Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In 2015

Even though Champion Shares PRO analyst Mark Rogers from The Motley Fool UK usually doesn't get too excited when it comes to software companies, today he's taking a closer look at this one.

I'm not exactly known for my enthusiasm when it comes to investing in software businesses.

Don't get me wrong—economically, the software industry has a number of attractive advantages. Returns on shareholder capital can be enormous—the company's earning power comes from its proprietary code, rather than heavy, depreciating machinery or demanding shareholder investments.

But like any fast-moving industry, staying on top of a market position in high technology can be like trying to capture lightning in a bottle. And as we know, lightning rarely strikes in the same place twice.

So it might be a surprise that I'm looking at Sage (LSS:SGE) today, which primarily develops business and accounting software for small-to-medium sized companies. There are three things I particularly like about Sage.

Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In 2015: Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc (LECO)

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., incorporated in 1906, is a manufacturer of welding, cutting and brazing products. Welding products include arc welding power sources, wire feeding systems, robotic welding packages, fume extraction equipment, consumable electrodes and fluxes. The Company's product offering also includes computer numeric controlled (CNC) plasma and oxy-fuel cutting systems and regulators and torches used in oxy-fuel welding, cutting and brazing. The Company operates in five segments: North America Welding, Europe Welding, Asia Pacific Welding, South America Welding and The Harris Products Group. On July 29, 2011, the Company acquired Techalloy Company, Inc. and certain assets of its parent company, Central Wire Industries Ltd. On July 29, 2011, the Company acquired Applied Robotics, Inc. (doing business as Torchmate) (Torchmate). On January 31, 2011, the Company acquired SSCO Manufacturing, Inc. (doing business as Arc Products) (Arc Products). On March 11, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of OOO Severstal-metiz: welding consumables (Severstal). In March 2012, the Company acquired Weartech International, Inc. In May 2012, the Company acquired Wayne Trail Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of automated systems and tooling, serving a range of applications in the metal processing market. In November 2012, ITT Corp sold its shape cutting product lines, including the Burny and Kaliburn brands to the Company. In January 2013, the Company acquired Tennessee Rand, Inc.

The North America Welding segment includes welding operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Europe Welding segment includes welding operations in Europe, Russia and Africa. The other two welding segments include welding operations in Asia Pacific and South America, respectively. The Harris Products Group includes the Company's global cutting, soldering and brazing businesses as well as the retail business in the United States. The arc welding power sources and wire feeding systems man! ufactured by the Company range in technology from basic units used for light manufacturing and maintenance to robotic applications for high volume production welding and fabrication. Three primary types of arc welding electrodes are produced: coated manual or stick electrodes; solid electrodes produced in coil, reel or drum forms for continuous feeding in mechanized welding, and cored electrodes produced in coil form for continuous feeding in mechanized welding.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Lincoln Electric Holdings (Nasdaq: LECO  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 23. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Lincoln Electric Holdings's revenues will grow 1.1% and EPS will grow 2.6%.

Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In 2015: Rockwell Automation Inc.(ROK)

Rockwell Automation, Inc. provides industrial automation power, control, and information solutions. It operates in two segments, Architecture and Software, and Control Products and Solutions. The Architecture and Software segment offers control platforms that perform multiple control disciplines and monitoring of applications, including discrete, batch and continuous process, drives control, motion control, and machine safety control; and products comprising controllers, electronic operator interface devices, electronic input/output devices, communication and networking products, and industrial computers. This segment also offers software products, such as configuration and visualization software used to operate and supervise control platforms, advanced process control software, and manufacturing execution software to enhance manufacturing productivity and meet regulatory requirements; and rotary and linear motion control products, and sensors and machine safety components . The Control Products and Solutions segment provides low and medium voltage electro-mechanical and electronic motor starters, motor and circuit protection devices, AC/DC variable frequency drives, push buttons, signaling devices, termination and protection devices, relays and timers, and condition sensors; and packaged solutions, such as configured drives and motor control centers to automation and information solutions, as well as life-cycle support services. The company sells its products, solutions, and services primarily under the Rockwell Automation, Allen-Bradley, A-B, and Rockwell Software brand names to the food and beverage, transportation, oil and gas, metals, mining, home and personal care, pulp and paper, and life sciences markets through independent distributors and direct sales force in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Milwaukee , Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  So which companies are likely to most greatly benefit from an eventual rise in capital spending? Firms involved in construction, business process automation, and other productivity tools. Here's a short sample, though you should keep an eye out for any companies that have a high level of sensitivity to changes in capital spending levels.

  1. Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) This maker of factory automation systems has managed to boost sales less than 10% from fiscal 2008 to fiscal 2012. Yet management hasn't been waiting around for business to improve. In that time, Rockwell has been investing hundreds of millions in its Logix Automation control platform, an open-source software system that enables all components of a production process control system to easily interoperate. Moreover, Rockwell's core strength in manufacturing has now been extended into the fields of energy refineries, mining, and food and beverage production.

   

• [By John Kell]

  Rockwell Automation Inc.(ROK) said its fiscal first-quarter earnings jumped 23% as operating margins widened and sales in both segments increased. Results topped estimates, pushing shares up 2.6% to $118 premarket.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  That negative sentiment “flashed as a positive indicator,” Inch and Lau say, and some stocks appear to be “‘locked and loaded’ to meaningfully exceed forecast estimates.” Those include Rockwell Automation (ROK), Eaton (ETN) and Emerson Electric (EMR).

Hot Gas Companies To Invest In Right Now: Titan Machinery Inc (TITN)

Titan Machinery Inc., incorporated in 1980, owns and operates a network of agricultural and construction equipment stores in the United States and Europe. The Company is a retail dealer of Case IH Agriculture equipment and a retail dealer of New Holland Agriculture, Case Construction and New Holland Construction equipment in the United States. It operates in two segments: Agriculture and Construction. The agricultural equipment, which it sells and services includes machinery and attachments for uses ranging from large-scale farming to home and garden use. The construction equipment it sells and services includes heavy construction and light industrial machinery for commercial and residential construction, road and highway construction and mining. On February 28, 2011, it acquired certain assets of Tri-State Implement, Inc. On March 31, 2011, the Company acquired interest in Schoffman's Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired Curly Olney��, Inc. and opened two Case IH dealerships in Cluj and Roman, Romania. In November 2012, the Company acquired Falcon Power Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired VAIT D.o.o. In February 2013, it acquired Tucson Tractor Company. In March 2013, it acquired Adobe CE, LLC, consisting of one Case Construction equipment dealership located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On April 1, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of ABC Rental & Equipment Sales. On May 13, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of Carlson Tractor & Equipment, Inc. On May 31, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of St. Joseph Equipment Inc. On September 2, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of Virgl Implement Inc. On September 2, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of Victors Inc. On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of Van Der Werff Implement, Inc. On December 1, 2011, the Company acquired certain assets of Jewell Implement Company, Inc. On December 23, 2011, the Company, through a newly formed subsidiary, Titan Machinery Romania, S.R.L., ac! quired certain assets of AgroExpert Capital S.R.L. On February 27, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of the Colorado division of Adobe Truck & Equipment, LLC. On March 5, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of Rimex 1-Holding EAD. On March 30, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of Haberer's Implement, Inc. On April 2, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of East Helena Rental, LLC.

Equipment Sales

The Company sells agricultural and construction equipment manufactured under the CNH family of brands, as well as equipment from a variety of other manufacturers. The used equipment it sells is from inventory acquired through trade-ins from its customers and selective purchases. The agricultural equipment, which it sells and services includes application equipment and sprayers, combines and attachments, hay and forage equipment, planting and seeding equipment, precision farming technology, tillage equipment and tractors. The construction equipment, which the Company sells and services includes articulated trucks, compact track loaders, compaction equipment, cranes, crawler dozers, excavators, forklifts, loader/backhoes, loader/tool carriers, motor graders, skid steer loaders, telehandlers and wheel loaders. The Company also sells used equipment through its outlet stores.

Parts Sales

The Company sells a range of maintenance and replacement parts on equipment that it sells, as well as other types of equipment. It maintains an in-house parts inventory to provide parts, and repair and maintenance support to its customers.

Repair and Maintenance Services

The Company provides repair and maintenance services, including warranty repairs, for its customers equipment. In addition, the Company provides customer service by maintaining service histories for each piece of equipment owned by its customers, maintaining around-the-clock service hours, providing on-site repair services, scheduling off-season maintenance acti! vities wi! th customers, notifying customers of periodic service requirements and providing training programs to customers.

