Realtors forecast flat sales, rising prices

SAN FRANCISCO — Home sales will hold steady next year, but prices will continue to rise due to a low supply of homes for sale, the National Association of Realtors predicts.

Flattening home sales will mark a sharp reversal from the past two years in which existing home sales increased from the year before.

But the lack of income growth, higher home prices and rising interest rates will weigh on sales, says Lawrence Yun, the trade group's chief economist, speaking at the NAR annual conference here Friday.

Median home prices, currently about $200,000 for the U.S., will rise 6% next year after an 11% gain this year, Yun says.

The existing home inventory is now near a 13-year low.

"The inventory shortage will not go away," Yun says, noting that new home construction is still far from historic levels.

While rising home prices will entice more people to sell homes, many of those people will also buy homes, Yun says. New home construction is what's needed to expand inventories.

Markets with stronger job growth will do better next year that those without. Some of the best-performing housing markets next year will likely include Salt Lake City, Houston, Denver, Seattle, Tampa and Atlanta, Yun says.

Coastal California markets are likely to continue to experience inventory shortages given good job growth in many of those markets and little new home building.

Home sales could get a boost next year if lenders loosen home loan-lending standards. That would expand the pool of potential home buyers.

Lenders may do that given a dropoff in refinance demand. Refinance volume will fall next year to a 15-year low, Yun says. That's largely because interest rates have been below 6% for five years and there are not many people with mortgages left to refinance.

By the end of 2014, NAR forecasts the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will hit 5.4%. Rates will rise as the Federal Reserve pulls back on the stimulus measures it has used since 2008 to keep rates low! and stimulate the economy.

Zillow's panel of 108 economists and real estate experts also predicts slowing home price appreciation ahead.

They predict that home values will end 2013 up 6.7% over last year and rise 4.3% next year, eventually falling to 3.4% by 2018.

At that pace, home values could exceed their May 2007 peak by the first quarter of 2018, Zillow's data show.

As home prices rise, more home sellers typically appear. In this housing market, there's been a "big disconnect," from that trend, says John Krainer, economic researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

While home prices have risen rapidly the past year, inventories haven't followed suit. Many homeowners, who may still owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, are likely waiting to be rescued by further appreciation in home prices, Krainer says.

Ford boosts CEO pay 11% to $23.2 million

Ford CEO Alan Mulally is credited with turning the company around.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) After posting a strong year, Ford rewarded its CEO Alan Mulally with a pay raise of 11%.

Mulally was paid $23.2 million in 2013, up from about $21 million the previous year, Ford (F, Fortune 500) said in a regulatory filing.

For 2013, the automaker's earnings rose 26% to $7.2 billion. The company also shared its strong performance with its hourly factory workers with a record profit-sharing bonus of about $8,800 each.

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Mulally became Ford's CEO in 2006 and is credited with turning the automaker around, allowing it to avoid the bankruptcy and federal bailout that rivals General Motors and Chrysler Group required during the recession.

Mulally is also highly regarded in the corporate world and rumors circulated earlier this year that he would be tapped by Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) to replace retiring CEO Steve Balmer. But Mulally put those rumors to bed in January and said he would stay with Ford at least through 2014.

Ford is paying Mulally more than what GM (GM, Fortune 500) paid former CEO Dan Akerson in 2013. Akerson retired in January and was replaced by Mary Barra, whose pay package totals $14.4 million.

Mulally's base salary remains the same at $2 million. His raise comes from a bigger bonus and increase in stock awards.

Mexican Restaurants Squeezed by Surging Lime Prices

10 Best Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now

Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images SAN ANTONIO -- Mexican restaurants in the United States are being squeezed by a sudden jump in the price of limes, an essential ingredient, which has led managers in places like San Antonio that are a hotbed for the cuisine to alter recipes. "Mexico received some heavy rains that destroyed a large amount of the lime crop, so with limited supplies we are seeing lime prices skyrocket," Bryan Black, director of communications for the Texas Department of Agriculture, said on Thursday. Texas like most U.S. states receives most of their limes form Mexico. John Berry, who runs La Fonda, a prominent Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, said Thursday the price he pays for a case of limes has jumped to nearly $100 from $14 last year. "Real simple," Berry said. "We don't buy them. We substitute lemons." Limes are used in guacamole and to garnish beers. Serving a margarita without a lime garnish is burning at the heart of Louis Barrios, who runs the family-owned Mexican restaurant chain "Los Barrios." But he's doing without. "Ninety nine percent of the time, people don't squeeze it into the margarita anyway," Barrios says. A combination of factors has prompted the spike in lime prices. Most limes consumed in the United States come from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Colima, and Guerrero, which have been hit by an unusual combination of cold weather and flooding, wholesalers said. Shipments have also been disrupted by violence attributed to drug gangs, they said. The high prices aren't expected to end any time soon, according to wholesalers. Pre-made soups can contain a large number of ingredients containing GMOs. For instance, Campbell's (CPB) popular condensed Tomato Soup lists high fructose corn syrup as its second biggest ingredient. According to the Non-GMO Project, nearly 88 percent of all corn planted in the United States is GMO.

Another Convertible Appeal To Mark Zuckerberg

Dear Mark,

I tried a couple of weeks ago to get you to issue the biggest convertible bond ever to help you buy companies. My editors got a little upset when I jokingly suggested you buy my new company at the kind of valuation you're paying for hot new technologies, many of which are in no foreseeable danger of making money.  They said it distracted too much from the point of the article, which was that Facebook should be the company to do a landmark convertible.

So I wrote another piece talking about how you and Ken Griffin, both Harvard guys, should get together and talk about how Facebook should do the biggest convertible bond ever. Ken, after all, became a billionaire through his convertible prowess. You might say he's the Mark Zuckerberg of convertibles. Or you're the Ken Griffin of the Internet. Or something.

Here's the thing, Mark: it's clear that you're going to be doing a lot more shopping. And there are really only two things you can use for currency: cash and Facebook stock.  You used both of them, mostly your stock, to pay for your newest acquisition, Oculus.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, during his European Tour. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I'm sure I don't need to explain to you, Mark, that the cost of using cash for a deal is the opportunity you have to give up, the other thing you could have bought instead. Clearly this is less of a problem for you and Facebook than it is for most of us. But even you guys have to make decisions.  Even you guys don't have infinite resources—of cash, stock, time or anything else. I think that's what the stock market is trying to tell you today. And even though you may not care, let's make no mistake: you do run a public company, and that makes you responsible to your shareholders.  That doesn't mean you have to worry every time your stock bobs and weaves, but it also doesn't mean you can ignore the people who are, in a real sense, your bosses now.

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So let's look at another way you might have paid for Oculus. Let's say you issued a $2 billion convertible bond. I'd be willing to bet you could get terms as good as anyone—these days, they seem to max out at a 0% coupon and a 50% conversion premium for a five-year bond. Based on yesterday's close, that 50% premium would have gotten you to $97.33. Darn, so close to $100. But you know what, Mark? I bet you could have gotten a $100 conversion price yesterday.  Because your stock is volatile, and your company is so well known and (presumably) creditworthy, the convertible market would treat you like, well, like Mark Zuckerberg.

So let's say you did that. You raised the $2 billion to pay for Oculus with a 0% coupon with a $100 conversion price. That means that you would have done one of two things—you would have either gotten a five-year free ride on the cash, or (if Facebook stock does well) you would have effectively have paid for Oculus with $100 shares instead of $65 ones. Put another way, instead of having to pay with three shares, you could have bought the company for two.  And if you just went out and borrowed the $2 billion, well, I'm sure you could get nice terms—but I'm even surer the money wouldn't be free.

