Top 5 Sliver Companies To Buy Right Now

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Oil-Dri Corp. of America (NYSE: ODC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

10 Best China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Lam Research Corporation(LRCX)

Lam Research Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes, and services semiconductor processing equipments used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company offers etch products that remove portions of various films from the wafer in the creation of semiconductor devices. Its etch products include dielectric etch, conductor etch, three-dimensional integrated circuit etch, MEMS devices, CMOS image sensors, and power devices for etching process. Lam Research Corporation also provides wafer cleaning steps that comprise post-etch and post-strip cleans, and pre-diffusion and pre-deposition cleans; and single-wafer wet clean and plasma-based bevel clean systems. The company offers its products to semiconductor manufacturers. It operates in the United States, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and the Asia Pacific. Lam Research Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes, and services semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits.

Top 5 Sliver Companies To Buy Right Now: Arotech Corporation(ARTX)

Arotech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides defense and security products. It operates in three divisions: Training and Simulation, Battery and Power Systems, and Armor. The Training and Simulation division develops, manufactures, and markets multimedia and interactive digital solutions for use-of-force training and driving training of military, law enforcement, security, and other personnel; provides simulators, systems engineering, and software products to the United States military, government, and private industry; and offers specialized use of force training for police, security personnel, and the military. The Battery and Power Systems division manufactures and sells lithium and zinc-air batteries for defense and security products and other military applications; and develops and sells rechargeable and primary lithium batteries and smart chargers to the military and to private defense industry. This division also develops, manufactures, and markets primary zinc-air batteries, rechargeable batteries, and battery chargers for the military; and produces water-activated lifejacket lights for commercial aviation and marine applications. The Armor Division manufactures military and paramilitary armored vehicles, and employs sophisticated lightweight materials to produce aviation armor; and uses engineering concepts to produce combat armored military vehicles and up-armor civilian commercial vehicles. This division also uses lightweight armoring materials and advanced engineering processes to provide ballistic armor kits for rotary and fixed wing aircraft. Arotech sells its products primarily in the United States, Israel, Taiwan, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, India, Spain, Singapore, and Japan. The company was formerly known as Electric Fuel Corporation and changed its name to Arotech Corporation in September 2003. Arotech Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Arotech (NASDAQ: ARTX) shares declined 10.98% to $3.97 after falling 1.55% on Monday.

  Bebe Stores (NASDAQ: BEBE) shares declined 10.40% to $5.77 after the company reported a 5.7% drop in its Q3 same-store sales and issued a downbeat Q3 outlook.

• [By Anna Prior]

  Defense and security-products maker Arotech Corp.(ARTX) said it plans to offer an unspecified amount of its shares in a public offering. Arotech recently had about 21 million shares outstanding, according to FactSet. Shares fell 6.9% to $3.50 premarket.

• [By Ant贸nio Costa]
  Arotech Corporation (NASDAQ: ARTX) is looking to get back over $2 based on the chart above. After days of trading sideways in a relatively narrow range, this stock is finally on the move again. The volume is starting to pick up and there could be a decent short squeeze (short float 15%) if the stock breaks above this range. Resistance levels to watch will be 1.98, 2.24 and 2.71 with support levels at 1.83 and 1.66. The technical indicators paint a BULLISH picture. The stock is rising above all major EMAs. The MACD has just entered the positive zone and above the signal line. The Slow stochastic and the RSI are both above their 50% levels. Next week will be for sure a key week for ARTX technically !!! Be prepared for a Big run !!! Stay invested w/ a stop-loss at 1.66 ( click to enlarge )

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Arotech Corp. (ARTX) �shares rose 10% to $3.70 on moderate volume after the defense and security-products company reported a first-quarter profit of 5 cents a share on revenue of $22.4 million. The one analyst who covers Arotech was forecasting 2 cents a share on revenue of $21.3 million, according to FactSet.

Top 5 Sliver Companies To Buy Right Now: Aircastle Ltd (AYR)

Aircastle Limited (Aircastle), incorporated on October 29, 2004, is a global company that acquires, leases, and sells high-utility commercial jet aircraft to customers throughout the world. As of December 31, 2012, the Company's aircraft portfolio consisted of 159 aircraft that were leased to 69 lessees located in 36 countries. The Company manages its fleet through offices in the United States, Ireland and Singapore. The Company invests in aircraft that the Company places on operating or finances leases. The Company also makes investments in other aviation assets, including debt investments secured by commercial jet aircraft. The Company operates in single segment being Aircraft leases. The Company owned 133 passenger aircraft, representing approximately 71% of the net book value of flight equipment, while its 26 freighter aircraft account for 29% of its portfolio value. Effective July 12, 2013, Marubeni Corp acquired a 15.25% interest in the Company.

The Company leases its aircraft on an operating lease basis. Under an operating lease, the Company retains the benefit, and bear the risk, of re-leasing and of the residual values of the aircraft upon expiration or early termination of the lease. Under the Company's leases, the lessees agree to lease the aircraft for a fixed term, although certain of its operating leases allow the lessee the option to extend the lease for an additional term or, in rare cases, terminate the lease prior to its expiration. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company's three customers, Martinair , including its affiliates, KLM, Transavia and Transavia France, U.S. Airways, Inc., and Hainan Airlines Company, accounted for 9%, 6% and 6% of the Company�� revenues.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 19 aircraft having scheduled lease expirations in 2013 and the Company has lease or leases extension commitments for two of these aircraft. The remaining 17 aircraft with scheduled expiries in 2013. The Company entered into early termination! agreements for two Boeing Model 737-700 aircraft, one Airbus model A330-200 aircraft, one Boeing Model 767-300ER aircraft and one Airbus Model A319-100 aircraft, which the Company is marketing for sale or leases.

The Company competes with GE Commercial Aviation Services, International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), AerCap Holdings NV, Air Lease Corporation, Aviation Capital Group, CIT Aerospace, AWAS, SMBC Aviation Capital (formerly RBS Aviation Capital), BOC Aviation, FLY Leasing, Ltd., Avolon, Guggenheim Aviation Partners, Volito, Deucalion, Oak Hill Aviation and AerSale

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  As a result, many recent insider purchases are now "underwater." That spells opportunity. If these stocks are even cheaper than the levels in which insiders found them to be appealing, then we may witness even deeper insider buying in coming weeks, further validating this "buy" signal. Here's a look at six examples.

  1. Aircastle (NYSE: AYR) In early June, this aircraft leasing firm agreed to sell a 15% stake in itself to Japan's Marubeni Corp. The two firms aim to leverage each other's global transport divisions, cross-selling services and equipment to each other's customer base.

  Marubeni began buying shares in subsequent weeks, and by early August, already qualified as an insider as its ownership stake moved above 5%. Throughout the past month, Marubeni has kept on buying, even as shares moved past the $17 mark. Yet in recent days, the market turmoil has pushed shares down close to $16. Look for Marubeni to keep buying until it hits the 15% ownership threshold. Meanwhile, analysts have yet to project the benefits of these two firms' partnership, as forward earnings estimates have remained largely static over the past 90 days.

