Benzinga Weekly Preview: PMI Data In Focus

Several important PMI reports are due out next week including data from the US, China and the eurozone.

Now that US Federal Reserve taper worries have been postponed until 2014, investors are looking to China for any indication that the nation's economy is picking up. Most expect to see better figures from both China and the US next week as the two largest economies gain momentum.

Key Earnings Reports

Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including J.C. Penney Company (NYSE: JCP), Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR), Salesfore.com, Inc. (NYSE: CRM), and Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD).

J.C. Penney Company

JC Penney is expected to report a third quarter loss of $1.75 on revenue of $2.08 billion, compared to last year's loss of $0.93 on revenue of $2.93 billion.

The analyst team at Oppenheimer had a Perform rating on JC Penney with a $7.00 price target on November 7. The firms report was based on a "surprise release" issued by JC Penney which detailed the company's progress on its turnaround efforts.

"Comp-store sales in October improved to +0.9%. Gross margin pressures have eased as JCP has worked through clearance merchandise. We view better trends at JCP as a meaningful step forward for the chain. The company's turnaround, however, still has a long ways to go. We indicated recently that sales/sq. ft at JCP need to reach about $130 (from $108 currently) in order for the company's business model to prove "cash sustainable."

Sterne Agee's report from the same day gave the company a similar Neutral rating with a price target of $9.00. Analysts at Sterne Agee believe the company is not improving at an acceptable rate and chose to maintain its Neutral rating despite the JC Penney release.

"In the release, JCP reported that SSS improved 490 bps sequentially from -4.0% in September to 0.9% in October - exactly as it had forecasted back in mid-August and once again in early October. At the same time, sales on jcp.com continue to improve, increasing 37.6% YOY relative to a 25.3% lift in September. On the positive side, average transaction value and UPT improved. On the negative side, both AUR and traffic declined – the latter of which is both disturbing and surprising."

Campbell Soup Company

Campbell Soup is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.87 on revenue of $2.29 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $0.88 on revenue of $2.34 billion.

Morgan Stanley had an Underweight rating on Campbell Soup Company with a $41.00 price target at the end of October. The report was issued shortly after a meeting with Campbell's management at which the company remained positive about the sustainability of Soup growth.

"We recently met with NA President Mark Alexander and SVP Finance Anthony DiSilvestro, and – despite our continued concerns regarding structural headwinds in several key CPB categories – came away with increased conviction that the company is committed to and making some tangible progress in its efforts to return to profitable growth."

On November 11, Deutsche Bank had a Hold rating with a $45.00 price target. The analyst team at Deutsche Bank said acknowledged the long term possibilities for the company, but remained cautious as it will likely face several headwinds in the short term.

"We expect a focus on core soup trends vs. a tough US industry backdrop. Investors will also look for an update on other key businesses incl. the solid baking & snacking vs. troubled beverages and foodservice. Last, commentary around recent M&A activity (Plum/Kelsen acq., EU soup divestiture) or prospects will likely be of interest."

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.

Green Mountain Coffee is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.75 on revenue of $966.27 million, compared to last year's EPS of $0.64 on revenue of $946.74 million.

Merrill Lynch had a Neutral rating on Green Mountain Coffee Roasters with an $85.00 price objective on September 11. The report was issued after Green Mountain's investor meeting at which management expressed plans to enhance its hot beverage platforms as well as expand into cold beverages.

"Key initiatives for expanding hot beverages are 1) Enhanced retail presence emphasizing the Keurig umbrella brand, 2) expanding the away from home channels, 3) convert unlicensed brands and expand brand offerings (enabled by the introduction of Keurig 2.0 which could effectively re-close the system, 4) sharpen marketing and make a regional push, and 5) begin international expansion."

At the same time, Canaccord Genuity had a more aggressive stance, with a Buy rating and a $95.00 price target.

"We expect several years of strong revenue and earnings growth driven by rising penetration of Keurig single-cup coffee makers in North American households and expanded use into adjacencies such as cold beverage and soups."

Salesfore.com, Inc.

Salesforce.com is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.09 on revenue of $1.05 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $0.08 on revenue of $788.40 million.

Goldman Sachs has a Buy rating on Salesforce.com with a $60.00 price target and expects the company to provide better than expected projections for FY15.

"We reiterate our CL-Buy. Given the scarcity value of strong secular growth opportunities with expanding addressable markets, we see salesforce.com as well positioned as we move closer to CY14. Further, not only do we expect another strong quarter, but we see 30% bookings growth in FY15. Our 12-month price target is $60 (DCF, EV/bookings, P/CFO). At around $56, CRM trades at 43x and 35x our CY13 and CY14 CFO per share estimates of $1.31 and $1.59 (consensus $1.35 and $1.65)."

Oppenheimer has an Outperform rating on Salesforce.com with a $60.00 price target, citing strong business trends and upcoming innovations for their optimism.

"Recent checks point to healthy demand trends for salesforce.com and suggest the force.com platform business is "taking off," with ASPs on the rise, partially aided by a price increase instituted from bundling of products. On balance, some partners experienced softer close rates last month as a byproduct of the federal shutdown. We therefore think 3Q results and guidance could provide less upside than seen last quarter. Bottom Line: CRM remains the best long-term growth investment in our software universe, in our view, and continues to benefit from an escalating SaaS opportunity in the enterprise market. We believe strong growth in 2014 with less M&A will lift CRM's margins, while new sales leadership should improve productivity and put upward pressure on billings."

Home Depot, Inc.

Home Depot is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.89, compared to last year's EPS of $0.74.

JP Morgan has an Overweight rating on Home Depot with an $86.00 price target on November 13, citing positive sales performance as well as favorable seasonality for their confidence.

"Overall, we believe trends were generally (and relatively) strong throughout the quarter and the category has many favorable dynamics at its back including favorable macro tailwinds, depressed share (Figures 3-6) in a durable goods category (that is subject to maintenance and replacement cycle dynamics, e.g., appliance shipments up DD YTD), and the duopolistic nature of the industry. Indeed, HD and LOW should continue to have some of the best comps in mid to large cap, exgrowth retail."

As of November 7, Merrill Lynch had Home Depot a $90.00 price objective and reiterated its Buy rating.

"Our 12-month price objective of $90 is based on 20x our 2014E EPS. Over the past five years, Home Depot shares have traded between approximately 10x and 20x. We believe the shares should trade at the upper end of this range based on further upside to our estimates given consistent execution and strong industry fundamentals. Downside risks are further weakening in the housing market, deterioration in the competitive landscape, unseasonable weather and poor execution in supply chain upgrades. Upside risks are a noticeable acceleration in the housing market or further acceleration in same-store sales trends."

Economic Releases

European data will be closely followed next week after data from last week showed that the eurozone's recovery was sputtering. Several important PMI figures will be released from nations like Germany and France and investors will be watching for the region's November data for fresh clues about the bloc's economic health.

Daily Schedule

Monday

Earnings Releases Expected: Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), UGI Corporation (NYSE: UGI), Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE: CRM Economic Releases Expected: Hong Kong unemployment rate, eurozone current account, Spanish current account

Tuesday

Earnings Expected From: Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD), Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB), Valspar Corporation (NYSE: VAL) Economic Releases Expected: German ZEW economic sentiment, US Redbook, Norwegian GDP, Japanese trade balance, New Zealand PPI

Wednesday

Earnings Expected From: J.C. Penny Company (NYSE: JCP), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) Economic Releases Expected: German PPI, US CPI, US retail sales, US existing home sales, Chinese manufacturing PMI

Thursday

Earnings Expected From: No notable releases expected Economic Releases Expected: French manufacturing and services PMI, German manufacturing and services PMI, eurozone manufacturing and services PMI, US PPI, US manufacturing PMI, eurozone consumer confidence

Friday

Earnings Expected From: Epizyme (NASDAQ: EPZM), Dyax Corp (NASDAQ: DYAX) Economic Releases Expected:   German GDP, German business climate index, Italian retail sales.

Get all the #premarket info by listening in to Benzinga's morning show at 8:00 am EST Monday-Friday!

Posted-In: Federal Reserve HSBC PMINews Eurozone Commodities Previews Global Econ #s Economics Federal Reserve Pre-Market Outlook Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

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  Around the Web, We're Loving... Come Learn 6 Proven Trading Strategies at Our Holliday Trading Summit Learn to Use Trading Platforms Like Hedge Fund Traders do Rumsfeld: Denial of Benefits to Fallen Soldiers' Families 'Inexcusable' Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Facebook, Baidu Lead Big Caps Beating Shutdown What Should You Know About AMZN? Most Popular General Electric to Spin-Off Retail Finance Unit in an IPO 3 Reasons Every Family Office Should Own Oil and Natural Gas Stocks 10 Stocks Below Their 50-Day Moving Average Apple Breaks Out of Six Day Trading Range Benzinga's Top #PreMarket Gainers 6 Ways to Tell if the Market is About to Crash Related Articles (CPB + BZSUM) Benzinga Weekly Preview: PMI Data In Focus Market Wrap For November 15: Janet Yellen's Post Fed Nomination Keeping Markets In The Green Mid-Day Market Update: Agilent Shares Rise On Upbeat Earnings; Western Union Drops Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Rise; Nordstrom Posts Upbeat Profit #PreMarket Primer: Friday, November 15: Markets Higher Due To The 'Yellen Effect' Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets in the Green as Cisco Continues to Fall View the discussion thread. Partner Network #marketfy-ae-block { display: none; border: 2px solid #0a3f75; overflow: hidden; width: 300px; height: 125px; text-align: center; background-color: #45719E; position: relative; z-index: 1; } #marketfy-ae-block a { display: block; width: 300px; height: 125px; position: relative; z-index: 2; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; } #marketfy-ae-block-countdown-text { color: #f9fc99; padding: 0px 0 0 0; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; } #marketfy-ae-block-countdown-text-start { font-size: 12px; } #marketfy-ae-block-countdown { padding: 5px 0 5px 0; font-size: 26px; } #marketfy-ae-block-signup { padding: 5px 47px; } #marketfy-ae-block-signup:hover { background-color: #457a1a; } #marketfy-ae-block #marketfy-ae-block-logo { display: block; padding: 3px 0 0 0; margin: 0; } #marketfy-ae-block-logo { text-indent: -9999px; } #marketfy-ae-block-free { display: block; position: absolute; top: 7px; right: -23px; width: 80px; height: 16px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; opacity: 1; -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); -moz-transform: rotate(45deg); -ms-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; color: #333333; background-color: yellow; z-index: 500; text-shadow: 1px 1px #999999; } #marketfy-ae-block-arrow { position: relative; width: 60px; height: 60px; z-index: 10; margin: -80px 0 13px -21px; } #marketfy-ae-block-arrow img { height: 60px; width: auto; } Marketfy's International
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Investors today more global than they think

People of a certain age — OK, old people — will recall taking geography in high school. These same people can now tell you the capitals and main exports of dozens of countries that no longer exist, and will have some difficulty naming any country whose name ends in -stan.

