Top 5 Financial Stocks For 2015

Top 5 Financial Stocks For 2015: Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) is a holding company owning subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities. The Company is engaged in insurance businesses conducted on both a primary basis and a reinsurance basis. Berkshire also owns and operates a number of other businesses engaged in a variety of activities. On December 30, 2011, Medical Protective Corporation (MedPro) completed the acquisition of 100% of the Princeton Insurance Company, a professional liability insurer for healthcare providers based in Princeton, New Jersey. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Acme Building Brands (Acme) acquired the assets of Jenkins Brick Company, the brick manufacturer in Alabama. In September 2011, Berkshire acquired The Lubrizol Corporation (Lubrizol). In June 2011, the Company acquired Wesco Financial Corporation. In June 2012, Media General, Inc. sold 63 daily and weekly newspapers to World Media Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire. In July 2012 , Berkshires The Lubrizol Corporation acquired Lipotec SA.

Insurance and Reinsurance Businesses

Berkshires insurance and reinsurance business activities are conducted through numerous domestic and foreign-based insurance entities. Berkshires insurance businesses provide insurance and reinsurance of property and casualty risks world-wide and also reinsure life, accident and health risks world-wide. Berkshires insurance underwriting operations are consisted of the sub-groups, including GEICO and its subsidiaries, General Re and its subsidiaries, Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group. GEICO insurance subsidiaries include Government Employees Insurance Company, GEICO General Insurance Company, GEICO Indemnity Company and GEICO Casualty Company. These companies primarily offers private passenger automobile insurance to individuals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, GEICO insure! s mo torcycles, all-terrain vehicles, recreational vehicles and s! mall commercial fleets and acts as an agent for other insurers who offer homeowners, boat and life insurance to individuals. GEICO markets its policies primarily through direct response methods in which applications for insurance are submitted directly to the companies through the Internet or by telephone.

General Re Corporation (General Re) is the holding company of General Reinsurance Corporation (GRC) and its subsidiaries and affiliates. GRCs subsidiaries include General Reinsurance AG, a international reinsurer based in Germany. General Re subsidiaries conduct business activities globally in 51 cities and provide insurance and reinsurance coverages throughout the world. General Re provides property/casualty insurance and reinsurance, life/health reinsurance and other reinsurance intermediary and risk management, underwriting management and investment management services.

Property/Casualty Reinsurance

General Res property/casu alty reinsurance business in North America is conducted through GRC. Property/casualty operations in North America are also conducted through 16 branch offices in the United States and Canada. Reinsurance activities are marketed directly to clients without involving a broker or intermediary. General Res property/casualty business in North America also includes specialty insurers (primarily the General Star and Genesis companies domiciled in Connecticut and Ohio). These specialty insurers underwrite primarily liability and workers compensation coverages on an excess and surplus basis and excess insurance for self-insured programs. General Res international property/casualty reinsurance business operations are conducted through internationally-based subsidiaries on a direct basis (through General Reinsurance AG, as well as several other General Re subsidiaries in 25 countries) and through brokers (primarily through Faraday, which owns the managing agent of Syndicate 4 35! at Lloyd! s of London and provides capacity and particip! ates in 1! 00% of the results of Syndicate 435).

Life/Health Reinsurance

General Res North American and international life, health, long-term care and disability reinsurance coverages are written on an individual and group basis. Most of this business is written on a proportional treaty basis, with the exception of the United States group health and disability business which is predominately written on an excess treaty basis. Lesser amounts of life and disability business are written on a facultative basis. The life/health business is marketed on a direct basis. The Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group (BHRG) operates from offices located in Stamford, Connecticut. Business activities are conducted through a group of subsidiary companies, led by National Indemnity Company (NICO) and Columbia Insurance Company (Columbia). BHRG provides principally excess and quota-share reinsurance to other property and casualty insurers and reinsurers. BHRGs underwriting activities also include life reinsurance and life annuity business written through Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska and financial guaranty insurance written through Berkshire Hathaway Assurance Corporation.

BHRG writes catastrophe excess-of-loss treaty reinsurance contracts. BHRG also writes individual policies for primarily large or otherwise unusual discrete risks on both an excess direct and facultative reinsurance basis, referred to as individual risk, which includes policies covering terrorism, natural catastrophe and aviation risks. A catastrophe excess policy provides protection to the counterparty from the accumulation of primarily property losses arising from a single loss event or series of related events. Catastrophe and individual risk policies may provide amounts of indemnification per contract and a single loss event may produce losses under a number of contracts. BHRG also underwrites traditional non-catastrophe insurance and ! reinsuran! ce coverages, referred to as multi-line property/c! asualty b! usiness.

The Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group is a collection of primary insurance operations that provide a variety of insurance coverages to insureds located principally in the United States. NICO and certain affiliates underwrite motor vehicle and general liability insurance to commercial enterprises on both an admitted and excess and surplus basis. This business is written nationwide primarily through insurance agents and brokers and is based in Omaha, Nebraska. U.S. Investment Corporation (USIC), through its three subsidiaries led by United States Liability Insurance Company, is a specialty insurer that underwrites commercial, professional and personal lines of insurance on an admitted and excess and surplus basis. Policies are marketed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through wholesale and retail insurance agents. USIC companies underwrite and market 109 distinct specialty property and casualty insurance products. Medical Protective Corporatio n (MedPro) is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Through its subsidiary, the Medical Protective Company, MedPro is engaged in primary medical professional liability coverage and risk solutions to physicians, dentists, other healthcare providers and healthcare facilities.

Railroad Business

Through BNSF Railway, BNSF operates a railroad network in North America with approximately 32,000 route miles of track (excluding multiple main tracks, yard tracks and sidings) in 28 states and two Canadian provinces as of December 31, 2011. BNSF owns approximately 23,000 route miles, including easements, and operates on approximately 9,000 route miles of trackage rights that permit BNSF to operate its trains with its crews over other railroads tracks. As of December 31, 2011, the total BNSF Railway system, including single and multiple main tracks, yard tracks and sidings, consisted of approximately 50,000 operated miles of track, all of which are owned by or h! eld und! er easement by BNSF except for approximately 10,000 route! miles op! erated under trackage rights.

BNSF is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and through BNSF Railway Company operates railroad systems in North America. In serving the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Western, Southwestern and Southeastern regions and ports of the country, BNSF transports a range of products and commodities derived from manufacturing, agricultural and natural resource industries. In serving the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Western, Southwestern and Southeastern regions and ports of the country, BNSF transports a range of products and commodities derived from manufacturing, agricultural and natural resource industries. Over half of the freight revenues of BNSF are covered by contractual agreements of varying durations. BNSFs primary routes, including trackage rights, allow it to access cities and ports in the western and southern United States as well as parts of Canada and Mexico. In addition to cities and ports, BNSF efficiently serves many smaller market s by working closely with approximately 200 shortline partners. BNSF has also entered into marketing agreements with other rail carriers, expanding the marketing reach for each railroad and their customers.

Utilities and Energy Businesses

MidAmericans businesses are managed as separate operating units. MidAmericans domestic regulated energy interests are comprised of two regulated utility companies serving more than three million retail customers and two interstate natural gas pipeline companies with approximately 16,600 miles of pipeline and a design capacity of approximately 7.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Its United Kingdom electricity distribution subsidiaries serve about 3.9 million electricity end-users. In addition, MidAmericans interests include a diversified portfolio of domestic independent power projects, a hydroelectric facility in the Philippines and residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States.!

PacifiCorp is a regulated electric utility compa! ny headqu! artered in Oregon, serving regulated retail electric customers in portions of Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho and California. The combined service territorys diverse regional economy ranges from rural, agricultural and mining areas to urban, manufacturing and government service centers. As a vertically integrated electric utility, PacifiCorp owns approximately 10,600 net megawatts of generation capacity. MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC) is a regulated electric and natural gas utility company headquartered in Iowa, serving regulated retail electric and natural gas customers primarily in Iowa and also in portions of Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska. MEC has a diverse customer base consisting of residential, agricultural and a variety of commercial and industrial customer groups. In addition to retail sales and natural gas transportation, MEC sells regulated electricity to markets operated by regional transmission organizations and regulated electricity and natur al gas to other utilities and market participants on a wholesale basis and sells non-regulated electricity and natural gas services in deregulated markets. As a vertically integrated electric and gas utility, MEC owns approximately 7,000 net megawatts of generation capacity.

The natural gas pipelines consist of Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern Natural) and Kern River Gas Transmission Company (Kern River). Northern Natural is based in Nebraska and owns interstate natural gas pipeline systems in the United States reaching from southern Texas to Michigans Upper Peninsula. Northern Naturals pipeline system consists of approximately 14,900 miles of natural gas pipelines. Northern Natural has access to supplies from mid-continent basin and provides transportation services to utilities and numerous other customers. Northern Natural also operates three underground natural gas storage facilities and two liquefied natural gas storage peaking units.

! < p>Kern! River is based in Utah and owns an interstate natural! gas pipe! line system that consists of approximately 1,700 miles and extends from the supply areas in the Rocky Mountains to consuming markets in Utah, Nevada and California. Kern River transports natural gas for electric utilities and natural gas distribution utilities, oil and natural gas companies or affiliates of such companies, electricity generating companies, energy marketing and trading companies, and financial institutions. The United Kingdom utilities consist of Northern Powergrid (Northeast) Limited (Northern Powergrid (Northeast)) and Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) plc (Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire)), which own a substantial United Kingdom electricity distribution network that delivers electricity to end-users in northeast England in an area covering approximately 10,000 square miles. The distribution companies primarily charge supply companies regulated tariffs for the use of electrical infrastructure. MidAmerican also owns HomeServices of America, Inc. (HomeServices), a full-service residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States. HomeServices also offers integrated real estate services, including mortgage originations through a joint venture, title and closing services, property and casualty insurance, home warranties, relocation services and other home-related services. It operates under 22 residential real estate brand names with over 14,000 sales associates and in nearly 300 brokerage offices in 20 states.

Manufacturing, Service and Retailing Businesses

Berkshires numerous and diverse manufacturing, service and retailing businesses. Marmon consists of approximately 140 manufacturing and service businesses that operate independently within eleven diverse, stand-alone business sectors. These sectors are Building Wire, Crane Services, Distribution Services, Engineered Wire and Cable, Flow Products, Food Service Equipment, Highway Technologies, Industrial Products, Retail Store Fixtures, Tr! ansporta ! tion Services and Engineered Products and Water Treatment.