Top 5 Sliver Companies To Buy Right Now: V.F. Corporation(VFC)

V.F. Corporation designs and manufactures, or sources from independent contractors various apparel and footwear products primarily in the United States and Europe. The company offers apparel, footwear, outdoor gear, skateboard-inspired and surf-inspired footwear, backpacks, luggage, handbags and accessories, outdoor apparel, travel accessories, and women?s active wear primarily under the Vans, The North Face, JanSport, Eastpak, Kipling, Napapijri, Reef, Eagle Creek, and lucy brands; and denim and casual bottoms, and tops principally under Wrangler, Lee, Riders, Rustler, and Timber Creek by Wrangler brands. Its products also include occupational, athletic, and licensed apparel primarily under the Red Kap, Bulwark, Majestic, MLB, NFL, and Harley-Davidson brands; men?s fashion sportswear, denim bottoms, sleepwear, underwear, as well as handbags, luggage, backpacks, and accessories principally under the Nautica and Kipling brands; and denim and casual bottoms, sportswear, acce ssories, men?s apparel and footwear, and women?s sportswear primarily under the 7 For All Mankind, John Varvatos, Splendid, and Ella Moss brands. The company sells its products to specialty stores, department stores, national chains, and mass merchants primarily through its sales force, independent sales agents, and distributors. V.F. Corporation was founded in 1899 and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Getty Images/Scott Olson The demise of Crocs (CROX), it seems, may have been greatly exaggerated. Remember the company's signature product? Close to a decade ago, those colorful, clunky resin clogs were all the rage. The company that made them couldn't sell the things fast enough, at one point reaching sales of 50 million pairs in 2007. Then fashion moved on, as it always does, and the economic slowdown started to bite into sales. Crocs plunged from a $168 million net profit in 2007 to a $185 million loss in 2008. In 2009, the company nearly ran out of cash and had a hard time making payroll. But Crocs' fortunes have improved. In its most recent quarter, the firm posted a loss, but it was narrower than the market was expecting. And it's found an investor that believes in its future -- private equity giant Blackstone Group (BX), which recently provided a $200 million cash investment in return for a block of preferred shares eventually convertible into a stake of around 13 percent of the company. Perhaps the time has come to take those old clogs out of the closet, dust them off, and slip them on for a stroll. Stepping It Up Fashion is highly susceptible to consumer whim. The hot item is never hot for very long, and once consumers move on, it can be hard for the company to recover. In Crocs' case, this was exacerbated by its limited product line -- almost exclusively the clogs. The company learned from its mistakes. Since consumer tastes moved out of clog-land, Crocs has significantly broadened its product line to 300 styles. It now offers boots, flip-flops, deck shoes and slip-ons akin to the casuals from VF Corp.'s (VFC) Vans subsidiary. In terms of profitability, Crocs recovered quickly from its time in the fashion wilderness. From that 2008 bottom-line deficit of $185 million, the company sliced its loss to $42 million the following year, then stepped back into the black in 2010 (to the tune of $68 million). After two straight years of declines, revenue

• [By Kevin Donovan]

  Everybody's saying it, so we will, too: Baby, it's cold outside!��Companies like VF Corp (NYSE:VFC), maker of Wrangler jeans and winter clothing brands The North Face and Timberland, could be warming up as a result.��We think it's a buy for risk-averse folks fearful of expensive equities but hard-pressed to find an alternative in the land of slender bond yields.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  VFC Corporation (VFC) has also seen its stock slip along with the stock market. The stock is down almost 10% so far this year as investors have just sold many of the apparel and clothing related names indiscriminately. The company has several great lines of business, including brands like The North Face, Timberland, and Vans.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now

By most accounts, it's an all-American dream come true. U.S. Geothermal Inc. (NYSEMKT:HTM), working hard - for years - to make something out of nothing can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. HTM has swung to a profit, and is strong enough now that it's probably going to remain in the black in perpetuity. Shareholders who got into U.S. Geothermal anytime during or after 2012 have finally been handsomely rewarded, with most of that reward materializing in just the past three weeks. Regardless of when an investor got into a position in HTM though, there's just one thing left to do at this point.... get out. Lock in your gain and walk away, at least for a little while.

Say what? Why let go of one of the market's hottest stocks when things have never been better? Because, between the chart and the news and the euphoria surrounding the whole shebang, there's just something a little suspicious about HTM at these levels, and a significant pullback may be nigh.

Top Up And Coming Stocks To Buy For 2015: Rite Aid Corp (RAD)

Rite Aid Corporation, incorporated in 1968, is a retail drugstore chain in the United States. As of March 3, 2012, the Company operated drugstores in 31 states across the country and in the District of Columbia. As of March 3, 2012, it operated 4,667 stores. In the Company�� stores, it sells prescription drugs and a range of other merchandise, which it calls front end products. During the fiscal year ended March 3, 2012 (fiscal 2012), prescription drug sales accounted for 68.1% of its total sales. The Company carries a range of front end products, which accounted for 31.9% of its total sales in fiscal 2012. Front end products include over-the-counter medications, health and beauty aids, personal care items, cosmetics, household items, beverages, convenience foods, greeting cards, seasonal merchandise and other everyday and convenience products, as well as photo processing. It offers a variety of products under its private brands, which contributed approximately 17% of its front end sales in the categories where private brand products were offered in fiscal 2012. As of March 3, 2012, the Company had opened over 2,100 GNC stores-within-Rite Aid-stores. During fiscal 2012, the Company sold two owned operating stores to independent third parties.

During fiscal 2012, its stores filled approximately 295 million prescriptions and served an average of 2.1 million customers per day. The overall average size of each store in its chain is approximately 12,600 square feet. As of March 3, 2012, 60% of its stores were freestanding; 51% of its stores included a drive-thru pharmacy; 24% included one-hour photo shops, and 46% included a GNC store-within-Rite Aid-store. The Company�� customers may also order prescription refills over the Internet through www.riteaid.com, or over the phone through its telephonic automated refill systems for pick up at a Rite Aid store. It has a strategic alliance with GNC, a retailer of vitamin and mineral supplements.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Nearest Resistance: $3.20
  
  Nearest Support: $2.70
  
  Catalyst: July Sales Release

  Retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid (RAD) is getting some attention this afternoon, after the firm released its July sales report to Wall Street. Same-store-sales increased 1.3% in the last month, a strong boost for a firm that's already seen its fair share of fundamental strength in 2013. Today's 5% increase in shares could just be the first step.

  That's because RAD is currently forming a bullish ascending triangle pattern. The setup is formed by horizontal resistance at $3.20 and uptrending support to the downside of shares. I'd recommend becoming a buyer if RAD is able to print above $3.20 -- then it makes sense to keep a protective stop at the 50-day moving average.

• [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Thursday’s session are KBR Inc.(KBR), Pier 1 Imports Inc.(PIR) and Rite (RAD) Aid Corp.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Bradley C. Bower/Bloomberg/Getty Images In any given week, some stocks are sure to shoot up, and others will plummet. The big gainers inspire us to keep investing. The presence of the decliners keeps our greed in check while reminding us about the risks of the equity markets. Let's go over some of last week's best and worst performers. Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AVNR) -- Up 64 percent last week Last week's biggest gainer was Avanir Pharmaceuticals. The volatile biotech soared after revealing favorable clinical trials data on its AVP-923 drug candidate that treats agitation associated with Alzheimer's. This is a major hurdle cleared on the long path to gaining regulatory approval, but this is just the second of three clinical trial phases that Avanir needs to shine through to get its treatment on the market. Novatel Wireless (NVTL) -- Up 33 percent last week Novatel Wireless moved higher after IT products distributor and services provider Synnex announced an expanded deal to offer Novatel products throughout the U.S. and Canada. H.C. Wainwright followed by initiating coverage of Novatel with a buy rating and a $4 price target that it deems as conservative and one that it's likely to raise "sooner rather than later." Apogee Enterprises (APOG) -- Up 14 percent last week There weren't too many companies reporting quarterly results last week, but Apogee was one that managed to shine through. The provider of value-added glass products and services saw revenue soar 30 percent in its latest quarter. Adjusted earnings climbed 67 percent to $0.35 a share, beating Wall Street expectations. The strong showing finds Apogee raising its outlook for fiscal 2015. VirnetX (VHC) -- Down 65 percent last week The market's biggest loser was VirnetX, shedding nearly two-thirds of its value after an unfavorable patent ruling. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected a jury award of $368.2 million that VirnetX initially won against Apple (AAPL) in 2012 for patent

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Home BancShares Inc.(HOMB)

Home BancShares, Inc. operates as a holding company for the Centennial Bank that provides various commercial and retail banking, and related financial products and services to businesses, real estate developers, investors, individuals, and municipalities. It offers various deposit products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also offers commercial real estate, construction and land development, commercial and industrial, residential real estate, agricultural, and consumer loans. In addition, it provides Internet banking and voice response information, cash management, overdraft protection, direct deposit, safe deposit boxes, the United States savings bonds, and automatic account transfers services. Further, the company provides trust services focusing on personal trusts, corporate trusts, and employee benefit trusts, as well as writes insurance policies for commercial and personal lines of businesses. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 49 branches in Arkansas, 9 branches in the Florida Keys, 6 branches in central Florida, 3 branches in southwest Florida, and 29 branches in the Florida Panhandle. Home BancShares, Inc. is headquartered in Conway, Arkansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Home BancShares (NASDAQ: HOMB  ) , the holding company of Centennial Bank, jumped as much as 13% after receiving an analyst upgrade.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: PowerShares International Dividend Achievers Portfolio (PID)

PowerShares International Dividend Achievers Portfolio (the Fund) seeks to replicate, before fees and expenses, the International Dividend Achievers Index (the Index). The Fund invests in sectors, including financials, utilities, consumer staples, commercial banks, insurance, utilities and information technology. PowerShares Capital Management LLC is the adviser of the Fund.

