Why Dollar General Corporation, VeriSign, Inc., and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Are Today’s

The S&P 500 Index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) ended modestly higher on Friday, ending the week on a bullish note as the end of the second quarter approaches. Wall Street and Main Street alike are hoping that the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2014 will see higher growth than the first quarter, when the U.S. economy actually contracted at a 2.9% annualized rate. Dollar General (NYSE: DG  ) , VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN  ) , and DuPont (NYSE: DD  ) investors weren't too optimistic about growth today, as those three stocks ended as the worst performers in the entire S&P index. The S&P, for its part, tacked on three points, or 0.2%, to end at 1,960.

Dollar General lost 7.3% today after the company's Chairman and CEO, Richard W. Dreiling, surprised the stock market by announcing his retirement. Investors have plenty of reasons to like Dreiling, 60, who took control of the company at the beginning of 2008. Under his guidance, the dollar store went public in 2009, increased sales by more than 80%, and expanded its store count to more than 11,000 locations. The silver lining is that Dreiling could stay on at Dollar General for nearly another year -- until May 30, 2015 -- as the board searches for a successor.

VeriSign, which offers domain name registry, network intelligence, and other domain name-related services, shed 3.9% on Friday. A downgrade from Wells Fargo is behind today's drop, as the bank lowered its rating from outperform to market perform, noting that overall domain name registrations in the second quarter are trending lower than the company's midpoint expectations. Google's announced entry into the domain name market earlier this week also threatens to hurt VeriSign's business, especially if Google decides to offer domains at steep discounts, or even give them away for free.

DuPont is seeing farmers switch to soybeans as corn prices drop. Image Source: DuPont.

Finally, shares of chemicals giant DuPont slumped 3.3% today, giving the stock the ignominious distinction of being the Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst daily performer. The company warned investors late yesterday that it expects full-year 2014 earnings to come in between $4.00 and $4.10 per share, notably less than the $4.20 to $4.45 in per-share operating earnings it previously projected. In an industry that increasingly relies on genetically modified and patented seeds for a leg up on competition, DuPont is still subject to the whimsy of Mother Nature and Mr. Market, and challenging weather and falling corn prices combined to put the company in a tough position to grow substantially this year.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!

Windy City: Will Summer Ever Come? El Nino To Change World's Weather In 2014

It’s summer in Chicago but it feels like some weird hybrid of spring and fall. It’s rainy and in the 70s (20s) all week. The forecast is for a cold summer, following a record cold winter. Extreme weather is in the news everywhere.

With a 90% chance of the global weather phenomenon El Nino striking this year, effects both beneficial and devastating will be felt from Chicago to India.

California and the US West Coast have had their worst droughts on record and a fire “season” that former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger describes now as “year-round.” Similar droughts in the midwest are making grain prices, currently at multi-year lows, look ready to skyrocket.

Record snows in Tokyo, floods in coastal regions, heat waves in food-growing regions, the list of long-term weather changes keeps growing.

Italy now has trouble growing durum wheat, the main ingredient in pasta, and has to import it from countries further north like Canada, where the warmer temperatures are making wheat flourish. Italy used to get wheat from Syria. Italy, unable to produce pasta. That’s extreme.

At last the tide seems to be turning on climate change denial. Maybe tide is a bad figure of speech to use, with the rising sea levels and all. Strong majorities in the US (including Republicans) believe it is real, want the government to fight it, and approve of Pres. Obama’s actions on carbon emissions.

The Defense Department has identified climate change as a security threat. We think of unrest in the Middle East as an oil issue, but a lot of the fighting is over water shortages. The so-called Fertile Crescent is turning to desert as the Tigris and Euphrates dry up.

Even as the most hard-core climate change deniers cite Biblical sources, we’re creating a drought in the Garden of Eden.

Nevertheless, in defiance of public opinion and simple logic, the House passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization bill that would bar the Department of Defense from using funds to assess climate change and its implications for national security.

A new study in the British journal Nature Climate Change concludes that patterns of wind movement in the upper atmosphere have changed so much that some areas of the planet will have longer, colder winters while others will have hardly any winter at all. It’s already happening and it’s here to stay until today’s infants are middle-aged, if not longer.

We talk a lot about the new normals in the economy—slower growth rates, near-zero interest rates, obscene levels of inequality. Add to those a new normal in long-term weather: wetness where there wasn’t much rain, drought in food-growing regions, forests that just go on burning and burning.

It will create more hunger, more uncertainty about the supply and price of basic commodities like the ones traded at the CBOT across the street from our offices. It will affect everyone, even the few who will get rich(er) from it.

And it will create war. The water wars are already upon us, in Sudan and now in Syria and Iraq.

 

Profits and values

When you watch the prices of things go up and down as we do, you sometimes think about why we value them, and whether we value them too little or too much. A skillful trader can profit whether the price of wheat goes up or down. But to someone trying to put bread or pasta or rotis or tortillas in a hungry child’s mouth, extreme weather means extreme suffering.

That’s when philosophical debates about whether climate change is manmade sound silly or even cruel. When your house is on fire, the firefighters don’t ask what caused it before deciding whether to turn on the hose. They put the fire out.

There’s an old joke that goes, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Well this time, we actually can do something about it.

Fighting climate change will create jobs and economic growth. It will reduce conflict and strengthen our national security. We thought of ending this by saying, sorry to get so serious on a nice summer’s day. But then again, what summer?

Our view

The Asian markets closed mostly higher and in Europe 9 out of 12 markets are trading lower . Today’s economic schedule starts with the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Plosser’s speech on the economy and monetary policy in New York. Expect reports including Redbook, FHFA House Price Index, S&P Case Shiller HPI, New Home Sales, Consumer Confidence, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, Consumer confidence, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, and a 2-Yr Note Auction. Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley speaks on Puerto Rico’s economy and business conditions, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams takes part in a panel discussion on “The Global Economy, the Budget and the Board” at the 20th Annual Stanford Directors College. Expect earnings from Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) and Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG).

 

S&P Closes lower first time in 7 days

This morning we have a heavy economic schedule and 3 Fed bank presidents speaking. We said yesterday that we thought the S&P (CME:SPU14) would pull back a little this week and we still feel that way.

Asia up , Europe down, something has to give. Our view is if the S&P opens lower we want to buy the lower open then sell the rally. Overall we lean to buying weakness but I think we could be looking at a down day today. As always, please make sure to use protective stops when trading futures…

In Asia, 9 of 11 markets closed higher : Shanghai Comp. +0.47% , Hang Seng +0.33%, Nikkei +0.05%. In Europe, 9 of 12 markets are trading lower: DAX -0.01% , FTSE -0.27% Morning headline: “S&P Futures Seen Lower Ahead of Heavy US Economic Schedule ” Fair Value: S&P -8.42 , NASDAQ -9.59 , Dow Jones -8564 Total volume: 1mil ESU and 3.1k SPU traded Economic calendar: Today’s economic schedule starts with Charles Plosser speech, Redbook, FHFA House Price Index, S&P Case Shiller HPI, New Home Sales, Consumer Confidence, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, Consumer confidence, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, 2-Yr Note Auction , Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley speaks, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams speaks and earnings from Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) and Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG). . E-mini S&P 5001968.00+9.50 - +0.49% Crude102.15+0.02 - +0.02% Shanghai Composite0.00N/A - N/A Hang Seng22880.641+75.83 - +0.33% Nikkei 22515376.24+6.96 - +0.05% DAX9938.08+17.16 - +0.17% FTSE 1006787.07-13.49 - -0.20% Euro1.3592

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

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  Most Popular Former IBM Executive Craig Hayman To Join eBay Stocks To Watch For June 23, 2014 Morgan Stanley Reiterates On General Electric Following Alstom Board Recommendation Chinese Conference May Be Moving 3D Printing Stocks Higher Why Is Vertex Pharmaceuticals Up More Than 50 Percent? 3 Strategies To Avoid For Bitcoin Investment Success Related Articles (CCL + WAG) Consumer Confidence And Housing Data Take A Back-Seat To Markets Carnival Conference Call Highlights Utility Sector Rises; Elizabeth Arden Shares Slide Over 3.6% Windy City: Will Summer Ever Come? El Nino To Change World's Weather In 2014 Micron Gains On Upbeat Earnings; Elizabeth Arden Shares Slide Walgreen Company Q3 Conference Call Summary: Positive Earnings, Lack of Guidance Partner Network var Scribol; if(typeof Scribol=="undefined"){Scribol={}; Scribol.frames=[];Scribol.site="http://scribol.com/";Scribol.is_preview=false;}

BP Drives Home Crude Realities

The 2014 BP Statistical Review

This past week BP (NYSE: BP) released its Statistical Review of World Energy 2014. For energy wonks, this is the bible of energy statistics. The report contains global and country level statistics on production and consumption for oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power and renewables. In this week's Energy Strategist I will look at trends for each of these sectors. In today's Energy Letter I will provide some observations and note some trends in the world's oil markets.

Overview

Fossil fuels continue to dominate the world energy supply. In 2013, fossil fuels were responsible for nearly 87 percent of the world's energy consumption, while nuclear provided another 4.4 percent. Oil was 33 percent of the total energy consumed. Modern renewables (excluding hydropower) were only 2 percent, but the overall contribution of renewables has increased by nearly 70 percent since 2010 (from 165.5 million metric tons of oil equivalent in 2010 to 279.3 million metric tons of oil equivalent in 2013).