Why do I keep bugging you about convertibles, Mark? Well, maybe a little bit of it is for old times' sake, when I think back to the times I would tell your father about the convertible market during the pauses while he was jamming metal instruments into my mouth and telling me I needed to floss better.

(Actually, that was usually his assistant). But that's not the real reason. The real reason is that I'm kind of a modern-day yenta, Mark. I like to connect people with one another, and I also like connecting companies and markets that need each other. The convertible market needs new issues, and it's more than happy to lend money on terms I think you'd really like, to make it easier for you to buy the technologies of the future.  If you don't believe me, Mark, keep reading this space: in the days to come I will tell you about some convertibles whose prices show just how hungry investors are for paper.

One last note, Mark: As I mentioned the other day, if Apple Apple hadn't issued a convertible back in 1996, Steve Jobs might not have gotten the chance to do his second act.

 

The last five years: Quite a ride, but did you stay in it?

On March 9, 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 6,547.05, which was, at the time, its lowest close in 12 years. That night, like many nights back in the height of the crisis, people went home wondering: How much lower it could go?

As it turned out, that was the bottom, and if you had bought that day, you probably did very well. Here we are five years later and the Dow is over 16,000, which would have been unthinkable on that March day back in 2009.

That five-year ride has been bumpy both in the U.S. and abroad. Nearly everyone has been touched by the crisis in some way. The unemployment rate in the U.S. reached 10.2% in October 2009 and the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury Note reached all-time low close of 1.43% in July 2012. Through unprecedented intervention from the

One Year's Enough

Top 5 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014

Given the likelihood of major supply and delivery problems that this company may face this year, MoneyShow's Jim Jubak has decided to sell his position, nearly a year since he first purchased shares.

I'm going to sell ENI S.p.A. (E) out of my Dividend Income portfolio today. The dividend portfolio is too energy-heavy for my liking at the moment, given that I think oil prices are likely to be flat to lower in 2014, and given the likelihood of major supply and delivery disruptions this year. ENI—with its exposure to supply problems in Libya, Nigeria, Mozambique, and former (so far at least) Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, and its exposure on the demand side to the less-than-robustly growing Italian economy—currently offers an unattractive mixture of risk and reward.

When I bought ENI just about a year ago (March 25, 2013) for the portfolio, it traded at $46.04. It closed last week at $48.31, after getting some benefit from the "Ukrainian-sanctions-weren't-as-bad-as-expected" bounce. (ENI closed up 1.32% yesterday, on March 17.) I don't see the ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) moving significantly higher than yesterday's price over the next year and there's a good chance that supply disruptions, continued slow growth in Italy, and a modest decline in oil prices could take the ADRs lower.

Last year, the ADRs, which pay dividends twice a year in December and May, paid a yield of 4.9%. That's attractive—and since the Italian government still owns 30% of the company, there's little chance that the company will cut dividends—unless the stock falls in price.

Since my March 25, 2013 purchase, this position shows capital appreciation of 4.03% (as of the close on March 17) and dividends of 4.9%, for a total return of 9% in a few days less than a year.

Full disclosure: I don't own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this post in my personal portfolio. When in 2010 I started the mutual fund I manage, Jubak Global Equity Fund, I liquidated all my individual stock holdings and put the money into the fund. The fund may or may not now own positions in any stock mentioned in this post. The fund did not own shares of ENI as of the end of December. For a full list of the stocks in the fund see the fund's portfolio here.

Why There Should Be A Starbucks In Every Local Library

Let me be clear from the beginning. I like my local local library. I have spent a great deal of time there, reading newspapers and journals. I have used my library card to check out books, and movie and music CDs.

Lately, however, I use my Starbucks Starbucks card more than my library card. And I spend more time in the local Starbucks reading than in the local library.

The reason? Starbucks offers a more pleasant and less restrictive environment than my library.

At Starbucks I can use my laptop to browse over newspapers and journals, enjoy a cup of coffee under the sounds of new age music and use my mobile phone. I can chat with other patrons. I can download my favorite e-books.

And judging from the popularity of Starbucks, I'll probably have plenty of company.

English: Starbucks at West Coast Plaza, Singapore (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Increasingly, the local Starbucks looks more like the local library. The only thing missing is the book stacks, the strict rules of conduct, and the tax bill.

Some local libraries have taken notice, trying to create a less restrictive environment, turning more in the direction of becoming "information centers of the future" rather than "hushed sanctuaries of the past," according to Katharine Q. Seelye of New York Times.

"Many libraries have become bustling community centers where talking out loud and even eating are perfectly acceptable," writes Seelye in a recent piece. "Along with their new offerings, libraries are presenting a dramatically more open face to the outside world, using lots of glass, providing comfortable seating, as much for collaborative work as solitary pursuits, and allowing food and drink."

Still, local libraries have long way to go before they can compete with Starbucks.

But why compete? Why not partner?

Simply put, Starbucks and local libraries supplement each other nicely—they are both "third places" with different rules of conduct, catering to different community segments. That's a good reason to have a Starbucks store in every library.

With digitalization turning traditional books into collectors' items, it's about time for libraries to develop a new business model, utilizing their resources more efficiently and effectively, making less space for book stacks and solitary rooms for traditional readers and more space for Starbucks-style space for the modern reader.

Moreover, they could use revenues from renting space to Starbucks to enhance community services or give a break to taxpayers! That's another good reason to have a Starbucks in every local library.

Inflation Trend and the Weather

With current food prices rising and the possibility of the return of El Nino looming, MoneyShow's Jim Jubak weighs the possible repercussions, and who's likely to feel the impact the worst.

Food commodity prices are soaring. The Federal Reserve may not care since the core inflation number it watches takes food and energy prices out of the calculation. But commodity traders do. And so does your wallet, I'll bet.

Ahead of today's meeting of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate-setting Open Market Committee, the Bureau of Labor Statistics yesterday, March 18, reported a miniscule 0.1% increase in the core inflation rate in February. On an annual basis, core inflation is up just 1.6%. That's well short of the Fed's 2.5% target. The very low rate of inflation is one more reason to think that the Fed will hold its course at today's meeting with another $10 billion reduction in what was once a program to buy $85 billion a month in Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities and a pledge to keep short-term rates at their current low 0%-0.25% range deep into 2015.

But for those of us who live in the real world—as opposed to the Fed's world, where energy and food prices don't count in calculating inflation—the inflation trend is a little ominous. Food prices climbed 0.5% in February, the fastest monthly increase since September 2011. Prices for meat, poultry, eggs, and fish climbed 1.2% in the month.

The price increases don't stop with those food items. Coffee prices are up 70% thanks to unseasonably dry weather in Brazil. An epidemic of pig virus has sent pork prices up 40%. Wheat is up on the crisis in the Ukraine and on extreme cold in the United States. Dairy prices are up on rising demand from China.

And current weather may not be the end of the problem. Last week, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology became the third major national weather forecaster to issue an alert for El Nino. This cyclical weather pattern results from a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific that triggers drought and floods in areas that can include the wheat growing regions of Australia, Canada, the United States, India, and Argentina. El Nino last developed in 2009 and the last strong pattern—in 1997-1998—caused billions of damage to US crops. A strong El Nino pattern could produce drought in 2015 that would drive down production of cocoa and palm oil in West Africa, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and reduce harvests of wheat, sugar, cotton, and rubber.

It's too early to be certain that the El Nino pattern will arrive this year and next or that it will be strong enough to have a major effect on the prices of food commodities.

But the current increases in food commodity prices have been enough to push net long positions among commodity traders to the highest level in four and a half years.

If those traders are right, and food commodity prices are headed much higher, it would be bad news for consumers and for consumer companies such as McDonald's (MCD) and PepsiCo (PEP) that have to pay higher prices.