The Index seeks to identify an international group of American Depository Receipts that have qualified as International Dividend Achievers. The Index is designed to track the performance of dividend paying American Depository Receipts and non-United States common or ordinary stocks trading on the NYSE, NADDAQ or AMEX.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Editor , DividendChannel.com]

  According to the ETF Finder at ETF Channel, Enbridge stock is an underlying holding representing 1.97% of the Powershares International Dividend Achievers ETF (PID), which holds $20,709,837 worth of ENB shares.

• [By Carlton Delfeld]

  Second, add to the mix, one of my long-time favorite ETFs, the PowerShares International Dividend Achievers (PID).

  To get into this exclusive basket, companies have to have a record of increasing dividends for five consecutive years. The United Kingdom and Canada make up 50% of its holdings with the US at only 6%.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: UniSource Energy Corporation(UNS)

UniSource Energy Corporation engages in the electric generation and energy delivery businesses. The company?s TEP segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 403,000 retail electric customers, including residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector customers in southeastern Arizona. It also sells electricity to other utilities and power marketing entities. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned or leased 2,245 MW of net generating capacity, as well as owned or participated in electric transmission and distribution system consisting of 512 circuit-miles of 500-kV lines; 1,087 circuit-miles of 345-kV lines; 379 circuit-miles of 138-kV lines; 478 circuit-miles of 46-kV lines; and 2,621 circuit-miles of lower voltage primary lines. TEP segment generates electricity from coal, gas, oil, and solar sources. The company?s UNS Gas segment distributes gas to approximately 146,500 retail customers in Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, and Navajo c ounties in northern Arizona, as well as Santa Cruz County in southeastern Arizona. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 30 miles of steel transmission mains, 4,211 miles of steel and plastic distribution piping, and 136,439 customer service lines. The company?s UNS Electric segment transmits and distributes electricity to approximately 91,000 retail customers consisting of residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties. As of December 31, 2010, UNS Electric?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 56 circuit-miles of 115-kV transmission lines, 271 circuit-miles of 69-kV transmission lines, and 3,599 circuit-miles of underground and overhead distribution lines. This segment also owns the 65 MW Valencia plant, as well as 39 substations having an installed capacity of 1,788,050 kilovolt amperes. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Tucson, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  UNS Energy (NYSE: UNS) shot up 27.75 percent to $58.56 after the company agreed to be acquired by Fortis Utility Group for $60.25 per share in cash.

• [By David Dittman]

  And with its December 2013 offer to buy Arizona-based UNS Energy Corp (NYSE: UNS) for $2.5 billion in cash St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador-based Fortis Inc (TSX: FTS, OTC: FRTSF), making its second foray in the US in two years, signaled its interest in regulated utility assets in states with favorable population and economic trends as a means of driving its growth going forward.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Fortis Inc.(FTS.T) agreed to acquire UNS Energy Corp.(UNS) for about $2.5 billion, as the Canadian utility moves to boost exposure within the U.S. by acquiring a firm with a presence in the U.S. southwest. Shares of UNS jumped 30% to $59.02 premarket.

Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top Managed Healthcare Stocks To Buy Right Now: W.P. Carey & Co. LLC(WPC)

W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides long-term sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. It invests primarily in commercial properties that are each triple-net leased to single corporate tenants, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. The company also operates as an advisor to publicly owned, non-actively traded real estate investment trusts, which are sponsored by it under the Corporate Property Associates brand name, as well as invests in similar properties. As of March 31, 2010, its portfolio comprised full or partial ownership interest in 167 properties that totaled approximately 14 million square feet. W. P. Carey & Co. LLC was founded in 1973 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rubicon Associates]

  Another indicator is the "exit strategy through merger" activity which is also a "growth through merger" strategy. This is one we have been seeing more of recently. Two top examples are American Realty Capital Properties, Inc.'s (ARCP) acquisition of the non-traded REIT American Realty Capital Trust IV ("ARCT IV") and W.P. Carey's (WPC) $2.4B acquisition of the non-traded REIT Corporate Property Associates 16-Global Inc.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Build-to-suite properties real estate investment trust (REIT) W.P. Carey (WPC) raised its quarterly dividend 1.2% to 87 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 31. This marks the 51st consecutive annual dividend increase for WPC.
  WPC Dividend Yield: 5.67%

• [By Diane Alter]

  Dividend Stocks That Increased Payout in September

  Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) announced a 14.8%, or $0.12 per share, increase to its semiannual dividend. The ! management consulting firm will now pay a semiannual dividend of $0.93. Shares yield 2.53%. Agruim Inc. (NYSE: AGU) boosted its dividend by $1.00 per share to a total dividend of $3.00 on an annualized basis. Shares of the global retailer of agricultural products now sprout a 3.54% yield. Air Industries Group Inc. (NYSE: AIRI) doubled its dividend to $0.125 per share. The maker of airplane and helicopter parts now floats a lofty yield of 6.6%. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE: ARE) upped its dividend 4.6% to $0.68 per quarter for a yield of 4.21%. Banner Corp. (Nasdaq: BANR) boosted its quarterly dividend 25% to $0.15 per share. The parent company of Banner and Islander Bank serves the Pacific Northwest region. Brady Corp. (NYSE: BRC) lifted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.78 per share. It was the 28th straight dividend increase from the identification solutions company. Shares yield 2.57%. Campbell Soup Co. (NSE: CPB) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.31 per share, up from $0.29. The company last raised its dividend in November 2010. Shares yield a hearty 3.06%. CLARCOR Inc. (NYSE: CLC) raised its quarterly dividend 26% to $0.17 per share. It's the largest percentage increase from the Tennessee-based diversified marketer of mobile filtration and packaging products in the last 20 years, and it continues the company's consecutive streak of increasing dividends for the last 30 years. Franklin Resources Inc. (NYSE: BEN) boosted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.10 per share. Frisch's Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: FRS) increased its quarterly dividend 12.5% to $0.18. Shares yield 3.10% The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT), in a move that suggests good times are ahead, reinstated its dividend at $0.05 per share. Good
• [By Brad Thomas]

  Compared with the public REIT peers, I believe that Chambers Street will compare favorably to W.P. Carey (WPC) and Lexington Realty Trust (LXP). Both of these REITs own larger box! assets a! nd they both have conservative and well-positioned balance sheets. Here is a snapshot of Chambers Street's capitalization:

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-managed-healthcare-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Should North Korea Worry U.S. Investors?

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been on the rise lately, as a new leader in North Korea seeks to assert his leadership by making increasingly provocative threats toward both its neighbors and the United States. In the following video, Fool markets analyst Mike Klesta talks with Fool contributor Dan Caplinger about whether U.S. investors should be worried about what's happening with North Korea.

Mike points out that the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) have largely ignored the Korean threat. Dan believes that while most U.S. stocks have little exposure to the area, investors in South Korean stocks have already seen substantial losses and could continue to see further drops if the crisis escalates. Dan argues that for the most part, U.S. investors should look at U.S. companies that have business operations in South Korea to see how they plan to handle any rising tensions in the future. Moreover, investors in emerging-market ETFs need to be aware that they may have a portion of their assets invested in South Korea, although the exact amount varies among ETFs. Mike and Dan conclude that for now, the risk to the broader U.S. stock market is small, but the situation demands further attention.