Equipment Rental and Other Business Activities

The Company rents equipment to its customers on a short-term basis for periods ranging from a few days to a few months. In addition, the Company provides ancillary equipment support activities, such as equipment transportation, global positioning system (GPS) signal subscriptions in connection with precision farming and reselling CNH Capital finance and insurance products.

The Company competes with RDO Equipment Co., Butler Machinery, Ziegler Inc. and Brandt Holdings Co.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike the PhD]

  Historically the stock prices of Deere (DE) and other agricultural equipment firms and retailers like Case-New Holland (CNH), Titan Machinery (TITN), AGCO (AGCO), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Valmont (VAL), and Lindsay (LNN) have tended to closely track the price of corn. When corn prices go up, farmers tend to make more money, and they spend that money on new equipment from Deere and other firms. This relationship is especially strong for Deere and Corn, but it holds true for all of the stocks above to some extent. (Correlation coefficients between all of the stock prices above and corn are statistically significant to at least the 5% level, see my blog here for more details.)

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  1. Titan Machinery will close lower on the week
  Titan Machinery (NASDAQ: TITN  ) is in a slump. Analysts have been slashing their projections for the specialty retailer of agricultural and construction equipment. One would think that construction would be on the rise given the housing boom. An improving economy should benefit farmers. However, Titan Machinery isn't cashing in on the trends.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Titan Machinery (NASDAQ: TITN  ) dropped as much as 18% today after releasing earnings.

  So what: Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 29.2% from a year ago to $784.5 million, beating estimates of $694.8 million. But earnings per share were just $0.73, $0.19 below estimates, and the company's guidance of 2014 earnings of $2.00 to $2.30 was well below the $2.59 estimate. �

Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In 2015: Katy Industries Inc (KATY)

Katy Industries, Inc. (Katy) is a manufacturer, importer and distributor of commercial cleaning and storage products. The Company�� commercial cleaning products are sold primarily to janitorial/sanitary and foodservice distributors that supply end users, such as restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities and schools. The Company�� storage products are primarily sold through home improvement and mass market retail outlets. Continental Commercial Products, LLC (CCP) is its wholly owned subsidiary and includes as divisions all of its business units. The Company�� business units are Continental, Contico, Container, Gemtex, Glit and Wilen. On October 4, 2011, the Company sold all assets and certain liabilities related to the DISCO division of CCP to DISCO Acquisition Corp. In February 2014, Katy Industries Inc completed the acquisition of Fort Wayne Plastics, Inc.

The Continental business unit is a plastics manufacturer and an importer and distributor of products for the commercial janitorial/sanitary maintenance, industrial and food service markets. Continental products include commercial waste receptacles, buckets, mop wringers, janitorial carts, and other products designed for commercial cleaning and food service. Continental products are sold under the brand names, such as Continental, Kleen Aire, Huskee, SuperKan, King Kan, Unibody, Tilt-N-Wheel, Wall Hugger, Collossus, Corner��Round, Rountop, Swingline, Kleen Tech and Structo Tuff.

The Contico business unit is a plastics manufacturer and distributor of home and tool storage products, sold primarily through home improvement and mass market retail outlets. Contico products include plastic home storage units, such as domestic storage containers, tool boxes, shelving and hard plastic gun cases and are sold under the brand names Contico and Tuffbin. Contico is a registered trademark used under license from Contico Manufacturing Limited.

The Container business unit is a plastics manufacturer and distributor ! of industrial storage drums and pails for commercial and industrial use. Products are sold under the Contico and Contico Container brand names.

The Gemtex business unit is a manufacturer and distributor of resin fiber disks and other coated abrasives for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), automotive, industrial and home improvement markets. Gemtex products are sold under the brand names Trim-Kut and Grind R.

The Glit business unit is a manufacturer and distributor of non-woven abrasive products for commercial and industrial use and also supplies materials to various OEMs. Glit non-woven products include floor maintenance pads, hand pads, scouring pads, specialty abrasives for cleaning and finishing, growth medium and roof ventilation products. These products are sold primarily in the commercial sanitary maintenance, food service, industrial and construction markets under the brand names, such as Glit, Kleenfast, Glit/Microtron, Fiber Naturals, Blue Ice, Brillo, Cyclone, Cyclone D, Sponge Pro, Wipe Clean Pro, Joey, Jackeroo, Buckaroo, Cocopad, Safire and WalnutPad. Brillo is a registered trademark used under license from Armaly Brands, Inc. and BAB-O is a registered trademark used under license from Fitzpatrick Bros., Inc.

The Wilen business unit is a manufacturer, importer and distributor of professional cleaning products that include mops, brooms, brushes and plastic cleaning accessories. Wilen products are sold primarily through commercial sanitary maintenance, industrial and food service markets, with some products sold through consumer retail outlets. Products are sold under the brand names, such as Wilen, Wax-o-matic, Rototech, ErgoWorx and Derma-Tek.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Mydlo]

  The guru, Mario Gabelli, purchased 724,729 shares of Katy Industries (KATY). According to the 13D filed with the SEC on March 21, 2014, Gabelli is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the securities owned by Gabelli Funds, GAMCO, Teton Advisors and MJG Associates. The total amount of shares owned is 1,711,045, representing 21.52% of the shares outstanding. Katy engages in the manufacture, import and distribution of commercial cleaning and storage products for commercial janitorial/sanitary maintenance, industrial, foodservice, mass merchant retail and home improvement markets in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In 2015: Giga-tronics Inc (GIGA)

Giga-tronics Incorporated (Giga-tronics), incorporated on March 5, 1980, includes the operations of the Giga-tronics Division and Microsource Inc. (Microsource), a wholly owned subsidiary. Giga-tronics Division designs, manufactures and markets a line of test and measurement equipment used in the development, test and maintenance of wireless communications products and systems, flight navigational equipment, electronic defense systems and automatic testing systems. These products are used primarily in the design, production, repair and maintenance of commercial telecommunications, radar, and electronic warfare equipment. The Company manufactures products used in test, measurement and control. The Company has two segments: Giga-tronics Division and Microsource. In April 2013, it completed the sale of its product line known as SCPM to Teradyne, Inc.

Giga-tronics

The Giga-tronics Division produces signal sources, generators and sweepers, and power measurement instruments for use in the microwave and radio frequency (RF) range (10 kilohertz (kHz) to 50 gigahertz (GHz)). Within each product line are a number of different models and options allowing customers to select frequency range and specialized capabilities, features and functions. The end-user markets for these products can be divided into three segments: commercial telecommunications, radar and electronic warfare. These instruments are used in the design, production, repair and maintenance and calibration of other manufacturers' products, from discrete components to complex systems.

The Giga-tronics Division also produces switch modules and interface adapters that operates with a bandwidth from direct current (DC) to optical frequencies. These switch modules may be incorporated within its customers' automated test equipment. The end-user markets for these products are primarily related to defense, aeronautics, communications, satellite and electronic warfare, commercial aviation and semiconductors.

Microsource

The Microsource segment develops and manufactures a broad line of yttrium, iron, garnet (YIG) tuned oscillators, filters and microwave synthesizers, which are used by its customers in operational applications and in manufacturing a variety of microwave instruments or devices.

Giga-tronics competes with Agilent, Anritsu, EADS, Aeroflex and Rohde & Schwarz.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Giga-tronics (NASDAQ: GIGA) dropped 14.84% to $1.32. Giga-tronics' trailing-twelve-month profit margin is -30.58%.

  MER Telemanagement Solutions (NASDAQ: MTSL) dropped 14.62% to $2.09 after the company terminated MVNE solution provider agreement with SBC Communications.

FINRA OKs RCAP’s Cetera Deal; Schorsch Group May Buy NorthStar Realty

RCS Capital (RCAP) said early Monday that FINRA has approved its $1.15 billion purchase of Cetera Financial’s broker-dealer operations, which include about 6,600 independent financial advisors.

Meanwhile, RCAP affiliate American Realty Capital Properties (ARCP) reportedly is in talks to buy NorthStar Realty Finance Corp., according to Bloomberg. NorthStar is a loan originator and manager of commercial real estate debt.

ARCP, led by Nicholas Schorsch, bought Cole Real Estate Investments last year. Schorsch also is executive chairman of RCAP. (Schorsch is named in the IA 25 for 2014.)

Realty Capital announced its deal with Cetera in January and says it “expects to close the Cetera acquisition in the coming days in accordance with the merger agreement.”

The company is also buying Investor’s Capital (ICH), J.P. Turner and Summit Brokerage Services—giving it about 9,000 reps and roughly $200 billion in assets. 

