5 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now

When it comes to General Electric's (NYSE: GE  ) massive finance division, it may be time for Plan B.

Since as early as 2007, GE has been working to shrink its GE Capital unit. After being relatively unsuccessful in that effort after six years, GE CEO Jeff Immelt has recently teased the markets with the possibility of spinning off large divisions of GE Capital through either an IPO or sale.

Nothing is ever easy
GE Capital's consumer unit is huge. Immelt's initial efforts to sell the credit card business -- which is about 11% of GE Capital assets -- were estimated to have a price tag of $20 billion to $30 billion. Even in the high-flying times before the financial crisis, $30 billion was no small acquisition. So the size alone limits the potential buyers to a select few institutions.

With extra regulatory scrutiny around the largest banks, it follows that such a deal would concern regulators. In today's era of "too big to fail," it would be a long shot for any of the nation's largest banks to receive approval to move forward.

Top 10 Restaurant Stocks To Buy For 2015: Excel Trust Inc (EXL)

Excel Trust, Inc., incorporated on December 15, 2009, is a vertically integrated, self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� principal objective is to acquire, finance, develop, lease, own and manage value-oriented community and power centers, grocery anchored neighborhood centers and freestanding retail properties. The Company conducts all of its business through Excel Trust, L.P., a limited partnership, or its operating partnership. The Company operates through three reportable business segments: retail properties, multi-family properties and office properties. The multi-family segment consists of apartment units at one retail property, West Broad Village, which is located in Richmond, Virginia. The office segment consists of two properties, Excel Centre, a portion of which is utilized as its headquarters, and the Promenade Corporate Center. The Company is the sole general partner of its operating partnership. Excel Trust leases its properties to national and regional supermarket chains, big-box retailers and select national retailers that offer necessity and value oriented items and generate regular consumer traffic. In October 2012, the Company acquired six shopping centers. On January 24, 2013, the Company completed the acquisition of Tracy Pavilion, a retail shopping center with approximately 162,000 square feet of gross leasable area located in Tracy, California. In September 2013, the Company announced the sale of Grant Creek Town Center.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company owned a portfolio consisting of 30 retail properties totaling approximately 5.1 million square feet of gross leasable area, which were approximately 93.4% leased. The Company owns two commercial office properties, Excel Center, a portion of which is utilized as its corporate headquarters, and the Promenade Corporate Center. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had ownership interests in two unconsolidated retail properties totaling 225,113 square feet of gross leasable! area, which were approximately 65.5% leased.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Commercial and retail property owner-operator and real estate investment trust Excel Trust (EXL) raised its quarterly dividend 3% to 17.5 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 31.
  EXL Dividend Yield: 6.04%
  

5 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: AKB Mosoblbank OAO (MOBB)

AKB MOSOBLBANK OAO (AKB MOSOBLBANK OJSC) is a Russia-based commercial bank. The Company focuses on the provision of various types of banking services to both individual and corporate clients. The Bank offers its services through the network of 400 offices and automated teller machines (ATM), located across the Russian Federation. In addition, it has 23 branches in such cities as: Rostov na Donu, Samara, Astrakhan, Arkhangelsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Tyumen, Yakutsk, Grozny, Kemerovo and Vladivostok, among others. As of May 25, 2012, the Company�� major shareholder was Respublikanskaya Finansovaya Korporatsiya OAO with a stake of 74.19%. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  UBS, Switzerland�� largest bank, rallied to a two-year high. Philips, the Dutch maker of light bulbs and electric toothbrushes, gained for an eighth day. Portugal�� PSI-20 Index (PSI20) advanced 2.3 percent as President Anibal Cavaco Silva affirmed that he doesn�� want to call early elections. Mobistar (MOBB) SA slumped the most on record after the Belgian mobile-phone company cut profit forecasts and suspended its dividend.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Douglas Emmett Inc. (DEI)

Douglas Emmett, Inc., a real estate investment trust, owns and operates office and multifamily properties in California and Hawaii. As of December 31, 2007, the company�s office portfolio consisted of 48 properties and multifamily portfolio consisted of 9 properties. Its properties are located in Brentwood, Olympic Corridor, Century City, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Westwood, Sherman Oaks/Encino, Warner Center/Woodland Hills, and Burbank submarkets of Los Angeles County, California, as well as in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  High-quality office and multi-family real estate investment trust Douglas Emmett (DEI) raised its quarterly dividend 11% to 20 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 30.
  DEI Dividend Yield: 3.38%

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Office and multifamily housing operator�Douglas Emmett� (NYSE: DEI  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.18 per share, the same rate it's paid for the last two quarters after raising the payout 20% from $0.15 per share.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Breaking news

  NASDAQ OMX Group (Nasdaq: NDAQ) and Borsa Istanbul A.S. have today concluded a wide-ranging agreement, which includes the delivery of market-leading technologies and advisory services to Borsa Istanbul, and NASDAQ OMX taking an equity stake in Borsa Istanbul. To read the full news, click here. Acacia Research (NASDAQ: ACTG) announced today that its Bolt MRI Technologies LLC subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Fonar Corporation (NASDAQ: FONR). To read the full news, click here. Douglas Emmett, (NYSE: DEI) announced that William Kamer will be retiring from full time service as its Chief Investment Officer effective January 31, 2014. Mr. Kamer will continue to be employed by Douglas Emmett as a Senior Advisor. To read the full news, click here. Acacia Research (NASDAQ: ACTG) announced today that its Brandywine Communications Technologies LLC subsidiary has entered into a settlement and patent license agreement with Alcatel-Lucent USA (NYSE: ALU). To read the full news, click here.

  Posted-In: Benchmark US Stock FuturesNews Eurozone Futures Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets

5 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Guggenheim S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF (RPG)

Rydex S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible the performance of the S&P 500/Citigroup Pure Growth Index (the Index). The S Index is narrow in focus, containing only those S&P 500 companies with strong growth characteristics as selected by Standard & Poor��. The Index contains approximately one-third of the equities of the S&P 500 Index.

The Fund uses a passive management strategy to track the performance of the Index. The Fund invests in substantially all of the securities in the Index in approximately the same proportions as in the Index. The Fund's investment advisor is Rydex Investments.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap geothermal stock U.S. Geothermal Inc (NYSEMKT: HTM) produced a geyser of a return when it surged 26.79%, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock verses the performance of other geothermal stocks like small cap Ormat Technologies, Inc (NYSE: ORA) and mid cap Calpine Corporation (NYSE: CPN).�First of all, I should mention there are some other geothermal stocks out there like Alterra Power Corp (CVE: AXY) and Ram Power Corp (TSE: RPG) who have their primary listing on Canadian exchanges with secondary ones on the OTC���meaning they may not be a good deal for American investors or easy to invest in. Second, U.S. Geothermal Inc itself is a good geothermal proxy as its�focused on developing, owning, and operating clean, sustainable electric power from geothermal energy resources and its�operating geothermal power projects at Neal Hot Springs, Oregon; San Emidio, Nevada; and Raft River, Idaho plus El Ceibillo, an advanced stage, geothermal prospect located within a 24,710 acre energy rights concession area near Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America.

Best Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2015

Best Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2015: Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund(CFP)

Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund is a closed-ended equity fund of fund launched and managed by Cornerstone Advisors, Inc. The fund invests funds investing in the public equity markets of the United States. It invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund was formed on April 26, 2007 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But you can see in several places the consequences of the stampede toward high yield. Here are just a few:

  Closed-end funds Cornerstone Progressive (NYSEMKT: CFP  ) and Pimco High Income (NYSE: PHK  ) both make fixed payments back to fund shareholders on a monthly basis, and their distribution yields are truly extraordinary, at about 17% and 12%, respectively. Those dividends have enticed shareholders to pay $1.30 to $1.40 or more for each $1 of assets in the funds. Yet during most months, a substantial portion of those distribution payments has simply been a return of investor capital rather than true income from the funds' investments. A recent study discussed in The Wall Street Journal found that returns on a portfolio with a combined value and dividend-income strategy outperformed a strategy focused more exclusively on maximizing dividends by an average of 1.7 percentage points per year, a huge edge in long-run returns. In the dividend ETF arena, most funds tend to focus on maximizing yield. Although the popular Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) ETF bucks the trend by screening first for consistent dividend growth and only then looking at yield as a factor, many rival ETFs start with high-yielding stocks as their baseline and only then consider other desirable traits. Others focus solely on high-dividend niches of the market, such as iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage-Plus (NYSEMKT: REM  ) and its con! centration on high-yield mortgage REITs.

