto.

Coach�� factory stores serve as a means to sell manufactured-for-factory-store product, including factory exclusives, as well as discontinued and irregular inventory outside the retail channel. These stores operate under the Coach Factory name. Coach�� factory store design, visual presentations and customer service levels support. Coach views its Website as a key communications vehicle for the brand to promote traffic in Coach retail stores and department store locations. Its online store provides a showcase environment where consumers can browse through a selected offering of the latest styles and colors.

Coach Japan operates department store shop-in-shop locations and freestanding flagship, retail and factory stores, as well as an e-commerce Website. Flagship stores offer an assortment of Coach products that are located in select shopping districts throughout Japan. Coach China operates department store shop-in-shop locations, as well as freestanding flagship, retail and factory sto! res. Flag! ship stores, which offer an assortment of Coach products, are located in select shopping districts throughout Hong Kong and mainland China. Coach Singapore and Taiwan operate department store shop-in-shop locations as well as freestanding flagship, retail and factory stores. Flagship stores, which offer a range of assortment of Coach products, are located in select shopping districts in Singapore and Taiwan.

The Reed Krakoff brand represents New American luxury primarily for handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear. Reed Krakoff operates department store shop-in-shop locations, freestanding flagship stores, as well as an e-commerce Website at reedkrakoff.com. Flagship stores, which offer an assortment of Reed Krakoff products, are located in select shopping districts in the United States and Japan.

Indirect Segment

The Indirect segment represented approximately 11% of total net sales in fiscal 2012, with United States Wholesale and Coach International representing approximately 6% and 4% of total net sales, respectively. The Indirect segment also includes royalties earned on licensed product. U.S. Wholesale channel offers access to Coach products to consumers who prefer shopping at department stores. Coach products are also available on macys.com, dillards.com, bloomingdales.com, lordandtaylor.com, belk.com, vonmaur.com and nordstrom.com. Coach�� products are sold in approximately 990 wholesale locations in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. wholesale customers are Macy�� (including Bloomingdale��), Dillard��, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Carson�� and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Coach International channel represents sales to international wholesale distributors and authorized retailers. Coach has developed relationships with a select group of distributors who sell Coach products through department stores and freestanding retail locations in over 20 countries. Coach�� network of international distributors serves various markets: South Korea, US & T! erritorie! s, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Singapore, UAE, France, China, Macau, Indonesia, Kuwait, Bahamas, Aruba, Vietnam, New Zealand, Bahrain, India and Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  But in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of the stock market, that was the past, and the present and future, well they don’t look so hot. For the third quarter, the Vera Bradley, which competes against Coach (COH) and Michael Kors (KORS), among others, now expects sales between�$128 million to $130 million, below forecasts for about $147 million, and a profit of 30 cents to 35 cents, below forecasts for a 48-cent profit. In 2014, Vera Bradley expects sales of�$535 million to $540 million, below forecasts for $575, while its earnings should come in between�$1.47 and $1.52, below expectations of $1.72.�And did I mention that its margins are expected to decline too?�

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  We acknowledge KORS��price-to-earnings of 24 times versus three-year earnings-per-share growth compound annual growth rate of 30% could be modest; however, intrinsic discounted cash flow analysis points at our new target of $93 implies a fuller valuation and KORS��$16.8 billion market cap and enterprise value to sales (EV/Sales) of 5.03 exceeds accessible/luxury peers Tiffany (TIF) at $11.8 billion and 2.34 EV/Sales), Coach (COH) at $15.8 billion and 2.997 EV/Sales, and Ralph Lauren (RL) at $15.8 billion and 2.14 EV/Sales).

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Coach (NYSE: COH  ) reported earnings on April 23. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 30 (Q3), Coach met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Best Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Acorn Energy Inc.(ACFN)