And it would be good news for food commodity producers such as the Fonterra Dairy Cooperative Group ((AU:FSF) (NZ:FSF) in Sydney and Auckland, respectively), and for companies, such as Deere (DE), that sell equipment to farmers.

Full disclosure: I don't own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this post in my personal portfolio. When in 2010 I started the mutual fund I manage, Jubak Global Equity Fund, I liquidated all my individual stock holdings and put the money into the fund. The fund may or may not now own positions in any stock mentioned in this post. The fund did own shares of Fonterra as of the end of December. For a full list of the stocks in the fund see the fund's portfolio here.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Abbott Laboratories(ABT)

Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of health care products worldwide. The company offers adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease; dyslipidemia; HIV infection; prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and anemia caused by uterine fibroids; respiratory syncytial virus; adult males who have low or no testosterone; secondary hyperparathyroidism; hypothyroidism; and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, as well as anesthesia products. It also provides diagnostic products, such as immunoassay systems; chemistry systems; assays used for screening and/or diagnosis for drugs of abuse, cancer, therapeutic drug monitoring, fertility, physiological, and infectious diseases; instruments that automate the extraction, purification, and preparation of DNA and RNA from patient samples, and detect and measure infections agents; genomic-b ased tests; hematology systems and reagents; and point-of-care diagnostic systems and tests for blood analysis. In addition, the company offers a line of pediatric and adult nutritional products. Further, it provides coronary, endovascular, vessel closure, and structural heart devices, such as drug-eluting stent systems, coronary metallic stents, balloon dilatation products, coronary guidewires, vessel closure devices, carotid stent systems, percutaneous valve repair systems, and drug eluting bioresorbable vascular products. Additionally, the company provides blood glucose monitoring meters, test strips, data management software, and accessories for people with diabetes; and medical devices for the eye, including cataract surgery, lasik surgery, contact lens, and dry eye products, as well as branded generic pharmaceutical products. Abbott primarily serves retai! lers, wholesalers, hospitals, and health care facilities. Abbott was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  Fourth quarter earnings and guidance for 2014, announced on January 22, make it clear that Abbott Laboratories (ABT) is a second half story for 2014.

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  And it's not just because you were able to cash in on our recommendation of Abbott Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: ABT), whose subsequent breakup into two companies has so far resulted in gains of 27% and 47%.

• [By J. Royden Ward]

  Founded in 1888, Abbott Laboratories (ABT) is the leading provider of blood screening products used to detect pregnancy, heart disease, prostate cancer, hepatitis, HIV, sports doping, and other medical conditions.

• [By Kelley Wright]

  Abbott Laboratories (ABT) is a well-established, global health care company with an S&P "A" Quality Ranking. Fiscal year free operating cash flow is three times its dividend, which is no surprise for this long-time Dividend Aristocrat. A solid anchor position for any portfolio.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-dividend-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Top China Companies To Own For 2014

Top China Companies To Own For 2014: Mindray Medical International Limited (MR)

Mindray Medical International Limited, through its subsidiary, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices worldwide. It operates in three segments: Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products, In-Vitro Diagnostic Products, and Medical Imaging Systems. The Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products segment offers patient monitoring devices that track the physiological parameters of patients, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and temperature. This segment?s patient monitoring devices are suitable for adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients and are used principally in hospital intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency rooms. This segment provides single and multiple-parameter monitors, mobile and portable multifunction monitors, central stations that could collect and display multiple patient data on a single screen, and an electro-cardiogram monitoring device; veterinary monitoring devi ces; and anesthesia machines, as well as defibrillators, surgical beds, and surgical lights. The In-Vitro Diagnostic Products segment offers data and analysis on blood, urine, and other bodily fluid samples for clinical diagnosis and treatment. This segment also provides semi-automated and fully-automated in-vitro diagnostic products for laboratories, clinics, and hospitals. In addition, this segment offers hematology analyzers and biochemistry analyzers, and reagents. The Medical Imaging Systems segment provides ultrasound systems, which are employed in medical fields consisting of urology, gynecology, obstetrics, and cardiology; digital radiography systems; and a magnetic resonance imaging system. The company serves distributors, original design manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and hospitals and government agencies. Mindray Medical Internation! al Limited was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  China is set to ease the one child policy, something that could benefit Chinese stocks in general but be especially beneficial to insurance stocks like China Life Insurance Company Ltd (NYSE: LFC) and CNinsure Inc (NASDAQ: CISG) plus health care stocks like Mindray Medical International Ltd (NYSE: MR) and Concord Medical Services Hldg Ltd (NYSE: CCM). First, let's be clear that China is NOT abolishing the one child policy as the changes will merely allow married couples to have two children if one spouse is an only child plus it will be up to China's 34 province-level administrations to revise their laws and put the new policy into effect. Moreover, China's family-planning bureaucracy employs more than 500,000 full-time workers and six million part-time workers all the way down to the village level to collect billions of dollars in fines and these bureaucrats have fought for years against policy changes – meaning they could throw up roadblocks if not placated. With that said, the insurance and health care sectors are two sectors with publicly Chinese stocks that look set to take advantage of the coming changes.

• [By Keith Speights]

  It's easy to place too much attention on the immediate negatives and too little attention on the bigger positives. I made this mistake in 2011 after buying shares in Mindray Medical (NYSE: MR  ) . I ended up selling my shares for a loss when the stock fell due to weaker-than-expected demand for its medical devices in Europe and the U.S.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Medical device manufacturer Mindray Medical (NYSE: MR  ) announced this morning that it has appointed a co-CEO for the company.

  Cheng Minghe, who currently serves as the company's chief strategic officer -- a position he will maintain -- will join company President�! �Li Xitin! g in leading the device maker.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-china-companies-to-own-for-2014.html

What's working, and what's not, in market

NEW YORK Heading into today the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index was up just 0.6%, but the ho-hum gain masks what's really working (and not working) in the U.S. stock market in 2014.

The winners and losers so far this year might be a surprise to many investors.

Bespoke Investment Group provides a quick analysis of what types of stocks are soaring and which are bombing out. The analysis of the S&P 500, through yesterday's close, breaks down the 500 stocks in the benchmark index into deciles of 10 groups of 50 stocks. (For example, price-to-earnings ratios of stocks ranked from largest to smallest P-Es.)

WINNERS:

1. High P-E stocks. Despite rising angst and a market weighed down by geopolitical risks like the Ukraine crisis, fears of a hard landing in China and talk of a market top in the U.S., the best performance came from stocks with the highest (yes, the highest!) P-E ratios, or those typically deemed more risky.

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The 50 stocks with the most pricey P-Es rose 7.24%. In contrast, the decile with the lowest P-Es fell 0.04%.

"Stocks with the worst valuations are doing well this year," says Bespoke co-founder Paul Hickey.

2. Stocks that pay no dividends. Oddly, despite the market turbulence, the decile of stocks in the benchmark stock index that do not pay out any of their earnings to investors in the form of cash dividends posted a solid gain of 6.91%.

3. U.S.-centric stocks. Given all the turbulence this year in global markets, ranging from the early-year emerging market crisis to the more recent geopolitical situation in Ukraine, the 50 stocks in the S&P 500 "that get no revenues outside the U.S." have jumped 3.47%, vs. a gain of just 0.95% for the 50 companies that get the most revenue from abroad.

"This makes sense," says Hickey, "given that all of the worry recently has b! een about global, non-U.S. issues."

LOSERS:

1. Large-cap stocks. The 50 stocks with the largest market values in the S&P 500 declined 0.8%, and were the only one of the 10 deciles in the market-cap category to post a year-to-date loss.

