Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now

It's been more than three years since the spill at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, and day by day the prospects for oil exploration there seem to get better. A recent report by Wood MacKenzie shows that production in the Gulf went up 6% last year, and another 4% is expected this year. By 2018, the research group�believes�that the Gulf will be back to its pre-Macondo-spill high in�production�of 2 million barrels per day. �

For this to happen, though, exploration and production companies will need to spend a pretty penny. Between now and 2015, E&P companies are expected to spend somewhere around $20 billion. In this video, fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe looks at what this could mean for oil services companies that specialize in offshore regions such as the Gulf.

Top 5 Financial Stocks To Own For 2015: China Biologic Products Inc.(CBPO)

China Biologic Products, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of human plasma-based biopharmaceutical products to hospitals and inoculation centers in the People?s Republic of China. It offers Human Albumin for the treatment of shock caused by blood loss trauma or burn; raised intracranial pressure caused by hydrocephalus or trauma; oedema or ascites caused by hepatocirrhosis and nephropathy; and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, as well as for the prevention and treatment of low-density-lipoproteinemia. The company also offers Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin for the prevention of measles and contagious hepatitis; Human Immunoglobulin and Human Immunoglobulin for Intravenous Injection products for original immunoglobulin deficiency, secondary immunoglobulin deficiency, and auto-immune deficiency diseases; and Thymopolypeptides Injection that is used in the treatment of various original and sec ondary T-cell deficiency syndromes, auto-immune deficiency diseases, and a range of cell immunity deficiency diseases, as well as assists in the treatment for tumors. In addition, it provides Human Rabies Immunoglobulin primarily for passive immunity from bites or claws by rabies or other infected animals; Human Tetanus Immunoglobulin for the prevention and therapy of tetanus; and Placenta Polypeptide that is used for the treatment of cell immunity deficiency diseases, viral infection, and leucopenia caused by various reasons, as well as assists in postoperative heating. The company?s products under development comprise Human Prothrombin Complex Concentrate; Human Coagulation Factor VIII; Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (PH4) for Intravenous Injection; Human Fibrinogen; Varicella Hyperimmune Globulins; and Human Immunoglobulin for Intravenous Injection. The company is based in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Healthcare sector moved up 0.39 percent, with Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KERX) moving up 15 percent to gain the top spot. Top gainers in the sector included China Biologic Products (NASDAQ: CBPO), with shares up 7.4 percent, and Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE: LH), with shares up 5.5 percent.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Healthcare sector moved up 0.39 percent, with Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KERX) moving up 15 percent to gain the top spot. Top gainers in the sector included China Biologic Products (NASDAQ: CBPO), with shares up 7.4 percent, and Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE: LH), with shares up 5.5 percent.

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now: Stericycle Inc (SRCL)

Stericycle, Inc., incorporated on March 21, 1989, is in the business of managing regulated waste and providing an array of related and complementary services. The Company operates in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The regulated waste services the Company provides include medical waste disposal, its Steri-Safe medical waste and compliance program, its Clinical Services program, its Bio Systems reusable sharps disposal management services, pharmaceutical waste disposal, and hazardous waste disposal. In addition to the Company's regulated waste services, the Company offers regulated recall and returns management services, patient communication services, and medical safety products. The Company's regulated recall and returns management services consist of a number of solutions for a variety of businesses but consist primarily of managing the recall, withdrawal or return of expired or recalled products and pharmaceuticals. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it completed 41 acquisitions, of which 17 were domestic businesses and 24 were international businesses in Latin America, Europe, and Japan. In August 2013, Stericycle Inc acquired Eclipse Marketing.

The Company also provides communication services to healthcare providers to improve office productivity and communications with patients. As of December 31, 2012, the Company's worldwide networks included a total of 153 processing facilities, 141 transfer sites, and 64 recall and returns or communication services facilities. The Company serves approximately 541,000 customers worldwide, of which approximately 16,500 are large-quantity generators, such as hospitals, blood banks and pharmaceutical manufacturers, and approximately 524,500 are small-quantity generators, such as outpatient clinics, medical and dental offices, long-term and sub-acute care facilities, veterinary offices, municipalities and retail pharmacies. For large-quantity generat! ors of regulated waste such as hospitals and for pharmaceutical companies and distributors, the Company offers its regulated waste management services; its Bio Systems reusable sharps disposal management services; its pharmaceutical waste services; its Integrated Waste Stream Solutions (IWSS) program; a variety of products and services for infection control; its regulated recall and returns management services for expired or recalled products and pharmaceuticals, and variety of patient communication services. For small-quantity generators of regulated waste such as doctors' offices or retail pharmacies, the Company offers its Steri-Safe OSHA, HIPAA compliance, and clinical services programs.

The Company supplies specially designed reusable leak-resistant and puncture-resistant plastic containers to most of its large-quantity customers and many of its larger small-quantity customers. The Company collects containers or corrugated boxes of regulated waste from its customers depending upon customer requirements, contract terms and volume of waste generated. The waste is then transported directly to one of the Company's processing facilities or to one of its transfer stations where it is combined with other regulated waste and transported to a processing facility. The Company collects some expired or recalled products, but more typically, customer ships them directly to its processing facilities. Upon arrival at a processing facility, containers or boxes of regulated waste are typically scanned to verify that they do not contain any unacceptable substances like radioactive material. The regulated waste is then processed using one of the Company's various treatment or processing technologies. Upon completion of the particular process, the resulting waste or incinerator ash is transported for resource recovery, recycling or disposal in a landfill owned by an unaffiliated third party. The Company provides complete documentation to its customers for all regulated waste that the Company collect in ac! cordance ! with applicable regulations and customer requirements.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  Stericycle (SRCL) alone operates globally and generates close to $2 billion in annual revenues. Despite Stericycle's strong business performance during the recently reported quarter, the stock detracted from performance, partially driven by headlines of rumored regulatory action related to one of the Company's incinerators. We believe the issue is not meaningful to results and we would be willing to add to shares on pullbacks related to this. Stericycle's stock trades in the mid to high-颅��eens EBITDA range, but the company routinely purchases smaller competitors for just 3X-颅��X EBITDA. This accretion is a byproduct of Stericycle's competitive positioning and we believe it paves a multi-颅��ear runway for double-颅��igit growth.From David Rolfe (Trades, Portfolio)'s Wedgewood Partners first quarter 2014 commentary.
  Also check out: David Rolfe Undervalued Stocks David Rolfe Top Growth Companies David Rolfe High Yield stocks, and Stocks that David Rolfe keeps buying
  Currently 0.00/512345

  Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes)

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now: Bovis Homes Group PLC (BVS)

Bovis Homes Group PLC is a builder of traditional homes in England and Wales. The Company�� business involves the designing, building and selling of new homes for both private and public sector customers. The Company delivers projects such as Land acquisition, Planning, Legal, Design, Surveying, Engineering, Purchasing, Construction, Sales and marketing, Public relations and Customer service. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Bovis Homes Group Plc (BVS) climbed 4 percent to 790 pence. Liberum Capital Ltd. raised its rating on the housebuilder to buy from hold. Persimmon Plc (PSN), the U.K.�� largest residential property developer, gained 2.5 percent to 1,255 pence.

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in mining, milling, processing, and marketing molybdenum products in the United States and Canada. The company?s principal properties include the Thompson Creek Mine and mill in Idaho; a metallurgical roasting facility in Langeloth, Pennsylvania; and a joint venture interest in the Endako Mine, mill, and roasting facility in British Columbia. It also holds interests in development projects comprising the Davidson molybdenum property and the Berg copper-molybdenum-silver property located in northern British Columbia; the Howard?s Pass property, a lead and zinc project situated in the Yukon territory-northwest territories border; and the Maze Lake property, a gold project located in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut. The company produces molybdenum products, primarily molybdic oxide and ferromolybdenum, as well as soluble technical oxide, pure molybdenum tri-oxide, and high purity molybdenum disulfide. As o f December 31, 2010, its consolidated recoverable proven and probable ore reserves totaled 462.2 million pounds of contained molybdenum in the Thompson Creek Mine and the Endako Mine. The company was formerly known as Blue Pearl Mining Ltd. and changed its name to Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. in May 2007. Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Monday morning, the basic materials sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from AK Steel Holding (NYSE: AKS) and Thompson Creek Metals Company (NYSE: TC).

• [By Jim Jubak]

  The stock market liked what it heard Wednesday, August 7, from Thompson Creek Metals (TC) after the close in New York. Second quarter adjusted net earnings of 8 cents a share crushed the Wall Street consensus of a penny a share. Revenue climbed 3.8% to $117.8 million versus expectations for revenue of just $1.3.8 million. The company also said that its new Mt. Milligan mine is on schedule with a start-up for the concentrator expected this month, with first ore-feed by mid-August. The company said it expects commercial production to begin in the fourth quarter of 2013, with production ramping to full capacity over the next twelve months.