Consumption increased in all major energy categories, including nuclear, which had seen two straight years of decline. Carbon dioxide emissions increased by 2 percent to a new record above 35 billion metric tons. Consistent with recent years, carbon dioxide emissions in Asia Pacific led all regions with an increase of 476 million metric tons from 2012 — three quarters of which were contributed by China. After two years of declines, US carbon dioxide emissions increased by 151 million metric tons, while Europe's carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 117 million metric tons.

Drilling Into the Oil Markets

Global oil production increased by 557,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a ne! w all-time high of 86.8 million barrels per day. Note that BP's definition of "oil" includes crude oil, tight oil, oil sands and natural gas liquids (NGLs — the liquid content of natural gas where this is recovered separately). Its definition excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and derivatives of coal and natural gas (e.g., coal-to-liquids, or CTL).

There are two very large caveats that accompany this new global production record. The first one is that the US contribution to the global oil supply was a 1.1 million bpd increase over the previous year. This was the largest year-over-year increase in US history (and eclipses the previous record US gain in 2012). Without this large US increase — driven by the fracking/shale oil and gas boom — global oil production would have actually declined by 554,000 bpd.

The other major caveat is that even though there was a more than half million bpd gain in global oil production, global oil demand increased by 1.4 million bpd.

While much has been made of a slowdown in China, oil demand there still increased by 390,000 bpd (following a 500,000 bpd increase from 2011-2012). Despite the slowdown in the rate of growth from the previous year, this represented a 3.8 percent consumption increase, compared with a global increase of 1.4 percent. US oil demand reversed two years of declines and increased by 397,000 bpd (a 2 percent increase).

Thus, the US and China together were responsible for 56 percent of the global increase in oil demand in 2013. The big difference between the two countries is that US oil production was up far in excess of our increase in consumption, while oil production in China edged up by only 24,000 bpd. This means that while US oil imports declined and finished product exports (e.g., gasoline, diesel, je! t fuel) i! ncreased, China's dependence on oil imports continues to increase.

Double-digit percentage increases in oil consumption were recorded by Pakistan, Venezuela, and Azerbaijan from 2012 to 2013, and over the past five years double-digit percentage consumption increases were recorded by the regions of Central and South America (15.2 percent), the Middle East (18.3 percent), Africa (12 percent), Asia Pacific (17.4 percent), and the former Soviet Union (12.8 percent). Oil demand in the developed countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) decreased 5.3 percent over the past five years, while demand in non-OECD countries increased 20.3 percent.

The US remained the world's third-largest oil producer at 10 million bpd in 2013, trailing Saudi Arabia's 11.5 million bpd and Russia's 10.8 million bpd. Rounding out the top five were China (4.2 million bpd) and Canada (3.9 million bpd).

Over the past five years, global oil production has increased by 3.85 million bpd. During that same time span, US production increased by 3.22 million bpd — 83.6 percent of the total global increase. Had the US shale oil boom never happened and US production continued to decline as it had for nearly 40 years prior to 2008, the global price of oil might easily be at $150 to $200 a barrel by now. Without those additional barrels on the market from (primarily) North Dakota and Texas, the price of crude would have risen until supply and demand were in balance.  

Conclusions

There are two major oil themes that emerge from this year's BP Statistical Review of World Energy. One is that with respect to increases in oil production, there is the US, and then there is everyone else. US oil production increased by 1.1 million bpd for the largest year over year gain in the world. For perspective, the second-largest national increase in oil production was posted the United Arab Emirates with a gain of 248,000 bpd over 2012, and Canada was the only other count! ry in the! world to record an increase of more than 200,000 bpd, at 208,000 bpd over 2012.

The second major theme to emerge from the report is continued demand growth, led once again by developing countries. While China's demand growth did slow to 390,000 bpd over 2012, the rest of the non-OECD countries increased their demand by nearly a million bpd. I think this theme is often missed by the media, who too often focus on China alone as a proxy for demand growth in developing countries. So when China slows, journalists either assume the rest of the world has done the same or mistake a slower rate of growth in demand for outright decline, and then scratch their heads and wonder why oil prices continue to hover around $100.  

(Follow Robert Rapier on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.)

 

BofA to Pay $6.3 Billion to Fannie, Freddie Over RMBS Failures

Bank of America has settled litigation with the Federal Housing Finance Agency alleging it misled the agency about residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), the bank announced Wednesday. The bank has also settled with the New York attorney general regarding a failure to disclose losses at Merrill Lynch prior to acquiring the firm.

The bank will pay $6.3 billion to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and $15 million to settle the attorney general's claims against it.

The settlement with the FHFA as conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac resolves all of FHFA’s residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) litigation with Bank of America, as well as other legacy contract claims.

The FHFA settlement resolves four lawsuits FHFA filed against Bank of America, Countrywide and Merrill Lynch beginning in September 2011, alleging they falsely represented that the underlying mortgage loans complied with certain standards. Approximately $57.5 billion (in purchase cost) of private-label RMBS purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are covered by the settlement.

According to the Bank of America press release, under terms of the settlement, Bank of America will make cash payments totaling approximately $6.3 billion to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition, Bank of America will purchase certain RMBS at fair market value (approximately $3.2 billion).

In return, FHFA’s pending lawsuits will be dismissed with prejudice, and Bank of America and its affiliates will be released from all securities law and fraud claims, as well as certain other claims related to the private-label RMBS in dispute.

BofA has also disclosed that it is subject to inquiries and investigations, and may be subject to penalties and fines by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), state attorneys general and other members of the RMBS Working Group of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (collectively, the governmental authorities), and is a party to civil litigation proceedings brought by the DOJ and certain other governmental authorities regarding the company’s RMBS and other mortgage-related matters.

BofA said in the statement that it “continues to cooperate with and has had preliminary discussions about a potential resolution of these matters with certain governmental authorities.”

The bank is scheduled to report first-quarter 2014 results on April 16.

The FHFA settlement is expected to reduce first-quarter 2014 income by approximately $3.7 billion (before taxes), or $0.21 per common share (after taxes). The company expects its Basel 3 common equity tier 1 capital ratio for the first quarter ending March 31, 2014, will be in line with the fourth quarter ended Dece. 31, 2013, based on the impact of the FHFA settlement and other factors, including interest rates, that are known as of Wednesday.

BofA also announced that it settled a 2010 lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general against Bank of America and certain former executives, alleging a failure to disclose losses at Merrill Lynch prior to buying it.

The company has agreed to pay $15 million to settle the NYAG’s claims against it, reflecting the NYAG’s cost of investigation and litigation, and to adopt certain corporate governance changes.

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Check out BofA Should Pay $2.1 Billion in Fraud Case, U.S. Says on ThinkAdvisor.

Phyllis Schlafly kin in beer trademark dispute

ST. LOUIS — To many older Americans, the Schlafly name is most closely associated with Phyllis Schlafly, the conservative commentator known for her campaign to defeat the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.

A younger generation knows Schlafly as the brand of an up-and-coming St. Louis brewery co-founded by Schlafly's nephew.

Now the federal agency that oversees trademarks is being asked to wade into a dispute within the prominent family and decide whether Schlafly is primarily a last name or a commercial brand that deserves legal protection.

With a growing national profile and new owners who might want to expand, the brewery started by Tom Schlafly more than two decades ago is seeking a trademark that would give it the exclusive right to use the Schlafly name to sell craft beer. But Phyllis Schlafly has asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to deny the request, lest any implied association with beer sully her 60-year political career.

"There are tens of millions of Americans who oppose alcohol," said Andrew Schlafly, a New Jersey lawyer who represents his mother in the matter. "Certainly alcohol has a connotation that is the opposite of conservative values."

Phyllis Schlafly, now 89, lives in a St. Louis suburb and continues to lead the Eagle Forum, the group she created to prevent ratification of the proposed constitutional amendment on women's rights. These days, the forum fights issues such as same-sex marriage and federal education standards.

Her official biography touts Schlafly as a "leader of the pro-family movement" and "successful opponent of the radical feminist movement." Her daily, syndicated radio commentaries are heard on more than 500 stations. She's written 20 books and continues to produce a monthly newsletter and a syndicated newspaper column.

Schlafly, who is not involved in the beer company, did not respond to several telephone messages seeking comment. Andrew Schlafly said his mother, who like her beer-making nephew is a lawyer, was s! peaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week and was not available for an interview. She is a Schlafly by marriage, not birth: Her late husband was a brother of Tom Schlafly's father.

Andrew Schlafly has filed his own papers opposing the trademark. So has brother Bruce, an orthopedic surgeon in St. Louis. Each petition asserts that the word Schlafly when standing alone "has no usage or meaning other than as a surname."

Phyllis Schlafly's petition says supporters commonly assume she's connected to the beer company. Dr. Bruce Schlafly says his patients make the same mistake.

Nearly 18 months after Phyllis Schlafly filed her complaint, settlement talks continue. The brewery filed its application in 2011, not long before Schlafly and his partner, Dan Kopman, sold a majority of the brewery to Sage Capital, a local private equity firm.

"I would like to get this settled and move on with selling beer," said Tom Schlafly, who remains the company's largest shareholder and its board chairman.

Schlafly beer is brewed in downtown St. Louis and in suburban Maplewood by the St. Louis Brewery Inc. The company produced 56,000 barrels of beer in 2013, making it the 44th largest craft brewery in the country, according to industry tallies.

As the company explores entry into new markets, the new ownership group decided to take steps to protect its brand.