2. Analysts' least-favorite picks. The 50 stocks Wall Street analysts liked the least performed the worst of any of the categories tracked by Bespoke, falling 1.41%.

"So far analysts are on a roll this year," says Hickey.

3. Low P-E stocks. The stocks deemed the least-pricey fared poorly, dipping 0.04%.

The other major trend: the stocks that did the best last year are also topping the performance charts again in 2014. The 50 best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 last year are up 6.85% this year, vs. a gain of just 1.52% for last year's worst-performing decile of stocks.

So there you have it. In a risk-off year, risk-on stocks are leading the way.

Hot Insurance Stocks To Buy For 2014

Hot Insurance Stocks To Buy For 2014: Mapfre SA (MAP)

Mapfre SA is a Spain-based holding company active in the insurance industry. It provides insurance services to businesses, professionals and individuals. The range of the Company's products and services includes insurance policies of direct life, property and casualty, health, automotive and third party liability, among others. In addition, Mapfre SA is active in the management of pension funds, retirement plans and investment funds, as well as the provision of healthcare services in Spain. The Company is a parent of Grupo Mapfre, which comprises a number of entities active in the insurance, reinsurance, financial and real estate sectors with operations established worldwide. The Company operates such subsidiaries as Mapfre Familiar, Mapfre Vida, Mapfre Emperesas, MSG Portugal, Mapfre America, Mapfre Internatcional, Mapfre Re, Mapfre Global Risks and Mapfre Asistencia, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ruth David]

  Bankia, a Valencia-based bank that took state aid, did the third-biggest placing last quarter, when it dumped a 979 million-euro stake in Mapfre (MAP), Spain's largest insurer. Bankia said the sale was a step in implementing its parent company's strategy for the three years through 2015.

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Mapfre SA (MAP) slid 3.1 percent to 2.67 euros. Bankia SA sold a 12 percent stake, or 369.6 million shares, in Spain's biggest insurer.

  Centrica Slides

  Centrica Plc (CNA), the largest energy supplier to U.K. homes, lost 2.3 percent to 366.9 pence. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded the shares to neutral from overweight, citing proposals from Britain's Labour Party to freeze energy bills and break up the country's six biggest power suppliers.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-insuran! ce-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Best Insurance Stocks To Buy Right Now

Best Insurance Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cincinnati Financial Corporation(CINF)

Cincinnati Financial Corporation engages in the property casualty insurance business in the United States. Its Commercial Lines Property Casualty Insurance segment provides coverage for commercial casualty, commercial property, commercial auto, and workers? compensation. It also offers specialty packages, including coverages for property, liability, and business interruption for specific industry classes, such as artisan contractors, dentists, or street businesses. In addition, this segment provides contract and commercial surety bonds, fidelity bonds, and director and officer liability insurance, as well as machinery and equipment coverage. The company?s Personal Lines Property Casualty Insurance segment offers coverage for personal auto and homeowners, as well as other insurance products, such as dwelling fire, inland marine, personal umbrella liability, and watercraft coverages to individuals. Cincinnati Financial?s Excess and Surplus Lines Property Casualty Insurance s egment offers commercial casualty insurance that covers businesses for third-party liability from accidents occurring on their premises or arising out of their operations, including products and completed operations; and commercial property insurance, which insures loss or damage to buildings, inventory, equipment, and business income from causes of loss, such as fire, wind, hail, water, theft, and vandalism. The company?s Life Insurance segment provides term insurance; universal life insurance; whole life insurance; and worksite products, which include term, whole life, universal life, and disability insurance offered to employees through their employer. This segment also markets disability income insurance, deferred annuities, and immediate annuities. Its Investment segment invests in fixed-maturity investments, equity investments, and short-term investment! s. Cincinnati also offers commercial leasing and financing services. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquart e red in Fairfield, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis: Company Description: Cincinnati Financial Corp. is an insurance holding company that primarily markets property and casualty coverage. It also conducts life insurance and asset management operations.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  According to a Gabelli Funds report, managed distribution policies offer several advantages, including:1. Lower difference between the fund's market price and its NAV per share.2. Provides support during periods when the stock market is in a decline.3. Provides a measurable performance target for the investment adviser.Below are several high-yield funds from CEFA that have a managed distribution policy (yields as of December 16):Aberdeen Australia Eqty (IAF)- Distribution Yield: 10.4%- Income Yield: 346%Bexil Advisers LLC  (DNI)- Distribution Yield: 11.1%- Income Yield: 3.56%BlackRock En Capital&Inc (CII)- Distribution Yield: 8.78%- Income Yield: 2.34%Cornerstone Strat Value (CLM)- Distribution Yield: 18.77%- Income Yield: 1.83%Cornerstone Total Return (CRF)- Distribution Yield: 19.10%- Income Yield: 0.85%Delaware Inv Div & Inc (DDF)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 5.26%Gabelli Equity Trust (GAB)- Distribution Yield: 7.58%- Income Yield: 1.54%Gabelli Utility Trust (GUT)- Distribution Yield: 9.45%- Income Yield: 2.84%MFS Special Value Trust (MFV)- Distribution Yield: 9.60%- Income Yield: 5.73%Nuveen Tx-Adv TR Strat (JTA)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 3.12%TCW Strategic Income (TSI)- Distribution Yield: 10.54%- Income Yield: 7.88%Zweig Total Return (ZTR)- Distribution Yield: 7.27%- Income Yield: 1.95%As noted in the Gabelli report, a managed distribution policy may create ! confusion! regarding the true current yield since the reported yield includes the return of capital portion. You can see the disparity above between the income yield and the distribution (reported) yield.If you are looking for a sustainable and growing dividend, you may want to consider some blue-chip dividend stocks such as these with a Free Cash Flow Payout less than 50%, 50+ years of consecutive dividend increases and a 2%+ yield:3M Co. (MMM) is a diversified global company provides enhanced product functionality in electronics, health care, industrial, consumer

• [By Charles Carlson]

  If you are new to DRIP investing, treat yourself to a few DRIPs this holiday season. Trust me—It'll change your life.

  American Water Works (AWK)—yielding 2.7% with a DRIP minimum of $100
  
  Cincinnati Financial (CINF)—yielding 3.2% with a DRIP minimum of $25
  
  CVS Caremark (CVS)—yielding 1.4% with a DRIP minimum of $100
  
  Dominion Resources (D)—yielding 3.4% with a DRIP minimum of $40
  
  Domino's Pizza (DPZ)—yielding 1.2% with a DRIP minimum of $65
  
  Eaton (ETN)—yielding 2.3% with a DRIP minimum of $100
  
  Flowserve (FLS)—yielding 0.8% with a DRIP minimum of $100
  
  Kellogg (K)—yielding 3.0% with a DRIP minimum of $50
  
  New Jersey Resources (NJR)—yielding 3.7% with a DRIP minimum of $100
  
  Quest Diagnostics (DGX)—yielding 2.0% with a DRIP minimum of $100
  
  Tim Hortons (THI)—yielding 1.7% with a DRIP minimum of $25
  
  

  Subscribe to Dow Theory Forecasts here…

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-insurance-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html

Best Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2014

Best Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2014: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited(CNR)

China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the development and operation of agricultural logistics and trade centers in northeast China. It also involves in purchasing, processing, assembling, merchandising, and distributing pearls and jewelry products. The company markets its pearls and jewelry products to wholesale distributors and mass merchandisers in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia. In addition, it develops, sells, and leases residential and commercial properties in Hong Kong and the People?s Republic of China. The company is based in Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Katie Brennan]

  Canadian National Railway Co. (CNR) added 0.9 percent to C$104.93 and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. rose 1.7 percent to C$131.73.