One company taking steps to deal with South Korean concerns is General Motors. The automaker's stock creates strong feelings among many investors who remember its bankruptcy during the financial crisis, but as the Fool's premium GM research service notes, GM's growth potential in coming years is even bigger than you think. But it's not a sure thing, and we'll help you understand why. It might help give you the courage to be greedy while others are still fearful, as well as a better understanding of the real risks facing General Motors. Just click here to get started now.

Live Cattle Down The Limit In Late Trading

Top 10 Beverage Companies For 2015

Live Cattle futures dropped sharply in late trading and are now down 3 points, the most allowed during a trading session.

March Feeder Cattle is sharply lower at 215.82, down 4.50. February Live Cattle is offered at 162.90, down 3.00.

Thursday's USDA estimated slaughter is 108,00 head versus 118,000 head last year.

Posted-In: Futures Commodities Markets

© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Related Articles Citgroup Analyst Sees More Slow Growth For Fast Food Soybeans Futures End Session Lower, Soybean Oil Higher London Co. Of Virginia Boosts Stake In Alliant Techsystems Wheat Futures Lower On Weak Demand Hedge Fund Manager On Herbalife: 'Bill Ackman Has Been Right All Along' Defense Stocks Spike Lower Amid News Of Pentagon Cuts Partner Network Around the Web, We're Loving... World Cup Championship of Binary Options! Huanity's Last Great Hope: Venture Capitalists Don't Miss The Next Webinar to Advance your Trading Will Apple Redefine How We Shop? What Did Josh Brown Say On Our Morning Show? We're Now Hiring Journalists for our Newsdesk!

Top 10 Valued Stocks To Buy Right Now

Over the past quarter Chris Davis of Davis Selected Advisers reported a total portfolio of 181 stocks valued at $38.5 billion. The guru purchased 17 new stocks over the quarter.

The Davis Funds select their stocks based on the types of businesses that they would want to own. Their criterion includes companies with proven management and durable, financially strong business models as well as companies with sustainable competitive advantages.

The following five companies represent Chris Davis��top five stock positions.

American Express (AXP)

Davis��largest position is in American Express where he holds on to a total of 37,113,556 shares of the company�� stock. His holdings make up for 7.3% of his total holdings and 3.44% of the company�� shares outstanding.

During the past quarter Davis made a slight reduction of his holdings. The guru reduced his position -1.76% by selling 666,306 shares. He sold these shares in the quarterly price range of $71.91 to $78.33, with an estimated average quarterly price of $75.23. Since then the price per share has increased approximately 8.8%.

Top 5 Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Notable winners (among publicly traded companies) included:

  Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK  ) , which was awarded a maximum $31.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification extending the period for its providing logistic support services for Iraqi Air Force Cessna 208s through April 2014. Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC  ) , which won a $23 million firm-fixed-price delivery order against a previously issued basic order agreement to supply "software sustainment support" for U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Work on this contract is expected to be complete by Oct. 2014.� Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) �was awarded $19.8 million as a modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to attach machine-powered mowing systems to U.S. Army Caterpillar 966H wheel loaders.�This contract brings the cumulative face value of Caterpillar's underlying contract up to $184.7 million in tota
• [By Rupert Hargreaves]

  Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) and Joy Global (NYSE: JOY  ) have a problem: China. No, I'm not talking about the Chinese economy here, I am in fact talking about the quality of mining equipment being manufactured within China, which has drastically improved in recent years.

Top 10 Valued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Dow Chemical Co.(DOW), Tupperware Brands Corp.(TUP) and Yahoo Inc.(YHOO)

• [By Jonathan Berr]

  Multilevel marketing (MLM) groups such as Herbalife operate through independent sales representatives, who earn money both through the sales of product and by recruiting other people to join their team. This business model — which is used by scores of companies, including�Pampered Chef, which is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), Tupperware (TUP) and Mary Kay Cosmetics — is legal provided that actual products are sold.

Top 10 Valued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rising Dividend Investing]

  Falling Stock Correlation: What It Says About Consumer Spending

  As we mentioned in the Take Aways from the August 26th Investment Policy Committee meeting, the correlation index has been steadily declining. In 2008-09, macroeconomic events drove nearly every stock downwards. Specific sectors and stocks moved in tandem with one another. Today, stocks and sub-industries within each sector are performing very differently – which indicates a return to a more normal stock market environment.
  The Consumer Discretionary (also known as Consumer Cyclicals) sector is an example of an industry that has been rewarded for its fundamental success over the past 12 months. As a whole, the sector grew sales 6.1% and earnings 9.2% in the second quarter - much better than the 1.4% sales and 3.3% earnings growth of the S&P 500. While the overall sector did well in the second quarter, the table below shows how differently the 5 sub-categories of Consumer Discretionary performed:
  
  (click to enlarge)
  As we drill down even further, sub-categories of sub-sectors differ even more dramatically. Below is a snapshot of the Retailing sub-sector and its notable components:
  
  (click to enlarge)
  Specific stocks within each sub-category are varying in performance as well. General Merchandise retailers were significantly differentiated in the second quarter. Target’s (TGT) adjusted EPS were up 6.1% from 2012, while Dollar General (DG) and Dollar Tree’s (DLTR) earnings were up nearly 12% and 9%, respectively.
  The differences in sales and earnings growth amongst these different industries tell a story. The economy is not improving enough that people feel like they can let go and spend money on pure pleasures, but it is improving enough that they can afford to replace their cars and fix the doors on their houses. As these items wear out and need to be replaced, we expect the pent up demand will drive increased economic activity from cons
• [By Paul Ausick]

  The other stock the firm likes is Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR). The company�� shares have lost about 4.6% since reporting an earnings per share (EPS) miss for the third quarter and the Sterne Agee analysts see the lower price as a ��reat entry point��for buying the stock. Dollar Tree raised fiscal year 2013 EPS guidance from a range of $2.66 to $2.77 to a new range of $2.72 to $2.78, effectively raising the mid-point by $0.04. Sterne Agee reiterated its Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $63. Dollar Tree�� shares are trading down nearly 0.4% at $55.99 in a 52-week range of $37.47 to $60.19.

Top 10 Valued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Oil and gas industry services providers Cameron International (NYSE: CAM  ) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) announced today that their�OneSubsea joint venture had received all required regulatory approvals and that they'll close on the JV on�June 30.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Schlumberger�(SLB) has become the latest company to say that it will get hit by Russian sanctions on U.S. companies today.

  Sterne Agee’s Stephen Gengaro and Ivan Suleiman assess the potential impact:

  Schlumberger�expects that the economic sanctions in Russia will have a small financial impact on Schlumberger’s Russian operations. The company estimates that it could be up to $0.03 per share due to a short-term impact in operational efficiencies and costs in Russia.

  Schlumberger�remains confident that it can support its Russian clients without material disruption and will continue to work closely with its Russian customers.

  Although other large-cap service companies have exposure to Russia, we believe the effect is also minimal. Specifically, Weatherford (WFT) has noted that the Russian sanctions are not a concern as this is a very small portion of its business. In addition, this business is not impacted by the sanctions which are against Arctic and shale-related technologies. We estimate that Weatherford’s revenue in Russia is less than 3% of our estimated 2014 revenue.

  Other companies with large exposure to Russia include Nabors Industries (NBR), Halliburton (HAL) and Baker Hughes (BHI).

  RBC’s Kurt Hallead and Robert Pinkard use the occasion to assess the potential impact on�Schlumberger from Iraq instability:

  We estimate roughly $600mn in annual Iraq revenue ($0.06-$0.08 in EPS) for�Schlumberger with operating margins of ~20%. The situation due to political unrest is still very fluid in the country and EPS impact at this point is unknown.

  We are risk adjusting the next 6 quarters which we believe could be characterized by activity disruptions, higher security expenses and unabsorbed fixed costs.

  Hallead and Pinkard lowered their 2014 earnings-per share forecast to $5.56 from $5.64, and cut their 2015 prediction to $6.63 from $6.70. They did, however, leave their pric

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now

Popular Posts: 7 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now10 Best “Strong Buy” Stocks ��UA POWR QIHU and more10 Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 3 Packaged Foods Stocks to Buy Now 6 Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Now 4 Specialty Retail Stocks to Buy Now View All Posts

The grades of four auto parts stocks are better this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these stocks has an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”) rating.