The world has changed a great deal since the days when we first learned to scrape our names on stone tablets in a one-room schoolcave. The world has also changed since mutual fund analysts began classifying funds by the countries in which they invested. Many companies do more business outside the country where they're based — and that means you could have far more exposure to currency risk and even political risk than you thought.

Most broad-based international funds measure themselves against the MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East index, which measures the performance of large-company stocks headquartered in developed countries outside the United States and Canada. The largest component of the iShares MSCI EAFE exchange-traded fund (ticker: EFA), for example, is Nestle, based in Switzerland.

Normally, few funds can beat an index over the long term, as can be seen by the generally miserable performance of the average large-company stock fund against the Standard and Poor's 500-stock index. But your average international fund has not only beaten EAFA, but sent it mocking notes and dead flowers in the hospital. The past 25 years, Lipper's International Fund Index has gained 464%, vs. 280% for EAFE.

Much of the reason for the funds' triumph over the index has been Japan, whose stock market still remains 49% below where it was a quarter-century ago. Avoiding Japan — or at least having less of it than EAFE did — was one way for managers to beat the index.

But a recent study by the American Funds argues that measuring stock performance by geography alone might be misleading. As a simple example, consider the S&P 500. Many of the large companies in the S&P 500 have an enormous global reach, an! d companies in the S&P 500 get 46.6% of their revenues from outside the U.S, says Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P.

Revenue from foreign companies tends to be far less centered on their home country. Burberry, for example, is noted for overpriced raincoats with a distinctive plaid lining. It gets just 25% of its revenue from the U.K., and 33% from China and other emerging markets.

Another example: India's Sun Pharma, which would normally be placed in an emerging markets portfolio. The company gets 54% of its revenue from the United States, where it sells generic drugs. It gets 26% from India. Thinking of investing in the U.S. housing recovery? You'd want to own shares of Techtronic, a Hong Kong company that makes Ryobi power tools and gets 73% of its revenue from the United States.

By the American Funds' reckoning, U.S. companies make up 49% of MSCI's All Country index, but account for just 28% of the world's corporate revenues. In contrast, 21% comes from developed Europe, and 34% comes from emerging markets.

The American Funds, which last spoke to the press in the Taft administration, think that revenue information is important enough to start including it in their investor literature, although they haven't done so yet. Russel Kinnel, Morningstar's head of mutual fund research, thinks it's important, too. "In the short run, the company's domicile does matter a fair amount, but on another level, it's silly," Kinnel says. "If you think Caterpillar is a play on the U.S. economy, well, it hasn't been since 1970. It rises and falls with China."

Raman Subramanian, executive director in research for MSCI, warns that you can't simply use revenues instead of geographic location. "Today you have multiple ways of looking at the investing universe, rather than one," he says. But overlooking the country where a company is domiciled is a mistake: Politics, central banks and other considerations can matter a great deal.

Certainly, the American Funds' study ! should ma! ke you rethink the old rule of thumb that you should have 10% to 25% of your portfolio invested in international funds. "The reason you get the 10% to 25% recommendation is because people fear foreign stocks and perceive them as risky," Kinnel says. He noted that a recent poll found that virtually everybody in every country viewed foreign stocks as riskier than those traded in their own country.

The 10% to 25% rule is even sillier if you consider that the companies in an S&P 500 fund gets nearly half their income from abroad. Using that logic, you could use the Vanguard 500 Index fund (VFINX)or its extended-market cousin, Vanguard Total Stock (VTSMX), as your main stock holding and avoid international funds altogether.

You could also go the other way, and use a global fund as your main holding. After all, by doing so, you'd get exposure to stocks all around the world without worrying what percentage to have in the U.S. and what percentage abroad. A few suggestions:

• For index fund investors, it's hard to argue with Vanguard Total World Stock Index (VTWSX), which has low ongoing expenses and gives you a broad basket of global giants. Like many global index funds, however, it has trailed the average fund in its Morningstar category, but has still gained an average 14.73% a year the past five years.

• For fans of actively managed funds, Wasatch World Innovators (WAGTX) has gained an average 24.55% a year the past five years, beating the average fund handily.

• More aggressive investors might consider iShares Global Consumer Discretionary ETF (RXI), which is a play on increased demand from emerging markets for the good things in life. It's up 20.07% a year the past five years.

Clearly, the world has changed since we were playing with dinosaur bones in the back yard. But looking at your fund's portfolio by their companies' revenue sources makes good sense. With luck, perhaps sources of revenue will be a new item in your fund's quarterly reports.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014

Legendary investor Warren Buffett will help bring $20 million in loans, education and mentorship to small businesses in Michigan under a $500 million national Goldman Sachs initiative that aims to help entrepreneurs grow jobs and revenues.

To mark the inclusion of Detroit as the 11th city in Goldman's 10,000 Small Businesses program, Buffett and Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein were expected to join Gov. Rick Snyder and Mayor Dave Bing at a Tuesday announcement at Ford Field.

STORY: Buffett dishes on Detroit sports, newspapers

In a telephone interview Monday, Buffett, 83, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and co-chairman of the advisory board for the Goldman program, said the effort fits a big need for early-stage entrepreneurs.

"You've got a lot of able people in small businesses," Buffett said, "but they often have one or two aspects of it that they don't understand so well. One of our most popular classes in the curriculum is negotiations. A lot of us had no experience with that when we started out."

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Angle Energy Inc He Co.] (NGL.TO)

Angle Energy Inc. engages in the exploration, exploitation, development, and production of oil and natural gas reserves in Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Canada. The company focuses on the recovery of liquids-rich natural gas and light crude oil. It owns interests in various properties located in the areas of Harmattan, Ferrier, Edson, and Lone Pine Creek in Alberta. As of December 31, 2011, the company had proved plus probable reserves of 18,575 thousand barrels of oil equivalent; and controlled 88,318 net acres of land. Angle Energy Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Solazyme Inc (SZYM)

Solazyme, Inc. (Solazyme), incorporated on March 31, 2003, makes oil. The Company�� technology transforms a range of plant-based sugars into oils. Its renewable products can replace or enhance oils derived from the world�� three existing sources-petroleum, plants and animal fats. The Company is focused on commercializing its products into three target markets: fuels and chemicals, nutrition, and skin and personal care. In 2010, the Company launched its products, the Golden Chlorella line of dietary supplements. In March 2011, the Company launched its Algenist brand for the luxury skin care market through marketing and distribution arrangements with Sephora S.A. (Sephora International), Sephora USA, Inc. (Sephora USA), and QVC, Inc. (QVC).

The Company is engaged in development activities with multiple partners, including Chevron U.S.A. Inc., through its division Chevron Technology Ventures (Chevron), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Ecopetrol S.A. (Ecopetrol), Qantas Airways Limited (Qantas) and Conopoco, Inc., doing business as Unilever (Unilever).

In 2010, the Company entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Roquette Freres, S.A. (Roquette). In November 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture and operating agreement for Solazyme Roquette Nutritionals with Roquette. In December 2010, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution relationship with Sephora International, and in January 2011, the Company entered into a distribution relationship with Sephora USA. Under the arrangements, each of Sephora International and Sephora USA will distribute the Algenist product line in their respective territories.

In Fuels and Chemicals market its renewable oils can be refined and sold as drop-in replacements for marine, motor vehicle and jet fuels, as well as replacements for chemicals that are traditionally derived from petroleum or other conventional oils. The Company work with its refining partner Honeywell UOP to produce Soladiesel (renewable diesel), So! ladiesel renewable diesel for United States Naval vessels, and Solajet renewable jet fuel for both military and commercial application testing. In nutrition market the Company has developed microalgae-based food ingredients, including oils and powders that enhance the nutritional profile and functionality of food products while reducing costs for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. In Skin and Personal Care market the Company hs developed a portfolio of branded microalgae-based products. Its ingredient is Alguronic Acid, which the Company has formulated into a range of skin care products with anti-aging benefits. The Company is also developing algal oils as replacements for the oils used in skin and personal care products.

The Company competes with BP p.l.c., Royal Dutch Shell plc, and Exxon Mobil Corporation, jatropha, camelina, SALOV North America Corporation, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, Incorporated, DSM Food Specialties and Danisco A/S

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, renewable oil producer Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Throw all of your revenue projections out the window for now. Renewable oils manufacturer Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) started out the week with some bad news. The company announced that it was dissolving its joint venturewith Roquette Freres -- a mutual agreement -- after the two had "divergent views on an acceptable commercial strategy, timelines for manufacturing, and the marketing of joint venture products". Roquette remains committed to microalgae as a raw material and plans on continue developing non-genetically modified microalgae ingredients.