“This creates one of the most powerful capital accumulation machines on the globe,” Schorsch said, when the Cetera deal was announced earlier this year. “It will attract the best and brightest financial advisors, and with $3.1 billion in revenue brings us close to LPL Financial (LPLA) and puts us ahead of others in the business.”

Cetera was formed in 2010 following the sale of three ING broker-dealers; it includes four platforms — Cetera Advisors, Cetera Advisor Networks, Cetera Financial Institutions and Cetera Financial — and is led by CEO and President Valerie Brown.

In June 2013, RCAP Holdings shared the news that it was buying First Allied Securities and the Legend Group from Lovell Minnick Partners. (RCAP Holdings owns Realty Capital Securities, which is the wholesale broker-dealer and affiliate of American Realty Capital Properties.) 

A request for a statement on the two deals was declined by RCAP and ARCP. 

Two Stock Ideas - Turnaround Restaurant and a Patent Troll Killer

1. Turnaround Story of Denny's (DENN): Denny's owns and is a franchiser of family diners. The company controls about 9% of the family dining market and competes directly with IHOP which controls 11%.

When you look at the fundamental numbers, it doesn't look like a value play. However, over the past few years, Denny's is focusing on paying back debt and buying back shares.

Revenues have declined every year since 2006, but interestingly, gross margins have gone up from 18.5% from 2006 to 29% TTM. This margin expansion has traveled all the way down to the bottom line because Denny's is FCF positive and 2011 and 2012 were stellar years in terms of FCF.

The TTM figures looks to be slightly less than 2012 FCF of $45 million, but in their situation, this year will be another successful and FCF-positive year.

Looks like Denny's has been putting all that free cash flow to good use as well.
Since 2008, long-term debt has been reduced by almost 50% TTMShares outstanding has decreased 7% from 2010Another interesting piece is that 2013 may be the year where shareholder equity reaches positive territory for the first time in more than 10 years.

This small cap also has some guru activity.

Jim Simons has been going in and out of Denny's since 2009 while Joel Greenblatt has a 50% profit off Denny's.

If further cost cutting, debt repayments and its international expansion plans go well, Denny's could be a nice turnaround story. At this point however, using a 8% growth rate with 10% discount rate, Denny's looks to be fairly priced.

Denny's also has brand recognition which works in its favor. As an example of loyalty, in Seattle where I live, hundreds of residents protested against the demolition of a landmark Denny's. Sadly, it was demolished.

Download the DENN PDF Tearsheet

#2. First to Market with a New Business Model: RPX Corporation (RPXC)

Non-performing entities (NPE) is a nice way of saying patent troll. The current "g! et rich scheme" of the corporate world.

So how do NPEs operate?
Buy a few hundred patents on the marketStart looking for any company or any one using something similarSue the pants off everyone within a 100 mile radius for infringementIt's a lot like Internet domain squatting.

Companies buy up a ton of URLs and then they sell it to companies for thousands or millions depending on the attractiveness of the URL. I know because some guy from South Africa was squatting on oldschoolvalues.com and asking thousands for it.

NPE patent enforcement used to be an issue that affected high technology sectors like hardware, software, semiconductors, communications, and consumer electronics. This is no longer the case because it is has now spread to all industries, including users and sellers of products.

I blame Apple for starting this by the way (joking, of course).

This is where RPX comes in. RPX buys a bunch of patents in the open market and then makes it available for their "members" to use in their products. This ensures that the members are not subject to patent litigation. If they are, RPX takes care of it.

Some numbers to help you visualize the company. Interesting business to learn none the less as you are going to see similar companies start to pop up if RPX takes off.

[ Enlarge Image ]

Download the RPXC PDF Tearsheet

Disclosure:
No positions

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015

Here are today's top news headlines from��Fool.com. Check back throughout the day as this list is updated, and follow us on Twitter at��TMFBreaking.

Dow Chemical Keeps Dividend Level

Dole Food Launches New Share Buyback Program

Pentagon Awards 10 Contracts Thursday

Waste Management Declares Quarterly Dividend

Initial Jobless Claims Hit New Recovery Low

Bernanke Says Fed Increasing Financial Monitoring

Nokia Launches Lumia 620 on AT&T's Aio Wireless

Yahoo! Acquires 2 More Mobile Start-Ups

YouTube to Charge for Some Channels

Corporate Executive Board Keeps Dividend Steady

Chicago Bridge & Iron Maintains Nickel Dividend

Reynolds American Increases Dividend 6.8%

KeyCorp to Acquire Commercial Mortgage Assets From Bank of America

Strawberry Pepsi? New Fountain Machine in Test

Greek Anti-Austerity Strike Threatens School Exams

Shareholder Lays Out Case Against Sprint-Clearwire Merger

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: Fairway Group Holdings Corp (FWM)

Fairway Group Holdings Corp., incorporated on September 29, 2006, operates in the retail food industry, selling fresh, natural and organic products, prepared foods, and specialty and gourmet offerings along with a assortment of conventional groceries. The Company focuses on perishable product categories, which include produce, natural and organic, deli, specialty, cheese, butcher, seafood, bakery, coffee and kosher foods. Its non-perishable product categories consist of conventional groceries, as well as specialty foods. It operates two stores on the West Side of Manhattan, New York. As of September 24, 2012, it operated 11 locations in the Greater New York City metropolitan area, three of which include Fairway Wines & Spirits stores.

The Company�� natural and organic product categories include fruits and vegetables, natural and fresh juices, organic OBE beef and organic chicken, fresh organic peanut butter and natural almond butter, fresh roasted coffees and loose teas, dried fruits and nuts, full assortment of natural and organic groceries, cold cuts and cheeses, breads, supplements (homeopathy, vitamins, herbs), nutritional bars and protein powders, health and beauty aids, dairy, including Fairway-branded organic milk, eggs, including Fairway-branded organic eggs, vegetarian dairy alternatives, frozen foods, e gluten-free selections, baby food and baby care items and cleaning products. It offers a classic New York deli counter. It carries smoked salmon prepared using its own recipe and hand-craft its own fresh mozzarella daily.

The Company�� Specialty Imports and Specialty Grocery departments provide shoppers with specialty and gourmet items, such as Lapalisse pure and virgin nut oils; authentic Sicilian foodstuffs; Burgundy's organic La Trinquelinette fruit preserves made in small batches using only unrefined raw cane sugar; ready-to-eat vacuum-packed beets from the Loire Valley; L'Herbier de Milly La Foret verbena, hibiscus, peppermint and linden blossom infusions; L! a Quiberonnaise Vintage Sardines from Brittany, France; Pruneaux d'Agen (stuffed prunes), and Royal Medjool dates, Quercy's soft dried figs and apricots. It carries approximately 115 varieties of specialty olive oil, including numerous imported unfiltered olive oils, and offer all-day, every day tasting of olive oils in each of its stores.

The Company has meat delivered every day and it is cut and packaged at each of its stores within 24 hours of receipt. It also receives daily deliveries of fresh ice-packed chicken. It offers 50 to 80 different selections of fresh fish and seafood in each store every day. It utilizes a combination of on-site and centralized bakeries to produce our baked goods. Its full-service bakery prepares its signature cookies, tarts, cupcakes, baguettes and bagels. It offers over 100 types of artisanal coffee beans sold by the pound, as well as over a dozen varieties of Fair Trade certified and organic coffee.

The Company offers an array of kosher options, including Fairway's branded products, its conventional and specialty groceries, its coffee, as well as its baked goods, dairy, organic, gluten-free, imported and frozen items. It offers a variety of cuts of kosher poultry, red meat and seafood. It carries a range of conventional grocery items. Its grocery aisles are stacked high with the national brand names Tide, Bounty, Kleenex, Charmin, Lysol, Poland Spring, Oreo, Cheerios, Lipton, Hershey's, Coke, Green Giant, and many more. In addition, it offers an array of ethnic groceries that cater to each store's local demographic.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  All of this points to a rosy picture for premium grocery chains. Yet the stock performancee paint a very different picture. Compare the performance of publicly traded premium grocers — Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM), The Fresh Market (TFM), and Fairway Group Holdings (FWM) — against that of the ultimate common-man�� grocer, Walmart. Since last October, Walmart is the only grocer stock that hasn�� seen substantial declines. What gives? I have one word for you: valuation.

• [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.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  The group�� worst performer this year is New York City-area grocer Fairway Group Holdings Corp.(FWM), off 58% in 2013. Fairway is also among the farthest from its 52-week high, closing Thursday at $7.57 after trading as high as $28.87 in July.