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now: Technip (TEC)

Technip, formerly known as Technip SA, is a France-based company that is engaged in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry, and holds a portfolio of solutions and technologies. The Company operates in three segments: Subsea, Onshore and Offshore. Its main markets include onshore plants, offshore platforms and subsea construction. The Company is present in around 48 countries, and had industrial assets on continents and operates a fleet of vessels for pipeline installation and subsea construction. It operates several subsidiaries, such as AETech, EPD, Subocean group and Front End Re, among others. On August 31, 2012, the Company announced the completion of the Stone & Webster process technologies and associated oil and gas engineering capabilities acquisition from The Shaw Group Inc. In March 13, 2013, it acquired Ingenium AS, an offshore engineering and services company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Technip SA (TEC) sank 15 percent, its biggest weekly retreat in more than two years after third-quarter profit missed the average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg. The oilfield-services provider also cut full-year forecasts for the operating margin and sales at its subsea unit, meaning total sales will miss an earlier target of as much as 9.5 billion euros.

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now: Electro Scientific Industries Inc (ESIO)

Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. (ESI) incorporated on April 19, 1949, is a supplier of laser-based manufacturing solutions for the microtechnology industry. The Company operates high-technology manufacturing equipment, which consists of products that are organized in three groups: interconnect & microfabrication, semiconductor and components. The Company�� laser systems enable precise structuring of micron to submicron features in components and devices which are used in a wide variety of end products in the consumer electronics, computer, semiconductor, communications and other markets. Its laser microfabrication systems allow microelectronics, semiconductor, and other microtechnology manufacturers to physically alter select device features during high-volume production. In June 2012, it acquired Eolite Systems.

The Company�� laser-based systems improve production yields or enable improved performance for flexible and rigid high density interconnect printed circuit boards, semiconductor devices, light emitting diodes (LEDs), advanced semiconductor packaging, touch-panel glass, flat panel liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and other high value components. Additionally, it produces high-capacity test and inspection equipment that is critical to control process during the production of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). Its equipment ensures that each component meets the electrical and physical tolerances required to perform properly. Lastly, it produces systems that use photonic technology to perform precision inspection for control and defect identification. The Company�� Interconnect & Microfabrication Group products address an expanding number of applications and materials on a broad set of substrates, including panels, continuous-feed reels, and discrete three dimensional components or devices.

Interconnect Via Drilling

For electrical interconnect applications, The Company�� laser via micro fabrication systems target applications that require the ! highest accuracy and smallest via (hole) dimensions to create electrical connections between layers in flexible circuits, high-density circuit boards and IC packages. The Company�� microvia drilling technology addresses the rapidly changing applications in IC packages, multichip modules and HDI circuit boards. Its ultraviolet (UV) laser processing systems employ technology in lasers, optics and motion control.

Advanced Microfabrication

The Company offers several platforms that enable customers to perform precision drilling, scribing, cutting, etching, routing or marking on many different types of materials and devices including glass, metal, plastic, paint and ceramics. It also offer laser ablation systems that ablate material for identification and analysis applications, including forensics, mineral analysis and research.

Semiconductor Group (SG)

The Company�� Semiconductor Group products address multiple applications that utilize laser energy to process materials on wafer-based substrates. This includes traditional silicon wafers, LEDs wafers, and new ultrathin silicon wafers used in the three-dimensional (3D) packaging applications. Semiconductor Memory Yield Improvement Systems includes semiconductor memory yield improvement products are designed to cost-effectively enable post-repair yield improvements in the manufacturing of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) memory devices.

3D Semiconductor Wafer Processing

The 3D chip packaging technologies is driving the need for silicon wafers to become thinner in order to allow for stacking of wafers within the same packaging geometry. As wafers become thinner, they become more challenging to cut into discrete chips using traditional mechanical saws. The Company�� model 9900 uses a laser to dice ultra-thin silicon wafers, those with a thickness of 50 microns or below, and to singulate interposers. In addition, this platform can be used to scribe next generation thin film ! materials! that lend themselves to laser processing.

LED Wafer Scribing

The Company�� AccuScribe line of sapphire wafer scribing systems is a key component in the manufacture of LEDs. During production, LEDs are created on a thin wafer of synthetic sapphire crystal that must be broken into individual units at the end of the process. The brittle nature of the sapphire wafer requires that it be carefully cut in order to prevent unwanted fractures, yield losses, and lower light output when the wafer is broken apart into discrete LEDs. The AccuScribe systems use a laser to scribe the wafer with a precise groove between individual LEDs. When mechanical force is applied to the wafer, it fractures along these grooves and allows the wafer to be split apart into discrete LEDs. These systems are capable of scribing both standard and high brightness designs for general illumination applications. In addition, this platform can be used to address singulation of various LED packaging materials.

LCD Repair

The Comapny's laser LCD repair systems are critical to improving yields in the manufacture of flat panel displays. During production, individual pixels of a display may develop electrical defects that result in no light emission or the emission of only a steady white light. To correct these defects, flat panel display producers employ a laser repair process to isolate the electrical defects during production by cutting the inputs to the pixel. Its laser systems are primarily sold to the manufacturers of LCD repair tools as a key component of their products.

Semiconductor Systems

The products include industry wafer marking equipment, wafer and circuit trim tools, and LCD repair tools. Wafer marking equipment is used for serialization and wafer identification by both manufacturers of semiconductor wafers and within semiconductor fabs. Wafer and circuit trim tools are laser systems that adjust the electrical performance of semiconductor devic! es or hyb! rid circuits by removing a precise amount of material from one or more circuit components.

Components Group (CG)

The Company designs and manufactures products that combine high-speed small parts handling technology with real-time control systems to provide automated, cost-effective inspection solutions for manufacturers of MLCC and other passive components such as capacitor arrays, inductors, resistors, varistors and hybrid circuits. These components, produced in quantities of trillions of units per year, process analog, digital and high-frequency signals and are used in all electronic products.

The Company provides several types of products and solutions in this market. Its MLCC test systems employ high-speed handling and positioning techniques to precisely load, test and sort MLCCs based on their electrical energy storage capacity, or capacitance, and their electrical energy leakage, or dissipation factor. Its 35XX series is the productive tester. Its 3510 model enables high speed testing of the industry�� smallest metric 0402 capacitors used primarily in advanced cell phone and tablet designs. It also produces consumable products, such as carrier plates and termination belts, both of which are used to hold MLCCs during the manufacturing and testing process.

The Company competes with Mechanics, Ltd., LPKF Laser & Electronics AG, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Orbotech Ltd., InnoLas Systems GmbH, DISCO Corporation, Laser Solutions, Inc., Quantel USA, Inc., Humo Laboratory, Ltd. and HOYA Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Electro Scientific (NASDAQ: ESIO  ) popped briefly today, up by 11% at the high, after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter totaled $39.6 million, which translated into a non-GAAP net loss of $1 million, or $0.03 per share. Both figures came out better than expected, as consensus estimates were calling for $38.1 million in revenue and an adjusted loss of $0.07 per share.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Electro Scientific Industries (NASDAQ: ESIO  ) has a new division under its corporate wing. The company has inked a definitive agreement to purchase the semiconductor systems unit of GSI Group (NASDAQ: GSIG  ) . The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now

Investors hoping to take advantage of the planned Five Below (NASDAQ: FIVE  ) secondary share issue will have to wait for another day. The company announced that, "in light of current capital market conditions," the offering has been postponed; it did not specify whether it has been rescheduled.

A group of selling shareholders, including members and associates of the firm's management team and board of directors, were to offer just over 8.56 million shares in the underwritten issue. Additionally, it was expected that the company's underwriters were to be granted a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 1.28 million shares.

In the press release originally heralding the sale, Five Below stressed it is not to receive any monies from the offering, as it is not the selling party.

The joint book-running managers of the offering are Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS  ) , Barclays' (NYSE: BCS  ) Capital unit, Leucadia's Jefferies, and the Securities arms of Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS  ) and Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB  ) .

5 Best Restaurant Stocks To Buy For 2015: Sensio Technologies Inc (PSN)

SENSIO Technologies Inc. (SENSIO) develops and markets stereoscopic technologies for the electronic consumer, digital broadcasting and digital cinema markets. The Company focuses on three dimensional (3D) video, develops and markets stereoscopic (3D) digital compression, decompression, and display-formatting technologies. Its solutions include content creators, games developers, broadcasters, specialty channels and digital cinemas. Its flagship technology, SENSIO 3D, allows distribution of 3D content through conventional two dimensional (2D) broadcast networks (cable, satellite, Internet Protocol) and playback on any 3D display device, as well as home theatre and digital cinema projectors. The Company operates in North America, Europe, Middle East and Oceania. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Bovis Homes Group Plc (BVS) climbed 4 percent to 790 pence. Liberum Capital Ltd. raised its rating on the housebuilder to buy from hold. Persimmon Plc (PSN), the U.K.�� largest residential property developer, gained 2.5 percent to 1,255 pence.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Countrywide Plc dropped 4.9 percent as Alchemy Partners LLP sold a 5.9 percent stake in the real estate broker. A gauge of London-listed mining stocks fell 1.7 percent, paring its best quarter since 2010. Persimmon Plc (PSN) led housebuilders lower after the U.K. government said it will carry out annual checks on its home-buying-assistance program amid criticism it may lead to excessive real estate prices.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: Makism 3D Corp (MDDD)

Makism 3D Corp., incorporated on May 4 2010, is a three dimensional (3D) printer manufacturing company. The Company produces consumer and professional grade 3D printers. The Company�� flagship product, branded as the Wideboy family of printers, offers packaging designed to fit any office or professional space.