• [By Alyce Lomax]

  Alternative oils play Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM  ) may have just gotten riskier; apparently, many investors think so. Unlike many stocks today, Solazyme's trip to the woodshed is hinged on actual news and, unfortunately, it's one of the market's biggest decliners as of this writing. Today we learned that one of its partnerships will be dissolved within weeks.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Metals Australia Ltd(MLS.AX)

Metals Australia Limited explores for mineral deposits in Australia and Namibia. It focuses on nickel, zinc, copper, silver, gold, and uranium properties. The company holds an interest in two base metals projects comprising the Manindi zinc project consisting of a series of volcanogenic massive sulphide zinc deposits located in the Murchison District and the Sherlock Bay base metal joint venture project composing of an exploration license and two exploration license applications, which cover an area of approximately 470 square kilometers located in the Pilbara region; and one uranium project, known as the Marmion Uranium project with one granted exploration license covering approximately 200 square kilometers located in the Eastern Goldfields in Western Australia. It also has exploration tenure over four gold mining areas, including the South Arnaud, Wedderburn, Scarsdale, and Moyston projects located in western Victoria. The company, formerly known as Australian United Go ld Limited, is based in West Perth, Australia.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA)

NVIDIA Corporation provides visual computing, high performance computing, and mobile computing solutions that generate interactive graphics on various devices ranging from tablets and smart phones to notebooks and workstations. It operates in three segments: Graphic Processing Unit (GPU), Professional Solutions Business (PSB), and Consumer Products Business (CPB). The GPU segment offers GeForce discrete and chipset products, which support desktop and notebook personal computers plus memory products. The PSB segment provides its Quadro professional workstation products and other professional graphics products, including its NVIDIA Tesla high-performance computing products used in the manufacturing, entertainment, medical, science, and aerospace industries. The CPB segment offers Tegra mobile products, which support tablets, smartphones, personal media players, Internet television, automotive navigation, and other similar devices. This segment also licenses video game consol es and other digital consumer electronics devices. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, add-in-card manufacturers, consumer electronics companies, and system builders worldwide that utilize its processors as a core component of their entertainment, business, and professional solutions. NVIDIA Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  The first half of 2013 has been relatively slow for�NVIDIA� (NASDAQ: NVDA  ) , with shares mostly keeping pace with the broader market. This is expected, as the company made the conscious decision to delay the Tegra 4 time frame in order to focus on Tegra 4i. The graphics business continues to hold up admirably in the face of a slow PC market, as NVIDIA's target gamer market remains resilient.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Broadcom�� fourth-quarter forecast will cancel the top and bottom line beats the company posted for the third quarter. Lower pricing for high-end mobile devices from all manufacturers has taken a particular toll on Broadcom. Shares are down nearly 20% over the past 12 months, while peers like Qualcomm Corp. (NASDAQ: QCOM), Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN), and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) are up around 17%, 45%, and 30%, respectively.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, graphics-chip maker NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Griffin Land & Nurseries Inc.(GRIF)

Griffin Land & Nurseries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in real estate and landscape nursery businesses in the United States. The company?s real estate business consists of the ownership, construction, leasing, and management of commercial and industrial properties, as well as the development of residential subdivisions on real estate owned by it in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Its landscape nursery business comprises the growing of containerized plants for sale principally to independent retail garden centers, rewholesalers, mass merchandisers, home centers, and landscape contractors. Griffin Land & Nurseries, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in New York City, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: ADM is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: Bunge Limited (BG) with a 1.6% yield, Ingredion Incorporated (INGR) with a 2.4% yield and Griffin Land & Nurseries Inc. (GRIF) with a 0.7% yield.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Pacer International Inc.(PACR)

Pacer International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides asset-light transportation and logistics services primarily in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa. It operates in two segments, Intermodal and Logistics. The Intermodal segment offers intermodal rail transportation, local cartage and trucking, intermodal marketing services, container capacity, on-site operational services, and door-to-door shipment management services. As of December 31, 2011, its equipment fleet consisted of 1,592 double-stack railcars, 18,183 containers, and 12,783 chassis. The Logistics segment provides highway brokerage, warehousing and distribution, international freight forwarding, ocean and air shipping, and supply chain management services, as well as offers non-vessel-operating common carrier to end-user customers. The company markets and supports its services to cargo owners, steamship lines, truckload carriers, truck brokers, and freight forwarders , as well as other third party transportation service providers, such as intermodal marketing companies, third-party logistics companies, and shippers? agents through its direct sales and customer service representatives. Pacer International, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: LRAD Corporation(LRAD)

LRAD Corporation engages in the design, development, and commercialization of directed sound technologies and products in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company develops and delivers directed acoustic products that beam, focus, and control sound over short and long distances. It offers Long Range Acoustic Device, which creates directed acoustic beam to communicate at operational ranges in high ambient noise environments, primarily for military applications. The company also provides SoundSaber thin film magnetic speaker technology that provides high clarity throughout the audio range for emergency and mass notification, public address, and other sound applications. Its SoundSaber hardened panels are used in acoustic environments, such as hangar bays, industrial buildings, airports, and other facilities. LRAD Corporation sells its products directly to government, military, large end-users, and defense-related companies. The company was formerly known as American Technology Corporation and changed its name to LRAD Corporation in March 2010. LRAD Corporation was founded in 1980 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By gurujx]

  LRAD (LRAD): CFO/Secretary Katherine McDermott Sold 38,204 Shares

  CFO/Secretary Katherine McDermott sold 38,204 shares of LRAD stock on Aug. 28 at the average price of $1.57. Katherine H McDermott owns at least 17,800 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 10.19% since.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Intl Water-Guard Industries Inc(IWG.V)

IWG Technologies Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, sale, and service of aviation products and systems related to delivery of potable water on-board aircraft worldwide. Its products include potable water treatment units and on-demand water heaters, as well as water systems, such as tanks, water lines, pumps, valves, and electronic controls primarily for business-use aircraft manufacturers, owners, and operators; and business jet and VIP airliner markets. The principal technology embodied in its water treatment equipment includes irradiation by ultraviolet light, combined with filtration, ancillary systems, and controls. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: RealNetworks Inc.(RNWK)

RealNetworks, Inc. provides network-delivered digital media products and services to manage, play, and share digital media in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It develops and markets software products and services that enable the creation, distribution, and consumption of digital media, including audio and video. The company?s Core Products segment develops and provides software as a service (SaaS) services, including ring-back tone, music-on-demand, video-on-demand, and messaging services for mobile carriers; and e-commerce services, such as business intelligence, subscriber management, and billing for carrier customers. It also licenses Helix server software that allows companies and institutions to broadcast live and on-demand audio, video, and other multimedia programming to users over the Internet. In addition, this segment provides professional and systems integration services; and SuperPass, a subscription service, which provides consumers with acces s to a range of digital entertainment content. Its Emerging Products segment offers RealPlayer, a media player software, which include features and services that enable consumers to discover, play, download, manage, and edit digital video. The company?s Games segment is involved in developing, publishing, licensing, and distributing casual games, such as board, card, puzzle, word, and hidden-object games for PC?s, social networks, mobile handsets, and smartphones through digital download, online subscription play, third-party portals, social networks, and mobile devices. It distributes games principally in North America, Europe, and Latin America through the company?s own Websites, which are operated under the GameHouse, Zylom, and Atrativa brands, and through Websites owned or managed by third parties. RealNetworks, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Carol Hymowitz]

  CEOs who aren�� comfortable around technology and digital trends will have difficulty setting strategy for the future, said Dawn Lepore, former CEO of Drugstore.com and a director at AOL Inc., TJX Cos. (TJX) and RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK)

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nyesa Valores Corporacion SA (NYE)

Nyesa Valores Corporacion SA is a Spain-based company primarily engaged in the real estate sector. The Company�� activities include the acquisition and development of land, as well as the promotion and construction of non-residential properties, such as hotels, office buildings, shopping centers, senior residences, as well as logistics and industrial properties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned such companies as Gestora Inmobiliaria Besos SA, Edutaimet Sant Adria de Besos SA, Promociones Industriales y Financieras SA, Constructora Inbesos SA, Inbesos Sur SA and Nalcar 2000 SL, among others, and Inversion en Activos Urbanos SL was its majority shareholder with 47.9% of its interest.

Global markets giving a nod to the latest U.S. economic data

European equities opened the week on a positive note following the stronger economic data out of the U.S. last week. Keeping an eye on the Fed's tapering plans The latest U.S. data is also helping to support the strength of the dollar. Holding near a two-week high

Be warned, Wall Street prophets can be wildly off the mark, as witnessed by the performance of consumer discretionary stocks. The year's hottest sector was supposed to be the worst

If you're not among the 1,500 financial advisers in D.C. this week for the Schwab IMPACT gathering, here is what's happening and how to stay on top of it all. Is Barack Obama already a lame duck? Follow IN reporters Liz Skinner @skinnerliz and Jason Kephart @JasonKephart for complete conference coverage. Setting the stage

The U.S. equity market continues to ignore and separate from the Obama economy. Third-best post-re-election market run since the 1930s

To all my fellow military veterans, here are some wonderful examples of the kind of appreciation proudly displayed on this Veteran's Day. Semper Fi. Complimenatry meals, haircuts, even financial advice For everyone else, here are 10 ways to thank a veteran today

Time Warner Cable lost 300,000 subscribers amid CBS blackout

The dispute between Time Warner Cable and CBS led to a month-long programming blackout.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Time Warner Cable lost a startling 306,000 television subscribers in the third quarter, and the company said part of that drop was due to its month-long fight with CBS.