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Building Wire, providing copper electrical building wire for residential, commercial and industrial construction. Crane Services provides the leasing and operation of mobile cranes primarily to the energy, mining and petrochemical markets. Distribution Services, supplying specialty metal pipe and tubing, bar and sheet products to markets including construction, industrial, aerospace and many others. Engineered Wire & Cable, providing electrical and electronic wire and cable for energy related markets and other industries. Flow Products is producing copper tube for the plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, and industrial markets. Food Service Equipment is supplying commercial food preparation equipment for restaurants and shopping carts for retail stores. Highway Technologies, primarily serving the heavy-duty highway transportation industry with trailers, fifth wheel coupling devices and undercarriage products such as brake parts and s uspension systems, and also serving the light vehicle aftermarket with clutches and related products.

Industrial Products, consisting of metal fasteners for the building, furniture, cabinetry, industrial and other markets, gloves for industrial markets, portable lighting equipment for mining and safety markets, overhead electrification equipment for mass transit systems, custom-machined brass, aluminum and copper forgings for the construction, valve and other industries, brass fittings and valves for commercial and industrial applications, and drawn aluminum tubing and extruded aluminum shapes for the construction, automotive, appliance, medical and other markets . Retail Store Fixtures, providing shelving and other merchandising displays and related services for retail stores worldwide. Transportation Services & Engineered Products, including manufacturing, leasing and maintenance of railroad tank cars, leasing of intermodal tank containers, in! -plant ra! il serv ices, manufacturing of bi-modal railcar movers, wheel, axle ! and gear ! sets for light rail transit and gear products for locomotives, manufacturing of steel tank heads, and services, equipment and technology for processing and distributing sulfur. Water Treatment, equipment including residential water softening, purification and refrigeration filtration systems, treatment systems for industrial markets including power generation, oil and gas, chemical, and pulp and paper, gear drives for irrigation systems and cooling towers, and air-cooled heat exchangers. Marmon operates approximately 300 manufacturing, distribution and service facilities that are primarily located in North America, Europe and China, and employs more than 16,000 people worldwide.

McLane Company, Inc. (McLane) provides wholesale distribution and logistics services in all 50 states and internationally in Brazil to customers that include discount retailers, convenience stores, wholesale clubs, quick service restaurants, drug stores and military bases. Operations are divided into five business units: grocery distribution, foodservice distribution, beverage distribution, international logistics and software development. McLanes foodservice distribution unit, based in Carrollton, Texas, focuses on serving the quick service restaurant industry. Operations are conducted through 18 facilities in 16 states. The foodservice distribution unit services more than 20,000 chain restaurants nationwide.

Other Manufacturing, Other Service and Retailing Businesses

Berkshires apparel manufacturing businesses include manufacturers of a variety of clothing and footwear. Businesses engaged in the manufacture and distribution of clothing products include Fruit of the Loom, Inc. (Fruit), Russell Brands, LLC (Russell), Vanity Fair Brands, LP (VFB), Garan and Fechheimer Brothers. Berkshires footwear businesses include H.H. Brown Shoe Group, Justin Brands and Brooks Athletic. Fruit, Russell and VFB (together! FOL) is ! primaril y a vertically integrated manufacturer and distributor of ba! sic appar! el, underwear and athletic apparel and products. Products, under the Fruit of the Loomand JERZEES labels are primarily sold in the mass merchandise and wholesale markets. In the VFB product line, Vassarette, Bestformand Curvationare sold in the mass merchandise market, while Vanity Fairand Lily of Franceproducts are sold in the mid-tier chains and department stores. FOL also markets and sells athletic uniforms, apparel, sports equipment and balls to team dealers; college licensed tee shirts and fleecewear to college bookstores and mid-tier merchants; and athletic apparel, sports equipment and balls to sporting goods retailers under the Russell Athleticand Spaldingbrands. Additionally, Spaldingmarkets and sells balls in the mass merchandise market and dollar store channel. During the year ended December, 31, 2011, approximately 30% of FOLs sales were to Wal-Mart. FOL generally performs its own spinning, knitting, cloth finishing, cutting, sewing and packaging.

< p>Garan designs, manufactures, imports and sells apparel primarily for children, including boys, girls, toddlers and infants. Products are sold under its own trademark Garanimalsand private labels of its customers. Garan also licenses its registered trademark Garanimalsto independent third parties. Garan conducts its business through operating subsidiaries located in the United States, Central America and Asia. Substantially all of Garans products are sold through its distribution centers in the United States to national chain stores, department stores and specialty stores. In 2011, over 90% of Garans sales were to Wal-Mart. Fechheimer Brothers manufactures, distributes and sells uniforms, principally for the public service and safety markets, including police, fire, postal and military markets. Fechheimer Brothers is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Justin Brands and H.H. Brown Shoe Group manufacture and distribute work, rugged outdoor and ca! sual shoe! s and wes tern-style footwear under a number of brand names, including! Justin, ! Tony Lama, Nocona, Chippewas, Born, Sofft, Carolina, Double-H Boots, Corcoran, Matterhornand Kork-Ease. Brooks Athletic markets and sells running footwear to specialty retailers under Brooksbrand. In 2011, Brooksachieved #1 market share in footwear with specialty retailers. A volume of the shoes sold by Berkshires shoe businesses are manufactured or purchased from sources outside the United States. Products are principally sold in the United States through a variety of channels including department stores, footwear chains, specialty stores, catalogs and the Internet, as well as through Company-owned retail stores.

Acme manufactures and distributes clay bricks (Acme Brickand Jenkins Brick), concrete block (Featherlite) and cut limestone (Texas Quarries). In addition, Acme distributes a number of other building products of other manufacturers, including glass block, floor and wall tile and other masonry products. Acme also sells ceramic floor and wall tile, as well as marble, granite and other stones through its subsidiary, American Tile and Stone. Products are sold primarily in the South Central and South Eastern United States through Company-operated sales offices. Acme distributes products primarily to homebuilders and masonry and general contractors.

Benjamin Moore & Co. (Benjamin Moore) is a formulator, manufacturer and retailer of a range of architectural coatings, available principally in the United States and Canada. Products include water-thinnable and solvent-thinnable general purpose coatings (paints, stains and clear finishes) for use by the general public, contractors and industrial and commercial users. Products are marketed under various registered brand names, including Regal, Superspec, Moorcraft, Moorgard, Aura, Nattura, ben, Coronado Paint, Insl-xand Lenmar.

Benjamin Moore and its manufacturing subsidiaries rely primarily on an independent dealer network for ! the distr! ibution of its p roducts. Its distribution network includes approximately 100! Company-! owned stores as well as over 4,500 third party retailers representing over 10,300 storefronts in the United States and Canada. Benjamin Moores Company-owned stores represent several multiple-outlet and stand-alone retailers in various parts of the United States and Canada serving primarily contractors and general consumers. The independent retailer channel offers an array of products including Benjamin Mooreand Insl-xbrands and other competitor coatings, wallcoverings, window treatments and sundries. Benjamin Moore also has three color stations located in regional malls that serve as brand marketing tools. In addition to the independent retailer channel, Benjamin Moore has recently begun to sell direct to the consumer through e-commerce sites and its customer care program, which includes national accounts and government agencies.

Johns Manville (JM) is a manufacturer and marketer of products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing and roof insulation, as well as fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications. JM serves markets that include aerospace, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment filtration, waterproofing, building, flooring, interiors and wind energy. Fiber glass is the basic material in a majority of JMs products, although JM also manufactures a portion of its products with other materials to satisfy the broader needs of its customers. JM regards its patents and licenses as valuable, however it does not consider any of its businesses to be materially dependent on any single patent or license. JM is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and operates 40 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China and conducts research and development at several other facilities. JM sells its products through a variety of channels, including contractors, distributors, retailers, manufacturers an! d fabrica! tors.

MiTek is a provider of engineered connector products, engine! ering sof! tware and services and computer-driven manufacturing machinery to the truss fabrication segment of the building components industry. Primary customers are truss fabricators who manufacture pre-fabricated roof and floor trusses and wall panels for the residential building market, as well as the light commercial and institutional construction industry. MiTek also participates in the light gauge steel framing market under the Ultra-Spanname, manufactures and markets assembly line machinery used by the lead acid battery industry, manufactures and markets a line of masonry connector products and manufactures and markets air handling systems used in commercial building. MiTek operates on six continents with sales into approximately 90 countries. MiTek has 34 manufacturing facilities located in eleven countries and 45 sales/engineering offices located in 17 countries.

The Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) is a carpet manufacturer based on both revenue and volume of p roduction. Shaw designs and manufactures over 3,000 styles of tufted carpet, tufted and woven rugs, laminate and wood flooring for residential and commercial use under about 30 brand and trade names and under certain private labels. Shaw also provides installation services and sells ceramic and vinyl tile along with sheet vinyl. Shaws manufacturing operations are fully integrated from the processing of raw materials used to make fiber through the finishing of carpet. Shaws carpet, rugs and hard surface products are sold in a broad range of prices, patterns, colors and textures.

Shaw products are sold wholesale to over 40,000 retailers, distributors and commercial users throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and are also exported to various overseas markets. Shaws wholesale products are marketed domestically by over 2,000 salaried and commissioned sales personnel directly to retailers and distributors and to nationa! l account! s. Shaws 10 carpet full-service distribution facilities, three hard surface an! d two rug! full-service distribution facilities and 24 redistribution centers, along with centralized management information systems, enable it to provide prompt efficient delivery of its products to both its retail customers and wholesale distributors.

Berkshire acquired an 80% interest in IMC International Metalworking Companies B.V. (IMC B.V.). Through its subsidiaries, IMC B.V. is a multinational manufacturers of consumable precision carbide metal cutting tools for applications in a range of industrial end markets under the brand names ISCAR, TaeguTec, Ingersoll, Tungaloy, Unitac, UOP It.te.diand Outiltec. IMC B.V.s manufacturing facilities are located in Israel, United States, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, South Korea, China, India, Japan and Brazil. IMC B.V. has five primary product lines: milling tools, gripping tools, turning/thread tools, drilling tools and tooling. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is a manufacturer of recreational vehicles, utility, cargo and office trailers, buses and pontoon boats, headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Its products are sold in the United States and Canada through an independent dealer network.