"If we're going to make a significant investment and build the brewery, we want to add this," Tom Schlafly said in an interview at his downtown law office overlooking the Gateway Arch. "The bigger you are, the more likely you are to have other people copy you."

Opposition to the trademark may not be limited to members of Schlafly family. Anheuser-Busch has been given an extension through early April to file its own protest. Spokeswoman Lisa Weser said the makers of Budweiser have yet to decide on the issue but are keeping their options open.

"As the largest St. Louis brewery with more than 150 years ! of herita! ge in the city, we believe 'The Saint Louis Brewery' should not be trademarked by any one brewer," she said in a written statement.

Tom Schlafly declined to discuss the legal issues raised in the trademark dispute. He said the flap has not spilled over into a full-blown family feud and that he remains friendly with his aunt and cousins, whom he typically sees once or twice a year at holiday gatherings or weddings.

He also pointed out that the Eagle Forum and the brewery both oppose proposed changes to Missouri's liquor-franchise laws sought by distillers. That, he said, is evidence that the two sides can work together on some alcohol issues.

Nor does Schlafly want to insert his business into a political squabble.

"She has fans and critics," he said. "I want to sell to both of them. The last thing I want to do is antagonize her followers because I hope they drink Schlafly beer, too."

7 Signs Your Loyalty Program Isn’t Rewarding Enough and Why You Should Quit

Companies have long used loyalty programs as a way to get consumers to repeat business. Whether it's airlines encouraging travelers to stick with one carrier by offering miles for flying, professional sports teams giving gifts as incentives to keep season ticket holders loyal, or credit cards enticing consumers with rewards for swiping their plastic — loyalty programs come with many deals.

But is being loyal worth your time and money?

According to Colloquy, a firm that specializes in loyalty marketing, in 2012 Americans belonged to 2.65 billion loyalty programs, an increase of 26.7 percent from 2010. Even though the average U.S. household belongs to around 22 loyalty program (up from an average of 18 in 2010), only about nine of those memberships are currently active.

Those numbers suggest that loyalty programs have no trouble acquiring new members, but can't keep them engaged. How many loyalty programs do you belong to? Are you getting the maximum benefit out of the program? Some loyalty programs start out great, but lose their potential. Others programs simply don't meet your expectations. Here are seven signs that you need to quit your loyalty program:

1. The rewards aren't enough
Let's face it, most people join loyalty programs to save money or gain rewards through some sort of value proposition. Did you join an airline's loyalty program to rack up miles for a free trip down the line? Or sign up for a retail credit card to take advantage of the initial low interest?

Well, when the rewards don't come quickly enough, people lose interest. Even worse, if the reward causes you to accumulate more debt, it's time to start being disloyal. There are no rewards worth going into debt for — period.

2. It's too complicated
It used to be that all you had to do to enjoy a loyalty program's rewards was buy something and get points. Nowadays you might have to download an app, play a game, send your contact information, and enter a code to redeem your points. Or take a survey, answer umpteen questions, enter your contact information, sign up for a newsletter, and then get the rewards.

For many credit card owners, redeeming rewards can oftentimes be a complicated experience. According to a 2013 J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, only 59 percent of customers with a rewards card feel they "completely understand" how to earn rewards.

"While most customers change cards for a better rewards program, they often don't fully understand the rewards offered with their current card," said Jim Miller, senior director of banking services at J.D. Power.

Earning rewards on your credit card might involve a number of complicated steps like spending a certain amount within a period of time to get a bonus, registering to receive rewards, limits on how many points you can claim within a calendar year, and penalties for missing a payment. These complicated terms and conditions are signs that you need to quit your loyalty program.

3. It's too difficult
Sports fans are some of the fiercest and most loyal people on the planet. Teams who want to reward a loyal fan might offer perks, like a gift for a season ticket holder. But how would you react if you found out that in order to pick up a gift, you had to print out your ticket instead of just showing your season ticket holder card? Making consumers jump through too many hoops is surely a way to encourage disloyalty.

Nothing is more irritating than wanting to redeem your loyalty points and not being able to do so in a timely manner. If you face issues maintaining a status level because your points expire too quickly or don't get credit for trying to cash in on a promotional deal — it's time to quit your loyalty program. What good is racking up thousands of miles for travel if you can't redeem those points? Why join a hotel loyalty program if your points don't allow you to get something as simple as Internet access or the ability to use on-site facilities? If your loyalty program is simply too difficult to enjoy, you need to quit.

4. Terms change
Marriott, Hilton, and Starwood Hotels have all recently made changes to their reward/loyalty programs. Marriott, for example, rearranged its tier structure so that about a third of its hotels have been moved into a higher point category. Hilton increased the point requirements for stays during peak periods. These changes don't happen just in the hotel industry either.

United Airlines recently made a big shift in its frequent flier program, basing awards on dollars spent rather than miles flown. For customers who have spent years being loyal to a brand, these types of changes are a great time to take stock of whether the loyalty program still meets your needs. Oftentimes, consumers get stuck with a loyalty program and continue doing business with a brand just because it has become an habitual act. But if a change in terms means it no longer benefits you, it's time to see what your other options are.

5. The first reward threshold is too high
If you have to spend an excessive amount of money to earn your first reward, it's time to leave the loyalty program. There are only so many hoops that a reasonable person is willing to go through. An effective loyalty program will set a low threshold for your first reward so that members feel a sense of gratification and continue to invest in the program.

6. Lack of differentiation
In the financial sector, companies oftentimes imitate products that their competitors offer. That makes it difficult to stand out in the crowd. If your bank offers a rewards credit card program, compare it to other programs out there. Find out what makes your bank's program more desirable than one that a competing bank offers. In this digital age, banks and other companies can offer much more desirable perks and rewards to consumers. In fact, that's part of the reason that the initial sign-up phase for many of these loyalty programs is so complicated. Companies want to know how you spend your money, where you spend your money, and how often you spend it. Armed with that information, a good loyalty program will tailor rewards and experiences to fit your needs and desires. If not, it might be time to ditch your program.

7. Bad customer service
The best loyalty program with amazing rewards and perks doesn't mean much if the people you have to deal with are rude or ineffective. If you're not receiving top service from the brand you are loyal to — in person, online, or via social media — it's time to find another company that will appreciate your business.

This article 7 Signs Your Loyalty Program Isn't Rewarding Enough and Why You Should Quit originally appeared on My Bank Tracker.

Your credit card may soon be completely worthless
The plastic in your wallet is about to go the way of the typewriter, the VCR, and the 8-track tape player. When it does, a handful of investors could stand to get very rich. You can join them -- but you must act now. An eye-opening new presentation reveals the full story on why your credit card is about to be worthless -- and highlights one little-known company sitting at the epicenter of an earth-shaking movement that could hand early investors the kind of profits we haven't seen since the dot-com days. Click here to watch this stunning video.

Will The Galaxy S5 Beat The iPhone 6?

There have been a lot of rumors and a lot of alleged leaks about a higher-end Samsung (SSNLF) Galaxy S5 hitting the market soon. This version, dubbed the Galaxy S5 Prime, is said to sport 3GB of RAM (up from 2GB in the current S5) and a quad-HD (2560x1440) display, up from 1920x1080 on the pain S5. It is also said to sport either a next-generation Exynos processor coupled with an Intel XMM 7260 modem ora Qualcomm (QCOM) Snapdragon 805 paired presumably with the latest MDM9x35 modem from Qualcomm.

What are the odds that this model even exists? We very recently saw news of the LG G3's 2560x1440 display hit the Web over the last week or so, and given that LG is probably going to play up this feature, Samsung is also likely to want to be able to keep up in the smartphone "resolution wars." Interestingly enough, though, the LG G3 will apparently sport a 5.5-inch 2560x1440 panel. If the rumors around Samsung's phone are correct, the S5 Prime should offer even higher pixel density at the same resolution on a 5.1-inch display.

That being said, such a phone is likely to be extremely expensive to make. Samsung already launched the Galaxy S5 (which had a larger screen than the S4, faster/likely more expensive processor, and other enhanced goodies) for about $100 less than the Galaxy S4 debuted at. This means if the company wants to preserve its margins here, it will either need to sell the purported S5 Prime for significantly more than the current S5, or the S5 Prime won't really sport these BoM-cost-ballooning features.

Should Apple worry? The big question then is whether Apple (AAPL) -- which has been on an absolute roll with its iPhone products lately -- has anything to be worried about vis-a-vis an even higher end, premium-tier Galaxy S5. While Samsung would handily win the "spec wars" with three times the RAM and a much sharper display, it's important to note that Apple's key differentiation point isn't necessarily the hardware, but the harmony of the hardware and the software.

For customers who prefer the ease of use of iOS, there is simply no alternative to Apple, and mainstream customers who are "used to" iOS have a rich library of iOS apps and are also probably hooked into iTunes won't switch to a Samsung/Android phone. It is this differentiation via software (which is R&D intensive but very COGS-friendly) that helps Apple not only maintain its share of the high end, but also allows it to do so with fantasticprofitability.

Conclusion Samsung, LG, and the hordes of Android vendors can bring in the flashiest displays and biggest "on-paper" specifications, but for many users, iOS and the ecosystem that surround it are what make Apple's phones worth the premium, not necessarily the hardware. Any company can buy an obscenely expensive, high-resolution panel and put a ton of RAM in its phones, but not any company can build the ecosystem, the brand, and the customer loyalty that Apple has.

