5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own Right Now

5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own Right Now: CSS Industries Inc (CSS)

CSS Industries, Inc. (CSS), incorporated on November 5, 1923, is a company primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution and sale of seasonal and all occasion social expression products, principally to mass market retailers. These seasonal and all occasion products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper, decorations, classroom exchange Valentines, decorative ribbons and bows, floral accessories, Halloween masks, costumes, make-up and novelties, Easter egg dyes and novelties, craft and educational products, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items that commemorate lifes celebrations. In September 5, 2012, it sold the Halloween portion of its Paper Magic business to Gemmy Industries (HK) Limited.

CSS product provides its retail customers the opportunity to use a single ven dor for much of their seasonal product requirements. A substantial portion of CSS products are manufactured, packaged and/or warehoused in 10 facilities located in the United States, with the remainder purchased primarily from manufacturers in Asia and Mexico. The Companys products are sold to its customers by national and regional account sales managers, sales representatives, product specialists and by a network of independent manufacturers representatives. The Companys principal operating subsidiaries include Paper Magic Group, Inc. (Paper Magic), Berwick Offray LLC (Berwick Offray) and C.R. Gibson, LLC (C.R. Gibson). CSS designs, manufactures, procures, distributes and sells a range of seasonal consumer products primarily through the mass market distribution channel. Christmas products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper and decorations. CSS Valentine product offerings i! nclud e classroom exchange Valentine cards and other related Valen! tine products, while its Easter product offerings include Dudleys brand of Easter egg dyes and related Easter seasonal products. CSS also designs and markets decorative ribbons and bows, all occasion boxed greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, decorative and waxed tissue, decorative films and foils, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, floral accessories and other gift and craft items to its mass market, craft, specialty and floral retail and wholesale distribution customers, and teachers' aids and other learning oriented products to the education market through mass market retailers, school supply distributors and teachers' stores. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Dudleys, Don Post Studios, Eureka, Learning Playground, Stickerfitti and iota. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markin gs, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Seastone, Dudleys, Eureka, Learning Playground and Stickerfitti.

CSS operates 10 manufacturing and/or distribution facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas. Its boxed greeting cards are produced by Asian manufacturers to the Companys specifications. Halloween make-up and Easter egg dye products are manufactured in Asia to specific formulae by contract manufacturers who meet regulatory requirements for the formularization and packaging of such products. Ribbons and bows are primarily manufactured and warehoused in seven facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas. Memory books, stationery, journals and notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items are imported from Asian manufacturers and warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Florence, Alabama. Floral accessories, including pot covers, foil, waxe! d tissu! e, shred, aisle runners, corsage bags and other paper! and film! products, are manufactured in a facility located in Milford, New Hampshire and Juarez, Mexico. Manufacturing includes gravure and flexo printing, waxing and converting. Products are warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Other products including, but not limited to, decorative tissue paper, all occasion gift wrap, gift tags, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, classroom exchange Valentine products, Halloween masks, costumes and novelties, Easter products, decorations and school products are designed to the specifications of CSS and are imported primarily from Asian manufacturers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Gifts makerCSS Industries (NYSE: CSS  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-specialty-retail-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

4 Under-$10 Stocks to Trade for Breakouts

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Large-Cap Trades for All-Time Highs

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside.

Doral Financial

Doral Financial (DRL) operates as the bank holding company for Doral Bank that provides retail banking services to general public and institutions. This stock closed up 5.2% to $2.82 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $2.70-$2.97

52-Week Range: $1.87-$25.00

Thursday's Volume: 569,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 682,426

From a technical perspective, DRL spiked higher here with decent upside volume. This spike higher on Thursday is starting to push shares of DRL within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if DRL manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $3.08 to $3.28 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DRL as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $2.69 or above more support at $2.36 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 682,426 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then DRL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4 to $4.47.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide (QTWW), develops, produces and sells natural gas fuel storage systems and integrates vehicle system technologies in the U.S., Germany, Canada, India, Spain and Taiwan. This stock closed up 5% to $4.37 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $4.16-$4.45

52-Week Range: $1.85-$11.25

Thursday's Volume: 677,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.47 million

From a technical perspective, QTWW trended sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $4 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been uptrending for the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from $3.30 to its recent high of $4.52. During that uptrend, shares of QTWW have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of QTWW within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if QTWW manages to take out Thursday's intraday high of $4.45 to some more key overhead resistance at $4.52 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in QTWW as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $4 or at $3.88 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.47 million shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then QTWW will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from earlier this month that started above $6.

Durect

Durect (DRRX), a specialty pharmaceutical company, is engaged in the development of pharmaceutical products based on its proprietary drug delivery technology platforms in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 3.6% to $1.41 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $1.36-$1.43

52-Week Range: $0.76-$2.69

Thursday's Volume: 194,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 482,060

From a technical perspective, DRRX jumped notably higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $1.36 with lighter-than-average volume. This move briefly pushed shares of DRRX into breakout territory, since the stock flirted with some near-term overhead resistance at $1.41. Shares of DRRX tagged an intraday high of $1.43 before it closed right on that breakout level of $1.41. Market players should now look for a continuation move to the upside in the short-term if DRRX manages to take out Thursday's high of $1.43 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DRRX as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $1.36 or above more key support at $1.30 and then once it sustains a move or close above $1.43 with volume that hits near or above 482,060 shares. If that move gets underway soon, then DRRX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $1.50 to $1.53. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give DRRX a chance to tag $1.59 to $1.66, and a large gap sits above $1.66 that could come into play.

Athersys

Athersys (ATHX), biotechnology company, focuses on the research and development activities in the field of regenerative medicine. This stock closed up 6.1% to $1.73 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $1.63-$1.74

52-Week Range: $1.08-$4.33

Thursday's Volume: 498,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.19 million

From a technical perspective, ATHX ripped higher here with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been uptrending over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.31 to its intraday high of $1.74. During that uptrend, shares of ATHX have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ATHX within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ATHX manages to take out Thursday's intraday high of $1.74 to some more key overhead resistance at $1.82 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ATHX as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $1.50 or at $1.43 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.19 million shares. If that breakout kicks off soon, then ATHX will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone that started just above $2.75.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>4 Big Stocks on Traders' Radars

>>3 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

>>Warren Buffett Is Sick of These 4 Stocks

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com.

You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Canada’s Key LNG Players Form an Alliance

Last week's announcement of Russia's USD400 billion deal to export its natural gas to China has global liquefied natural gas (LNG) players scrambling.

The good news, as we noted last week, is that as staggering as the numbers are, the 30-year contract between Russia's state-controlled OAO Gazprom and the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) will fulfill just 9 percent of projected Chinese gas demand by the time natural gas starts flowing through East Siberian pipelines toward the end of this decade.

And the Chinese are shrewd enough to know that the Russians are only as dependable as current exigencies allow. In other words, they understand the importance of diversification when it comes to meeting the country's critical energy demands. So while Canada's political and regulatory process is proceeding at a glacial pace, the country's relative stability is a welcome complement to its resource riches.

Besides China, the Asia-Pacific region includes other major consumers of natural gas, including Japan, South Korea, India and Malaysia, all of which will need Canadian LNG.

Still, this landmark deal means the LNG market just got even more competitive than it was already. And there's a real possibility that Canada could squander some of its advantages if politics continue to get in the way.

Fortunately, the companies involved in developing Canada's LNG export infrastructure are now even more motivated to do what it takes to expedite the approval process. To that end, the companies behind four of coastal province British Columbia's largest LNG export projects have formed the B.C. LNG Developers Alliance to lobby the government for sensible policymaking, help each other navigate the thorny approval process, and avoid duplicate efforts when it comes to the infrastructure itself.

According to The Globe and Mail, the group's four members are: Petronas-led Pacific No! rthWest LNG, Shell Canada Energy-led LNG Canada, BG Group PLC's Prince Rupert LNG, and the Kitimat LNG project, which is co-owned by the Canadian units of Chevron Corp and Apache Corp.

Three smaller LNG projects are also considering joining the group. The alliance might also team with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers on issues related to drilling for natural gas.

For now, the fledgling group is not quite yet in launch mode. According to a representative from Kitimat LNG, alliance members are still working out the details involving governance, while staff need to be hired, including a leader, who will act as spokesperson for the group, as well as outside consultants.

The companies hope that by working together they'll be able to more easily secure the imprimatur of key constituencies, such as First Nations groups, environmentalists and labor unions, among others. Outreach efforts will include an LNG literacy program to address the sort of misconceptions that have hindered the approval process for other energy infrastructure projects, such as Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline.

And once they receive the blessing of these various groups, the companies behind these LNG projects could also negotiate with the provincial government as a collective entity, instead of on a one-on-one basis. There's a solid precedent for the collective approach, as it apparently helped facilitate the negotiations that led to the development of Alberta's oil sands.

Additionally, as these projects are approved, the alliance will also work toward ensuring a steady supply of skilled labor is available for both construction and operation, as labor shortages have plagued past ramp-ups in the energy sector.

According to a report issued last year by the B.C. Natural Gas Workforce Strategy Committee, LNG exports will require more than 100,000 new skilled workers: about 60,000 to build gas liquefaction plants starting in 2016 and 75,000 workers to operate them after they’! re built.!

Finally, LNG project stakeholders may even broker the sharing of certain pipelines, which would not only save on construction costs, but also help speed the approval process.

Nevertheless, the political and regulatory process remains formidable. And this likely means that only a few of the 14 LNG projects that have filed for export licenses with the country's National Energy Board will ever become operational.

For instance, according to Canada's Business News Network, Calgary-based investment bank Peters & Co Ltd believes that just one LNG export plant will be operational by the end of this decade, with "maybe" two on line by 2025.