Acorn Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides technology driven solutions for energy infrastructure asset management worldwide. It offers sonar and acoustic related solutions for energy, defense, and commercial markets with a focus on underwater site security for strategic energy installations and other acoustic systems, as well as develops and produces real-time embedded hardware and software. The company also develops and markets remote monitoring systems to electric utilities and industrial facilities, which are used in a range of utility applications, including outage management, power quality monitoring, system planning, trouble shooting and proactive maintenance, and condition monitoring; and provides the intelligence to transmission and distribution network operators. In addition, it develops and produces fiber optic sensing systems for the energy, commercial security, and defense markets. The company?s patented ultra-high sensitivity fiber optic sensors a re designed to replace electronic sensors with fiber optic sensors. Further, it engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of wireless remote systems that monitor standby power generation, backup power generators, remote powered equipment, cellular towers, emergency towered communications, and remote tower sites; cathodic protection products to monitor pipeline integrity; and other wireless remote systems. Acorn Energy, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Montchanin, Delaware.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  A technology stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Acorn Energy (ACFN), which provides digital solutions for energy infrastructure asset management. This stock has been hit hard by the sellers in 2013, with shares off sharply by 48%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Acorn Energy, you'll notice that this stock has started to spike higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $3.66 a share. This stock has also found significant buying interest over the last two months, each time it has pulled back to around $3.50 to $3.20 a share. Shares of ACFN are now quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ACFN if it manages to break out above some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.24 to $4.64 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 344,835 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ACFN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $5.50 to $6 a share. Any high-volume move above $6 will then put its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $6.35 to $6.68 a share into range for shares of ACFN.

  Traders can look to buy ACFN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $3.66 a share, or right around some major support at $3.21 a share. One could also buy ACFN off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Neither Acorn Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:ACFN) nor Cardica, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRDC) may look all that compelling with just a passing glance. The longer one examines CRDC and ACFN, however - and really gets a grasp of their underlying stories - the more compelling each one becomes. In fact, newcomers may want to go ahead and put both budding stocks on their watchlists, if not in their portfolios.

Here's What Billionaire John Paulson Has Been Buying

Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold, via "13F" filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.

Today, let's look at investing giant John Paulson. Founded in 1994 and owned by its employees, Paulson & Co. has specialized in merger arbitrage, among other things, profiting when one company buys or merges with another (or merely announces plans to do so). It has grown into one of the largest hedge fund companies in the world.

Is Paulson really worth paying attention to, though? Well, according to the folks at GuruFocus.com, Paulson gained about 264% over the 15 years through 2011, compared with just 124% for the S&P 500. That certainly gets my attention. His performance faltered in 2011 and 2012, though, reminding us that even the big guys are not perfect and that we should think twice before mindlessly following anyone.

The company's reportable stock portfolio totaled $17.7 billion in value as of March 31, 2013. Its biggest holding by far is the SPDR Gold Trust, with about 19% of assets. Gold has long had its advocates and critics (who include Warren Buffett), but as my colleague Dan Caplinger has noted, it all comes down to supply and demand.

Interesting developments
So what does Paulson's latest quarterly 13F filing tell us? Here are a few interesting details:

The biggest new holdings are Family Dollar and Hess. Other new holdings of interest include InterOil (NYSE: IOC  ) and MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG  ) . InterOil has many investors excited about its potential, as it has major natural gas holdings in Papua New Guinea that could serve regions in Asia. Its earnings have been paltry or negative in recent years, though, and it's free cash flow negative as well. It looks overvalued to some but undervalued to others, and patience seems to be required.

Mortgage insurer MGIC is poised to profit from the recovering housing market, and it has been cleaning up its balance sheet over the past few years, though some don't see it as sufficiently impressive yet. The company is also looking to significantly hike its number of shares, thus shrinking the value of existing shareholders' holdings.

Among holdings in which Paulson & Co. increased its stake was Genworth Financial (NYSE: GNW  ) . Genworth has surged some 20% since my colleague Robert Eberhard called it cheap back in March, but it still sports a forward P/E ratio near 7.3, well below its five-year average. It recently reported quarterly net income more than doubling, and has been making itself more attractive, in part by selling off its wealth management business. It's also working on raising its rates for its long-term care insurance, as that has become quite costly (causing some rivals to simply exit the business) – and its well positioned to profit from a rebound in housing.

Paulson & Co. reduced its stake in lots of companies, including coal producer Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR  ) . The company, like others in its industry, has been whacked by low natural gas prices that have left coal looking relatively unattractive to utility companies, shareholders, and others. The company has been adapting by cutting costs and focusing more on metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel. Its last earnings report was better than expected.