  When dividend stocks get too popular, their prices get out of line with both their dividend income and the fundamentals of the businesses that underlie those stocks. In simpler terms, when dividend stocks become bad values, it's time to consider looking elsewhere for a margin of safety.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-dividend-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Hot Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now

An adviser's full utilization of technology should enhance personal communications with clients, not supplant it, according to yesterday's InvestmentNews webcast, “The Secrets of Top Technology Performers.”

While the initial adoption of new technology is often an attempt at increasing efficiency and cost cutting, automation and a growing number of “digital touch points” can also enrich the client experience.

Rick Adkins, president and chief executive of The Arkansas Financial Group Inc., an investment advisory firm that provides fee-only, comprehensive financial planning services to physicians, said he has seen the dual utility of technology in the office firsthand.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Watch Right Now: LTX-Credence Corporation(LTXC)

LTX-Credence Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and services automated test equipment solutions for the wireless, computing, automotive, and consumer markets. The company?s product portfolio includes Diamond platform, a package for testing microcontrollers and cost sensitive consumer devices; X-Series platform that offers configurations for optimal testing of ASSP and ASIC, power, automotive, mixed signal, and RF applications; and ASL platform, which is used for testing linear, low-end mixed signal, precision analog, and power management devices. The company also provides various services, including installation and maintenance of test systems, servicing of spare parts, parts and labor warranties on test systems, and training on the maintenance and operation of test systems. LTX-Credence Corporation sells its products through direct sales organization and distributors in the United States, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and southeast Asia. The company was founded i n 1976 and is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  LTX-Credence Corporation (Nasdaq:LTXC), a global provider of market focused, cost-optimized ATE solutions, reported that it will present at the Barclays Capital Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 4:15 PM EDT. This event will be available over the Internet via live webcast.

Hot Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: LogMein Inc.(LOGM)

LogMeIn, Inc. provides on-demand, remote-connectivity, collaboration, and support solutions to small and medium-sized businesses, information technology (IT) service providers, mobile carriers, and consumers in the United States and internationally. Its services include remote user access services, which allow users to access computers and other Internet-enabled devices to continue working while away from the office or to access personal systems while away from home; remote support and management services to deliver support and management of IT resources remotely; and remote collaboration to conduct online meetings and share documents, images, and their desktop with other users. The company?s remote user access services comprise LogMeIn Free, a free remote access service, which provides secure access to a remote computer or other Internet-enabled device; LogMeIn Pro, a remote access service; LogMeIn Hamachi, a hosted virtual private network service; and LogMeIn Ignition, a service that delivers access to remote computers that subscribe to LogMeIn Free or LogMeIn Pro. Its remote support and management services consist of LogMeIn Rescue, a Web-based remote support service to support remote computers and applications, and assist computer users via the Internet; LogMeIn Rescue+Mobile, an add-on of LogMeIn Rescue?s Web-based remote support service to remotely access and support smartphones and tablet computers; LogMeIn Central, a Web-based management console; and LogMeIn Backup, a service that subscribers install on two or more computers to create a backup network. The company?s remote collaboration services include join.me and join.me pro, which are browser-based online meetings and screen sharing services. LogMeIn, Inc. has a strategic agreement with Intel Corporation. The company was formerly known as 3am Labs, Inc. and changed its name to LogMeIn, Inc. in March 2006. LogMeIn, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachu setts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of software company LogMeIn (NASDAQ: LOGM  ) soared 21% today after its quarterly results and outlook topped Wall Street expectations.

Hot Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: IceWEB Inc (IWEB)

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

IceWEB Unified Data Storage line of products

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

Purpose Built Network and Data Appliances

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

Cloud Computing Products and Services

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  So far the brewing recovery effort from IceWEB, Inc. (OTCBB:IWEB) has remained off most traders' radars. That may be about to change, however. That's why you may want to go ahead and take a speculative plunge on IWEB now, on faith that the clues we're seeing now will indeed end up as they're suggesting.

• [By Peter Graham]

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

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

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

Hot Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Ixia(XXIA)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA) shares tumbled 1.68 percent to $11.67 after the company reported its Q4 earnings of $0.15 per share on revenue of $120.60 million. Ixia now expected Q1 sales of $109.0 million to $113.0 million.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

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

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

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA) shares lost 2.36 percent to $11.59 after the company reported its Q4 earnings of $0.15 per share on revenue of $120.60 million. Ixia now expected Q1 sales of $109.0 million to $113.0 million.

Hot Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Xilinx Inc (XLNX)

Xilinx, Inc. (Xilinx), incorporated on February 5, 1984, designs, develops and markets programmable platforms. These programmable platforms have a number of components, including integrated circuits (ICs) in the form of programmable logic devices (PLDs), including Extensible Processing Platforms (EPPs); software design tools to program the PLDs; targeted reference designs; printed circuit boards, and intellectual property (IP), which consists of Xilinx and various third-party verification and IP cores. In addition to its programmable platforms, Xilinx provides design services, customer training, field engineering and technical support. The Company�� PLDs include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) that its customers program to perform logic functions, and EPPs. Xilinx�� products are offered to electronic equipment manufacturers in end markets, such as wired and wireless communications, industrial, scientific and medical, aerospace and defense, audio, video and broadcast, consumer, automotive and data processing. The Company sells its products globally through independent domestic and foreign distributors and through direct sales to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by a network of independent sales representative firms and by a direct sales management organization. In January 2011, the Company acquired AutoESL Design Technologies, Inc. In August 2012, the Company acquired embedded Linux solutions provider PetaLogix.

Product Families

The 7 series devices that comprise the Company�� 28-nanometer (nm) product families are fabricated on a high-K metal gate 28-nm process technology. These devices are based on an architecture, which enables design and IP portability and re-use across all families, as well as provides designers the ability to achieve the appropriate combination of I/O support, performance, feature quantities, packaging and power consumption to address a range of applications. The 7 series devices consist of! three families: Virtex-7 FPGA, Kintex-7 FPGAs and Artix-7 FPGAs. The Zynq-7000 family is the family of Xilinx EPPs. The Virtex-6 FPGA family consists of 13 devices and is the sixth generation in the Virtex series of FPGAs.

Virtex-6 FPGAs are fabricated on a high-performance, 40-nm process technology. There are three Virtex-6 families: Virtex-6 LXT FPGAs, Virtex-6 SXT FPGAs and Virtex-6 HXT FPGAs. The Spartan-6 family is the PLD industry�� 45-nm high-volume FPGA family, consisting of 11 devices in two product families: Spartan-6 LX FPGAs and Spartan-6 LXT FPGAs. The Virtex-5 FPGA family consists of 26 devices in five product families: Virtex-5 LX FPGAs for logic-intensive designs, Virtex-5 LXT FPGAs for high-performance logic with serial connectivity, Virtex-5 SXT FPGAs for high-performance DSP with serial connectivity, Virtex-5 FXT FPGAs for embedded processing with serial connectivity and Virtex-5 TXT FPGAs for high-bandwidth serial connectivity. Prior generation Virtex families include Virtex-4, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Virtex-E and the original Virtex family. Spartan family FPGAs include 90-nm Spartan-3 FPGAs, the Spartan-3E family and the Spartan-3A family. Prior generation Spartan families include Spartan-IIE, Spartan-II, Spartan XL and the original Spartan family.

Design Platforms and Services

The Company offers three types of programmable platforms. The Base Platform is the delivery vehicle for all of its new silicon offerings used to develop and run customer-specific software applications and hardware designs. The Base Platform consists of FPGA silicon; Integrated Software Environment (ISE) Design Suite design environment; integration support of optional third-party synthesis, simulation, and signal integrity tools; reference designs; development boards and IP. The Domain-Specific Platform targets one of the three primary Xilinx FPGA user profiles: the embedded processing developer; the DSP developer; or the logic/connectivity developer. The Market-S! pecific P! latform enables software or hardware developers to build and run their specific application or solution. Built for specific markets, such as automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications, audio, video and broadcast, industrial, or scientific and medical, the Market-Specific Platform integrates both the Base and Domain-Specific Platforms.

During April 2012, Xilinx introduced the Vivado Design Suite. Vivado supports Xilinx 7 series FPGAs and Zynq EPPs. Xilinx and various third parties offer hundreds of no charge and fee-bearing IP core licenses covering Ethernet, memory controllers Interlaken and PCIe interface, as well as domain-specific IP in the areas of embedded, DSP and connectivity, and market-specific IP cores. The Company also offers development kits, including hardware, design tools, IP and reference designs. Xilinx offers a range of configuration products, including one-time programmable and in-system programmable storage devices to configure Xilinx FPGAs. These programmable read-only memory (PROM) products support all of the Company�� FPGA devices. Xilinx and certain third parties have developed and offer a ecosystem of IP, boards, tools, services and support through the Xilinx alliance program. Xilinx also works with these third parties to promote its programmable platforms through third-party tools, IP, software, boards and design services. Xilinx engineering services provide customers with engineering, ranging from hands-on training to full design creation and implementation.

