Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Part of the recent move up in gold prices to more than $1,400 an ounce and the uptick in gold stocks is a response to the crisis in Syria.

However, there is a lot more occurring just beneath the surface than geopolitics.

But investors would never get that sense from Wall Street, which is still in the midst of its perennial "hate gold" campaign.

Take, for instance, the hullabaloo over the liquidation by hedge fund manager John Paulson of a large part of his position in SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD).

In the second quarter of this year, Paulson cut his position in GLD from 21.8 million shares to 10.2 million shares. At first glance, he seemed to have lost faith in gold and was getting out.

But, there's more to that story...

The Financial Times reported that Paulson offset much of the sale of GLD by purchasing gold swaps on the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Part of the reason may be cost. GLD has a management fee of 0.4%. The FT reported that with gold forward curve flattening, there's little cost to holding gold derivatives.

Hot Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2015: US Tungsten Corp (USTU)

US Tungsten Corp., formerly Stealth Resources Inc., incorporated on January 10, 2007, is an exploration-stage company. As of October 5, 2012, the Company had begun investigating tungsten opportunities. In September 2013, US Tungsten Corporation completed the registration and acquisition of 64 mineral claims located in Beaverhead, Montana.

On August 21, 2012, the Company acquired an option to acquire a 100% interest in three mineral claims known as the Calvert Property, located in Calvert, Montana (the Property). As of October 5, 2012, the Company had no operating revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap mining stocks US Tungsten Corp (OTCMKTS: USTU) and LKA Gold Inc (OTCMKTS: LKAI) along with biotech Entest BioMedical Inc (OTCMKTS: ENTB) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters with at least one of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions while another could soon be the subject of an investor relations campaign. But will any of these small cap stocks be winners for investors or traders? Here is a quick reality check:

Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: California Republic Bancorp (CRPB)

California Republic Bank (the Bank) provides an integrated banking solution to its customers. The Company provides a range of products and services, such as deposit and cash management, loans and private banking. The deposit and cash management include real time, online Internet banking, business analyzed checking, IOLTA accounts, NOW Accounts, nationwide network of cash vault centers, remote Deposit capture, fully automated domestic and international wire transfers, lockbox processing services, free worldwide automated teller machines (ATM) and debit cards, credit cards and purchase card services, customized merchant banking services, fraud prevention products including positive-pay, secure online applications, including token device with internal control access, and contractor Retention Escrow Accounts.

The loan services include unsecured lines of credit, secured revolving lines of credit, working capital loans, equipment financing, asset based credit lines, commercial owner occupied real estate loans, investor real estate loans and construction loans. Its private banking includes full array of private banking loans and lines of credit, Bill pay services, and stock secured credit lines and loans.

The Bank provides banking services to commercial entities, their owners, high net-worth individuals and active investors. It provides commercial banking, lending services, deposit services, contractor retention escrow accounts, cash management, remote deposit capture, private banking, online banking and auto finance.

The commercial banking includes online banking services, cash management products and services, remote deposit capture, contractor retention escrow accounts, domestic and international wire transfers, checking accounts, NOW accounts, money market accounts (MMA), savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), corporate credit card, analyzed accounts and IOLTA accounts. The Bank offer lines of credit to provide working capital for day-to-day operations, term loan! s for equipment, and commercial real estate loans for facilities and for investment portfolio.

The cash management includes Account Analysis, Master Agreement Accounts, Account Reconciliation, Remote Deposit Capture (RDC), Online Cash Management, Automated Clearing House (ACH) Services, Bill Pay, Lockbox Services, Positive Pay, Zero Balancing Accounts, Merchant Card, Reverse Wires, Statements on CD Rom, Corporate Credit Card, Courier Service and Bank by Mail.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, CRPB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $19.00 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:�� 11:35AM EDT July 29, 2013).

  California Republic Bancorp previously reported its results for the second-quarter 2013, reporting quarterly net income of $2.8 million, record net interest margin of 6.41%, record assets of $737.1 million and record deposits of $669.7 million.