AltaCorp Capital Inc notes that Petronas' Pacific NorthWest LNG and Shell Canada Energy's LNG Canada are the two presumptive leaders at the moment, though this could very well change, particularly if the provincial tax and compliance regime becomes so onerous that companies decide it's no longer economic to pursue these projects.

LNG projects must appease the provincial government, as well as the aforementioned constituencies, which enjoy considerable political clout. The B.C. government estimates the LNG industry will create at least 75,000 new jobs in the province, while it hopes taxes and royalties will help fund a CAD100 billion prosperity fund. At the same time, it hopes to allay the concerns of First Nations groups, as well as ensure that these projects are in compliance with stringent environmental regulations.

All of these demands add up. Companies investing in these massive multi-billion-dollar LNG projects must not only enjoy a rate of return that justifies their risk, but Asian buyers of LNG are becoming increasingly adamant that contracted commodities be delivered on time and within budget, as they've seen other developed-world energy projects hit by huge cost overruns.

The energy industry has already balked at the B.C. government's proposed tax of 7 percent on the income from LNG facilities after th! e recover! y of capital costs. That's just the latest tax on top of many others already proposed or in existence. And the resulting thicket of taxes has created extraordinary complexity for which the government still needs to provide clarity. That's not expected to happen until the B.C. legislature's fall session, at the earliest.

That timing is crucial, as Petronas is expected to make its final investment decision by year-end. And while the CEO's tough talk at a Vancouver energy conference last week may be just another negotiating tactic, there's definitely a point at which it will no longer make sense for the company to commit further resources to Canadian LNG.

Canada's federal government certainly is in favor of developing the country's LNG export market. And British Columbia clearly sees significant benefits for the province as well. But the provincial government is going to have to shake off its bureaucratic malaise by moving faster and making more concessions, or it will risk killing the golden goose.

Top 5 Services Companies To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Services Companies To Buy For 2015: Arch Therapeutics Inc (ARTH)

Arch Therapeutics, Inc. (Arch), formerly Almah, Inc., incorporated on September 16, 2009, operates as a life science company developing polymers containing peptides intended to form gel-like barriers over wounds to stop or control bleeding. Arch is a medical device company offering an approach to the rapid cessation of bleeding (hemostasis) and control of fluid leakage (sealant) during surgery and trauma care. Arch's products are in preclinical development. The first product, AC5, is designed for hemostasis in minimally invasive (laparoscopic) and open surgical procedures.

AC5

AC5 is a synthetic peptide consisting of naturally occurring amino acids. When squirted or sprayed onto a wound, AC5 intercalates into the nooks and crannies of the connective tissue where it builds itself into a physical, mechanical structure. That structure provides a barrier to leaking substances, including blood and other bodily fluids, regardless of type of surgery or , based on early data, clotting ability.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  To give credit where it's due, Cytomedix, Inc. (OTCBB:CMXI) and Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have both helped shape the landscape of the hemostasis (bleeding control) market with their products, AutoloGel and TISSELL, respectively. Arch Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:ARTH) has proverbially taken their concepts "up a notch", however, and its direct solution to a problem that CMXI and BAX can't quite solve may make ARTH the hottest trading candidate in the hemostasis space.

• [By John Udovich]

  Laparoscopic surgery or minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a type of surgical technique where operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions while small cap stocks ArthroCare Corporation (NASDAQ: ARTC), EDAP TMS S.A. (NASD! AQ: EDAP), SafeStitch Medical Inc (OTCBB: SFES) and Arch Therapeutics Inc (OTCBB: ARTH) are all in some way focused on aiding minimally invasive procedures. According to a 2012 report produced by MedMarket Diligence, LLC, approximately 114 million surgical and procedure-based wounds occur annually worldwide, including 36 million in the US, and perhaps up to a quarter of these procedures can be described as laparoscopic in nature. Moreover, use of the technique is bound to increase as it reduces pain and hemorrhaging plus leads to a shorter recovery time.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap stocks Derma Sciences Inc (NASDAQ: DSCI), Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: OCLS) and Arch Therapeutics Inc (OTCBB: ARTH) specialize or have a focus on wound care – a medical problem that has plagued mankind since the dawn of time. After all and think back to our Civil War when disease along with infections resulting from improper wound care probably killed more soldiers than actual battles. Even today, infection after surgery or after receiving a wound or injury of any kind is still a constant threat. And then there is the scaring that can result from any sort of invasive surgery or injury. With those thoughts in mind, here are three small cap wound care stocks trying address these problems:

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-services-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Top 5 Transportation Companies To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Transportation Companies To Buy For 2015: Ryder System Inc.(R)

Ryder System, Inc. provides transportation and supply chain management solutions. It operates in three segments: Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), and Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC). The FMS segment offers leasing, contract maintenance, contract-related maintenance, and commercial rental of trucks, tractors, and trailers primarily in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It also offers fleet support services, such as fuel, insurance, safety, administration, environmental management, and information technology services. In addition, this segment sells its used vehicles through 55 company owned retail sales centers, as well as through its Web site, Usedtrucks.Ryder.com. Its customers include small businesses and enterprises operating in transportation, grocery, lumber and wood products, food service, and home furnishings industries. The SCS segment provides supply chain consulting solutions in North America and Asia. It offers di stribution management, transportation management, and professional services, as well as various support services, such as information technology and engineering solutions. This segment primarily serves automotive, electronics, high-tech, telecommunications, industrial, consumer goods, consumer packaged goods, paper and paper products, office equipment, food and beverage, and general retail industries. The DCC segment offers vehicles and drivers as part of a transportation solution in the United States. It combines the equipment, maintenance, and administrative services of a service lease with drivers and additional services, such as routing and scheduling, fleet sizing, safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, technology and communication systems support, and other technical support. This segment serves energy and utility, metals and mining, retail, construction, healthcare products, and food and beverage industries. The company was founded in 193! 3 and is based in Mi a mi, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R), a leader in commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, reported that it has acquired independently owned and operated Euroway Group Ltd. based in Bedfordshire, England.

• [By Victor Selva]

  Required Rate of Return (r)

  The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) estimates the required return on equity using the following formula: required return on stockj = risk-free rate + beta of j x equity risk premium

• [By Damian Illia]

  Required Rate of Return (r)

  The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) estimates the required return on equity using the following formula: required return on stock = risk-free rate + beta of j x equity risk premium

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-transportation-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Cities Where 9% Unemployment Persists: BLS State Unemployment Survey

No one can question that the overall unemployment rate has fallen from a monthly crest of more than 10% at the peak of the recession toward 7% recently. In several states, the figure has dropped below 5%. However, at the other end of the spectrum, the jobless rate remains about 9%, particularly in several large cities.

The areas where unemployment has remained high share one of two features. They were either places where the rise and fall of the real estate markets where fantastic, or ones where old manufacturing industries cratered and will not improve. Whichever is the cause, there is nothing on the horizon that would cause a quick recovery, so the jobless rate in these areas will persist.

Las Vegas may be the city crushed most by the trend of home overbuilding and then underbuying. The jobless rate for the state of Nevada is 9.5%, with Las Vegas accounting for a large portion of the state’s population. After falling over the course of a year, Nevada’s rate has been stuck at the present level for three months. Housing data shows that the market has rebounded some but has stayed sharply below 2005 and 2006 boom levels. To put further pressure on employment in the state, the gaming industry may never return to its previous robust health. Too few people have money to gamble, and there are too many places for the few to go to play.

The employment strength of the manufacturing industry ran across the southern Great Lakes region, from Chicago to Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Most of these jobs were dependent either directly or indirectly on the car industry, and its shows. Unemployment in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville area was 9.4% in July. In Detroit-Warren-Livonia, the figure is identical. The only other former industrial region that is close to matching these is New England’s old manufacturing center of Rhode Island, where unemployment has lingered at 8.9% for the past three months.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2015

There is a persistent myth that the jobs recovery has been fairly even, but this is not true. Over the course of the past year, once heavily industrialized Illinois has added 50,500 jobs. Colorado, less than half Illinois’s size, has added 63,400. This comparison is not isolated. Michigan added 70,300 jobs in the past year. Washington state, barely two-thirds’ Michigan’s size, added 64,900.

The jobs recovery is nothing if uneven.

Top 5 Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Airline Stocks To Watch For 2015: Gogo Inc (GOGO)

Gogo Inc incorporated on December 14, 2009, is a holding company. The Company operates through its two operating subsidiaries, Gogo LLC and Aircell Business Aviation Services LLC. The Company provides in-flight connectivity and wireless in-cabin digital entertainment solutions. It provide turnkey solutions for passengers to extend their connected lifestyles to the aircraft cabin. It operates in two segments: commercial aviation (CA) and business aviation (BA). Its CA business provides in-flight connectivity and digital entertainment solutions to commercial airline passengers through their personal Wi-Fi enabled devices.

The Company provides Gogo Connectivity to passengers to nine North American airlines that provide Internet connectivity to their passengers. It provide Gogo Connectivity to passengers on Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Virgin America, Alaska Airlines, US Airways, Frontier Airlines and Air Tran Airways. It also provide Gogo Connectivity to p assengers on a small number of aircraft operated by United Airlines and Air Canada. As of September 30, 2011, the Company had equipped 1,177 commercial aircraft, representing approximately 85% of Internet-enabled North American commercial aircraft, which were operated on more than 4,200 daily flights.

The Company's BA segment sells equipment and provides services for in-flight Internet connectivity and other voice and data communications under its Gogo Biz and Aircell branded products and services. BA's customers include original equipment manufacturers of private jet aircraft such as Gulfstream, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, NetJets, Flexjets, Flight Options and CitationAir. It sells equipment for three of the primary connectivity network options in the business aviation market: Gogo Biz, through which it delivers broadband Internet con! nectivity over its (air-to-ground )ATG network, and the Iridium and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband sat ellite networks. As of September 30, 2011, the Company had m! ore than 700 Gogo Biz systems in operation and more than 4,600 aircraft with Iridium satellite communications systems in operation, and it has sold more than 100 Inmarsat SwiftBroadband systems. It provides in-flight broadband connectivity across the contiguous United States and portions of Alaska through 3 MHz of FCC-licensed ATG spectrum and its network of cell sites.