The Company competes with Altera Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation and Microsemi Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Programmable logic solutions provider Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) was upgraded by analysts at Pacific Crest early on Monday, as the company should benefit from the LTE upgrade in China.

  The analysts upgraded XLNX from “Sector Perform” to “Outperform” and see shares reaching $55. This price target suggests an 18% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $46.54.

  Xilinx shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Monday. The stock is up 29.78% year-to-date.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Xilinx (NASDAQ: XLNX) is estimated to post its Q3 earnings at $0.54 per share on revenue of $600.61 million.

  Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $0.94 per share on revenue of $1.07 billion.

Hot Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (CY)

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets mixed-signal programmable solutions, specialized semiconductor memories, and integrated semiconductor solutions. The company�s Memory Products division designs and manufactures static random access memory (SRAM) products and nonvolatile SRAMs used to store and retrieve data in networking, wireless infrastructure and handsets, computation, consumer, automotive, industrial, and other electronic systems, as well as offers general-purpose programmable clocks. Its Data Communications division focuses on universal serial bus (USB) controllers, WirelessUSB peripheral controllers, and module based solutions for trackpads and other user interface applications used in PC and peripheral, industrial automation imaging, security camera, and in consumer devices, such as mobile handsets and set-top boxes. The company�s Programmable Solutions division designs and develops programmable product offerings, inclu ding Programmable System-on-Chip (PSoC) devices, as well as CapSense and TrueTouch touch-sensing/touch screen products; and automotive products. This segment�s PSoC products are used in various industrial applications, mass storage, household appliances, laptop computers, and toys; TrueTouch touch screen products are used in mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, GPS, automobiles, digital cameras, and other mobile systems; and CapSense devices are used in various applications that employ buttons or sliders, including handsets and various other consumer, industrial, and automotive applications. Its Emerging Technology division provides foundry services, as well as other development stage activities. The company sells its semiconductor products through distributors, manufacturing representative firms, and its sales force to direct original equipment manufacturers and their manufacturers worldwide. Cypress Semiconductor Corporation founded in 1982 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Cypress Semiconductor (NASDAQ: CY) traded down 14.87 percent to $9.65 after the company lowered its Q3 forecast.

  Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) shares tumbled 11.71 percent to $46.73 after the company reported Q2 results. Piper Jaffray downgraded the stock from Overweight to Neutral.

• [By John Udovich]

  If you are looking for a semiconductor stock that�� focus on an area that�� not so cyclical, mid cap microcontroller (MCU) stock Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) could be a good choice���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with other�microcontroller�players like Microchip Technology Inc (NASDAQ: MCHP), STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE: STM) and Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: CY). Microcontrollers are programmable and�embedded�chips that are increasingly�hidden inside a all sorts of products these days e.g. if you have an appliance�with a�LED or LCD screen and a keypad, it contains some kind of�microcontroller plus all new�automobiles contain at least one�and often several. I should mention that we have also recently added Atmel Corporation to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio and we are down about 5.6% mostly due to the recent market volatility.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY) was maintained as Buy, but earnings estimates were cut and the price target was cut to $13 from $15, by Sterne Agee. Wedbush downgraded it to Neutral from Buy after the warning.

Top Forestry Stocks For 2015

Top Forestry Stocks For 2015: Valhi Inc.(VHI)

Valhi, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates in the chemicals, component products, and waste management businesses. Its Chemicals segment produces and markets titanium dioxide pigment, a white inorganic pigment used to impart whiteness, brightness, and opacity for applications, such as coatings, plastics and paper, inks, food, and cosmetics. It also mines ilmenite in Norway. The company?s Component Products segment manufactures mechanical and electrical cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms, including disc tumbler locks, pin tumbler locking mechanisms, and electronic locks for the postal, transportation, furniture, banking, vending, general cabinetry, and other industries. Its security products are used in various applications, including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, vending and gaming machines, high security medical cabinetry, electrical circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, bank bags, and p arking meters. It also provides furniture components comprising precision ball bearing slides and ergonomic computer support systems for use in applications, such as file cabinets, desk drawers, computer related equipment, home appliances, tool storage cabinets, imaging equipment, and automated teller machines. In addition, this segment manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust components, gauges, throttle controls, hardware, and accessories primarily for performance boats. Valhi?s Waste Management segment engages in processing, treating, storing, and disposing hazardous, toxic, and low-level radioactive wastes. This segment serves chemical, aerospace, and electronics businesses, as well as governmental agencies. Valhi also offers insurance brokerage and risk management services; holds marketable securities; provides utility services; and owns and develops properties. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in Dallas, Texas. Valhi, Inc. is a subsidiary of Co n! tran Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons died over the weekend with investors sending shares of some of his publically traded companies like Valhi, Inc (NYSE: VHI), Kronos Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: KRO), NL Industries, Inc (NYSE: NL) andCompX International Inc (NYSEMKT: CIX)to higher levels as they anticipate changes such as asset sales or spin offs. Harold Simmons was the embodiment of the American dream because he was born during the depths of the Great Depression in Golden, Texas to schoolteacher parents and he spenthis early years living without indoor plumbing or electricity. However and by recognizingunderpriced assets and through the use of massive amounts of leverage (e.g. junk bonds),he built an empire andranked #40 on the 2013 Forbes 400 with a fortune estimated to be worth some $10 billion.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Typically, when the chairman of a company dies, its shares drop. That hasn’t been the case for Valhi (VHI), Kronos Worldwide (KRO) and NL Industries (NL), which have all advanced today after Harold Simmons passed away.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-forestry-stocks-for-2015-2.html

Top 10 Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2015

Top 10 Restaurant Companies To Buy For 2015: Planet Platinum Ltd (PPN)

Planet Platinum Limited is an Australia-based company engaged in the operation of Showgirls Bar 20 and the on-going rental of property in Elsternwick. The Company operates in two segments: hospitality and entertainment and property rental businesses. The Company's hospitality and entertainment segment comprises operations of Showgirls Bar 20 in Melbourne and is engaged in the nightclub through the provision of beverages and adult entertainment. Property segment comprise maintaining of rental property at Home Street, Elsternwick. The Company continues to receive lease rentals from its Home Street property. The investment property is located at 12 Home Street, Elsternwick Victoria. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]

  Americans consume a lot of chicken. It estimated that Americans consume about 81 pounds of poultry per year, per capita. With there being upwards of 310 million people living in the United States, it is no wonder why poultry production is big business. Two of the biggest names in poultry production are Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) and Pilgrim's Pride (NASDAQ: PPN).

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-restaurant-companies-to-buy-for-2015-3.html

Top 5 Building Product Stocks To Buy Right Now

American/Hungerford Building Products, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Masco Corporation (MAS) recently announced its plans to expand into Rochester, N.Y.

American/Hungerford is a part of Masco Contractor Services and offers various forms of insulation installations such as popular batt, gutter installation and gutter protection services and blow applications. The company serves both homebuilders and homeowners. Expansion in the New York area will further broaden the company�� client base.

Recently, other Masco Contractor Services units, Williams Insulation and Red Lion Insulation also announced their expansion plans. Williams Insulation plans to expand into Lake Charles, La. while Red Lion Insulation plans to expand into Farmingdale, N.J. Both the companies offer various forms of insulation installations such as fiberglass batt, blown fiberglass, spray foam and cellulose.

Masco manufactures, sells and installs home improvement and building products.It is scheduled to report its second quarter 2013 earnings results on Jul 30, 2013. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter stands at 19 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2013 is 69 cents while that for fiscal 2014 is $1.02 per share.

Top 5 Building Product Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sky Deutschland AG (SKYD)

Sky Deutschland AG is a Germany-based holding company, which operates a subscription television network in Germany and Austria. The Company manages television brands, including Sky Welt and Sky Welt Extra, as well as offers packages Film, Sport, Fussball Bundesliga (Germany football league), and HD (High Definition television), as well as pay-per-view service Sky Select and Sky Go. Furthermore, the Company offers Sky Hotel & Bars service, which provides the Company's services in public houses and bars. The Company offers approximately 70 television channels of various genres. Sky Select package enables watching selected movies at the specific time. Sky Go offers content on mobile devices, Internet and simultaneously on different television sets. The Company is also engaged in the purchase, sale and distribution of rights to film, series and television productions, the acquisition, sale and distribution of broadcasting rights for public events, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Sky Deutschland AG (SKYD) surged 5 percent to 7.55 euros, the highest price since September 2008. The pay-television said third-quarter ebitda climbed 19 percent to 29.2 million euros. Revenue jumped 19 percent from a year earlier to 392.7 million, topping analysts��estimates.