Scott Fetzer companies are a diversified group of 20 businesses that manufacture and distribute a variety of products for residential, industrial and institutional use. The two of these businesses are Kirby home cleaning systems and Campbell Hausfeld products. Albecca Inc. (Albecca), headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, does business primarily under the Larson-Juhlname. Albecca designs, manufactures and distributes a complete line of branded custom framing products, including wood and metal moulding, matboard, foamboard, glass, equipment and other framing supplies in the United States, Canada and 15 countries outside of North America. CTB International Corp. is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of systems used in the grain industry and in the produc! tion of p! oultry, hogs and eggs.

Lubrizol is a specialty chemical company that pro! duces and! supplies technologies for the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol operates two business sectors: Lubrizol Additives, which includes engine, driveline and industrial additive products and Lubrizol Advanced Materials, which includes personal and home care, engineered polymer and performance coating products. FlightSafety International Inc.(FlightSafety) is engaged primarily in the business of providing high technology training to operators of aircraft. FlightSafetys training activities include advanced training for pilots of business and commercial aircraft; aircrew training for military and other government personnel; aircraft maintenance technician training; flight attendant and aircraft dispatcher training, and ab-initio (primary) pilot training to qualify individuals for private and commercial pilots licenses. FlightSafety also develops classroom instructional systems and materials for use in its training business and for sale to others.

NetJets Inc. (NJ) is a provider of fractional ownership programs for general aviation aircraft. TTI, Inc. (TTI) is a global specialty distributor of passive, interconnect, electromechanical and discrete components used by customers in the manufacturing and assembling of electronic products. Business Wire provides electronic dissemination of full-text news releases daily to the media, online services and databases and the global investment community in 150 countries and 45 languages. Berkshires retailing businesses principally consist of several independently managed home furnishings and jewelry operations. The home furnishings businesses are the Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), R.C. Willey Home Furnishings (R.C. Willey), Star Furniture Company (Star) and Jordans Furniture, Inc. (Jordans). NFM, R.C. Willey, Star and Jordans each offer a wide selection of furniture, bedding and accessories. In addition, NFM and R.C. Willey sell! a line o! f household appl iances, electronics, computers and other home furnishings. N! FM, R.C. ! Willey, Star and Jordans also offer customer financing to complement their retail operations. An important feature of each of these businesses is their ability to control costs and to produce high business volume by offering value to their customers.

NFM operates its business from two retail complexes with almost one million square feet of retail space and sizable warehouse and administrative facilities in Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Kansas. NFM is a furniture retailer in each of its markets. NFM also owns Homemakers Furniture located in Des Moines, Iowa, which has approximately 215,000 square feet of retail space. R.C. Willey, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a home furnishings retailer in the Intermountain West region of the United States. R.C. Willey operates 11 retail stores, two retail clearance facilities and three distribution centers. Borsheim Jewelry Company, Inc. (Borsheims) operates from a single store located in Omaha, Nebraska. Borsheims i s a high volume retailer of jewelry, watches, crystal, china, stemware, flatware, gifts and collectibles. Helzbergs Diamond Shops, Inc. (Helzberg), based in North Kansas City, Missouri, operates a chain of 233 retail jewelry stores in 37 states, which includes approximately 550,000 square feet of retail space. Most of Helzbergs stores are located in malls, lifestyle centers or power strip centers, and all stores operate under the name Helzberg Diamonds. The Ben Bridge Corporation (Ben Bridge Jeweler), based in Seattle, Washington, operates a chain of 70 upscale retail jewelry stores located in 11 states that are primarily in the Western United States. Three of its locations are concept stores that sell only PANDORA jewelry.

Finance and Financial Products

Clayton Homes, Inc. (Clayton) is a vertically integrated manufactured housing company. At December 31, 2011, Clayton operated 33 manufacturing plants in 12 states. C! laytons h! omes are marke ted in 48 states through a network of 1,333 retailers, inclu! ding 333 ! Company-owned home centers. Financing is offered through its finance subsidiaries to purchasers of Claytons manufactured homes as well as those purchasing homes from selected independent retailers. XTRA Corporation (XTRA), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a transportation equipment lessor operating under the XTRA Leasebrand name. XTRA manages a diverse fleet of approximately 83,000 units located at 63 facilities throughout the United States and two facilities in Canada. The fleet includes over-the-road and storage traile

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is the largest shareholder of IBM, with a little more than 6% of its stock. Buffett acquired the shares over a period of 27 months beginning in the first quarter of 2011, paying an average of $173 per share.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-financial-stocks-for-2015.html

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014

For the past two years, I have picked out one company every month that I would be putting my own Roth IRA money behind. So far, those picks have returned over 19%, and they are beating the S&P 500 by just over 3 percentage points.

This month, however, I'm breaking form and buying three stocks for my Roth, as my recent sale of Lumber Liquidators�-- which returned 250% -- has freed up more cash to invest. Read below to see which three stocks to buy this July, and at the end, I'll offer up access to a special free report on how to maximize your retirement savings.

Nuverra Environmental Solutions (NYSE: NES  )
Until recently, Nuverra used to be known as Heckmann, but the goal of the company remains the same: to meet all of the water needs of North America's energy industry. Over the past few years, Nuverra has built out an impressive network of pipes, injection wells, water treatment plants, and trucking fleets that help streamline water usage.

While the energy industry -- because it's based on the underlying value of its commodities -- can be fairly volatile, there's no denying Nuverra's momentum. The company increased revenue during the first quarter by 190%, and from 2010 to 2012, that revenue increased 381% per year. The company also let it be known that the years of heavy spending on infrastructure will soon be coming to an end as Nuverra leverages its assets.

Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In 2015: FireEye Inc (FEYE)

FireEye, Inc., incorporated on February 18, 2004, invented a purpose-built, virtual machine-based security platform that provides real-time protection to enterprises and governments worldwide against the next generation of cyber attacks. Its technology approach represents a paradigm shift from how information technology (IT) security has been conducted since the earliest days of the information technology industry. The FireEye platform provides real-time, dynamic threat protection without the use of signatures to protect an organization across the primary threat vectors, including Web, email, and files and across the different stages of an attack life cycle. The core of its purpose-built, virtual machine-based security platform is its virtual execution (MVX), engine, which identifies and protects against known and unknown threats that existing signature-based technologies are unable to detect. The new generation of cyber attacks on organizations, including large and small enterprises and governments worldwide, is characterized by an unprecedented escalation in the complexity and scale of advanced malware created by criminal organizations and nation-states. In January 2014, FireEye, Inc. announced that it had acquired Mandiant.

The Company provides a comprehensive platform that employs a virtualized execution engine and a cloud-based threat intelligence network that uniquely protects organizations from next-generation threats at all stages of the attack lifecycle and across all primary threat vectors, including Web, email and file systems. Its platform is delivered through a family of software-based appliances and includes its DTI cloud subscription as well as support and maintenance services. Its technology platform, built on its MVX engine, is able to identify and protect against known and unknown threats without relying on existing signature-based technologies employed by legacy IT security vendors and best-of-breed point solution vendors. FireEye has over 1,000 customers across more t! han 40 countries, including over one-third of the Fortune 100.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  FireEye (NASDAQ: FEYE) slipped 2.07% to $55.22 after surging 7.72% on Wednesday.

  Posted-In: market losersNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Palo Alto Networks Inc. (PANW) shares climbed as much as 7% in after-hours trading Monday after the network-security company said it acquired privately held Morta Security. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a statement, Palo Alto Networks said Morta specializes in technology used to detect network threats. The deal comes three days after Palo Alto rival FireEye Inc. (FEYE) said it would acquire security technology company Mandiant for about $1 billion.

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Gazprom OAO (GAZP)

Gazprom OAO is a Russia-based company engaged in the operation of gas pipeline systems and gas supply to European countries. In addition, it is involved in the oil production and refining activities, as well as energy generation. It�� activities comprise exploration and production of gas, transportation of gas, sale of gas domestically and abroad, gas storage, production of crude oil and gas condensate, processing of oil, gas condensate and other hydrocarbons, and sales of refined products, as well as electric and heat energy generation and sales. On January 9, 2013, the Company sold its 76.69% stake in Zapsibgazprom OAO and whole stake in March Kauno termofikacijos elektrine. In April 2013, it also created Gazprom Invest LLC, as well as, signed a purchase-sale contract for shares in 72 gas distribution organizations belonging to Rosneftegaz OAO. In November 2013, the Company raised its stake to 100% in CJSC Gazprom Neft Orenburg. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ian Sayson]

  Russian stocks fell for a third day as crude oil, the nation�� chief export earner, retreated. Mechel fell to the lowest level since Sept. 6, while OAO Gazprom (GAZP), the natural-gas export monopoly, retreated 0.9 percent.

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Diana Containerships Inc.(DCIX)

Diana Containerships Inc. owns and operates containerships in Greece. The company engages in the seaborne transportation of semi-finished and finished consumer and industrial products. As of February 23, 2012, its fleet consisted of 8 containerships with a carrying capacity of approximately 32,693 twenty-foot equivalent units. Diana Containerships Inc. was founded in 2010 and is based in Athens, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Diana Containerships (NASDAQ: DCIX) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.01 per share on revenue of $13.22 million.

  Intrawest Resorts Holdings (NYSE: SNOW) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $2.69 per share on revenue of $294.89 million.

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: FLIR Systems Inc (FLIR)

FLIR Systems, Inc. (FLIR), incorporated on March 8, 1978, is a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of thermal imaging systems. The Company�� advanced sensors and integrated sensor systems enable the gathering and analysis of critical information through a range of applications in commercial, industrial, and government markets worldwide. Its business is organized into two divisions: Commercial Systems and Government Systems. Commercial Systems division includes Thermal Vision & Measurement and Raymarine. Government Systems division include Surveillance, Detection, and Integrated Systems. It offers a range of sensor products, including infrared imaging cameras and systems, detector cores, CBRNE threat detectors, test and measurement instruments, radars, maritime electronics, and related products and solutions. On December 20, 2012, the Company acquired Lorex Technology Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired Traficon International NV. In August 2013, Tessera Technologies Inc announced that FLIR Systems, Inc. acquired a portion of the assets of Tessera's Micro-Optics business based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Thermal Vision & Measurement

Thermal Vision & Measurement (TVM) products are generally sold for applications where the customer need is to see at night or in adverse conditions or to image a scene while gathering valuable situational and temperature information. The Company�� infrared sensors business, which sells focal plane arrays and camera cores internally, as well as to third parties on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis, is also part of TVM. Its thermal and visible light security products are used to protect critical infrastructure, ports, borders, commercial sites, and residential homes. The Company offers a night vision system for passenger automobiles that provides drivers with the ability to see at night and through obscurants, such as fog, at distances much further and wider than can be seen with traditional headlights. As of December 31, ! 2012, provide camera cores for certain Audi, BMW, and Rolls Royce models through its partnership with Autoliv Electronics, a supplier of automotive safety equipment. The Company offers an integrated suite of maritime electronics that utilizes multifunction displays, infrared cameras, depth sounders, GPS, auto pilots, and advanced command and control software.