Through its Gogo platform, the Company provides passengers with a convenient and easy way to access the Internet, view video content, send and receive email and instant messages, and access corporate VPNs on Gogo-equipped commercial aircraft. It provides Internet access through Gogo Connectivity, on-demand streaming video offerings through Gogo Vision and access to a variety of free entertainment and service offerings, customized for each airline, through Gogo Signature Services.

The Company competes with Panasonic Avionics, Row 44, OnAir, LiveTV and Thales.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO) shares were also up, gaining 8.89 percent to $12.99 after the company reported upbeat Q1 results. Gogo posted a quarterly loss of $16.9 million, or $0.20 per share, versus a year-ago loss of $32.5 million, or $4.77 per share.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO) were 28.56 percent to $13.12 following news that AT&T (NYSE: T) intended to launch high-speed 4G in-flight connectivity service.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO) were 22.52 percent to $14.24 following news that AT&T (NYSE: T) intended to launch high-speed 4G in-flight connectivity service.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com! /top-5-ai! rline-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html

4 Stocks to Trade for Breakouts on Big Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy This Week

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

CECO Environment

CECO Environment (CECE) provides an array of solutions for industrial ventilation and air-quality problems through dust, mist and fume control systems and particle and chemical technologies to industrial and commercial customers. This stock closed up 4.7% to $13.12 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 289,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 79,872

Volume % Change: 233%

>>5 Stocks Ready to Break Out

From a technical perspective, CECE ripped higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $12.97 with heavy upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of CECE within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if CECE manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $13.50 to $13.78 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CECE as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $12.34 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 79,872 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CECE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $14.26. Any high-volume move above that level will then give CECE a chance to tag $15 to $16.

QIWI

QIWI (QIWI), along with its subsidiaries, provides payment services in Russia and the CIS. This stock closed up 6% to $33.45 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 566,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 190,412

Volume % Change: 200%

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

From a technical perspective, QIWI jumped higher here right above some near-term support at $30 with strong upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last four months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $14.31 to its recent high of $34.59. During that move, shares of QIWI have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move is quickly pushing shares of QIWI within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if QIWI manages to take out its all-time high at $34.59 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in QIWI as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $30 and then once it sustains a move or close above its all-time high at $34.59 with volume that hits near or above 190,412 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then QIWI will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $45.

Health

Health (HNT) is an integrated managed care organization that delivers managed health care services through health plans and government-sponsored managed care plans. This stock closed up 4.2% to $30.85 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 1.45 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 633,564

Volume % Change: 119%

>>5 New Trades From Renaissance Technologies

Shares of HNT jumped higher on Monday after Susquehanna upgraded the stock to positive from neutral in a note to clients, saying shares could double in value during the next 12 to 18 months if coverage expansions outlined in President Obama's health care overhaul work.

From a technical perspective, HNT trended up here right above some near-term support at $29.11 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of HNT within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if HNT manages to take out its 50-day moving average at $31.39 and then once it clears Monday's high of $31.49 to $32 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HNT as long as it's trending above near-term support at $29.11 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 633,564 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HNT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $33.61 to its 52-week high at $33.70. Any high-volume move above its 52-week high will then put its next major overhead resistance levels at $36 to $38 into range for shares of HNT.

ICU Medical

ICU Medical (ICUI) is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of innovative medical devices used in infusion therapy, oncology and critical care applications. This stock closed up 1% at $73.64 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 320,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 159,392

Volume % Change: 98%

>>5 Stocks Warren Buffett Is Buying

From a technical perspective, ICUI bounced modestly higher here right off some near-term support at $70 and back above its 50-day moving average of $72.62 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of ICUI within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if ICUI manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $74.93 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICUI as long as it's trending above support at $70 and then once it sustains a move or close above $74.93 with volume that this near or above 159,392 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ICUI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $76 to its 52-week high at $85.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Big Stocks to Trade (or Not)

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

>>5 Heavily Shorted Stocks That Hedge Funds Love

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Do Women Need Guaranteed Retirement Income Products?

Lower lifetime earnings and longer life expectancies put women at a disadvantage when it comes to a secure retirement. One solution: helping them turn workplace retirement account balances into guaranteed income streams for life. Or in retirement-speak: annuitizing defined contribution plans. "Women would really benefit," said Brigitte Madrian, Aetna Aetna professor of public policy and corporate management at Harvard's Kennedy School, speaking at Congressional hearings on "Women's Retirement Security" convened by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D.-Minn.). It would help with the longevity risk women face, and with the increased risk of cognitive decline and the consequent diminished capacity to manage financial assets that comes with aging.

Even before aging sets in, many women are unprepared to manage retirement assets. Madrian said women have significantly lower scores than men when asked about financial concepts such as inflation, compound interest and diversification, and are more likely than men to answer simply: "I don't know."

Hot Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015

One way Sen. Amy Klobuchar is hoping to help shore up women's financial security is with the Paycheck Fairness Act she is co-sponsoring . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

So how can the retirement system help them?

The problem as Madrian posed it is that 401(k) plans are generally not annuitized and it's up to workers to figure out how to try to make the money last for a lifetime. By comparison, old-fashioned defined benefit pension plans, which fewer workers have today, guarantee workers lifetime payouts, and the default payout is a joint and survivor annuity. That meant that a surviving spouse—usually a woman–would continue to get lifetime payouts over her lifetime. But with the switch to defined contribution retirement plans—401(k)s, 403(b)s—there is no such guarantee in the vast majority of 401(k) plans.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Invest In 2015

Last year was a record year for mergers and acquisitions within the oil and gas industry. So far, 2013 is off to a fairly decent start, though we're off from the torrid pace seen at the end of 2012. Instead, we're seeing complex deals and joint ventures taking center stage. Is this a sign of things to come, or are we primed for an M&A boom?

Let's make a deal
So far this year, according to consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, U.S.-based companies have spent $27 billion on M&A, which is slightly ahead of last year's pace of $25.7 deals in the first quarter. Still, we've seen a massive 52% drop-off from the fourth quarter of last year, as many companies sold out before we went over the fiscal cliff. We also haven't seen too many headline-making deals.

One of the largest deals this year, and the one that could make an interesting new trend had LINN Energy (NASDAQ: LINE  ) combine with its affiliate LinnCo (NASDAQ: LNCO  ) to purchase Berry Petroleum (NYSE: BRY  ) in an all-stock deal valued at $4.3 billion. The deal was unique because LINN is structured like an MLP while Berry is a C-Corp. To get the deal done, LINN used its newly public LinnCo, which is a C-Corp and whose only assets are units of LINN, to merge with Berry. Once the merger closes, LINN will trade its units to LinnCo for Berry's operating assets. LINN�believes�this new structure could be the new deal standard as it looks to continue to consolidate mature oil and gas assets in the United States. �

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Invest In 2015: Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL (CBN)

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

• [By CanadianValue]

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

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Invest In 2015: Holcim Ltd (HOLN)

Holcim Ltd (Holcim) is a Switzerland-based holding company that specializes in the manufacture, distribution and marketing of building materials. The Company operates four business segments, including Cement, Aggregates, Other construction materials and services, and Corporate. The Cement segment is engaged in the development of cement and comprises clinker and other cementitious materials, among others. The Aggregates business segment includes crushed stone, gravel and sand. The Other construction materials and services business segment comprises ready-mix concrete, concrete products, asphalt, construction and paving, and trading, among others. Additionally, other construction materials and services segment provides environmental services, including waste management, among others. The Corporate segment is engaged in holding activities and general management. It operates through subsidiaries in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa and Middle East regions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Holcim Ltd. (HOLN) lost 0.9 percent to 68.15 francs in Zurich. Bank of America Corp.�� Merrill Lynch unit cut its rating on the world�� largest cement maker to underperform, similar to a sell recommendation, from neutral. Merrill Lynch cited the company�� exposure to emerging markets.

Top 10 Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2015: Ply Gem Holdings Inc (PGEM)

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc. (Ply Gem Holdings), incorporated on January 23, 2004, is a manufacturer of residential exterior building products in North America. The Company operates in two segments: Siding, Fencing, and Stone and Windows and Doors. These two segments produce a product line of vinyl siding, designer accents, cellular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trim, vinyl fencing, vinyl and composite railing, stone veneer and vinyl windows and doors used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Western Canada. It also manufactures vinyl and aluminum soffit and siding accessories, aluminum trim coil, wood windows, aluminum windows, vinyl and aluminum-clad windows and steel and fiberglass doors, enabling it to bundle complementary and color-matched products and accessories with its core products. The Company�� subsidiaries includes including Ply Gem Industries, MWM Holding, AWC Holding Company, MHE, and Pacific Windows. On July 30, 2012, Ply Gem acquired substantially all of the assets of Greendeck Products, LLC.

Siding, Fencing, and Stone Segment

In the Siding, Fencing, and Stone segment, its principal products include vinyl siding and skirting, vinyl and aluminum soffit, aluminum trim coil, J-channels, wide crown molding, window and door trim, F-channels, H-molds, fascia, undersill trims, outside/inside corner posts, rain removal systems, injection molded designer accents, such as shakes, shingles, scallops, shutters, vents and mounts, vinyl fence, vinyl and composite railing, and stone veneer. It sells its siding and accessories under its Variform, Napco, Mastic Home Exteriors, and Cellwood brand names and under the Georgia-Pacific brand name through a private label program. It also sells its Providence line of vinyl siding and accessories to Lowe�� under its Durabuilt private label brand name. Its vinyl and vinyl-composite fencing and railing products are sold under its Kroy and Kroy Express brand names. Ply Gem Holdings stone veneer produ! cts are sold under its United Stone Veneer brand name.