Top 5 Building Product Stocks To Buy Right Now: Bally Technologies Inc (BYI)

Bally Technologies, Inc. (Bally), incorporated on September 30, 1968, is a global gaming company, which designs, manufactures, operates, and distributes advanced technology-based gaming devices, systems, server-based solutions, custom mobile applications, and interactive applications. The Company also provides hardware, including spinning-reel and video gaming devices, specialty gaming devices, and wide-area progressive systems. The Company supports customers include land-based, riverboat, and Native American casinos, video lottery and central determination markets. The Company derives its revenue from sale of gaming devices and related equipment, parts and conversion kits; operation of linked progressive systems, video lottery and centrally determined systems, and the rental of gaming devices and content, and sale and support of specialized systems-based software, hardware and interactive products and related recurring maintenance revenue. In July 2011, the Company acquired MacroView Labs, a company in mobile-application development and mobile platforms for the casino gaming industry.

Game Cabinet Hardware

The Company's Pro Series is available in upright, slant, spinning-reel, curve, V32 and V22/32 formats. They come with features, such as the touch-screen, iDeck. The Company can configure the top-box in Pro Series cabinets in a range of ways, including with upright wheel, as a hammerhead with an oversized 32-inch cinematic display, using the commanding digital ladder 32-inch high definition (HD) video display, and the soon to be released 42-inch vertical display. The Pro Curve Upright, which emulates a spinning-reel cabinet, but is actually a video slot machine with a curved LCD display, features a video-reel technology.

Game Platform

The Company support two gaming platforms; the ALPHA and the ALPHA 2. ALPHA and ALPHA 2 were designed to support industry protocols, as well as various kinds of game bonuses and multi-denomination, multi-game and mu! lti-pay table game configurations. It can operate with stand-alone, local, and progressive products. The ALPHA 2 platform incorporated all the attributes of ALPHA, which featured a layered architecture and modular design, as well as INTEL Core 2 processor; four gigabytes of dual-channel memory; Realtek HD audio, and video technology. ALPHA 2 supports both game content, as well as network and server-based applications. It is operable with the Bally Command Center, which will allow downloadable access to the Company's game content through a central server.

Game Development and Game Content

The Company's game content features original themes, licensed themes using brands, and adaptations of Bally brands, such as Cash Spin, Hot Shot, Quick Hit, and Blazing 7s. The Company has deployed its game content across wide-area progressive, local-area, and near-area progressive slots, spinning-reel and video gaming devices, specialty gaming devices, and multi-suite games. The Company's game-development teams cover the globe, with centers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Australia, and India. In addition, the Company has partnered with brands, such as Michael Jackson, GREASE, Betty Boop, and the Playboy franchise. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced new levels of iDeck interaction on games, such as All That Jazz, Total Blast, and Fish'n for Loot. These games enable players to use the iDeck as an arcade-like device. Players touch and play a virtual piano on All That Jazz. Fish'n for Loot and Total Blast introduced the Company's new U-Shoot virtual shooting gallery bonus-game play mechanic, in which the player touches the iDeck to create weapons for shooting at targets on the main game screens.

Game Parts and Conversion Kits

The Company's gaming device customers purchase replacement parts, upgrades, game conversion kits, and other products from the Company. The Company's Pro Series cabinets, with their all-digital display! s and iDe! ck digital, configurable touch-screen button deck, make game conversions not to change the button configuration or replace game glass.

Maintenance, Trade, and Resale Market

The Company offers a 90-day parts, labor, and performance warranty/guarantee for new gaming devices. The Company provides after-sale services to its customers, including customer education programs, an around-the-clock customer service telephone hotline, a Website for technical support, field service-support programs, and spare parts programs. The Company sells used gaming devices, including products made by the Company, as well as those produced by its competitors. The Company acquires used devices as trade-ins toward the purchase of new gaming devices.

Gaming Operations

Through the Company's Gaming Operations, the Company offers gaming operators a range of rental options for its gaming devices and content. The Company offers its customers gaming devices featuring a common jackpot or prize awards that can be linked (within a casino, in a local-area network, or among multiple casinos within a market or jurisdiction) in a wide-area network. The Company offers progressive gaming devices to customers under a daily-fee arrangement based on a percentage of the money wagered on the participating gaming devices. In many cases, the Company uses a portion of these revenues to fund the ultimate payment of the jackpot awards. The Company markets its linked progressive systems under titles such as Betty Boop's Love Meter, Golden Pharaoh, Money Vault, Instant Fortune, Ultimate Tower of Power, Quarter Million$, Millionaire Sevens and 1,000,000 Degrees. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had a total of 1,792 linked progressive systems.

The Company offers a range of non-linked games and content on a rental basis for either a fixed daily fees or a fee based on the percentage of the net win generated by the gaming device. Many of these games are available as both wide-area progressive! s (WAP) a! nd flat-fee near-area progressives (NAP). This category includes both gaming devices, in which the Company retains ownership and charges a daily fees for the use of the gaming device, and gaming devices its customers purchase which are classified as game sales revenue. Gaming devices, in which the Company retains ownership and charges a daily fees, include rental and maintenance of the gaming device and licensing of the game content. For gaming devices the Company's customers purchase, the Company provides the game content under a usage-fee arrangement, which results in a lower daily-fee than leasing the entire gaming device. The Company markets its rental and daily-fee games under titles, including greases, Michael Jackson King of Pop, Money Vault, Money Talks, Golden Pharaoh, Cash Spin Jackpot, Money Wheel, Vegas Hits Roadtrip, Betty Boop's Love Meter, Cash Spin, Hot Spin, Vegas Hits, Cash Wizard, Ultimate Tower of Power, Hot Shot Progressive Cash Wheel, Fireball, 77777 Jackpot, Reel Money, Hot Shot Progressive, Quick Hit Platinum, Reel Winners, Hee Haw, and Monte Carlo. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had a total installed base of rental and daily fee games of 14,890 units.

The Company offers video and spinning-reel devices, which can operates either as stand-alone devices or as units, which interact with (or can be monitored by) a central system maintained by government agencies. The financial model for this market requires the Company to build, deploy, and maintain the devices, along with providing the related equipment in return for a share of the net win generated by the device for a contractually fixed period of time. As of June 30, 2012, the Company earned recurring revenue from its installed base of 9,281 video lottery devices operated by New York State Lottery (NYSL). The Company also earns recurring revenues from 2,437 video lottery devices deployed at horseracing and other gaming facilities under agreements with the Delaware State Lottery Commission and Maryland State Lottery ! Commissio! n.

The Company offers video and spinning-reel devices, which connects to a central server, which determines the outcome of the games. These systems operate in Native American casinos in Washington, Oklahoma, and Florida, as well as Mexico. In each case, for the use of the Company's central determination software, the Company receives either a fixed daily fee or a percentage of the net wins generated by the devices connected to the system. As of June 30, 2012, the total installed base of gaming devices connected to the Company's centrally determined systems totaled 47,633. In Mexico, the Company sells gaming devices for an upfront fees, and classify the purchases as game sales revenues. The Company also derives a daily fee equal to a percentage of the net win for providing a system network, gaming content, and monitoring, maintenance and consulting. As of June 30, 2012, 9,449 of the total installed base of gaming devices connected to the Company's centrally determined systems were deployed in Mexico. Included in the total installed base of centrally determined games in Mexico are 6,981 iVIEW in-game player-communication units installed in non-Bally games, in which the Company charges a system connection fee.

System Solutions

The Company offers core, slot, casino and table management systems (collectively, casino management systems). The Company's comprehensive suite of technology solutions provides gaming operations of every size with a range of marketing, data management and analysis, accounting, player tracking, security, and other software applications and tools to more manage their operations. The Company also provides technologies to deploy a networked, server-based gaming environment, complete with a command center solution for centralized management and control. Version 11 provides gaming operators with easy-to-use graphical interfaces; vertical and horizontal scalability; distributed architectures, and support for multiple languages and currencies. As of Ju! ne 30, 20! 12, there were more than 300 casinos that have installed Version 11.

The Company partners with its customers to help them add network and server-based solutions to their existing systems, whether on a floor-wide basis, in smaller sections of the floor, or on selected banks of games. The Company's Systems business comprises three facets: hardware, including the Company's iVIEW and Display Manager (DM) player-user-interface devices and specialized system-based products; software and services, including licenses of the Company's core systems and suite of player tracking, bonusing, and marketing applications and customized system solutions, and maintenance, providing access to future enhancements or upgrades to the system software for a fee based on a percent of the license fee.

The system-based hardware and software products in the Company's casino management systems offer gaming operators benefits, including player-loyalty solutions, which are comparable to frequent guest programs found in other leisure and retail industries; database marketing and table-game accounting solutions, including the calculation of all revenue and expense-related items, and cage and credit accountability for all extensions of cage and credit cash balancing functions. The Company designed and deployed these systems in both domestic and international markets so that they would be and adaptable to foreign languages and currencies.