  Niko Resources surged 3.4 percent to $8.64 after the company entered an agreement for a $60 million loan that will be funded by a group of institutional investors. Net proceeds from the loan will be used to fund working capital requirements.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-small-cap-stocks-to-invest-in-2014.html

Hot Canadian Stocks For 2014

Hot Canadian Stocks For 2014: ConocoPhillips(COP)

ConocoPhillips operates as an integrated energy company worldwide. The company?s Exploration and Production (E&P) segment explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and natural gas liquids. Its Midstream segment gathers, processes, and markets natural gas; and fractionates and markets natural gas liquids in the United States and Trinidad. The company?s Refining and Marketing (R&M) segment purchases, refines, markets, and transports crude oil and petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels. Its Chemicals segment manufactures and markets petrochemicals and plastics. This segment offers olefins and polyolefins, including ethylene, propylene, and other olefin products; aromatics products, such as benzene, styrene, paraxylene, and cyclohexane, as well as polystyrene and styrene-butadiene copolymers; and various specialty chemical products comprising organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalyst s, drilling chemicals, mining chemicals, and engineering plastics and compounds. The company?s Emerging Businesses segment develops new technologies and businesses. It focuses on power generation; and technologies related to conventional and nonconventional hydrocarbon recovery, refining, alternative energy, biofuels, and the environment. This segment also offers E-Gas, a gasification technology producing high-value synthetic gas. ConocoPhillips was founded in 1917 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  ExxonMobil’s shares have dropped 11.1% so far this year, after reporting disappointing earnings and declining production. It’s also underperformed both ConocoPhillips (COP), which has fallen 8.5% this year,  and Chevron (CVX),which is off  10.7%, though neither have exactly sparkled this year either.

• [! By Fast Weekly]

  My apologies for all the Buffett quotes this afternoon, but I thought his dry and witty humor would be helpful.  So, going forward I'm continuing to watch and wait for additional good opportunities.  Unilever (UL), Chevron (CVX), Conoco Phillips (COP) and Target (TGT) all look like good candidates going forward.  A fair bit lower Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Proctor & Gamble (PG) and Pepsico (PEP), also look promising.

• [By Kelley Wright]

  ConocoPhillips (COP) is into the second phase of its multi-year makeover. Having disposed of over $12 billion in unwanted assets, the company is now focused on growth. By all measures, COP is well on its way to challenging the giants in the oil and gas industry.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-canadian-stocks-for-2014.html

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015

LAS VEGAS (AP) ��The family company that owns the Las Vegas Sun is launching a new free weekly called The Sunday.

The Sunday magazine is not intended to replace the Sun's daily print coverage of Las Vegas, according to Greenspun Media Group editor and publisher Brian Greenspun, but will instead complement it with smart reporting comparable to Time or Newsweek.

The magazine is expected to run between 64 and 72 pages, and be printed on newsprint with a glossy cover.

"We believe there is a large readership potential in Las Vegas that does not read the daily newspaper, so The Sunday will fill that need," he said.

The future of the Sun remains uncertain. Last summer, three of the four Greenspun siblings agreed to end a joint operating arrangement with Stephens Media, which owns the rival Las Vegas Review-Journal. Since 2005, the Sun has been delivered as a section within the Review-Journal. The two have separate reporting staffs in separate locations.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Endeavour International Corp (END)

Endeavour International Corporation (Endeavour), incorporated on January 13, 2000, is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, development and acquisition of energy reserves in the United States and United Kingdom. The Company has three producing fields in the United Kingdom, including Alba, Bacchus and Bittern, as well as a number of development projects including Rochelle and Columbus. In the United States, the Company has production in the Haynesville and Marcellus, as well as two oil frontier plays in Colorado and Montana. As of December 31, 2012, Endeavour had proved reserves of 71,591 million cubic feet (MMcf) of natural gas and 13,739 thousands of barrels (Mbbls) of crude oil for a combined 25.7 million barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE).

The North Sea is a resource area where it has a development project, producing properties and additional exploration licenses. During 2012, Alba production volumes were impacted by water handling issues. As of December 31, 2012, it held a 30% working interest in its Bacchus field asset, which is operated by Apache Corporation, who owns a 50% working interest. In April and July 2012, it achieved production from the first and second development wells, respectively, on the Bacchus field. The Company�� working interest in the Rochelle area is 44% and it is the operator of the field, which is comprised of Blocks 15/26b, 15/26c and 15/27. Its United States activity has targeted reserve and production growth in shale gas plays, including the Louisiana Haynesville and Pennsylvania Marcellus areas.

The Company is also targeting emerging oil-prone and liquids-rich plays, including the Montana Heath oil play and its new interests in the Colorado Niobrara area. The Company operates and controls the Marcellus assets while retaining a 50% position in its remaining producing Haynesville acreage. The Company has 19 Haynesville Units which held by production with an estimated over 80 remaining gross locations to be developed, dep! ending on development well spacing. The Company has interests in approximately 88,900 net acres in the emerging Heath Shale oil play in Montana, primarily in Rosebud and Garfield Counties.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Wednesday morning, the financial sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from SouFun Holdings (NYSE: SFUN) and E-House (China) Holdings (NYSE: EJ). In trading on Wednesday, energy shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.67 percent. Among the energy stocks, Endeavour International (NYSE: END)was down more than 22 percent, while TransGlobe Energy (NASDAQ: TGA) tumbled around 6 percent.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) is up 9.1% at $9.38 after posting a new 52-week high of $9.63 earlier today. Endeavour International Corp. (NYSE: END) is down 14.3% at $6.05 after failing to get any appreciable results from its strategic review. E-commerce China Dangdang Inc. (NYSE: DANG) is down 13.4% at $10.05 after issuing a warning on third-quarter earnings.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: PhotoMedex Inc.(PHMD)

PhotoMedex, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a skin health company in North America and internationally. It offers disease management and aesthetic solutions to dermatologists, professional aestheticians, and consumers. The company provides no!no! hair removal products; professional products, including capital equipment to physicians and skin care specialists; XTRAC laser products for the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo; NEOVA formulations for premature skin aging due to UV-induced DNA damage; Omnilux Light-emitting diode (LED) systems to treat wrinkles, acne, minor muscle pain, and pigmented lesions; Lumi�e light therapy equipment, a non-invasive skin care solution for use in non-medical applications primarily salons and spas; and topical lotions to improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin tone, and blemishes. It also provides home-use devices under the no!no! brand for various indications, including hair removal, acne treatment, and ski n rejuvenation; and a professional product line for acne clearance, skin tightening, psoriasis care, and hair removal to physician clinics and spas. In addition, the company engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of surgical products, including proprietary free-beam and Contact Laser Systems for surgery. Further, it sells surgical disposables and accessories to hospitals and surgery centers; and repairs, maintains, and provides replacement parts for the company?s products. The company is headquartered in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Seth Jayson]

  PhotoMedex (Nasdaq: PHMD  ) reported earnings on May 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

• [By Monica Gerson]

  PhotoMedex (NASDAQ: PHMD) shares dropped 12.09% to $11.27 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter results.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Skin-health company PhotoMedex Inc.(PHMD) issued a dour third-quarter report as it didn’t log any consumer sales to its Japanese distributor, which changed its business model and affected other companies besides PhotoMedex. Unless it generates revenue from Japan, the company’s current-quarter sales are poised to fall short of consensus views. Shares dropped 10% to $11.47 premarket.