The Company sells the siding and accessories to specialty distributors (one-step distribution) and to wholesale distributors (two-step distribution). Its specialty distributors sell directly to remodeling contractors and builders. Its wholesale distributors sell to retail home centers and lumberyards who, in turn, sell to remodeling contractors, builders and consumers. In the specialty channel, it has developed a network of approximately 800 independent distributors, serving over 22,000 contractors and builders nationwide.

Windows and Doors Segment

In the Windows and Doors segment, its principal products include vinyl, aluminum, wood and clad-wood windows and patio doors, and steel, wood, and fiberglass entry doors that serve both the new home construction and the repair and remodeling sectors in the United States and Western Canada. Its products in its Windows and Doors segment are sold under the Ply Gem Windows, Great Lakes Mastic by Ply Gem, and Ply Gem Canada brands.

The Company competes with Alsco, Gentek, U.S. Fence, Homeland, Westech, Bufftech, Royal, Azek., Eldorado Stone, Coronado Stone, Jeld-Wen, Simonton, Pella and Andersen, MI Home Products, Atrium, Weathershield, Milgard, Jeld-Wen, Gienow, All Weather and Loewen.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Traders Reserve]

  There hasn�� been a January effect rally in shares of Ply Gem (PGEM). In fact, it has been quite the opposite. Shares are down a whopping 25% during the month. For a stock I rated as on of the Top 10 Sizzling Stocks, such a move is painful, but not disastrous. Sizzling Stocks are meant to be held for the duration of the year and we have 11 months to go. Small-cap stocks like Ply Gem can move sharply one direction or the other.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Installed Building Products��debut follows mixed performance from shares of some newly public building-products companies. Through Tuesday, siding manufacturer Ply Gem Holdings Inc.(PGEM)�� shares were down 39% from the offer price in its $381 May debut. Wood-products maker Boise Cascade Co.(BCC) was up 46% from its $284 million February IPO.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Ply Gem Holdings (NYSE: PGEM) shares reached a new 52-week low of $11.48 after the company reported wider-than-expected Q4 loss and issued a weak Q1 revenue forecast.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Invest In 2015: Boral Ltd (BLD)

Boral Limited (Boral), is engaged in the manufacture and supply of building and construction materials in Australia, the United States and Asia. The Company�� operating segments include Construction Materials & Cement, Building Products, Boral Gypsum, and Boral USA. The Construction Materials & Cement is engaged in quarries, concrete, asphalt, transport, landfill, property, cement and concrete placing. The Building Products segment is engaged in Australian bricks, roof tiles, masonry, timber products and windows. The Boral Gypsum involves Australian and Asian plasterboard. The Boral USA is engaged in Bricks, cultured stone, roof tiles, fly ash, concrete and quarries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Lam]

  Ballard Power (BLD), which designs and manufactures hydrogen fuel cells, slumped 15 percent to C$1.42, the biggest decline since March. The company yesterday said it will sell about 9 million units at $1.40 a unit for proceeds of about $12.6 million. The cash generated will be used to fund working capital, support growth and general corporate purposes, the company said.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Invest In 2015: Amcol International Corp (ACO)

AMCOL International Corporation (AMCOL), incorporated on December 3, 1959, is focused on the development and application of minerals and technology products and services to various industrial and consumer markets. It operates in five segments: performance materials, construction technologies, energy services, transportation and corporate. Its performance materials segment previously referred to as its minerals and materials segment is a supplier of bentonite related products. Its construction technologies segment previously referred to as its environmental segment provides products for non-residential construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. Its energy services segment previously referred to as its oilfield services segment offers a range of patented technologies, products and services for both upstream and downstream oil and gas production. Its transportation segment serves domestic subsidiaries, as well as third parties, is a dry van and flatbed carrier and freight brokerage service provider.

Performance Materials Segment

The Company supplies chromite and leonardite, and operates more than 25 mining or production facilities worldwide. It mines chromite, an iron chromium oxide, from open cast mines in South Africa and transport it to our nearby processing facility. Its primary uses include metalcasting, drilling fluid additive, and agricultural applications. Its performance materials segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and investments in affiliates and joint ventures throughout the world. It consists of four product lines: metalcasting; specialty materials; basic minerals, and pet products. Its principal products are marketed under various registered trade names, including VOLCLAY, PANTHER CREEK, PREMIUM GEL, ADDITROL, ENERSOL, and Hevi-Sand.

The Company�� metalcasting products include blended mineral binders containing sodium and calcium bentonite and organic additives sold under the trade name ADDITROL. I! n the ferrous casting market, the Company specializes in blending bentonite of various grades by themselves or with mineral binders containing sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, seacoal and other ingredients. It also has a line of formulated additives that introduce silicon and carbon in the melt phase of the casting process. In the steel alloy casting market, it sells a chromite product with a particle size distribution specific to a customer�� needs.

The Company�� specialty materials products contain bentonite and synthetic additives offering solutions for consumer and industrial applications. It also offers products for bio-agricultural applications. The markets and applications of its specialty materials products include fabric care, personal care, basic materials and pet products. It supply high-grade, agglomerated bentonite and other mineral additives used in fabric care products. It manufactures adsorbent polymers and purified grades of bentonite for sale to manufacturers of personal skin care products. The adsorbent polymers are used to deliver high-value actives in skin-care products. Microsponge and Poly-Pore are the principal trade names under which these products are sold. Its basic minerals product line supplies minerals to a variety of markets and industrial applications, including drilling fluid additives, ferro alloys and other industrial.

The Company�� pet products include sodium bentonite-based scoopable (clumping), traditional and alternative cat litters, as well as specialty pet products sold to grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and pet specialty stores throughout the United States. It is primarily a private-label producer of cat litter, and its products are marketed under various trade names. These products are sold solely in the United States from three principal sites from which it package and distribute finished goods. Its transportation segment provides logistics services and is a component of its capability in supplyi! ng custom! ers on a national basis.

Construction Technologies Segment

The Company�� construction technologies segment serves customers engaged in a range of construction projects, including site remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well and horizontal drilling. Its construction technologies segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout the world. This segment consists of four product lines: building materials; contracting services; drilling products, and lining technologies.

The Company sells lining and other products for a variety of applications, most of which are directed to preserving or remediating environmental issues. It helps customers protect ground water and soil through the sale of geosynthetic clay liner products containing bentonite. It market these products under the BENTOMAT and CLAYMAX trade names principally for lining and capping landfills, mine waste disposal sites, water and wastewater lagoons, secondary containments in tank farms, and other contaminated sites. It also provides associated geosynthetic materials for these applications, including geotextiles and drainage geocomposites.

The Company�� lining technologies product line also includes specialized technologies to mitigate vapor intrusion in new building construction. It also provides reactive capping technologies and solutions to contain residual contamination, reduce costs associated with ex-situ remedies, and aid in environmental protection. Products offered include Liquid Boot, a liquid applied vapor barrier system; REACTIVE CORE-MAT, an in-situ sediment capping material; ORGANOCLAY, which absorbs organic containments, and QUIK-SOLID, a super absorbent media.

The Company offer a variety of active and passive waterproofing and greenroof technolog! ies for u! se in protecting the building envelope of non-residential constructions, including buildings, subways, and parkway systems. Its products include VOLTEX, a waterproofing composite comprised of two polypropylene geotextiles filled with sodium bentonite; ULTRASEAL, an advanced membrane using a active polymer core, and COREFLEX, featuring heat-welded seams for protection of critical infrastructure. In addition to these membrane materials, it also provides roofing products and a variety of sealants and other accessories required to create a functional waterproofing system.

The Company drilling products are used in environmental and geotechnical drilling applications, horizontal directional drilling, mineral exploration and foundation construction. The products are used to install monitoring wells, facilitate horizontal and water well drilling, and seal abandoned exploration drill holes. VOLCLAY GROUT, HYDRAUL-EZ, BENTOGROUT and VOLCLAY TABLETS are among the trade names for products used in these applications. It also offer a range of drilling products used in the excavation of foundations for large buildings, bridges and dams; these products include SHORE PAC and PREMIUM GEL. Contracting services, which involve installation of products, are occasionally offered to customers for select projects.

Energy Services Segment

The Company�� energy services segment provides services to improve the production, costs, compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in the oil and gas industry. Operating as CETCO Energy Services, it offer a range of patented technologies, products and services for all phases of oil and gas production, transportation, refining, and storage throughout the world. It provide both land-based and offshore water treatment, well testing, pipeline separation, nitrogen, coil tubing and other services to the oil and gas industry. The Company provides its services through subsidiaries located in Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Ki! ngdom, an! d the United States, principally in the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding on-shore area. Its principal services include water treatment, coil tubing, well testing, nitrogen services and pipeline. The Company helps customers comply with regulatory requirements by providing equipment, technologies, personnel and filtration media to treat waste water generated during oil production.

The Company's coil tubing services utilize metal piping, which comes spooled on a large reel. It provide both equipment and operating personnel to perform services ranging from acid stimulation, reverse circulation, cementing, pressure control, nitrogen injection, and other operations that involve pumping fluids into a well. Horizontal wells and shale completions are a large component of its operations. It provide equipment and personnel to help customers control well production, as well as to clean up, unload, separate, measure component flow, and dispose of fluids from oil and gas wells. Nitrogen services are provided in jetting wells that are loaded with fluid; stimulating wells, including fracturizing and acidizing; displacing completion fluids prior to perforating; inflating flotation devices for offshore installations, and pressure testing and other maintenance activities.