The Company's solutions, which support Gaming Standard Association (GSA) protocols, operate on common platforms, such as Windows, AS/400 (iSeries), Linux, and UNIX. By supporting these platforms, the Company allows its customers to choose a technology solution. The Company designs its slot-management systems with features for handling slots monitoring, accounting, and operations, as well as bonusing, sweepstakes, promotions, cashless transfer, ticketing, jackpots, promotional coupons, redemptions, and soft count. The Bally Business Intelligence applications, which! span acr! oss all the Company's casino management systems, bring data analytics to a gaming operator's key executive and marketing-management teams.

The Company's server-based iVIEW network serves as a way to communicate with players directly at the point-of-play. This network allows gaming operators to present messages in a split or full screen format on the main game display of any touch-screen- equipped gaming device. The Company's iVIEW network also works with the Company's Bally Command Center for server-based download of content, its Elite Bonusing Suite of floor-wide bonusing applications, its Bally CoolSign media management solution, and other new technologies under development. iVIEW and iVIEW DM work on almost any manufacturers' gaming devices that have a touch screen and are backward and forward compatible.

The iVIEW DM solution is for marketing to players at the point of play. This picture-in-picture-style technology facilitates enhanced communication and customer-service functions, such as beverage service, floor mapping, and real-time perishable promotions without interrupting game play. iVIEW DM also used to create excitement on the casino floor with floor-wide bonusing events; game-in-games; second-chance-to-win games; floor-wide slot tournaments; interactive virtual racing events; time-based promotions; targeted, customized player messaging, and bonuses on birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. iVIEW and iVIEW DM can even work in conjunction with the casino's player data to offer customized content based on gender, age, and provide player preferences. The Company can implement iVIEW DM across entire gaming floors, in smaller sections of floors, or bank-by-bank based on casino operator preference and capital budgets. Bonusing applications on the Elite Bonusing Suite server allow operators to tailor and automate promotions using server-based applications, such as Virtual Racing, DM Tournaments, U-Spin Bonusing, Power Winners, Dynamic Random Bonusing, Video Poker Bonusing,! iVIEW Me! ssaging, Flex Rewards and Lucky Match Bonusing. Bally CoolSign is the gaming industry's gaming centric media management tool, which enables gaming promotions and/or gaming information, triggered through any of the Company's products, to be displayed onto any digital display in the casino resort or the casino enterprise.

The Company's server-based command center enables gaming operators to download marketing content on iVIEW and iVIEW DM displays. They can also configure gaming device pay tables and game play options, deliver new game content and game libraries, and perform updates of game firmware, such as ticket printers and bill acceptors through a central server, rather than having to implement updates on each device.

Interactive Solutions

Bally Interactive encompasses the Company's mobile and online initiatives and related product offerings, which provide operators a range of solutions. The Company's online solutions are designed to enable casino operators the ability to offer players a online gaming experience through the Company's iGaming Platform and Remote Gaming Server on computers or mobile devices. The Company's open, cloud-based iGaming Platform, enable operators to choose poker, slot, table, and other gaming content from various providers. This content is delivered through the Company's Remote Gaming Server, allowing access to the entire library of games and one-time integration.

The Company offers or has created mobile apps and mobile Websites for dozens of casinos globally. The Company's apps are designed as casino concierge apps, providing operators the opportunity to attract new players, enhance their patrons' casino resort visit, and sell more to them through their phones or mobile tablets. Apps can include casino games, player's club sign-up and account information, hyper-targeted offers, show previews, room and restaurant bookings, feedback surveys, menus, interactive maps, and many other features. Utilizing the Company's cloud-b! ased mobi! le technology platform, casinos can manage their portfolio of mobile Websites and native apps for iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, BlackBerry, and other devices from a single content management system.

The Company competes with International Game Technology, Game Technology Ltd., Aristocrat Leisure Limited, Aruze Gaming America, Inc., GTECH Holdings Corporation, Konami Co. Ltd., Novomatic AG, Recreativos Franco, S.A., Unidesa Gaming and Systems, and WMS Industries, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Consolidation among gaming suppliers is continuing, and now it's with an eye on the future of online gaming. Earlier this year, Scientific Games said it would buy WMS Industries�for $1.5 billion, creating a company with lottery equipment and slot machines. Today, Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI  ) agreed �to buy SHFL entertainment (NASDAQ: SHFL  ) for $1.3 billion, or $23.25 per share, creating a casino supplier that can offer nearly all products or services needed to run a casino.�

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  It may seem like a sort of unlikely choice, but mid-cap gambling device designer Bally Technologies (BYI) is topping off our list today. Bally is capping off a stellar run in 2013, after rallying more than 72% since the start of the year. But don't worry if you missed the move; the technicals point to even higher ground in the short-term.

  That's because Bally is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern, a bullish price setup that's formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as BYI bounced between those two technical price levels, it's been getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above resistance. The breakout happened just before Christmas, and it's giving us a buy signal this week.

  Momentum adds some extra confidence to the setup in BYI: 14-day RSI has been trending higher since early October, an indication that buyers have been piling in at an increasing rate as the pattern developed. If you decide to jump in here, I'd recommend putting a protective stop at the 50-day moving average.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Value investor John Rogers (Trades, Portfolio) recommends JM Smucker (SJM), Bally Tech (BYI) and Lazard (LAZ).
  Also check out: John Rogers Undervalued Stocks John Rogers Top Growth Companies John Rogers High Yield stocks, and Stocks that John Rogers keeps buying
  Currently 0.00/512345

  Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes)

• [By Caroline Bennett]

  Video casino gaming company Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI  ) has announced plans to acquire fellow gaming business SHFL Entertainment (NASDAQ: SHFL  ) for approximately $1.3 billion, or $23.25 per share. The merger includes SHFL's $8 million worth of debt and $41 million in cash and is subject to a vote by SHFL's shareholders.

Top Medical Stocks To Own For 2015: Bridgeline Digital Inc.(BLIN)

Bridgeline Digital, Inc. engages in the development of Web experience management (WEM) product and interactive technology solutions that help organizations to optimize business processes. Its iAPPS product suite includes iAPPS Content Manager that allows non-technical users to create, edit, and publish content through a browser-based interface; iAPPS Commerce, an online B2B and B2C eCommerce solution, which allows users to maximize and manage various aspects of commerce initiatives; and iAPPS Marketier, a marketing lifecycle management solution that comprises customer transaction analysis, email management, surveys and polls, event registration, and issue tracking to measure campaign return on investment and client satisfaction. The company also provides iAPPS Analyzer to manage, measure, and optimize Web properties by recording detailed events and mine data within a Web application for statistical analysis; and iAPPS Rapid Site for building custom Websites. It delivers it s iAPPS product suite through cloud-based software as a service business model or via a traditional perpetual licensing business model. The company?s end-to-end interactive technology solutions consist of digital strategy, user-centered design, Web application development, SharePoint development, rich media development, search engine optimization, and Web application hosting management. Bridgeline Digital serves various markets, such as financial services, consumer products and goods, health services and life sciences, high technology (software and hardware), retail brand names, transportation and storage, associations and foundations, and the U.S. Government through its direct sales force. The company was formerly known as Bridgeline Software, Inc. and changed its name to Bridgeline Digital, Inc. in March 2010. Bridgeline Digital, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is based in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Congratulations to anyone who owned shares of Bridgeline Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:BLIN) before today. You're now up 35% for the day so far, and still counting. The big pop from BLIN stemmed from the announcement that it scored a pretty significant deal with an organization consisting of nearly 4000 dentists and doctors. The terms of the deal are simple enough... Bridgeline Digital will host and service websites for the practitioners in the group for a period of three years, and in return, BLIN will receive $7 million.

Top 5 Building Product Stocks To Buy Right Now: Radioshack Corporation(RSH)

RadioShack Corporation engages in the retail sale of consumer electronic goods and services through its RadioShack store chain and kiosk operations. Its products include postpaid and prepaid wireless handsets and communication devices, such as scanners and global positioning system (GPS) products; home entertainment, wireless, music, computer, video game, and GPS accessories; media storage, power adapters, digital imaging products, and headphones; home audio and video end-products, personal computing products, residential telephones, and voice over Internet protocol products; digital cameras, digital music players, toys, satellite radios, video gaming hardware, camcorders, and general radios; general and special purpose batteries and battery chargers; and wires and cables, connectivity products, components and tools, and hobby products. The company also provides consumers access to third-party services, such as prepaid wireless airtime and extended service plans in its ser vice platform. In addition, it manufactures various products, including telephones, antennas, wires, and cable products, as well as various hard-to-find parts and accessories for consumer electronics products; and provides repair services. As of March 31, 2011, the company operated 4,467 company-operated retail stores under the RadioShack brand name in the United States; and 1,304 kiosks located in Target and Sam?s Club stores. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 211 company-operated stores under the RadioShack brand, 9 dealers, and 1 distribution center in Mexico; a network of 1,207 RadioShack dealer outlets, including 34 located outside of North America; and 4 distribution centers in the United States. Further, the company sells its products through its Website, radioshack.com. RadioShack Corporation was founded in 1899 and is based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  [Related -RadioShack Corporation (RSH) Q4 Earnings Preview: Time to Throw in the Kitchen Sink?]