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CollabRx Reloads (CLRX)

On the surface it's the kind of thing the market doesn't want to see. In reality though, CollabRx Inc. (NASDAQ:CLRX) will be far better off - and far batter positioned to reward shareholders - by doing what needs to be done in order to continue capitalizing on the opportunity it has in front of it. And what exactly did CLRX do? It raised some money by shares it had sitting on the shelf.

All told, on Thursday, CollabRx put about $1.8 million in its pocket by issuing 913,500 shares at $2.00 apiece. That was a little less than Wednesday's closing price of $2.34, though as far as fund-raising goes within the small cap world, it wasn't anything unusual. Sometimes a company has to give newcomers a little incentive just to avoid dragging the process out for days while selling the new shares at the market price (doing so can cause far more damage to a stock's value than simply getting it all done in one shot the way CLRX did).

As of, well, around June 25th when the secondary offering officially closes, CollabRx will have roughly 2.9 million outstanding shares, and assuming the price holds steady around $2.00 per share, the market cap will be $5.8 million. CLRX will have, assuming a steady cash-burn rate, will have about $2.2 million in cash in the bank. That should be enough to hold the company over until subscription revenue to its cancer-fighting tool has enough size and scale to carry the company forward.

This is where a deeper look at CollabRx's future is merited, and fun.

Last quarter, the company generated $81K in product revenue. It's not a lot, but CLRX was never really planning on a windfall in Q1. The bulk of its current customer list was either added in the latter part of Q1 or was added in Q2, and Q2's new client revenue hasn't been tallied at all yet because we're still in the midst of that quarter. Even then, however, Q2's top line is going to be muted, as the wide swath of the folks who downloaded the app for the iOS [nearly 10,000 in all] didn't do so until late May or early June (largely after the ASCO presentation), so we won't see that revenue kick in - in earnest - until Q3, which begins in about a week and a half, and won't be reported until October or early November.

The point is, the next six months or are the proverbial "coming out" party for CLRX; the company you see today isn't likely to be the one you'll see in November. The one you're going to see in November is probably going to the CollabRx that Taglich Brothers saw coming several weeks ago.... the one that would be on pace to generate $2.6 million in annual revenue by 2016, but be doing $16.5 million in annual sales by 2020. Considering the number of doctors that just downloaded the app a month ago - the aforementioned 10,000 or so - it's not difficult to believe the company is capable of those kinds of numbers in the near future. The cash raised this week is just the pocket money the company needs to get from here to there, where it can sustain itself.

For more on CollabRx, visit its corporate website here. Or, you can read the SCN research report here, or the SCN recommendation here.

Book on Twitter feed about Goldman Sachs canceled

NEW YORK (AP) — Publication has been canceled for a planned book based on a popular and anonymous Twitter feed about Goldman Sachs and the financial industry.

Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Thursday it would not release John Lefevre's "Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance and Excess in the World of Investment Banking," which had been scheduled to come out in October.

"In light of information that has recently come to our attention since acquiring John Lefevre's 'Straight to Hell,' Touchstone has decided to cancel its publication of this work."

Touchstone spokesman Brian Belfiglio said the publisher would have no further comment.

The Twitter feed, @GSElevator, had hundreds of thousands of followers and purported to offer an inside and irreverent take on the financial giant. But just weeks after Touchstone announced in January that it had reached a deal with the feed's purported author, The New York Times revealed his identity as John Lefevre, a former bond executive who was based in Texas and had never worked for Goldman Sachs, despite earlier public comments that he did.

Touchstone initially defended Lefevre, saying that he had not misled them and that publication would continue as planned. But earlier this week, Lefevre posted an open letter on businessinsider.com saying the Twitter account was "not a person at all. It's the embodiment or aggregation of 'every banker,' a concentrated reflection of a Wall Street culture and mentality."

"The issue of my anonymity was simply a device, and one that has suited the construct of the Twitter feed," he wrote. "For the avoidance of any doubt, any person who actually thought my Twitter feed was literally about verbatim conversations overheard in the elevators of Goldman Sachs is an idiot."

An agent for Lefevre did not immediately respond to a message left Thursday for comment.

FedEx: Better Growth, Bigger Dividend a Good Reason to Buy

FedEx (FDX) wowed the market with its earnings and guidance yesterday. The results were so good, in fact, that the folks at RBC Capital Markets upgraded FedEx’s shares to Buy all the way from Underperform.

Getty Images

RBC’s John Barnes and team list three reasons for the upgrade:

1. Based on management's tone over the past few months, we believe FedEx will be successful in re-engineering its profit improvement plan to extract a greater level of costs from the network. This change in strategy gives us greater confidence in the company's ability to deliver the bulk of its profit improvement targets and ultimately significant earnings growth over a multi-year timeframe.

2. While the growth from Ground and Freight pales in comparison to the expected increase in Express operating income, it is important to note that both divisions appear to be on solid footing.

3. The expected profit improvement at Express combined with steady growth from Ground and Freight should drive a significant improvement in FedEx’s free cash flow profile. Based on management's tone and reinforced by recent activity, we expect FedEx to materially increase the return of capital to shareholders through both share buybacks and dividend increases.

Wunderlich’s Nicholas Bender thinks FedEx’s results bode well for Old Dominion (ODFL), Con-way (CNW) and Saia (SAIA):

We expect all less-than-truckload carriers to benefit in 2Q14 from the same trends that carried FedEx Freight to a banner 4Q14. This includes Hold-rated Old Dominion, which will continue to grow at well above market rates, and Buy-rated Con-way, which we believe can leverage a strong 2Q14 to prime the pump on margin enhancement efforts. Our favorite name in the space remains Saia (SAIA-$42.92, Buy), which will once again see accelerating tonnage growth in 2Q14. Though tonnage growth will moderate in  2H14 due to steeper comps, there remains considerable potential for the company to boost yield and continue winning incremental business with new accounts.

Shares of FedEx are little changed at $148.93, while Old Dominion has dipped 0.1% to $63.19, Con-Way has gained 0.4% to $48.93 and Saia has dropped 0.4% to $42.76.

As Fed Winds Up Latest Meeting, Investors Eye Interest Rates

J. Scott Applewhite/AP WASHINGTON -- A stay-the-course message is expected from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday after it ends a two-day policy meeting. The Fed will likely approve a fifth cut in its monthly bond purchases because the job market has steadily strengthened. But no clear signal is expected on when the Fed will start raising short-term interest rates from record lows. The meeting will end with a statement outlining the Fed's plans. The central bank will also update its economic forecasts, and Janet Yellen will hold her second news conference since becoming Fed chair in February. The Fed got some further cause for discussion just before it started this week's meeting with a report Tuesday of a surprising jump in consumer inflation. Yet most economists aren't altering their view that the Fed's first rate increase is at least a year away. Analysts cautioned that that time frame could change if inflation were to accelerate. The consumer price index rose 0.4 percent in May, the government said, and has risen 2.1 percent over the past 12 months -- roughly at the level of the Fed's target rate for inflation. It's why the Fed might actually welcome the news of slightly higher inflation. It will help ease long-standing concerns that inflation might be too low. For the past two years, inflation by one key measure has remained under the Fed's 2 percent target. Investors will be seeking any new clues the central bank might send about when it will finally raise its benchmark short-term rate. That rate has been at a record low near zero since 2008. They will also be looking for hints about how and when the Fed will start unloading its vast investment holdings. The answers will affect loan rates for individuals and businesses -- and perhaps the direction of the economy. Yet few expect to hear anything definitive. The Fed remains in a tentative wait-and-see stance. Though the central bank has signaled optimism, officials are unsure how much the economy will strengthen the rest of the year. In its updated forecasts, the Fed may downgrade its estimate of growth for 2014 after the government said last month that the economy shrank in the first quarter, depressed by a harsh winter. Yellen has suggested that the U.S. unemployment rate, now 6.3 percent, overstates the health of the job market and economy. She's also expressed concern that a high percentage of the unemployed -- 35 percent -- have been out of work for six months or more and that pay is scarcely rising for people who do have jobs. The minutes of the Fed's last meeting in late April indicated that the central bank has begun discussing the tools it could use to finally pull back the extraordinary stimulus it's provided the U.S. economy since 2008. Analysts expect at least one announcement when the two-day policy meeting ends Wednesday: That the Fed will make a fifth $10 billion cut in the pace of its monthly bond purchases to $35 billion, a sign of a steadily, if slowly, improving economy. The Fed has been buying Treasury and mortgage bonds to try to keep long-term loan rates low to stimulate the economy. The Fed will likely end its bond purchases this fall, with its investment portfolio nearing $4.5 trillion. But officials have said that even when they stop buying bonds, they don't plan to start selling any. They plan to keep the Fed's holdings steady by re-investing maturing bonds. In doing so, the Fed will still exert downward pressure on long-term rates. Unemployment and Inflation Targets The Fed has said it will keep its key short-term rate at a record low near zero for a "considerable time" after its bond purchases end. At her news conference, Yellen will likely avoid being pinned down on how long a "considerable time" might be. Last month, she said the Fed expects to start raising rates once it sees enough progress in restoring full employment and inflation has risen to its 2 percent target rate. Most Fed members expect the Fed to start raising short-term rates between mid-2015 and early 2016. The central bank has stressed that even after it starts raising rates, it will likely keep them unusually low to support the economy. While economic growth went into reverse in the first quarter, the job market has shown consistent improvement this year. Employers have added 200,000-plus jobs for four straight months. The unemployment rate has dropped to a level the Fed hadn't expected to see until year's end. But Yellen has stressed that she is studying barometers of the job market beyond the unemployment rate -- from the percentage of long-term unemployed among the jobless to the number of part-time workers who would prefer full-time jobs and the percentage of adults either working or looking for work. By those measures, the job market remains subpar, a reason Yellen has cited for the Fed's continued support. She has also expressed worries that the housing recovery may be faltering. In addition, Fed officials have discussed such geopolitical risks as slow growth in Europe and Russia's aggression toward Ukraine. The newest threat is rising sectarian violence in Iraq, which has sent oil prices up. This week's meeting brought new faces to debate the issues. Stanley Fischer, former head of Israel's central bank, participated for the first time as the Fed's vice chair, as did Lael Brainard, a former Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, and Loretta Mester, who has succeeded Sandra Pianalto as president of the Fed's Cleveland regional bank.