Transportation Segment

The Company operates a long-haul trucking business through Ameri-Co Carriers, Inc., and a freight brokerage business through Ameri-Co Logistics, Inc. primarily for delivery of finished products throughout the continental United States. These services are provided to its subsidiaries, as well as third-party customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  In trading on Friday, Basic Materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by 0.78 percent. Top gainer in the sector was AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO), up 9 percent.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch For 2015: Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (NM)

Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. operates as a seaborne shipping and logistics company. It focuses on the transportation and transshipment of dry bulk commodities, including iron ore, coal, fertilizers, and grains. The company controls a fleet of 31 owned vessels and 26 chartered-in vessels totaling 5.8 million dwt. Its owned fleet comprises 14 Ultra Handymax, 11 Capesize, 1 Handysize, and 3 Panamax vessels, as well as 2 Panamax vessels under construction; and chartered-in vessels consists of 8 Capesize, 11 Panamax, 1 Handysize, and 6 Ultra Handymax vessels under long-term time charters. The company also engages in port terminal, river barge, and coastal cabotage operations; and charters its vessels under medium to long-term charters to trading houses, producers, and government-owned entities. In addition, it engages in operating ports and transfer station terminals; and handles vessels, barges, and push boats, as well as operates upriver transport facilities in the Hidrovia region. Further, the company engages in the transportation and handling of liquid cargoes through the ownership, operation, and trading of tanker vessels. It has operations primarily in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. The company is headquartered in Piraeus, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nickey Friedman]

  Navios Maritime Holdings (NYSE: NM  ) has two operating segments: shipping and logistics. Analysts have already begun to raise their profit estimates for 2014, currently at $0.11 EPS up from $0.01 a week ago. Expect that number to continue to rise dramatically. Navios pays a $0.06 per share quarterly dividend and trades around 40% below its book value. It used to trade as high as $17 back in 2007.

source from Top Stocks Blog:ht! tp://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-clean-energy-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html

Why Trina Solar (TSL) Stock Is Soaring Before the Bell

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Trina Solar (TSL) stock is soaring in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected earnings in its first quarter. 

Before market open, shares had spiked 8.1% to $11.20. 

Over the three months to March, the company earned 37 cents a share, 34 cents higher than analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected. However, revenue of $444.8 million was under an estimated $452.55 million.

Must Read: Warren Buffett's 25 Favorite Stocks  STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more. TheStreet Ratings team rates TRINA SOLAR LTD as a Hold with a ratings score of C-. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation: "We rate TRINA SOLAR LTD (TSL) a HOLD. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed -- some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, solid stock price performance and impressive record of earnings per share growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including generally higher debt management risk and poor profit margins." You can view the full analysis from the report here: TSL Ratings Report STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

Stock quotes in this article: TSL 

Best Things to Buy at Whole Foods

Whole Foods Market is often jokingly referred to as "Whole Paycheck" because this natural-foods chain sells higher-priced organic fare and specialty items. Check out with a cart of grass-fed, hormone-free ground beef, organic heirloom tomatoes and artisan-crafted cheese, and you could easily pay twice as much as you would spend for similar conventional items at a grocery store. But is the ritzy reputation always warranted?

SEE ALSO: 11 Things Not to Buy at Warehouse Clubs

Surprisingly, there are deals to be had at Whole Foods. You heard right: Even bargain-conscious shoppers can find well-priced goods at this high-end grocer. That's great news for those of us who are in the habit of making one trip to Whole Foods for splurge items and a second trip to the grocery store for staples such as milk and pasta.

We visited Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Trader Joe's and even Walmart to compare prices on a number of popular products. We also consulted a recent comparison of Whole Foods and Safeway conducted by Cheapism.com. Prices may vary across the nation, but the list below shows that some items are cheaper or the same price at Whole Foods than similar items sold in the grocery stores we surveyed. All are original full prices -- not sale prices. Of course, you may be able to find better deals when items go on sale or when discounts are offered. Download a coupon app to your smart phone, or try one of these strategies to save on groceries without coupons.

Organic Items

Frozen organic yellow corn. A 16-ounce package of store-brand yellow corn was the same price at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Kroger -- $1.99 -- and a buck less than at Safeway.

Organic brown sugar. The price of a 24-ounce bag is the same at Whole Foods as at Trader Joe's and Walmart and about $1 less than at Safeway.

Organic chicken broth. A 32-ounce carton of Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value organic chicken broth was at least 40 cents less than at the supermarkets we checked.

Organic coconut oil. This oil, which can be used for cooking and for skin and hair care, is about $2 less for a 14-ounce jar of the 365 Everyday Value brand at Whole Foods than same-size jars at Kroger and Safeway.

Organic maple syrup. On first glance, the prices of organic maple syrup appeared to be cheaper at some of the supermarkets we checked -- but their bottles were smaller. Per ounce, the Whole Foods brand was the cheapest we found (along with the Trader Joe's brand).

Organic milk. Whole Foods had the lowest price on a gallon of organic milk by far. Its 365 Everyday Value brand was at least $1 less than a gallon of organic milk at several of the other stores we checked. It was priced at an incredibly low $3.69 at the Whole Foods in Nashville, Tenn., that we checked and $4.99 in a Seattle Whole Foods that Cheapism.com checked. (Walmart actually had the highest price, at $6.48.)

Organic peanut butter. At $4.99 for an 18-ounce jar, Whole Foods had the best price for its 365 Everyday Value organic peanut butter. Trader Joe's had the same price for a 16-ounce jar.

Organic peeled carrots. A 1-pound bag of small, peeled carrots sold for 20 cents to 30 cents less at Whole Foods than at the other stores we checked. The exception was Trader Joe's, which had the same price of $1.69 for a 1-pound bag.

Organic popcorn. A 6-ounce bag of organic popcorn was $1 less at Whole Foods than at Kroger and about 70 cents less than a 5-ounce bag at Safeway.

Non-Organic Items

Baguettes. At $1.29 per baguette, Whole Foods beat the price of baguettes at the other stores we checked -- even Trader Joe's -- by 70 cents.

Cereal bars. We found the same price -- $1.99 -- for a box of six cereal bars at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. The Whole Foods' price beat Walmart's by a penny. And a box of eight cereal bars at Safeway was $2.99, according to the Cheapism study.

Extra virgin olive oil, cold processed. At $6.49, a 33.8-ounce bottle of Whole Foods 365 brand olive oil was several dollars less than the same-size bottles of olive oil at all of the other stores we checked except Trader Joe's, which had the same price.

Grains. The prices on some grains -- not all -- sold at Whole Foods were cheaper. For example, the per-pound price of jasmine rice sold in the bulk ("scoop your own") section of Whole Foods was nearly half as much of the price of bagged jasmine rice at Walmart. Whole Foods also had the lowest per-pound price that we found of quinoa and buckwheat.

Greek yogurt. A 32-ounce container of Greek Gods brand yogurt was almost 70 cents less at Whole Foods than the same brand of yogurt sold at Walmart and the Trader Joe's brand.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In Right Now

Pasta. At 99 cents per 16-ounce package, the price for Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value brand pasta matches the price of pasta at Trader Joe's, and undercuts the prices at Kroger and Walmart by a penny.

Salsa. Some varieties of the 365 Everyday Value 16-ounce jars of salsa were priced at $1.99 -- 50 cents less than Trader Joe's 12-ounce jars of salsa and 40 cents less than Kroger's Private Selection salsa.

Shredded mozzarella. Prices on imported and specialty cheeses at Whole Foods can be high. But for $3.99, you can't beat the price on a 16-ounce bag of 365 Everyday Value shredded mozzarella -- even at Trader Joe's and Walmart. An 8-ounce package of cream cheese also costs slightly less at Whole Foods than at the other stores we checked.

Whole almonds. At $5.99 per pound, whole almonds were at least $2 less than at all of the supermarkets we checked except Trader Joe's, which had the same price.

Top 5 Companies To Invest In 2015

Top 5 Companies To Invest In 2015: Pound/Rand(PX)

Praxair, Inc. engages in the production, distribution, and sale atmospheric and process gases, as well as surface coatings in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The company offers atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases comprising carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene. It also designs, engineers, and builds equipment that produces industrial gases; and manufactures precious metal and ceramic sputtering targets used primarily in the production of semiconductors. In addition, the company supplies surface coatings consisting of wear-resistant and high-temperature corrosion-resistant metallic and ceramic coatings and powders to the aircraft, energy, printing, textile, plastics, primary metals, petrochemical, and other industries. Further, it provides electric arc, plasma, and oxygen fuel spray equipment, as well as arc and flame wire equipment used for the application of wea r-resistant coatings; and distributes welding equipment purchased from independent manufacturers. The company sells its products primarily through independent distributors. It serves various industries, such as healthcare, petroleum refining, computer-chip manufacturing, beverage carbonation, fiber-optics, steel making, aerospace, chemicals, and water treatment industries. The company was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Industrial gasses supplier Praxair (PX) raised its quarterly dividend 8% to 65 cents per share, payable on Mar. 17 to shareholders of record as of Mar. 7.
  PX Dividend Yield: 2.08%

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  It doesn't get any more straightforward than what's going on in shares of industrial gas supplier Praxair (PX). Praxair has been bouncing higher in a! n uptrending price channel since all the way back in April, which is creating a buyable opportunity in shares this week.

  The uptrending channel in Praxair has done a good job of defining the high-probability range for shares since that time. Logically, then, it makes sense to become a buyer as close to trendline support as possible; in short, you want to "buy the bounce." And shares are certainly bouncing now.

  Buying off a support bounce makes sense for two big reasons: it's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring PX can actually still catch a bid along that line.

  The 50-day moving average has been a good proxy for support lately, so it's a solid place to put a protective stop if you decide to be a buyer at this point.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Industrial gas maker Praxair (NYSE: PX  ) announced today it is expanding its presence in southern Russia with the acquisition of Volgograd Oxygen Factory, an industrial gas producer with some 2,000 customers across the steel, aerospace, health care, and food and beverage industries, which it says will offer "immediate synergies" with Praxair's newly built air separation plant in Volgograd.