Top 10 Life Sciences Stocks To Own Right Now: FTD Companies Inc (FTD)

FTD Companies, Inc. (FTD), incorporated on April 25, 2008, is a floral and gifting company. The Company provides floral, gift and related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as to other retail locations offering floral and gift products primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The Company operates in one segment, which includes floral and related products and services. Its business uses the FTD and Interflora brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo. The Company�� portfolio of brands also includes Flying Flowers, Flowers Direct, and Drake Algar in the United Kingdom. On November 1, 2013, United Online, Inc. (United Online) completed the separation of United Online into two independent, publicly traded companies: FTD Companies, Inc. and United Online, Inc.

The Company�� products revenues are derived primarily from selling floral, gift and related products to consumers and the related shipping and service fees. Products revenues also include revenues generated from sales of hard goods, software and hardware systems, cut flowers, packaging and promotional products, and a range of other floral-related supplies to floral network members. Its services revenues related to orders sent through the floral network are variable based on either the number of orders or on the value of orders and are recognized in the period in which the orders.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  As we head towards Black Friday, small cap specialty retail stocks United Online, Inc (NASDAQ: UNTD), TravelCenters of America LLC (NYSE: TA) and MarineMax, Inc (NYSE: HZO) have the distinction of being the best performing small cap�specialty retail stocks for this year (according to Finviz.com) with gains of 181.2%, 123.8% and 71.8%, respectively. With those returns in mind, what are these small cap specialty retail stocks doing right and will the performance last through the all important holiday season? Here is what new and existing investors and traders alike need to know or consider:

  United Online, Inc.�A provider of consumer products and services over the Internet, United Online�� Content & Media segment services are online nostalgia (Memory Lane) and online loyalty marketing (MyPoints) while its�primary Communications segment services are Internet access and email (NetZero and Juno). The reason United Online is among the�best performing specialty retail stocks for this year in various stock screening tools like Finviz.com�is actually misleading as the company has just completed the spin off�of subsidiary FTD Companies, a floral and gifts products company acquired in August 2008 for $441 million, as�FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ: FTD) where United Online shareholders received one share of FTD common stock for every five shares of United Online common stock they hold. In addition, United Online completed�a�one-for-seven reverse stock split of United Online shares.�On Tuesday, small cap United Online, Inc fell 1.01% to $15.72 (UNTD has a 52 week trading range of $11.65 to $62.30 a share) for a market cap of $207.79 million plus the stock is up 181.2% since the start of the year and up 182.2% over the past five years. Meanwhile, the FTD Companies Inc�now has a�market cap of $611.60 and the stock is up almost 6% since October.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock One day out of 365, we pay homage to our sainted mothers. Those of us who are members of this long-suffering, uncomplaining, self-sacrificing class may get some soggy French toast in bed, (don't worry, kids; mom will clean up the kitchen), a chance to read in peace, or perhaps time to indulge in a long, hot bath. Bringing Home the Bacon If you really want to pay back mom for all she's done, get ready to pony up big. A card and some carnations (the official flower of Mother's Day, who knew?) just won't cut it. The cost of replacing mom as nurturer, nurse, cleaner and cook -- according to Insure.com's 2014 Mother's Day salary index -- would run you $62,985 a year, up from $59,862 in 2013. Breaking down the price of having someone else handle her various duties: Cooking and cleaning, $12,230 Child care, $21,736 Homework help, $7,290 Chauffeur, $5,672 Shopping, yard work, party and activity planning, finances, etc., $15,019 And my personal favorite, finding out what the kids are up to (paid in the equivalent value of a private detective), $1,036. Salary.com placed a higher value on moms in its 2014 Mother's Day salary survey, concluding that stay-at-home moms were worth $118,905 and working moms worth $70,107 (this does not include any paid salary from their job), with both groups putting more than 56 hours of overtime at home. These numbers are all up from last year's survey. Cooking It Up in a Pan Mom helps to pay for other things, too. Thanks to the Department of Agriculture, you can see what it costs to raise a child in the U.S. to 18. As of August 2013, the average cost is $241,080. This does not cover college, and hopefully dear old dad is contributing. In 2012, there were 10.3 million single U.S. mothers with children under 18, and one-third of women who gave birth in 2012 were single moms. By becoming moms, women give up time to do other things, what economists call an "opportunity cost." Particularly if your mother st

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS)

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (Barnes & Noble), incorporated on November 19, 1986, is a bookseller. The Company is a content, commerce and technology company that provides customers access to books, magazines, newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform. As of April 27, 2013, it operated 1,361 bookstores in 50 states, 686 bookstores on college campuses, and operates one of the Web eCommerce sites, and develops digital content products and software. Barnes & Noble operates in three segments: B&N Retail, B&N College and NOOK. The Company�� principal business is the sale of trade books (generally hardcover and paperback consumer titles), mass market paperbacks (such as mystery, romance, science fiction and other popular fiction), children�� books, eBooks and other digital content, NOOK and related accessories, bargain books, magazines, gifts, cafe products and services, educational toys & games, music and movies direct to customers through its bookstores or on barnesandnoble.com.

Of the Company�� 1,361 bookstores, 675 operate primarily under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers trade name. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC (B&N College), a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, operates 686 college bookstores at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble Retail (B&N Retail) operates the 675 retail bookstores. Retail also includes the Company�� eCommerce site and Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (Sterling or Sterling Publishing), a leader in general trade book publishing.

B&N Retail

This segment includes 675 bookstores as of April 27, 2013, primarily under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers trade name. These stores generally offer a dedicated NOOK area, a comprehensive trade book title base, a cafe, and departments dedicated to Juvenile, Toys & Games, DVDs, Music, Gift, Magazine and Bargain products. The stores also offer a calendar of ongoing events, including author appearances and children�� activities. The B&! N Retail segment also includes the Company�� eCommerce website, barnesandnoble.com, and its publishing operation, Sterling Publishing. Barnes & Noble stores range in size from 3,000 to 60,000 square feet depending upon market size, with an overall average store size of 26,000 square feet. During the fiscal year ended April 27, 2013 (fiscal), the Company reduced the Barnes & Noble store base by 0.3 million square feet, bringing the total square footage to 17.7 million square feet. The Company�� B&N Retail segment purchases physical books on a regular basis from over 800 publishers and over 50 wholesalers or distributors. As of April 27, 2013, Barnes & Noble had stores in 162 of the total 210 Designated Market Area markets.

Sterling Publishing is a publisher of non-fiction trade titles. It is a range of non-fiction and illustrated books and kits across a range of imprints, in categories, such as health and wellness, music and culture, food and wine, crafts and photography, puzzles and games, history and current affairs, as well as a children�� books.

B&N College

B&N College sells new and used textbooks in campus bookstores and online. As of April 27, 2013, B&N College operated 686 stores nationwide. The Company�� customer base, which is mainly consisted of students and faculty, can purchase various items from their campus stores, including textbooks and course-related materials, emblematic apparel and gifts, trade books, computer products, NOOK products and related accessories, school and dorm supplies, convenience and cafe items.

As of April 27, 2013, B&N College operates 651 traditional college bookstores and 35 academic superstores, which are generally larger in size, offer cafes and provide a sense of community that engages the surrounding campus and local communities in college activities and culture. The traditional bookstores range in size from 500 to 48,000 square feet. The academic superstores range in size from 8,000 to 75,000 square feet. B&! N College! �� three customer constituencies are students, faculty members and campus administrators.

NOOK

This segment includes the Company�� digital business, which includes the Company�� eBookstore, digital newsstand and sales of NOOK devices and accessories to third party distribution partners, as well as to B&N Retail and B&N College. Barnes & Noble�� NOOK digital bookstore and Reading Apps provide customers the ability to purchase and read their digital content and access to their Lifetime Library on a range of digital platforms, including Windows 8 PCs and tablets, iPad, iPhone , Android smartphones and tablets, PC and Mac. Barnes & Noble has implemented features on its digital platform to ensure that customers can access their NOOK content from almost all of today�� most popular devices.

