How Well Is This Retailer Dealing With the Competition?

High-end housewares seller Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM  ) turned in a solid quarter yesterday. The company beat top- and bottom-line estimates, earning $0.41 per share on $888 million in revenue. Management raised the company's full-year guidance, to between $2.67 per share and $2.77 per share. Overall, it looked like a very good quarter, even though the stock dipped 2% in trading today.

For the long run, investors interested in Williams-Sonoma seem to be sitting pretty, but new Wall Street competition may make the investment choice more difficult. Last year, Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH  ) reentered the stock market, after being taken private years ago. The company's fourth quarter was a fantastic thing to behold, and now it looks like the company to beat.

Success at Restoration Hardware
Restoration's quarter had a lead number that almost defied explanation. The company managed to grow comparable-store sales by 26%. This year, most retailers have been getting by with comparable-sales increases below 10%, if they even manage to hit positive territory. Williams-Sonoma's comparable brand sales -- its comparable-store sale measure that includes direct sales -- only managed 7.2% growth last quarter.

If that wasn't enough, Restoration is predicting that comparable sales in its first quarter are going to be up 41%. I think management at Williams-Sonoma might keel over dead if the company turned in that kind of result.

I think the big difference between the two is the youth of the newly revived Restoration. The company was posting negative comparable sales as recently as 2010. Since then, it's been able to turn itself around, and now it's being flooded with customers who are rediscovering the brand. That's being compounded by a big increase in the number of products that Restoration offers. In short, it's just taking off, while Williams-Sonoma is already at cruising altitude.

The bottom line for investors
That rocket-fueled growth isn't free. Restoration Hardware is trading at a price-to-sales ratio of 1.7, while Williams-Sonoma is sitting at 1.4. But so far, an investment in Restoration has paid off. Investors should keep an eye on costs, though. Right now, the company is still running at a loss as it ramps up its business. Gross margin is strong, though, sitting at 36.5% in the fourth quarter. Williams-Sonoma is a little higher, running a 37.6% gross margin in its first quarter.

I think both companies are looking good; it's just up to investors to decide what kind of business they want to be involved in. Williams-Sonoma is cruising along, looking for expansion overseas, while Restoration Hardware is still trying to expand in the U.S. beyond the mere 71 locations it now operates. Either way, investors should come out as winners in the long run.

The retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.

10 Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2015

10 Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2015: RLI Corp. (RLI)

RLI Corp., through its subsidiaries, underwrites property and casualty insurance primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Casualty, Property, and Surety. The Casualty segment provides general liability services consisting of coverage for third party liability of commercial insurers, including manufacturers, contractors, apartments, and mercantile; commercial and personal umbrella coverage; and commercial transportation that include automobile liability and physical damage insurance to local, intermediate, and long haul truckers, public transportation risks, and equipment dealers, as well as incidental and related insurance coverage. It also offers professional liability coverages, such as directors? and officers? liability insurance, employment practices liability, and other miscellaneous professional liability coverage; and specialty program coverages, such as commercial property, general liability, inland marine, and crime, as well as deduc tible buy-back. The Property segment offers property coverage that consists primarily of excess and surplus lines and specialty insurance, such as fire and earthquake. It also provides insurance for commercial and industrial risks, such as office buildings, apartments, condominiums, and certain industrial and mercantile structures, as well as writes boiler and machinery coverage; marine coverage, including hull, cargo, and protection and indemnity; homeowners and dwelling fire insurance; and property facultative reinsurance for insurance companies. The Surety segment specializes in writing small-to-large commercial and small contract surety coverages, as well as for the energy, petrochemical, and refining industries. It offers miscellaneous bonds, such as license and permit, notary, and court bonds; and fidelity and crime coverage for commercial insured and select financial institutions. RLI Corp. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

! Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

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

• [By Neil Macneale]

  The top-rated stock among split announcements is RLI Corp. (RLI). I had never heard of this company, and I'm pleased to make its acquaintance.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/10-best-rising-stocks-to-watch-for-2015-2.html

5 Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014

With shares of Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) trading around $3, is ZNGA 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

Zynga is a provider of social game services with 240 million average monthly active users over 175 countries. The company develops, markets, and operates online social games as live services played over the Internet and on social networking sites and mobile platforms. Zynga�� games are accessible on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), as well as other social networks and mobile platforms, to players globally ��wherever and whenever they want. It operates its games as live services, and they are all free to play. However, it does generate revenue through the in-game sale of virtual goods and advertising.

Today, Zynga shares rose after the company confirmed that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox chief Don Mattrick would be replacing founder Mark Pincus as Chief Executive Officer of the gaming company. Zynga has been facing some major struggles lately, but investors hope that the person who gave Microsoft the Xbox will be able to create similarly innovative technology to save it from failure.�As social gaming continues to pick up steam among consumers worldwide, a pioneer in the industry like Zynga stands to see rising profits for many years.

Best European Stocks To Watch For 2015: ProShares UltraShort Russell2000 (TWM)

ProShares UltraShort Russell2000 (the Fund) seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice (200%) the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Fund intends to invest at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, to investments that, in combination, have economic characteristics that are inverse to those of the Index. The Fund also intends to invest assets not invested in financial instruments, in debt instruments and/or money market instruments. The Fund intends to concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. ProShare Advisors LLC serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Rhodes]

  We remain short, via a position, the Russell 200 2X Short (TWM) as well as short positions in Tesla (TSLA) and Chipolte (CMG).

  Subscribe to The Rhodes Report here��/p>

5 Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Multimedia Games Holding Company Inc.(MGAM)

Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, distribution, and maintenance of gaming machines, video lottery terminals, and associated systems and equipment. The company provides a range of networked gaming systems that control and operate Class II gaming machines, video lottery terminals, and bingo terminals at Native American and commercial gaming facilities. It offers various classic 3-reel and 5-reel mechanical reel games, which provide players with a slot gaming experience; Side Action series of slot games; Maximum Lockdown, a hybrid mechanical reel game; Treasure Top series, a range of 3-reel mechanical games that includes LED lights and a video spinning wheel; TournEvent, a slot tournament system, which allow operators to switch from in-revenue gaming to out-of-revenue tournaments; and High Rise Games. The company also offers back-office accounting and slot management systems that are used to manage the floor operations; and server-based centrally-linked player terminals, which are placed and sold in Class II, video lottery terminal, and bingo settings, as well as standalone player terminals that are placed and sold in Class III settings. It provides its gaming systems to Native American and commercial casino operators in North America; domestic and selected international lottery operators; and charity and commercial bingo gaming facility operators. The company was formerly known as Multimedia Games, Inc and changed its name to Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc. in April 2011. Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Brumley]

  The 17% pullback over the first quarter of the year had less to do with the company’s portfolio and more to do with the market’s mood, and now that the broad market is easing up, the market’s mood regarding Hercules Technology Growth Capital looks poised to improve.

  Multimedia Games (MGAM)

  With the stock down more than 13% since early March, it would be easy to assume Multimedia Games Holding Company (MGAM) was headed for a nasty earnings report at the end of April. The market was wrong, however. MGAM posted a 25% increase in revenue for the quarter, and a 28% improvement in earnings … and that was before the acquisition of PokerTek (PTEK). Bringing PokertTek into the fold will almost assure a fourth straight year of revenue and income growth.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Multimedia Games (NASDAQ: MGAM  ) is a provider of casino games, growing at a healthier rate than its larger rivals. Another thing it does is make analysts look like perpetual underachievers. If analysts say that the company posted a profit of $0.24 a share in its latest quarter, I'll argue that it held up better than that. History's on my side!

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  In the following video, longtime Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz takes a question from a Fool reader, who asks: "Multimedia Games�[ (NASDAQ: MGAM  ) ] is going up, up, and away. What's making the stock take off?"

5 Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Key Tronic Corporation(KTCC)

Key Tronic Corporation, doing business as KeyTronicEMS Co., together with its subsidiaries, provides electronic manufacturing services (EMS) to original equipment manufacturers primarily in the United States, Mexico, and China. Its EMS services include product design, surface mount technologies for printed circuit board assembly, tool making, precision plastic molding, liquid injection molding, automated tape winding, prototype design, and full product builds. The company also manufactures keyboards and other input devices for personal computers. Key Tronic markets its products and services primarily through its direct sales department aided by field sales people and distributors. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Computer Peripherals: This industry rose 2.21% by 10:15 am ET. The top performer in this industry was Key Tronic (NASDAQ: KTCC), which gained 0.3%. Key Tronic's trailing-twelve-month ROE is 14.57%.