Hedge Funds Added To Legg Mason Positions

At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed 3,692 13-F filings for the 03/31/2014 reporting period, and looked at the various S&P 500 components held by each of these reporting hedge funds and other 13-F filers. For each component, we totaled the number of shares across across all of these funds. Next Next, we went back to the 12/31/2013 period, and went through the same exercise for each of those 3,692 hedge funds. By comparing the same group across the two periods, we can see which S&P 500 components, in the aggregate, these particular hedge funds have been buying and selling.

Click here to find out 10 S&P 500 Components Hedge Funds Are Buying »

One of the components that stands out with notable buying, is Legg Mason (NYSE: LM). Legg Mason is a global asset management firm with $686 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2014. The Company provides active asset management in many major investment centers throughout the world.

We should point out before going any further, that 13-F filings do not tell the whole story, because these funds are only required to disclose their long positions with the SEC, but are not required to disclose their short positions. A fund making a bearish bet against a stock by shorting calls, for example, might also be long some amount of stock as they trade around their overall bearish position. This long component could show up in a 13-F filing and everyone might assume the fund is bullish, but this tells only part of the story because the bearish/short side of the position is not seen.

However, we believe that looking at groups of 13-F filings can be an interesting exercise, especially when comparing one holding period to another. So, let's take a look at the change in LM positions across that group of 3,692 funds we have looked at that have filed for the 03/31/2014 period, versus back at their 12/31/2013 report. We found that between these two periods, hedge funds increased their holdings by 7,604,520 shares in the aggregate, from 99,326,367 up to 106,930,887 for a share count increase of approximately 7.66%.

The overall top three funds holding LM on 03/31/2014 were:

5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Short-sellers hate being caught short a stock that reports a blowout quarter. When this happens, we often see a tradable short squeeze develop as the bears rush to cover their positions to avoid big losses. Even the best short-sellers know that it's never a great idea to stay short once a bullish earnings report sparks a big short-covering rally.

>>5 Stocks Setting Up to Break Out

This is why I scan the market for heavily shorted stocks that are about to report earnings. You only need to find a few of these stocks in a year to help enhance your portfolio returns -- the gains become so outsized in such a short time frame that your profits add up quickly.

That said, let's not forget that stocks are heavily shorted for a reason, so you have to use trading discipline and sound money management when playing earnings short-squeeze candidates. It's important that you don't go betting the farm on these plays and that you manage your risk accordingly. Sometimes the best play is to wait for the stock to break out following the report before you jump in to profit off a short squeeze. This way, you're letting the trend emerge after the market has digested all of the news.

Of course, sometimes the stock is going to be in such high demand that you risk missing a lot of the move by waiting. That's why it can be worth betting prior to the report -- but only if the stock is acting technically very bullish and you have a very strong conviction that it is going to rip higher. Just remember that even when you have that conviction and have done your due diligence, the stock can still get hammered if The Street doesn't like the numbers or guidance.

>>5 Shareholder Yield Stocks to Beat the S&P

If you do decide to bet ahead of a quarter, then you might want to use options to limit your capital exposure. Heavily shorted stocks are usually the names that make the biggest post-earnings moves and have the most volatility. I personally prefer to wait until all the earnings-related news is out for a heavily shorted stock and then jump in and trade the prevailing trend.

With that in mind, here's a look at several stocks that could experience big short squeezes when they report earnings this week.

Tesla Motors

My first earnings short-squeeze play is electric car maker Tesla Motors (TSLA), which is set to release numbers on Wednesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Tesla Motors to report revenue of $669.98 million on earnings of 20 cents per share.

>>5 Hated Stocks That Could Get Squeezed Much Higher

Just this morning, R.W. Baird raised its price target on shares of Tesla Motors to $215 per share from $187 per share and reiterated its strong buy rating on the stock.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Tesla Motors is extremely high at 35.2%. That means that out of the 83.87 million shares in the tradable float, 29.64 million shares are sold short by the bears. If the bulls get the earnings news they're looking for, then shares of TSLA could easily explode sharply higher post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, TSLA is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months and change, with shares soaring higher from its low of $116.10 to its intraday high of $205.50 a share. During that uptrend, shares of TSLA have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.

If you're bullish on TSLA, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its new all-time high of $205.50 a share, or above Wednesday's high if greater with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 9.58 million shares. If that breakout hits, then TSLA will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $240 to $250 a share.

I would simply avoid TSLA or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $190 to $180 a share with high volume. If we get that move, the TSLA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at its 50-day moving average of $163.26 to its 200-day moving average of $142.62 a share.

Herbalife

Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade idea is global nutrition player Herbalife (HLF), which is set to release its numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Herbalife to report revenue $1.25 billion on earnings of $1.24 per share.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for Big Gains

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Herbalife is extremely high at 22.4%. That means that out of the 74.06 million shares in the tradable float, 20.51 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 1.4%, or by about 288,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of HLF could easily rip sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts rush to cover some of their positions.

From a technical perspective, HLF is currently trending above its 200-day moving average and below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been uptrending a bit over the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $59.09 to its recent high of $71.18 a share. During that move, shares of HLF have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of HLF within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're in the bull camp on HLF, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $71.18 to its 50-day moving average of $72.67 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 3.66 million shares. If that breakout hits, then HLF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $80 to its 52-week high at $83.51 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give HLF a chance to tag $90 to $100 a share.

I would simply avoid HLF or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some near-term support levels at $64 a share to its 200-day moving average of $62.16 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then HLF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $59.09 to $56.59 a share.

Walter Energy

Another potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is metallurgical coal producer and exporter to the global steel industry Walter Energy (WLT), which is set to release numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Walter Energy to report revenue of $477.44 million on a loss of 84 cents per share.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

Just recently, Wells Fargo downgraded shares of Walter Energy to market perform from outperform citing weak met coal pricing and the company's high debt loads. The firm also lowered its price target for shares of WLT to $10 to $13 from $18 to $20.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Walter Energy is extremely high at 38.5%. That means that out of the 62.17 million shares in the tradable float, 23.92 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a monster short interest on a stock with a relatively low tradable float. Any bullish earnings news could easily trigger a large short-squeeze for shares of WLT post-earnings.

From a technical perspective, WLT is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last three months and change, with shares sliding lower from its high of $19.47 to its recent low of $10.07 a share. During that downtrend, shares of WLT have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of WLT have just started to bounce higher off that $10.07 low and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're bullish on WLT, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $11.36 to $12 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 6.48 million shares. If that breakout hits, then WLT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $13.52 to its 200-day moving average of $14.21 a share.

I would avoid WLT or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $10.07 to its 52-week low of $9.88 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then WLT will set up to enter new 52-week-low territory, which is bearish technical price action. Some possible downside targets off that move are $9 to $8 a share.

Fleetmatics Group

Another earnings short-squeeze prospect is fleet management solutions delivered by software-as-a-service provider Fleetmatics Group (FLTX), which is set to release numbers on Thursday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Fleetmatics Group to report revenue of $49.05 million on earnings of 23 cents per share.

>>5 Stocks Ready to Explode Higher

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Fleetmatics Group is pretty high at 10%. That means that out of the 35.92 million shares in the tradable float, 3.53 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a decent short interest on a stock with a relatively low float. Any bullish earnings news could easily spark a sold short-covering rally post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, FLTX is currently trending above its 200-day moving average and just below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been consolidating and trending sideways for the last three months, with shares moving between $35.22 on the downside and $44.52 on the upside. Shares of FLTX are now starting to spike higher above its 200-day moving average and this stock is quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range.

If you're bullish on FLTX, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 50-day moving average of $39.70 to some more near-term overhead resistance levels at $42.25 to $44.52 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 297,119 shares. If that breakout hits, then FLTX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $50 to its 52-week high at $52.28 a share.

I would simply avoid FLTX or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below its 200-day moving average of $36.77 a share to more near-term support levels at $35.63 to $35.22 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then FLTX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $30.61 to $29.92 a share.

Qlik Technologies

My final earnings short-squeeze play is user-driven business intelligence software solutions provider Qlik Technologies (QLIK), which is set to release numbers on Thursday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Qlik Technologies to report revenue of $158.24 million on earnings of 30 cents per share.

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Qlik Technologies is pretty high at 9.5%. That means that out of the 83.11 million shares in the tradable float, 8.30 million shares are sold short by the bears. If this company can deliver the earnings news the bulls are looking for, then shares of QLIK could easily surge sharply higher post-earnings as the bears jump to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, QLIK is currently trending above its 50-day moving average and just below its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been uptrending a bit over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $25.61 to its intraday high of $28.73 a share. During that uptrend, shares of QLIK have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of QLIK within range of triggering a major breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're in the bull camp on QLIK, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 200-day moving average of $29.49 a share and then once it takes out more near-term overhead resistance at $30 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 1.57 million shares. If that breakout hits, then QLIK will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from last October that started at $34 a share. If that gap gets filled with strong volume, then shares of QLIK could easily tag $40 a share.