Its 3D printers utilize British and German engineered components. Its printers are assembled in Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, as it turns out, the snake that bit L&L Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:LLEN) and Sovereign Lithium Inc. (OTCMKTS:SLCO) didn't end up biting Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD). And in retrospect, that's probably how it should be. Indeed, the fact that MDDD didn't even come close to suffering the same fate as SLCO or LLEN did may be the biggest assurance Makism 3D fans could hope for that the company is everything it says it is.

• [By John Udovich]

  We are two trading weeks into the new year and the 3D printing sector along with 3D printer stocks like ExOne Co (NASDAQ: XONE), Stratasys, Ltd (NASDAQ: SSYS),�3D Systems Corporation (NYSE: DDD) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCBB: MDDD) have been printing their share of red ink for investors���despite the fact that 3D printing got� plenty of attention at�last week's�Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas while the�broader stock market rally has largely held up. With that in mind, here is the latest 3D printer stock or sector news you need to be aware of:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  In retrospect, their pullbacks come as no real surprise. Neither Voxeljet AG (NYSE:VJET) nor Camtek LTD. (NASDAQ:CAMT) saw their shares soar on any news that was meaningfully sustainable, and after the "shoot first, ask questions later" market had a chance to start asking questions, it became clear that - even with the largest of glimmers of corporate progress unveiled a few weeks ago - CAMT and VJET both had been bid up more on hype and less on substance. Meanwhile (and this could be bitterly ironic to some), a small cap play in the same 3D printing space that (1) didn't beat the daylights out of its hype-drum, and (2) is actually much closer to bringing a revenue-bearing product to the market [per today's news - more on that below] isn't getting anywhere near the same attention. That company? Makism 3D Corp. (OTCBB:MDDD). The good news is, MDDD finally looks like it's revving its engine, while Camtek and Voxeljet AG shares continue to deteriorate.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  They say the great ones withstand the test of time. If that's true of stocks (and it is), then it's becoming increasingly safer to say Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD) is one of the great ones within the 3D printing world. No, it's neither as big nor as prolific as 3D printer names like 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) or Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS). Then again, everything is relative; MDDD may well be packing more of a punch for its investors than SSYS or DDD have in a long time.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: Emulex Corp (ELX)

Emulex Corporation (Emulex) is a provider of a range of network convergence solutions that connect servers, storage, and networks within the data center. The Company�� product portfolio includes Host Bus Adapters (HBAs), Converged Network Adapters (CNAs), Network Interface Cards (NICs), mezzanine cards for blade servers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), embedded storage bridges, routers, and switches, Input/Output Controllers (IOCs), and connectivity management solutions. The Company is a designer, developer and supplier of HBAs, CNAs, NICs, mezzanine cards, Pass-Through Modules (PTM), embedded storage switches, embedded bridges, embedded routers, I/O ASICs, switch-on-a-chip (SOC) ASICs, Internet Baseboard management controllers (iBMC��) and connectivity management solutions. On August 25, 2010, Emulex acquired ServerEngines Corporation. In February 2013, Emulex acquired 89% ownership of Endace Ltd. In April 2013, Emulex Corp announced the completion of acquisition of Endace Limited.

Host Server Products

The Company�� Host Server Products include the development of chip level and board level server-based I/O adapters, including HBAs, Universal Converged Network Adapters (UCNAs), and mezzanine cards that connect servers and storage to networks using a range of products. Its products support Internet protocol (IP) and storage networking, including transmission control protocol (TCP)/IP, Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI), network attached storage (NAS), Fibre Channel, and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). Host Server Products (HSP) include LightPulse HBAs, OneConnecttm UCNAs, custom form factor solutions for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) blade servers, and ASICs. These products enable servers to connect to local area networks (LANs), storage area networks (SANs), and NAS by offloading data communication processing tasks from the server as information is delivered and sent to the network.

Its Fibre Channel H! BAs connect host computers to a Fibre Channel network. The Company�� adapters support a range of operating systems and host computer system interfaces, including Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) and PCI Express-based platforms. Its Fibre Channel HBA offerings include single, dual, and quad port adapters at throughput speeds of two gigabyte per second, four gigabyte per second, and eight gigabyte per second for use in enterprise, large, medium, and small-sized organizations. The Emulex OneConnect UCNA is a single chip 10 gigabyte per second Ethernet platform designed to address the challenges of data center networks. The Emulex UCNA platform enables data center managers to consolidate multiple one gigabyte per second Ethernet links on to a single 10 gigabyte per second Ethernet link. Emulex HBAs and UCNAs are based upon its internally developed Fibre Channel and Ethernet IOCs. In addition, these IOCs can be used in embedded I/O environments, such as disk and tape storage arrays and storage appliances. Revenues from these applications are included in the Company�� Embedded Storage Products.

Embedded Storage Products

The Company�� Embedded Storage Products include the development of chip level, board level, and box level array based products that are deployed inside storage arrays, tape libraries, and other storage products to provide connectivity and protocol emulation functions. These products include embedded IOCs, I/O Processors (IOPs), SOCs, embedded bridges (FC/SATA/SAS), and embedded routers (FC/SATA/SAS). Emulex offers a range of integrated, embedded storage networking products for enterprise storage systems that deliver improved performance, reliability and storage connectivity. InSpeed is an advanced switching architecture that results in a single chip capable of handling multiple Fibre Channel devices operating at two, four, or eight gigabyte per second speeds. Its embedded router and bridge products consist of chip and firmware solutions.

! The Compa! ny competes with QLogic Corporation, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., Broadcom Corporation, Intel Corporation, Chelsio Communications, Inc., Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., LSI, Marvell Technology Group Ltd., Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. and PMC-Sierra, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Mid cap networking solutions company Brocade Communications Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: BRCD) has pretty much been a sleeper for investors since the dot.com bust, but that has changed over the past year���meaning its worth revisiting the stock along with potential performance benchmarks�like QLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QLGC), Emulex Corporation (NYSE: ELX) and iShares North American Tech-Multimedia Networking ETF (NYSEARCA: IGN). I should mention that we have recently Brocade Communications Systems to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because the company has successfully transitioned from being a hardware company to supporting virtual networks via software and it continues to offer best-of-breed technology.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: IceWEB Inc (IWEB)

IceWEB, Inc. (IceWEB), incorporated in 1994, manufacture and market unified data storage, purpose built appliances, network and cloud attached storage solutions and deliver on-line cloud computing application services. The Company�� customer base includes the United States government agencies, enterprise companies, and small to medium sized businesses (SMB). The Company has three product offerings: Iceweb Unified Data Network Storage line of products, Purpose Built Network/Data Appliances and Cloud Computing Products/Services. In October 2013, IceWEB Inc completed its acquisition of Computers and Tele-Comm, Inc. and KC-NAP, LLC of Kansas City (collectively CTC).

IceWEB Unified Data Storage line of products

IceWEB is a provider of Unified Data Storage solutions. Its storage systems make it possible to operate and manage files and applications from a single device and consolidate file-based and block-based access in a single storage platform, which supports Fibre Channel SAN, IP-based SAN (iSCSI), and NAS (network attached storage). A unified storage system simultaneously enables storage of file data and handles the block-based I/O (input/output) of enterprise applications. One advantage of unified storage is reduced hardware requirements. The IceWEB Storage System is an all-inclusive storage management system, which includes de-duplication; unlimited snapshots; thin provisioning; local or remote, real-time or scheduled replication; capacity and utilization reporting, and integration with virtual server environments.

Purpose Built Network and Data Appliances

Purpose Built Network and Data Appliances are devices, which provide computing resources (processors and memory), data storage, and specific software for a specific application. The primary appliance products that IceWEB has built have been centered on a single large business partner, ESRI Corporation. IceWEB and ESRI have collaborated to create ultra-high performance IceWEB/ESRI GIS systems tha! t allow customers to access data with speed. ESRI Corporation takes responsibility for marketing to their customers and business partners, via their worldwide sales and consultancy organization.