5 Best Rising Stocks To Watch For 2014: Streamtrack Inc (STTK)

StreamTrack, Inc. (StreamTrack), formerly Lux Digital Pictures, Inc., incorporated on May 6, 2008, is a digital media and technology services company. StreamTrack provides streaming and advertising services through its RadioLoyalty Platform to over 1,100 Internet and terrestrial radio stations and other broadcast content providers. It has developed a video in-steam technology that enables radio broadcasters to enhance the end users experience. StreamTrack is also developing additional Internet products and Internet and mobile technologies, including WatchThis, a merchandising in-stream technology to provide Internet Protocol (IP) television streaming services, advertising and e-commerce services. In May 2012, the Company acquired the entire WatchThis business and assets. On August 31, 2012, it acquired RadioLoyalty, Inc.

Within StreamTrack Digital, the Company is specializes in traffic whether its display, video, mobile, lead gen, search or social. Its short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) Delivery Platform manages SMS and MMS campaigns, MMS event boards, mobile Websites and has a detailed reporting engine.

The Company�� revenue is principally derived from advertising services. The Company generates advertising revenue primarily from display and video advertising. The Company generates the majority of its advertising revenue through the delivery of advertising impressions sold on a cost per thousand (CPM) basis. Its advertising revenues are generated through its technologies from Internet-based content. The Company generated services revenues related to the management and resale of its webhosting capacity at its two facilities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Last Friday, small cap stocks Boreal Water Collection, Inc (OTCMKTS: BRWC), Streamtrack Inc (OTCMKTS: STTK) and Nexia Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: NXHD) surged 66.67%, 45.67% and 29.41%, respectively. Moreover, only one of these small cap stocks appears to be the subject of some kind of paid promotions or investor relations activities. So will these small cap stocks keep surging for the new trading week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:

Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2015

Best Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2015: Shiner International Inc.(BEST)

Shiner International, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, sale, and distribution of technology driven advanced packaging film products. Its products include coated films, tobacco films, anti-counterfeit laser holographic films, color printed products, and water-based latex products. The company also offers biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films for printing, lamination, and over-wrap packaging; and BOPP tobacco films for packaging appearance, product freshness, and clear optics. In addition, it provides color printing services that consist of surface printing and reverse printing services for consumer goods manufacturers and beverage companies. The company sells its products to companies in the various industries, such as food, tobacco, chemical, agribusiness, medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, electronics, automotive, construction, graphics, music and video publishing, and other consumer goods in China, Asia, A ustralia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Shiner International has a strategy alliance with The Treofan Group. The company based in Haikou City, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Looking through a kaleidoscope of facts about J. Kyle Bass, this guru quickly takes on a colorful and larger-than-life mythos. Hailing from the big-thinking state of Texas, Bass is often described as a big dreamer with a studious and practical streak. His career blossomed almost overnight when he reportedly made around a half a billion dollars betting against subprime CDOs in 2007. Bass comes across as a visionary who asks why not instead of why. He told CNBC that he likes to reduce email time and cut out the noise by learning about world markets through symbiotic relationships with friends like Alan Fournier and other billionaire! s. Every year Bass invites his notable friends to his ranch in Larue, Texas, for a special event called The Barefoot Economic Summit, Texas (BEST). Bass said he learns more in two days of the summit than in two months of emails.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-consumer-stocks-to-invest-in-2015-3.html

Top Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now

LONDON -- The shares of�Halma� (LSE: HLMA  ) gained 3 pence to 505 pence during early trade this morning after the specialist engineer lifted its dividend for the 34th consecutive year.

The FTSE 250 mid-cap announced an annual dividend of 10.43 pence per share, a 7% improvement on the 9.74 pence per share declared during 2012.

The dividend announcement accompanied preliminary figures that showed annual sales gaining 7% to 拢619 million and adjusted profits before tax advancing 8% to 拢131 million.

Halma said its progress had been assisted by six acquisitions, with revenues up strongly in the United States and China. The group also reported a strong performance within its medical and process safety division.

Andrew Williamson, Halma's chief executive, said:

During the past year, we have continued to strengthen our business by further increasing investment in our drivers of organic growth -- innovation, people development and international expansion.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Simon Property Group Inc.(SPG)

Simon Property Group, Inc. is a real estate investment trust. The firm engages in investment, ownership, and management of properties. It invests in the real estate markets across the globe. The firm?s portfolio includes regional malls, premium outlet centers, the mills, community / lifestyle centers, and international properties. Simon Property Group was founded in 1960 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  [Millennials] no longer want to be a walking billboard of a brand. Individualism is important to them, having their own sense of style.

  Abercrombie's woes came into sharp relief last month when the company said it was shrinking its well-known logo and increasing its assortment of fashion for women, all to appeal more to 16- to 22-year-olds who don't want to look like everyone else. The move came after 10 straight declines in quarterly same-store sales. "They no longer want to be a walking billboard of a brand," said Michael Scheiner, an Abercrombie spokesman. "Individualism is important to them, having their own sense of style." Other companies are also adjusting their strategies to reach this elusive group. Gap's (GPS) new ad campaign, with the facetious tag line, "dress normal," is all about creating an individual style, the idea being that there is no normal. Aeropostale, for its part, says its new product lines by blogger Bethany Mota are meant to convey "authenticity, emotion and relevance." Mall owners have had to adjust, too. Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group (SPG) is now working with fashion magazines and fashion website Refinery29.com to entice millennial shoppers to the mall with videos, new designers and personalized advice. "Not looking like everyone else is key to everything about what we do," said Chidi Achara, Simon's global creative director. The drive to reach millennials comes during a difficult environment for retailers. Retail spending was flat in August, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, and household spending dropped by 0.1 percent in July, the first decline since January. In August, retailers ranging from Walmart Stores (WMT) to Macy's (M) cut their sales forecasts. How Millennials Shop Thanks to the Internet and smartphones, millennials are more informed shoppers than older generations. More than 70 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds recently surveyed by The Intelligence Group said they research options online befor

Top Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Potomac Electric Power Company(POM)

Pepco Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity. The company also distributes and supplies natural gas. It distributes electricity to approximately 1.8 million customers in the mid-Atlantic region and delivers natural gas to approximately 123,000 customers in Delaware. In addition, the company involves in the retail supply of electricity and natural gas; provision of energy efficiency services to federal, state, and local government customers; and designs, constructs, and operates combined heat and power and central energy plants, as well as owns and operates two oil-fired generation facilities. Further, it offers high voltage electric construction and maintenance services, low voltage electric construction and maintenance services, and streetlight construction and asset management services to utilities, municipalities, and other customers in the Washington, District of Columbia. Additionally, the company holds investments in eight cross-border energy leases. Pepco Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1896 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Stavros]

  Exelon Corp�� (NYSE: EXC) plan to acquire Washington, DC-based Pepco Holdings Inc (NYSE: POM), a regulated, wires-only utility, would reduce Exelon�� earnings volatility, while offering improved economies of scale to both firms, which operate in neighboring Northeast service territories (See Chart A).

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Among the sector�� best performers are Integrys Energy (TEG), Edison International (EIX), Entergy (ETR), and Pepco Holdings (POM).

  Investors��attraction to utility stocks stems in part to their above-market payouts. The Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) has climbed roughly 25% this year, not including its 3.24% dividend.

Top Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Intel Corporation(INTC)

Intel Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of integrated circuits for computing and communications industries worldwide. It offers microprocessor products used in notebooks, netbooks, desktops, servers, workstations, storage products, embedded applications, communications products, consumer electronics devices, and handhelds. The company also provides system on chip products that integrate its core processing functionalities with other system components, such as graphics, audio, and video, onto a single chip. In addition, it offers chipset products that send data between the microprocessor and input, display, and storage devices, including keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard drive, and CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives; motherboards designed for desktop, server, and workstation platforms, and that has connectors for attaching devices to the bus; and wired and wireless connectivity products consisting of network adapters and embedded wireless cards used to translate and transmit data across networks. Further, the company provides NAND flash memory products primarily used in portable memory storage devices, digital camera memory cards, and solid-state drives; software products comprising operating systems, middleware, and tools used to develop, run, and manage various enterprise, consumer, embedded, and handheld devices; and software development tools that enable the creation of applications. Additionally, it develops computing platforms, which are integrated hardware and software computing technologies designed to offer an optimized solution. The company sells its products principally to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, PC components and other products users, and other manufacturers of industrial and communications equipment. It has a strategic alliance with Scientific Conservation Inc. Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Intel's (NASDAQ: INTC  ) �stock has been all over the map in the past week, jumping when management introduced its new strategy and dropping when they released 2014 guidance. But did the stock really deserve the pummeling considering Intel's late charge into mobile?�

• [By Steve Heller]

  The key takeaway here is that lower-end PCs are becoming more capable with each passing year, meaning the everyday user no longer needs a high-end PC to suit their needs. Additionally, the explosive rise of mobile computing has likely put added pressure on PC prices in 2012. Before the rise of mobile computing, PC makers and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) would benefit from lower average selling prices because it translated to increases in unit volumes. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case since 2011.
  