The Company is engaged in providing advanced thermal imaging technology for consumer applications. It�� easy to use, affordable, and lightweight personal vision thermal cameras give people the ability to see at night. In the home, its cameras can be used for numerous household and security applications, such as locating heat leaks, evaluating insulation coverage, detecting water damage, identifying intruders, and locating pests. The Company supplies hand-held systems to the law enforcement market. The Company supplies cooled and uncooled camera cores, sensors, and readout integrated circuits on an OEM basis for a range of applications where customers require a product at a lower level of integration than a fully developed thermal imaging system.

In Thermal Measurement Markets thermal imaging systems are used for monitoring the condition of mechanical and electrical equipment. The company�� systems provide the ability to view thermal distribution in real time for products ranging in size from small hybrid integrated circuits to jet engines. Common applications include product development of microelectronics, cell phones, laptop computers, telecommunications equipment, consumer appliances, automotive components, and aircraft engines. Systems used in research and development applications require high imaging performance and measurement precision, coupled with extensive analysis and reporting software. Thermal imaging applications for manufacturing process control include applications where temperature consistency is critical, including monitoring the quality of metal, plastic and glass cast parts, which are highly depend! ent upon ! the temperature distribution in the mold; monitoring the quality of paper, which is dependent upon proper and even moisture distribution during the drying process; and monitoring the quality of products such as rubber gloves, which can be thermally examined to locate abnormally warm or cool spots, indicating non-uniform thickness that may result in a quality defect.

Infrared imagers can detect missing insulation, electrical faults, water intrusion and pest infiltration, can gauge energy efficiency, and can help detect the presence of moisture. Market segments include building diagnostics, energy auditing and home inspection, property and facility management, HVAC and plumbing, and moisture detection and restoration. Specially designed infrared systems can detect and image hydrocarbon gas emissions or leaks. It supplies trade professionals a range of test equipment to deliver high accuracy readings for the measurement of electricity, light, sound, temperature, humidity, airflow, revolutions per minute, and water quality. The Company offers fee-based training on the principles of thermography and the use of its products through ITC, its Infrared Training Center, which provides instruction, training, certification and applications engineering from several FLIR locations or at the customer�� site. It also licenses Infrared Training Centers to third parties in certain countries.

The Company competes with Danaher (Fluke), General Dynamics (Axsys), L-3 Communications, Sofradir (ULIS), Axis Communications, NEC and Testo.

Raymarine

Raymarine is a provider of marine electronics, and continues as a pioneer in the technologies that give boaters confidence on the water. The products that Raymarine develops and markets is intended to fulfill all of the marine electronic needs of recreational boaters and offer best-in-class integrated control solutions for all of their on-board instrumentation. Raymarine designs, develops, and markets electronics for the maritime market a! nd is a p! rovider of fully integrated stem to stern networked electronic systems for boats of many sizes. The business distributes its products through a network of independent distributors and retailers, as well as through its relationships with boat builders, providing both first fitment and aftermarket solutions.

The Company competes with Furuno, Garmin and Navico.

Surveillance

Surveillance focuses on providing enhanced vision and detection capabilities to a range of military, paramilitary, law enforcement, public safety, and other government customers. Its systems typically provide the capability to see over long distances, day or night, through adverse weather conditions, and from a range of vehicle, man portable, and fixed installation platforms. Typical applications include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), force protection, drug interdiction, search and rescue, special operations, and target designation. Surveillance products are sold off-the-shelf or can be customized for specific applications and frequently incorporate additional sensors, including visible light cameras, radars, low light cameras, laser rangefinders, laser illuminators, and laser designators.

Surveillance offers a range of products across multiple applications. For airborne applications, it has developed highly stabilized platforms, known as gimbals, which typically contain multiple payloads in addition to the infrared imaging system, as well as sophisticated software and analytic capabilities. For land applications, it manufactures three types of products: hand-held products, platform mounted products, and targeting products. Platform mounted surveillance systems include imaging and radar solutions, which are typically housed in a weather-tight enclosure and feature remote control capabilities and multi-sensor integration capability. Hand-held products are ruggedized and have optional lenses and target location capabilities. Ground-based targeting products are designed t! o attach ! to existing daylight sights to provide bore-sighted, nighttime capabilities. For maritime applications, it manufacture shipborne products which are similar to its airborne gimbals, but are inverted and customized for the marine environment.

In Search and Rescue market thermal imaging systems are used in airborne nd shipborne search and rescue missions to rescue individuals in danger or distress on boats or vehicles, or wounded or lost in adverse conditions. Such systems are in use by organizations such as the United States Army, United States Coast Guard, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air National Guard, and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense. In Border and Maritime Patrol market thermal imaging systems are used in airborne, shipborne, hand-held and fixed installation applications for border and maritime surveillance, particularly at night, to enforce borders and coastal waters, to monitor national fishing boundaries and to prevent smuggling. Its cameras are deployed along numerous borders worldwide, including in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In Surveillance and Reconnaissance market Thermal imaging systems are used in surveillance and reconnaissance applications for the precise positioning of objects or people from substantial distances and for enhanced situational awareness, particularly at night or in conditions of reduced or obscured visibility. It also offers high-resolution frequency-modulated continuous wave radars that enable wide-area surveillance capable of detecting potential threats before they cross a perimeter. These systems can be installed on fixed platforms, manned mobile platforms, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Company supplies airborne thermal imaging systems for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Agencies with this type of equipment have the ability to track suspects, locate lost persons, and provide situational awareness to officers on the ground. It offers several products that provide precise t! arget loc! ation and designation capabilities in applications ranging from clip-on rifle scope devices to high-precision, stabilized, airborne laser designator systems. Thermal imaging systems enable government agencies to expand their drug interdiction and support activities by allowing greater surveillance and detection capabilities. The Company�� systems are in use by the United States Customs Service, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as by foreign government agencies.

The Company competes with BAE Systems, DRS (a Finmeccanica company), Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Sagem, Sofradir, and Thales.

Detection

The Company�� Detection segment provides capabilities in the development of advanced sensor technologies used to detect and identify CBRNE threats. The Detection segment is focused on developing technologies and products to penetrate a global market for advanced threat detection capabilities. Detection manufactures and markets the portable explosive detector, the smallest spectroscopic radiation detector, and the smallest hand-held Raman sensor.

The Company offer both indoor and outdoor biological air monitors that are used by various governmental agencies, including the United States Department of Defense, airport authorities, and the National Park Service, for layered security at facilities and events. Its explosives detection products are used to identify military-grade explosives and homemade explosive devices in a range of military and public safety applications, such as screening high-risk individuals at checkpoints, identifying improvised explosive device (IED) makers, and screening air passengers and baggage. Its radiation products protect the public by warning of radionuclide exposure and have been or are being used by the U.S. Department of Energy�� Nuclear Emergency Search Team, the New York Police Department, the Internat! ional Ato! mic Energy Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the United Kingdom�� Home Office Border and Immigration Agency.

The Company competes with Agilent Technologies, Canberra Industries, Idaho Technologies, NUCSAFE, SAIC, Smiths Detection, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and United Technologies.

Integrated Systems

Integrated Systems develops platform solutions for combating sophisticated security threats and incorporates multiple sensor systems in order to deliver actionable intelligence for wide area surveillance, intrusion detection, border security, and facility security. Integrated Systems incorporates advanced sensors from both the FLIR product suite and external vendors in order to design and manufacture adaptive and effective force protection, homeland security, and commercial solutions that are designed to save lives and protect critical assets. Integrated Systems utilizes an array of sensor technologies, such as radars, thermal imaging and visible light cameras, chemical detectors, radiation detectors, and command and control systems, provided by its other segments as well as from external parties, to create high value solutions for customers across the world.

Integrated Systems manufactures and markets several accurate mobile and fixed solutions for perimeter surveillance. The Cerberus mobile unmanned towers and manned SkyWatch towers are utilized for protecting borders, securing facilities, protecting forces, and safeguarding the public. These tower systems can be deployed in almost any environment and are fully networkable platform solutions that integrate various sensor suites, including infrared thermal or visible light cameras, ground surveillance radar, video motion detection, and unattended ground sensors. In addition, Integrated Systems offers open-source software that enables customers to command, control, and monitor their sensor networks. Cohesion is a flexible integration software enabling CBRNE sensors to be incorporated into standard command! and cont! rol software systems and is specifically designed to support or integrate with its or third-party advanced sensors and devices. Cameleon video integration software allows for advanced monitoring and control of video surveillance camera networks.

The Company competes with Boeing, Cobham, Honeywell, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, Raytheon, SAIC, Telephonics, and Thales.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR  ) landed a big contract from the Pentagon on Tuesday.

  Announced among more than a dozen Department of Defense contract awards that added up to more than $2.7 billion in total value, FLIR's $82.4 million award for the procurement of Talon Forward Looking Infrared Systems may not look like much, but it amounts to nearly 6% of all revenues the company collected last year.

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) rallied 9.7% following the release of several new products at CES, including a thermal imaging system for smartphones.

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense issued $312.5 million worth of new contract awards Monday. Notable winners included subsidiaries of two major defense contractors, FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR  ) and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) .

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) �shed 5.3%. The maker of imaging and observation sensors said Friday its fourth-quarter earnings came in at 20 cents a share, falling short of the average estimate of 23 cents a share.