• [By Jason Moser]

  You can be forgiven if you've never heard of Fairway Group Holdings (NASDAQ: FWM  ) . The company is responsible for Fairway Market, a small chain of high-end grocery stores currently in and around the greater New York City metropolitan area.

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: Nash-Finch Company(NAFC)

Nash-Finch Company operates as a wholesale food distributor in the United States. The company?s Military segment distributes grocery products to the United States military commissaries and exchanges in the United States and the District of Columbia, Europe, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Azores, Egypt, and Bahrain. Its Food Distribution segment sells and distributes various branded and private label grocery products and perishable food products to approximately 1,500 independent retail locations through its 14 distribution centers. This segment also provides various services, including promotional, advertising, and merchandising programs; installation of computerized ordering, receiving, and scanning systems; retail equipment procurement assistance; accounting, budgeting, and payroll contract services; consumer and market research; remodeling and store development services; supply chain through Internet services; and securing existing grocery stores. The company?s Retail segment operates corporate-owned grocery stores under the Sun Mart, Econofoods, AVANZA, Family Thrift Center, Pick ?n Save, Family Fresh Market, Prairie Market, Saver?s Choice, Wally?s Supermarkets, and Wholesale Food Outlet banners primarily in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This segment?s conventional grocery stores offer a range of grocery products and services, such as fresh meat counters, delicatessens, bakeries, eat-in cafes, pharmacies, banks, and floral departments, as well as provide check cashing, fax services, and money transfer services. As of December 31, 2011, the company served 93 retail stores operating under the IGA banner and 50 retail stores under the Food Pride banner; and operated 43 conventional supermarkets, 1 AVANZA grocery store, 1 Wholesale Food Outlet grocery store, and 1 Saver?s Choice store. Nash-Finch Company was founded in 1885 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Sysco has avoided the margin compression suffered by chicken producers Tyson (NYSE: TSN  ) and Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ: CALM  ) and which was more deeply felt by smaller food-service operator Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC  ) . (It is omitted from this chart due to its drop into outright negative operating margin territory (a decline of roughly 250% in two years.) However, fellow food-service company United Natural Foods (NASDAQ: UNFI  ) has actually improved its margins, and restaurant chains both large and small (well, mid-size) have done an admirable job of holding the margin line in the face of rising input costs. So it appears that scale alone isn't enough to help Sysco outrun the rising costs of its products.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC  ) and Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN  ) jumped as much as 16% and 15%, respectively, after Spartan said it would buy Nash-Finch, primarily for its military stores.

Top 5 Logistics Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ralcorp Holdings Inc.(RAH)

Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. engages in manufacturing, distributing, and marketing private-brand food products, ready-to-eat cereal products, and other regional and value-brand food products. Its products include ready-to-eat and hot cereals; nutritional and cereal bars; snack mixes, corn-based chips, and extruded corn snack products; crackers and cookies; snack nuts; chocolate candy; salad dressings; mayonnaise; peanut butter; jams and jellies; syrups; sauces; frozen griddle products, including pancakes, waffles, and French toast; frozen biscuits and other frozen pre-baked products, such as breads and rolls; frozen and refrigerated doughs; and dry pasta. The company offers its products under various brands, including Post, Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Post Selects, Great Grains, Spoon Size, Grape-Nuts, Honeycomb, 3 Minute Brand, Ralston, Parco, Lofthouse, Krusteaz, Panne Provincio, Major Peters?, Medallion, Ry Krisp, Champagne, Monet, Rippin? Good, Hoody?s, Linette, JERO, Flavor House, Nutcracker, Pennsylvania Dutch, Heartland, Golden Grain, Anthony?s, Pasta Lensi, Ronco, and Mueller?s. It also develops, manufactures, and markets emulations of various types of branded food products to retailers, mass merchandisers, and drug stores to sell under their own store brands or under value-brands. Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. sells its products to retail chains, mass merchandisers, grocery wholesalers, warehouse club stores, drugstores, restaurant chains, and foodservice distributors in the United States, as well as in Canada, Europe, and southeast Asia. It offers its products through a broker network, internal sales staff, independent sales agency, a network of third party warehouses, and independent truck lines. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  Post’s debt has risen substantially since its separation from Ralcorp (RAH) in February 2012. Including its $370 million acquisition of the Dakota Growers Pasta Company announced Sept. 16, Post has spent $717 million moving into other areas of the food industry beyond cereal.

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: Hillshire Brands Co (HSH)

The Hillshire Brands Company, incorporated on September 4, 1941, is a manufacturer and marketer of food products. The Company�� portfolio includes brands, such as Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, State Fair, Sara Lee frozen bakery and Chef Pierre pies, as well as artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame. The Company operates in two segments: Retail and Foodservice/Other. Retail sells a variety of packaged meat and frozen bakery products to retail customers in North America. Foodservice/other sells a variety of meat and bakery products to foodservice customers in North America. On February 4, 2013, the Company completed the sale of its Australian bakery business.

Retail

Products in the retail segments include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, breakfast convenience items, including breakfast sandwiches and bowls, dinner sausages, deli and luncheon meats and cooked hams, as well as frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes and other desserts. The Company�� brands include Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, State Fair and Sara Lee, as well as artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame. The sales of the Retail business are generated in the United States Sales are made in the retail channel to supermarkets, warehouse clubs and national chains. Retail�� business accounted for 74% of the Company�� sales during the fiscal year ended June 29, 2013 (fiscal 2013).

Foodservice/Other

Products in the foodservice/other segment include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages and sandwiches, dinner sausages, deli and luncheon meats, ham, beef and turkey, as well as a variety of bakery products, including pastries, muffins, frozen pies, cakes and cheesecakes. Sales are made in the foodservice channel to distributors, restaurants, hospitals and other large institutions. Foodservice/Other�� business accounted for 26% of the Company�� sales in fiscal 2013.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Thalman]

  And finally, Hormel. The stock fell after the CEO of Hillshire Brands (NYSE: HSH  ) said that his company will look to make some acquisitions in the coming year and focus more on chicken products as consumers begin to demand healthier options. It is clear that the competition will continue to intensify for Hormel in the coming months and years and, as Hillshire is still a smaller company, it could change very quickly if the acquisition-happy CEO goes on a shopping spree. With many of these food brands, it is all about shelf space and location within a store and, more times than not, the bigger the player, the better the location. Hormel investors shouldn't be overly concerned today, but need to watch how things play out in the future. �

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: Unilever NV (UNA)

Unilever N.V. (NV) is a supplier of fast moving consumer goods. The two parent companies, NV and Unilever PLC (PLC), together with their group companies, operate as the Unilever Group (Unilever). The Company�� four product areas are Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment and Home Care. The Company's personal care, which includes sales of skincare and haircare products, deodorants and oral care products; foods, which includes sales of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads; refreshment, which includes sales of ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products and nutritionally enhanced staples sold in developing markets and home care, which includes sales of home care products, such as laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars and a range of cleaning products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Unilever (UNA) slipped 2.8 percent to 27.94 euros after saying sales growth slowed as trading in emerging markets deteriorated at a faster rate. Underlying group sales for the three months will rise 3 percent to 3.5 percent, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap said late yesterday in a statement. That compares with 5 percent growth in both the first half and second quarter.

• [By Adi Narayan]

  Unilever (UNA) fell short on its public offer to raise its majority holding in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUVR) to 75 percent, ending up with about a two-thirds stake after some shareholders of the Mumbai-based company opted not to sell.

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: Tesco PLC (TSCDY)

Tesco PLC, incorporated on November 27, 1947, is engaged in retailing and associated activities in the United Kingdom, China, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, India, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey. The Company also provides retail banking and insurance services through its subsidiary, Tesco Bank. The Company�� operations in the United Kingdom is the within the Company, with over 3,000 stores. The Company�� in-store picking model is complemented by a small number of specialized dotcom-only stores, which allow the Company to respond to customer demand. The Company�� Click & Collect service is a part of its multichannel offering and enables customers to pick up their shopping when and where it suits them. It has over 1,500 Click & Collect collection points for general merchandise and over 150 Grocery Drive-thrus in the United Kingdom.

The Company�� operations in India include sourcing and its service centre, as well as a franchise arrangement with Tata Group. The Company�� Hindustan Service Centre (HSC) is the global services arm for Tesco worldwide, providing business services for Tesco operations globally. Tesco HSC is engaged in creating and executing strategic initiatives covering information technology (IT), Financial, Commercial and Property, among others. The Company also provides 80% of the stock sold by Star Bazaar, both food and non-food, sourced through its distribution centre in Mumbai. This distribution centre also provides wholesale products to traditional Indian retailers, kirana stores, restaurants and other businesses, providing small farmers and other suppliers with a way to sell their wares to the local market.