  

• [By Daniela Pylypczak]

  After the closing bell on Tuesday, Intel Corp (INTC) reported its first quarter earnings results.

  INTC’s Earnings in Brief

  INTC reported Q1 earnings of�$1.95 billion, or 38 cents per share, down from $2.05 billion, or 40 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue rose to�$12.8 billion from $12.58 billion reported last year. On average, analysts expected to see earnings of 37 cents per share and revenue of�$12.81 billion. For Q2, INTC expects revenues of $13 billion, versus the expected $12.94 billion. In FY2014, the company expects to see revenue remain approximately flat.

  CEO Commentary

  Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel, commented: “In the first quarter we saw solid growth in the data center, signs of improvement in the PC business, and we shipped 5 million tablet processors, making strong progress on our goal of 40 million tablets for 2014.�Additionally, we demonstrated our further commitment to grow in the enterprise with a strategic technology and business collaboration with Cloudera, we introduced our second-generation LTE platform with CAT6 and other advanced features, and we shipped our first Quark products for the Internet of Things.”

  INTC’s Dividend

  INTC will pay its next quarterly dividend of $0.225 on June 1 to shareholders of record on May 7. The stock goes ex-dividend May 5. The company last raised its dividend in 2013 by 3.4%.

  Stock Performance�

  Intel shares rose 0.79% during Tuesday’s session. The stock is up 2.99% year-to-date.

  INTC Dividend Snapshot

  As of Market Close on April 15, 2014

  
  
  

  Click here to see the complete history of INTC dividends.

Top Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC)

Wisconsin Energy Corporation engages in the generation, distribution, and sale of electric energy and steam. The company also involves in the purchase, distribution, and sale of natural gas to retail customers, as well as in the transportation of customer-owned natural gas in Wisconsin. It generates electricity from coal, natural gas, wind, and hydro sources. The company offers its services under ?We Energies? name. It serves approximately 1,120,200 electric customers in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; approximately 1,064,500 gas customers in Wisconsin; and approximately 460 steam customers in metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition, the company invests and develops in real estate properties, including business parks and other commercial real estate projects primarily in southeastern Wisconsin. It provides electric utility service to industries, such as mining, paper, foundry, food products, and machinery production, as well as to retail chains. The c ompany was founded in 1981 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Dittman]

  Participation was still robust, thanks to a highly engaged group of readers.
  
  Utility stocks set the pace for the broader market over the first six months of 2014, as fears of rising interest rates abated and companies produced solid first-quarter financial and operating numbers.
  
  Second-quarter reporting season will get underway later in July, with most management teams posting results in early August.
  
  There�� also been significant mergers-and-acquisitions rumor and activity, notably surrounding the telecom space. And Wisconsin Energy Corp (NYSE: WEC) last week announced a deal to buy UF Portfolio Holding Integrys Energy Group Inc (NYSE: TEG) for $9.1 billion in cash, stock and assumed debt.
  
  Canadian stocks are back to their winning ways thus far in 2014, with the S&P/TSX Composite Index posting a 12.5 percent total return in US dollar terms from Dec. 31, 2013, through June 30, 2014. The S&P 500 Index is up 7.1 percent, the MSCI World Index 6.6 percent.
  
  The loonie, meanwhile, was strong in June, bouncing back to near USD0.94 and having an essentially neutral impact for US-based investors��returns for the first six months of the year.
  
  The Australia dollar pushed out to an eight-month high earlier this week, as Chinese PMI data showed some stabilization in the economy for that key trading partner. Although iron ore prices remain depressed, several LNG projects coming on line in coming months should give a boost to Australian exports.
  
  Aussie strength has had a clear positive impact for US-based investors who are long Australian stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Index trailed the S&P 500 and the MSCI World Index with a 3 percent return in local terms. Accounting for the impact of a stronger aussie on US investors��holdings, the S&P/ASX was up 8.8 percent from Dec. 31, 2013, through June 30, 2014.
  
  Here are highlights in the form of a slightly edited transcript from the July 2 ��une��AE/

Top Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Telular Corporation(WRLS)

Telular Corporation designs, develops, and distributes products and services that utilize wireless networks to provide data and voice connectivity among people and machines primarily in the United States and internationally. It provides machine-to-machine and event monitoring services, including Telguard that comprises a specialized terminal unit, which interfaces with commercial security control panels and communicates with event processing servers to provide real-time transport of alarm signals from residential and commercial locations to an alarm company?s central monitoring station; and TankLink solution that combines a cellular communicator, wireless data services, and a Web-based application into a single offering, which allows end-users to monitor the product level in a given tank vessel. The company also offers fixed cellular terminals for voice, fax, and Internet access over the wireless networks. It sells its products to security equipment distributors, cellular carriers, and value added resellers. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Telular (NASDAQ: WRLS  ) will most likely soon be an asset belonging to another company. It has entered into an agreement to be bought by private equity firm Avista Capital Partners for total consideration of $253 million. This consists of $12.61 per share in cash and roughly $18.5 million in assumed debt.

Top Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: H.J. Heinz Company (HNZ)

H. J. Heinz Company manufactures and markets food products for consumers, and foodservice and institutional customers in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company primarily offers ketchup, condiments and sauces, frozen food, soups, beans and pasta meals, infant nutrition, and other food products. It sells its products through its sales organizations, independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain, wholesale, cooperative, and independent grocery accounts; convenience stores; bakeries; pharmacies; mass merchants; club stores; foodservice distributors; and institutions, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, health-care facilities, and government agencies. The company was founded in 1869 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  McGraw-Hill Financial's (NYSE: MHFI  ) S&P Dow Jones Indices has brought in a pair of big-name stocks to replace issues on two of its signature products. After the close of trading on June 6, both the S&P 100 and the 500 will be home to General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) . The stock replaces Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) , which was recently acquired by a consortium led by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B  ) .

• [By Steve Symington]

  10. Not including its equity holdings and recently acquired 50% stake in Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) , Berkshire is made up of 56 distinct subsidiary businesses.

• [By Matt Koppenheffer]

  There's a lot that's not surprising about the acquisition. The size, if anything, is small. Buffett's been very vocal about his desire to make "elephant"-sized purchases. Nor is it surprising that the conglomerate is expanding its reach with a steady utility business. These types of businesses add stability to the insurance and consumer-goods-heavy Berkshire. And it shouldn't be all that surprising that the price for NV Energy doesn't look all that cheap. If the�Heinz� (NYSE: HNZ  ) deal reminded us of anything, it's that Buffett is willing to shell out a "full" price for a good buy.

• [By Steve Symington]

  What kinds of "things," you ask? Among her additional tasks so far have been the creation and arranging of a�meeting aimed at bringing Berkshire's dozens upon dozens of subsidiary CEOs together each year, and Buffett reportedly sent her on a trip to Brazil to learn more about the operations of Brazilian-based 3G Capital after Berkshire teamed with the firm to acquire 50% of ketchup king H.J. Heinz back (NYSE: HNZ  ) in February.