Cloud Computing Products and Services

Cloud computing products and services consist of cloud computing services and cloud storage appliances. IceWEB provides IceMAIL, a packaged software service that provides network hosted groupware, e-mail, calendaring and collaboration functionality. Online services were expanded to include IcePORTAL, which provides customers with a complete Intranet portal and IceSECURE a hosted e-mail encryption service. Originally such hosted services were referred to as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Such services, hosted across the Internet are commonly referred to as Cloud Computing. A cloud storage appliance is a purpose built storage device configured for either branch office or central site deployment, which allows the housing and delivery of customer data across not only their internal networking infrastructure, but also to make that data available to employees or business partners securely via the Internet (often called the cloud).

The Company competes with EMC, Network Appliance, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, Compellent Technologies and Isilon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  What�� the Catch with Dephasium Corp? According to various disclosures, transactions of $2k, $2.5k, $3k, $4k, $7.5k, $12.5k and $15k have or will occur to mention Dephasium Corp in various investment newsletters. Dephasium Corp has been getting plenty of off and on attention for a couple of months now, but what�� been pretty strange is the company issuing a press release to announce that an unidentified third party, without the DPHS�� approval, has listed its shares on the Boerse Berlin Stock Exchange. The press release warned that this could be the first salvo in a ��ignificant naked shorting attack directed at the Company��given that the Berlin exchange is one of few stock exchanges in the world that allows listing and trading of a company's stock without the consent or authorization of the company being listed in order to facilitate short-selling. A quick look at Dephasium Corp�� financials reveals no revenues; net losses of $10k (most recent reported quarter), $17k and $11k plus net income of $388k; and $51k to cover $9k in current liabilities at the end of March. In other words, Dephasium Corp isn�� making money but someone else is trying to make some from it.

  IceWEB, Inc. (OTCBB: IWEB) Seems to Be Making Progress

  Small cap IceWEB is a provider of Unified Data Storage appliances for cloud and virtual environments, as well as the highly secure, scalable IceBOXTM BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Private Digital Cloud Solution. On Friday, IceWEB fell 8.57% to $0.0320 for a market cap of $9.01 million plus IWEB is down 54.3% over the past year and down 81.7% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: Western Digital Corp (WDC)

Western Digital Corporation (WD) is a provider of solutions for the collection, storage, management, protection and use of digital content, including audio and video. Its principal products are hard drives, which are devices that use one or more rotating magnetic disks (magnetic media) to store and allow access to data. Its hard drives are used in desktop and notebook computers, corporate and cloud computing data centers, home entertainment equipment and stand-alone consumer storage devices. In addition to hard drives, its other products include solid-state drives and home entertainment and networking products. The Company operates as the parent company of its hard drive business, Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Effective March 8, 2012, the Company acquired Viviti Technologies Ltd. In May 2012, the Company completed the divestiture of certain 3.5-inch hard drive assets to Toshiba Corporation. As part of its deal with Toshiba, WD also completed its purchase of Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand) Company Limited (TSDT), which manufactured hard drives.

The Company offers a line of storage devices. Its hard drives include 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch form factors, capacities ranging from 80 gigabytes to three terabytes, nominal rotation speeds up to 10,000 revolutions per minute, and interfaces, such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) and Serial Attached SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) (SAS). In addition, the Company offers a family of hard drives specifically designed to consume less power than standard drives, utilizing its WD GreenPower Technology. Its solid-state drives include 2.5-inch and Compact Flash form factors, capacities ranging from 1 gigabyte to 256 gigabytes, and interfaces, such as SATA and PATA.

Client Compute Storage Products

Client compute consists of hard drives and solid-state drives for desktop and mobile personal computers (PC��). During the fiscal year ended July 1, 2011 (fiscal 2011), it shipped 151 million hard drive clie! nt compute unit. Its client compute storage products include WD Caviar, WD Scorpio and WD Silicon Edge. WD Caviar family of hard drives is designed for use in desktop PCs. WD Scorpio family of hard drives is designed for use in mobile PCs. WD Silicon Edge family of solid-state drives is designed for both read-intensive client/consumer applications and write-intensive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) applications.

Client Non-Compute Storage Products

Client non-compute consists of branded products and consumer electronics products. Its hard drive client non-compute unit shipments were 46 million, during fiscal 2011.

Branded Products

Branded products consists of hard drives embedded into WD-branded external storage appliances with capacities ranging from 250 gigabytes to 8 terabytes and using interfaces, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, USB 3.0, external SATA, FireWire and Ethernet network connections. Certain branded products models include software that assists customers with back up, remote access and management of digital content. Branded products also include its home entertainment and networking products. Its branded products include My Book and WD Elements Desktop family of storage appliances. My Passport and WD Elements Portable family of storage appliances include WD ShareSpace, WD TV and WD Livewire.

My Book and WD Elements Desktop family of storage appliances are designed to add external capacity to desktops and digital video recorders (DVRs), allow for the transfer and storage of videos directly from certain camcorders, and connect to networks to simplify storage for consumers. My Passport and WD Elements Portable family of storage appliances are designed for external portability weighing less than one-half of a pound and allow for the transfer and storage of videos directly from certain camcorders. WD ShareSpace is a network-attached storage system designed for home office or small office applications. WD TV m! edia play! ers connect to a user�� television or home theater system and play digital movies, music and photos from an integrated hard drive, network hard drives, any of its WD-branded external hard drives, other USB mass storage devices or content services accessed over the Internet. WD Livewire, which enables consumers to use their existing electrical outlets to extend Internet connections throughout the home.

Consumer Electronics Products

WD AV family of hard drives is designed for use in products, such as DVRs and audio and video applications. WD AV drives deliver the characteristics CE manufacturers.

Enterprise Storage Products

Enterprise consists of hard drives for traditional enterprise and nearline storage applications, as well as solid-state drives for embedded applications. Its hard drive enterprise unit shipments were 10 million, for fiscal 2011. Its enterprise storage products include WD S25 hard drive, WD VelociRaptor, WD RE and WD SiliconDrive. WD S25 hard drive is designed for mission-critical enterprise server and storage applications, such as data centers and data arrays. WD VelociRaptor hard drive is designed for enterprise server and storage applications. This hard drive is also used in the high-end desktop PC market for applications including gaming, servers and advanced computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. WD RE family of hard drives is designed for nearline storage enterprise applications. WD SiliconDrive family of solid-state drives features fast read/write speeds in high capacities and is designed for embedded system OEM applications.

The Company competes with Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Intel Corporation, Micron Technology, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Seagate Technology, STEC, Inc. and Toshiba Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By rusticnomad]

  It would appear that Western Digital (WDC) is taking a walk on its arch-rival Seagate Technology (STX), as evident from the performance of their shares on the Street. While Seagate is up just 3% year-to-date, Western Digital is a clear leader with gains close to 18%. Moreover, relatively robust performance of Western Digital in the last reported quarter makes it a favorite of investors in digital-storage market segment.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) shares rose 2.75% to reach a new 52-week high of $74.43 after the company's board declared a cash dividend of $0.30 per share for the quarter ending Dec. 27, 2013.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Solid-state disk drives�may be the future, but they haven't taken over just yet. This week,�Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC  ) introduced a 1.5 terabyte portable magnetic drive for laptops and a variety of other formats, a move that could make it one of the best stocks to buy now.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: Imagination Technologies Group PLC (IGNMF.PK)

Imagination Technologies Group plc is engaged in multimedia and communication technologies. The Company operates in two segments: Technology business and the Pure business. The Company�� Technology business segment is engaged in the development of embedded graphics, video, display and multi-threaded processor and multi-standard broadcast receiver and connectivity technologies for licensing to semiconductor companies for incorporation into silicon devices. The Company�� Pure business segment is engaged in the development and marketing of consumer products to showcase the technologies of the Technology business and to develop markets for such technologies. In March 2012, Toumaz Ltd completed the exchange of Imagination Technologies Group plc's interest in Toumaz Ltd�� Toumaz Microsystems subsidiary. In February 2013, it acquired the operating business and certain patent properties of MIPS Technologies, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ashraf Eassa]

  However, I expect that Intel is at risk of having a significant marketing problem trying to sell a dual core product into a world of quad core phones, even if the dual core part delivers better performance/watt. I further expect that from what is currently known about Bay Trail's GPU (4 EU Gen7 GPU), it is unlikely that -- unless Intel is either using Imagination's (IGNMF.PK) next generation PowerVR 6 or a beefed up Gen7 design for the "Merrifield" SoC -- it will be as competitive with the Snapdragon 800 on the GPU side of things, which could pose as an additional headwind to adoption. I also believe that the Q1 2014 launch curtails any hope that there will be a 14nm smartphone product launched in 2014 (although Mr. Krzanich's comments about "acceleration" could be a source of optimism here), which means that the company's process lead could ultimately prove to be ephemeral in this particular end market. Fortunately, product cycles in this space are short, so it may be okay to have Merrifield be reasonably short lived.