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Exterran Partners L.P.(EXLP)

Exterran Partners, L.P. provides natural gas contract operations services to customers in the United States. Its contract operations services include designing, sourcing, owning, installing, operating, servicing, repairing, and maintaining equipment to provide natural gas compression to its customers. The company also owns and operates a natural gas processing plant with a capacity of 10 million cubic feet per day, which is used to provide processing services. It serves companies engaged in various aspects of the oil and natural gas industry, including natural gas producers, processors, gatherers, transporters, and storage providers. The company markets its services through sales and field service personnel. Exterran General Partner, L.P. serves as the general partner of Exterran Partners, L.P. The company was formerly known as Universal Compression Partners, L.P. and changed its name to Exterran Partners, L.P. in August 2007. Exterran Partners, L.P. was founded in 2006 an d is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ryan Lowery]

  All natural
  An obvious place to start is coal's biggest competitor, natural gas. For a while now, I've been a fan of the natural gas compression company, Exterran Holdings (NYSE: EXH  ) , which provides operations, maintenance, service, and equipment for both oil and natural gas production. Exterran's stock has had a steady climb the last couple of years -- it's up over 40% this year alone. The majority of analysts are calling Exterran a hold, but several rate it a buy or even a strong buy. Currently, Exterran is trading in the upper $20 range, and with a price target of $33, it still seems to have some upside. And for those interested in investing in master limited partnerships, Exterran operates an MLP as well, Exterran Partners (NASDAQ: EXLP  ) , which has seen a 33% gain in its price this year.

• [By Anna Prior]

  Exterran Partners L.P (EXLP). will acquire natural-gas compression assets from MidCon Compression L.L.C., a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy Corp.(CHK), for about $135 million.

• [By Jason Shubnell]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Technology stocks gained Friday, with Parametric Sound (NASDAQ: PAMT) leading advancers after the company provided post merger update and outlook. Among the leading sector stocks, gains came from 21Vianet Group (NASDAQ: VNET), BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY), Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ), and Veeco Instruments (NASDAQ: VECO).
  In trading on Friday, utilities shares rose by just 0.06 percent. Among the sector stocks, Exterran Partners LP (NASDAQ: EXLP) was down more than 4.8 percent, while PG&E (NYSE: PCG) tumbled around 3.75 percent.
  Top Headline
  BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY) posted a narrower-than-expected fourth-quarter loss.
  BlackBerry posted a quarterly net loss of $423 million, or $0.80 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $98 million, or $0.19 per share. Its loss from continuing operations came in at $423 million, or $0.80 per share, compared to a year-ago profit of $94 million, or $0.18 per share. BlackBerry�� adjusted loss from continuing operations came in at $0.08 per share.
  Its revenue slipped 64% to $976 million. However, analysts were estimating a loss of $0.56 per share on revenue of $1.17 billion. BlackBerry sold around 3.4 million smartphones in the quarter.
  Equities Trading UP
  Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL) shares shot up 3.64 percent to $27.44 after the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (EFR)

Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust (the Fund) is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and preservation of capital by investing primarily in senior, secured floating rate loans (Senior Loans). Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust invests in various industries, including healthcare, publishing, cable and satellite television, chemicals and plastics, and business equipment and services.

The Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in Senior Loans. The Fund may also invest in second lien loans and high yield bonds. Eaton Vance Management serves as the investment advisor of the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Dowdee]

  The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

  BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

Top Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Sovran Self Storage Inc.(SSS)

Sovran Self Storage, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). It engages in the acquisition, ownership, and management of self-storage properties in the United States. The company?s self-storage properties offer storage space to residential and commercial users, as well as offer outside storage for automobiles, recreational vehicles, and boats. As of February 15, 2007, it owned and managed 328 properties, consisting of approximately 20.3 million net rentable square feet in 22 states. Sovran Self Storage has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to income tax to the extent it distributes at least 90% of taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Williamsville, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Self-storage REIT�Sovran Self Storage (NYSE: SSS  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.53 per share, a 10% increase from the payout it made to investors last quarter of $0.48 per share.

Hot Promising Stocks To Own For 2014

Australia’s merchandise trade balance for August fell short of economists’ expectations, but the data revealed a couple of promising trends, particularly for investors in the country’s resource sector.

Although Australia’s trade deficit narrowed considerably in August, to AUD815 million from a revised deficit of AUD1.375 billion the prior month, it was still more than twice as wide as the AUD400 million consensus among the 23 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Australia tends to run persistent trade deficits, with the balance of trade averaging a monthly deficit of AUD323 million over the past five years and an average monthly deficit of AUD1.2 billion over the trailing year.

To be sure, the dollar value of Australia’s exports of goods and services has climbed fairly steadily since its near-term bottom in September 2012, with the latest monthly figure of AUD27.1 billion showing a 13.7 percent improvement from that low. In fact, the precise figure for August is just AUD829 million below the all-time high set back in September 2011.

Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Own For 2015: Flow International Corporation(FLOW)

Flow International Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a technology-based company providing waterjet cutting, surface preparation, and cleaning solutions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company?s products include ultrahigh-pressure water pumps and power waterjet systems used to cut and clean materials. It also offers ultrahigh-pressure surface preparation and industrial cleaning systems used in waterjet cleaning for coating removal; and consumable parts used by the pump and cutting heads during operations, such as seals and orifices, as well as provides related services. The company sells its consumable parts online through flowparts.com in the United States and floweuropeparts.com in Europe. It offers its products to various end-user applications and industries, including automotive, aerospace, paper, job shop, and stone and tile industries. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Kent, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Flow International (FLOW) has gained 9.6% to $3.99 after it reported a loss of 2 cents a share, below forecasts for a 1 cent profit. Profits were hit by currency fluctuations and a $1.6 million charge.

Hot Promising Stocks To Own For 2014: WellPoint Inc.(WLP)

WellPoint, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a health benefits company in the United States. The company offers various network-based managed care plans to large and small employer, individual, Medicaid, and senior markets. Its managed care plans include preferred provider organizations; health maintenance organizations; point-of-service plans; traditional indemnity plans; and other hybrid plans, including consumer-driven health plans, hospital only, and limited benefit products. The company also provides various managed care services comprising claims processing, underwriting, stop loss insurance, actuarial services, provider network access, medical cost management, disease management, wellness programs, and other administrative services to self-funded customers. In addition, it offers specialty and other products and services, including life and disability insurance benefits; dental, vision, and behavioral health benefit services; radiology benefit management; personal health care guidance; and long-term care insurance. Further, the company serves as an intermediary providing administrative service for the Medicare program that offers coverage for persons, who are 65 or older and for persons who are disabled or with end-stage renal disease. WellPoint, Inc. markets its products through a network of independent agents and brokers, consultants, in-house sales force, or Internet. The company, formerly known as Anthem, Inc., was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The delay isn't the first for Obamacare. Back in April, the administration had to delay the planned national insurance marketplace known as the Small Business Health Options Program until 2015, benefiting insurance carriers Aetna (NYSE: AET  ) , UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH  ) , and WellPoint (NYSE: WLP  ) by giving them more time to figure out how to comply with the small-business provisions of the health care law. The move also has ramifications for employer fines, as the program was narrowed to allow employers to choose only a single plan rather than a broader set of plan choices. As Fool contributor Keith Speights observed at the time, that might lead some midsize employers to drop their coverage rather than getting shunted into a single and potentially inadequate plan.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Humana have gained 1.1% to $96.77 today, while United Health (UNH) has risen 0.2% to $70.94, Aetna (AET), which reported earnings today, has fallen 0.3% to $68.04 and WellPoint (WLP) has advanced 1.1% to $86.55.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  In a recent note, Goldman Sachs highlighted 20 companies (excluding financials and utilities) it sees as top contributors to revenue growth for the third quarter. Of those companies, Amazon.com, WellPoint Inc. (WLP) �, McKesson Corp. (MCK) , Boeing, Microsoft, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) �, and United Technologies report in the coming week.

Hot Promising Stocks To Own For 2014: Sienna Resources Inc (SIE)

Sienna Resources Inc, formerly Habanero Resources Inc. is engaged in the identification, acquisition, exploration of mineral properties. These properties include gold, silver, and aluminous clay properties. The Company�� mineral property interests were located in Canada. Its mineral properties include White Gold Claims, Grande-Vallee North aluminous clay prospect, Haldane Silver Prospect and Lezai Prospect. The Ross Silver Property consists of approximately 44 contiguous mineral claims, adjoining the existing Haldane Silver Property. In May 2013, the Company acquired an additional 32 claims totaling 1,805 hectares in the Gaspe Bay region of Quebec. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) dropped 2.9 percent after the world�� biggest maker of luxury vehicles reported a decrease in third-quarter profit. Siemens AG (SIE) lost 1.3 percent after UBS AG cut its rating on Europe�� largest engineering company. Beiersdorf AG (BEI) rallied 5.3 percent after increasing its full-year sales forecast.

• [By Alexis Xydias]

  Loans of shares on Paris-based Renault, France�� second-largest carmaker, account for 0.92 percent, down from 2.25 percent in 2011 as the shares more than doubled, the data show. Stock on loan in Siemens AG (SIE), Europe�� largest engineering company, has declined to 0.78 percent of shares outstanding from 3.2 percent two years ago, Markit data show. Shares of Munich-based Siemens climbed 33 percent in that time.

• [By Robert Wall]

  The disposal plan comes as Eurostar gears up for its biggest expansion in years, with new e320 trains ordered from Siemens AG (SIE) due to link London with Amsterdam from December 2016, with stops in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol airport.

Hot Promising Stocks To Own For 2014: ProShares Short QQQ (PSQ)

ProShares Short QQQ is focused on daily investment results that correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. The NASDAQ-100 Index represents non-financial domestic and international issues listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The Fund takes positions in financial instruments (including derivatives) that in combination should have similar daily return characteristics as the inverse of the NASDAQ-100 Index. ProShares Short QQQ will not directly sell short the equity securities of issuers contained in the NASDAQ-100 Index. The Fund will concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. ProShare Advisors LLC serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  It's the ProShares Short QQQ (NYSE: PSQ). The good thing about this type of inverse ETF is that it pays you when the Nasdaq drops roughly on a 1-to-1 basis. For every percentage point the index goes down, PSQ rises by that amount.