Top 10 Promising Stocks To Own Right Now

Top 10 Promising Stocks To Own Right Now: Treehouse Foods Inc.(THS)

TreeHouse Foods, Inc. operates as a food manufacturer in the United States and Canada. The company?s products include non-dairy powdered creamers; private label canned soups; salad dressings and sauces; powdered drink mixes; and hot cereals, such as oatmeal, farina, and grits in single-serve instant packets and microwaveable bowls. It also offers macaroni and cheese; skillet dinners; Mexican and other sauces comprising salsa, picante, cheese dip, enchilada sauce, pasta sauce, and taco sauce; jams and pie fillings; pickles and related products, including peppers and pickled vegetables; aseptic products, such as cheese sauces and puddings; and refrigerated salad dressings and liquid non-dairy creamer products. The company offers pickles under the Farman?s, Nalley?s, Peter Piper, and Steinfeld brand names; sauces and syrups under the Bennett?s, Hoffman House, Roddenbery?s Northwoods, and San Antonio Farms brand names; non-dairy powdered creamer under the Cremora brand na me; refrigerated products under the Mocha Mix and Second Nature brand names; jams and other sauces under the E.D. Smith and Habitant brand name; oatmeal under the McCann?s brand name; and food away from home products under the Schwartz and Saucemaker brands. It primarily serves grocery retailers, mass merchandisers, and foodservice operators through various distribution channels, including retail grocery; foodservice distributors; and industrial and export channels comprising food manufacturers and repackagers of foodservice products. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. was founded in 1862 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By TaniaC]

  The consumer staples sector is facing several hiccups over the past few quarters as consumers are spending less and demand is declining. Investors can still expect a healthy return in this sector ! by investing in TreeHouse Foods Inc. (THS) as this player is playing well despite of all odds.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Citigroup maintained a Buy rating on Treehouse Foods (NYSE: THS) with a price target raised to $100 from a previous $93. Shares gained 3.12 percent, closing at $83.50.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at KeyBanc downgraded Treehouse Foods (NYSE: THS) to Underweight from Hold with a $70 price target. Shares lost 3.66 percent, closing at $79.00.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-promising-stocks-to-own-right-now-3.html

Best Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now

Best Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Furniture Brands International Inc. (FBN)

Furniture Brands International, Inc. engages in designing, manufacturing, sourcing, and retailing home furnishings in the United States and internationally. The company offers case goods, such as bedroom, dining room, and living room wood furniture; stationary upholstery products comprising sofas, loveseats, sectionals, and chairs; and motion upholstered furniture, including recliners and sleep sofas. It also provides occasional furniture, such as accent pieces, home entertainment centers, and home office furniture, as well as wood, metal, and glass tables; and decorative accessories and accent pieces. The companys brand portfolio includes Thomasville, Broyhill, Lane, Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Pearson, Hickory Chair, Lane Venture, Maitland-Smith, La Barge, and Creative Interiors. It markets its products through its Thomasville retail stores, interior designers, multi-line/independent retailers, and mass merchant stores to retailers, including independently owned furnitu re stores, department stores, and chains. The company was formerly known as Interco Inc. and changed its name to Furniture Brands International, Inc. in 1996. Furniture Brands International, Inc. was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fox Business]

  Billionaire Investor Sam Zell spoke with FOX Business Networks (FBN) Maria Bartiromo during Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo in a wide ranging interview about the Federal Reserve, the stock market and growth sectors in the economy. Regarding the Federal Reserve, Zell said, I just do not know whether the Fed has the guts to really complete the taper and that the tapering wont be over by October. Zell discussed the stock market saying, I think the stock market is over exuberant and I think that the stock market reflects the fact that there's very little other options for investors. When asked about international inv! estments Zell said, We have invested very little in Europe and that Mexico is one of the places that we're very excited about. Zell also commented on the commercial real estate market saying, the hot markets are San Francisco, New York and Seattle. Those three markets have pricing that's very different from the rest of the country.

• [By FoxBusiness]

  In an interview to appear on FOX Business Networks (FBN) Countdown to the Closing Bell (3PM/ET), Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat speaks with anchor Liz Claman about the companys recovery. Corbat says, I think when we look back, we've done a pretty monumental transformation of the company and that we feel like we've got the right business model and the right mix of businesses. Corbat also comments on cyber security saying, I think the threat of cyber security is absolutely real and that this is an area where we dedicate a lot of resources, people, hours, money, to making sure that we've got the best technology.

• [By Sally Jones]

  Heres a look at what goes inside those new homes: new furniture. As furniture makers increase outsourcing and the U.S. manufacturing sector declines, investors must be wondering about the future of American furniture companies. Trading histories show Guru billionaires have taken years of losses, especially in the case of Furniture Brand International Inc. (FBN), but the recent insider trades at Furniture Brand may be some indication of what we can expect from Guru shareholders when their second quarter trading activity in this sector is revealed.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Have you ever looked back after a stock's rebounded and realized you missed the obvious hints that the bottom had been made (and you missed out)? Yeah, well, I suspect a bunch of traders are going to look back at Furniture Brands International, Inc. (NYSE:FBN) a few weeks from now and realize right now - as in today - is when FBN made a major bottom and began a bullish reversal.

source from ! Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-consumer-stocks-to-watch-right-now-3.html

Truck Deals Give Auto Sales a Boost in September

Hot Sliver Companies For 2015

Paul Sancya/APA 2015 Chrysler 200 rolls down the assembly line at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. DETROIT -- Big discounts on pickup trucks kept U.S. auto sales strong in September. General Motors (GM) and Chrysler Group led the industry with 19-percent sales increases over last September. Toyota (TM) sales rose 2 percent, while Ford and Volkswagen were down. The pace was expected to slow from a blistering August, which was the best month for the industry in eight years. August got a boost from 2014 model year clearance sales and Labor Day promotions. While August was fueled by incentives on midsize cars, September saw good deals on pickup trucks. The second half of the year is usually stronger for pickup sales, and stable gas prices, employment gains and higher consumer confidence bodes well for automakers this year. GM and Chrysler took advantage of Ford, which has temporarily closed a truck factory to retool for its new aluminum-clad F-150. Ford cut back on discounts in order to keep more trucks in stock during the shutdown. As a result, GM said its light-duty Silverado outsold Ford's F-150 for the first month since 2011. Ford's sales dropped 3 percent to 180,175, and F-Series truck sales were down 1 percent to 59,863. It was the first time in seven months that Ford's monthly truck sales have dropped below 60,000. Ford Motor (F) saw a 9 percent increase in Fusion sedan sales, but otherwise its car sales were down. Sales of the Escape small SUV fell 4 percent; Ford blamed that on a sharp cutback on sales to rental car companies. GM's sales totaled 223,437 cars and trucks. Three of its four brands saw double-digit gains; Cadillac sales were flat compared with last September. Sales of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup rose 54 percent to 50,176, while the GMC Sierra pickup was up 25 percent to 16,763. GM spent just under $5,000 in incentives per pickup, which was 30 percent, or $1,140, higher than a year ago, according to estimates by J.D. Power and Associates. By comparison, Ford said its incentive spending dropped $160 per truck to $4,300. GM's SUV sales were also strong. Sales of the recently revamped Cadillac Escalade more than doubled, while Chevrolet Traverse sales rose 45 percent. Chrysler sold 169,890 cars and trucks, its best September since 2005. Ram truck sales rose 30 percent to 36,612 after Chrysler raised Ram incentives by 22 percent to $4,640. Chrysler also benefited from buyers' increasing preference for small SUVs. Sales of the Jeep Cherokee, which was introduced late last year, surpassed the bigger Grand Cherokee for the first time. Jeep brand sales increased by 47 percent over last September. Toyota sales rose 2 percent, with double-digit gains for another small SUV, the RAV4. Honda (HMC) sales rose 12 percent on the strength of the CR-V SUV and the Honda Fit subcompact, which jumped 66.5 percent

Hot Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now

Hot Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Anthem Inc (ANTM)

Anthem, Inc., formerly WellPoint, Inc. (WellPoint), incorporated on July 17, 2001, is a health benefit company. The Company manages its operations through three segments: Commercial, Consumer, and Other. The Company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), an association of independent health benefit plans. The Company offers a spectrum of network-based managed care plans to the large and small employer, individual, Medicaid and senior markets. Its managed care plans include preferred provider organizations (PPOs); health maintenance organizations (HMOs); point-of-service plans (POS) plans; traditional indemnity plans and other hybrid plans, including consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs); and hospital only and limited benefit products.

The Company serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS), licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Main e, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as BCBS in 10 New York city metropolitan and surrounding counties, and as Blue Cross or BCBS in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, District of Columbia), and Wisconsin. The Company does business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue Cross (in its New York service areas). The Company also serves customers throughout the country as UniCare and in certain California, Arizona and Nevada markets.

The Company provides an array of managed care services to self-funded customers, including claims processing, underwriting, stop loss insurance, actuarial services, provider network access, medical cost management, ! disease management, wellness programs and other administrative services. The Company also provides an array of specialty products and services including life a! nd disability insurance benefits, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, radiology benefit management, analytics-driven personal health care guidance and long-term care insurance. The Company provides services to the Federal Government in connection with the Federal Employee Program (FEP), and various Medicare programs.