The TV subscriber losses, which Time Warner Cable revealed in its quarterly report Thursday, were much higher than Wall Street expected. Nomura analyst Adam Ilkowitz said he was "shocked" by the steep figure.

Ilkowitz estimates that about 100,000 to 150,000 of the quarter's subscriber losses were due to the CBS blackout. The company didn't specify how many TV subscribers canceled because of the CBS blackout, but Time Warner Cable did acknowledge in its report that the dispute "negatively impacted" subscriber numbers.

Analysts expected some degree of fallout from the contentious battle, which centered around how much Time Warner Cable (TWC, Fortune 500) should pay CBS (CBS, Fortune 500)for the right to transmit its programming.

The war hit customers Aug. 2, when the cable provider pulled CBS stations off the air in several cities. That affected three million customers in cities where CBS owns the affiliate stations that carry the network.

Time Warner Cable customers nationwide lost access to three CBS-owned premium cable networks: Showtime, The Movie Channel and The Smithsonian Channel.

The two companies finally came to an agreement in early September, a few weeks before the quarter ended. But that was too late for many Time Warner Cable subscribers.

"We hope to hear more on how TWC will 'get back up,'" Ilkowitz wrote in a note to clients.

Time Warner Cable now has 11.4 million TV subscribers.

The CBS battle affected Time Warner Cable beyond subscriber losses. The company was forced to issue $15 million in credits during the quarter to customers who paid for the CBS-owned premium channels like Showtime.

Starbucks offers Twitter gift cards

Starbucks customers can now send gift cards via Twitter.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Starbucks is now offering gift cards that can be sent via Twitter.

Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) said Monday that customers can "tweet-a-coffee" to their friends, so long as they have accounts on both Twitter and Starbucks.

The coffee chain said customers can Tweet a $5 gift card that the recipient can redeem by either printing it out or showing it to a Stabucks barista on a mobile device.

Starbucks said it hopes customers will develop the habit of "spontaneously" eGifting each other.

"We love the possibilities that the Twitter community can unlock," said Starbucks chief digital officer Adam Brotman, in a statement.

It's not the first time Twitter has ventured into e-commerce. Earlier this year, Twitter partnered with American Express (AXP, Fortune 500) to allow Amex members to buy products by tweeting out a corresponding hashtag, creating a sort of virtual shopping cart.

The Starbucks venture is probably more similar to Square Cash, the app created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey that allows you to email money to a friend or family member just by including the amount in the subject line.

Either way, it's the most high profile venture thus far for Twitter. "To the best of our knowledge we are the only major retailer to do it," said a Starbucks spokesperson.

Twitter was unavailable for immediate comment.

The company, valued at $11 billion, is gearing up to go public next month

How To Get Around The Health Insurance Marketplace Glitches

The new Health Insurance Marketplace is off to a shaky start since its Oct. 1 launch, despite its intention to provide a simple, easily accessible comparison of healthcare plans and purchase coverage. At a Oct. 21 White House Rose Garden event, President Obama acknowledged glitches that have plagued the central online Marketplace, stating, "The problem has been that the website that's supposed to make it easy to apply for and purchase the insurance is not working the way it should for everybody. And there's no sugarcoating it. The website has been too slow. People have been getting stuck during the application process. And I think it's fair to say that nobody is more frustrated by that than I am."

Users have reported long load times for web pages (with the accompanying message: "Please wait. We have a lot of visitors on our site right now and we're working to make your experience here better. Please wait here until we send you to the login page. Thanks for your patience!"), blank drop-down menus, error messages (such as "Important: Your account couldn't be created at this time. The system is unavailable"), long hold times for support calls and the website's live chat feature, and even inaccurate or missing information.

The tech-challenged Obamacare rollout has created fodder for news outlets and Affordable Care Act opponents. That's left many consumers wondering how - or even if - they can sign up before the deadline when most people – by law – are supposed to have health coverage. That deadline for avoiding a penalty was first reported to be Jan 1, 2014, but on Oct 24, 2013 the Obama administration announced a plan to change the policy so that people can sign up as late as March 31 and not incur a penalty. Even with the deadline extension, people with many factors to consider in choosing their level of healthcare coverage would be smart to get educated on the process now.

The following are strategies for signing up successfully through the Marketplace we! bsite, and alternatives for people who don't want (or who are unable) to use the website.

How to Get Around the Site Glitches

First, try using a few low-tech tactics. Some users have reported improved success when using a different web browser. For example, you might have better luck using Safari over Internet Explorer, or Firefox instead of Chrome. Since there are no posted browser requirements or recommendations on HealthCare.gov, each user may want to try multiple browsers to find the one that works best.

Users also have reported success visiting the website during off-peak hours. Since fewer people use the website during the middle of the night, many users find improved wait times and a better overall experience then. Yes, this does mean tapping into your computer at midnight, but it beats the frustration of not getting on at all. And, you can help expedite the process by having necessary information ready to go. This includes: names, social security numbers, employer and income information, and current health coverage information.

At last resort, just wait until the technical glitches have been resolved. While the code for the front end has been relatively stable, the back end (the code responsible for elements like account creation and sending your correct information to health insurance providers) needs work. President Obama has promised a "tech surge" that will bring outside consultants to the team to address – and fix – the problems with the website. While there is no guarantee that the website will be running with full functionality anytime soon, consumers do have a little time to "wait and see" what happens.

Apply the Old-Fashioned Way: Try the Telephone

You can always also apply over the phone or in person. Consumers can call the toll-free call center at the Health Insurance Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596. This line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY (hearing impaired) users can call 1-855-889-4325. President Obama said during the Rose Garden event that more staff have been added to the call centers, hopefully reducing the wait and hassle. "You can get your questions answered by real people, 24 hours a day, in 150 different languages," Obama said. "Wait times have averaged less than one minute so far on the call centers. You can talk to somebody directly and they can walk you through the application process." Consumers should expect the process to take about 25 minutes for individuals and about 45 minutes for families applying for coverage.

Consumers can also apply in person with the help of local navigators: individuals and organizations who have been specially trained and certified to help people sign up for healthcare coverage. Navigators (who are also known as application assisters and certified application counselors) exist nationwide, and are required to be unbiased and provide free services to consumers.

Individuals can also get help via community health centers, hospitals and insurance agents/brokers. Search for information about navigators and health centers in your area by visiting Localhelp.healthcare.gov to find out where to get help and apply for healthcare coverage in person. Enter your city and state or zip code and click "Find Help" to display a list of options in your area, including organization name, address, phone number, office hours, website, email address and areas in which you can receive assistance. New organizations are added frequently, so check back regularly if you still need help applying for healthcare coverage.

Keep in mind, you are not required to get health insurance through the Marketplace. You can still shop for coverage through! insurance agents, brokers, and directly through insurance providers. If you have an existing plan that you are happy with, your insurance provider may automatically shift you to the plan that most closely resembles your existing plan, but that meets the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. If you do not like the new plan, you should have until a specified date (Dec. 15, 2013 for coverage that starts Jan. 1) to shop for alternative coverage.

Note: Most people will qualify for new federal subsidies that can help lower health insurance costs, including Cost-Sharing Reductions, which help lower out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, co-payments and coinsurance; and Advanced Premium Tax Credits, which reduce the amount you pay each month for your insurance premium. In order to take advantage of either subsidy, you must purchase a plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

The Bottom Line

Although the HealthCare.gov website has had what could safely be called a less-than-successful launch, it is important to remember that consumers can try certain tactics to improve their online experience, and there are other routes to apply for and purchase healthcare coverage for the New Year, including over the phone and in person.

Tax Tips For The Last Quarter Of 2013

By Shirley Pulawski

Tax time may not be right around the corner, but the last quarter of the year is here, so it's time to get in gear to maximize the potential for tax deductions as the year draws to a close.

If you plan your finances carefully and take a look ahead at your income and the tax code for the 2013 year, you could position yourself for some savings come April 15. None of these tips are any substitute for a conversation with a reputable tax lawyer, but it may help make the most of your income and reduce what you owe.

Plan your charitable donations now

If charitable giving is part of your tax plan, don't wait until the busy month of December to start making end-of-year contributions or at least making decisions about amounts to allocate and to whom. Put together a list now of reputable charities to which you would like to donate, and budget appropriately.

Increase retirement account contributions

Another way to lower your taxable income is to pay more into your retirement plan if you're not already maxed out. Ratchet up your 401(k) or IRA contributions to save on taxes owed and boost your retirement security at the same time. Most people under 50 years of age can contribute up to $17,500 (or $5,500 more over age 50) annually, so crunch the numbers and see if this is right for you.

Spend down flexible spending accounts

If you're in a pre-tax flexible spending program through your employer, check your balance and spend the amount down between now and the end of the year, if possible. Some eligible expenses may include eyewear, medical devices, and even co-payments and deductibles.

Sell off losing stocks

If you have stocks that are worth less than what you paid for them, and you don't want to hang onto them, you can sell them and take a capital loss on your tax return. While selling the stocks in order to be able to declare the loss on your tax return might only make up for a small percentage of the loss, you can claim up to $3,000 annually. Naturally, there is additional paperwork involved, but if you've been looking for a reason to let go of some losers, now could be a good time. '

Go green

There is still time left to upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and reap up to a $500 tax credit. This credit was set to expire in 2011, but was extended through the end of this year. If you haven't taken the credit before, some items which may be eligible include water heaters, furnaces, heat pumps, central air conditioners, boilers, and even building Insulation, windows, and a new roof. In a qualifying furnace, circulating fans installed may also count, as well as other renewable or alternative technologies such as biomass burners of stoves that use qualified biomass fuel.

Other credits have been extended as well. Purchases of plug-in electric drive vehicles, combined heat and power systems, onsite renewable energy systems including ground-source heat pumps, and fuel cells and microturbines are scheduled to be extended until Dec. 31, 2016.