Top 5 China Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 China Companies T o Invest In Right Now: AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc.(ASIA)

AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. provides telecommunications software solutions and information technology (IT) products and services to telecommunications carriers and other enterprises in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers business and operation support systems product suites, including OpenBilling, a billing solution for telecommunications operators; OpenCRM, a CRM solution suite for telecommunications operators; OpenBOSS, a carrier-class business operation support system solution; OpenBI, a carrier-class operating analysis and decision support system platform; OpenPRM, a system that calculates, manages, and reconciles payment for intercarrier network access. It also provides network management solutions comprising NetXpert, a data and Internet protocol network management solution; and OpenXpert, an integrated telecommunications network management system. In addition, the company offers service applications products, such as Mail Center, an online messaging softwa re; Spam Patrol software for real time anti-spam control; and Net Disk, a network hard disk product, which facilitates Internet-based file transfer, sharing, and management, as well as supports other functions, such as data processing of short message folders and synchronization of mobile devices. Its service applications products also include Internet Short Messaging Gateway, a business support platform for value-added short messaging services; and Device Management Platform that enables mobile operators to manage various mobile devices and perform remote mobile device management, such as remote diagnosis and parameter setup. In addition, it offers software enhancement and maintenance, system integration, and other value-added IT consulting and planning services. The company was formerly known as AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to AsiaInfo-Li! nkage, Inc. in July 2010. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Repub l ic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bloomberg News]

  "The prospects of Chinese equities are positive for the long-term, but near-term there are some execution risks with regard to implementing reforms," said Teresa Chow, a Hong Kong-based money manager who helps oversee about $1.5 billion at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd. "Mainland investors seem to have more reasonable expectations."

• [By Kana Nishizawa]

  "The market is still optimistic about the detailed reform plan", said Teresa Chow, a fund manager at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. "Since Hong Kong and China markets are underweighted by many fund managers, some of them might want to increase their weighting."

• [By Rajhkumar K Shaaw]

  BNP Paribas Securities (Asia) Ltd., Macquarie Capital Securities (India) Pvt. and Ambit Capital Pvt. cut their Sensex targets as the Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly increased its benchmark interest rate to stem a record decline in the rupee and curb consumer prices in the world's second-most populous nation. Strategists reduced their average profit estimate by 4.5 percent as higher borrowing costs threaten to worsen the slowest economic expansion since 2009.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Chinese telecom software provider AsiaInfo-Linkage (NASDAQ: ASIA  ) announced this morning that it has agreed to be acquired by a private investor consortium led by CITIC Capital Partners for approximately $890 million.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-china-companies-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Arrowhead Research  (ARWR) hit a five-year high of $27.21 on Wednesday after the FDA approved a phase 2a trial of its hepatitis B drug ARC-520, and several analysts consequently praised the company.

Deutsche Bank initiated coverage on the stock with a "buy" rating and a target price of $45. The firm predicted the drug could peak at annual sales of $5.2 billion, and noted clinical trial data prior to that in 2014 and 2015 could elevate the stock further.

RBC Capital Markets also initiated coverage at "outperform" with a target price of $35. The firm notes that the FDA approval could eventually lead to a multi-billion-dollar product and more drugs derived from the same platform.

Arrowhead has had quite the turnaround in the last year, as its one year low price is $1.65. Must Read: Warren Buffett's 10 Favorite Dividend Stocks STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more. TheStreet Ratings team rates ARROWHEAD RESEARCH CORP as a "sell" with a ratings score of D. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation: "We rate ARROWHEAD RESEARCH CORP (ARWR) a SELL. This is driven by several weaknesses, which we believe should have a greater impact than any strengths, and could make it more difficult for investors to achieve positive results compared to most of the stocks we cover. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its deteriorating net income and weak operating cash flow."

ARWR data by YCharts STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

Top 5 Oil Service Stocks For 2015: Main Street Capital Corp (MAIN)

Main Street Capital Corporation (MSCC) is a principal investment firm primarily focused on providing customized debt and equity financing to lower middle market (LMM) companies, which it generally define as companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $100 million that operate in diverse industries. Main Street's LMM portfolio investments principally consist of secured debt, equity warrants and direct equity investments in privately held LMM companies. Main Street's privately placed portfolio investments consist of primarily debt investments in middle market businesses that are generally larger in size than the portfolio companies within the LMM portfolio. Its LMM portfolio investments range in size from $5 million to $25 million. As of December 31, 2011, it had debt and equity investments in 54 LMM portfolio companies. On February 29, 2012, MSCC completed the exit of its debt investment and a portion of its equity investments in Drilling Info, Inc., (Drilling Info). Effective September 5, 2013, Main Street Capital Corp acquired TBT Holding Co Inc, a manufacturer of dump trailers, from Harbert Management Corp's Harbert Private Equity Fund II LLC subsidiary.

On January 5, 2012, Main Street fully exited its debt and equity investments in Currie Acquisitions, LLC (Currie). On February 17, 2012, MSCC acquired a total of approximately 8.5% of the total dollar value of the MSC II limited partnership interests not owned by MSCC. The Company has approximately 75% of its total LMM portfolio investments at cost were in the form of debt investments as of December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011, it had equity ownership in approximately 94% of its LMM portfolio companies and the average fully diluted equity ownership in those portfolio companies was approximately 34%. Its portfolio investments are generally made through MSCC and the Funds.

Debt Investments

The Company�� LMM debt investments have terms of three to seven years, with limited required amortization p! rior to maturity, and provide for monthly or quarterly payment of interest at fixed interest rates generally between 12% and 14% per annum, payable in cash. The Company also provides floating interest rates for a portion of a single tranche debt security. In addition, certain LMM debt investments may have a form of interest that is not paid but is accrued and added to the loan balance and paid at maturity. As of December 31, 2011, 93% of its LMM debt investments at cost were secured by first priority liens on the assets of LMM portfolio companies. In addition to seeking a senior lien position in the capital structure of its LMM portfolio companies, it seeks to limit the downside of its LMM investments by negotiating covenants that are designed to protect its LMM investments while affording its portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as is reasonable.

Warrants

In connection with its LMM debt investments, the Company has received equity warrants to establish or increase its equity interest in the LMM portfolio company. Warrants it receives in connection with a LMM debt investment typically require only a nominal cost to exercise, and thus, as a LMM portfolio company appreciates in value, it may achieve additional investment return from this equity interest. The Company structures the warrants to provide provisions protecting the rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as secured or unsecured put rights, or rights to sell such securities back to the LMM portfolio company, upon the occurrence of specified events.

Direct Equity Investments

The Company usually makes its direct equity investments in connection with debt investments. In addition, the Company may have both equity warrants and direct equity positions in some of its LMM portfolio companies. The Company makes its direct equity investments in connection with debt investments. In addition, it may have both equity warrants and direct equity positions in some of its! LMM port! folio companies. It seeks to maintain fully diluted equity positions in its LMM portfolio companies of 5% to 50%, and may have controlling equity interests in some instances.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Private equity firm�Main Street Capital (NYSE: MAIN  ) announced today its fourth-quarter monthly dividend schedule of $0.16 per share, a 3% increase in the monthly payout to investors from the $0.155 per share paid last quarter.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: National-Oilwell Inc.(NOV)

National Oilwell Varco, Inc. designs, constructs, manufactures, and sells systems, components, and products used in oil and gas drilling and production; provides oilfield services and supplies; and distributes products, and provides supply chain integration services to the upstream oil and gas industry worldwide. Its Rig Technology segment offers offshore and onshore drilling rigs; derricks; pipe lifting, racking, rotating, and assembly systems; rig instrumentation systems; coiled tubing equipment and pressure pumping units; well workover rigs; wireline winches; wireline trucks; cranes; and turret mooring systems and other products for floating production, storage and offloading vessels, and other offshore vessels and terminals. The company?s Petroleum Services & Supplies segment provides various consumable goods and services to drill, complete, remediate, and workover oil and gas wells and service pipelines, flowlines, and other oilfield tubular goods. It also manufacture s, rents, and sells products and equipment for drilling operations, including drill pipe, wired drill pipe, transfer pumps, solids control systems, drilling motors, drilling fluids, drill bits, reamers and other downhole tools, and mud pump consumables. In addition, this segment provides oilfield tubular services comprising the provision of inspection and internal coating services; equipment for drill pipe, line pipe, tubing, casing, and pipelines; and coiled tubing pipes and composite pipes. Its Distribution Services segment sells maintenance, repair and operating supplies, and spare parts to drill site and production locations. The company primarily serves drilling contractors, shipyards and other rig fabricators, well servicing companies, pressure pumping companies, oil and gas companies, supply stores, and pipe-running service providers. National Oilwell Varco, Inc. was founded in 1862 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Visteon�and Yahoo!. Other new holdings of interest include National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV  ) , a top maker of oil and gas drilling and oilfield services equipment. Bulls like its big and growing backlog and its massive market share as a supplier of rig equipment. It recently doubled its dividend (now yielding 1.4%) and is poised to profit as recent shale oil finds lead to production growth. Analyst Stephen Gengaro of Stern, Agee & Leach reiterated his buy rating on the stock a few weeks ago, citing drillship orders received by Seadrill that can result in hundreds of millions of dollars for National Oilwell Varco.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: Kinross Gold Corporation(KGC)

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing gold ores. It also involves in the exploration and acquisition of gold bearing properties. The company?s gold production and exploration activities are carried out principally in the Americas, Africa, and the Russian Federation. As of December 31, 2010, its proven and probable mineral reserves were 62.4 million ounces of gold, 90.9 million ounces of silver, and 1.4 billion pounds of copper. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Gold miners are getting a boost today from solid earnings from the likes of Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG) and Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM). The exception: Kinross Gold (KGC), which missed earnings forecasts and cut its reserves.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  At pivot points, gold prices can be highly volatile, but this is often where the greatest opportunities exist. The shift to physical gold is an important one because, while the "gold market" is fairly large, there are limited quantities of bullion. This is one of the reasons that miners like Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) have also rebounded somewhat. Since the slide, Barrick is up over 9% and Kinross is up over 13%. In that same period, the GLD is up less than 6%.

• [By Dave Forest]

  You don't have to take my word for it. Just take a look at the gold-star list of major mining companies that have lined up to work with Riverside: Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF), Antofagasta, Hochschild and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC), to name a few.