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

Mercedes-Benz S-Class lives up to high price

The S-Class is Mercedes-Benz's top sedan, the big dog, the car that gives lesser models — such as the entry CLA — their cachet.

It is hugely powerful, massively expensive and one of the biggest cars on the road.

It is a car that begs for sarcasm, ribbing, dismissive remarks because of its excesses.

M-B redesigned the supersize sedan for the 2014 model year, which began last fall for the car company. The result is a machine that's worth a sly covet.

You can reasonably argue that any car with a starting price of about $94,000 should pluck the strings of desire. Still, Test Drive has wheeled around in some pretty pricey machines that did not deliver the gratification that their window-stickers implied.

The S550 does.

The S-Class lineup has dropped the gas-electric hybrid and diesel versions, which had been the lowest-price models.

But the S550, now the base model, starts $3,005 less than its 2013 price, and the S63 AMG go-fast version is $1,405 less.

The new car is lighter due to aluminum body panels, which weigh less than steel, and it has generally better mileage ratings and higher engine-power ratings.

But here's our favorite attribute: Despite its size, complexity, opulence and muscle-car-plus power, it makes a sweet daily driver. After a short learning curve, you can operate most features quickly (if not always logically) and ramble about as if you were driving a normal car.

Many big cars and trucks are daunting behind the wheel, mainly because their size makes them hard to park, unpleasant to maneuver in thick traffic and because they often come with an array of gadgets that can be tricky to master.

The S550 seems to skip that, as does its high-performance AMG version, the S63.

No cheating the laws of physics, of course. No matter how agile it feels, it's nevertheless 17-plus feet long, which is 2 feet more than the midsize family sedans that make up the biggest slice of car sales.

But it's more than a foot shorter than ! a full-size crew-cab pickup, so if that's your normal ride you'd think the S550 is a tidy size.

M-B says the S-Class buyer averages 62 years old, is almost certainly a man (83% of buyers), married (87%), has a college degree (81%) and enjoys a median income of $324,000.

Buyers of the AMG, M-B likes to say — with only slight exaggeration — are half as old and twice as rich: 40s and $500,000 to $600,000 yearly income.

The test cars were a $122,895 S550 4Matic (M-B's term for all-wheel drive), and a $161,935 S63 AMG 4Matic.

Both had the latest thing — optional Night View Assist Plus ($2,260). Developed by Autoliv, it uses two infrared cameras up front to spot and alert you to pesky deer, weaving pedestrians and the like. One camera sees down the road and the other is a high-resolution unit for crisp images when you get closer.

The system displays a red rectangle around the person or animal of concern, and if you get very close and the critter's not scampering away, a bright light comes on to shock the person or animal into attentive escape.

You can keep night vision turned off if you find it unsettling or distracting.

On our first night it spied and highlighted a dog walker in an alley we assumed was deserted.

But the black-and-white display is between the speedometer and tachometer on the dashboard, so the driver has to look down to watch the picture. Seems like a natural system for head-up display in the windshield, but M-B believes the image quality wouldn't be sufficient.

Cameras on many of today's cars look behind and, sometimes, to the side, to help you park. A system that looks forward is slightly disorienting, and acclimating to it takes some time. Just don't drive around staring at the night-vision screen, or you'll miss more obvious obstacles and wish you'd have had your eyes up.

Also of note ...

The S550 was easier to like than the more-powerful S63 AMG, which had a coarser feel and was more intrusive when it went through th! e automat! ic stop/start cycle that automakers use to save fuel.

Seats are max comfortable — once you find the control that lets you disable the silliness, such as side bolsters that press in on your thorax to keep you in place during those daredevil, 8-mph turns in parking lots.

The rear seat has so much leg and knee space that it's hard to imagine backbenchers feeling crowded, even with NBA players sitting ahead of them. The outboard seats also power recline and slide (part of the $2,600 Warmth and Comfort package).

There are three safety belts back there, but the middle slot is too skinny for humans.

Heating elements in the armrests and console lid (more of that Warmth and Comfort package) can be activated to complement the configurable seat heaters, if you so set the system.

So-comfy headrests, thanks to detachable pillows from that Comfort package.

The easy-going driving feel can be made more taut via separate "sport settings," one for the chassis, another for the transmission.

Climate control can pump in a scent you choose from among several bottles. We oppose any artificial smells not related to petroleum or leather (and would sign a petition demanding that department store perfume counters be closed as clean-air threats).

Stubby electronic gearshift on the steering column, used across M-B models, continues to feel unnatural, non-intuitive.

Except for the optional night vision, and perhaps the heated armrests, it's hard to find shout-worthy features on the S-Class. But that's proper. A car as well-executed as the 2014 S-Class also should be so remarkably well-integrated.

Bravo, Mercedes-Benz.

WHAT STANDS OUT:

Size: XL

Price: As big as the car

Interior: As nice as they come

ABOUT THE S-CLASS S550:

What? Full re-do of top-end, extra-large, four-door Mercedes-Benz sedan line with generally better mileage, more power, lower prices than previous versions. Redesign includes high-performance A! MG versio! n and Autoliv night-vision option for spotting animals, pedestrians in the dark.

When? V-8 S550 on sale since October; S63 AMG version since November.

Where? Made at Sindelfingen, Germany, (close to Stuttgart) at the company's main R&D/design complex.

How much? S550 starts at $93,825, including $925 shipping. S550 4Matic all-wheel drive, $96,825. Both are $3,005 less than 2013 models. S63 AMG (4Matic is standard), $140,425, down $1,405 from 2013.

What makes it go? S550: 4.7-liter gasoline V-8 with two turbochargers, rated 455 horsepower at 5,250 rpm, 516 pounds-feet of torque at 1,800 rpm. S63: 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 rated 577 hp at 5,500, 664 lbs.-ft. at 2,250. Both use seven-speed automatic.

How big? Similar to long-wheelbase versions of Audi A8, BMW 7 Series. S550 weighs 4,442 to 4,806 lbs. Turning circle diameter, 40 feet.

How thirsty? S550 rear-wheel drive rated 18 miles per gallon in the city, 25 highway, 20 combined. S550 4Matic: 16/26/19.

Test car registered 14.2 mpg (7.04 gallons per 100 miles) in easy-going suburban driving, 22.6 mpg (4.42 gallons/100 miles) on the highway. S63 is rated 15/23/18. Test car registered 12.8 mpg (7.81 gallons per 100 miles) in ordinary suburban driving.

Burns premium; 21.1-gallon tank.

Overall: Extraordinary, from chassis to interior to tech — as it should be for the price.

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG  ) , a mortgage insurance company to lenders and government-sponsored entities, jumped as much as 15% after handily topping Wall Street's earnings estimates in the second-quarter.

So what: For the quarter, revenue fell 18% to $263.9 million, but the company surprised Wall Street by reporting a profit of $0.04 per share. This easily reversed its year-ago loss of $1.36 per share and trumped the Street's forecast of a $0.15 per-share loss. Furthermore, new insurance written jumped 36% to $8 billion from the year-ago period while delinquent loans, excluding bulk loans, dropped to just 10.16% from 12.51% at this time last year.

Now what: The big catalyst for MGIC has been an improving housing market where low lending rates have spurred homebuyers to once again take the plunge. Years removed from the financial crisis, credit quality has also improved for many consumers, meaning a decline in the number of delinquent loans. However, with MGIC still only slowly removing itself from bad legacy loans and interest rates already beginning to rise, what benefits it sees from an uptick in new business underwritten now may be very short-lived. Let's not forget we're talking about a company that hasn't turned in an annual profit since 2006 and recently diluted its shareholders in a big way in order to raise cash and reduce its risk-to-capital ratio, which its own CEO, Curt Culver, suggested would get worse before it gets better. Despite today's surprise profit, this is a company I'd suggest staying far away from.

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: PartnerRe Ltd (PRE)

PartnerRe Ltd. (PartnerRe), incorporated in August 24, 1993, is the ultimate holding company for its international reinsurance group. The Company provides reinsurance on a global basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries, including Partner Reinsurance Company Ltd. (PartnerRe Bermuda), Partner Reinsurance Europe plc (PartnerRe Europe) and Partner Reinsurance Company of the U.S. (PartnerRe U.S.). Its risks reinsured include property, casualty, motor, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, credit/surety, engineering, energy, marine, specialty property, specialty casualty, multiline and other lines and mortality, longevity and health. The Company also offers alternative risk products, which include weather and credit protection to financial, industrial and service companies on a global basis. In January 2013, the Company acquired Presidio Reinsurance Group, a United States-based specialty accident and health reinsurance and insurance writer. In March 2013, the Company announced the formation of Lorenz Re Ltd.

The Company provides reinsurance for its clients in approximately 150 countries globally. Through its branches and subsidiaries, the Company provides reinsurance of non-life and life risks to ceding companies (primary insurers, cedants or reinsureds) on either a proportional or non-proportional basis through treaties or facultative reinsurance. The Company operates in three segments: Non-life, Life and Corporate and Other. Its Corporate and Other segment is consisted of the capital markets and investment related activities of the Company, including principal finance transactions, insurance-linked securities and strategic investments, and its corporate activities, including other operating expenses.