Finally, Paulson's biggest closed positions included Nexen and Ralcorp Holdings. Other closed positions of interest include Murphy Oil (NYSE: MUR  ) , which has surged nearly 50% over the past year and which will split itself in two later this year, separating the downstream refining and retailing business from the rest of the company. In its last quarter, the company's revenue slipped a bit, missing expectations, but its earnings exceeded them, rising 26% over year-ago levels. Management pointed to particular production success in the Eagle Ford shale region.

We should never blindly copy any investor's moves, no matter how talented the investor. But it can be useful to keep an eye on what smart folks are doing. 13-F forms can be great places to find intriguing candidates for our portfolios.

Making the right financial decisions today makes a world of difference in your golden years, but with most people chronically under-saving for retirement, it's clear not enough is being done. Don't make the same mistakes as the masses. Learn about The Shocking Can't-Miss Truth About Your Retirement. It won't cost you a thing, but don't wait, because your free report won't be available forever.

An Early Look at Reynolds American's Earnings

On Tuesday, Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

Cigarette demand has been in a long-term decline for decades, and as a major domestic tobacco producer, Reynolds American hasn't benefited from that trend. Can the company find a way to keep generating the impressive cash flows that have financed its lucrative dividends for so long? Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Reynolds American over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on Reynolds American

Analyst EPS Estimate	$0.69
Change From Year-Ago EPS	9.5%
Revenue Estimate	$1.92 billion
Change From Year-Ago Revenue	(0.5%)
Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters	2

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Can Reynolds American light up its report this quarter?
Recently, analysts have gotten somewhat more optimistic in their predictions of Reynolds American's earnings. They've raised their estimates for the just-finished quarter by a penny per share, but they've boosted their full-year 2013 projections by a much larger $0.08 per share. The stock has responded somewhat favorably to that news, rising 8% since mid-January.

Reynolds American has been under attack from regulators, health agencies, and other government bodies for a long time, but tobacco opponents have redoubled their efforts. After Reynolds and peer Lorillard (NYSE: LO  ) fought back against an FDA attempt to force them to modify their cigarette packaging to include warnings with graphic images, the Centers for Disease Control have launched ad campaigns highlighting the health risks of smoking. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a proposal last month to force stores to get rid of tobacco displays, as a follow-up with the 10th anniversary of his then-controversial smoking ban.

As if that weren't bad enough, President Obama hit Reynolds American again earlier this month, with a proposed increase of $0.94 per pack on federal cigarette taxes attached as part of his budget proposal. The measure would raise $78 billion over the next decade, but it would inflate the prices that smokers have to pay and thereby put further pressure on sales for Reynolds and its peers.

But investors shouldn't ignore the fact that some tobacco companies may fare better than others. Lorillard expects decent sales growth of 5% to 6% both this year and next, while even the larger Altria (NYSE: MO  ) should manage modest revenue gains. By contrast, Reynolds is seen posting declining revenue throughout 2013 before bouncing back in 2014, suggesting that the company has work to do to preserve its competitive position.

As the first of the major domestic cigarette companies to report, Reynolds American will give you a baseline on which to judge the entire industry. Look closely at sales and profit figures not just as a gauge of Reynolds American's individual success but also as a gauge of the health of tobacco in the U.S. more broadly. In addition, as alternatives to traditional cigarettes become more popular, watch sales of its Vuse electronic cigarette as well as its smokeless tobacco division for signs of potential growth.

Altria has been the best-performing stock of the past 50 years, but as the number of smokers in the U.S. continues to steadily decline, is Altria still a buy today? To find out whether everyone's love-to-hate dividend stock is a savvy investment choice or a hazard to your portfolio, simply click here now for access to The Motley Fool's new premium research report on the company.

Click here to add Reynolds American to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks To Invest In 2016

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks To Invest In 2016: Tranzyme Inc.(TZYM)

Tranzyme, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of acute and chronic gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders in the United States and internationally. The company?s clinical product candidates include ulimorelin, an intraveneous ghrelin agonist, which is in the Phase III clinical development stage for the treatment of acute upper GI motility disorders; and TZP-102, an orally-administered ghrelin agonist that has commenced Phase IIb clinical development stage for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. Its preclinical product candidates comprise TZP-201, a motilin antagonist for the treatment of various forms of moderate-to-severe diarrhea; and TZP-301, an oral ghrelin antagonist for the treatment of metabolic diseases. The company has strategic collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to discover, develop, and commercialize additional novel co mpounds; and a license agreement with Norgine B.V to develop and commercialize ulimorelin in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and north and South Africa. Tranzyme, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Tranzyme Pharma (Nasdaq:TZYM) reported that it has closed the previously announced underwritten registered direct offering of approximately 3.0 million shares of its common stock at a price of $3.85 per share for gross proceeds, including the over-allotment option, of approximately $11.5 million.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-supermarket-stocks-to-invest-in-2016-2.html