The Company competes with Target, Books-A-Million, Waldenbooks, Amazon.com, Apple, Wal-Mart and Costco.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  Rival bookseller Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS  ) finally just gave up on tablet hardware, announcing that it would no longer manufacture devices and was hoping to transition to a co-branded strategy. As part of B&N's last-ditch effort to clear out its remaining inventory, the company had already extended discounts on its newest Nook tablets. A comparable 7-inch Nook HD with 16 GB of storage costs $149, and Amazon needed to close that gap somewhat.

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS)�does not want to be topped in the�Elmore Leonard sweepstakes. It lists 428 “products” when the author’s works are searched. The troubled retailer also has special prices. In Barnes & Noble’s case, it is for e-books to read on its nearly dead Nook e-reader.

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  I don�� think this was on Barnes & Noble�� (BKS) Christmas list. The SEC is investigating the book seller�� accounting, including its recent decision to restate earnings for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years, according to regulatory filings. The Wall Street Journal has the story.

  Barnes & Noble said it was notified by the SEC on Oct. 16 that the commission had started an investigation into the company’s restatement of earnings, announced on July 29. On that day, Barnes & Noble said in a filing that it had restated its previous financial statements for the years ending April 28, 2012, and April 30, 2011, “in order to correct previously reported amounts.”

  The company said it had “incorrectly overstated certain accruals for the periods prior to April 27, 2013,” related to its distribution center.

  Additionally, in a filing on Thursday, the company said that after a review of deferred tax assets and liabilities, it had “concluded” that a deferred tax liability should be reversed.

  The bookseller said it is cooperating with the SEC investigation. A Barnes & Noble spokeswoman declined further comment. A spokesman for the SEC also declined to comment.

  The news pounded a stock on what is otherwise a big day for equity markets. At $15.15, Barnes & Noble fell 7.6%.

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  But highly fragmented businesses where competition is from local small businesses are the easiest to grow for a long, long time. It�� the Starbucks (SBUX), Barnes & Noble (BKS), etc. formula. It�� really easy to grow against local competition. It gets hard when you start facing the same (large) competitor across all geographies.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: Vitacost.com Inc (VITC)

Vitacost.com, Inc. (Vitacost), incorporated in May 20, 1994, is an online retailer of health and wellness products, including dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids and metabolites, as well as cosmetics, natural personal care products, pet products, sports nutrition and health foods. The Company sells these products directly to consumers primarily through its Website, www.vitacost.com. It offers its customers the selection of healthy living products. It offers its customers a selection of approximately 40,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), from over 2,000 third-party brands, such as New Chapter, Nature�� Way, Twinlab, Source Naturals, Jarrow Formulas, Jason, Desert Essence, Atkins, Bob�� Red Mill, BSN, Optimum Nutrition, USP Labs and MuscleTech in addition to its own brands: Vitacost, Cosmeceutical Sciences Institute (CSI), Best of All, and Smart Basics. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 2.1 million customers.

The Company offers products in a range of potency levels and dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, vegi-capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids and powders. It offers products that encompass four main categories: Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements; Sports Nutrition; Beauty; and Natural and Organic Food.

Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements (VMHS)

VMHS products are taken to maintain or improve health and address specific health conditions. In its dietary supplements category, the Company offers its offer its Vitacost branded products as well as third-party brands such as Nature�� Way, Twinlab, Jarrow, Carlson and Rainbow Light. Vitamin and mineral products include multi-vitamins, lettered vitamins, such as Vitamin A, C, D, E and B-complex, along with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chromium and zinc.

Herbal products include whole herbs, standardized extracts, herb combination formulas and teas. Supplements include essential fatty acids, probiotics, anti-o! xidants, phytonutrients and condition-specific formulas.

Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition products are used in conjunction with cardiovascular conditioning, weight training and sports activities. Major categories in sports nutrition include protein and weight gain powders, meal replacements, nutrition bars, sport drinks and pre and post-workout supplements. The Company offers bodybuilding and sports products from third parties, such as Optimum Nutrition, CytoSport and BSN as well as our Vitacost branded sports nutrition products.

Beauty

Natural care products consist of a variety of natural products for skin, body, hair and oral health. The Company offers hundreds of natural personal-care products from companies, such as JASON, and Kiss My Face, as well as its CSI-branded products. These products appeal to allergen-conscious and environmentally-conscious consumers seeking products that are made without harsh chemicals and additives.

Natural and Organic Food

Natural and organic food products consist of organic and specialty products such as organic peanut butter, gluten free foods and low mercury tuna and salmon. The Company offers third-party brands, such as Kashi, Eden Foods and Amy�� Organic, as well as its Best of All natural food products.

Under its Vitacost brand, the Company offers over 900 products including multivitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, anti-oxidants and others. Under its CSI brand, it markets and sells health and beauty products such as facial cleanser, facial and body moisturizing creams and lotions, and other beauty and skincare products. Under its Best of All brand, it markets and sells organic food products such as banana chips, trail mix, almonds, cashews and more. Under its Smart Basics brand, it markets and sells organic fruit juices and extracts and related dietary supplements. Under its Walker Diet brand, it markets and sells low carb powders used to assist in weight loss and ! managemen! t.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Vitacost.com (Nasdaq: VITC  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Vitacost.com's competitive position could be.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Vitacost.com (Nasdaq: VITC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: Natural Grocers By Vitamin Cottage Inc (NGVC)

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., incorporated on April 9, 2012, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements. The Company operates within the natural products retail industry. The Company offers products and brands, including a selection of natural and organic food, dietary supplements, body care products, pet care products and books.

The Company offers its customers an average of approximately 18,000 store-keeping units (SKUs) of natural and organic products per store, including an average of approximately 7,000 SKU of dietary supplements. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated 55 stores in 11 states, including Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Colorado. The size of its stores varies from 5,000 selling square feet to 14,500 selling square feet, and a new store averages 9,500 selling square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Large cap natural and organic foods supermarket giant Whole Foods Market, Inc (NASDAQ: WFM), otherwise known as ��hole Wallet��r ��hole Paycheck,��is not the only player in the natural or organics supermarket space for consumers and investors alike as mid cap Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (NASDAQ: SFM) and small caps Fairway Group Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: FWM) and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc (NYSE: NGVC) are also players in the space. It should be mentioned that Whole Foods Market is down 15.7% since the start of the year and has a downward trending technical chart, but�shares are�still up 13% over the past year, up 426.3% over the past five years and up 3,108.6% since January 1992.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: Puget Technologies Inc (PUGE)

PUGET TECHNOLOGIES, INC., incorporated on March 17, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the distribution of luxury wool bedding sets produced in Germany. The Company�� product includes Lama Wool, Camel Wool, Cashmere Wool and Merino Wool.

The Company�� Lama Wool is consists of 50% Lama Wool hair, and 50% Merino wool hair. The Camel wool is consists of 50% Camel wool hair, and 50% Merino wool hair. The Cashmere wool is blended with Merino wool.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Inscor, Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA), Puget Technologies Inc (OTCBB: PUGE) and PTA Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: PTAH) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters or investor alerts. However, two of these small caps have been the subject of paid promotions while the third is getting attention largely because its in the growing marijuana or cannabis business. With that in mind, are these stocks really all that hot or not? Here is a quick reality check:

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: Ulta Salon Cosmetics and Fragrance Inc (ULTA)

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (Ulta), incorporated on January 9, 1990, is a beauty retailer, which provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. During the year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened 61 new stores. It operates full-service salons in all of its stores. Its Ulta store format includes an open and modern salon area with approximately eight to 10 stations. The entire salon area is approximately 950 square feet with a concierge desk, skin treatment room, semi-private shampoo and hair color processing areas. Each salon is a full-service salon offering hair cuts, hair coloring and permanent texture, with salons also providing facials and waxing.