Best Medical Stocks For 2015: Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH)

Beazer Homes USA, Inc. designs, builds, and sells single-family and multi-family homes. The company offers homes for entry-level, move-up, or retirement-oriented buyers. It also engages in rental of previously owned homes that are purchased and improved by the company. The company sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers. It operates in 16 states, including Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Homebuilders have seen their fortunes rise, too, particularly those playing either end of this particular boom. Luxury builder Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL  ) reported a sweet 46% increase in net income�from the first quarter of 2012, aided by an ability to tack on price increases averaging $26,000 per house�-- bringing the average price of a Toll house to a cool $577,000. Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) is playing the single-family rental end of things, via its Pre-Owned Homes Division, a two-year old venture it started with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (NYSE: KKR  ) .

• [By DAILYFINANCE]

  Stan Honda, AFP/Getty ImagesPassersby in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Christmas Eve. NEW YORK -- Stocks rose in a holiday-shortened trading day Tuesday, helped by a report that showed American companies were investing in their businesses at the fastest pace since January. Markets were open for just half a day ahead of the Christmas holiday, and trading volume was extremely light. Roughly 1.3 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, a third of what is traded on a regular day. It was the slowest day of the year. Materials and industrial stocks rose more than the rest of the market after the government reported that orders for long-lasting manufactured products rose 3.5 percent in November, more than economists expected. Core capital goods, a category that tracks business investment, jumped 4.5 percent, the biggest gain since January. DuPont (DD) rose $1.09, or 2 percent, to $63.83 and construction equipment maker Caterpillar (CAT) gained 95 cents, or 1 percent, to $90.91. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) rose 62.94 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,357.55. The Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) rose 5.33 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,833.32 and the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) rose 6.51 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,155.42. Stocks have been rising steadily since last Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve surprised investors by announcing it was cutting back its bond-buying program, citing an improving economy. The Fed said it will reduce its bond purchases to $75 billion a month beginning in January, down from $85 billion. The last five days of gains have added to what has been a historic year for stock market investors. The S&P 500 index is up 28.6 percent for 2013, or 30.9 when dividends are included, its best year since 1997. With four trading days left in the year, many traders expect stocks to continue higher until New Year's Eve. "Nothing has derailed this market this year, even with all the bad headlin

• [By Jacob Roche]

  Sherwin-Williams, along with some other home-improvement stocks, benefits from being part of that rare breed of stocks that do well when times are good, and still do well when times are bad. If the housing market is good, new homes get built en masse, and those homes need to be painted and floored. Hence, with U.S. housing starts up nearly 90% over the past couple of years, homebuilders KB Homes (NYSE: KBH  ) and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) have seen revenues finally starting to recover, and companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) are being pulled along for the ride.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The other factor that'll weigh on Trulia's success or failure is whether or not the homebuilding market is cooperating. Luckily for Trulia, we're seeing continued signs of success across the board with the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index coming in at a seven-year high yesterday. KB Home (NYSE: KBH  ) , for instance, which focuses on middle-and-upper income first-time and trade-up buyers, saw revenue increase 59% in the first-quarter from the year-ago period as its average selling price vaulted higher by 24%. Even struggling homebuilder Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) , which tends to market toward lower- to middle-income first-time buyers and retired persons, saw its revenue leap 51% as average selling prices added nearly 13% in the second quarter. The point is that low inventory levels are leading to higher home prices and renewed interest in owning a home.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Bona Film Group Limited(BONA)

Bona Film Group Limited distributes films in the People?s Republic of China. It distributes films to movie theaters, as well as to non-theatrical distribution channels, including DVD and Blu-ray and other home video products; Internet and digital distribution; in-flight entertainment; and cable, satellite, and broadcast televisions. The company also invests in the production of Chinese and Hong Kong films in order to obtain the distribution rights for movie theaters and non-theatrical channels. In addition, Bona Film Group operates six movie theaters in five cities of the People?s Republic of China; operates a talent agency business that represents artists; and involves in film advertising and television production businesses. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  With just a quick glance at the chart, Bona Film Group Ltd (NASDAQ:BONA) doesn't look like anything other than an erratic mess. When you take a step back and take a look at the longer-term chart of BONA, however, you can see the last several weeks have ushered in a major bullish change of direction for the stock... meaning now's a great time to start wading into a position.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Sinovac Biotech Ltd.(SVA)

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines against the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and influenza viruses in the People's Republic of China. It offers Healive, an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine; Bilive, a combination of hepatitis A and B vaccine; Anflu, a split virus influenza vaccine; and Panflu, a vaccine against the influenza A H1N1 virus. The company's pipeline vaccine candidates include a split viron vaccine, which completed Phase II clinical trials for the H5N1 influenza virus; and a SARS vaccine, which completed Phase I clinical trials for the SARS virus. In addition, its pipeline vaccine candidates that completed the pre-clinical trials comprise human vaccines for EV71, pneumococcal conjugate, haemophilus influenzae type b, meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, chickenpox, mumps, and rubella diseases, as well as rabies vaccine for humans and animals. The company markets and sell s its vaccine products directly to the provincial and municipal disease control and prevention centers. It has a patent license agreement with the National Institutes of Health; distribution agreements with LG Life Sciences, Ltd. and Glovax C.V.; and a pandemic influenza vaccine co-development agreement with the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Sinovac Biotech Ltd. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech (NASDAQ: SVA  ) has received the dreaded one-star ranking.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Troubling is that it's a new presence in humans, and while that makes its spread among the populace difficult, scientists fear that it's gaining momentum. Sinovac Biotech (NASDAQ: SVA  ) , which was approved to produce vaccines several years ago, jumped almost 7% yesterday as it gears up to mass produce a vaccine to combat the new threat.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  LGND is a strong buy at today�� price.

  Biotech Stocks to Buy: Sinovac Biotech (SVA)

  Sinovac Biotech LTD (SVA) is a Chinese biotech company that makes drugs to treat conditions such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and influenza viruses. The just announced that the phase three trials of a new drug to fight a virus called EV-71 that causes neurological conditions such hand foot and mouth disease showed great promise. Phase III trial results� EV71 vaccine show that the drug had a 94.8% efficacy rate against EV71-related hand, foot, and mouth disease, and a 100% efficacy rate against EV71-associated hospitalization and against HFMD with neurologic complications.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Mindspeed Technologies Inc.(MSPD)

Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and sells semiconductor networking solutions for communications applications in enterprise, fixed and mobile broadband access, metropolitan, and wide-area networks (WAN). The company offers communications convergence processing products that serve as bridges for transporting video, voice, fax, and modem transmissions between circuit-switched and packet-based fixed and mobile networks, and across network boundaries; and offer video and voice over Internet protocol, voice-over-asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and voice-over-digital subscriber line services, as well as wireline-to-wireless connectivity. These products include the eighth-generation Comcerto family for fiber-access service delivery; and Transcede family of 3G/4G base station baseband processors. It also provides analog transmission devices and switching products, which comprise laser drivers, transimpedance amplifiers, post amplifiers, clock and data recovery cir cuits, signal conditioners, serializers/deserializers, video reclockers, cable drivers, and line equalizers that support storage area network, fiber-to-the-premise, optical transport networks, and broadcast video. In addition, the company offers WAN communications products comprising transmission solutions and ATM/multi-protocol label switching network processors that facilitate the aggregation, processing, and transport of voice and data traffic over copper wire or fiber optic cable to access metropolitan and long-haul networks. It sells its products directly to network infrastructure original equipment manufacturers; and indirectly through electronic component distributors and third-party electronic manufacturing service providers in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Mindspeed Technologies (NASDAQ: MSPD) surged 69.02% to $5.02 in the pre-market session after M/A-Com Technology Solutions Holdings (NASDAQ: MTSI) announced its plans to acquire Mindspeed Technologies.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  M/A-COM Technology Solutions Holdings Inc.(MTSI) agreed to acquire semiconductor manufacturer Mindspeed Technologies Inc.(MSPD) in a deal valued at $272 million, expanding the company’s markets to include enterprise applications. Mindspeed shares surged 70% to $5.04 premarket.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Mindspeed Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MSPD) provides voice over internet protocol (VOIP) infrastructure and some telecom chips, which account for about 10% of sales. This could disrupt earnings at a micro cap tech company. The consensus price target for the stock is $3.75.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Synergetics USA Inc.(SURG)