I would avoid QLIK or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops back below its 50-day moving average of $26.48 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then QLIK will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $25.61 to $24.90 a share. Any high-volume move below those levels will then set up QLIK to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at its 52-week low of $23.23 to $20 a share.

To see more potential earnings short squeeze plays, check out the Earnings Short-Squeeze Plays portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Toxic Stocks to Sell in February

>>5 Stocks Hedge Funds Love

>>5 Oversold Stocks Ready to Rebound

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

CNBC.com and Forbes.com.

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

Should You Switch Cell-Phone Carriers?

It seems that cell-phone service providers are particularly eager to get your business given the abundance of incentives they're currently offering to consumers who switch carriers. Consider some of the tempting offers from major wireless players AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

SEE ALSO: Fee Relief for Wireless Users

AT&T is offering a $100 bill credit for every wireless line you add with the company by March 31. And it's lowered its monthly rates on no-contract smart phone plans -- likely to lure customers who already own phones and are coming out of two-year contracts with other carrier (and to discourage its current customers from defecting).

Sprint is giving away a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 to customers who sign up for its new "Framily" plan, a mash-up of the words friends and family that lowers your monthly rate as you add more lines. It also is offering $100 savings on select phones if you switch to Sprint.

T-Mobile will pay your early termination fees if you leave another carrier before your contract is up and switch to T-Mobile. And Verizon is offering a gift card worth at least $100, but up to $300, when you trade in a smart phone and activate a new one.

So with all these special offers wireless carriers are dangling, should you switch and snatch up these deals while you can? To help you decide, here's more in-depth examination of these offers and a rundown of the rates these carriers typically charge. The carrier and plan that's best for you will depend on the number of lines you have, the amount of data you want and the coverage area you need.

AT&T. To take advantage of the $100 bill credit, you don't have to sign a two-year contract if you add a line with the company for a phone you already own. However, you must maintain service with AT&T for 45 days to receive the credit, which will post to your bill within three billing cycles. If you switch to AT&T from T-Mobile, you'll get a $200 credit, according to an AT&T customer service representative.

AT&T also lowered its monthly service fee February 2 for smart phone customers without a contract. If you sign up for a two-year contract (to take advantage of a free phone offer), you'll pay $40 a month for unlimited talk and text service and an additional $20 to $275 depending on the amount of data you want for Internet access, e-mail, video and music streaming. Without a contract, you'll pay $25 a month for wireless service if you get 8 GB of data or less, or just $15 a month if you choose to have 10 GB of data or more. So the monthly rate (not including taxes) for no-contract wireless service with a 10 GB data plan would be $115, versus $140 for the same plan for a smart phone with a two-year agreement. For each no-contract line you add, it's an additional $15 or $25 a month, depending on your data plan.

AT&T provides 4G coverage in all 50 states, according to its service map. However, its coverage is limited in a few of the Midwestern and Western states.

Sprint. To receive the free Galaxy Tab 3, you have to sign up by February 27 for the "Framily" plan in a Sprint store and commit to a two-year service agreement. To get the lowest rate under the plan -- $25 for unlimited talk, text and 1 GB of data -- you have to have seven to ten lines. You're not limited to family members, though, to take advantage of the plan. You can invite friends to join, and they'll get separate bills. To get more data, you'll pay $10 per line per month for 3GB or $20 per line per month for unlimited data.

The monthly service rate is significantly higher if you have fewer lines. For example, if you had just two lines and unlimited data, you would pay $100 ($50 per line) plus $40 for data ($20 per line) -- bringing the monthly total to $140, which is the same as you would pay for two no-contract lines and 10GB of data with AT&T.

Sprint's 4G coverage isn't nearly as widespread as AT&T's or Verizon's -- especially in the West.

T-Mobile. If you have a contract with a wireless carrier, you could pay as much as $350 to break it. To get you to switch to its lower-cost plans, T-Mobile will reimburse your termination fees -- up to $350 per line. You must send your final bill from your former carrier showing the fee, then you will receive a prepaid MasterCard within eight weeks from T-Mobile covering the fee amount. And if you trade in your old smart phone for a new one, T-Mobile will give you a credit of up to $300 to apply to a new phone.

Individuals pay $50 a month for unlimited talk, text and 500 MB of data; $60 for 2.5 GB of data; or $70 for unlimited data. You'll pay an extra $30 for a second line, and $10 for each additional line. So for two lines and unlimited data, you'll pay $100 a month. There's no contract with the T-Mobile Simple Choice Plan, so there are no early termination fees. T-Mobile also doesn't charge fees for using more than your allocated data. Instead, it slows your data speed from 4G to 2G once you've used your monthly data allotment.

With 4G coverage in 41 states and just a few cities in some of those states, T-Mobile's coverage area is more limited than AT&T's and Verizon's.

Verizon. To qualify for the $100 Verizon gift card, you must trade in an old smart phone for a new 4G LTE smart phone and commit to a two-year contract. Depending on the value of the phone you trade in, you may qualify for a gift card worth up to $300, which can be used to buy Verizon wireless products or to pay your bill. Verizon also is waiving its $35 activation fee for a limited time.

Verizon did have a limited-time offer of unlimited talk, text and 250 MB of data for $45 a month. But it just introduced a new "More Everything" plan, which claims that you get two times the data for the same low price. With the new plan, unlimited talk, text and 250 MB of data for a smart phone is now $55 a month. With each line you add, it's an additional $40 a month for talk and text, plus $15 to $375 for data. So two lines with 10GB of data would cost $180 a month -- $40 more than a similar AT&T or Sprint plan and $80 more than a similar T-Mobile plan.

Verizon's 4G network covers all 50 states. It claims to have the largest 4G network, with coverage for 97% of Americans.

FINRA OKs Plans on BrokerCheck Link, Expungement and Arbitrator Definition

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s board on Thursday approved three rule proposals.

The first one would limit the number of times investor complaints may be expunged, or removed, from publicly available broker records maintained on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

The board also authorized FINRA to seek comment on a revised proposal to require that firms that serve retail investors include a link to BrokerCheck on their websites. The proposal would not apply to electronic mail or text messages, a retail communication that is posted on an online interactive electronic forum (such as a message board, Twitter feed or chat room), or a directory or list of associated persons limited to names and contact information.

The third proposal would amend the customer and industry codes of arbitration procedure to refine and reorganize the definitions of “nonpublic” and “public” arbitrator. Among the changes include classifying individuals who worked in the financial industry for any duration as nonpublic arbitrators.

All of the rule proposals will be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission for review, public comment and approval.

Dave Bellaire, executive vice president and general counsel of the Financial Services Institute, said that FSI would review the new proposal on firms linking to BrokerCheck to see how "it addresses FSI’s previous comments." FSI, he said, "will continue working with FINRA to develop a workable solution for our members that also provides investors with access to BrokerCheck information."

The rule proposal addressing expungement of brokers’ black marks states that “firms and associated persons would be prohibited from conditioning settlements of customer disputes on, or otherwise compensating customers for, an agreement not to oppose a request to expunge information from an associated person’s Central Registration Depository (CRD) record.”

FINRA’s board says the proposal is designed to help ensure that the CRD system continues to contain information that is critical to investor protection.

“We continually make improvements to the arbitration and expungement process to further enhance investor protections,” said FINRA chairman and CEO Richard Ketchum, in announcing the board approvals. “FINRA feels strongly that expungement of customer dispute information shouldn’t be ‘bargained for’ through settlement negotiations or otherwise.”

FINRA operates the CRD system, which is an online registration and licensing system containing information on members and associated persons, including personal information, registration and employment history, as well as disclosure information such as criminal matters, regulatory and disciplinary actions, civil judicial actions and information relating to customer disputes.

Much of the information in that system is available to investors through BrokerCheck.

As FINRA explains, brokers who wish to have customer dispute information removed from the CRD system and, thereby, from BrokerCheck, must obtain a court order directing expungement or confirming an arbitration award containing expungement relief.

---

Check out ‘Alarming’ Number of Broker Arbitration Records Wiped Clean: Study on ThinkAdvisor.

Iraqis turn to Whisper app during conflict

  Iraqis turn to Whisper app amidst conflict NEW YORK (CNNMoney) "U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is evacuating..!!!!"

That message appeared Saturday at 8 a.m. ET on a secret-sharing application called Whisper. The media reported about the embassy's partial staff relocation hours later.

During the intensifying conflict in Iraq, Whisper is becoming an outlet for Iraqis to share information and post their thoughts anonymously in short tidbits.

Over the weekend, Facebook (FB, Tech30) and Twitter (TWTR, Tech30) said they began investigating reports of service disruptions. Meanwhile, Neetzan Zimmerman, Whisper's editor in chief, told CNNMoney that Whisper usage in Iraq more than doubled between June 12 and June 15. The company declined to provide more specific usage metrics.

"All social media were stopped in Iraq my only escape is whisper," one Whsiper user posted. "Waiting our miserable destiny while ISIS progressing towards Baghdad!!!!!" another said.

According to Zimmerman, Whisper doesn't collect information that would identify users but it can use geolocation to ascertain a user's location within a 1 mile radius.. Zimmerman says Iraqis are posting everything from frustration with the government to every day issues about relationships and life in Iraq.