The Company offers products in the categories, such as cosmetics, which includes products for the face, eyes, cheeks, lips and nails; haircare, which includes shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and hair accessories; salon styling tools, which includes hair dryers, curling irons and flat irons; skincare and bath and body, which includes products for the face, hands and body; fragrance for both men and women; private label, consisting of Ulta branded cosmetics, skincare, bath and body products and haircare, and other, including candles, home fragrance products and other miscellaneous health and beauty products. The Company has combined its three operating segments: retail stores, salon services and e-commerce, into one reportable segment.

The Company competes with Macy��, Nordstrom, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, Regis Corp., Sally Beauty and JCPenney salons.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) is up 17.3% at $117.49, after posting a new 52-week high of $118.27 today. United Natural Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: UNFI) is up 12.9% at $67.72 after posting a new 52-week high of $69.35 earlier.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Business Wire/Getty Images From an iconic auto parts retailer hoping to shift into reverse after a streak of negative quarters to the world's most valuable consumer tech giant showing off its new gadgetry, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Pep Rally The new trading week kicks off with Pep Boys (PBY) reporting quarterly results. The auto-parts retailer and provider of car maintenance and repair services has 800 locations across the country. This has historically been an all-weather niche for investors. When the economy's smoking, drivers spruce up their rides. When the economy's in the tank, drivers hold on to their cars longer, requiring more money invested in maintaining and repairing their vehicles. This doesn't mean that investors should be expecting a strong report. Analysts see flattish earnings and sales growth. Making matters worse, Pep Boys has fallen short of Wall Street's profit targets in each of the four previous quarters. The trend suggests that Pep Boys may earn less than the 17 cents a share that the pros are forecasting. Tuesday -- The Big Apple We will finally get our first look at the iPhone 6 on Tuesday. Apple (AAPL) has scheduled a media event for Tuesday, and this is the time of year when the world's most valuable consumer tech company refreshes its smartphone line. Everything is pointing to a larger device. Sources have been telling tech blogs that we're also looking at a scratch-resistant screen and a chip-based transaction platform. We may get more than just a shiny new smartphone out of Apple. Some have suggested that Apple will finally make its big splash into wearable computing. Apple could also update some of its other product lines or shock the world in a good way by entering into a brand-new product category. Wednesday -- Retailers on Parade A handful of retail chains will be updating the market with fresh quarterly reports. Wet Seal (WTSL), Five Below (F

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Shares of ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (NASDAQ: ULTA) got a boost, shooting up 17.9 percent to $114.89 after the company reported upbeat second-quarter results and raised its outlook. The company also unveiled a five-year plan for impressive growth.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Ulta (Nasdaq: ULTA  ) reported earnings on June 11. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended May 4 (Q1), Ulta beat slightly on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: WH Smith PLC (SMWH)

WH Smith PLC is a United Kingdom-based retail company. The Company has two businesses divisions: Travel and High Street. The Company's Travel division sells a range of newspapers, magazines, books and impulse products for people on the move and a broader convenience range in hospitals and workplaces. The Company's High Street sells a wide range of stationery, books, newspapers, magazines and impulse products, as well as a small range of entertainment products.The Company�� subsidiaries include WH Smith PLC, WH Smith Retail Holdings Limited, WH Smith High Street Holdings Limited, WH Smith Travel Holdings Limited, WH Smith High Street Limited, WH Smith Travel Limited and WH Smith Hospitals Holdings Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Hays Plc (HAS) climbed 2.2 percent after the recruitment company said quarterly fees increased in its European markets. WH Smith Plc (SMWH) jumped the most in six months after raising its final dividend and saying it plans to repurchase an additional 50 million pounds ($80 million) of shares. Melrose Industries Plc (MRO) added 1.8 percent after KKR & Co. said it will pay about $1 billion for two of its U.S. industrial-products companies.

Top Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2014

International investors have recently gotten a lot more interested in currency-hedged ETFs. But what are currency-hedged ETFs, and how can you decide whether they belong in your portfolio? (NYSEMKT: DXJ  )

In the following video, Fool contributor Dan Caplinger discusses the ins and outs of currency-hedged ETFs. As Dan notes, the strong performance of the Japanese stock market amid weakness in the Japanese yen led to a big surge in interest in currency hedging strategy. Yet Dan also points out that the currency hedge can work both ways with these ETFs, hurting results when the U.S. dollar is weak. Dan concludes with some examples of situations in which trying to hedge currency risk really doesn't make any sense.

One company that has exposure to currencies around the world is Philip Morris International. But given the surge in regulation around the world, is Philip Morris still a buy? Find out in The Motley Fool's premium research report on the company, which includes in-depth analysis of its opportunities and challenges ahead. To claim your report, just click here now.

Top 10 Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Advanced Photonix Inc (API)

Advanced Photonix, Inc. (API), incorporated in June 22, 1988, is engaged in the development and manufacture of optoelectronic devices and value-added sub-systems and systems. The Company serves a variety of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in a variety of industries. API supports its customers from the initial concept and design phase of the product, through testing to full-scale production. API has two manufacturing facilities located in Camarillo, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan. API is a supplier of optoelectronic semiconductors packaged into high-speed optical receivers, custom optoelectronic subsystems and Terahertz instrumentation, serving a variety of global OEM markets. API supports the customer from the initial concept and design of the semiconductor, hybridization of support electronics, packaging and signal conditioning or processing from prototype through full-scale production and validation testing. The target markets served by it are industrial sensing/NDT, military/aerospace, telecom, medical and homeland security. On March 1, 2013, it acquired certain assets of Silonex, Inc.

The Company�� high-speed optical receivers include avalanche photodiode (APD) technology and positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) photodiode technology based upon III-V materials, including InP, InAlAs, and GaAs. Its optoelectronic subsystems are based on its silicon large area avalanche photodiode (LAAPD), PIN photodiode, FILTRODE detectors and light emitting diode (LED) assemblies. API�� Terahertz sensor product line is targeted at the industrial homeland security and military markets. Using its fiber coupled technology and high speed Terahertz generation and detection sensors, the Company is engaged in transferring Terahertz technology from the laboratory to the factory floor for use in non-destructive testing and real time quality control.

The Company competes with First Sensor, Illinois Tool Works, JDS Uniphase, Neophotonix, U2T and Nippon Electric.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Advanced Photonix (NYSE: API) is expected to post a Q4 loss at $0.01 per share on revenue of $7.04 million.

  Sport Chalet (NASDAQ: SPCHB) is projected to post its quarterly earnings.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  When most investors think of optical sensor makers, they tend to think of larger names like Honeywell International Inc.� (NYSE:HON) or Vishay Intertechnology (NYSE:VSH). And well they should. VSH is a $2 billion company, and HON is a $71.5 billion organization. The fact is, however, there are a few small cap stocks in the optical sensor space that are worth a look, and one of them is worth a very close look right now for a very clear reason... Advanced Photonix, Inc. (NYSEMKT:API).

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  In 2010, the company acquired privately held Nimsoft, a provider of IT performance monitoring solutions for $350 million in cash. In Sep 2010, CA signed a definitive agreement to acquire Hyperformix Inc. Recently; it acquired Layer 7 Technologies, a leading provider of Application Programming Interface (API) security and management. Furthermore, the acquisition of Arcot Systems Inc., a privately held company that provides authentication and fraud prevention software, in a move to boost its security offerings. These acquisitions have helped the firm to strengthen its cloud computing infrastructure and would also help to generate better profitability from the existing technology assets.