Synergetics USA, Inc., a medical device company, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of microsurgical instruments and consumables primarily for ophthalmology and neurosurgery markets in the United States and internationally. The company?s product lines focus upon precision engineered, microsurgical, handheld devices, and the microscopic delivery of laser energy, ultrasound, electrosurgery, aspiration, illumination and irrigation that are delivered in multiple combinations. It offers retinal surgical items, including handheld disposable and reusable forceps and scissors, fiberoptics for illumination and photocoagulation, cannulas, scrapers, and other reusable and disposable surgical devices. The company also provides bipolar electrosurgical generators; lesion generators used for minimally invasive pain treatment; and directional laser probes, as well as offers gauge instrumentation to the vitreoretinal surgical market. It sells its products through direct sale s employees, distributors, and independent sales representatives. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in O?Fallon, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) reported its FQ4 earnings of $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.9 million. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.05 per share on revenue of $17 million. Synergetics USA shares dipped 11.82% to $4.40 in the after-hours trading session.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Synergetics USA (SURG) has dropped 4.8% to $4.75 after the medical device company said it earned 6 cents a share, in line with analyst forecasts.

  Team Inc.�(TISI) has dropped 11% after the company missed its earnings forecast and lowered guidance.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.01 million.

  Team (NYSE: TISI) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $176.70 million.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Brandenburg Energy Corp (BBM)

Brandenburg Energy Corp. is engaged in the business of acquiring and exploring oil and gas properties. The Company�� properties include Holloman Cooper Basin Joint Venture, VG Mineral Claims, Senn Property, Exploration License No. 0932, Labana Property and African Properties. The Senn Property earns a 100% interest on the Senn Block of mineral claims (the Senn Property) located in the District of Kenora, Ontario, Canada. The Uganda-based East African Gold Sniffing Company Limited (EA Gold) is a holder of Mineral Exploration License No. 0932 (EL 0932) covers about two square kilometers. EL 0932 lies 287 kilometers southwest of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, 29 kilometers north of the city of Kasese, in Kasese province. The Labana Property consists of four oil and gas blocks in the Republic of Niger, which includes Dibeilla 1, Dibeilla 2, Dalo, and Mandaram. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Muhammad Bazil]

  The value of BlackBerry�� stock was at $7.44 as of yesterday�� (Jan. 1, 2014) close. Although this is still a far cry from its 52-week peak of $18.32, it does represent a month-long recovery coming shortly after the launch of its new BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) application for iPhones and Android devices.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Illumina Inc.(ILMN)

Illumina, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and biological function. Its instrumentation products include HiSeq 2000, an instrument for high-throughput (up to 200 Gb per run and up to 25 GB per day) sequencing using sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) technology; Genome Analyzer IIx, an instrument for medium to high-throughput (up to 95 Gb per run) sequencing using SBS technology; Genome Analyzer IIe, an instrument for low to medium throughput (up to 40 Gb per run) sequencing using SBS technology; iScan System, a high-resolution imaging instrument to scan BeadArray based assays; and BeadXpress Reader, a low- to mid-multiplex, high-throughput instrument for readout of assays. The company?s consumables consist of InfiniumHD Whole-Genome BeadChips comprising HumanOmniExpress, HumanOmni1-Quad, Human1M-Duo, and BovineHD, which are multi-sample DNA analysis microarrays; iSelect Custom Genotyping BeadChips that are custome r designable SNP genotyping arrays; GoldenGate Assay Method, a high throughput assay and genotyping system; GoldenGate Universal-32 Sample BeadChip, which are 32 sample GoldenGate genotyping arrays; Paired-End Genomic DNA Sample Prep Kit, a streamlined library preparation kit to generate 200?500 kb insert paired-end reads; VeraCode GoldenGate that are low plex GoldenGate genotyping arrays compatible with the BeadXpress System; Standard Sequencing Kit, reagents used for SBS chemistry on sequencing platforms; and Infinium Assay Kit, reagents used to perform Infinium assays on the iScan platform. It also provides sequencing and genotyping services. The company?s customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrichemical, diagnostics, and consumer products companies, as well as research centers. It sells its products through distributors in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and South Africa. Illumina was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Dieg o, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Back in 2003, Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN  ) was a micro-cap specialist in genetic testing with negative earnings and more debt than cash. The company almost went under while waiting for the genetic-testing market to mature. Now it's a hot name in a red-hot health-care market. Long-term shareholders have pocketed an outsized 4,600% return in 10 years, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) gained just 65%.

GuruFocus Reports Seven Dividend Growers of the Week

During the past week, GuruFocus recognized seven companies as dividend growers. In order to be qualified for this list, the company had to:

Have a dividend of greater than 3%. Have a strong history of stable and increasing dividends. Maintain Guru ownership Have a market cap of greater than $10 billion.

The following seven companies come from various industries and sectors of the market, but they all fit the necessary criteria needed to qualify them as dividend growers.

A comparison of the companies' historical dividend growth:

Ventas Inc (VTR)

On Feb. 14, Ventas declared a dividend of $0.725 per share, representing 4.50% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on March 28 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on March 7, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10-year: 9.10%

- 5-year: 5.10%

- 3-year: 6.60%

Ventas is a REIT with a portfolio of seniors' housing and healthcare properties in the U.S. and Canada. The company currently operates through three reportable business segments: triple-net leased properties, senior living operations and MOB operations.

Ventas' historical revenue and net income:

The company reported its fourth quarter and year-end results last week which highlighted:

- Year-end FFO of $4.14 per diluted share, up 9% from last year.

- 2013 total normalized FFO topped $1.2 billion, an increase of 11%.

- Fourth quarter net income of $108.4 million, or $0.37 per share.

- Fourth quarter normalized FFO up 7% to $313.6 million.

As of the close of the fourth quarter there were seven gurus that held a position in Ventas. Check out their holdings here.

The analysis on Ventas reports that the company has issued $2.9 billion of debt over the past three years, its dividend yield is close to a 3-year high and its P/S and P/B ratios are trading at near historic lows.

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AVIFY)

On Feb. 13, Advanced Info Service Public Company declared a dividend of $0.140 per share, representing 4.50% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on May 2, to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Mar. 31, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10-year: 0%

- 5-year: 16.60%

- 3-year: 40.50%

Advanced Info Service Public Company is Thailand's largest GSM mobile phone operator with 35 million customers as of March 2013. The company is controlled by the Intouch PLC, which is headed by Temasek Holdings, a Singapore government owned agency.

Advanced Info Service's historical revenue and earnings growth:

The analysis on AVIFY reports that the company's operating margin is expanding, its dividend yield is close to a 2-year high and its P/E and P/S ratios are trading at historical lows.

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

Advanced Info Service has a market cap of $19.92 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around $6.70 with a P/E ratio of 17.80, a P/S ratio of 4.50 and a P/B ratio of 10.80. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 8.40% over the past five years.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CMWAY)

On Feb. 13 Commonwealth Bank of Australia declared a dividend of $1.632 per share, representing 5.10% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on April 14 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Feb. 24, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10-year: 8.10%

- 5-year: 9.80%

- 3-year: 15.40%

Commonwealth Bank of Australia is Australia's largest retail bank and one of the "Big Four." It also operates in New Zealand and Asia. Its core business is the provision of retail, business and institutional banking services. It is also a major fund manager and has increasing market shares in general and life insurance.