The Company's Commercial and Consumer segments both offers a diversified mix of managed care products, including PPOs, HMOs, traditional indemnity benefits and POS plans, as well as a variety of hybrid benefit plans including CDHPs, hospital only and limited benefit products. Its Commercial segment includes Local Group (including UniCare), National Accounts and certain other ancillary business operations (dental, vision, life and disability and workers' compensation). Business units in the Commercial segment offer fully-insured products and provide an array of managed care services to self-funded customers, including claims proce ssing, underwriting, stop loss insurance, actuarial services, provider network access, medical cost management, disease management, wellness programs and other administrative services.

The Company's Consumer segment includes senior, state-sponsored and individual businesses. Its senior business includes services, such as Medicare Advantage (including private fee-for-service plans and special needs plans), Medicare Part D, and Medicare Supplement, while its State-Sponsored business includes its managed care alternatives for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Plan programs. Individual business includes individual customers under age 65 and their covered dependents. Its Other segment includes the Comprehensive Health Solutions business unit (CHS). Its Other segment also includes results from its Federal Government Solutions (FGS), business. FGS ! business ! includes FEP and National Government Services, Inc. (NGS), which acts as a Medicare contractor in several regions across the nation.

Preferred P! rovider O! rganization products offer the member an option to select any health care provider, with benefits reimbursed by the Company at a higher level when care is received from a participating network provider. Consumer-Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) provide consumers with increased financial responsibility, choice and control regarding how their health care dollars are spent. Indemnity products offer the member an option to select any health care provider for covered services. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) products include managed care benefits, generally through a participating network of physicians, hospitals and other providers. Point-of-Service (POS) products blend the characteristics of HMO, PPO and indemnity plans.

The Company provides administrative services to large group employers that maintain self-funded health plans. These administrative services include underwriting, actuarial services, medical management, claims processing and other administrative se rvices for self-funded employers. Self-funded health plans are also able to use its provider networks and to realize savings through its negotiated provider arrangements, while allowing employers the ability to design certain health benefit plans in accordance with their own requirements and objectives. The Company also underwrites stop loss insurance for self-funded plans.

BlueCard host members are generally members who reside in or travel to a state in which a WellPoint subsidiary is the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee and who are covered under an employer sponsored health plan serviced by a non-WellPoint controlled BCBS licensee, who is the home plan. The Company performs certain administrative functions for BlueCard host members, for which it receives administrative fees from the BlueCard members' home plans. Other administrative funct! ions, inc! luding maintenance of enrollment information and customer service, are performed by the home plan. The Comp any offers a variety of senior plans, products and options, ! such as M! edicare supplement plans, Medicare Advantage (including private fee-for-service plans and special needs plans) and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (Medicare Part D). Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare beneficiaries with a managed care alternative to traditional Medicare and often include a Medicare Part D benefit. In addition, its Medicare Advantage special needs plans provide Medicare beneficiaries who have chronic diseases and conditions with tailored benefits designed to meet their needs Medicare Part D offers a prescription drug plan to Medicare and dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) beneficiaries. The Company offers these plans to customers through its health benefit subsidiaries throughout the country, including CareMore.

The Company offers a range of health insurance plans with a variety of options and deductibles for individuals under age 65 who are not covered by employer-sponsored coverage. Some of its products target certain demogra phic populations, such as uninsured younger individuals between the ages of 19 and 29, families and those transitioning between jobs or early retirees. The Company has contracts to serve members enrolled in Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance programs and other publicly funded health care programs for low income and/or high medical risk individuals. The Company provides services in California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. It markets and sells an integrated prescription drug product to both fully-insured and self-funded customers through its health benefit subsidiaries throughout the country. The product includes features, such as drug formularies, a pharmacy network and maintenance of a prescription drug database and mail order capabilities. The Company has delegated c! ertain fu! nctions and administrative services related to its integrated prescription drug products to Express Scripts, under a 10 year contract. Express Scripts manages the network of ph! armacy pr! oviders, operates mail order pharmacies and processes prescription drug claims on its behalf, while it sells and support the product for clients, make formulary decisions and set drug benefit design strategy and provide front line member support.

The life products include term life and accidental death and dismemberment. The Company offers short-term and long-term disability programs, usually in conjunction with its health plans. The Company offers specialized behavioral health plans and benefits management. These plans cover mental health and substance abuse treatment services on both an inpatient and an outpatient basis. The Company offers outpatient diagnostic imaging management services to health plans. These services include utilization management for advanced diagnostic imaging procedures, network development and optimization, patient safety, claims adjudication and provider payment. The Company offers evidence based and analytics-driven personal health care guid ance.

The Company's dental plans include networks in certain states in which it operates. Many of the dental benefits are provided to customers enrolled in its health plans and are offered on both a fully-insured and self-funded basis. Its members also have access to additional dental providers through its participation in the National Dental GRID, a national dental network developed by and for BCBS plans. Additionally, the Company offers managed dental services to other health care plans to assist those other health care plans in providing dental benefits to their customers. Its vision plans include networks within the states where the Company operates. Many of the vision benefits are provided to customers enrolled in its health plans and are offered on both a fully-insured and self-funded basis.

The Company offer! s long-te! rm care insurance products to its California members through a subsidiary. The long-term care products include tax-qualified a nd non-tax qualified versions of a skilled nursing home care! plan and! comprehensive policies covering skilled, intermediate and custodial long-term care and home health services. Through its subsidiary, NGS, the Company serves as a fiscal intermediary, carrier and Medicare administrative contractor providing administrative services for the Medicare program, which generally provides coverage for persons who are 65 or older and for persons who are disabled or with end-stage renal disease. Part A of the Medicare program provides coverage for services provided by hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other health care facilities. Part B of the Medicare program provides coverage for services provided by physicians, physical and occupational therapists and other professional providers, as well as certain durable medical equipment and medical supplies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  This is extremely important for Anthem (NYSE: ANTM  ) (formerly WellPoint) which was the big Obamacare enrollment winner last year and has banked its success on courting Medicaid expansion enrollees as well. California's strong Medi-Cal enrollment so far is encouraging, but I'd reserve judgment until Anthem's fourth-quarter earnings report.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-insurance-stocks-to-watch-right-now-2.html

Hot Specialty Retail Companies To Invest In 2015

Hot Specialty Retail Companies To Invest In 2015: CSS Industries Inc (CSS)

CSS Industries, Inc. (CSS), incorporated on November 5, 1923, is a company primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution and sale of seasonal and all occasion social expression products, principally to mass market retailers. These seasonal and all occasion products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper, decorations, classroom exchange Valentines, decorative ribbons and bows, floral accessories, Halloween masks, costumes, make-up and novelties, Easter egg dyes and novelties, craft and educational products, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items that commemorate life's celebrations. In September 5, 2012, it sold the Halloween portion of its Paper Magic business to Gemmy Industries (HK) Limited.

CSS' product provides its retail customers the opportunity to use a single ven dor for much of their seasonal product requirements. A substantial portion of CSS' products are manufactured, packaged and/or warehoused in 10 facilities located in the United States, with the remainder purchased primarily from manufacturers in Asia and Mexico. The Company's products are sold to its customers by national and regional account sales managers, sales representatives, product specialists and by a network of independent manufacturers' representatives. The Company's principal operating subsidiaries include Paper Magic Group, Inc. (Paper Magic), Berwick Offray LLC (Berwick Offray) and C.R. Gibson, LLC (C.R. Gibson). CSS designs, manufactures, procures, distributes and sells a range of seasonal consumer products primarily through the mass market distribution channel. Christmas products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card ! holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper and decorations. CSS' Valentine product offerings includ e classroom exchange Valentine cards and other related Valen! tine products, while its Easter product offerings include Dudley's brand of Easter egg dyes and related Easter seasonal products. CSS also designs and markets decorative ribbons and bows, all occasion boxed greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, decorative and waxed tissue, decorative films and foils, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, floral accessories and other gift and craft items to its mass market, craft, specialty and floral retail and wholesale distribution customers, and teachers' aids and other learning oriented products to the education market through mass market retailers, school supply distributors and teachers' stores. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Dudley's, Don Post Studios, Eureka, Learning Playground, Stickerfitti and iota. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markin gs, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Seastone, Dudley's, Eureka, Learning Playground and Stickerfitti.