Have a plan and know the rules

This is not a comprehensive list of tax deductions or credits, so spend some time at IRS.gov to learn more about qualifying expenses and eligible purchases, contributions, and gifts. Do a quick run-through of your income and expected deductions to determine what you'll owe, and if there are sound ways to a! ct now and reduce your tax burden.

In general, there is some good news about changes to the tax bracket structure this year. The standard deduction will increase slightly with inflation, and tax brackets have changed. Wolters-Kluwer, CCH announced last month that the changes are expected to result in an increase in savings for many. The firm said couples filing jointly with an income of around $100,000 could expect to pay around $145 less in taxes, while a anyone making around $50,000 and filing as single could expect a savings of about $72.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

Blue Sphere Corp. (OTCQB: BLSP), �a company in the cleantech sector which develops waste-to-energy and other renewable energy projects has been attracting the attention of investors and media as they ramp up their innovative projects in the U.S. �The Company aspires to become a key player in the global waste-to-energy and renewable energy markets and CEO Shlomi Palas, took time to answer questions about his firm.

Q: Briefly explain to investors who may not be familiar with Blue Sphere, what your company does and why an investment in your company is a good opportunity right now?

Shlomi Palas, CEO of Blue Sphere: Blue Sphere develop-build and operate facilities which use organic waste to produce clean energy. Blue Sphere is positioned in a multibillion arena which is currently serviced by very few and small scale competitors. The endless supply of waste, which we call ��he new oil fields�� the new strict Federal and State legislation to divert organic waste from land fields, the already in force legislation to substitute fossil energy with renewable energy, the Federal and State incentives for the activities above, all these tectonic movements are the power behind Blue Sphere raison d���re. Blue sphere has an objective of building a portfolio of 60 Mw/h high yield assets with IRR greater than 15% with-in the next 5 years.�

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Health Management Intl Ltd (588.SI)

Health Management International Ltd, an investment holding company, provides healthcare and educational services primarily in Singapore and Malaysia. The company owns and operates two hospitals in Malaysia that include Regency Specialist Hospital, a 218-bed tertiary care hospital in Johor; and Mahkota Medical Centre, a 288-bed tertiary care hospital in Malacca. Its hospitals provide medical and surgical services, including cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, internal medicine, medical oncology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic and trauma surgery, paediatrics, plastic, cosmetic, reconstructive surgery, rheumatology, vascular and endovascular surgery, and urology services, as well as ear, nose, throat, head, and neck surgery services. The company�s hospitals also offers clinical services and facilities comprising cardiac catheterisation and clinical laboratory, endoscopy suite, health screening centre, intensive care unit, labo ur and delivery suite, nursery and NICU, pharmacy, physiotherapy department, and emergency and outpatient department; and imaging and diagnostic services, such as computed tomography scanning, magnetic resonance imaging, general X-ray, Echocardiogram, Endovenous Laser Treatment, Endoscopy, Fluoroscopy, Mammogram, and Ultrasound services. It also owns and operates the HMI Institute of Health Sciences in Singapore that provides healthcare training and education services for healthcare support workers, nurses, and healthcare leader. In addition, the company provides consulting, hospital management, and project management services, as well as engages in property investment business. Health Management International Ltd was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Castings(CGS.L)

Castings P.L.C. produces and sells various iron castings. It offers ductile iron castings, spheroidal graphite (SG) iron castings, austempered ductile iron castings, simo castings, Ni-resist castings, and grey iron castings. The company also undertakes the design, including virtual analysis, of ductile and SG iron castings; and produces prototypes and pre-series castings, as well as fully machined ductile iron castings and sub-assemblies. It serves the commercial vehicle and automotive markets. The company has operations primarily in the United Kingdom, Sweden, rest of Europe, and North and South America. Castings P.L.C. is headquartered in Brownhills, the United Kingdom.

Best Low Price Stocks To Buy Right Now: Enphase Energy Inc (ENPH.W)

Enphase Energy, Inc. (Enphase), incorporated in March 20, 2006, designs, develops and sells microinverter systems for the solar photovoltaic industry. The Company sells its microinverter systems primarily to distributors who resell them to solar installers. It also sells directly to installers, as well as through original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Company�� microinverter system consists of three components: Enphase microinverter, Envoy communications gateway and Enlighten Web-based software.

Enphase Microinverter

The Company�� Enphase microinverter delivers power conversion at the individual solar module level by introducing a digital architecture that incorporates custom application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) power electronics devices and an embedded software subsystem. A residential solar installation consists of 5 to 50 microinverters; a small commercial solar installation consists of 50 to 500 microinverters, and medium or larger commercial solar installation consists of 500 to 10,000 microinverters, or more.

Envoy Communications Gateway

The Company�� Envoy communications gateway is installed in the system owner�� home or business and serves as a networking hub that collects data from the microinverter array and sends the information to its hosted data center. One Envoy is typically sold with each solar installation and can support up to 500 Enphase microinverters.

Enlighten Software

The Company�� Enlighten Web-based software collects and analyzes this information to enable system owners to monitor and realize the performance of their solar photovoltaics (PV) system and also provides an online portal designed for installers to enable them to track and manage all of their Enphase enabled projects and monitor and analyze the performance of their installed systems.

The Company competes with SMA Solar Technology AG, Fronius International GmbH, Power-One, Inc., SunPower Corp.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Epicore Bionetworks Inc. (EBN.V)

Epicore BioNetworks Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures biotechnology products and specialty animal feeds worldwide. The company offers a family of EPICIN branded biological aquaculture systems that create a cleaner and healthier growing environment in aquaculture hatcheries and grow-out ponds, as well as eliminates toxic ammonia and nitrates and improves animal health and disease resistance for the aquaculture industry. It also provides agriculture products, including EPIZYM-AW and EPIZYM-PIGS, which are animal manure bacterial inoculants to liquefy and deodorize animal waste; PHYTOZYM 2-2-2 liquid foliar spray and seed treatment, a stabilized biochemical concentrate; EPITHATCH biological thatch digester, a dry biological formulation that decomposes dead grass; and EPITHERM microbial ecosystem for composting organic waste. In addition, the company offers municipal products comprising LINEBAC, a microbial ecosystem to biodegrade contaminants in industrial and municipa l wastewater collection systems; LIPOSOLVE municipal emulsifier; DEOBAC Biological deodorizer and odor neutralizer, a liquid microbial ecosystem to biodegrade organic matter; and GREASE-X aqueous cleaner and degreaser that penetrates and softens various forms of grease, fats, and oil. Further, it provides wastewater treatment products, including EPIZYM-100 microbial ecosystem for the biodegradation of industrial and municipal wastewater; and EPIZYM-200 microbial inoculant for the biodegradation of crude oil and petroleum products. Additionally, Epicore BioNetworks Inc. offers biological cleaning products, such as drain and grease trap cleaners, hard surface cleaner, carpet and upholstery shampoo, and aqueous cleaner and degreaser; and bio remediation products. The company was formerly known as Epicore Networks Inc. and changed its name to Epicore BioNetworks Inc. in 2000. Epicore BioNetworks Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Eastampton, New Jersey.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Doxa Energy Ltd (DXA.V)

Doxa Energy Ltd., a junior oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties primarily in south Texas, the United States. The company develops and maintains a portfolio of producing and developing conventional projects; and unconventional assets, including the Eagle Ford Shale Oil Play in south Texas. It also holds interest in the Mississippian Oil Play in northern Oklahoma. Doxa Energy Ltd. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Let D.C. donnybrook be wake-up call for your fi…

The government came close to bumping into its debt-ceiling but a last-minute deal to avert a default was in the works Wednesday. Even so, perhaps consumers should consider if they're edging closer to the brink, too, when it comes to their own finances.

Bickering, much like what we've been watching in Washington, D.C., is definitely a clue that you've got money trouble. Are you fighting over not who gets to pay the bill and treat for dinner but arguing over who should get stuck with the bill? Maybe who should get stuck with all the bills?

On the plus side, several economists say that overall many consumers — with the exception of a group building an arsenal of student loan debt — seem far more on track than before the recession.

"It seems like consumers, on average, they're taking the right steps," said David Nice, associate economist for Mesirow Financial in Chicago.

Borrowing to replace a broken refrigerator is one thing, Nice noted, but taking on a large amount of credit card debt to simply upgrade all the appliances is another — and many consumers aren't going that far.

"It's not like we're in a boom here with everybody out there buying whatever they want," Nice said.

Overall, consumers tend to be moving cautiously in part because wage gains are sluggish and the job market is far from robust.

Outstanding consumer credit grew by $13.6 billion in August but the bulk of the increase is associated with student loans backed by the federal government. The figure does not include mortgage debt; it does include credit cards and fixed lines of credit like student loans and car loans. Total household debt hit $12.9 trillion in the second quarter of 2013.

Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics, said household debt outstanding is effectively flat – mortgage debt is falling, but student and auto loan debt is rising.

"Bottom line is that households remain very cautious in increasing their borrowing and leverage," Zandi said.

Plenty of in! dividuals, of course, lost jobs or saw paychecks cut. And many people remain too close to the edge when it comes to debt. So it can help to review the signs, especially as the calendar moves closer to the holidays and many may be tempted to borrow.

As for college debt? What are signs that you're playing too close to the edge with your finances?

A really, really big sign is when you have absolutely no idea how much you've borrowed in student loans.

"A lack of awareness of the amount of debt leads to a lack of control over spending," said Mark Kantrowitz of Edvisors.com.

Kantrowitz said there are other troubling signs: Do you need to borrow far beyond what's allowed through federal student loans and tap into private student loans and credit cards too?

Are you borrowing more than $7,500 a year for undergraduate school?