The Company has an online business and 22 of virtual stores in South Korean subways and bus stops, which help time-pressed customers, shop on-the-go using their smartphones. Tesco Lotus is its international business, serving over 11 million customers every week in over 1,400 stores. Tesco Bank! offer a range of simple personal banking products, principally-mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, and savings.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harvey Jones]

  LONDON -- You won't need telling that these are tough times for Tesco (LSE: TSCO  ) (NASDAQOTH: TSCDY  ) . The big cheese of British supermarkets has found itself in one pickle after another, serving up the U.S. Fresh & Easy debacle, its first profit warning for 20 years, a 25% share price drop, and a dollop of minced horsemeat. It has even been shrinking in Asia, with sales dropping 3.8% in the first quarter, on top of a 1% fall in U.K. sales. Chief executive Philip Clarke has given up the fight to sell electronics, abandoning the field to online giant Amazon.

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: Freedom Foods Group Ltd (FNP)

Freedom Foods Group Limited (FNP) is an Australia-based company engaged in providing for specialized Needs in the Global Food Industry. The Company operates in Freedom Foods, operating in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of allergen free cereals and nutritional snacks and other food products under the Freedom Foods brand and dairy alternative beverages under the Australia�� Own and Freedom Foods brands. The Company�� Pactum Australia operates in the manufacture and distribution of Aseptic (long life) beverages and foods. The Company�� Specialty Seafood, operating in the distribution and marketing of canned Herring Sardines and Canned Alaskan Salmon under the Brunswick and Paramount brands. The Company has investment in A2 Corporation, operating in A2 branded dairy milk manufacture, marketing and distribution activities in Australia and International Markets. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Ralph Lauren Corp.’s largest competitors are Fifth & Pacific Companies (FNP) and The Jones Group (JNY). Of these three companies, Fifth & Pacific is currently the best buy right now due to superior buying pressure. Meanwhile, Jones Group is suffering from flat sales and deep-seated cash flow issues. I’ll discuss Ralph Lauren’s problems with attracting institutional investors shortly.

Top Food Companies To Invest In 2015: 1-800 FLOWERS.COM Inc.(FLWS)

1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. together with its subsidiaries, operates as a florist and gift retailer in the United States. The company offers a range of products, including fresh-cut flowers, floral arrangements and plants, gifts, popcorn, gourmet foods and gift baskets, cookies, chocolates, candy, and wine through its telephonic and online sales channels, company-owned and operated retail floral stores, and franchised stores. It provides gourmet gifts, such as popcorn and specialty treats through thepopcornfactory.com; cookies and baked gifts through cheryls.com; chocolates and confections through fanniemay.com and harrylondon.com; gift baskets and towers through 1800baskets.com; Celebrations brand party ideas and planning tips through celebrations.com; and customizable invitations, announcements, and greeting cards through finestationery.com. As of July 3, 2011, the company operated 2 floral retail stores, 1 fulfillment center, and approximately 100 franchised stores located within the United States. It has strategic online relationships with Facebook, Google, AOL, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Carle Place, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings Expected From: 1-800 Flowers.com, Inc (NASDAQ: FLWS)

  Economic Releases Expected:�Eurozone unemployment rate, Italian CPI, Greek retail sales, French consumer spending, Canadian GDP.

• [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 1-800-Flowers.com (Nasdaq: FLWS  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Equities Lab]

  The stocks that currently pass the stock screen in order of market cap are Frontier Communications Corp , Crown Media Holdings (CRWN), Vonage Holding (VG), MCG Capital Corp (MCGC), 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (FLWS), MTR Gaming Corporation (MNTG), Alaska Communications (ALSK), and Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN).

Why Plug Power, Pandora Media, and Amazon.com Tumbled Today

Stocks gave up substantial ground Friday, as a host of negative earnings announcements combined with the threat of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine blossoming into outright war to send major stock market benchmarks sharply lower today. Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG  ) , Pandora Media (NYSE: P  ) , and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) all did their part in leading the stock market down, closing the week with an overall loss despite having had gains earlier in the week.

Source: Plug Power.

Plug Power dropped 11% after the company priced its secondary stock offering last night at $5.50 per share, representing about an 8.5% discount to where the shares had closed Thursday night. Although Plug Power raised the possibility of using the proceeds for capital expenditures or potential acquisitions that could be favorable for the company in the long run, skeptical investors saw the move simply as another in a long series of dilutive offerings for the fuel-cell company. In the process, investors have largely ignored Plug Power's deal with Hyundai Hysco from earlier this week, which Fool energy specialist Tyler Crowe argues could actually be a step in the right direction for Plug Power in its efforts to grow and gain a greater foothold in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pandora Media plunged 17% after the streaming-music service gave current-quarter guidance that fell short of investors' lofty expectations. Pandora managed to boost its adjusted sales by 54% from the year-ago quarter, with a slightly narrower loss than investors had anticipated. Yet, guidance from Pandora that it might just barely break even on an adjusted basis in the second quarter left shareholders worried about the growth trajectory for the company, especially given that listener hours figures for the first quarter only grew at a 12% clip, with active listener growth slowing to 8%. If revenue for the current quarter comes in at the lower end of guidance, Pandora could have an ongoing problem for growth-hungry shareholders.

Source: Mashable.

Amazon.com dropped almost 10% as investors paid an uncharacteristically large amount of attention to the online-retail giant's future bottom-line guidance. Sales soared 23%, sending earnings-per-share up by 27%, and Amazon projected that current-quarter revenue would be roughly consistent with investor expectations. Yet, even after many past quarters in which Amazon chose to make expenditures that reduced net income, many investors blamed the stock's drop on Amazon's guidance for an operating loss next quarter. The operating loss comes mostly from special items like stock-based compensation, but what seems a more likely reason for the stock's plunge is simply that high-growth investors lost patience temporarily with CEO Jeff Bezos and his well-established strategy of deferring profit in exchange for gaining greater market share. It'll be interesting to see if Amazon and Bezos change their way of doing business simply because shareholders panicked today.

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There are plays to be made despite politics

Washington, D.C., is currently in fantasy land. Or maybe that's nightmare land. Either way, the good news for investors is that central banks are here, to the rescue, once again — acting when and where politicians are too incompetent to lead.

Putting all political opinions aside, the government shutdown is, at the very least, an embarrassment, will likely cause some damage to our economy, and will likely force the Federal Reserve to maintain or perhaps increase its monetary stimulus, especially if this drags on. Our politicians failures will likely cause the following market reaction:

Interest rates will likely remain rangebound with a downward bias, at least through the end of the year. Expect the 10-year Treasury yield to end below 2.5% at year end.

The U.S. dollar will likely strengthen against major currencies, as "safe haven" buyers seek refuge from the uncertainty

In spite of added short-term volatility, equities will rally, ending the year at record highs

Investors should tune out the noise and focus on the data, and the data tells us that stocks are likely to continue to rise, in spite of the politically designed uncertainties, markets are benefiting from increasingly positive economic data.

In the U.S., manufacturing activity, auto sales, home prices and even the unemployment rate is improving (albeit with some statistical trickery). In Europe, consumer and business confidence is rising, the unemployment rate has dropped to a multi-year low, and manufacturing and export data continues to improve. Asia's economies, particularly the emerging-market economies in the region, also appear to be recovering from the summer duldroms. Japan's Takan (their version of PMI and ISM Manufacturing report) came in much stronger than expected, and with the recent drop in the Yen, exports are improving as well.

Option and bond markets appear to agree with my thesis — based on price movement, volatility and trading volume, neither are pricing in a downturn in our economy or a meaningful change in trend.

Lastly, and this is truly a two-edged sword, according to the latest report by the Federal Reserve, non-financial companies are sitting on approximately $1.5 trillion in cash, and bank-holding institutions are holding over $2.3 trillion in deposits at the Federal Reserve. As old as the story is, eventually a chunk of this money will re-enter the system.

I think the first step will be an increase in share-buybacks and an increase in dividends. As such, I am once again overweighting large-cap multinationals, including some great European names. My favorites include Novartis (NVS) , Legget and Platt (LEG) and Visa (V) .  Of course, the potential risk is that the cash horde remains and even grows, likely creating a deeper negative interest rate environment — something that surely would be damaging to our economy.