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: George Risk Industries Inc (RSKIA)

George Risk Industries, Inc. (GRI), incorporated on February 21, 1961, is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of computer keyboards, push button switches, burglar alarm components and systems, pool alarms, thermostats, EZ Duct wire covers and water sensors. GRI is a diversified manufacturer of electronic components, consisting of the security industries variety of door and window contact switches, environmental products, proximity switches and custom keyboards. The Company operates in two segments: security alarm products and security alarm products GRI�� security burglar alarm products comprise approximately 84% of net revenues and are sold through distributors and alarm dealers/installers. These products are used for residential, commercial, industrial and government installations. Its products include security products/ magnetic reed switches, data entry peripherals, pushbutton switches, custom engraved keycaps and proximity sensors.

The security segment has approximately 3,000 customers. One of the distributors, ADI accounts for approximately 40% of the Company's sales of these products. The keyboard segment has approximately 800 customers. Keyboard products are sold to original equipment manufacturers to their specifications and to distributors of off-the-shelf keyboards of proprietary design. GRI owns and operates its main manufacturing plant and offices in Kimball, Nebraska with a satellite plant 40 miles away in Gering, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] or even just above book value. It's a darn good business so I'm getting high quality assets and earnings power. That gets less clear when looking at lower quality businesses.

  For example:

  Solitron (SODI) sells at 74% of NCAV, has decent z- and f-scores, a FCF margin of 5.3% and an ROA of 12%.

• [By Geoff Gannon] things I said was that I knew George Risk's materials cost was higher than some competitors' selling price. The fact that any company could survive under conditions like that immediately suggested that dollars paid for the product was not the key concern for this product.

  Perceived costs had to involve other concerns like customization, shipping speed, reliability, etc. Because it was a low cost product going into a higher cost product going into very high cost projects it seemed likely there was the opportunity to raise prices if needed. And that's what they ended up doing. The important clue for me in that investigation was the severe cost disadvantage George Risk had. You couldn�� compete at such a cost disadvantage unless price was less important than I initially thought.

  I think you will find that most of these insights are not available in the financial statements. They come from reading the 10-Ks of all companies in the industry, reading articles about the companies, listening to all conference call transcripts, etc.

  For example, there is not much in the financial statements of Carnival (CCL) that explains how the cruise business really works. But all of the companies in the industry (CCL, RCL and NCL) freely discuss the economics of their business in great detail. They break out costs before and after fuel. They give you per-passenger prices of how much newly built ships cost. They give you lots and lots of details. They explain how they price their product (the way airlines do) and so on. There is an extreme level of detailed explanation of the business in the various conference calls, 10-Ks, etc.

  A great source for this information is going back to the time the company went public or at least finding the S-1 of a competitor. When a company goes public it often gives much more detail into product economics, etc., than it will later on when it reports annual results.

  That is also a good place to learn about market share, com

• [By Geoff Gannon] ombination of not really cheap on a P/E basis and just barely cheap on a cash basis ��and it was connected to homebuilding.

  I could go on like that. But I�� not sure I understand why knowing anything about the perceptions of others actually helps my own investment decisions. I�� also not sure the reasons I��e offered for the cheapness of those stocks are actually the reasons anybody else had for selling the stock, not buying it, etc. In fact, I think those are just plausible reasons I made up.

  But that�� not the problem with wanting to know why a stock is cheap. The problem is how that knowledge ��or the quest for it ��directs your attention. And attention is the scarcest resource an investor has.

  Once you know what somebody else�� perception is, you try to either prove or disprove that perception. In essence, I see the problem of thinking about market sentiment ��of worrying about the Keynesian beauty contest ��as being like one of those optical illusions. Like the duck-rabbit illusion. In fact, this concern of mine is one of the reasons why I��e suggested investors read Kuhn.

  They often talk about some past period ��like the 1920s or 1950s ��with a total misunderstanding of what people were looking for in a stock back then. Of how they thought about stocks. Of what they thought stocks were. This isn�� a misanalysis of the facts. It�� a misclassification.

  When Ben Graham started on Wall Street there was none of this ��tocks for the Long Run��stuff. There was no talk of asset classes. There were investments called bonds. And there were speculations called stocks. And it was heresy when Ben Graham basically said a cheap stock is a better investment than an expensive bond.

  You become a bad financial historian when you confuse your own perceptions ��your own way of classifying stocks and noting the aspects of a stock ��with how people really thought about stocks back then.

  In the same wa

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  Take George Risk (RSKIA). All of their competitors moved overseas. They��e still in Nebraska. Management doesn�� really claim they can either be better or cheaper than their competitors. They know they can�� be cheaper. And as far as better ��this isn�� dark chocolate they��e selling. Beyond customization, timeliness, and reliability ��I�� not sure the idea of ��uality��has much meaning in that business. It�� either frustration-free or it�� not. The two things George Risk can be are timely and customized. Both of those things are easier to be ��for American customers ��if you are manufacturing in the U.S.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In 2014

Comebacks and momentum stories dominate the list of the hottest companies in Standard & Poor�� 500-stock index this year. Meanwhile, the names that did the worst in 2013 were once-hot shares that have turned suddenly cold, either because of industry woes or corporate stumbles. It�� a familiar theme. On Wall Street, one of the best ways to be this year�� darling is to be last year�� dog, and vice versa. ��he market exaggerates,��says R.J. Hottovy, an analyst with Morningstar Investments in Chicago. ��n some cases, companies get oversold��nd then they get overbought.��/p>

SEE ALSO: 24 Stocks for 2014

Netflix (NFLX) is a prime example. The subscription movie company saw its shares slammed in 2011, thanks to a price hike and shift in its business model that alienated a huge number of subscribers. The company�� stock, which sold for $295 in July 2011, dropped to $54 in July 2012 as Netflix pressed forward with an expensive technology upgrade that allowed subscribers to receive movies and shows via the Internet rather than through the mail. But that gamble paid off, reviving the company�� subscriber base. Wall Street is so in love with Netflix that the stock soared 303% in 2013 and now sells for about 92 times projected 2014 earnings, which is nearly four times the Los Gatos, Cal., company�� projected long-term profit growth rate. (All stock returns as of December 12, 2013.)

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Callidus Software Inc.(CALD)

Callidus Software Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides sales performance management (SPM) software applications and services. Its products include TrueComp Manager application that automates the modeling, design, administration, reporting, and analysis of pay-for-performance programs; Callidus Reporting for delivering real-time production reports; Callidus Analytics, which enable businesses to deploy performance dashboards across the finance, sales executive, and sales force teams; Callidus Objective Management to design and deploy strategic objective-based bonus plans and long term incentive programs; and Callidus Quota Management to allocate quotas effectively. The company?s products also comprise Callidus Communicator, which accelerates and streamlines communications with a business sales force and sales channels; Callidus Channel Management for telecommunication companies to view and update dealer information; Callidus Producer Management for insurance carri ers; Callidus Onboarding to build and optimize discrete, re-usable workflows; Callidus Coaching to optimize performance of their sales force and call centers; Callidus Plan Communicator that accelerates the process of rolling out and communicating incentive plans across the sales force; Callidus Commissions Manager for sales professionals; and ACom3, an incentive compensation automation suite. In addition, it provides software consulting services, including a range of SPM solution implementations, system upgrades, compensation plan enhancements, migration assistance, reporting and integration consulting, and solution architecture services; and SaaS-based sales assessments, coaching, and talent development solutions. The company serves the telecommunications, insurance, banking, technology, and life sciences/pharmaceuticals markets in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Callidus Software was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Callidus Software (NASDAQ: CALD) got a boost, shooting up 14.16 percent to $15.56 after the company reported better-than-expected Q3 results and issued a strong revenue forecast.

• [By James Oberweis]

  Callidus Software (CALD) is a leading software-as-a-service provider of sales force effectiveness solutions, with more than 1,700 customers.

  Its products help align sales reps' goals with the firm's goals. Since the beginning of 2011, Callidus has dramatically expanded its product offering through the completion of eight acquisitions.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Fortinet Inc (FTNT)

Fortinet, Inc. (Fortinet), incorporated November 28, 2000, provides network security solutions. Through the Company�� products and subscription services, Fortinet provides integrated and protection against security threats for enterprises, service providers and governmental entities worldwide. Its flagship Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution consists of its FortiGate physical and virtual appliance products that provide a range of security and networking functions, including firewall, virtual private networking (VPN), application control, antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, vulnerability management, antispam, wireless controller, and wide area network (WAN) acceleration. In addition, the Company offers virtual appliances for the FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiWeb, FortiMail, and FortiScan product lines. On December 7, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of XDN, Inc. (XDN), a privately held company that provides cloud-based content delivery solutions. On March 8, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of IntruGuard Devices, Inc. (IntruGuard), a supplier of Intelligent Availability Protection Systems.