Will your total student loan debt at graduation exceed your annual starting salary?

Kantrowitz noted that roughly 10% of college grads with bachelors degrees have total student loan debt in excess of their starting salaries. Roughly 20% to 25% borrow more than $7,500 a year.

Again, not good signs.

Bad money management also includes using student loan money to eat out, buy concert tickets or buy fashion-forward new winter coats, too. You're not distinguishing needs from wants.

Or are you borrowing enough money to go to school full-time but only taking a few classes on a part-time basis?

As for credit card debt? What's a sign that your debt is about to hit the ceiling?

Are you always charging $300 a month to fill up your gas tank but only paying $75 or so each month to meet the minimum on a credit card with a $3,000 balance?

Bad idea.

Katie Moore, financial counselor for GreenPath Debt Solutions in Detroit, said a clear sign that a consumer is heading for a financial mess is when he or she is constantly borrowing even what seem like small sums.

"There's a credit card wall," she said. "You are overspending! if you'r! e charging more than you're paying off each month."

Trying to use a credit card to meet every day bills — such as groceries, gas, going out to lunch at work — can drive up debt and cause a consumer to hit the maximum credit limit quickly.

Paul Traub, a business economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Detroit branch, said one concern is that income growth has been so slow that some consumers could be using debt to support consumption. The recent increase in the use of credit could be an issue if it's used to offset slow income growth and balances aren't paid off each month.

What's key to understand, Traub said, is that consumers will have added even more pressure on their finances, if they maintain balances on their credit cards and then face higher rates on that variable rate debt, as interest rates start to rise.

Financial problems only build, of course, if the consumer loses a job, faces a reduction in income or must deal with other unexpected costs, such as medical bills.

The one positive sign out of the recession, Moore said, is that credit card companies are not regularly rolling out outlandish credit limits on cards. Consumers cannot easily obtain credit limits of $30,000 or $50,000 as Moore said she once saw in the past.

"People are having to face the reality of their budget maybe in ways they hadn't in the past," Moore said.

Contact Susan Tompor: (313) 222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Tompor

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

Pacific WebWorks, Inc. (PWEB)

Today, PWEB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.0185 with 2,891 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:34AM EDT July 19, 2013).

Pacific WebWorks, Inc. previously reported the following business update. For the first six months of 2013 the Company has focused on revitalizing its internet technology business model. As previously reported, Pacific WebWorks has expanded its software suite and established a framework for reaching new markets with its software products. The Company believes there is strong demand for its products and is aggressively pursuing the opportunity to obtain new customers through a variety of marketing methods.

Lance Bell, CEO, stated, ��e are excited to report a number of accomplishments during the first six months of 2013. We have rounded out our management team, finalized our infrastructure and have begun to market our software products. We are encouraged by the initial results of these efforts.��/p>

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: ANSYS Inc (ANSS)

ANSYS, Inc. (ANSYS) develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and services used by engineers, designers, researchers and students across a range of industries and academia, including aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, electronics, biomedical, energy and defense. The Company distributes its ANSYS suite of simulation technologies through a global network of independent resellers and distributors (collectively, channel partners) and direct sales offices in global locations. The Company�� product portfolio consists of ANSYS Workbench, multiphysics product, structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, explicit dynamics, electromagnetic, system simulation, simulation process and data management, academic, high-performance computing (HPC), geometry interfaces, meshing and Apache design low-power electronic solutions. On August 1, 2011, the Company acquired Apache Design, Inc.

ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS Workbench is the framework upon which the Company�� suite of advanced engineering simulation technologies is built. The ANSYS Workbench platform delivers productivity, enabling Simulation Driven Product Development.

Multiphysics

The Company�� multiphysics product suite allows engineers and designers to create virtual prototypes of their designs operating under multiphysics conditions. ANSYS multiphysics software enables engineers and scientists to simulate the interactions between structural mechanics, heat transfer, fluid flow and electromagnetics all within a single, engineering simulation environment.

Structural Mechanics

The Company�� structural mechanics product suite offers simulation tools for product design. These tools have capabilities that cover a range of analysis types, elements, contacts, materials, equation solvers and coupled physics capabilities all focused towards understanding and solving complex design problems.

Fluid Dynamics

The Company�� fluid dynamics product suit! e offers modeling of fluid flow and other related physical phenomena. Fluid flow analysis capabilities provide all the tools needed to design new fluids equipment and to troubleshoot already existing installations. The fluid dynamics product suite contains general-purpose computational fluid dynamics software and specialized products to address specific industry applications.

Explicit Dynamics

The Company�� explicit dynamics product suite simulates events involving short-duration, large-strain, large-deformation, fracture, complete material failure or structural problems with complex interactions. This product suite is used for simulating physical events that occur in a short period of time and may result in material damage or failure.

Electromagnetics

The Company�� electromagnetics product suite provides field simulation software for designing high-performance electronic and electromechanical products. The software streamlines the design process and predicts performance - all prior to building a prototype - of mobile communication and Internet-access devices, broadband networking components and systems, integrated circuits (IC) and printed circuit boards (PCB), as well as electromechanical systems such as automotive components and power electronics equipment.

System Simulation

The Company delivers the ability to perform complete simulation studies as a system for some of the product designs. This is accomplished through a complete set of physics solutions that are integrated into a multiphysics capabilities set. A collaborative simulation environment provides modeling scalability for evaluating entire systems, including three dimensional (3-D) high-fidelity models, multibody dynamics, circuit reduced-order models, and any combination of these.

Simulation Process and Data Management

ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (ANSYS EKM) is a solution for simulation-based process and data management. ANSY! S EKM pro! vides solutions to all levels of a company, enabling an organization to address the issues associated with simulation data, including backup and archival, traceability and audit trail, process automation and intellectual property protection.

Academic

The Company�� academic product suite provides a portfolio of academic products based on several usage tiers: associate, research and teaching. Each tier includes various noncommercial products that bundle a range of physics and advanced coupled field solver capabilities. The academic product suite provides entry-level tools intended for class demonstrations and hands-on instruction. It provides flexible terms of use and more complex analysis suitable for doctoral and post-doctoral research projects. The Company also provides a product suitable for student use at home.

High-Performance Computing

The Company�� HPC product suite enables insight into product performance. The HPC product suite delivers cross-physics parallel processing capabilities for the full spectrum of the Company�� simulation software by supporting structural, fluids, thermal and electromagnetic simulations in a single HPC solution.

Geometry Interfaces

The Company offers geometry handling solutions for engineering simulation in an integrated environment with direct interfaces to all CAD systems, support of additional readers and translators. It also offers an integrated geometry modeler focused on analysis.

Meshing

Creating a mesh that transforms a physical model into a mathematical model is a critical and foundational step in almost every engineering simulation study. The Company�� meshing technology provides a means to balance these requirements, obtaining the right mesh for each simulation in the most automated way possible.

Apache Design Low-Power Electronic Solutions

The Company�� suite of Apache software delivers power analysis and optimization pl! atforms a! long with integrated methodologies that provide capabilities for managing the power budget, power delivery integrity, and power-induced noise in an electronic design, from initial prototyping to system sign-off. These solutions deliver correlation to silicon measurement, and the capacity to handle an entire electronic system, including IC, package, and PCB.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  ANSYS, Inc. (ANSS), the market leader in simulation-driven product development software, declined after reporting quarterly results that were negatively impacted by slower end market demand. Despite the near-term headwind, we believe that ANSYS remains the dominant global provider of simulation software and that the company stands to benefit from the ongoing adoption of its simulation tools. We also believe that ANSYS will increasingly use its cash to repurchase its shares, which we believe will generate additional shareholder value.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Ixia(XXIA)

Ixia supplies converged network and application performance testing solutions in the United States and internationally. It designs and validates a range of Internet protocol (IP) and third generation/long-term evolution networking equipment. The company?s solutions generate realistic traffic to stress routers, switches, and converged network appliances. It provides converged IP test systems and services for wireless and wired infrastructures and services. Ixia serves network equipment manufacturers, service providers, enterprises, and government agencies. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Calabasas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA  ) got crushed today, down by 25% at the low, after the company announced preliminary results.

  So what: Revenue in the second quarter is expected in the range of $114 million to $116 million, shy of Ixia's previous guidance that was calling for $119 million to $122 million. The silver lining was that revenue from recent acquisitions is expected at the high end of guidance of $28 million to $32 million.