Bank of America Earnings Tumble as Legal Nightmare Drags On (BAC)

Popular Posts: 5 Low-Beta, High-Yield Dividend Stocks for a Market CrashThe Top 10 S&P 500 Dividend Stocks for July3 Tech Stocks in Need of Street-Beating Earnings — YHOO, EBAY, GOOGL Recent Posts: Bank of America Earnings Tumble as Legal Nightmare Drags On (BAC) Did Home Depot Just Legitimize 3D Printing Stocks? JPMorgan Earnings Beat Low Expectations (JPM) View All Posts Bank of America Earnings Tumble as Legal Nightmare Drags On (BAC) Source: Flickr

Bank of America is so mired in legal troubles, it’s impossible to predict the company’s future.

Source: Flickr

Bank of America (BAC) earnings fell 43% in the second quarter, hurt by $4 billion in legal costs related to wrangling with the Justice Department over dodgy mortgage-backed securities it peddled before the financial crisis.

As the most recent quarter showed once again, the ongoing battle with the federal government has been a huge and expensive overhang for BAC stock. Until it’s removed, BAC stock will likely keep limping along.

Citigroup (C) on Monday said it reached a $7 billion deal with the federal government over its own mortgage-backed securities. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) reached a similar deal for $13 billion in November.

Anyone holding BAC stock can only hope for a similarly favorable settlement for the bank — and soon.

It’s not even so much that the negotiations with the DOJ has been so costly for BAC (the bank has set aside ample cash for the fight) — it’s that the uncertainty casts a pall over BAC stock. After all, if BAC and the government can’t come to a deal, the DOJ will likely file suit against the bank, creating an even more expensive and open-ended problem.

And things are bad enough already for Bank of America and BAC stock.

Indeed, BAC has been so buried in rubble left over from the financial crisis, it’s made it essentially impossible to model future Bank of America earnings — to say nothing of putting a value on BAC stock.

Take the latest quarter as an example. On a net income basis, Bank of America earnings fell to $2 billion from $3.6 billion per year ago. On a per-share basis, net earnings came to 19 cents.

10 Best Paper Stocks To Buy Right Now

After stripping out litigation expenses of 22 cents a share, BAC earnings would have been 41 cents per share. Now, analysts usually exclude such charges, and on that basis they were looking for earnings of 29 cents per share.

Looked at that way, Bank of America earnings exceeded Wall Street’s forecast by 12 cents per share.

Or did they?

Bank of America Earnings: Estimates All Over the Map

Ordinarily, that’s a big earnings beat, and the market would applaud it. However, in this case, the range of estimates was so wide as to render the Street forecast meaningless. On an adjusted basis, individual analysts were looking for Bank of America earnings to come in anywhere from a loss of 11 cents per share to a profit of 33 cents.

One official arbiter, Thomson Reuters, calculates Bank of America earnings at 22 cents aper share — a miss of 7 cents.

Regardless of how you parse the accounting, the shotgun pattern of estimates suggests the Street was all but blind when it came to modeling adjustments to Bank of America earnings this quarter. Hey, just a day before the earnings release — surprise! — BAC disclosed a $650 million settlement with American International Group (AIG).

All of this murkiness and confusion means that whether BAC earnings beat or missed Street estimates is almost beside the point. Until Bank of America settles all remaining legal issues — especially the big one with the feds — it’s impossible to get a bead on BAC stock.

There’s also the not-insignificant matter of when BAC will be able to implement a dividend hike and share-repurchase program. (BAC had to shelve plans to raise its dividend to 5 cents a share from a penny and buy back $4 billion in BAC stock when it discovered accounting errors related to its acquisition of Merrill Lynch five years ago.)

BAC stock stock hasn’t gone anywhere this year — it was up 1.5% as of Tuesday’s close — and there’s no reason for it to move when future earnings, shares outstanding and the dividend can’t even be penciled in.