Disclosure: NVS, LEG and V are holding in the MPDAX and separate accounts at GGFS.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2015

Shares of Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) hit a new 52-week high of $27.65 on Jul 12, surpassing its previous high of $27.27. The company has delivered a robust one-year return of about 84.4% and year-to-date return of 58.9%, outperforming the S&P 500.

The Elmwood Park, NJ-based specialty packaging service provider has long-term estimated earnings per share growth rate of 12.9%. Average volume of shares traded over the last three months is approximately 1913K.

What�� Driving Sealed Air Up?

Sealed Air reported first-quarter 2013 adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of 17 cents per share, up 6% from the year-ago earnings of 16 cents per share but a penny short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Although earnings missed estimates, Sealed Air declared an improved outlook for full year 2013. The company expects adjusted earnings in the range of $1.10 to $1.20 per share on net sales of $7.7��7.9 billion. Furthermore, adjusted EBITDA is expected in the range of $1.01��1.03 billion.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2015: Lexington Realty Trust (LXP)

Lexington Corporate Properties Trust operates as a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). The company acquires, owns, and manages a portfolio of office, industrial, and retail properties net-leased to corporate tenants in the United States. It also provides investment advisory and asset management services to institutional investors in the net lease area. As of June 30, 2005, the company operated 185 properties and managed 2 properties. Lexington Corporate Properties Trust has elected to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be taxed on the portion of its income, which is distributed to shareholders, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in New York City.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE: LXP  ) is acting like a relaxed landlord that doesn't want or need to modify the rent. The company is maintaining its dividend policy by declaring a $0.15-per-share distribution for its current quarter, to be paid on or about July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 28. That amount matches the firm's previous three distributions, the most recent of which was paid in April. Prior to that, the real estate investment trust dispensed $0.125 per share.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2015: Orchids Paper Products Company(TIS)

Orchids Paper Products Company manufactures private label tissue products for the consumer market in the United States. Its product line includes paper towels, bathroom tissue, and paper napkins. The company also offers its products under the Orchids, Velvet, Colortex, Ultra Valu, Dri-Mop, Big Mopper, Soft & Fluffy, Tackle, My-Size, and Care brand names. It serves value retailers (dollar stores), discount retailers, grocery stores, grocery wholesalers and cooperatives, and convenience stores. The company markets its products directly, as well as through independent brokers. Orchids Paper Products Company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Pryor, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Goodboy]

  My next step was to locate stocks in this industry. One company stood out above the rest as a top performer with plenty of upside. That company is Orchids Paper Products Co. (NYSE: TIS).

Top Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Synergetics USA Inc.(SURG)

Synergetics USA, Inc., a medical device company, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of microsurgical instruments and consumables primarily for ophthalmology and neurosurgery markets in the United States and internationally. The company?s product lines focus upon precision engineered, microsurgical, handheld devices, and the microscopic delivery of laser energy, ultrasound, electrosurgery, aspiration, illumination and irrigation that are delivered in multiple combinations. It offers retinal surgical items, including handheld disposable and reusable forceps and scissors, fiberoptics for illumination and photocoagulation, cannulas, scrapers, and other reusable and disposable surgical devices. The company also provides bipolar electrosurgical generators; lesion generators used for minimally invasive pain treatment; and directional laser probes, as well as offers gauge instrumentation to the vitreoretinal surgical market. It sells its products through direct sale s employees, distributors, and independent sales representatives. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in O?Fallon, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Synergetics USA (SURG) has dropped 4.8% to $4.75 after the medical device company said it earned 6 cents a share, in line with analyst forecasts.

  Team Inc.�(TISI) has dropped 11% after the company missed its earnings forecast and lowered guidance.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) reported its FQ4 earnings of $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.9 million. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.05 per share on revenue of $17 million. Synergetics USA shares dipped 11.82% to $4.40 in the after-hours trading session.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2015: Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM)

Chimera Investment Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company, through its subsidiaries, invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), residential mortgage loans, commercial mortgage loans, real estate-related securities, and other asset classes. Its targeted asset classes include agency or non-agency RMBS; prime, jumbo prime, and Alt-A mortgage loans; first or second lien loans secured by multifamily properties, mixed residential or other commercial properties, retail properties, office properties, or industrial properties; and asset-based securities (ABS), including commercial mortgage-backed securities, debt and equity tranches of collateralized debt obligations, and consumer and non-consumer ABS. The company has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its share holders. Chimera Inve stment Corporation was founded in 2007 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  "Nepotism has never been unknown in American banking," Martin Mayer wrote in The Greatest-Ever Bank Robbery, his 1990 book about the savings-and-loan crisis. While Mayer was referring to American Continental, the notoriously corrupt holding company run into the ground by the infamous Charles Keating in the 1980s, his point rings true today in the case of Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY  ) and its publicly traded portfolio company Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM  ) .

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Berkshire isn't the only company where book value plays an important role. In the mortgage REIT realm, the value of the investment portfolio for a given mortgage REIT reduced by the REIT's outstanding debt, sometimes referred to as net asset value rather than book value, gives valuable information about its relative valuation. Industry leader Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY  ) currently sports a price-to-book ratio of 0.96 based on its most recently provided figures, reflecting in part investor skepticism about whether the REIT's agency-issued mortgage-backed securities will hold their value once the Federal Reserve stops making extensive bond purchases as part of its quantitative easing program. By contrast, Annaly's non-agency-issued counterpart, Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM  ) , sports a price-to-book ratio of nearly 1.1, indicating a significant premium to the REIT's stated net asset value that could be due to the fact that the Fed hasn't focused its efforts on the alternative securities that Chimera tends to choose for its portfolio.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Because of the requirement to pay out the vast majority of their income, REITs often have extremely high dividend payouts. Mortgage REITs ARMOUR Residential (NYSE: ARR  ) and Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM  ) use leveraged strategies to produce yields well in excess of 10%, while Omega Healthcare (NYSE: OHI  ) and Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH  ) , which specialize in long-term care facilities and other properties catering to older residents, both have yields between 5% and 6%.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Watch For 2015: LifePoint Hospitals Inc.(LPNT)

LifePoint Hospitals Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the United States. The company?s hospitals provide a range of medical and surgical services comprising general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, rehabilitation services, and pediatric services, as well as specialized services, such as open-heart surgery, skilled nursing, psychiatric care, and neuro-surgery. Its hospitals also offer outpatient services, including one-day surgery, laboratory, x-ray, respiratory therapy, imaging, sports medicine, and lithotripsy. As of December 31, 2009, LifePoint Hospitals owned or leased 47 hospitals with a total of 5,552 licensed beds in 17 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. (NasdaqNM:LPNT) operates independently of HCA Inc. as of May 11, 1999.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  The fun wasn't just limited to the big three hospital operators. Lifepoint Hospitals (NASDAQ: LPNT  ) stock jumped 5% on the CMS news, reflecting a $109 million market cap expansion. Likewise, Vanguard Health Systems (NYSE: VHS  ) shares climbed 5%, bumping its market cap up by�$55 million.

3 Stocks That May Be Losing Steam

In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses three stocks that may be facing some major headwinds in the coming quarters. All three stocks have performed very well over the past year or so, and while Matt is a shareholder of two of the three companies and believes in their long-term stories, he thinks the share prices may have gotten a little ahead of themselves.

Editor's note: This video was shot before Intuitive Surgical's (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) recent earnings forecast, in which the stock fell more than 18% in one trading session. The chart presented during the video does not reflect that move.

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Should Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Investors Be Prepared for the Worst?

Photo credit: Flickr/benketaro 

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX  ) is expected to report first quarter earnings on April 24 before markets open. On average, analysts estimated the company will earn $0.49 per share on revenue of $5.18 billion. For the past four quarters, however, analysts have been surprised each time as the company reported higher earnings per share than estimates. This time, however, the company could instead surprise to the downside. 

Copper's tarnish
While Freeport-McMoRan has diversified its revenue into oil and gas, the company's cash flow is still anchored by copper. This year the company is banking on copper prices sticking around $3.25 per pound in order to deliver its expected $9 billion in operating cash flow. The issue is that every $0.10 per pound change in the price of copper will impact cash flow by $370 million. As the copper price chart to the right shows, prices plunged toward the end of the quarter, which could have a noticeable impact on Freeport-McMoRan's earnings in this quarter and on its future guidance.

 

Source: Metal Prices.com

If there is some good news for Freeport-McMoRan investors it's the fact that the prices of its other key commodities were strong in the quarter. Gold prices, for example, surged as much as 14% on the quarter to $1,379 per ounce. While prices weakened toward the end of the quarter, gold prices still remained well above Freeport-McMoRan's guidance. In fact, its operating cash flow is based on $1,200 gold so there is some upside to its earnings thanks to rising gold prices. 