Top 10 Cheap Companies To Watch For 2014: Electronics for Imaging Inc.(EFII)

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. provides color digital print controllers, digital inkjet printers, and business process automation solutions. The company?s Fiery products consist of stand-alone print controllers and servers connected to digital copiers and other peripheral devices; embedded and design-licensed solutions used in digital copiers and multi-functional devices; optional software integrated into controller solutions that include Fiery Central and MicroPress; Entrac, a self-service and payment solution; PrintMe, a mobile printing application; and stand-alone software-based solutions, such as proofing and scanning solutions, including ColorProof XF, Fiery XF, ColorProof eXpress, and Xflow. It also offers industrial inkjet products, including VUTEk super-wide format digital industrial inkjet printers and inks used by billboard graphics printers, commercial photo labs, sign shops, graphic screen printers, specialty commercial printers, and digital graphics providers; Rastek hybrid and flatbed entry level production UV wide format inkjet printers; and Jetrion label and packaging digital inkjet printers, integration solutions, and specialty digital UV inks for primary and secondary label applications, and industrial label or flexible packaging markets. In addition, the company provides advanced professional print software products consisting of print production workflow and management information software, including Monarch, PSI, Logic, PrintSmith, and PrintFlow; Pace, a cloud-based business process automation software; and cloud-based order entry and order management systems, which comprise Digital StoreFront, PrinterSite, and PrintSmith Site. Electronics For Imaging, Inc. offers its products through sales force and distribution arrangements primarily in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Japan. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Foster City, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of digital printing technologist Electronics for Imaging (NASDAQ: EFII  ) popped 12% today after its quarterly results topped�Wall Street expectations.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Electronics for Imaging (Nasdaq: EFII  ) reported earnings on April 18. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: OYO Geospace Corporation(OYOG)

OYO Geospace Corporation engages in the design and manufacture of instruments and equipment used in the acquisition and processing of seismic data; and characterization and monitoring of producing oil and gas reservoirs. It also designs, manufactures, and distributes thermal imaging equipment and thermal media products for the screen print, point of sale, signage, and textile markets. The company?s seismic products consist of land and marine nodal seismic data acquisition systems; multi-component geophones and hydrophones; seismic leader wires; geophone string and acquisition system connectors; seismic telemetry cables; marine seismic cable retrieval and steering devices; and data acquisition systems. It also provides permanently installed high-definition reservoir characterization products for ocean-bottom applications in producing oil and gas fields; and produces seismic borehole acquisition systems, which employ a fiber optic augmented wireline capable of high data tra nsmission rates. In addition, it designs and manufactures power and communication transmission cable products, including various specialized cables primarily used in deepwater applications, such as remotely operated vehicle tethers, umbilicals, and electrical control cables, as well as armored cables that are engineered to withstand harsh offshore operating environments. Further, the company designs and manufactures industrial sensors for the vibration monitoring, security, and earthquake detection markets; and other specialty cable and connector products used in connection with global positioning products and water meter applications. It serves seismic contractors, and independent and government-owned oil and gas companies. OYO Geospace Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Prima BioMed Ltd (PBMD)

Prima BioMed Ltd is a biotechnology company is engaged in the development and commercialization of medical therapies with a focus on oncology. Its product candidates in development include Cvac, an autologous dendritic cell vaccine for ovarian cancer, monoclonal antibodies for multiple tumour types, and an oral formulation for the human papilloma virus (HPV), vaccine. Its product candidate Cvac is a dendritic cell therapy, for which it is conducting a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Cvac is designed to target the tumour antigen mucin-1, which is expressed at high levels on different tumour types. It also has two preclinical product development programs. In May 2011, Prima BioMed GmbH, a 100 % owned subsidiary of Prima BioMed Ltd, was incorporated in Germany. In May 2011, Prima BioMed Middle East FZLLC, a 100 % owned subsidiary of Prima BioMed Ltd, was incorporated in the United Arab Emirates. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Prima Biomed (NASDAQ: PBMD) shares dipped 38.59% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.44 after the company reported top-line analysis of CVac Phase 2 trial.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Prima Biomed (NASDAQ: PBMD) dropped 38.17% to $1.45 after the company reported top-line analysis of CVac Phase 2 trial.

  Tower Group International (NASDAQ: TWGP) plummeted 24.31% to $10.49. Tower Group announced its plans to release its Q2 results during the week of October 7, 2013. FBR Capital downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Aehr Test Systems(AEHR)

Aehr Test Systems designs, engineers, and manufactures test and burn-in equipment for use in the semiconductor industry. The company primarily offers the advanced burn-in and test systems for performing tests during burn-in on logic and memory packaged ICs; the FOX full wafer contact parallel test and burn-in systems for making contact with pads of a wafer simultaneously to enable full wafer parallel test and burn-in; the MAX burn-in systems for burn-in and functionally testing of devices, such as digital signal processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and systems-on-a-chip; WaferPak cartridges for use in testing wafers in FOX systems; the DiePak carriers, a reusable, temporary package that enables IC manufacturers to perform final test and burn-in of bare die; and test fixtures, which hold the devices undergoing test or burn-in and electrically connect the devices under test to the system electronics. It also offers customer service and support programs, including s ystem installation, system repair, applications engineering support, spare parts inventories, customer training, and documentation. The company markets and sells its products through a network of distributors and sales representatives to semiconductor manufacturers, semiconductor contract assemblers, electronics manufacturers, and burn-in and test service companies. It has operations in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: DiaMedica Inc (DMA)

DiaMedica Inc. (DiaMedica) is a development-stage company. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of diabetes and related diseases. DiaMedica's compound, DM-199, is a recombinant human protein for the treatment of both Type I and Type II diabetes and their complications. DiaMedica is starting a Phase I/II clinical trial for DM-199. DM-199 is a recombinant human protein, which improves glucose control, protects beta cells through the expansion of a population of antigen-specific immunosuppressive cells (Tregs), and proliferates insulin producing beta cells through the activation of certain growth factors. The Company�� DM-204 is a G-protein-coupled receptor agonist (GPCR) monoclonal antibody to treat Type II diabetes and some of the associated complication's. activating a receptor resulted in insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and vasodilation.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Dynamics Research Corporation(DRCO)

Dynamics Research Corporation provides management consulting, engineering, technical, and information technology (IT) services and solutions to federal and state governments. It provides Web-based collaborative decision making tools and facilities that enable participants in various locations to participate in the transformation process; and a range of processes and tools to develop, sustain, manage, and govern complex information systems in the areas of enterprise architecture, software engineering, IT infrastructure management, application development and sustainment, Web services, IT governance, information assurance and cyber security, and IT support services. The company also offers individual and team training solutions, including training/task analysis, high performance team training, Web-based training, and automated training management; and identifies, develops, and delivers various additional human performance improvement solutions, including electronic performan ce support systems, job/task redesign user interface change, organizational redesign, and resource reallocation. In addition, it provides a set of solutions to support the management of complex programs throughout their life cycle, such as program management, business, cost, financial management, acquisition management, engineering and logistics, audit support and remediation, communications, and training services. Further, the company offers engineering services to support the design, testing, manufacturing, and integration of advanced components and complex systems. It provides engineering services in the areas of item unique identification methodologies; technical manual configuration and control; manufacturing, repair, and overhaul engineering; and global positioning system receiver products. Additionally, the company offers healthcare services. Dynamics Research Corporation was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Dell Inc.(DELL)

Dell Inc. provides integrated technology solutions in the information technology (IT) industry worldwide. It designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports mobility and desktop products, including notebooks, workstations, tablets, smartphones, and desktop PCs, as well as servers and networking products. The company offers storage solutions, including storage area networks, network-attached storage, direct-attached storage, and various backup systems. It also provides IT and business services comprising transactional services, such as support, managed deployment, enterprise installation, and configuration services; outsourcing services, including data center and systems management, network management, life cycle application development and management, and business process outsourcing services; and project-based services consisting of IT infrastructure, applications, business process, and business consulting services. In addition, the company offers third-part y software products comprising operating systems, business and office applications, anti-virus and related security software, and entertainment software; and peripheral products, such as printers, televisions, notebook accessories, mouse, keyboards, networking and wireless products, and digital cameras. Further, it provides financial services, including originating, collecting, and servicing customer receivables related to the purchase of its products and third-party technology products. The company sells its products and services directly through its sales representatives, telephone-based sales, and online sales; and through retailers, third-party solution providers, system integrators, and third-party resellers. It serves corporate businesses, law enforcement agencies, small and medium businesses, consumers, and public institutions that include government, education, and healthcare organizations. Dell Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Herbalife (NYSE: HLF  ) and CVR Refining, L.P.�Other new holdings of interest include Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN  ) and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) . Herbalife, up 10% over the past year, has some high-profile critics, such as David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital and Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management. The company has been reporting solid results, with its first quarter featuring revenue up 17%, net profit up 10%, and expectations for double-digit near-term growth. It sports an attractive 2.7% dividend yield, but some worry about its multilevel-marketing strategy, and others are waiting for the dust to settle.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

  Dell offers technology products and services to consumers and companies around the world. The company is reportedly closer than ever to being taken private by founder Michael Dell. The stock has been fairly volatile this year but has stabilized in recent weeks. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been decreasing, which has produced mixed feelings among investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Dell has been a year-to-date performance leader. WAIT AND SEE what happens to Dell stock this quarter.

• [By George Kesarios]

  With companies like Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Samsung (SSNLF.PK) and even Dell (DELL) all working on making small wrist like devices and bracelets, at the end of the day, success will be determined by the power source and semiconductor components that use extremely low power.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Think specifically of Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) , both of which offer SSD machines but whose customers are more price sensitive, says Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova in the following video. Having access to Western Digital's higher-capacity drives should allow them to cater to budget-savvy customers that are still hungry for high performance, Tim says.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Tele Celular Sul Participacoes S.A.(TSU)

TIM Participacoes S.A. provides mobile telecommunications services through global system mobile (GSM) technology to business and individual customers in Brazil. It provides prepaid and post paid services. The company also offers value-added services, including short message services or text messaging, multimedia messaging services, push-mail, Blackberry services, video call, turbo mail, wireless application protocol downloads, Web browsing, business data solutions, songs, games, TV access, voice mail, conference calling, chats, and other content and services, as well as interconnection services to fixed line and mobile service providers. In addition, it provides fixed telecommunications services for data, local, long distance, and international modalities. Further, the company sells handset models and BlackBerry from various manufacturers, including Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Ericsson, and BlackBerry through its dealer network, which consists of its own stores, franch ises, authorized dealers, and department stores. As of December 31, 2010, its services were marketed through a distribution network of approximately 8,989 points of sale, which include approximately 70 company owned stores. The company also had 398,392 recharging points for prepaid services. It offers mobile telecommunications services under TIM brand to approximately 51 million customers. The company was formerly known as Tele Celular Sul Participacoes S.A. and changed its name to TIM Participacoes S.A. in August 2004. TIM Participacoes S.A. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. TIM Participacoes S.A. is a subsidiary of TIM Brasil Servicos e Participacoes S.A.