When it comes to the big bank stocks, investors have better options — like JPMorgan and Wells Fargo (WFC). BAC stock trades more on its clean-up efforts than anything else. It just isn’t worth the trouble.

As of this writing, Dan Burrows did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now: Bankrate Inc (RATE)

Bankrate, Inc. (Bankrate), incorporated on April 13, 2011, is a publisher, aggregator and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet. The Company provides consumers with personal finances editorial content across multiple vertical categories, including mortgages, deposits, insurance, credit cards, and other categories, such as retirement, automobile loans, and taxes. The Company provides financial applications and information to a network of distribution partners and through national and state publications. The Company develops and provides Web services to over 75 co-branded partners, including personal finance sites on the Internet such as Yahoo!, CNN Money, CNBC and Comcast. The Company licenses editorial content to over 100 newspapers on a daily basis, including including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe. The Company offers services, including Mortgages and Home Lending, Deposits, Insurance, Credit Cards and Other financial products, including those related to retirement, tax, auto, and debt management.

The Company online publishing, is the sale of advertising, sponsorships, leads and hyperlinks, and lead generation within its Online Network through Bankrate.com, Interest.com, Bankaholic.com, Mortgage-calc.com, CreditCardGuide.com, Nationwidecardservices.com, Creditcardsearchengine.com, Feedisclosure.com, Insureme.com, Bankrate.com.cn (China), CreditCards.com, Creditcards.ca, Netquote.com, CD.com, CarInsuranceQuotes.com and InsWeb.com. The print publishing and licensing business is primarily engaged in the sale of advertising in the Mortgage Guide and CD & Deposit Guide.

Mortgages and Home Lending

The Company offers information on rates for different types of mortgages, home lending and refinancing options. The Companys rate information is specific to geographic location and contains nearly 600 local markets, ! covering al l 50 United States. Consumers can customize searches for mortgage rates by loan size, maturity, and location through its online portals. The Company also provides original articles that cover topics, such as trends in housing markets and refinancing perspectives to help consumers with their decision making.

Deposits

The Company offers rate information on different deposit products, such as money market accounts, savings accounts and certificates of deposit. It also provides online analytic tools to help consumers calculate investment value using customized inputs.

Insurance

The Company facilitates a consumers ability to receive multiple competitive insurance quotes for auto, business, home, life, health and long-term care based on a single application. It also provides advice and detailed descriptions of insurance terms, aiding consumers in deciding amongst a range of policy options. Insurance quotes can be customized by age, marital status and location. In addition, the Company provides articles on topical subjects, such as recent healthcare reforms, as well as the basics to understanding an insurance policy.

Credit Cards

The Company offers a selection of consumer and business credit and prepaid cards for visitors. It provides detailed credit card information and comparison capabilities, and allows consumers to search for cards that cater to their specific needs. It displays cards by bank or issuer, credit quality, reward program, or card limit. The Company further hosts news and advice on credit card debt and bank policies, as well as tools to estimate credit score and credit card fees.

Other Personal Finance Products

The Company offers information on retirement, taxes, auto, and debt management. The content provided on such topics include 401(k), Social Security, tax deductions and exemptions, auto loans, debt consolidation, and credit risk.

The Company sells leads to ! insurance! agents, insurance carriers and credit card issuers. Its credit card comparison marketplace is one of the third party online application sources for all issuers. The Company charges its advertisers on a per-lead basis based on the total number of leads generated for insurance products, and on a per-action basis for credit cards (upon approval or completion of an application). Advertisers that are listed in the Companys rate tables have the opportunity to hyperlink their listings. In addition, advertisers can buy hyperlinked placement within its qualified insurance listings. It sells its hyperlinks on a per-click pricing model. The Company provides a variety of digital display formats. Its common digital display advertisement sizes are leader boards and banners, which are prominently displayed at the top or bottom of a page, skyscrapers, islands and posters. The Company charges for these advertisements based on the num ber of times the advertisement is displayed or based on a fixed amount for a campaign.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kathryn Vasel]

  Bankrate.com (RATE) senior financial analyst Greg McBride said crowdfunding to help afford a home could cause some issues in the mortgage process especially for first-time buyers. Lenders require income documentation and money from crowdfunding could cause problems, he said.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-forestry-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html