  The other three, non-misses in the last three years included two on-target results with a bullish surprise of 300% in the mix.

• [By Chris Isidore]

  Radio Shack (RSH) also said it plans to close 1,100 stores, or 20% of its North American locations, while troubled department store chain J.C. Penney (JCP, Fortune 500) has announced plans to close 33 locations.

• [By Peter Graham]

  However, the shorts are optimistic about a payday because the stock is the 23rd most shorted stock on the NYSE with short interest of 30.07% according to HighShortInterest.com. It could be worst though because retailer RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) has short interest of�35.49% while hhgregg, Inc (NYSE: HGG) has short interest of 53.77%.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  What to seek and avoid
  When you're seeking dividend investments, go ahead and favor hefty dividend yields, but be wary when they're really hefty, because they might be unsustainable. Seek healthy and growing companies, too, and ones that are not paying out more in dividends than they're actually earning. For a sobering lesson, check out an article from October of last year by my colleague Brian Stoffel, who wrote about "3 Extremely Dangerous Dividends," discussing rural telecom specialist Windstream (NASDAQ: WIN  ) , supermarket concern Roundy's (NYSE: RNDY  ) , and electronics retailer RadioShack (NYSE: RSH  ) . It hasn't been much more than five months since the article was published, and while Windstream's payout is intact, RadioShack's has disappeared, and Roundy's has roughly been cut in half. Windstream may have low profit margins and a lot of debt, but it's been investing in new directions and growing its revenue. Roundy's is also saddled with debt and low margins, and operates in a tough industry. Still, it's at least free-cash-flow positive. RadioShack has long been struggling and recently posted shrinking quarterly revenue and widening losses. One ray of hope is its new CEO, turnaround specialist Joseph Magnacca.

Top 5 Building Product Stocks To Buy Right Now: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.(MDRX)

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. provides clinical, financial, connectivity, and information solutions and related professional services to hospitals, physicians, and post-acute organizations primarily in the United States and Canada. The company?s integrated clinical software applications include acute care electronic health records, clinical and practice management solutions, revenue cycle management software, clearinghouse services, stand-alone electronic prescribing, and document imaging solutions, as well as various solutions for home care, hospice, skilled nursing, and other post-acute organizations. It also provides electronic medical records software; practice management software; electronic claims administration services; related installation and training services; hosting services for its software and outsourced solutions; and information technology outsourcing services. In addition, the company also resells related hardware products. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By George Putnam]

  After a large acquisition, made in 2010, didn't work out as planned, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX) put itself up for sale in early 2012. This created concern among its clients, and potential clients, and eventually led to the replacement of its long-time CEO in December 2012.

• [By Keith Speights]

  GE Healthcare also claims one of the top spots in the world of electronic medical records. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, reported recently that the company ranked in the No. 5 spot for Meaningful Use attestations needed for health care providers to receive federal incentives. Only two publicly traded companies placed higher than GE Healthcare -- Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX  ) and Quality Systems' (NASDAQ: QSII  ) NextGen Healthcare unit.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Cerner's recent stock performance trounces that of other publicly traded companies, including Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX  ) , Greenway Medical (NYSE: GWAY  ) , and Quality Systems (NASDAQ: QSII  ) . Only athenahealth (NASDAQ: ATHN  ) gives Cerner a run for its money over the past year.

Best Transportation Companies For 2015

With shares of Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) trading around $31, is DAL an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Delta Air Lines provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. Its route network is centered around a system of hub and international gateway airports. The company also provides aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for other aviation and airline customers as well as offers staffing services, professional security, and training services. As air transportation is becoming increasingly more popular, Delta Air Lines is poised to capitalize into the future.

Delta Air Lines on Tuesday reported financial results for the December 2013 quarter.���ur December quarter profit caps off a successful year for Delta with strong profitability and margin expansion, industry-leading operations and significant improvements in customer satisfaction. Across the board this was an outstanding year and all credit for these achievements goes to the 78,000 Delta employees worldwide,��said�Richard Anderson, Delta�� chief executive officer. ��e have a solid set of initiatives in place to improve our financial results, operational performance and customer satisfaction levels beyond 2013�� record levels and remain focused on being the best airline for our employees, customers and shareholders.��/p>

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: Union Pacific Corporation(UNP)

Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, provides rail transportation services in North America. It has approximately 31,953 route miles linking Pacific Coast and Gulf Coast ports with the Midwest and eastern United States gateways, and provides several corridors to Mexican gateways. The company offers freight transportation services for agricultural products, including whole grains and related commodities, food, beverage products, corn for ethanol products and its by-products, animal feeds, fruits and vegetables, frozen meat, and poultry products; and automotive products, such as imported and finished vehicles, and automotive parts and materials. It also provides transportation services for chemicals, such as industrial chemicals, plastics, and liquid petroleum products; energy products comprising coal and coke; industrial products, including lumber products, paper and consumer goods, furniture and appliances, and nonferrous and i ndustrial minerals, as well as steel and construction products, such as rock, cement, and roofing materials; and intermodal containers. Union Pacific Corporation was founded in 1862 and is based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP  ) has the type of one-year stock chart that dreams are made of, marching steadily higher with very little volatility. Moving stuff around the country is a great business, and one that appears to produce the type of steady returns we'd all like to see in our portfolios. Unfortunately for holders of Union Pacific stock, Warren Buffett may be angling to spoil all of that.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $2.37 per share on revenue of $5.70 billion.

  Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.20 per share on revenue of $11.49 billion.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Notable railroads that could be hit by a slowdown in oil transports because of a declining spread include Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI  ) , Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP  ) , and Berkshire Hathaway�subsidiary BNSF.

• [By Reuben Brewer]

  Railroads from Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC  ) to Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP  ) have been dealing with a declining coal trade in the United States. Although that negative trend hasn't changed yet, there are some key signs of an upturn to watch for.

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: Golar LNG Partners LP (GMLP)

Golar LNG Partners LP (the Partnership), incorporated on September 24, 2007, is a limited partnership formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Golar LNG Limited (Golar), an independent owner and operator of floating storage re-gasification units (FSRUs) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, to own and operate FSRUs and LNG carriers under long-term charters. The vessels in its fleet are chartered to BG Group, Pertamina, Petrobras and Dubai Supply Authority. As of December 31, 2012, Golar owned its 2.0% general partner interest, all of its IDRs and a 49.9% limited partner interest in it. As of December 31, 2012, its fleet consisted of a 100% interest in the Golar Spirit, which is operating under a time charter with Petrobras; a 100% interest in the Golar Winter, which is operating under a time charter with Petrobras; a 100% interest in the Golar Freeze, which is operating under a time charter with Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP), the purchaser of natural gas in Dubai; a 100% interest in the Methane Princess, which is operating under a time charter with BG Group PLC (BG Group), and a 60% interest in the Golar Mazo, an LNG carrier, which is operating under a time charter with PT Pertamina (Pertamina). In July 2012, Golar sold its interests in the companies that own and operate the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Nusantara Regas Satu to the Company. As of April 30, 2013, the Company has a fleet of four FSRUs and four LNG carriers. In November 2012, the Company acquired from Golar interests in subsidiaries that lease and operate the LNG carrier, the Golar Grand.

FSRU Charters

The Company provides the services of each of the Golar Spirit and the Golar Winter to Petrobras under separate time charter parties (or TCP) and operation and services agreements (OSAs). The TCPs and OSAs are interdependent and when combined have the same effect as the time charters for its LNG carriers. The services of the Golar Freeze are provided to DUSUP under a TCP. The Golar Spirit and ! Golar Winter charters also contained provisions giving Petrobras the option to purchase the vessels from it under certain circumstances.

LNG Carrier Charters

The Company provides the LNG marine transportation services of the Golar Mazo, Methane Princess and the Golar Maria under a time charters with LNG Shipping SpA. A time charter is a contract for the use of the vessel for a fixed period of time at a specified daily rate. Under a time charter, the vessel owner provides crewing and other services related to the vessel�� operation.