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biopharmaceutical company MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD  ) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at MannKind and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

MannKind facts

Headquarters (founded)

Valencia, Calif. (1991)

Market Cap

$2.1 billion

Industry

Biotechnology

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$35 thousand

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: MTS Systems Corporation(MTSC)

MTS Systems Corporation supplies test systems and industrial position sensors in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Test segment provides testing solutions, including road simulators for durability simulation; tire performance and rolling resistance measurement systems; moving road-plane systems and balances use for aerodynamics measurements in wind tunnels; systems for the physical characterization of materials, such as ceramics, composites, and steel; systems to test durability and performance of implants, prostheses, and other medical and dental materials and devices. This segment also offers products, systems, and software to perform static and fatigue testing of aircraft and space vehicles; systems for structural engineering, including high force static and dynamic testing; and seismic simulation tables to test the designs of structures and set building codes. In addition, it provides various accessories and spare parts, as well as installation, calibratio n, maintenance, training, and consulting services. This segment serves automobile, truck, motorcycle, motorsports vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, rail, and off-road vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as power generation, aerospace, bio-medical, wind energy, structural engineering, and petroleum industries. The company?s Sensors segment manufactures products utilizing magnetostriction technology for manufacturers of mobile equipment, plastic injection molding machines, and wood product processing equipment, as well as to steel mill, fluid power, oil and gas, medical, and alternative energy industries. It also offers products to measure fluid displacement for customers in the process industries. The company sells its products through direct sales organization, and independent representatives and distributors, as well as through the Internet and catalogs. MTS Systems Corporation was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of MTS Systems (NASDAQ: MTSC  ) dropped by as much as 13% today after the company reported disappointing earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the fiscal second quarter came in at $137.7 million, which topped the $135 million analysts were expecting. However, the bottom-line result of $0.69 per share was significantly worse than the $0.86-per-share consensus forecast. The sensors segment continues to face soft market conditions.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, road simulator specialist MTS Systems (NASDAQ: MTSC  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: Fds Networks Group Ltd (F07.SI)

FDS Networks Group Ltd, an investment holding company, engages in network system integration, distribution of networking products, provision of technical services, and asset management in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Thailand. It is involved in the design and implementation of integrated telecommunication and/or data communication networks to enable organizations communicate various types of information electronically within the organization or with another organization across various geographical locations. The company also engages in the distribution, installation, and service of networking and communications hardware products, such as cables, adapters, modems, multiplexers, routers, switches, frame relay products, and security encryption products; the trade of communication products and accessories, networking products and systems, and computer software and hardware; and the provision of equipment, service, and support to customers requiri ng the establishment and integration of Datacomm and local area network networking products and systems. In addition, it provides data and telecommunications services; offers computer maintenance support and consultancy services; engages in the catalogue sale of telecommunication equipment; develops information technology projects; and engages in trading and integrating business machines and communication equipment. FDS Networks Group Ltd is headquartered in Wanchai, Hong Kong.

Hot Undervalued Stocks For 2014: Meridex Software Corp (MSC.V)

Meridex Software Corporation IP security and facilities management software solutions in Canada. It offers emergency management software solutions for schools; and calendar marketing software for individuals, corporations, and organizations. The company focuses on integrated building security, camera monitoring, HAVC, and lighting control. It also develops intelligent IP surveillance and business optimization software solutions to enable real-time monitoring systems through mobile devices and wireless networks. Meridex enables educational institutions, governments, hospitals, and retail and corporate enterprises to manage, monitor, and optimize security and facilities management systems. The company�s product includes Meridex MicroView FM mobile software solution, which enables customers to record and update ARCHIBUS facilities data on the spot through the use of Palm or Windows handheld devices. Meridex Software Corporation is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: Spirent Plc(SPT.L)

Spirent Communications plc operates as a communications technology company in Europe, the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Africa. It operates in three segments: Performance Analysis, Service Assurance, and Systems. The Performance Analysis segment provides solutions that test current and next-generation communications technologies in the lab. It develops test solutions for the engineers in the communications industry that allow them to evaluate the performance of the latest technologies, infrastructure, and applications to be deployed worldwide. This segment also offers tools for service technicians and field test engineers to enhance network quality and make troubleshooting of live networks. In addition, it allows network equipment and mobile device manufacturers, service providers, enterprises, and government entities to test and benchmark the performance of their networks, network elements, mobile devices, and services; and delivers solutions, which address high speed E thernet, data center, cloud computing, virtualization, IMS, IPTV, location based services, multi-GNSS satellite technologies, 3G and 4G/LTE wireless, and other technologies. The Service Assurance segment provides network monitoring and field test solutions for live networks. This segment allows service providers to diagnose, troubleshoot, and determine how to resolve issues with networks and systems within the live network. The Systems segment supplies electronic control systems for electrically powered vehicles in the medical mobility and industrial markets. These include vehicles, such as powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters, as well as industrial vehicles, including floor cleaning equipment, fork-lift trucks, aerial access platforms, and golf carts. Spirent Communications plc was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Crawley, the United Kingdom.

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: EDGAR Online Inc.(EDGR)

EDGAR Online, Inc. creates and distributes financial data and public filings for equities, mutual funds, and other publicly traded assets worldwide. The company?s data products include access to SEC filings in various formats, standardized and as-reported fundamental financial data, annual and quarterly financial statements, insider trades, institutional holdings, initial and secondary public offerings, Form 8-K disclosures, electronic prospectuses, and other investment instrument disclosure information. Its data solutions comprise the configuration of its data products; conversion of data from unstructured content into XML, extensible business reporting language (XBRL), and PDF formats; and storage and delivery of data and custom feeds, and tools to access information. The company delivers its data and analysis products through online subscriptions, embedded in other Web sites, and through redistributors. It also provides various end-user subscription services, including I-Metrix, which delivers a Web only service; I-Metrix Professional that allows a user to do in-depth analysis through the Web and a Microsoft Excel add-in; EDGAR Pro, which offers financial data, stock ownership, public offering data sets, and advanced search tools; and EDGAR Access, a retail product, which is available through single-seat credit card purchase. In addition, the company provides a mechanism that helps customers in converting financial statements into XBRL for filing with the SEC and other regulators. It serves generally financial, corporate, and advisory professionals who work in investment funds, asset management firms, insurance companies and banks, stock exchanges, and government agencies; and accounting firms, law firms, corporations, or individual investors. The company was formerly known as Cybernet Data Systems, Inc. and changed its name to EDGAR Online, Inc. in January 1999. EDGAR Online, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Rockville, Ma ryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bill Smith]

  FDS operates in a highly competitive industry, some with more resources. Their competitors include:
  Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI)BloombergInteractive (IDC)MSCI Inc. (MXB)Morningstar Inc. (MORN)Track Data Corp. (TRAC)Edgar Online (EDGR)McGraw-Hill (MHP )

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 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.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  With just a quick glance at a chart of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSEMKT:RNN), it would be easy to conclude it's nothing but a volatile mess. When you take a step back and look at a long-term weekly chart of RNN, however, it starts to become clear that this small cap biopharma name is on the verge of a monster-sized breakout. First things first, however.

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: Velti plc(VELT)

Velti plc provides mobile marketing and advertising solutions for mobile operators, ad agencies, brands, and media groups. The company?s Mobile Marketing Platform (MMP) helps businesses to plan, execute, monitor, and measure mobile marketing or advertising campaigns on various digital delivery channels, including Internet sites, SMS and MMS, mobile TV, mobile communities, mobile applications, location-based services, and mobile social networking. Its MMP also helps in the creation of mobile Websites, portals, blogs, content, iPhone applications, branded games, and mobile widgets; and in the mobile marketing through mobile clubs, mobile content, contests, couponing, alerts and tips, photo/text to screen, green screen, and image remix applications. In addition, MMP offers Mobile CRM solutions that help in the creation and management of mobile communities, mobile broadcasts, member management, segment management, member rewards, multichannel registration, and advanced profil ing. It has operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 name that's quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Velti (VELT), which provides mobile marketing and advertising technology solutions that enable brands, advertising agencies, and mobile operators to implement interactive and measurable campaigns by communicating with and engaging consumers via their mobile devices. This stock has been destroyed by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off sharply by 91%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Velti, you'll notice that this stock recently gapped down big from over $1 a share to 33 cents per share with monster downside volume. Following that gap down, shares of VELT have started to consolidate and move sideways between 33 cents per share on the downside and 44 cents per share on the upside. Shares of VELT are spiking sharply higher on Thursday above some near-term support at 35 cents per share. That move is pushing this stock within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in VELT if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at 44 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 2.02 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then VELT could easily explode higher and potentially re-test its gap down day high from August at 66 cents per share.

  Traders can look to buy VELT off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at 35 cents to 33 cents per share. One can also buy VELT off strength once it clears 44 cents per share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Hot Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: STMicroelectronics N.V.(STM)

STMicroelectronics N.V., an independent semiconductor company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of semiconductor integrated circuits and discrete devices. Its products include discrete and standard commodity components, application-specific integrated circuits, custom devices and semi-custom devices, and application-specific standard products for analog, digital, and mixed-signal applications. The company also offers subsystems and modules for the telecommunications, automotive, and industrial markets comprising mobile phone accessories, battery chargers, ISDN power supplies, and in-vehicle equipment for electronic toll payment, as well as provides Smartcard products. Its products are used in various microelectronic applications consisting of automotive products, computer peripherals, telecommunications systems, consumer products, industrial automation, and control systems. The company sells its products through distributors and ret ailers. STMicroelectronics N.V. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM  ) and OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) are the two camera suppliers, and HTC is reportedly no longer considered a "tier one" manufacturer so it doesn't get priority any more. That implies that one of these image sensor specialists was giving HTC the cold shoulder in favor of bigger names.