  CEO Jon Wilcox stated, ��n the second-quarter we not only experienced strong deposit and loan growth, but also continued to invest in our people and infrastructure both in California as well as nationally, while increasing our bottom line and maintaining solid credit quality.��/p>

Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC)

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., a professional services company, provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy, and human capital. It operates in two segments, Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting. The Risk and Insurance Services segment provides risk management and insurance broking, reinsurance broking, and insurance program management services for businesses, public entities, insurance companies, associations, professional services organizations, and private clients. The Consulting segment offers advice and services to the managements of organizations in the area of human resource consulting, comprising retirement and investments, health and benefits, outsourcing and talent; and strategy and risk management consulting, such as management, economic, and brand consulting. The company also provides investment consulting services for endowments and foundations in the United States; health and benefit recordkeeping, and employee enrollment technology; human resource knowledge, data, and solutions for professionals in various industries; and Medicaid policy consulting services. It principally serves customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, and Continental Europe. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuters]

  Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images NEW YORK -- Walgreen is moving 120,000 employees to a private health insurance exchange from coverage provided directly from carriers, the company will announce Wednesday. The pharmacy chain will join 17 other large employers on the Aon Hewitt Corporate Health Exchange as part of a growing movement to offer employees fixed dollar amounts to purchase their own plans on such exchanges. The end-cost to employees depends on the plan chosen, but they typically get more options than under traditional arrangements. Private exchanges mimic the coverage mandated as part of the Affordable Care Act. Enrollment in the public exchanges starts Oct. 1. "What happens to employer contributions over time? Will they put in as much as they put in the past? These are unanswered questions but potential negatives," says Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The benefit to Walgreen and other employers is unknown at this point, as their cost-savings aren't clear. Of the 180,000 Walgreen (WAG) employees eligible for health care insurance, 120,000 opted for coverage for themselves and 40,000 family members. Another 60,000 employees, many of them working part-time, weren't eligible for health insurance. Aon Hewitt (AON) says other participants in its program include retailer Sears Holding (SHLD) and Darden Restaurants (DRI). These new additions raise enrollment to 330,000 from 100,000 last year, and Aon Hewitt estimates enrollment will jump to 600,000 next year, a fivefold increase from 2012. By 2017, nearly 20 percent of employees nationwide could get their health insurance through a private exchange, according to Accenture Research (ACN). A recent report by the National Business Group on Health said that 30 percent of large employers are considering moving active employees to exchanges by 2015. Other major providers of private exchanges include Mercer, a division of Marsh & Mc

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Progressive (PGR) was downgraded from Strong Buy to Market Perform at Raymond James, while Marsh & McLennan (MMC) was cut to Outperform from Strong Buy.

Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: General Finance Corporation (GFN)

General Finance Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the lease and sale of portable storage containers, portable container buildings, and freight containers. It offers mobile storage containers, including general purpose units, double pallet-wide high cube units, hazardous goods containers, and refrigerated containers; portable building containers, such as site offices and cabins, workforce accommodation units, luxury accommodation units, restroom blocks, blast-resistant units, and specialized office and infrastructure suites; and freight containers consisting of curtain-side containers, hi-cube containers, pallet-wide containers, side-opening door containers, and bulk containers. The company provides its products for various storage applications, including retail and manufacturing inventory, construction materials and equipment, documents and records, and household goods. It also leases and sells storage trailers and other storage structures, container office s, mobile offices, and modular buildings, as well as ancillary products comprising steps, furniture, portable toilets, security systems, and other items for use in connection with its equipment. In addition, the company offers delivery and installation, return and dismantle, and other site services. As of June 30, 2012, it operated a fleet of 23,855 mobile storage containers, 3,294 portable container buildings, and 9,348 freight containers. The company serves various industries, such as mining, road and rail, construction, moving and storage, manufacturing, transportation, defense, retail, utilities, education, and services sectors, as well as small and medium-size entities in New Zealand, North America, and the Asia-Pacific regions of Australia. General Finance Corporation was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  General Finance (NASDAQ: GFN) shares touched a new 52-week high of $8.12 after DA Davidson lifted the price target on the stock from $8 to $11.

  Mattress Firm Holding (NASDAQ: MFRM) shares reached a new 52-week high of $47.03 after the company reported upbeat Q4 earnings and raised its FY14 forecast.

Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Franklin Universal Trust (FT)

Franklin Universal Trust (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end investment company. The Fund�� primary investment objective is to provide high current income consistent with preservation of capital. Its secondary objective is growth of income through dividend increases and capital appreciation. The Fund invests primarily in two asset classes: high-yield bonds and utility stocks.

The Fund invests in sectors, such as non-energy minerals, utilities, commercial services, communications, consumer durables, consumer non-durables, electronic technology, industrial services, process industries, technology services and transportation. The Fund may invest in the Franklin Institutional Fiduciary Trust Money Market Portfolio (the Sweep Money Fund), an open-end investment company managed by its investment manager. The Fund may invest in restricted securities. The Fund�� investment manager is Franklin Advisers Inc. Its administrative manager is Franklin Templeton Services, LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Canadian Value]

  (FT): A 500-tonne gap in China's gold consumption data is fueling talk that the central bank took advantage of weak prices last year to bulk up its holdings of the precious metal.