FortiGate appliances, from the FortiGate-20 for small businesses and branch offices to the FortiGate-5000 series for big enterprises and service providers, are based on its technology platform. This platform includes its FortiASICs, which are specifically designed for accelerated processing of security and networking functions, and its FortiOS operating system, which provides the foundation for all of its security functions. Its FortiGuard security subscription services provide end-customers with access to dynamic updates to its application control, anti-malware, intrusion prevention, Web filtering and anti-spam functionality based on intelligence gathered by its dedicated FortiGuard Labs team. By combining multiple security and networking functions with its purpose-built FortiASIC and FortiOS, its FortiGate UTM/NGFW solution delivers broad protect! ion against dynamic security threats while reducing the operational burden and costs associated with managing multiple point products. As of December 31, 2012, the Company has shipped over 1,100,000 appliances via more than 10,000 channel partners to more than 150,000 end-customers worldwide, including a majority of the 2012 Fortune Global 100.

Fortinet complements its FortiGate product line with the FortiManager product family, which enables end-customers to manage the system configuration and security functions of multiple FortiGate devices from a centralized console, as well as the FortiAnalyzer product family, which enables collection, analysis and archiving of content and log data generated by its products. The Company also offers other product lines that provide additional protection, such as: FortiAP, secure wireless access points; FortiWeb, security for Web-based applications; FortiMail, multi-featured, high performance messaging security; FortiDB, centrally managed database-specific security; FortiClient, endpoint security for desktops, laptops and mobile devices and that is primarily used in conjunction with its FortiGate appliances; FortiScan, endpoint vulnerability assessment and remediation; FortiSwitch, Ethernet switches; FortiBridge, bypass appliances to help ensure network availability; FortiAuthenticator, scalable secure authentication for enterprise networks; FortiBalancer, optimizing the availability and performance of mobile, cloud, and enterprise applications; FortiCache, reducing the cost of and impact of cached Internet content; FortiDNS, providing secure DNS caching; FortiDDoS, protection against denial of service attack, and FortiVoice, business telephone communication.

FortiGate

The Company�� flagship FortiGate physical and virtual appliances offer a set of security and networking functions, including firewall, VPN, application control, antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, antispam and WAN acceleration. All FortiGate models a! re based ! on its operating system, FortiOS, and all FortiGate physical appliances include its FortiASICs to accelerate content and network security features implemented within FortiOS. FortiGate platforms can be centrally managed through both embedded Web-based and command line interfaces, as well as through FortiManager, which provides central management architecture for thousands of FortiGate physical and virtual appliances.

By combining multiple network security functions in its purpose-built security platform, the FortiGate provides high protection capabilities and deployment flexibility while reducing the operational burden and costs associated with managing multiple point products. Through FortiGuard security subscription services, its products enable end-customers to add security functionality as required by their evolving business needs and the changing threat landscape. By purchasing FortiGuard security subscription services, end-customers obtain coverage and access to regular updates for application control, antivirus, IPS, Web filtering and anti-spam functions for their FortiGate appliances. With over 30 models in the FortiGate product line, FortiGate is designed to address security requirements for small- to mid-sized businesses, remote offices, enterprises, and service providers.

The FortiGate-20 through -100 series models are designed for perimeter protection for small- to mid-sized businesses, remote offices of distributed organizations and as customer premises equipment for service providers. Optional wireless LAN (WLAN), integration is available for the FortiGate-20, -40, -60 and -80 models, marketed as FortiWiFi, delivering additional network access and security for wireless environments. The FortiGate-200 through -800 series models are designed for perimeter deployment in mid-sized to enterprise networks. These products offer increased capacity and scalability designed to provide high network performance while delivering the same broad security suite as all FortiGate m! odels. Ad! ditionally, the FortiGate-300 -600 and -800 models provide hardware modularity, allowing end-customers the flexibility to customize solutions to their requirements. The FortiGate-1000 through -5000 series models deliver high performance and scalable network security functionality for perimeter, data center and core deployment in enterprise and service provider networks. Additionally, these products provide hardware modularity, allowing end-customers the flexibility to customize solutions to their requirements. Some products within the FortiGate-3000 and -5000 series leverage Advanced Mezzanine Card, or AMC, industry standards for hardware modularization to support the advanced networking requirements of enterprises and service providers, including high-speed networking, WAN connectivity, and network attached storage connectivity. The FortiGate-3950B platform also leverages its Fortinet Mezzanine Card (FMC), that provides hardware modularity to give end-customers the ability to add additional firewall and/or intrusion prevention performance, or the number of interfaces, as their network security needs evolve.

FortiGate System Virtualization (VDOM)

The Company�� FortiOS operating system offers system virtualization capabilities - to divide a security appliance into multiple, separately provisioned and managed instances. This capability is deployed in all of its FortiGate products as its virtual domain (VDOM) feature, where administrators have the ability to segment a single FortiGate appliance platform into multiple FortiGate instances.

FortiManager

The Company�� FortiManager family of products provides a central management solution for its FortiGate products, including the range of network and security features offered within FortiOS. One FortiManager product can manage thousands of FortiGate units, and also provides central management for FortiClient software. FortiManager facilitates the coordination of policy-based provisioning, device configurat! ion and o! perating system revision management, as well as network security monitoring and device control.

FortiAnalyzer

The Company�� FortiAnalyzer family provides network logging, analyzing, and reporting products that securely aggregate content and log data from itsr FortiGate devices and other Fortinet products as well as third-party devices to enable network logging, analysis and reporting. Additional functions such as vulnerability assessments and traffic analysis provide additional value for customers seeking to control and monitor their network infrastructure and security policies. A full range of content and log data, including traffic, event, virus, attack, Web content, and email data may be archived, filtered and mined for compliance or historical analysis purposes. Its FortiAnalyzer product family comes with a suite of standard reports as well as the ability to customize reports. The Company also offers

FortiGuard Security Subscription Services

The Company�� FortiGuard Labs global threat research team, comprised of over 150 professionals, uses automated processes to identify emerging threats, collects threat samples, and replicates, reviews and characterizes attacks. Based on this research, the Company develops updates for virus signatures, attack definitions, scanning engines, and other security solution components to distribute to end-customers through its FortiGuard global distribution network. Its FortiGuard security subscription services are designed to allow the Company to quickly deliver new threat detection capabilities to end-customers worldwide as new threats evolve. End-customers purchase FortiGuard security subscription services in advance, typically for a one year term, to obtain coverage and access to regular updates for application control, antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, and anti-spam functions for its FortiGate products; antivirus, Web filtering and anti-spam functions for its FortiClient software; antivirus and a! nti-spam ! functions for its FortiMail products; vulnerability management for its FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer and FortiScan products, database functions for its FortiDB appliance, and Web functions for its FortiWeb appliances. The Company provides FortiGuard services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

FortiCare Technical Support Services

The Company�� FortiCare services are its technical support services for the software, firmware and hardware in its products. In addition to its standard support service offering, the Company offers a service that offers faster response times and dedicated support oriented toward accounts. Its standard technical support offering for its products, channel partners often provide first level support to the end-customer, especially for small and mid-sized end-customers, and the Company typically provides second and third level support to its end-customers. The Company also provides knowledge management tools and customer self-help portals to help augment its support capabilities in an efficient and scalable manner. The company provides technical support to partners and end-customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week through regional technical support managers located worldwide.

Training Services

The Company offers training services to its end-customers and channel partners through its training department and authorized training partners. The Company has also implemented a training certification program to ensure an understanding of its products and services.

Professional Services

The Company offers professional services to end-customers primarily for implementations where technical resources are required. Its professional services consultants help in the design of deployments of its products and work closely with end-customer engineers, managers and other project team members to implement its products according to design, utilizing network analysis tools, attack simulation software and scripts.

Th! e Company! competes with Cisco Systems, Inc., Juniper Networks, Inc., Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., McAfee, Inc. , SonicWALL, Inc., and Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  If you saw the alarming headlines circulating everywhere this morning, then there's a good chance you've already taken on a new position in Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP). Both are solutions to the underscored problem, and truth be told, likely will benefit from ugly reality this morning's news is spreading. FTNT and CHKP may not be the best ways to play the news-based investing theme, however. The best long-term play is a solutions provider called Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF). While the company may not superficially sit in the same category as Fortinet or Check Point Software Technologies, fundamentally, it does, and may actually be better positioned for growth.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ: FTNT) is one of the top names to buy in cyber security. After a slow start to the year, the company delivered solid second-quarter numbers, and the order backlog for the rest looks very promising. The consensus price target stands at $24.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Nobody seems to expect another round of consolidation in the space. Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT  ) has gained 4.8% today, but other data security experts have stayed flat or traded down. Fortinet always looked like a reasonable takeout target, particularly since the company parted ways with longtime CFO Ken Goldman last year. The Sourcefire deal paints a slightly larger target on Fortinet's back, but you have to wonder who would be able to pay a buyout premium on top of Fortinet's $3.5 billion market cap. Most of the big boys have already picked their positions in the security space, to the point where even Intel has jumped into the game.