"On one hand, they're talking about concerns of what can happen," he told CNNMoney. "On the other hand, they're living life and communicating what's normal."

  Whisper CEO shares users' darkest secrets

In one case, a user posted about his sexual identity.

"Gay and single in iraq makes you feel.....empty," the user wrote. "I need..a boyfriend to cuddle with before I get billed [sic] in a bomb ;["

Other users are expressing fear. "We r fine in Baghdad but we r ready for the worse [sic]," one wrote.

Applications like Whisper and Secret have recently become popular, though their secretive nature makes it impossible to verify the authenticity of the posts. Yet Zimmerman says he hopes the service will give users a safe platform to share their! thoughts.

"Ultimately ... you can use Whisper to vent or make statements that you would be concerned to make in an identity-based environment," he said.

Will the Adobe Systems (ADBE) Earnings Report be Cloud High? MSFT, ADSK & IGV

The Q2 2014 earnings report for software stock Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: ADBE), a potential peer or performance benchmark of other software stocks or players like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Autodesk, Inc (NASDAQ: ADSK) and iShares S&P GSTI Software Index Fund (NYSEARCA: IGV), is scheduled for after the market closes on Tuesday. Aside from the Adobe Systems Incorporated earnings report, it should be said that Microsoft Corporation reported Q3 2014 earnings on April 24th (FYQ3 revenues and EPS beat; cloud revenue doubled; Q4 view was light) and Autodesk, Inc reported Q1 2015 earnings on May 15th (Q1 revenues beat and earnings met estimates). The last time Adobe Systems reported earnings, it beat expectations thanks to strong adoption of Creative Cloud and Adobe Marketing Cloud as the company has been shifting away from from physical products to cloud-based software that users subscribe to.

What Should You Watch Out for With the Adobe Systems Incorporated Earnings Report?

First, here is a quick recap of Adobe Systems Incorporated's recent earnings history from Yahoo! Finance:

Earnings HistoryMay 13Aug 13Nov 13Feb 14

EPS Est	0.34	0.34	0.32	0.25
EPS Actual	0.36	0.32	0.32	0.30
Difference	0.02	-0.02	0.00	0.05
Surprise %	5.90%	-5.90%	0.00%	20.00%

 

Back in March, Adobe Systems Incorporated reported that revenue fell about 1% to $1 billion while net income fell from $65.1 million to $47 million – beating analyst expectations. However, Adobe Systems Incorporated exited Q1 with 1.844M paid Creative Cloud subscriptions, an increase of 405k when compared to the number of subscriptions as of the end of Q4 fiscal year 2013 while Adobe Marketing Cloud quarterly revenue was $267 million for a 24% year-over-year growth. The CEO commented:

"Adobe's Q1 momentum was driven by strong adoption of Creative Cloud and Adobe Marketing Cloud. We have an amazing pipeline of innovation that we will deliver in the coming months, as well as plans to differentiate ourselves by further integrating our Cloud businesses."

The EVP/CFO also commented:

"We achieved a significant milestone with our transition to the Cloud in our first quarter with more than half of Adobe's total revenue coming from recurring sources such as Creative Cloud subscriptions and Adobe Marketing Cloud adoption. In our Creative business, reported revenue from subscriptions exceeded revenue from legacy perpetual licenses for the first time."  

This time around and according to the Yahoo! Finance analyst estimates page, the consensus expects revenue of $1.03B and EPS of $0.30 - slightly higher than the consensus EPS of $0.27 expected about ninety days ago.

On the news front and back in mid May, Adobe Systems Incorporated experienced an outage that disrupted the Web-based, subscription Creative Cloud service to top-selling software programs (including Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash) for about a day. Customers were able to apply to compensation for the outage (Creative Cloud plans range from $30 to $75 per month).

Prior to the outages, Pacific Crest reported that after speaking with Adobe Systems Incorporated resellers, demand is accelerating for the company's Creative Cloud product. Pacific Crest kept a $75 price target and Outperform rating on the stock. In addition and in early April, Cowen said the recent pullback in Adobe Systems Incorporated should be used to aggressively buy shares as they believe the company has one of the best secular growth stories in their universe. They also gave shares an Outperform rating with a $80 price target.

What do the Adobe Systems Incorporated Charts Say?

The latest technical chart for Adobe Systems Incorporated show a mix of trend lines:

A look at the performance chart for Adobe Systems Incorporated, Microsoft Corporation, Autodesk, Inc and iShares S&P GSTI Software Index Fund show a divergence after the recession and then a mirror performance. However, Microsoft Corporation has been more of an underperformer:

Nevertheless, Microsoft Corporation along Autodesk, Inc still have a bullish technical chart while iShares S&P GSTI Software Index Fund has a mix of trend lines:

What Should Be Your Next Move?

It will be interesting to see what impact the cloud outage had on Adobe Systems Incorporated's financials along with subscription increases. However and for the longer term, Adobe Systems Incorporated does look like a safe cloud computing bet.  

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now

Long-term care specialists are at odds over what they believe the Long-Term Care Commission will submit to Congress on Thursday as part of its first set of recommendations to better ensure LTC coverage is available for the elderly and disabled.

After the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act was repealed by the American Taxpayer Relief Act, better known as the “fiscal-cliff” law, in January, the Long-Term Care bipartisan commission was set up.

The commission, which consists of 15 members appointed by Democratic and Republican congressional leaders and the White House, was then tasked with reporting to lawmakers by Sept. 12 on how to establish, implement and finance a “comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system that ensures the availability of long-term services and supports for individuals in need.”

Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, told ThinkAdvisor that at best, he believes the commission will recommend only a “superficial overview of the importance of the issue and the lack of a cohesive approach to dealing with it.” With only a few meetings under its belt, Slome says that it “would be foolhardy” for the commission to recommend legislation.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy 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.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Were it the first time, or even the second time, it happened, it might be dismissible. A third time though? As they say, the third time is the charm. If the old saying applies in the worlds of small cap stocks (and it usually does), then Prima Biomed Ltd. (NASDAQ:PBMD) just kick-started what could be a trade-worthy rally.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Holly Energy Partners L.P. (HEP)

Holly Energy Partners, L.P. operates a system of petroleum product and crude oil pipelines, storage tanks, distribution terminals, and loading rack facilities. As of December 31, 2009, its pipeline assets included approximately 820 miles of refined product pipelines that transport gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel in the metropolitan and rural areas of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and northern Mexico; approximately 510 miles of refined product pipelines that transport refined products in Texas and Oklahoma; 3 parallel 65 mile pipelines that transport intermediate feedstocks and crude oil to petroleum refinery facilities; approximately 960 miles of crude oil trunk, gathering, and connection pipelines located in west Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma that deliver crude oil to refineries; approximately 10 miles of crude oil and refined product pipelines in Salt Lake City, Utah; and gasoline and diesel connecting pipelines located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company?s ref ined product terminals and refinery tankage assets comprised four refined product terminals with an aggregate capacity of approximately 1,000,000 barrels in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; three refined product terminals with an aggregate capacity of approximately 500,000 barrels in Idaho and Washington; one refined product terminal with a capacity of 120,000 barrels in Idaho; two refined product terminals with aggregate capacity of 480,000 barrels in Texas; a refined product truck loading rack facility; a jet fuel terminal; on-site crude oil tankage having an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 600,000 barrels; and on-site refined product tankage having an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 1,400,000 barrels. HEP Logistics Holdings, L.P. serves as general partner of the company. Holly Energy Partners was founded in 2004 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Master limited partnerships are not like other stocks, and the metrics we use to compare an MLP to its peers differ from the metrics we use to compare regular companies. For example, instead of the traditional P/E ratio, we emphasize MLP-specific metrics like distribution coverage ratio, and today's focus: price to distributable cash flow (P/DCF). I'll use MPLX (NYSE: MPLX  ) , Tesoro Logistics (NYSE: TLLP  ) , and Holly Energy Partners (NYSE: HEP  ) as our three examples.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Let's face it, building pipeline to move oil and gas takes a long time, and several refiners and exploration and production companies just can't wait around for these pipes to get built. That is a large reason why HollyFrontier (NYSE: HFC  ) just announced that it and its midstream subsidiary Holly Energy Partners (NYSE: HEP  ) plan to add rail capacity of 70,000 barrels per day to its operations to move oil from Holly Energy's pipes in Southeast New Mexico to HollyFrontier's refining facilities in the region.�

Top 10 International Companies To Watch For 2015: PowerShares DWA Momentum Portfolio (PDP)

PowerShares DWA Technical Leaders Portfolio (Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and of an equity index called the Dorsey Wright Technical Leaders Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks of approximately 100 United States companies that are selected pursuant to a selection methodology of Dorsey Wright & Associates (the Index Provider). The Index is designed to identify companies that demonstrate powerful relative strength characteristics. Relative strength characteristics are based upon each security�� market performance. The companies are selected from a broad mid-cap and large-cap universe.