The Company competes with Royal Dutch Shell, BP, BG, Malaysian International Shipping Company, National Gas Shipping Company, Qatar Gas Transport Company, Excelerate Energy, Hoegh LNG, Exmar, Teekay LNG and MISC Berhad.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  I'll warn you now at least some of you aren't going to like what you're about to hear. But, I wouldn't be doing any one a service by ignoring an important reality. So, here goes - shares of Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) and its mater/parent Golar LNG Partners LP (NASDAQ:GMLP) are ripe for a sizeable pullback. Anybody who was mulling a new position in GMLP or GLNG here may want to hold off just a bit, and anybody who stepped into either or both within the past month or so may want to go ahead and lock in their nice gain while they can.

• [By Taylor Muckerman]

  One segment of energy transportation on the high seas that has shown investors that tankers can still deliver on Wall Street has been liquefied natural gas, LNG, tankers. Teekay LNG Partners (NYSE: TGP  ) and Golar LNG Partners (NASDAQ: GMLP  ) have both churned out returns north of 15% in the past year along with paying investors more than 6% in distributions just for owning shares. As LNG exporting becomes a bigger part of global energy trade both of these companies stand to benefit. While there has only been approval for two LNG exporting facilities in the U.S., there are many others with applications submitted. Combined with countless other plans around the world, the prospects look rather bright.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2015: EQT Midstream Partners LP (EQM)

EQT Midstream Partners, LP owns, operates, acquires and develops midstream assets in the Appalachian Basin. The Company provides substantially all of its natural gas transmission, storage and gathering services under contracts with fixed reservation and/or usage fees. The Company focuses its operations in the Marcellus Shale fairway in southern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. It provides midstream services to EQT Corporation in the Appalachian Basin across 22 counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia through its two primary assets: its transmission and storage system, which serves as a header system transmission pipeline, and its gathering system, which delivers natural gas from wells and other receipt points to transmission pipelines.

Equitrans Transmission and Storage System

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� transmission and storage system included an approximately 700 mile FERC-regulated interstate pipeline system that connects to five interstate pipelines and multiple distribution companies, and it is supported by 14 associated natural gas storage reservoirs with approximately 400 million cubic feet per day of peak withdrawal capability and 32 billion cubic feet of working gas capacity. As of December 31, 2011, its transmission assets had total throughput capacity of approximately 1.0 trillion British thermal units per day.

Equitrans Gathering System

The Company�� gathering system consists of approximately 2,100 miles of FERC-regulated low-pressure gathering lines that have multiple delivery interconnects with its transmission and storage system and a gathering and interstate pipeline system owned and operated by Dominion Transmission, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Rounding out the top five were�Hi-Crush Partners�(NYSE: HCLP), another supplier of fracking sand (+71 percent),�EQT Midstream Partners�(NYSE: EQM), a midstream provider in the Appalachian Basin (+66.5 percent), and�Valero Energy Partners�(NYSE:VLP) (+61.5 percent), which consists of midstream assets dropped down from the refiner�Valero Energy�(NYSE:VLO).

• [By Lee Jackson]

  EQT Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE: EQM) has everything the Oppenheimer team is looking for: low-risk, fee-based contracts in an attractive region, low financial leverage, high distribution growth and coverage and a supportive parent with assets to sell. Oppenheimer has a $55 price target for the stock. The Thomson/First Call estimate is at $54. Investors are paid a 3.4% distribution which Oppenheimer thinks may grow to 4.3% in 2014. Remember, MLP distributions may include return of principal.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Unfortunately for XTO Energy, there was one small and, unbeknownst to anyone, unresolved matter. You see, LINN had a contract to sell its gas through a unit of Dominion Resources (NYSE: D  ) , which was gathering the gas in its system. However, LINN's gas wasn't up to the system's standards, so it began to look for another gatherer and it approached Equitrans, which is now part of EQT Midstream Partners (NYSE: EQM  ) but formerly was a unit of EQT Corp. (NYSE: EQT  ) -- they talked, but nothing was signed. However, an EQT employee later that year thought that it had and began crediting gas to the wrong company.

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: Costamare Inc (CMRE)

Costamare Inc. (Costamare), incorporated on April 21, 2008, is an international owner of containerships, chartering the Company�� vessels to liner companies. As of February 22, 2013, it had a fleet of 57 containerships aggregating approximately 332,000 twenty feet equivalent unit (TEU). During the year ended December 31, 2012, its fleet consisted of 47 vessels in the water, aggregating approximately 242,000 TEU. The Company�� containerships operate primarily under multi-year time charters.

As of February 22, 2013, the average (weighted by TEU capacity) remaining time-charter duration for its fleet of 57 containerships was 5.1 years. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company�� vessels were managed by at least one of Costamare Shipping, CIEL and Shanghai Costamare. The Company�� customers include international liner companies, including A.P. Moller-Maersk, COSCO, Evergreen Marine, Hapag Lloyd, HMM, MSC and ZIM.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Thinks aren't looking quite so auspicious for shares of small-cap Greek shipping stock Costamare (CMRE). Greek equities enjoyed some buoyancy this year, the result of getting oversold due to headline risk during the economic crisis in the Eurozone. But this stock's down days don't look behind it yet.

  That's because Costamare is currently forming the bearish opposite of the bullish pattern in NTT: a descending triangle. CMRE's setup is formed by downtrending resistance above shares and horizontal support down at $16.75 that shares are getting pushed down into. A move through $16.75 is the signal to sell this stock.

  Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of buyers and sellers. Triangles, rectangles, and other price pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in this stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

  That support line at $16.75 is a price where there's an excess of demand of shares; in other words, it's a place where buyers have been more eager to jump in and buy at lower levels than sellers have been to unload them. That's what makes the move below it so significant -- a breakdown indicates that sellers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess demand below that price level. Wait for that signal to happen before you bet against CMRE.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Containership owner and provider�Costamare (NYSE: CMRE  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.27 per share, the same rate it's paid since late 2011.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Costamare (NYSE: CMRE  ) reported earnings on July 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Costamare missed estimates on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: TC PipeLines LP (TCP)

TC PipeLines, LP (the Partnership), incorporated on December 16, 1998, acquires, owns and participates in the management of energy infrastructure businesses in North America. The Company�� pipeline systems transport natural gas in the United States. The Partnership is managed by the Company�� General Partner, which is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada. The Company has equity ownership interests in four natural gas interstate pipeline systems. The Company�� pipeline systems include Great Lakes, Northern Border, GTN, Bison, North Baja and Tuscarora. The Company owns 46.45% interest in Great Lakes. Great Lakes connect with the TransCanada Mainline at the Canadian border near Emerson, Manitoba, Canada and St. Clair, Michigan, near Detroit. Great Lakes are a bi-directional pipeline that can receive and deliver natural gas at multiple points along its system. In July 2013, TC PipeLines, LP announced the closing of its acquisition of an additional 45% interest in each of Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN) and Bison Pipeline LLC (Bison) from subsidiaries of TransCanada Corporation.

The Company owns 50% interest in Northern Border. Northern Border Extends between the Canadian borders near Port of Morgan, Montana to a terminus near North Hayden, Indiana, south of Chicago. Northern Border is capable of receiving natural gas from Canada, the Williston Basin and Rockies Basin. The Company owns 25% interest in GTN. GTN extends between an interconnection near Kingsgate, British Columbia, Canada at the Canadian Border to a point near Malin, Oregon at the California border. The Company owns 25% interest Bison. Bison extends from a location near Gillette, Wyoming to Northern Border's pipeline system in North Dakota. The Company owns 100% interest in North Baja. North Baja extends between an interconnection with the El Paso Natural Gas Company pipeline near Ehrenberg, Arizona to an interconnection with a natural gas pipeline near Ogilby, California on the Mexican border. The Compa! ny owns 100% interest in Tuscarora. Tuscarora extends between GTN near Malin, Oregon to its terminus near Reno, Nevada and delivers natural gas in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Last week,�TC PipeLines�(NYSE: TCP) outperformed all other MLPs, rising more than 20%. Another partnership sponsored by a Canadian midstream giant,�Enbridge Energy Partners�(NYSE: EEP), rallied 10%.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  TC PipeLines LP (TCP) has interests in over 5,550 interstate natural gas pipelines, including a 46.5% stake in Great Lakes Gas Transmission L.P.
  Yield: 6.3% | Years of Dividend Growth: 14

• [By Rich Duprey]

  For holders of TCF Financials' (NYSE: TCP  ) non-convertible perpetual�7.5% Series A stock, the board of directors announced yesterday investors will receive $0.05 per share on August 30�to holders of record at the close of business on August 15.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Next week�� issue will tackle the three remaining questions: one on MLP equivalents in Canada and Australia, one on Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP) �and TC Pipelines (NYSE: TCP), and a third query on Access Midstream Partners (NYSE: ACMP), Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP) and Mid-Con Energy Partners (Nasdaq: MCEP).