• [By Chris Hill]

  Shares of Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ  ) rose on Thursday after the apparel retailer reported a 19.7% jump in March same-store sales. Shares of Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT  ) fell on weaker-than-expected sales and profits. Rite Aid Corp (NYSE: RAD  ) registered its first annual profit since 2007, and shares hit a new 52-week high. And shares of Burger King Worldwide (NYSE: BKW  ) jumped after the company announced transition plans for its top executive. In this installment of Investor Beat, our analysts discuss some of the market's big movers.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc (RNN)

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Rexahn) is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company focuses on the development of cures for cancer to patients worldwide. The Company�� pipeline features one drug candidate in Phase II clinical trials. The Company also has several other drug candidates in pre-clinical development. In addition, the Company has two renal cell carcinoma (CNS) candidates, Serdaxin, CNS Disorders drug for depression and neurodegenerative diseases and Zoraxel, which is a erectile dysfunction (ED) and sexual dysfunction drug that are in clinical stages and the Company is are exploring options for further development . The Company�� drug candidate, Archexin is an anticancer Akt inhibitor.

Archexin

Archexin is potent inhibitor of the Akt protein kinase (Akt) in cancer cells. Archexin has FDA orphan drug designations for five cancers (RCC, glioblastoma, and cancers of the ovary, stomach and pancreas). Multiple indications for other solid tumors can also be pursued. Archexin inhibit both activated and inactivated forms of Akt, and to reverse the drug resistance observed with the protein kinase inhibitors. Archexin is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) compound that is complementary to Akt mRNA, and selective for inhibiting mRNA expression and production of Akt protein. As of December 31, 2011, Archexin was in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of pancreatic cancer with enrollment completed in September, 2011.

Serdaxin

Serdaxin is an extended release formulation of clavulanic acid, which is an ingredient present in antibiotics approved by the FDA. The Company had been developing Serdaxin for the treatment of depression and neurodegenerative disorders. From January to September, 2011, the Company conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared two doses of Serdaxin, 0.5 milligram and 5 milligram, to placebo over an eight-week treatment period for major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. As of Dec! ember 31, 2011, the Company had not made a determination of Serdaxin�� future paths or resource allocations to further develop Serdaxin to treat MDD.

Zoraxel

Zoraxel is an orally administered, on-demand tablet to treat sexual dysfunction. Zoraxel is a dual enhancer of neurotransmitters in the brain that play a key role in sexual activity phases of motivation and arousal, erection and release, and may be the ED drug to affect all three of these phases of sexual activity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was evaluating how to proceed with the Phase IIb study of Zoraxel.

The Company�� Pre-clinical Pipeline Drug Candidates includes RX-1792, which is a small molecule anticancer EGFR inhibitor; RX-5902, which is a small molecule anticancer ribonucleic acid (RNA) helicase regulator; RX-3117, which is a Small molecule anticancer deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis Inhibitor; RX-8243, which is a small molecule anticancer aurora kinase inhibitor; RX-0201-Nano, which is a nanoliposomal anticancer Akt inhibitor; RX-0047-Nano, which is an nanoliposomal anticancer HIF-1 alpha inhibitor and RX-21101, which is a nano-polymer Anticancer.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 biopharmaceutical player that's just starting to move into breakout territory is Rexahn Pharmaceuticals (RNN), which is engaged in the development of novel treatments for cancer to patients. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 62%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of 36 cents per share to its intraday high of 53 cents per share. During that uptrend, shares of RNN have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of RNN into breakout territory above some near-term overhead resistance levels at 49 cents to 50 cents per share. It's worth noting that volume today is tracking in extremely strong with over 3 million shares traded, versus its three-month average action of 1.22 million shares.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RNN if it manages to break out above Thursday's intraday high of 53 cents per share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.22 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then RNN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at 64 cents to its 52-week high at 66 cents per share. Any high-volume move above 66 cents to 67 cents per share could then send RNN towards its next major overhead resistance levels at 81 cents per share.

  Traders can look to buy RNN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average at 47 cents per share. One can also buy RNN off strength once it clears 53 cents per share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In 2014: Silicon Graphics International Corp(SGI)

Silicon Graphics International Corp. provides computing and storage, and data center solutions, as well as related customer support and professional services. The company offers scale up servers; scale out servers; work group servers; data storage systems; and software products for technical computing, as well as data center infrastructure products, including ICE Cube Air, a modular data center that augments or replaces traditional brick-and-mortar data centers; and MobiRack, a line of mobile, all-in-one data center cabinets for field deployments. Its products and services are used by the scientific, technical, and business communities for solving challenging data-intensive computing, data storage, and management problems. The company also develops system applications, such as simulating global climate changes, accelerating engineering of new automotive designs, supporting homeland security initiatives, real-time fraud detection, streaming media from Internet-video to film , and gaining business intelligence through data-mining to defense and strategic systems, weather and climate, physical and life sciences, energy, aerospace and automotive, media and entertainment, semiconductor design and manufacturing, financial services, data centers, and business intelligence and data analytics markets; and enterprise class features for the Linux operating system that provide a standard Linux operating environment. Silicon Graphics International Corp. markets and sells its systems, technologies, software, and services to enterprises in approximately 25 countries through direct and indirect sales force, including distributors, original equipment manufacturers, system integrators, value added resellers, and channel partners. The company was formerly known as Rackable Systems, Inc. and changed its name to Silicon Graphics International Corp. in May 2009. Silicon Graphics International Corp. was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Fremont, Californi a.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Abbott]

  President & Chief Executive Officer: Mark J. Barrenechea has held these positions since January 2012; previously, he was President, CEO, and a Director of Silicon Graphics International (SGI), and prior to that held senior management positions at CA. Inc (formerly Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA). Mr. Barrenechea is also a Director of OpenText.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  One recent example of how the shutdown wormed its way into earnings was a profit warning from Silicon Graphics International Corp. (SGI) . SGI cut its outlook,�citing lost revenue from contracts that were frozen late in the September-ending quarter in the run-up to the shutdown. Shares of the large-scale computing company dropped nearly 10% on Friday following the late Thursday warning.

• [By John Udovich]

  On Thursday, small cap supercomputer stock Cray Inc (NASDAQ: CRAY) announced that it had been rewarded with one of the largest contracts in its history for $174 million to provide the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) with supercomputers - meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of large caps�like International Business Machines Corp (NYSE: IBM) and�Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) plus small cap Silicon Graphics International Corp (NASDAQ: SGI) who sort of compete with the company in the supercomputing space. I should�note that over a year ago, we had Cray Inc in�our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) trading portfolio�when we had suggested it was�potentially a good�low risk longer-term play.

Top Financial Companies To Invest In Right Now

The team of Larry Ellison, the founder and Chief Executive of Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCL), may have won the thirty-fourth America's Cup. However, it could be difficult for Ellison's corporate team to escape the discontent from shareholders, who are against higher pay packages for Oracle executives amid mixed results.

The shareholder angst comes as Oracle has reduced the compensation of all the key executives including Ellison who even turned down a bonus of $1.2 million for the past year as Oracle's growth missed expectations

The key reason for the shareholder displeasure stems from the stock option awards. They argue that Ellison, who beneficially owns a quarter of the company's shares, continues to receive tens of millions of dollars of stock options every year, despite Oracle's mixed financial performance. They could show their discontent at the business software maker's�Oct. 31�annual meeting.

10 Best Freight Stocks To Watch Right Now: IB Securities Joint Stock Co (VIX)

IB Securities Joint Stock Company, formerly XuanThanh Securities Joint Stock Company is a Vietnam-based company engaged in the provision of investment services. It provides securities brokerage services through multiple forms, such as VOpen, VSHM, VTrade, VPhone, VMobile and VSMS. The Company is also involved in securities trading, as well as the provision of investment advice, custody services and underwriting services. In addition, it provides financial services for corporate events, such as corporate restructurings, equitizations, stock listings, share auctions, mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings and bond offerings. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aubrey Pringle]

  The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX), which measures future volatility signaled by S&P 500 options, fell 1.5 percent to 12.19, the lowest since Aug. 5. The gauge lost 5.5 percent this week to extend its drop for the year to 32 percent.

Top Financial Companies To Invest In Right Now: ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (ASA)

ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited is a self management investment trust. The firm invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It primarily invests in stocks of companies engaged in the exploration, mining or processing of gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, or other precious minerals. ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited was founded in 1958 and is based in San Mateo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joe Eqcome]

  Actionable Items:

  Highest Positive Spread: Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund (JLS)Focus Stock: LMP Real Estate Income Fund (RIT)Last Week's Focus Stock: ASA Gold and Precious Metals (ASA)

  ECB cuts its rates: The European Central Bank (ECB) will cut its benchmark rate a quarter-of-a-point to 0.5%.