• [By Jim Jubak]

  At $1300 an ounce, Goldcorp's assumed price of gold is still significantly above the $1140 at Barrick Gold (ABX) or the $1,200 an ounce at Kinross Gold (KGC). I expect that Yamana Gold AUY, set to report on February 18, which already used a price assumption below $1300 an ounce, will reduce its price assumption even further. That leaves plenty of room for another reduction in reserves at Goldcorp on a lower assumed price. Gold closed at $1273 an ounce on average in the fourth quarter of 2013, 4% lower than in the third quarter and 26% less than in the fourth quarter of 2012.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: STEC Inc.(STEC)

STEC, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets enterprise-class flash solid-state drives (SSDs) for use in high-performance storage and server systems. Its solid-state drive products include ZeusIOPS SSDs, which provide enterprise-class data storage solutions; and MACH-class SSDs that are small form factor storage solutions for mission-critical systems in various industries. The company?s flash cards and flash module products comprise ATA PC Cards for equipment requiring standard form factors and moderate capacities, such as data recorders, avionics systems, and telecommunication applications; CompactFlash products, which provide interoperability with systems based on the PC Card ATA standard by using a passive adapter; flash modules; secure digital memory cards; USB flash drives; and single chip drives. It also offers dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products, which include dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), small-outline DIMMs, mini-registered DIMMs, very low profile registered DIMMs, and fully-buffered DIMMs for computing, communications, and industrial applications. In addition, the company provides integrated circuit tower stacked components for thin small outline package and ball grid array semiconductor packages for use on memory modules and within high capacity flash products; DRAM modules with stacked components for use primarily in high-performance servers, workstations, switches and routers, and other custom systems; and flash products with stacked components. It sells its products through direct sales force and original equipment manufacturer distributors in the United States and internationally. STEC, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Brugger]

  HGST, a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC  ) , has entered into an agreement whereby HGST will acquire a 100% ownership stake in sTec (NASDAQ: STEC  ) in an all-cash transaction valued at $340 million, equal to $6.85 a share, the companies announced today.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: PDF Solutions Inc.(PDFS)

PDF Solutions, Inc. provides infrastructure technologies and services for the design and manufacture of integrated circuits (IC) in Asia, the United States, and Europe. It offers manufacturing process solutions that include process research and development, and process integration and yield ramp; volume manufacturing solutions; and design-for-manufacturability (DFM) solutions, such as logic DFM, circuit level DFM, memory DFM, and pdBRIX Physical IP solutions. The company also offers characterization vehicle (CV) infrastructure, which includes CV test chips, pdCV analysis software, and pdFasTest electrical wafer test system; Yield Ramp Simulator software that analyzes an IC design to compute its systematic and random yield loss; and Circuit Surfer software, which estimates the parametric performance yield and manufacturability of analog/mixed-signal/RF blocks. In addition, it provides pdBRIX platform, which includes software for identifying and developing a set of physical IP building blocks that are tailored to a given manufacturing process and target product application; dataPOWER YMS platform that collects yield data, loads, and stores it in an integrated database and allows product engineers to identify and analyze production yield issues; FDC software, which provides fault detection and classification capabilities to identify sources of process variations and manufacturing excursions by monitoring equipment parameters; and YA-FDC service and software platform that allows online modeling to create real-time virtual measurements of final product attributes during processing. PDF Solutions sells its technologies and services through direct sales force, sales representatives, and strategic alliances to integrated device manufacturers, fabless semiconductor design companies, and foundries in the microprocessors, memory, graphics, image sensor solutions, and communications segments. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Jo se, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  PDF Solutions (PDFS) provides infrastructure technologies and services to improve yield and optimize performance of integrated circuits. This stock closed up 2.6% at $21.51 in Friday's trading session.

  Friday's Volume: 543,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 112,159
  
  Volume % Change: 393%

  From a technical perspective, PDFS trended up here right above some near-term support at $20.50 and into new 52-week-high territory with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months, with shares moving higher from its low of $14.95 to its intraday high on Friday of $21.64. During that move, shares of PDFS have been consistently making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has also been accompanies by heavy upside volume flows since mid-July.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PDFS as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $20.50 or above its 50-day at $19.06 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $21.64 with volume that's near or above 112,159 shares. If we get that move soon, then PDFS will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $25 to $28.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries the firm invests in the property, power, and infrastructure sectors. Its property business include owning and managing office properties, developing master planned residential communities, and offering clients bridge and mezzanine lending; alternative assets funds; and financial and advisory services. Through its power generation business the firm operates hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections and transmission facilities in Northeast North America, and development of wind power in Canada. Through its funds and private capital business the firm invests in specialty funds including private equity and makes direct investments in real estate, energy, and resource assets. It also makes investments in privately held investment management and equity and fixed income mutual funds. The firm was formerly known as Brascan Corp. Brookfield Asset Management is base d in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Berkowitz�� top holdings continue to be: American International Group Inc. (AIG), AIA Group Ltd. (AAIGF.PK), Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (BAM).

• [By GuruFocus]

  5. Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM) - 3,116,419 shares, 4.0% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 1.65%

  New Purchase: Synalloy Corporation (SYNL)

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: Airbus Group NV (EADSF)

Airbus Group NV, known as European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV, is a Netherlands-based company active within the aerospace and defense sector. The Company manufactures aircrafts, helicopters, commercial space launch vehicles, missiles, satellites, defense systems and defense electronics, and offers services related to these activities. The Company oprates four divisions. The Airbus division comprises the Airbus Commercial and Airbus Military segments, which develop, manufacture, market and sell commercial jet aircrafts, military transport aircrafts and special mission aircrafts, among others. The Eurocopter division develops, markets and sells civil and military helicopters. The Astrium division develops, manufactures and sells satellites, orbital infrastructures and launchers, as well as provides space-related services. The Cassidian division develops, manufactures and sells missiles systems, military combat and training aircrafts, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  European plane maker and EADS (NASDAQOTH: EADSF  ) subsidiary Airbus announced Monday that one of its biggest, and most expensive planes, has just secured a big place in the airplane lineup at British Airways (BA).

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2014

Traders simply couldn't wait for the weekend, and abandoned all hope of a repeat of yesterday's huge gains early in the day. Unlike yesterday, the economic data certainly didn't work in the favor of the broad-based S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) , sending it modestly lower on the day.

We knew heading into today's preliminary University of Michigan consumer sentiment figure that it'd be downright difficult for optimism to surpass the nearly six-year high put up last month. The initial figure of 82.7, while still higher than many of the preceding months other than May, is nonetheless a decline, and a signal that optimism about the health of the economy may be waning.

May's industrial production also came in with a disappointing figure of flat growth compared to expectations for 0.1% growth. I'm sure investors are happy to see flat growth compared to the decline of 0.4% reported in April, but it nonetheless points to the fragility of the recovery in industrial production in the U.S.

5 Best Restaurant Stocks To Own Right Now: Genomic Health Inc (GHDX)

Genomic Health, Inc. (Genomic Health), incorporated in August 2000, is a molecular diagnostics company focused on the global development and commercialization of genomic-based clinical laboratory services that analyze the underlying biology of cancer allowing physicians and patients to make individualized treatment decisions. Its Oncotype DX platform utilizes quantitative genomic analysis known as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in standard tumor pathology specimens to provide tumor-specific information, or the oncotype of a tumor. As of February 2012, Oncotype DX was evaluated in invasive breast cancer in 13 clinical studies involving more than 4,000 breast cancer patients worldwide. Genomic Health offers its Oncotype DX tests as a clinical service, where it analyzes the expression levels of genes in tumor tissue samples and provide physicians with a quantitative gene expression profile expressed as a single quantitative score, which it calls a Recurrence Score, for invasive breast cancer and colon cancer and a DCIS Score for DCIS. Its Oncotype DX breast cancer test analyzes the expression levels of 21 genes and Oncotype DX colon cancer test analyzes the expression levels of 12 genes. In March 2012, the Company established a wholly owned subsidiary, InVitae Corporation.

Oncotype DX Platform

The Company�� Oncotype DX platform uses its RT-PCR approach to improve cancer treatment decisions. Its diagnostic approach correlates gene expression to clinical outcomes and provides an individualized analysis of each patient's tumor. The Company has built a diagnostic infrastructure that allows it to move from research into development through to processing actual patient samples in its clinical reference laboratory. The Company offers Oncotype DX tests as clinical laboratory services. Its technology allows the Company to analyze tumor tissue samples in its clinical reference laboratory and provide physicians with genomic information specific to the patient'! s tumor. It analyzes tissues that are handled, processed and stored under routine clinical pathology laboratory practices.

Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Test

To develop its Oncotype DX breast cancer test, the Company evaluated 250 genes in three independent clinical studies, which identified a 21-gene panel whose composite gene expression profile can be represented by a breast cancer Recurrence Score. The Company conducted studies of its Oncotype DX breast cancer test with clinical samples from postmenopausal women with invasive breast cancer who were treated with aromatase inhibitors. In March 2010, the Journal of Clinical Oncology published results from a European study using its test to analyze tumor samples from over 1,200 patients in the ATAC (Arimedix, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial, which established the use of aromatase inhibitors for adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The study demonstrated that, along with other standard measures, such as tumor size, its Oncotype DX breast cancer test contributes independently to provide a more complete picture of prognosis for N- and N+ patients treated with aromatase inhibitors.

In December 2011, the Company presented positive results from the ECOG E5194 DCIS clinical validation study at SABCS. The study met its primary endpoint by demonstrating that a pre-specified Oncotype DX DCIS Score can predict the risk of local recurrence, defined as either the development of a new invasive breast cancer or the recurrence of DCIS in the same breast. In December 2011, the Company made Oncotype DX available for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), of the breast, a pre-invasive form of breast cancer. The launch of Oncotype DX for DCIS patients was based on positive results presented from a clinical validation study of Oncotype DX breast cancer test in patients with DCIS, conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), a clinical trials cooperative! group su! pported by the National Cancer Institute.

Oncotype DX Colon Cancer Test

The Company developed its gene panel by identifying 761 cancer-related genes through review of existing research literature and computer analysis of genomic databases. The 761 candidate genes were also examined to determine whether they would be useful beyond other key variables including tumor stage, tumor grade, lymph nodes examined and MMR/MSI. It selected a final set of 12 genes, which were then independently evaluated in a validation study of over 1,400 stage II colon cancer patients from the Quick and Simple and Reliable (QUASAR), randomized study of adjuvant chemotherapy in the United Kingdom. This international, multi-center randomized trial examined the recurrence risk and the benefit associated with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin, or 5FU/LV, adjuvant chemotherapy. Gene expression was quantified by RT-PCR from manually microdissected FPE primary colon cancer tissue, and recurrence-free interval, disease-free survival and overall survival were analyzed. In January 2012, the Company presented positive results of the first clinical decision making study of the Oncotype DX colon cancer test that shows that Recurrence Score result has a significant impact on treatment recommendations for stage II colon cancer patients.