CSS operates 10 manufacturing and/or distribution facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas. Its boxed greeting cards are produced by Asian manufacturers to the Company's specifications. Halloween make-up and Easter egg dye products are manufactured in Asia to specific formulae by contract manufacturers who meet regulatory requirements for the formularization and packaging of such products. Ribbons and bows are primarily manufactured and warehoused in seven facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas. Memory books, stationery, journals and notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items are imported from Asian manufacturers and! warehous! ed and distributed from a distribution facility in Florence, Alabama. Floral accessories, including pot covers, foil, waxe d tissue, shred, aisle runners, corsage bags and other paper! and film! products, are manufactured in a facility located in Milford, New Hampshire and Juarez, Mexico. Manufacturing includes gravure and flexo printing, waxing and converting. Products are warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Other products including, but not limited to, decorative tissue paper, all occasion gift wrap, gift tags, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, classroom exchange Valentine products, Halloween masks, costumes and novelties, Easter products, decorations and school products are designed to the specifications of CSS and are imported primarily from Asian manufacturers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Gifts maker CSS Industries  (NYSE: CSS  )  announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-specialty-retail-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

10 Big-Name Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week (July 7-11)

Ex-dividend dates are very important to dividend investors, since you must purchase a stock prior to its ex-dividend date in order to receive its upcoming dividend payout. For more information, check out Everything Investors Need to Know About Ex-Dividend Dates.

Below we highlight 10 big-name stocks going ex-dividend for the week of July 7-11.

1. AT&T

AT&T Inc. (T) is set to trade ex-dividend on July 8. The telecom company offers a dividend yield of 5.16% based on Wednesday's closing price of $35.67 and the company's quarterly dividend payout of 46 cents. The stock is up 1% year-to-date. Dividend.com currently rates T as “Recommended” with a DARS™ rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

2. Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is set to trade ex-dividend on July 8. The telecom company offers a dividend yield of 4.27% based on Wednesday's closing price of $49.66 and the company's quarterly dividend payout of 53 cents. The stock has been flat year-to-date. Dividend.com currently rates VZ as “Recommended” with a DARS™ rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

3. Kraft Foods Group

Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (KRFT) is set to trade ex-dividend on July 9. The food product company offers a dividend yield of 3.48% based on Wednesday's closing price of $60.43 and the company's quarterly dividend payout of 52.5 cents. The stock is up 12% year-to-date. Dividend.com currently rates KRFT as “Recommended” with a DARS™ rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

4. Toronto-Dominion Bank

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is set to trade ex-dividend on July 7. The financial services company offers a dividend yield of 3.34% based on Wednesday's closing price of $51.66 and the company's quarterly dividend payout of 47 cents. The stock is up 10% year-to-date. Dividend.com currently rates TD as “Recommended” with a DARS™ rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

5. Oracle

Oracle Corp (ORCL) is set to trade ex-dividend on July 7. The technology company offers a dividend yield of 1.17% based on Wednesday's closing price of $40.95 and the company's quarterly dividend payout of 12 cents. The stock is up 7% year-to-date. Dividend.com currently rates ORCL as “Neutral” with a DARS™ rating of 3.3 stars out of 5 stars.

6. General Mills

General Mills (GIS) is set to trade ex-dividend on July 8. The packaged food company offers a dividend yield of 3.09% based on Wednesday's closing price of $53.01 and the company's quarterly dividend payout of 41 cents. The stock is up 6% year-to-date. Dividend.com currently rates GIS as “Neutral” with a DARS™ rating of 3.4 stars out of 5 stars.

7. Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (

General Motors: Never Mind the Recalls, Earnings Should Be Strong

JPMorgan’s Ryan Brinkman and team aren’t worried about the latest General Motors (GM) recall:

REUTERS

Despite the continuing recalls, we see a clear line of sight to GM largely moving past pending product safety reviews and victim compensation matters by 2Q-end – both factors that have been weighing on investor sentiment. We believe the cycling past of these uncertainties, combined with evidence of an underlying earnings inflection driven by a full quarter's benefit from all new heavy duty pickup trucks and full-size SUVs (when 2Q earnings are announced in July) could spark a strong re-rating in the shares from their current low 3.2x multiple.

10 Best Stocks To Buy For 2015

Ford Motor (F), meanwhile, hasn’t “missed the boat in China,” Brinkman says:

Highly attractive from a rate-of-change perspective, Ford is growing faster in China in percentage terms than any other company we cover…The narrative prior to 2012 was that Ford had missed the boat in China. That narrative quickly faded as Ford rode a wave of new product introductions to a +27% y/y increase in China sales in 2012, followed by +59% in 2013 and another +41% in year-to-date 2014. Profitability has followed, with Ford Asia Pacific narrowing losses in 2012 before turning the first profit in years in 2013. And thus far in 2014, 1Q profits have nearly eclipsed that earned in all of 2013. We estimate Ford is well on its way to its goal of Asia Pacific becoming a material contributor to global automotive pre-tax profits by mid-decade.

Shares of Ford Motors have gained 0.4% to $16.69 at 11:14 a.m., while General Motors has dropped 0.3% to $35.95.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks To Watch Right Now: Intel Corporation(INTC)

Intel Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of integrated circuits for computing and communications industries worldwide. It offers microprocessor products used in notebooks, netbooks, desktops, servers, workstations, storage products, embedded applications, communications products, consumer electronics devices, and handhelds. The company also provides system on chip products that integrate its core processing functionalities with other system components, such as graphics, audio, and video, onto a single chip. In addition, it offers chipset products that send data between the microprocessor and input, display, and storage devices, including keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard drive, and CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives; motherboards designed for desktop, server, and workstation platforms, and that has connectors for attaching devices to the bus; and wired and wireless connectivity products consisting of network adapters and embedded wireless cards used to translate and transmit data across networks. Further, the company provides NAND flash memory products primarily used in portable memory storage devices, digital camera memory cards, and solid-state drives; software products comprising operating systems, middleware, and tools used to develop, run, and manage various enterprise, consumer, embedded, and handheld devices; and software development tools that enable the creation of applications. Additionally, it develops computing platforms, which are integrated hardware and software computing technologies designed to offer an optimized solution. The company sells its products principally to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, PC components and other products users, and other manufacturers of industrial and communications equipment. It has a strategic alliance with Scientific Conservation Inc. Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisor! s' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Chip stock Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) has been busy announcing new partnerships along with other news as the company continues to compete with or differentiate itself from Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA). I shouldnotethat recently hadan open position in Advanced Micro Devices inour SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio from roughly last summer up untillate January when we locked in a small loss.Because the SCN EO is atrading rather than a buy and hold portfolio, we decided to get outwhenshares sankoncemoreafterAMD issued anearnings report a repeat of theperformancethat occuredafter threeprevious earnings reports.However andif you are an investor or trader with a longer term horizon, you might want to consider the following news about AMD:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Thats just in time for a ramping up of earnings season. During the four-day trading week, which ends Thursday ahead of the Good Friday holiday, nine Dow components report quarterly results. Those Dow components include Coca-Cola Co. (KO) , Johnson & Johnson Inc. (JNJ) , and Intel (INTC) on Tuesday; IBM (IBM) and American Express Co. (AXP) on Wednesday; with UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) , General Electric Co. (GE) , Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) , and DuPont (DD) on Thursday.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  We have tracked the key short interest changes as of September ! 30 in the! following semiconductor leaders: Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC), Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD), Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK), Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM), ARM Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: ARMH), Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM), Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL), Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA), Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN) and Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT). We also chose to look at how the Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSEMKT: SMH) has held up.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-supermarket-stocks-to-watch-right-now-3.html

Top Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In 2015

Top Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In 2015: Motorcar Parts of America Inc. (MPAA)

Motorcar Parts of America, Inc., together wit its subsidiaries, remanufactures and distributes alternators and starters for import and domestic cars, light trucks, heavy duty, agricultural, and industrial applications in the United States and Canada. It replacement parts are used on vehicles after initial vehicle purchase. The company sells its products to approximately 12,000 retail outlets; automotive warehouse distributors; and OES customers under customer private labels and under the Quality-Built, Talon, Xtreme, and Reliance brand names. Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in Torrance, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. (Nasdaq:MPAA) is scheduled to make a presentation on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time at B. Riley & Company’s 13th Annual Investor Conference at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Southern California.