Rising gold prices have provided a nice boost to gold miners this year. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , for example, is up more than 11% so far this year while the market is roughly flat. Goldcorp has also crushed the return of Freeport-McMoRan, which is down more than 12% this year. That underperformance could have been much worse if it wasn't for Freeport's diversification away from copper and into other commodities like gold. 

Will oil and gas save the quarter?
Freeport-McMoRan's is also focused on growing oil and gas production to help it offset copper volatility in the future. This year 27% of its EBITDA is expected to come from oil and gas, however, that's expected to grow over time. In fact, over the next five years the company expects double energy production, with its next boost coming from first production from the Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC  ) led Lucius development that is expected to deliver first oil in the second half of this year. Freeport-McMoRan owns 23.33% of Lucius while Anadarko owns 27.8% and a whole host of other operators own smaller stakes. Lucius is expected to produce about 80,000 barrels of oil per day along with 450 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. It's an important project for Freeport-McMoRan as it will provide a nice boost to its Gulf of Mexico production which averaged 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day last quarter.

Photo credit: Anadarko Petroleum 

Lucius of course won't help Feeport-McMoRan this quarter. It's also unlikely that the company will see as much upside from its other areas like the Eagle Ford shale, which helped fuel gains in past quarters. This is because Freeport is specifically managing its Eagle Ford shale assets for cash flow as opposed to growth. The problem with that is that shale production declines rapidly, making it tough to keep profits flowing. That's why I'm not sure oil and gas will be able to save Freeport this quarter, though it will still help provide a cushion from copper's fall. 

Investor takeaway
Slumping copper prices will certainly have a negative impact on Freeport-McMoRan's first quarter results as well as its guidance for the rest of the year. That being said its product diversification in gold and energy should help take away some of the sting of falling copper prices. So, while investors don't need to prepare for the worst, I wouldn't expect this to be a great quarter for the company.

OPEC is absolutely terrified of this game-changer
Freeport-McMoRan is interested in oil production for more reasons that just diversification. The company knows it can make a lot of money drilling for oil. That said, if you want to make money in oil Freeport-McMoRan isn't the company you want to buy. Instead, you should check out the company that has OPEC terrified. In an exclusive, brand-new Motley Fool report we reveal the company we're calling OPEC's Worst Nightmare.

Top Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ryanair (RYAAY)

Ryanair Holdings plc (Ryanair Holdings), incorporated in 1996, is a holding company for Ryanair Limited (Ryanair). Ryanair operates a low-cost, scheduled-passenger airline serving short-haul, point-to-point routes between Ireland, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and Morocco. As of June 30, 2012, the Company offered approximately over 1,500 scheduled short-haul flights per day serving approximately 160 airports largely throughout Europe with an operating fleet of 294 aircraft flying approximately 1,500 routes. Ryanair sells seats on a one-way basis. The Company also holds a 29.8% interest in Aer Lingus Group plc. As of June 30, 2012, Ryanair's operating fleet was composed of 294 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, each having 189 seats. Ryanair's fleet totaled 294 Boeing 737-800s at March 31, 2012. As of June 30, 2012, Ryanair owned and operated four Boeing 737-800 full flight simulators for pilot training. Ryanair provides ancillary services and engages in other activities connected with its core air passenger service, including non-flight scheduled services, Internet-related services, and the in-flight sale of beverages, food, and merchandise. As part of its non-flight scheduled and Internet-related services Ryanair incentivizes ground service providers at airports it serves to levy correct excess baggage charges for any baggage, which exceeds Ryanair's published baggage allowances. Excess baggage charges are recorded as non-flight scheduled revenue. Ryanair distributes accommodation services and travel insurance through its Website. For hotel services, Ryanair has a contract with Hotelscombined PTY Ltd. (Hotelscombined), which operates a price comparison Website, pursuant to which Hotelscombined handles all aspects of such services marketed through Ryanair's Website and pays a fee to Ryanair. Ryanair also has contracts with other accomm! odation providers that enable Ryanair to offer hostel, bed-and-breakfast, guesthouse, villa and apartment accommodation to its customers. In addition Ryanair has a contract with Hertz, pursuant to which Hertz handles all car rental services marketed through Ryanair's Website or telephone reservation system. Ryanair also sells bus and rail tickets onboard its aircraft and through its Website. Ryanair also sells attractions and activities on its Website. Ryanair sells gift vouchers on its Website, which are also redeemable online. The Company has an contract with Webloyalty International Ltd, which offers Ryanair's customers who have a United Kingdom, German or French billing address a retail discount and cash-back program. Ryanair has agreements, pursuant to which the Company promotes Ryanair-branded credit cards issued by MBNA, GE Money, Access Prepaid and Banco Santander on its Internet site. The MBNA agreement relates to Irish residents only, the GE Money agreement relates to Swedish and Polish residents only and the Banco Santander agreement relates to United Kingdom residents only. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012, Ryanair rolled out handheld Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) devices across its route network. These EPOS devices replaced manual and paper based systems on board the aircraft. The EPOS device enables cabin crew to sell and record their on-board sales transactions. The EPOS device also issues bus and rail tickets and tickets for tourist attractions. The Company also offers reserved seating in twenty-one extra legroom seats on each aircraft for a fee on certain routes. Ryanair provides its own aircraft and passenger handling and ticketing services at Dublin Airport. Third parties provide these services to Ryanair at other airports it serves. Servisair plc provides Ryanair's ticketing, passenger and aircraft handling, and ground handling services at airports in Ireland and the United Kingdom(excluding London (Stansted) Airport where these services are provided by Swissport L! td.), whi! le similar services in continental Europe are provided by the local airport authorities, either directly or through sub-contractors. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ: RYAAY) was also up, gaining 3.41 percent to $48.86 after the company reported FQ3 results.

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) were down 3.16 percent to $14.49 after the company reported a 7% drop in its US sales in January.

• [By Asit Sharma]

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

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-transportation-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html

Is Microsoft's Surface RT $199 Away From Zero?

The stealth discounting of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) struggling Surface RT tablet continues. 

Tech blog Engadget is reporting that Microsoft is allowing school educators to order the portable devices that hit the market late last year for as little as $199 apiece, a seemingly dramatic 60% savings off the $499 retail price.

There are a few caveats here. For starters, the promotion is only limited to school administrators. This isn't the educator and student discount that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) and Microsoft routinely offer to get individual students and teachers to buy into their ecosystems at a slightly discounted price. The goal here is to get administrators of grade schools and colleges to buy the systems in bulk. There are no minimum quantities required on the order form, but the intent is reasonably clear.

The steep markdown is also limited to the 32-gigabyte Surface RT that has been widely criticized because more than half of that capacity is taken up by Microsoft's programs. The actual capacity out of the box is a mere 15 gigs. Is Microsoft merely trying to unload its excess inventory of entry-level RTs? Why isn't it offering the 64-gig tablets that have three times the user storage capacity? 

They're certainly not selling in any configuration. Industry tracker IDC reported recently that just 200,000 of the nearly 50 million tablets shipped this past quarter were Windows RT devices. There must be a lot of these suckers collecting dust. There's no way that Microsoft fathomed commanding just 0.4% of the market that Apple continues to dominate with Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android gaining serious momentum.

Another thing to watch here is that the $499 retail price isn't really the sticker these days. Microsoft is including a touch or type cover with all Surface RT purchases these days, and that's a configuration that will set administrators back between $249 and $289. The discount on the type covers isn't as significant as the touch covers that were supposed to set the Surface RT apart, and that's another indicator that things just aren't going Mr. Softy's way these days.

Cracking the education market won't be easy. Too many schools have already gone iPad, and while Apple would never follow Microsoft all the way down to $199 to grab the country's youth while they're still in their formative years, schools looking to save money on the pricey iOS can turn to Google's cheaper tablets and possibly even the $199 Google Chromebook netbook.

There's also one big knock working against Microsoft here. School administrators aren't dumb. They've seen Microsoft kill the Kin within weeks and the Zune within months. There are no guarantees that Microsoft will keep Windows RT around if it continues to struggle. It doesn't have a choice with Windows 8, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the software giant backed away from RT -- and naturally the Surface RT -- in the near future. That's a far cry from the comfort in knowing that Apple's iOS and Google's Android will still be actively supported in the coming years. 

Microsoft should've been pricing these Surface RT tablets aggressively out of the gate, and now it's getting schooled in a world where iOS and Android are the class acts of the classroom.