Top Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2014: Emerson Electric Company(EMR)

Emerson Electric Co. operates as a diversified manufacturing and technology company. The company engages in appliance solutions, climate technologies, industrial automation, motor technology, network power, process management, professional tools, and storage solutions businesses. Its appliance solutions business provides appliance controls, appliance motors, heating products, and white-rodgers; climate technology business provides heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) solutions for residential, industrial, and commercial applications; and industrial automation business offers bearings and power transmission products, electrical power generation products, electric motors, variable speed drives and servos, electrical products, material joining solutions, fluid automation products, and wind turbine systems. The company?s motor technology business provides appliance motors, HVACR motors, DC motors, fractional horsepower motors, integral horsepower a nd larger motors, and drives; network power business provides power, precision cooling, connectivity, and embedded solutions; and process management business provides various wireless related products from self-organizing field networks to wireless asset and people tracking. Its professional tools business offers pipe working and threading equipment, pressing technology, utility locating and visual diagnostics systems, drain maintenance tools, power tools, air tools, general purpose hand tools, wet/dry vacs, job site storage equipment, truck tool boxes and equipment, and van storage equipment; and storage solutions business provides shelving and storage products for residential, commercial, and foodservice needs, as well as offers specialized carts, mobile computer workstations, and cabinet fixtures. The company was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  There are a number of ways to invest successfully. I have friends who are very successful value investors. Most of their returns are earned through capital appreciation. They spend a great deal of time pouring through 10-Ks and 10-Qs of companies off the beaten path. The potential returns are high, but so is the effort put in their craft. At the other extreme there are successful traders. They look at their charts to determine entry and exit points for the day's transactions. Little to no time is spent analyzing the underlying fundamentals of the company since it likely will only be held for a very short period of time. I would put investors in dividend growth stocks somewhere between these two, but much closer to the pure value investor. Like the value investors, our time-frame is long term. Although we carefully research potential companies, our emphasis leans more toward fundamental metrics needed to sustain annual dividend growth, with less emphasis on current value. There are successful investors in each of the above groups, and they share a common trait. This trait is found in most all successful people ���t is their secret to success. Fortunately, this trait can be learned and mastered. The secret to successful investing is... discipline. A person that moves from one investment strategy to another lacks the discipline to be successful. Very few people are born with the raw intellect that allows them to just pick winning stocks out of the air. For the rest of us, we have to rely on our discipline to do what's necessary to identify stocks that will provide us with our best opportunity to succeed, and we have to remain focused on quality over the long-term. Our portfolios include stocks like:Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) | Yield: 2.5% Emerson Electric Co. designs and supplies product technology and delivers engineering services and solutions to a wide range of industrial, commercial and consumer markets around the world. The company has paid a cash dividend t

• [By The Part-time Investor]

  The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

  Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

  Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

Top Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2014: MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd.(MTSL)

Mer Telemanagement Solutions Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, markets, and supports a line of telecommunication expense management (TEM), and customer care and billing solutions for business organizations and other enterprises worldwide. Its TEM solutions assist enterprises and organizations in the allocation of costs, budget control, fraud detection, processing of payments, and spending forecasting. The company also offers converged billing solutions, including applications for charging and invoicing customers, interconnect billing, and partner revenue management through pre-pay and post-pay schemes for wireless providers, voice over Internet protocol, Internet protocol television, and content service providers. Its products provide telecommunication and information technology managers with tools to reduce communication costs, recover charges payable by third parties, and to detect and prevent abuse and misuse of telephone networks comprising fault telecommunication usage. The company markets its products through its direct sales force, distributors, and business telephone switching systems manufacturers and vendors. Mer Telemanagement Solutions Ltd. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Raanana, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Trading can be a quirky game sometimes. Most of the time, news - or at least loudly voiced opinions - tend to result from or be the cause of a fast-moving stock. Every now and then though, as in the case with MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd. (NASDAQ:MTSL), a stock can build up steam with little to no news linked to that move. That doesn't make that stock a poor pick, however. Indeed, MTSL looks like it's turning into a homerun, and that alone is worth a look.... and maybe even worth a shot.

Top Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nuveen Equity Premium Opportunity Fund (JSN)

Nuveen Equity Premium Opportunity Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund primarily invests in a diversified equity portfolio that seeks to substantially replicate price movements of either the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index or a weighted average of the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and the NASDAQ-100 Index and is designed to support the Funds' index option strategies. Nuveen Asset Management is the adviser of the Fund. The Adviser has engaged Gateway Investment Advisers, L.P. (Gateway/Sub-Adviser) as Sub-Adviser to provide discretionary investment advisory services.

The initial target weighting of the Fund's equity portfolio in seeking to replicate the weighted average price movements of the market indexes will be 75% of the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and 25% of the NASDAQ-100 Index. Over time, these percentage weightings may vary as the result of relative changes in each index. The Fund intends to pursue its investment objectives by utilizing an index option strategy of selling index call options and buying index put options, each on the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and the NASDAQ-100 Index.

The Fund's comparative benchmark performance is a blended return consisting of 75% of the return of the S&P 500 Index, and 25% of the return of the NASDAQ-100 Index, which includes 100 of the largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization. The NASDAQ-100 Index reflects companies across major industry groups, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Hsu]

  Here are four to consider:

  PowerShares S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF (PBP), yielding 4.09%
  
  Madison/Claymore Covered Call & Equity Strategy (MCN), yielding 8.94%
  
  Nuveen Equity Premium Opportunity Fund (JSN), yielding 9.19%
  
  BlackRock Enhanced Dividend Achievers (BDJ), yielding 7.39%
  
  

  The yield on these funds is very attractive. Even more attractive is the fact that many buy-write funds actually are selling at a discount to their net asset value.

• [By Robert Hsu]
  Name Type of Security� Recommendation� Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE: KMP) � MLP August 15, 2013� TeeKay LNG Partners L.P.� (NYSE: TGP) � MLP September 16, 2013� PowerShares S&P 500 BuyWrite Portfol ETF� (NYSE Arca: PBP)� Buy-Write ETF September 30, 2013� Madison Covered Call Equity Strtgy Fd (NYSE: MCN)� Buy-Write ETF September 30, 2013� Nuveen Equity Premium Opportunity Fund (NYSE: JSN)� Buy-Write ETF September 30, 2013� BlackRockEnhanced Dividend Achievers Tr (NYSE: BDJ)� Buy-Write ETF September 30, 2013� Vornado Realty Trust � (NYSE: VNO)� Real Estate
  Investment
  Trust September 26, 2013�
  
  

  Robert Hsu is the editor of Permanent Wealth Investor and a former hedge fund portfolio manager at Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs. He retired from Goldman at age 31. He since has come out of retirement to establish and preside over his money management firm, Absolute Return Capital Advisors. His retirement experience has given him his current mission: helping investors like you achieve their goal of comfortable retirement through profitable income strategies.

Top Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2014: Norfolk Souther Corporation(NSC)

Norfolk Southern Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods primarily in the United States. The company transports coal products, such as coal, coke, and iron ore; automotive products, including finished vehicles and auto parts; chemicals products consisting of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, and municipal wastes; metals and construction products comprising steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, bricks, and minerals; and paper, clay, and forest products, including lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, scrap paper, and clay. It also transports agriculture, consumer, and government products, such as soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizer, animal and poultry feed, food oils, flour, beverages, canned goods, swee teners, consumer products, ethanol, and items for the military. In addition, it engages in the intermodal operations that include moving of shipments in trailers, the United States and international containers, and roadrailer equipment. Further, the company transports overseas freight through various Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, as well as provides a range of logistics services; and operates passenger and commuter trains. Additionally, it involves in the acquisition, leasing, and management of coal, oil, gas, and minerals; the development of commercial real estate; telecommunications; and the leasing or sale of rail property and equipment. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The company was founded in 1883 and is based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Trefis]

  Norfolk Southern (NSC), one of the leading railroad networks in the eastern U.S., is scheduled to report its Q3 2013 results on October 23. While the overall volume outlook is positive, we expect the company to face challenges on the revenue per unit (RPU) side. The overall volume will be driven by growth in chemicals, automotive, intermodal and housing-related shipments. However, challenges such as lower volumes of export coal and longer-haul Southern utility coal could lead to a decline in the overall RPU in Q3.

Top Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2014: iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF)

iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index (the Index). The Index consists of selected real estate investment trusts (REITs). The objective of the Index is to represent relatively large and liquid REITs that may benefit from future consolidation and securitization of the United States real estate industry. The Index is modified capitalization-weighted with constituent companies having a maximum index weight of 8%.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Barclays Global Fund Advisors is the investment advisor of the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew McCall]

  The SPDR Utilities ETF (NYSE: XLU) is up 1.5 percent today and is breaking to a one-month high. The iShares Cohen & Steers Realty ETF (NYSE: ICF), which owns a basket of REITs, is up 1.1 percent, also looking for a one-month high.