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  Motorcar Parts of America (MPAA) is the tiniest entry at only a $208 million market cap. Its a bit more specialized, focusing more on alternators, starters and wheel hub assemblies. It also distributes only through the DIY stores. MPAA sits on $100 million in debt and $16 million in cash. It’s cash flow negative and trades at a P/E of 14 on long term growth of 15%. Id stay away from this one, given the cash flow situation.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-up-and-coming-stocks-to-invest-in-2015-2.html

Top 10 High Dividend Companies For 2015

Top 10 High Dividend Companies For 2015: Briggs & Stratton Corporation (BGG)

Briggs & Stratton Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and services air cooled gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. It operates in two segments, Engines and Products. The Engines segment offers four-cycle aluminum alloy gasoline engines that are used primarily by the lawn and garden equipment industry. Its products are used in various lawn and garden equipment applications, including walk-behind lawn mowers, riding lawn mowers, garden tillers, and snow throwers, as well as on products for industrial, construction, agricultural, and other consumer applications that include portable and standby generators, pumps, and pressure washers. This segment also manufactures and sells replacement engines and service parts to sales and service distributors. The Products segment offers portable and standby generators, pressure washers, snow throwers, and lawn and garden powered equipment. This segment sells its products through various channels of retail distribution, in cluding consumer home centers, warehouse clubs, mass merchants, and independent dealers under its brands, which include Briggs & Stratton, Snapper, Simplicity, Ferris, Snapper Pro, Murray, and Victa, as well as other brands, such as Craftsman, John Deere, GE, and Troy-Bilt. The company serves original equipment manufacturers worldwide. Briggs & Stratton Corporation was founded in 1908 and is based in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Briggs & Stratton (NYSE: BGG) shares tumbled 7.70 percent to $20.98 after the company reported downbeat Q2 results and lowered its FY14 earnings forecast.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Small-engine maker Briggs & Stratton  (NYSE: BGG  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.12 per share, the same rate it's paid for the pas! t four quarters after raising the payout 9% from $0.11 per share.

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

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014

The genius of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) product innovation is that Apple has found a way to think years, even decades ahead of consumers. It revolutionized what we thought about cell phones, created an app model that didn't previously exist, and is currently taking steps to connect us to everything, all the time.

Don't get fooled by the product announcements most people focus on; it's the software that Apple will use to differentiate itself in the future. Airplay allows your Apple devices to communicate with each other, AirDrop makes other devices accessible, and iCloud stores photos, music, and soon passwords that pull you in and keep you in the ecosystem.

Slowly, these products creep into our daily usage and become a natural extension of us. Turn the lights on remotely, check your security camera, change a file on your smartphone, and beam anything to the nearest Apple-powered screen.

What Apple is doing is making the device itself ubiquitous. Wherever or whenever it's convenient to do what you need to do, from business to recreation, on any of your Apple devices, a solution will be available. Wi-Fi, iCloud, AirDrop, and AirPlay are just the ways Apple uses to connect them and make sure Apple is everywhere.

Hot Japanese Stocks To Own For 2015: Bowl America Inc (BWL.A)

Bowl America Incorporated, incorporated in July 22, 1958, is engaged in the entertainment business. The Company operates in one segment. Its principal source of revenue consists of fees charged for the use of bowling lanes and other facilities and from the sale of food and beverages for consumption on the premises. Merchandise sales, including food and beverages, were approximately 30% of operating revenues. The balance of operating revenues (approximately 70%) represents fees for bowling and related services. During the fiscal year ended July, 1 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries operated 19 bowling centers. These 19 bowling centers contain a total of 756 lanes. As of September 1, 2012 the Company and its subsidiaries operated 10 bowling centers in the greater metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., one bowling center in the metropolitan area of Baltimore, Maryland, one bowling center in Orlando, Florida, three bowling centers in the metropolitan area of Jacksonville, Florida, and four bowling centers in the metropolitan area of Richmond, Virginia.

These establishments are air-conditioned with facilities for service of food and beverages, game rooms, rental lockers, and meeting room facilities. All centers provide shoes for rental, and bowling balls are provided free. In addition, each center retails bowling accessories. Most locations are equipped for glow-in-the-dark bowling, popular for parties and non-league bowling. The bowling equipment essential for the Company's operation is readily available. Two of the Company's bowling centers are located in leased premises, and the remaining seventeen centers are owned by the Company.

The Company competes with Brunswick Corporation and AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fredrik Arnold]

  The balance of the top ten included one technology firm, AT&T Inc. (T) in fourth place; one consumer goods, Altria Group Inc. (MO), placed fifth; Bowl America Class A (BWL.A) in seventh place was the lone service dog. Two utilities, Northwest Natural Gas (NWN), and Consolidated Edison (ED), in ninth and tenth places completed the representation of market sectors in the champions index.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Biglari Holdings Inc (BH)

Biglari Holdings Inc. is a holding company engaged in a range of diverse business activities. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in investment management and the franchising/operating of restaurants. The Company's wholly owned subsidiaries include Steak n Shake Operations, Inc. (Steak n Shake), Western Sizzlin Corporation (Western) and Biglari Capital Corp. (Biglari Capital). Biglari Holdings, as a capital allocating vehicle, is also in the business of owning other businesses in whole and in part. In February 2014, Biglari Holdings Inc and Alpha Media Group announced that the wholly owned subsidiary of Biglari Holdings has acquired MAXIM.

On April 30, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of Biglari Capital Corp. (Biglari Capital). On March 30, 2010, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Grill Acquisition Corporation, completed the acquisition of Western.

Steak n Shake

The Company is engaged in the ownership, operation, and franchising of Steak n Shake restaurants. Steak n Shake is a American brand serving burgers and milk shakes. Steak n Shake offers its patrons full-service dining with counter and dining room seating, as well as drive-thru and carry-out service. During the fiscal year ended September 29, 2010 (fiscal 2010), counter and dining room sales represented approximately 60% of the sales mix, while sales for off-premises dining represent approximately 40% of the sales mix.

Western Sizzlin

The Company is engaged in the franchising of restaurants. Western Sizzlin offers full service dining of signature steak dishes, as well as other classic American menu items. Western Sizzlin also operates other concepts, Great American Steak & Buffet, and Wood Grill Buffet consisting of hot and cold food buffet style dining.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One cyclical consumer player that insiders are buying up a large amount of stock in here is Biglari (BH), which is currently engaged in investment management and the franchising and operating of restaurants. Insiders are buying this stock into modest strength, since shares are up 8.7% so far in 2013.

  Biglari has a market cap of $605 million and an enterprise value of $688 million. This stock trades at a cheap valuation, with a trailing price-to-earnings of 4.83 and a forward price-to-earnings of 29.38. Its estimated growth rate for this quarter is 42%. This is not a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $153.57 million and its total debt is $236.16 million.

  The CEO and chairman of the board just bought 5,165 shares, or about $1.36 million worth of stock, at $265 a share.

  From a technical perspective, BH is currently trending above its 200-day moving average and just below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last month and change, with shares moving between $408.25 on the downside and $429.97 on the upside. Shares of BH are now starting to push within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

  If you're bullish on BH, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above some near-term support levels at $410 to $408.25, and then once breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance levels $428.85 to $429.97 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 10,146 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then BH will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from August that started at $467.89 a share.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Cracker Barrel have gained 0.9% to $113.29 and�Biglari Holdings (BH), Sandar Biglari’s holding company, has fallen 0.4% to $516.96, on a day when DineEquity has advanced 1% to $85.03, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (RRGB) has risen 0.5% to $76.64 and Denny’s (DENN) is up 0.7% at $7.45.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  The stellar report has the stock trading at its record highs, even in the face of some serious allegations from activist investor and QSR wizard Sardar Biglari of Biglari Holdings (NYSE: BH  ) . Does Biglari's argument still hold water in the face of the vastly improved Cracker Barrel?

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Buffett-inspired Biglari Holdings (NYSE: BH  ) is not nearly as followed as its model business, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B  ) , but investors in the latter would be wise to keep an eye on the moves of this restaurant-focused holdings company.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Thomas Cook Group plc (TCG)

Thomas Cook Group plc is a United Kingdom-based leisure travel company. The Company operates in 19 source markets and operates under brands, including Thomas Cook, Neckermann, Condor, Jet tours, Ving, Spies and Tja reborg. Thomas Cook directly or indirectly controls a number of subsidiaries. The Company also has investments in other companies. It operates a combined fleet of 87 aircraft. The Company�� operating structure comprises four segments which are principally organized according to the location of the customer�� origin. These are United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Northern Europe and Airlines Germany. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) dropped 7.7 percent to 116.1 pence. The tour operator admitted new shares to its listing this week. The company last month announced plans to raise 425 million pounds in a rights offer and share placement.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Dover Motorsports Inc (DVD)

Dover Motorsports, Inc. is a marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owned and operated Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tennessee. During the year ended 2011, the Company�� facilities promoted 10 events under the auspices of the sanctioning body, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). During 2011, the Company promoted 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, 4 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, 3 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, and 1 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event.. On January 31, 2011, the Company sold its Memphis Motorsports Park facility.