Non-life Segment

The Non-life segment is divided into four sub-segments, North America, Global (Non-the United States) Property and Casualty (Global (Non-the United States) P&C), Global (Non-the United States) Specialty and Catastrophe. The North America sub-seg! ment includes agriculture, casualty, motor, multiline, property, surety and other risks generally originating in the United States. The Global (Non-the United States) P&C sub-segment includes casualty, motor and property business generally originating outside of the United States. The Global (Non-the United States) Specialty sub-segment business include agriculture, aviation/space, credit/surety, energy, engineering, marine, specialty casualty, specialty property and other lines. The Catastrophe sub-segment is consisted of the Company�� catastrophe line of business. The Company reinsures, primarily on a proportional basis, agricultural yield and price/revenue risks related to flood, drought, hail and disease related to crops, livestock and aquaculture. The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for airline, general aviation and space insurance business on a proportional basis and through facultative arrangements.

The Company�� space business relates to coverages for satellite assembly, launch and operation for commercial space programs. Its casualty business includes third party liability, employers��liability, workers��compensation and personal accident coverages written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis, including structured reinsurance of casualty risks. The Company provides property catastrophe reinsurance protection, written on a non-proportional basis, against the accumulation of losses caused by windstorm, earthquake, tornado, tropical cyclone, flood or by any other natural hazard, which is covered under a property policy. Credit reinsurance, written on a proportional basis, provides coverage to commercial credit insurers, and the surety line relates to bonds and other forms of security written by specialized surety insurers. The Company provides reinsurance coverage for the onshore oil and gas industry, mining, power generation and pharmaceutical operations on a proportional basis and through facultative arrangements.

The Company p! rovides r! einsurance for engineering projects globally, predominantly on a proportional treaty basis and through facultative arrangements. The Company provides reinsurance protection and technical services relating to marine hull, cargo, transit and offshore oil and gas operations on a proportional or non-proportional basis. The Company�� motor business includes reinsurance coverages for third party liability and property damage risks arising from both passenger and commercial fleet automobile coverages written by cedants. This business is written predominantly on a proportional basis.

The Company�� multiline business provides both property and casualty reinsurance coverages written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis. Property business provides reinsurance coverage to insurers for property damage or business interruption losses resulting from fires, catastrophes and other perils covered in industrial, commercial property and homeowners��policies, and are written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis. The Company�� predominant exposure under these property coverage is to property damage. The Company�� property reinsurance treaties exclude certain risks, such as war, nuclear, biological and chemical contamination, radiation and environmental pollution.

The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for non-the United States casualty business. This reinsurance protection is offered on a proportional, non-proportional or facultative basis. The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for non-the United States property business. This reinsurance protection is offered on a proportional, non-proportional or facultative basis. The Company�� Non-life business is produced both through brokers and through direct relationships with insurance companies. In North America, business is written through brokers, while globally, the business is written on both a direct and broker basis.

Life Segment

The Company�� Life ! segment i! ncludes the mortality, longevity and health lines of business written primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The Company provides reinsurance coverage to life insurers and pension funds to against individual and group mortality and disability risks. Mortality business is written on a proportional basis through treaty agreements. Mortality business is subdivided into death and disability covers (with various riders) written in Continental Europe, term assurance and critical illness (TCI) written in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and guaranteed minimum death benefit (GMDB) written in Continental Europe. The Company also writes certain treaties on a non-proportional basis in France.

The Company provides reinsurance coverage to employer sponsored pension schemes and life insurers who issue annuity contracts offering long-term retirement benefits to consumers, who seek protection against outliving their financial resources. The Company�� longevity portfolio is subdivided into standard and non-standard annuities. The non-standard annuities are annuities sold to consumers with aggravated health conditions and are underwritten on an individual basis. The Company provides reinsurance coverage to life insurers with respect to individual and group health risks. The Company�� Life business is produced both through brokers and through direct relationships with insurance companies. During the year ended December 31, 2011, one cedant accounted for 13% of the Life segment�� total gross premiums written and one broker, the Aon Group (including the Benfield Group), accounted for 16% of the Life segment�� total gross premiums written.

The Company competes with Munich Re, Swiss Re, Everest Re, Hannover Re, SCOR, Transatlantic, Arch Capital, Axis Capital and XL Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  International insurance holding company PartnerRe Ltd. (PRE) raised its quarterly dividend 5% to 67 cents per share, payable on Feb. 28 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 18.
  PRE Dividend Yield: 2.72%

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Agility Public Warehousing Co KSC (AGLTY)

Agility Public Warehousing Company KSC is a Kuwait-based company engaged, along with its subsidiaries, in the provision of global integrated logistics solutions. The Company is organized into two business segments: the Logistic and Related services segment provides logistics offering to its clients, including freight forwarding, transportation, contract logistics, project logistics and fairs and events logistics, and the Infrastructure segment provides other services, which include industrial real estate airport and airplane ground handling and cleaning services, customs consulting, private equity and waste recycling. The Company operates under the brand name of Agility. The Company�� subsidiaries include Global Express Transport Co. WLL, PWC Transport Company WLL, Agility DGS Logistics Services KSCC and Gulf Catering Company for General, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fiona MacDonald]

  The Kuwait SE Price Index rose for a sixth day, climbing 0.5 percent to 6,851.17 at the close. Kuwait Real Estate Co. (KRE) climbed to the highest level in a month. Agility (AGLTY) advanced 1.7 percent after winning a $190 million UN contract in Sudan�� Darfur region. The Bloomberg GCC 200 Index, which tracks the biggest 200 companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council, fell 0.1 percent.

Top Defensive Stocks To Own For 2015: eLong Inc.(LONG)

eLong, Inc. operates as an online travel service provider in the People?s Republic of China. The company provides its customers with travel information and the ability to book rooms, air tickets, vacation packages, and other travel related services utilizing call center and Web-based distribution technologies. It facilitates the customers to book rooms in approximately 10,000 hotels in 450 cities across China, and fulfills air ticket reservations in approximately 80 cities across China. In addition, the company offers the ability to book rooms at approximately 100,000 hotels outside of China; and provides the customers informative content relevant to hotel and air travel decisions, including tourist and event site destination information, hotel facility information, and photos. eLong markets its services through online marketing, traditional media advertising, co-marketing with established brands of other companies, and direct marketing. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. eLong, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Expedia Asia Pacific Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  eLong (Nasdaq: LONG  ) reported earnings on May 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), eLong beat expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Tom Taulli]

  Strong Portfolio: Expedia has massive scale, with supply from about 200,000 hotels, 300 airlines and various car rentals and cruise lines. And EXPE sites — which�include Hotwire.com, Hotels.com, CarRentals.com and more, on top of the Expedia namesake — get�about 50 million unique visitors every month. Plus, EXPE also owns a majority stake in eLong (LONG), which is the second largest online travel company in China.

• [By Belinda Cao]

  The Bloomberg China-US Equity Index (HSCEI) of the most-traded Chinese stocks in the U.S. added 0.3 percent to 103.21 yesterday. Renren, owner of a real-name social network website, jumped to the highest level since August as volumes surged. Web travel agency Elong Inc. (LONG) soared 20 percent. China Southern Airlines Co. (ZNH), Asia�� biggest carrier by passenger numbers, fell the most in a week and China Eastern Airlines Corp. slid to a three-week low.

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Marine Products Corp (MPX)

Marine Products Corporation (Marine Products), incorporated on August 31, 2000, designs, manufactures and sells recreational fiberglass powerboats in the sportboat, deckboat, cruiser, sport yacht and sport fishing markets. The Company sells its products to a network of 135 domestic and 69 international independent authorized dealers. The Company focuses to remain a manufacturer of recreational powerboats for sale to a range of consumers globally. The Company manufactures Chaparral sterndrive and inboard-powered pleasure boats including H2O Sport and Fish & Ski boats, SSi and SSX Sportboats, Sunesta Sportdecks and Xtreme Tow boats, Signature Cruisers, Premiere Sport Yachts and Robalo outboard sport fishing boats. The Company offers a range of products to the family recreational, cruiser and sport yacht markets through its Chaparral brand, and to the sport fishing market through its Robalo brand.

The Company's products include Chaparral - H2O Sport Series, which is a fiberglass multipurpose runabouts; Chaparral - SSi Wide tech, which is a fiberglass closed deck runabouts; Chaparral - SSX Sportdecks, which is a fiberglass bowrider crossover sportboats; Chaparral - Sunesta Xtreme Tow Boats, which is a fiberglass pleasure boats; Chaparral - Signature Cruisers, which is a fiberglass, accommodation-focused cruisers; Chaparral - Premiere Sport Yacht, which is a fiberglass sport yacht, and Robalo - Sport Fishing Boats, which is a sport fishing boats for freshwater lakes or saltwater use. Domestic sales are made through approximately 74 Chaparral dealers, 16 Robalo dealers and 45 dealers that sell both brands located in markets throughout the United States. Marine Products also has 69 international dealers.

The Company competes with Sea Hunt, Sea Fox, Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Everglades and Parker.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Sink or swim
  Sometimes the best short-sale opportunities are small, under-the-radar companies. One that I feel fits the bill perfectly is fiberglass boat maker Marine Products (NYSE: MPX  ) .