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM)

Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (Navios Partners) is an international owner and operator of dry cargo vessels formed by Navios Holdings. Navios GP L.L.C. (the General Partner), a wholly owned subsidiary of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (Navios Holdings) acts as the general partner of Navios Partners and received a 2% general partner interest in Navios Partners. Navios Partners is engaged in the seaborne transportation services of a range of drybulk commodities, including iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizer, chartering its vessels under medium to long-term charters. On May 19, 2011, Navios Partners acquired from Navios Holdings the Navios Orbiter, a 76,602 deadweight Panamax vessel. On May 19, 2011, Navios Partners acquired from Navios Holdings the Navios Luz. In June 2012, the Company purchased the Navios Buena Ventura, a 2010 South-Korean-built Capesize vessel of 179,259 dwt from Navios Maritime Holdings Inc.

The Company is an international owner and operator of drybulk carriers formed by Navios Maritime Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated seaborne shipping company. Its vessels are chartered-out under medium to long-term time charters with an average remaining term of approximately four years to a group of counterparties, consisting of Cosco Bulk Carrier Co. Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., Samsun Logix, STX Panocean, Sanko Steamship Co. Ltd., Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha, Augustea Imprese Maritime, Rio Tinto, Constellation Energy Group and Mansel.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fleet consisted of 11 Panamax vessels, six Capesize vessels and one Ultra-Handymax vessel. Its fleet of dry cargo vessels has an average age of approximately 5.6 years. Panamax vessels are flexible vessels capable of carrying a range of drybulk commodities, including iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizer. All of its vessels operate under medium to long-term time charters of three or more years at inception with counterparties. It also operates vessels in the spot market until the vessels have! been fixed under appropriate medium to long-term charters.

The Company competes with China Ocean Shipping, China Shipping Group, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Kawasaki Kisen, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Cargill, Pacific Basin Shipping, Bocimar, Zodiac Maritime, Louis Dreyfus/Cetragpa, Cobelfret and Torvald Klaveness.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  If you're reading this, then odds are you already know shipping stocks like Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX), Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB), and Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (NYSE:NMM) are all up big-time today, and up nicely for the week, for that matter. SB is up 11% for the day, NMM is up 6% for the week, while DSX is higher by 8% for the session, snapping a surprisingly-long weak streak.

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: SEACOR Holdings Inc (CKH)

SEACOR Holdings Inc, incorporated on November 7, 1989, is a global provider of equipment and services primarily supporting the offshore oil and gas and marine transportation industries. The Company offers customers a diversified suite of services, including offshore marine, aviation, inland river, marine transportation, crisis and emergency management preparedness and response solutions, commodity trading and logistics and offshore and harbor towing. On March 19, 2012, J.F. Lehman & Company acquired National Response Corporation and its affiliated businesses NRC Environmental Services, SEACOR Response, and SEACOR Environmental Products (collectively NRC) from the Company. In January 2013, the Company sold its energy trading division, SEACOR Energy Inc. to Par Petroleum Corporation. On January 31, 2013, it completed the spin off its Era Group Inc unit (Era).

Offshore Marine Services

The Company�� Marine operates a diversified fleet of vessels, servicing the offshore oil and gas exploration, development, and production industry worldwide.The Company�� marine provides its customers with the assembly of offshore vessel services in the global offshore oil and gas industry, including transport of personnel, platform supply, offshore accommodation, intervention, maintenance and repair support, standby safety services, anchor handling and mooring services, wind farm support, lift boat services, offshore construction support, well enhancement support, and lightering services.

Aviation Services

The Company�� aviation services subsidiary, Era Group (Era), is the helicopter operators globally. ra supports the oil and gas industry in the United States Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and internationally. Era provides air medical services, firefighting support, flightseeing tours in Alaska, and Search and Rescue and Emergency Medical Services. Era's affiliate, Era Training Center, offers flight training services. Era also markets and distributes specialty helicopter! equipment and accessories.

Inland River Services

The Company�� Inland River Services group owns and operates modern river transportation equipment; owns covered and open hopper barges, 10,000 and 30,000 barrel tank barges, deck barges, inland river towboats and smaller harbor boats; and provides ancillary services along the United States Inland River Waterways and the Parana-Paraguay and the Magdalena River Systems in South America. SCF Marine operates a fleet of hopper barges along the United States Inland River Waterways and South America, transporting agricultural, industrial, and project cargoes. The liquid division, Supercritical Fluid (SCF) Liquids, is a integrated towboat and tank barge company, specializing in the transportation of chemical, clean, and dirty products. Gateway Terminals is among the newest ethanol and petroleum storage terminals on the Mississippi River, with a capacity of 400,000 barrels and the ability to receive and transfer products by barge, unit train, and truck.

Marine Transportation Services

The Company�� ocean shipping and harbor towing subsidiary, SEACOR Ocean Transport, is an owner and operator of equipment engaged in oil transportation, bunkering, harbor towing, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal support, short sea shipping and logistics, and third-party ship management services. Through all aspects of its operations, SEACOR Ocean Transport focuses to provide its customers with marine transportation solutions.

Commodity Trading and Logistics

The Company�� Commodity Trading and Logistics group specializes in the purchase, storage, transportation, and sale of agricultural and energy commodities, which include renewable fuels, blendstocks, sugar, rice, and salt. The Agricultural group is primarily focused on the global sourcing and logistics of sugar, rice, salt, and other dry bulk products. The Energy group is primarily focused on the domestic trading and transportation of physical e! thanol an! d clean blendstocks.

Harbor and Offshore Towing Services

The Company�� ocean shipping and harbor towing subsidiary, SEACOR Ocean Transport, is an operator of equipment engaged in oil transportation, bunkering, harbor towing, LNG terminal support, short sea shipping and logistics, and third-party ship management services. The harbor towing services group, Seabulk Towing, is a tugboat operator with operations along the Gulf Coast and Southeastern seaboard port system from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to Port Arthur, Texas. Seabulk Island Transport owns and operates four ocean tugs and five ocean liquid tank barges.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Traders Reserve]

  For investors who want a piece of this developing trend, Transocean and Seadrill are two of the bigger players in this arena. Other offshore drillers/rig operators are Noble (NE) and Ensco (ESV). Companies that provide services to offshore drillers and benefit from increases in exploration and drilling activity are Gulfmark Offshore (GLF), Hornbeck (HOS), Seacor (CKH) and Tidewater (TDW).

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Seacor Holdings (NYSE: CKH  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Seacor Holdings's competitive position could be.

Best Transportation Companies For 2015: KNOT Offshore Partners LP (KNOP)

KNOT Offshore Partners LP, incorporated on February 21, 2013, is a limited partnership formed to own, operate and acquire shuttle tankers under long-term charters. Its initial fleet of shuttle tankers contribute to the Company by Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (KNOT), which is jointly owned by TS Shipping Invest AS, (TSSI), and Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK). NYK is a Japanese public company with a fleet of approximately 800 vessels, including bulk carriers, containerships, tankers and specialized vessels. The Company is a holding entity and is conduct its operations and business through subsidiaries KNOT is an independent owner of crude oil shuttle tankers. Its general partner is KNOT Offshore Partners GP LLC. In August 2013, KNOT Offshore Partners LP's wholly owned subsidiary KNOT Shuttle Tankers AS completed its acquisition of all interests in Knutsen Shuttle Tanker 13 AS that owns and operates the Carmen Knutsen from KNOT Offshore Tankers AS.

The Company's initial fleet consists of four shuttle tankers, which are vessels designed to transport crude oil and condensates from offshore oil field installations to onshore terminals and refineries. The shuttle tankers include , Fortaleza Knutsen, Recife Knutsen, Bodil Knutsen and Windsor Knutsen. Its shuttle tankers are equipped with loading systems and dynamic positioning systems that allow the vessels to load cargo safely and reliably from oil field installations, even in harsh weather conditions.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  But this too is starting to shift. If you look at the most-recent IPOs on the New York Stock Exchange, you'll find many corners of the energy industry represented:

  Tallgrass Energy Partners�-- Natural gas midstream, debuted May 14 KNOT Offshore Partners (NYSE: KNOP  ) -- Shuttle tankers, debuted April 10 SunCoke Energy Partners (NYSE: SXCP  ) -- Coal/coke making, debuted Jan. 18 CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR  ) -- Mid-continent refining, debuted Jan. 17

  There have also been a few MLP-related funds to hit the market this year, including Global X Junior MLP ETF�and Neuberger Berman MLP Income Fund.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  KNOT Offshore Partners (NYSE: KNOP) is organized and headquartered outside the US. Although organized as a partnership, it has elected to be taxed as a corporation in the US and furnishes 1099s rather than K-1s.