Top Financial Companies To Invest In Right Now: W.R. Berkley Corporation(WRB)

W. R. Berkley Corporation, an insurance holding company, operates as commercial lines writers in the property casualty insurance business primarily in the United States. The company operates in five segments: Specialty, Regional, Alternative Markets, Reinsurance, and International. The Specialty segment underwrites third-party liability risks, primarily excess, and surplus lines, including premises operations, professional liability, commercial automobile, products liability, and property lines. The Regional segments provide commercial insurance products to small-to-mid-sized businesses, and state and local governmental entities primarily in the 45 states of the United States. The Alternative Markets segment develops, insures, reinsures, and administers self-insurance programs and other alternative risk transfer mechanisms. This segment offers its services to employers, employer groups, insurers, and alternative market funds, as well as provides a range of fee-based servic es, including consulting and administrative services. The Reinsurance segment engages in the underwriting property casualty reinsurance on a treaty and a facultative basis, including individual certificates and program facultative business; and specialty and standard reinsurance lines, and property and casualty reinsurance. The International segment offers personal and commercial property casualty insurance in South America; commercial property casualty insurance in the United Kingdom and continental Europe; and reinsurance in Australia, Southeast Asia, and Canada. The company was founded in 1967 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  W.R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB)is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $1.57 billion.

  V.F. Corp (NYSE: VFC) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $3.78 per share on revenue of $3.34 billion.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  For the past several years, Berkshire has contrasted its own cost-free float provided by profitable underwriting against the industry�� (unimpressive) tendency to lose money on underwriting while generating net returns from investment income. So far, so good. Less edifying, though, is the repeated contrast of Berkshire�� track record of profitability to State Farm��…even though, as a mutual company, State Farm�� profitability goals are inherently different from for-profit insurers like Berkshire. It�� true that through year-end 2013, Berkshire�� underwriters have ��ow operated at an underwriting profit for eleven consecutive years,��but so have ACE (ACE), American Financial (AFG),� AmTrust Financial (AFSI), Arch Capital (ACGL), Chubb (CB), HCC (HCC), Progressive (PGR), RLI (RLI), and W.R. Berkley (WRB), any or all of whom provide a more meaningful comparison than contrasting Berkshire�� results to a company that�� not out to produce a profit in the first place.

Top Financial Companies To Invest In Right Now: Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd (FRFHF.PK)

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Fairfax) is a financial services holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, is principally engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and the associated investment management. The Company�� segments consist of Insurance, Reinsurance, Insurance and Reinsurance Other, Runoff, and Corporate and Other. On December 22, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of 75% interests in Sporting Life Inc. On August 16, 2011, the Company acquired William Ashley China Corporation. On March 24, 2011, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Fairfax completed the acquisition of The Pacific Insurance Berhad. On February 9, 2011, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Fairfax completed the acquisition of First Mercury Financial Corporation. In October 2012, its RiverStone runoff subsidiary acquired all the outstanding shares of Brit Insurance Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Jordon]

  There's talk that Prem Watsa, head of Fairfax Financial Holdings (FRFHF.PK), could possibly be involved in a privatization bid for the company. Consider:

• [By Infinity Group]

  With 515 million shares outstanding, this equates to 33% of all shares being shorted. It should also be noted that Prem Watsa's Fairfax Financial Holdings (FRFHF.PK) is holding 51.8 million BlackBerry shares. Prem Watsa stated at the annual FairFax shareholders meeting that Fairfax is holding a long position with BlackBerry and anticipates shareholder value increasing over the next 2-3 years. The cost basis for FairFax financial holdings is approximately $17 per BlackBerry share.

Top Financial Companies To Invest In Right Now: SPDR S&P Emerging Middle East & Africa ETF (GAF)

SPDR S&P Emerging Middle East & Africa ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible the total return performance of the S&P/Citigroup BMI Middle East & Africa Index (the Index). The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index that defines and measures the investable universe of publicly traded companies domiciled in emerging Middle Eastern and African markets. The Index is float adjusted, meaning that only those shares publicly available to investors are included in the Index calculation. The Fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the price and yield performance of the Index. The Fund�� investment manager is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Powell]

  For long-term investing, we continue to recommend Africa Funds��he iShares South Africa (EZA), the SPDR Mideast & Africa (GAF), and the TRP Africa & Mideast (LX:TRPMEAI).

Top Financial Companies To Invest In Right Now: Bank of South Carolina Corp.(BKSC)

Bank of South Carolina Corporation operates as the holding company for The Bank of South Carolina that provides commercial banking products and services to individuals, and small and medium-sized businesses in South Carolina. The company accepts a range of deposit products, which include checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and other time deposits, such as daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit. It also offers various commercial loans, including secured and unsecured loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchasing machinery and equipment; mortgage loans; industrial loans; real estate loans; loans to individuals for household, family, and other personal expenditures; and other loans, including overdrafts. In addition, the company provides Internet banking services, including online bill pay and remote deposit capture; credit cards; check card services; and saf e deposit boxes, letters of credit, travelers checks, direct deposit of payroll, social security and dividend payments, and automatic payment of insurance premiums and mortgage loans. Further, it offers a courier service and ACH origination service as part of its deposit services for commercial customers; and a portfolio of wealth management/trust, investment, and retirement services. The company has four banking house locations in Charleston, Summerville, and Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. It serves customers in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Financial institutions holding company Bank of South Carolina (BKSC) raised its dividend 8.3% to 13 cents per share, payable on Oct. 31 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 7.
  BKSC Dividend Yield: 3.72%

Top 5 Valued Companies To Invest In 2014

Source: J. Greenstein & Co.

Jonathan Greenstein considers himself "The Indiana Jones of Judaica." His adventures in tracking down valuable antiques have unearthed such treasures as a $100,000 menorah and a spice box worth $500,000, and a Torah shield that the owner thought might be worth $50, but turned out to be valued at more than half a million dollars.

Greenstein is the owner of the only auction house in the country devoted solely to the sale of Jewish ritual objects. He says he gets 25 to 50 emails every week from people who want to know if their grandmother's menorah or Kiddush cup is valuable.

Many times, families assume that the only value their memorabilia has is sentimental. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Best Biotech Companies To Own For 2015: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Halliburton has focused much of its attention on the booming U.S. market, giving it more exposure to domestic production than more globally focused rival Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . With domestic drilling activity having been fairly weak lately, Halliburton's U.S. concentration has raised concerns among investors, as land-based rig counts have fallen sharply. But with efficiency gains from multi-pad drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, bulls hope that rig counts don't accurately reflect actual production activity and therefore that Halliburton's earnings will hold up better than some expect.

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Not surprisingly, the industry's annual capital spending has more than tripled over the past decade, coming in at $550 billion in 2011, according to oil-field services firm Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . Yet despite shelling out all that money, the industry as a whole has been unable to secure enough new reserves to offset production.

Top 5 Valued Companies To Invest In 2014: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jessica Alling]

  Durability
  Despite the news this morning that orders for durable-goods increased 4.2% in June, Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) is down 2% following a truly disappointing earnings report. The company has seen continued declines in revenue compared to the prior year, so a new trend of higher demand for durable goods should have been a sign to investors that Caterpillar could see some new buyer activity here in the States. But low commodities prices and signals from China hinting at slowed manufacturing aren't helping the company gain confidence in the market.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) took the cake today among Dow stocks, gaining 2.3%, as the construction-equipment maker bumped up its quarterly dividend 15%, to $0.60, or a 2.9% yield. It was the company's third consecutive annual dividend increase and, on a bullish day, that was enough to push the macro-economically sensitive stock up over 2%. Caterpillar has been one of the worst-performing on the Dow this year as it has actually fallen 5% in 2013. Given its sluggish performance recently, the stock may be due for a gain.

Top 5 Valued Companies To Invest In 2014: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mani]

  Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) is one of the companies that are set to exploit the ongoing trend of consumers' increasing focus on value with significant opportunity to grow its store base, and expand margins.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Supervalu have dropped 8.3% to $6.31 at 2:59 p.m., within spitting distance of Goldman’s $6 target price, while competitors Family Dollar Stores (FDO) has gained 0.2% to $70.16,�Dollar General�(DG) has fallen 0.4% t0 $59.02,�Dollar Tree (DLTR) is off 1% to $59.33 and Wal-Mart (WMT) is little changed at $79.19.

Top 5 Valued Companies To Invest In 2014: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Oliver Pursche]

  European large-cap pharmaceuticals like Novartis (NVS) �and Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMY) �count amongst some of our favorite stocks right now, as do U.S. multinationals that are growing revenue and margins in Asia ��Tupperware (TUP) �is a shining example. Stay away from utilities and energy stocks, as they are likely to be the laggards over the next year.

• [By John Kell]

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