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Lender Processing Services Inc (LPS)

Lender Processing Services, Inc. provides integrated technology, data, and services to the mortgage lending industry in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Technology, Data, and Analytics; and Transaction Services. Its Technology, Data, and Analytics segment offers software systems and information solutions that facilitate and automate various business processes across the life cycle of a mortgage. This segment�s primary applications and services include mortgage servicing platform, an application that automates loan servicing, including loan setup and ongoing processing, customer service, accounting and reporting to the secondary mortgage market, and federal regulatory reporting; Desktop, a Web-based workflow information system that can be used for managing and automating various workflow processes; and other software applications and services that automate and facilitate the origination of mortgage loans. It also provides data and analytics services , such as alternative valuation services, and data and information. The company�s Transaction Services segment offers customized outsourced business process and information solutions. Its origination services include settlement and title agency services comprising centralized title agency and closing services; appraisal services; and other origination services, such as federal flood zone certifications and monitoring services. This segment also provides default management services, consisting of foreclosure administrative services, property inspection and preservation; default title and settlement services; and alternative property valuation services. The company serves mortgage originators and servicers, other financial institutions, investors, attorneys, trustees, and real estate professionals. Lender Processing Services, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Despite economic and political turmoil, equity markets performed well across the board in September of 2013 and over the trailing twelve months. The September gains reversed losses in August and also resulted in positive overall quarterly performance with a number of major indexes moving further into record territory. After disturbing the markets in May and June with comments that they may taper Quantitative Easing (QE), the Fed surprised investors with an announcement that it would not reduce its asset purchases in the near-term. The announcement removed fears that a continued rise in interest rates may stall the economic recovery, as seen by the market's negative reaction to the sharp rise in the 10-year Treasury rate in August of 2013. Investors were also comforted by improving fundamentals both domestically and abroad. The Eurozone may finally be emerging from its prolonged recession and a number of economic reports in the U.S. continue to show progress. Specifically, initial unemployment claims dropped to a multiyear low early in September and the housing market continued to improve, as evidenced by prices rising 12.4 percent year-over year, which along with the stock market's strength, has created a positive wealth effect for consumers. In response to this general economic improvement, consumer confidence increased at the end of September, and the index of leading economic indicators ticked up as well, suggesting that, absent the effects of politics, the recovery in the real economy was continuing. Our portfolios that focus on corporate restructuring (Keeley Small Cap Value, Keeley Small-Mid Cap Value, Keeley Mid Cap Value, Keeley All Cap Value, and Keeley Alternative Value) have all experienced a productive investment cycle with respect to their opportunity sets, and many of our holdings have posted impressive results in recent quarters. Although we acknowledge an improving economy has boosted the outlook for our more cyclical holdings, our research has gu

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (COLR)

Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV, also known as Colruyt Group, is a Belgian company primarily engaged in retail and wholesale of food products. The Company's retail trade division includes the direct supply of products to retail customers operating through brands Colruyt, DreamBaby, BIO-planet, DreamLand and ColliShop, among others. The Company supplies to wholesalers and affiliated independent merchants in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. It also provides printing solutions (photo Fuji Colruyt). Colruyt Group also has a corporate activities division, which combines support services, processes and systems and central administration, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Colruyt (COLR) gained 8.3 percent to 40.08 euros, the largest jump since June 27, 2012. Belgium�� biggest discount food retailer said full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization amounted to 699.8 million euros ($910 million), beating the average 684 million-euro analyst projection in a Bloomberg survey. The company also raised its dividend to 1 euro a share, exceeding the Bloomberg Dividend Forecast of 98 cents.

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (the Bank) is engaged in the provision of a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Bank is a provider of integrated financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance, funds management, broking services and finance company activities. Its operating segments include Retail Banking Services, Business and Private Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, Wealth Management, New Zealand, Bankwest and Other. Its retail banking services include home loans, consumer finance, retail deposits and distribution. Its business and private banking include corporate financial services, regional and agribusiness banking, local business banking, private bank and equities and margin lending. The Bank and its subsidiaries ceased to be a substantial holder in Ten Network Holdings Limited, as of September 12, 2012. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jan Schalkwijk]

  M-Pesa, the system that revolutionized mobile payments in Kenya and beyond, is not capital intensive for Safaricom, but the company has to pay 10% of revenues to Vodafone, which runs the system's technology backbone. Safaricom is planning to take this job on itself going forward, which should increase profitability, though there would be some operational risk if they can't deliver the same level of service. M-Pesa has now spawned M-Shwari, which is the same concept but adds mobile banking services such as the provision of credit. This new service is delivered in partnership with the unlisted Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA).

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  Panasonic Corp., Japan�� largest consumer electronics maker, climbed 6.8 percent after posting profit that beat estimates. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. (067250) jumped 15 percent in Seoul after agreeing to restructure it debt. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the nation�� biggest lender, fell 1.5 percent, pacing losses among the nation�� financial shares on a report the government will impose a new tax on banks.

• [By Michael Ugulini]

  Investors can take away that Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) is experiencing growth in all brands as noted by the company's President of Commercial Operations, Mr. Andy Thomas in an August Earning's Call, "For the first time in CBA's history, CBA's quarterly growth was propelled by growth in all brand families and across all CBA sales divisions. Our overall plus 12% STR growth came from a healthy blend of plus 23% growth for Kona, plus 14% growth for Redhook, and plus 1% growth for Widmer Brothers; all accompanied by the continued expansion of Omission in our international markets."

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Pilgrim's Pride Corporation(PPC)

Pilgrim's Corp. produces, processes, markets, and distributes fresh and frozen chicken products to retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators primarily in the United States. Its fresh chicken products consist of refrigerated (non-frozen) whole or cut-up chicken; and pre-marinated or non-marinated, as well as prepackaged case-ready chicken, which includes various combinations of freshly refrigerated, whole chickens, and chicken parts. The company also offers a range of prepared chicken products, including portion-controlled breast fillets, tenderloins and strips, delicatessen products, salads, formed nuggets and patties, and bone-in chicken parts. In addition, it exports whole chickens and chicken parts to approximately 95 countries, including Mexico, Russia, Puerto Rico, and China. The company was formerly known as Pilgrim's Pride Corporation. Pilgrim's Corp. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Greeley, Colorado. Pilgrim's Corp. operates as a subsidiary of JBS USA Holdings, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Trainer]

  Pilgrim's Pride Corp (PPC) is another one of my least favorite holdings in FVL. PPC is not a bad company. Its return on invested capital (ROIC) of 9% puts it near the median of all the companies we cover. The issue for PPC is its valuation. To justify its price of ~$17/share, PPC would need to grow after-tax profit (NOPAT) by 12% compounded annually. There is not a lot of value in this stock or this "value" index.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Finally, beyond the Dow, Pilgrim's Pride (NASDAQ: PPC  ) soared 22% on apparent speculation that the poultry giant might be next on the chopping block as a target for a big acquisition. The proposed buyout of pork producer Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD  ) by a Chinese company was controversial in large part because of the geopolitical implications of international buyers purchasing U.S. food-industry assets, but business analysts have rightly looked instead at the implications for further consolidation in the industry. With no formal announcement from Pilgrim's Pride, today's move could invite scrutiny from the SEC and other regulators should any sort of definitive buyout bid materialize in the days to come.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  It is not that frequent that an analyst downgrade sparks a 7% drop in a stock. That is why we are focusing on this big analyst downgrade in Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN). BofA/Merrill Lynch downgraded Tyson to Neutral from Buy with a $32 price target. The prior target was $33 on the stock. The ramifications are strong enough that shares of rival Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (NYSE: PPC) traded lower just as though they are the same company.

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: Atlas Pipeline Partners L.P.(APL)

Atlas Pipeline Partners, L.P. engages in gathering and processing natural gas in the Mid-Continent and Appalachia regions; and transporting natural gas liquids (NGL) in the Mid-Continent region. The company owns and operates approximately 9,100 miles of intrastate natural gas gathering systems located in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Tennessee that gather gas from wells and central delivery points, and deliver natural gas to the company?s natural gas processing plants, as well as to the third-party pipelines; approximately 100 miles of active natural gas gathering systems located in Tennessee; and 7 natural gas processing plants with an aggregate capacity of approximately 610 million cubic feet per day in Oklahoma and Texas. It provides natural gas gathering and processing services in the Permian, Anadarko, and Appalachian Basins. The company also owns approximately 2,200 mile common-carrier pipeline system that transports NGLs from New Mexico and Texas to Mont Belvieu, Te xas. Atlas Pipeline Partners, L.P. was founded in 1999 and is based in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Midstream gathering and processing company Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE: APL  ) recently announced a major acquisition related to the Eagle Ford Shale. The company is paying a billion dollars in cash in a deal to acquire privately held TEAK Midstream. With a deal this large its important to take a deeper look to see what it means to Atlas' investors.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Atlas Pipeline Partners (NYSE: APL  ) stands to reap hundreds of millions of dollars from an upcoming public share offering. The company has priced the issue of 10.3 million common units at $34 apiece. Additionally, the offering's underwriters have been granted a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 1.545 million units.

• [By Matthew Skelly]

  However, our midstream MLP only operates in just three states. Atlas Pipeline Partners (APL) only operates in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. And Texas has no state taxes. So, an Atlas Pipeline investor may only have to file, potentially, in Oklahoma and Kansas.

10 Best Quality Stocks For 2015: China Banking Corp (CHIB)

China Banking Corporation (CHIB) is a Philippines-based company engaged in the business as the privately owned local commercial bank in the Philippines. The Bank caters to the Chinese-Filipino commercial sector, retail and consumer segments. The Bank�� market consists of the corporate, commercial, middle and retail markets. Its businesses include deposit taking, corporate and middle market lending, retail loans including mortgage and auto loans, investment banking, insurance products through its subsidiaries, treasury and foreign exchange trading, trust and investment management, wealth management, cash management, Internet banking and mobile banking services, inward remittances through tie-ups with remittance companies and exchange houses in the Middle East, Asia and United States cities. Effective January 17, 2014 China Banking Corp acquired a 84.77% interest in Planters Development Bank. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By pamatlarge]

  Investors looking to short a particular sector can choose from several Global X long ETFs. The Global X China Consumer ETF (CHIQ) concentrates its investments in consumer cyclical goods and consumer defense goods. The Global X China Energy ETF (CHIE) primarily holds stocks in coal, oil and utility companies. The Global X China Financials ETF (CHIX) only invests in financial services companies and real estate companies. The Global X China Industrials ETF (CHII) holds stocks in industrial companies and basic materials companies. The Global X China Materials ETF (CHIM) invests in basic materials stocks. The Global X China Technology ETF (CHIB) holds technology stocks as the core of its investments. All of these ETFs are particularly sensitive to sector downturns and general economic contractions.