Microsoft got hungry too late.

Self-disruption is an art form
Apple has a history of cranking out revolutionary products... and then creatively destroying them with something better. Read about the future of Apple in the free report, "Apple Will Destroy Its Greatest Product." Can Apple really disrupt its own iPhones and iPads? Find out by clicking here.

David Rolfe Comments on Stericycle

Stericycle (SRCL) alone operates globally and generates close to $2 billion in annual revenues. Despite Stericycle's strong business performance during the recently reported quarter, the stock detracted from performance, partially driven by headlines of rumored regulatory action related to one of the Company's incinerators. We believe the issue is not meaningful to results and we would be willing to add to shares on pullbacks related to this. Stericycle's stock trades in the mid to high-­‐teens EBITDA range, but the company routinely purchases smaller competitors for just 3X-­‐6X EBITDA. This accretion is a byproduct of Stericycle's competitive positioning and we believe it paves a multi-­‐year runway for double-­‐digit growth.From David Rolfe (Trades, Portfolio)'s Wedgewood Partners first quarter 2014 commentary.
Also check out: David Rolfe Undervalued Stocks David Rolfe Top Growth Companies David Rolfe High Yield stocks, and Stocks that David Rolfe keeps buying

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Real Time Picks	Buffett-Munger Screener
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The All-In-One Screener	Portfolio Tracking Tool

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12 Reasons Why New Zealand's Economic Bubble Will End In Disaster

New Zealand's economy has been hailed as one of world's top safe-haven economies in recent years after it emerged from Global Financial Crisis relatively unscathed. Unfortunately, my research has found that many of today's so-called safe-havens (such as Singapore) are experiencing economic bubbles that are strikingly similar to those that led to the financial crisis in the first place.

Though I will be writing a lengthy report about New Zealand's economic bubble in the near future, I wanted to use this column to outline key points that are helpful for those who are looking for a concise explanation of this bubble.

View from Mission Bay, Auckland, New Zealand (Photo credit: Jaafar Alnasser Photography)

Here are the reasons why I believe that New Zealand's economy is heading for a crisis:

1) Interest rates have been at all-time lows for almost a half-decade

Ultra-low interest rate environments are notorious for fueling credit and housing bubbles, which is how the U.S. housing and credit bubble inflated last decade. New Zealand's interest rates have been at record lows for nearly five years, which is more than enough time for economic bubbles and related imbalances to form.

Here is the chart of New Zealand's benchmark interest rate:

Source: TradingEconomics.com

New Zealand's three-month interbank rate, base lending rate, and 10 year government bond yield are also at or near all-time lows. Like many countries that are experiencing bubbles in recent years, New Zealand's low interest rates are a byproduct of global "hot money" flows from the United States and Japan, which have both had zero interest rates and quantitative easing programs to boost their economies after the Global Financial Crisis.

Low interest rates in the U.S. and Japan encouraged capital to flow into higher yielding investments in countries such as New Zealand, which led to reduced bond yields and an 85 increase in the value of the New Zealand dollar against the U.S. dollar since 2009. To combat the export-harming currency appreciation and bolster the economy during the financial crisis, New Zealand's central bank reduced its short-term interest rates to all-time lows.

2) Property prices have doubled since 2004

Following the pattern of many nations outside of the hard-hit U.S., peripheral Europe, and Japan, New Zealand's housing prices have doubled in the past decade, forming a property bubble:

Source: Global Property Guide

3) New Zealand has the world's third most overvalued property market

The doubling of New Zealand's housing prices in the past decade far surpassed household income and rent growth, making the country's property market the third most overvalued in the world. New Zealand's home price-to-rent ratio is 77 percent above its historic average and its home price-to-income ratio is 26 percent above its historic average.

10 Best “Strong Buy” Stocks — UA POWR QIHU and more

Top Low Price Stocks To Invest In Right Now

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This week, these ten stocks, all currently earning A’s (“strong buy”) on Portfolio Grader, have the best year-to-date performance.

Since January 1, the price of Under Armour, Inc. Class A () has grown 36.5%. Under Armour manufactures performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women and children. .

The price of PowerSecure International, Inc. () has seen a 39.8% boost since the first of the year. PowerSecure International provides energy management and conservation solutions to utilities and their commercial, institutional and industrial customers. .

Since the first of the year, the price of Qihoo 360 Technology Co., Ltd. ADR Class A () has swelled 44.3%. Qihoo 360 Technology provides Internet and mobile security products in the People’s Republic of China. .

The price of Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. () is up 47.9% since the first of the year. Green Plains Renewable Energy constructs and operates dry mill, fuel-grade ethanol production facilities. .

Shares of Shanda Games Ltd. Sponsored ADR Class A () have risen 50% since January 1. Shanda Games develops, sources and operates Internet games in China. The stock’s trailing PE Ratio is 7.40. .

Since January 1, Illumina, Inc. () has jumped 57%. Illumina develops, manufactures and markets integrated systems for the large-scale analysis of genetic variation and biological function. .

Since January 1, YY, Inc. Sponsored ADR Class A () has climbed 65.8%. YY operates an online social platform in the People’'s Republic of China. .

Since January 1, Forest Laboratories, Inc. () has shot up 66.7%. Forest Laboratories develops, manufactures, and sells both branded and generic forms of ethical products which require a physician’s prescription. .

Since the first of the year, shares of Rentrak Corporation () have soared 68.5%. Rentrak is an information management company serving the media, entertainment, retail, advertising and manufacturing industries. .

Shares of Insys Therapeutics, Inc. () have leaped 81.6% since January 1. INSYS Therapeutics develops pharmaceutical products that target the unmet needs of cancer patients, with a focus on cancer-supportive care. .

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

10 Financial Commandments for Your 30s

Your finances might have felt like a plague in your twenties, but thou shalt thrive throughout your thirties and beyond.

Our list of Financial Commandments for your 20s helped you find your financial footing and establish a solid foundation. Now that you're older and (hopefully) wiser, this list of goals will help you continue to build your wealth and blaze a path to financial security.

See Also: Kiplinger's Basics of Personal Finance 1. Advance your career.

In your twenties, you developed a marketable skill. Now it's time to apply that skill to increase your earnings.

Research potential career paths for workers with your skill. Identify the types of jobs and companies where you might fit. Consider whether you should go back to school for an advanced degree (or if some free online courses can help boost your career). You might even consider moving to a city where you can find more opportunities in your field.

Sharp career turns can be worthwhile but also risky. You'll need a financial plan to keep your budget steady while you're changing course. (See Quit Your Job the Right Way.)

2. Rethink your budget.

Best Defense Companies To Watch In Right Now

You established a budget in your twenties and perhaps accumulated some savings. But your income and expenses, as well as your needs, wants and dreams, will likely change from year to year. Your budget will need to adjust to life changes such as getting married, having kids or starting your own business. "It's a balancing act," says John Deyeso, a financial planner in New York City, who works with many young adults (and is himself 37 years old). "Once you get into your thirties, you have more money and more goals, so how do you spread that around?"

You may need to cut spending in some areas to reallocate elsewhere. For example, when I got pregnant with my first child, I slashed spending on the "going out" line item—and added costs to my budget on a new "baby supplies" line item. (Happy hours were off the table anyway.)

If you've recently gotten a raise (congratulations!), you might consider ramping up your saving for emergencies (see commandment #5) and retirement (commandment #6).

3. Adjust your insurance coverage.

As your assets grow, you may need more insurance to cover them. Maybe you rent a bigger or more private space now. (Learn more about renters insurance.) Maybe you're buying a house (and need home insurance) or car (and need auto insurance). Maybe you have some loved ones who depend on you financially (and you need life insurance to make sure they're taken care of if anything happens to you). All of these situations call for additional protection.

Even if your situation hasn't changed, you should periodically reshop your insurance policies to make sure you're still getting the best deal. To compare auto insurance rates, try InsWeb and Insurance.com. For life insurance, you can check rates at Accuquote and LifeQuotes.com. If you're changing jobs, be sure you understand your new benefits and how your health insurance premiums will differ from those at your old job.

4. Pay off nonmortgage debt.

In your twenties, you came up with a debt-repayment plan. Stick with it throughout your thirties, so you'll enter your forties focused on building your nest egg for the future—not paying off bills from your past.

5. Increase your emergency fund balance.

Remember, your goal is to maintain three to six months' worth of living expenses in your emergency fund. As your income and expenses go up, so should the amount in your emergency fund. Worried that all that liquid cash isn't compounding as it might if invested in the stock market? Consider these ways to earn more interest on your savings.