The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Index is adjusted quarterly, and the Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Index. The Fund generally will invest in the stocks comprising the Index in proportion to their weightings in the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  Of course, a great bet also involves many risks. Even though LCD technology became very popular in these last few years, both in TV screens and computer monitors, we should never miss the fact that technological markets are often exposed to products becoming obsolete due to the development of new, more efficient technology. Without going any further, it�� easy to recall the plasma display panel (PDP) fiasco, an apparently promising market in the 1990s and early 2000s but quickly replaced by LCDs (by 2008 LCDs sell 21.1 million units, almost 10 times PDP sales on the same year). Even Panasonic Corporation (PCRFF) announced it will interrupt production of PDP on 2014.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Harris & Harris Group Inc.(TINY)

Harris & Harris Group, Inc. is a venture capital and venture debt firm specializing in seed, start up, early stage, and mid venture investments. It primarily invests in tiny-technology-enabled companies with a focus on nanotechnology, microsystems, and microelectromechanical systems technology. Harris & Harris Group, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is based in New York, New York with additional offices in Palo Alto, California and Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Highlight: Harris & Harris Group Inc. (TINY)

  The TINY share price is currently $3.07 or 22.1% off the 52-week high of $3.94. The company does not pay a dividend.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Neogen Corporation(NEOG)

Neogen Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets various products for food and animal safety worldwide. The company?s Food Safety segment offers diagnostic test kits and complementary products to detect dangerous and/or unintended substances in human food and animal feed, such as foodborne pathogens, spoilage organisms, natural toxins, food allergens, genetic modifications, ruminant by-products, drug residues, pesticide residues, and general sanitation concerns. Its products also comprise bioluminescence-based diagnostic technology for adenosine triphosphate, a chemical found in living cells. This segment offers its products primarily to food and feed producers, meat and poultry processors, seafood processors, fruit and vegetable producers, grain producers and processors, food and beverage processors, and dairies; laboratories and producers of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, veterinary vaccines, and nutraceutical products; and various re gulatory agencies. The company?s Animal safety segment provides pharmaceuticals, rodenticides, disinfectants, vaccines, veterinary instruments, topicals and diagnostic products, and genetic testing services to the animal safety market. Its drug detection immunoassay test kits are used for the detection of abused and therapeutic drugs in farm animals and racing animals, such as horses, greyhounds, and camels; detection of drug residues in meat and meat products; and human forensic toxicology drug screening applications. This segment?s products are also used to maintain sanitary conditions and limit the potential hazards of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. In addition, it offers various products for researchers to detect biologically-active substances; and proprietary substrates for other diagnostic test kit manufacturers. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors and retail chains. Neogen Corporation was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in La nsing, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  And with very quick gains of 9% in BRF SA (NYSE ADR: BRFS), 5.2% in South American agricultural play Adecoagro SA (NYSE: AGRO) and 1.6% in high-tech agribusiness player Neogen Corp. (Nasdaq: NEOG), we're doing well with our plays on (pockets of) accelerating U.S. inflation.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Resources Connection Inc.(RECN)

Resources Connection, Inc. provides professional services in the areas of finance, accounting, risk management and internal audit, corporate advisory, strategic communications and restructuring, information management, human capital, supply chain management, actuarial, and legal and regulatory services to support client-led projects and initiatives. It offers finance and accounting services, including financial analyses, budgeting and forecasting, audit preparation, public-entity reporting, tax-related projects, merger and acquisition due diligence, initial public offering assistance, and assistance in the preparation or restatement of financial statements; information management services, such as financial system/enterprise resource planning implementation, and post implementation optimization services; and corporate advisory, strategic communications, and restructuring services. The company also provides risk management and internal audit services comprising compliance r eviews, internal audit co-sourcing, and assistance services; supply chain management services, including strategic sourcing efforts, contract negotiations, and purchasing strategy services; and actuarial support services for pension and life insurance companies. In addition, it offers human capital services, such as change management, and compensation program design and implementation services; and legal and regulatory services comprising providing attorneys, paralegals, and contract managers to assist clients, such as law firms with project-based or peak period needs. Further, the company provides policyIQ, a Web-based content management product for documenting, managing, and communicating various types of business information, including policies and procedures, Sarbanes documentation, training documentation, and other business content. It operates in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

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 Resources Connection (Nasdaq: RECN  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Pengrowth Energy Corp (PGH)

Pengrowth Energy Corporation (Pengrowth) is engaged in the development, production and acquisition of, and the exploration for, oil and natural gas reserves in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. The Company�� producing properties include Lindbergh, Swan Hills Area, Greater Olds/Garrington Area and Southeast Saskatchewan. In February 2012, the Company commenced the injection of steam at its Lindbergh pilot project. On May 31, 2012, the Company acquired NAL Energy Corporation. In November 2012, the Company acquired additional Lochend Cardium assets with production capability of approximately 650 barrels of oil equivalent, weighted 95% to light oil. In March 2013, the Company completed the divestiture of its non-core Weyburn asset. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

  Husky Energy (HUSK.PK), see article here.Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGH), see article here.Southern Pacific Resource (STPJF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), see article here.Devon Energy (DVN), see article here.Imperial Oil (IMO), see article here.Baytex, see article here.Bonavista Energy (BNPUF.PK), see article here.

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  The dividends continue to flow for investors in Canada's Pengrowth Energy (NYSE: PGH  ) . The company has declared its latest monthly distribution, which will be US$0.04 per share of its common stock, to be handed out on June 17 to shareholders of record as of May 23. That amount matches each of the company's preceding monthly dividends for calendar 2013.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK)

Alliant Techsystems Inc. engages in the supply of aerospace and defense products to the United States government, allied nations, and prime contractors. The company also supplies ammunition and related accessories to law enforcement agencies and commercial customers. Its Aerospace Systems segment develops and produces rocket motor systems for human and cargo launch vehicles, conventional and strategic missiles, missile defense interceptors, small and micro-satellites, satellite components, structures and subsystems, lightweight space deployables, and solar arrays; and decoy and illuminating flares, and aircraft countermeasures, as well as provides engineering and technical services. Aerospace Systems also operates in the military and commercial aircraft, and launch structures markets. The company?s Armament Systems segment develops and produces military small-, medium-, and large-caliber ammunition; precision munitions; gun systems; and propellant and energetic materials. It also operates the U.S. Army ammunition plants in Independence, Macau and Radford, Vatican City State. Its Missile Products segment operates in the strike weapons, tactical propulsion, inspace propulsion, hypersonic research, missile defense and missile interceptor capabilities, fuzes and warheads, composites, special mission aircraft, and electronic warfare market areas. The company?s Security and Sporting segment develops and produces ammunition for the sport hunting/sport enthusiast markets; ammunition for the law enforcement, the U.S. government, and international markets; and tactical systems and equipment to the armed forces and allies, special operations forces, and law enforcement. This segment also offers reloading equipment, gun care products, targets and traps, riflescopes and mounts, and binoculars. The company operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally. Alliant Techsystems Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minne sota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  During the quarter, we also fully exited a position��Alliant Techsystems (ATK). Our long-term clients know that our average holding period is over 6 years. Alliant Techsystems was in the portfolio for only approximately one year, and appreciated more than 115% from our cost basis. Our long-term clients also know that we start trimming our positions when we believe our required margin of safety diminishes. We also sell the position outright if our investment thesis has worked out and/or the investment thesis has changed. All these criteria were met with Alliant Techsystems.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Hudbay Minerals Inc (HBM)

HudBay Minerals Inc., an integrated mining company, engages in the exploration and development of copper, zinc, and precious metals mines in North and South America. It primarily produces copper concentrates containing copper, gold, and silver; and zinc metal. The company principally owns underground 777 mine that covers an area of 4,400 hectares and is located in Flin Flon, Manitoba. It also owns ore concentrators and a zinc production facility in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Dan also highlights a new agreement with Brazil's Vale (NYSE: VALE  ) as an example of a new partner streaming agreement that features a focus on gold. Can Silver Wheaton continue to profit from future agreements with partners such as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) , Primaro Mining (NYSE: PPP  ) , and Hudbay Minerals (NYSE: HBM  ) ?

• [By Sean Williams]

  In August, Silver Wheaton reached its most recent deal with HudBay Minerals (NYSE: HBM  ) , securing the rights to its silver production at a low fixed-cost of $5.90 per ounce and 100% of its gold production at its 777 mine through at least 2016 for $400 an ounce In return, Silver Wheaton will fork over up to $750 million in cash for the buildout of HudBay's Constancia mine. Even with the tumble metal prices took this week, Silver Wheaton's margins will continue to remain fat with gold hovering near $1,400 an ounce and silver near $23 an ounce, and its dividend could still head even higher.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Dan, however, does believe CEO Randy Smallwood has the experience necessary to deal with these challenges. Strategies may include obtaining better terms from existing partners such as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) , Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , and Hudbay Minerals (NYSE: HBM  ) on future contracts.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Macy’s Inc (M)

Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Associated Press]

  NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York Appellate judge has rejected Macy's (NYSE: M  ) request to slap rival J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) with a temporary restraining order barring it from selling non-branded goods designed by Martha Stewart while an appeal is pending.

• [By Andrew Marder]

  Like seeing a horse named Paste winning the Kentucky Derby, J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) surprised everyone yesterday by winning one of the little battles in its ongoing war with Macy's (NYSE: M  ) . On Friday, a judge ruled that the struggling retailer could sell its Martha Stewart Living (NYSE: MSO  ) -designed -- but not Martha Stewart-branded -- merchandise while its legal proceedings continue to unfold. The good news came the day after J.C. Penney failed to have the case thrown out�.

• [By Damian Illia]

  Guess markets its products through a wide brand portfolio and, through six store concepts, the company operates as much as 512 locations in the US and 1,178 internationally, 858 of which are licensees. Its U.S. wholesale customers are large department stores like Macy�� Inc. (M), and Bloomingdale��.