The Company competes with General Electric Company, Hologic, Inc., Novartis AG, Myriad Genetics, Inc., Qiagen N.V., Response Genetics, Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, Roche Holding, Ltd, Siemens AG and Johnson & Johnson.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Large and small cap cancer stocks Gilead Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: GILD), Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), Veracyte (NASDAQ: VCYT), Genomic Health, Inc (NASDAQ: GHDX), Cell Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: CTIC) and MetaStat Inc (OTCMKTS: MTST) have all been producing a steady stream of news lately for biotech investors looking for a way to cash in on the growth in development of�cancer treatments. Just consider the following news:

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2014: Regency Energy Partners LP (RGP)

Regency Energy Partners LP (the Partnership), incorporated on September 8, 2005, is engaged in the gathering and processing, contract compression, treating and transportation of natural gas and the transportation, fractionation and storage of natural gas liquids (NGLs). The Partnership operates in five business segments: Gathering and Processing, Joint Ventures, Contract Compression, Contract Treating, and Corporate and Others. Its assets are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, California, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia and the mid-continent region of the United States, which includes Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma. In May 2013, Regency Energy Partners LP closed the acquisition of Southern Union Gathering Company, LLC from Southern Union Company. In February 2014, Regency Energy Partners LP closed its acquisition of the midstream business of Hoover Energy Partners LP.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, Lone Star NGL LLC (Lone Star), a newly formed joint venture that is owned 70% by Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (ETP) and 30% by the Partnership, acquired all of the membership interest in LDH Energy Asset Holdings LLC (LDH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy LLC. The Partnership focuses on providing midstream services in some of the most prolific natural gas producing regions in the United States, including the Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Barnett, Fayetteville, Marcellus, Bone Spring, and Avalon shales as well as the Permian Delaware basin and the mid-continent region. The Partnership provides wellhead-to-market services to producers of natural gas, which include transporting raw natural gas from the wellhead through gathering systems, processing raw natural gas to separate NGLs and selling or delivering the pipeline natural gas and NGLs to various markets and pipeline systems.

The Partnership owns and operates a fleet of compressors used to provide turn-key natural gas compression services for customer specific syst! ems. The Partnership owns and operates a fleet of equipment used to provide treating services, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide removal, natural gas cooling, dehydration and BTU management, to natural gas producers and midstream pipeline companies.

Gathering and Processing Operations

The Partnership operates gathering and processing assets in four geographic regions of the United States: north Louisiana, the mid-continent region of the United States, south Texas and west Texas. The Partnership�� north Louisiana assets gather, compress, treat and dehydrate natural gas in five Parishes (Claiborne, Union, DeSoto, Lincoln and Ouachita) of north Louisiana and Shelby County, Texas. Its assets also include two cryogenic natural gas processing facilities, a refrigeration plant located in Bossier Parish, a conditioning plant located in Webster Parish, an amine treating plant in DeSoto Parish, and an amine treating plant in Lincoln Parish. The Partnership�� south Texas assets gather, compress, treat and dehydrate natural gas in LaSalle, Webb, Karnes, Atascosa, McMullen, Frio and Dimmitt counties. The pipeline systems that gather this gas are connected to third-party processing plants and its treating facilities that include an acid gas reinjection well located in McMullen County, Texas.

One of the Partnership�� treating plants consists of inlet gas compression, a 60 one million cubic feet per day amine treating unit, a 55 one million cubic feet per day amine treating unit and a 40 ton (per day) liquid sulfur recovery unit. In January 2012, it completed an expansion of the treating plant, adding an incremental 20 one million cubic feet per day of treating capacity to the facility. The Partnership owns a 60% interest in ELG that includes a treating plant in Atascosa County with a 500 gallons per minute amine treater, pipeline interconnect facilities and approximately 13 miles of ten inch diameter pipeline. Talisman Energy USA Inc. and Statoil Texas Onshore Pro! perties L! P own the remaining 40% interest. It operates this plant and the pipeline for the joint venture while its joint venture partner operates a lean gas gathering system in the Edwards Lime natural gas trend that delivers to this system.

The Partnership�� west Texas gathering system assets offer wellhead-to-market services to producers in Ward, Winkler, Reeves, and Pecos counties, which surround the Waha Hub. The NGL market outlets include Lone Star's west Texas NGL pipeline. It offers producers four different levels of natural gas compression on the Waha gathering system. The Waha processing plant is a cryogenic natural gas processing plant that processes raw natural gas gathered in the Waha gathering system. The Waha processing plant also includes an amine treating facility, which removes carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from raw natural gas gathered before moving the natural gas to the processing plant.

The Partnership�� mid-continent region includes natural gas gathering systems located primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma. Its mid-continent gathering assets are extensive systems that gather, compress and dehydrate low-pressure gas from approximately 1,500 wells. These systems are geographically concentrated, with each central facility located within 90 miles of the others. The Partnership also owns the Hugoton gathering system that has approximately 1,875 miles of pipeline extending over nine counties in Kansas and Oklahoma. This system is operated by a third party. Its mid-continent systems are located in two natural gas producing regions in the United States, the Hugoton Basin in southwest Kansas and the Anadarko Basin in western Oklahoma.

Joint Ventures Operations

The Partnership owns investments in four joint ventures: a 49.99% general partner interest in RIGS Haynesville Partnership Co., a general partnership, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Regency Intrastate Gas LP (HPC); a 50% membership interest in MEP; a 30% membership interest in Lone St! ar, and a! 33.33% membership interest in Ranch JV. HPC owns RIGS, a 450-mile intrastate pipeline that delivers natural gas from northwest Louisiana to downstream pipelines and markets. MEP owns an interstate natural gas pipeline with approximately 500 miles stretching from southeast Oklahoma through northeast Texas, northern Louisiana and central Mississippi to an interconnect with the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line system in Butler, Alabama. Lone Star is an entity owning a diverse set of midstream energy assets, including NGL pipelines, storage, fractionation and processing facilities located in the states of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Contract Compression Operations

The natural gas contract compression segment services include designing, sourcing, owning, installing, operating, servicing, repairing and maintaining compressors and related equipment. These field-wide applications include compression for natural gas gathering and natural gas processing. The Partnership�� contract compression operations are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and California.

Contract Treating Operations

The Partnership owns and operates a fleet of equipment used to provide treating services, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide removal, natural gas cooling, dehydration and BTU management, to natural gas producers and midstream pipeline companies. Its contract treating operations are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The Company competes with PELICO Pipeline, LLC (Pelico), ETP, KMP, Chesapeake Midstream Partners, L.P., Enterprise Products Partners LP, DCP Midstream Partners, L.P., Copano Energy, L.L.C, Southern Union Gas Services, Targa Resources Partners L.P., ONEOK Partners L.P., Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P., CenterPoint Energy Transmission, Gulf South Pipeline, L.P., Texas Gas Transmission, LLC, Gulf Crossing Pipeline, Centerpoint Energy Gas Transmission and Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, Ext! erran Hol! dings, Inc., Compressor Systems, Inc., USA Compression, Valerus Compression Services LP, J-W Energy Company, TransTex Gas Services, LP, Cardinal Midstream LLC, SouthTex Treaters, Interstate Treating Inc., Thomas Russell Co. and Spartan Energy Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell]

  Natural gas companies Eagle Rock Energy Partners L.P(EROC). and Regency Energy Partners L.P(RGP). said the Federal Trade Commission is requesting additional information regarding Eagle Rock’s sale of its midstream business to Regency. Eagle Rock slipped 2.6% to $4.95 premarket.

• [By Igor Greenwald]

  ETE is the general partner of Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP), the fourth-largest MLP by market value, and operator of natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines with a combined length of 47,000 miles.

  ETE is also the general partner of another pipeline operator, Regency Energy Partners (RGP).

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2014: First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FTC)

First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (the Fund), formerly First Trust Large Cap Growth Opportunities AlphaDEX Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Defined Large Cap Growth Index (the Index). The Index is an enhanced index created and administered by Standard & Poor��, which employs the AlphaDEX stock selection methodology to select stocks from the S&P 500 Growth Index. Standard & Poor�� constructs the Defined Large Cap Growth Index by ranking the stocks from the S&P 500 Growth Index against all the stocks in the S&P 500 Index on growth factors including 3, 6 and 12-month price appreciation, sales to price and one year sales growth, and separately on value factors, including book value to price, cash flow to price and return on assets. First Trust Advisors L.P. is the adviser of the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By reports.droy]

  Dollar General�� management still remains optimistic as they have remarked that the ��nti-trust issues��are manageable. Company sources have confirmed that on September 2, the management has sweetened the proposal and send it to the Board of Directors of Family Dollar Stores. Under the terms of the revised proposal, Dollar General is ready to increase the bid to $80 per share in an all-cash deal. To further pacify the Family Dollar top brass, Dollar General�� management has agreed to divest nearly 1500 outlets if ordered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), from the 700 store divestiture commitment given during the initial bid.

Top 5 Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2014: Weir Group PLC (WEIR)

The Weir Group PLC is engaged in engineering businesses. It operates in three segments: Minerals, Oil and Gas, and Power and Industrial. The Minerals segment provides slurry handling equipment and associated aftermarket support for abrasive high wear applications used in the mining and oil sands markets. The Oil & Gas segment provides products and service solutions to upstream, production, transportation, refining and related industries. The Power & Industrial segment designs and manufactures valves, pumps and turbines as well as providing specialist support services to the global power generation, industrial and oil and gas sectors. The Company�� subsidiaries include American Hydro Corporation, EnviroTech Pumpsystems Inc, Gema Industrigummi AB, Linatex Rubber Products Sdn Bhd and Mesa Manufacturing Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Weir Group Plc (WEIR) added 1.6 percent to 2,239 pence, the highest price in almost two months. The U.K.�� largest supplier of pressure pumps was raised to buy from hold at Berenberg Bank.