Dover International Speedway

The Company has promoted NASCAR-sanctioned racing events at Dover International Speedway. As of December 31, 2011, it promoted six NASCAR-sanctioned events at the facility annually. Two races are in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series professional stock car racing circuit, two races are in the NASCAR Nationwide Series racing circuit, one race is in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing circuit and one race is in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East racing circuit. Each of the NASCAR Nationwide Series events and the Camping World Truck Series event at Dover International Speedway are conducted on the days before a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Dover International Speedway is one of only seven speedways in North America that presents two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and two NASCAR Nationwide Series events each year. Additionally, it is one of only five tracks to host three NASCAR events at one facility on the same weekend.

Dover International Speedway, known as the Monster Mile, is a high-banked, one-mile, concrete superspeedway with permanent seating capacity of approximately 132,000. The superspeedway facility also features the Monster Bridge. The climate controlled bridge spans across the width of the superspeedway at a height of 29 feet ! and houses 50-luxury seats, a refreshment bar and other amenities.

Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway (Nashville) is a motorsports complex approximately 35 miles from downtown Nashville in Wilson County, Tennessee. The 1.33-mile concrete superspeedway has 25,000 permanent grandstand seats with an infrastructure in place to expand to 150,000 seats as demand requires. Additionally, construction included lights at the superspeedway to allow for nighttime racing and the foundation work for a dirt track, short track and drag strip. Nashville Superspeedway promoted two NASCAR Nationwide Series events and two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, during 2011. The facility also hosted other regional and national touring events, as well as track rentals.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE:DVD) Board of Directors today declared an annual cash dividend on both classes of common stock of $.04 per share. The dividend will be payable on December 10, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 10, 2012. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, we will evaluate dividends annually.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Manchester United PLC (MANU)

Manchester United plc, formerly Manchester United Ltd., incorporated on April 30, 2012, is engaged in the operations of professional sports team. It provides manchester united a platform to generate revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and matchday. The Company had three principal sectors: Commercial, Broadcasting and Matchday.

Commercial

Within the Commercial revenue sector, the Company had three revenue streams which include sponsorship revenue; retail, merchandising, apparel and product licensing revenue; and new media and mobile revenue. Retail, Merchandising, Apparel and Product Licensing, it markets and sells sports apparel, training and leisure wear and other clothing featuring the Manchester United brand on a global basis. In addition, it also sells other licensed products, from coffee mugs to bed spreads, featuring the Manchester United brand and trademarks. These products are distributed through Manchester United branded retail centers and e-commerce platforms, as well as its partners' wholesale distribution channels.

The Company retails, merchandizes, apparel & product licensing business is managed by Nike, who pays it a minimum guaranteed amount and a share of the business' cumulative profits. It has formed mobile telecom partnerships in 44 countries. In addition, it markets content directly to its followers through its Website, www.manutd.com, and associated mobile properties.

Broadcasting

The Company generates revenue from distribution and broadcasting of live football content. Broadcasting revenue is derived from the global television rights relating to the Premier League, Champions League and other competitions. In addition, its global television channel, MUTV, delivers Manchester United programming to 54 countries around the world. Broadcasting includes all revenue covering domestic and international television and radio rights. Broadc! asting revenue including, in some cases, prize money received by it in respect of the various competitions.

Matchday

The Company generates revenue during the matchday from the Old Trafford, a sports venue.

Other Matchday revenue includes matchday catering, event parking, program sales as well as membership and travel, Manchester United Museum revenue and a share of the ticket revenue from away matches in domestic cup competitions. Matchday revenue also includes revenue from other events hosted at Old Trafford, including other sporting events (including football matches as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the annual Rugby Super League Grand Final), music concerts and entertainment events.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By STOCKPICKR]

   

  Manchester United (MANU), together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the ownership and operation of Manchester United Football Club, a professional football club in the United Kingdom. This stock closed up 4.1% to $17.50 in Monday's trading session.

   

  Monday's Volume: 973,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 48,028
  
  Volume % Change: 1099%

   

  From a technical perspective, MANU surged sharply higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $16.87 with monster upside volume. This spike higher on Monday pushed shares of MANU into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $17 to $17.34. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if MANU manages to take out Monday's intraday high of $17.50 with strong upside volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MANU as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $16.80 and then once it sustains a move or close above $17.50 with volume that hits near or above 48,028 shares. If that move starts soon, then MANU will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $18.48 to its 52-week high of $19.

   

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  Manchester United plc (MANU) is an English Premier League professional sports team. The business has three principal segments: Commercial, Broadcasting and Matchday. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and is now the second most popular sport among the 12-24 age group in the U.S. Manchester United is a global brand, with a proven history of success, having won 12 of the last 20 Premier League Titles. It is the most popular soccer team in the world, with over 600 million fans! The company is positioned to benefit from greater broadcast fees and higher sponsorship and merchandising revenue, generating substantially more cash flow. We think of Manchester United as the most popular television program in the world that has not yet monetized the value of its brand. (Ashim Mehra)

• [By Maureen Farrell]

  Soccer club Manchester United (MANU) reported a jump in quarterly revenue, compared to the prior year, and a surge in net profit, compared to a loss last year. Its stock closed up more than 2%.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Digital Cinema Destinations Corp (DCIN)

Digital Cinema Destinations Corp., incorporated on July 29, 2010, operates eight theatres and 73 screens located in Westfield, New Jersey (Rialto), Cranford, New Jersey (Cranford), Bloomfield, Connecticut (the Bloomfield 8) and five theatres located in central Pennsylvania (Cinema Centers). During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company operates eight theatres, two in New Jersey, with a total of 11 screens, one in Connecticut, with a total of 8 screens and five in central Pennsylvania, with a total of 54 screens. In March 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of a seven screen theater in Churchville, MD from Flagship Cinemas.

The Rialto is a six-screen theatre located in downtown Westfield, New Jersey, which has a population of approximately 30,000 people. The Bloomfield 8 is an eight-screen theatre located at the Wintonbury Mall in the town of Bloomfield, Connecticut, which is a New England town of over 20,000 people that is home to many sites that are on the National Register of Historic Places and is approximately 5.5 miles from downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Cinema Centers consists of a chain of five theatres with 54 screens located throughout central Pennsylvania. All of the Cinema Centers theatres are in free zones. The 11-screen Cinema Center of Bloomsburg theatre is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Bloomsburg, a college town of approximately 13,000 people, is located midway between Wilkes Barre and Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The 12-screen Cinema Center of Camp Hill theatre is located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is the state capital of Pennsylvania with a population of approximately 50,000 people.

The 10-screen Cinema Center at Fairgrounds Square Mall is located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Company�� Cinema Centers, had one digital projector, RealD 3D enabled. The 12-screen Cinema Center at Selinsgrove is located in Selinsgove, Pennsylvania. Selinsgrove is ! a historic town located on the Susquehanna River with a population of approximately 27,000 people located within five miles of the theatre. The nine-screen Cinema Center of Williamsport is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The Company competes with Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment Inc., Clearview and Cinemark USA, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Erin McCarthy]

  Carmike Cinemas Inc.(CKEC), the nation’s fourth-largest movie theater chain, said Thursday it is acquiring Digital Cinema Destinations Corp.(DCIN), a smaller rival that does business as Digiplex.

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Mountain China Resorts Holding Ltd (MCG)

Mountain China Resorts (Holding) Limited (MCR) is a Canada-based investment holding company. The Company is a Mountain resort developer in the People�� Republic of China. The Company�� subsidiaries engaged in the development and operation of mountain resorts and provision of hotel services in the People's Republic of China. The Company holds 100% interest in Mountain China Resorts Investment Limited, which in turn holds 100% interest in Mountain China Resorts Limited. The Company owns and operates the ski resort in the People�� Republic of China, Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort in Heilongjiang Province. The Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort also has two luxury five star hotels, restaurants, spa, retail, and conference facilities. It holds 140 million square meters of land for commercial development purpose around the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� resort real estate development project was at the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ICRAOnline]

  Apart from the Data Center Group, Intel expects the Axxia deal to boost the performance of the other two segments ��Internet of Things Group (IoTG) and Mobile and Communications Group (MCG).