Bank of Australia's historical revenue and earnings growth:

The analysis on Commonwealth Bank reports that the price is nearing a 10-year high of $73.82, the company has enough cash to cover all of its debt, its operating margin is expanding and its revenue has shown predictable revenue and earnings growth.

The company recently released its half year results which reported:

- Statuatory net profit after tax was $4,207 million, representing a 16% increase.

- Declared an interim dividend of $1.83 per share, up 12% from last year.

- Cash on hand was $4,268 million, up 14% from last year.

- Cash return on equity of 18.7%

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has a market cap of $111.59 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around $69.23 with a P/E ratio of 16.30, a P/S ratio of 5.10 and a P/B ratio of 2.80.

British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC (BSYBY)

On Feb. 12, British Sky Broadcasting Group declared a dividend of $0.783 per share, representing 3.10% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on April 29 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on March 28, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10.year: 22.10%

- 5-year: 12.80%

- 3-year: 14.80%

British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC is a television provider in the UK and Ireland and home communications services in the UK. Sky retails pay TV services to residential customers in SD, HD and 3D via satellite, on demand with anytime and on the move with Sky Go.

British Sky Broadcasting's historical revenue and net income:

The analysis on British Sky Broadcasting Group reports that the company has shown predictable revenue and earnings growth, its operating margin is expanding and its price is near a 10-year high.

There were no gurus holding a position in BSYBY as of the close of the fourth quarter.

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

British Sky Broadcasting Group has a market cap of $24.34 billion. Its shares were trading at around $61.80 with a P/E ratio of 16.20, a P/S ratio of 2.00 and a P/B ratio of 14.20. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 11.80% over the past ten years.

GuruFocus rated British Sky Broadcasting the business predictability rank of 4-star.

Reynolds American (RAI)

On Feb. 11, Reynolds American declared a dividend of $0.670 per share, representing 5.20% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on April 1 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on March 10, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10.year: 10.80%

- 5-year: 10.10%

- 3-year: 10.50%

Reynolds American, through its subsidiaries, manufactures cigarettes and other tobacco products in the United States. The Company's reportable operating segments are RJR Tobacco, American Snuff and Santa Fe.

Reynolds' historical revenue and earnings growth:

The analysis on Reynolds reports that the company's operating margin is expanding, its dividend yield is near a 5-year low and its price, P/B ratio and P/S ratio are all sitting near 10-year highs.

The company announced that its most recent dividend is the 39th consecutive quarterly cash dividend. It also reports that RAI's policy is to return about 80% of the company's current-year net income to the shareholders in the form of dividends.

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

Reynolds American currently has a market cap of $25.67 billion. Its shares are trading at around $47.81 with a P/E ratio of 15.30, a P/S ratio of 3.20 and a P/B ratio of 5.00. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 7.70% over the past five years.

Clorox Company (CLX)

On Feb. 11, Clorox Company declared a dividend of $0.710 per share, representing 3.20% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on May 9, to shareholders of the record at the close of business on March 10, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10.year: 11.70%

- 5-year: 8.80%

- 3-year: 8.60%

The company is a manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. It sells its products through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, other retail outlets, distributors and medical supply providers.

Clorox's historical revenue and net income:

The analysis on Clorox reports that the company's price has been in decline over the past year, its dividend yield is near a 5-year low, its price is near a 10-year high and its P/E and P/S ratios are near historical highs.

The company recently reported its second quarter 2014 results which reported:

- $0.88 diluted EPS, a decrease of 5%.

- 1% volume increase.

- 0.4% sales increase from last year's second quarter.

- Earnings from continuing operations of $116 million, compared to $123 million last year.

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

Clorox Company has a market cap of $11.34 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around $87.29 with a P/E ratio of 20.60, a P/S ratio of 2.10 and a P/B ratio of 72.70. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 5.80% over the past ten years.

Thomson Reuters (TRI)

On Feb. 11, Thomson Reuters declared a dividend of $0.330 per share, representing 3.80% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on March 17 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Feb. 24, 2014.

The company's historical dividend growth is as follows:

- 10.year: 6.60%

- 5-year: 4.00%

- 3-year: 3.90%

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent info for professionals as well as businesses. The company creates technology that will deliver crucial information to decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets through the use of the world's most trusted news organization.

Thomson Reuters' historical revenue and net income:

The analysis on Thomson Reuters warns that the company's revenue has been in decline over the past year, its dividend yield is near a 2-year low and its price is near a 5-year high.

The company's recently reported full-year and fourth quarter 2013 results highlighted:

- Revenue grew 2% for the year and 1% for the quarter

- EBITDA was down 7% for the year and 32% for the quarter due to a $260 million charge.

- Full year adjusted EPS was $1.54, compared to $1.89 last year.

- EPS was $1.83 for the full year and $0.49 for the quarter.

- Approved dividend increase, represents 21st consecutive annual increase.

The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

Thomson Reuters has a market cap of $28.32 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around $34.53 with a P/E ratio of 221.20, a P/S ratio of 2.20 and a P/B ratio of 1.80.

To view a complete list of high yielding dividend stocks found among the gurus' portfolios, click here.

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3 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

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

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

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

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

>>5 Stock Charts to Buy for Gains in March

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

S&W Seed (SANW) is engaged in breeding, growing, processing and selling agricultural commodities. This stock closed up 5.3% to $7.11 a share in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $6.75-$7.11

52-Week Range: $4.82-$11.40

Thursday's Volume: 144,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 106,243

>>5 Bargain Bin Stocks to Buy in March

From a technical perspective, SANW spiked sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $6.48 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of SANW within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if SANW manages to take out some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.15 to $7.20 and then once it takes out its 200-day moving average of $7.23 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SANW as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $6.48 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 106,243 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then SANW will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $8.23 to $9.21, or even $9.91.

Celsion (CLSN), an oncology drug development company, focuses on the development and commercialization of targeted chemotherapeutic oncology drugs based on its proprietary heat-activated liposomal technology. This stock closed up 2% to $3.95 a share in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $3.90-$4.03

52-Week Range: $3.38-$9.46

Thursday's Volume: 798,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 486,022

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy in March

From a technical perspective, CLSN spiked notably higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $3.84 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending over the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $3.48 to its intraday high of $4.03. During that move, shares of CLSN have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if CLSN manages to take out Thursday's high of $4.03 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CLSN as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.84 or above more near-term support at $3.68 and then once it sustains a move or close above $4.03 with volume that hits near or above 486,022 shares. If that move starts soon, then CLSN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.25 to $4.74, or even its 200-day moving average of $4.83.

Kingold Jewelry (KGJI) engages in the design, manufacture and sale of gold jewelry, ornaments and investment-oriented products in the People's Republic of China. This stock closed up 1.6% to $1.80 a share in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $1.76-$1.84

52-Week Range: $0.96-$2.45

Thursday's Volume: 230,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 207,045

>>5 Hated Stocks You Should Love

From a technical perspective, KGJI spiked modestly higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $1.79 with above-average volume. This move is starting to push shares of KGJI within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if KGJI manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $1.91 to $1.99 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KGJI as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $1.63 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 207,045 shares. If that breakout gets underway soon, then KGJI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.05 to $2.20. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give KGJI a chance to tag its 52-week high at $2.45 to more past overhead resistances levels at $3 to $3.50.

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

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

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>>5 Short-Squeeze Stocks That Could Pop in March

>>5 Ways to Trade the Ukraine Crisis

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

CNBC.com and Forbes.com.

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