• [By Canadian Value]

  (FT): Russia's central bank has warned that Russia's consumer lending sector threatens the country's "financial stability", the same day that it revoked the licence of Master Bank, a midsized retail lender.

Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Deutsche Bank AG (LBND)

Deutsche Bank AG is a global investment bank. The Company offers a variety of investment, financial and related products and services to private individuals, corporate entities and institutional clients around the world. The Company operates through such divisions as: Private and Business Clients, Asset and Wealth Management, Corporate Banking and Securities, Global Transaction Banking and Non-Core Operations Unit. Deutsche Bank AG is active domestically and in various countries, through the network of numerous branches. In February 2014, the Company and its related bodies corporate ceases to a share holder in the capital of the Company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Donald van Deventer]

  Long-duration Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds: (TLH), , (IEF), (DTYL), (DLBL), (ILTB), (TENZ), (ITE), (TLO), (EDV), (VGIT), (VGLT), (TMF), (TYD), (LBND), (UBT), (UST), (TMV), (TYO), (DSTJ), (DSXJ), (SBND), (PST), (DTYS), (DLBS), (TBF), (TTT), (TYNS), (TYBS), (TBX).

Top 10 Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Arlington Asset Investment Corp (AI)

Arlington Asset Investment Corp. is a principal investment firm that acquires mortgage-related and other assets. The Company acquires residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), either issued by United States government agencies or guaranteed as to principal and interest by United States government agencies or United States government-sponsored entities (agency-backed MBS). It also acquires MBS issued by private organizations (private-label MBS). It manages a portfolio of mortgage holdings with the goal of obtaining a high risk-adjusted return on capital. The Company acquires direct interests in residential MBS guaranteed as to principal and interest by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

The Company focuses on acquiring Fannie Mae MBS and Freddie Mac MBS. It also acquires and holds non-agency private-label MBS. Private-label MBS are MBS that are not issued by the United States Government agency or a United States Government-sponsored entity, such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and that are generally backed by a pool of single-family residential mortgage loans. Certificates are issued by originators of, investors in, and other owners of residential mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, mortgage banks, investment banks and special purpose conduit subsidiaries of these institutions. The Company focuses on acquiring Residential Prime Senior MBS, Residential Non-Prime Senior MBS, Residential Subordinate MBS and Residential Re-REMIC Support MBS.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alyssa Oursler]

  Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (AI) is an investment firm that acquires mortgage-related and other assets — and that rewards investors with a juicy dividend.

• [By victorselva]

  The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is a savings and loan holding company. The company is engaged, through its subsidiaries, in securities brokerage, banking, money management, and financial advisory services. Its subsidiaries include Charles Schwab & Co. (a leading discount broker-dealer), Charles Schwab Investment Management (a mutual fund investment advisor) and Charles Schwab Bank.In this article, let's take a look at this brokerage firm and try to explain to investors the reasons this is an apparently appealing investment opportunity.The FocusThe company provides financial services to individuals and institutional clients through two segments: Investor Services and Institutional Services. The Investor Services segment provides retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors. The Institutional Services segment provides custodial, trading, and support services to independent investment advisors. The Institutional Services segment also provides retirement plan services, specialty brokerage services, and mutual fund clearing services. The company seeks to meet the financial services needs of investors, advisers and employers. It focuses on building client loyalty with the goal of attracting new clients and serving them. Additionally, Schwab麓s strengths through shared core processes and technology advances which help create services that are scalable and consistent with the business.Interest Rates, Capital Structure and Debt-to-Capital RatioThe results are dependent on short-term interest rates, as 37% of its top line came from net interest income in the first quarter of 2014.The broker has been making significant efforts to become less dependent on interest rates, which we expect Federal Reserve will raise them in late 2014 or 2015. Also, the company麓s plan is to reach a low-cost capital structure and targets a long-term debt-to-total financial capital ratio of less than 30%.Lucrative Derivatives Trading In 2011, the company acquired Compl

Strategies: Questions to ask potential business…

Sergey and Larry at Google. Ben and Jerry in ice cream. Hewlett and Packard for electronics.

Great partners often make great companies. But just as often, bad partnerships destroy good companies.

COLUMN: Pros, cons of a partnership
STORY: Partner can give firm shelter, storm

Great partners balance your skill set, help you make better decisions, and give you increased productivity and motivation. Bad partners drain your energy, conflict with your strategy and values, and distract from business-building tasks.

They can fail to deliver on their promises. They can even lie, cheat and steal.

Yet, many aspiring small-business owners rush into partnerships with little thought. They may feel uneasy about starting a business on their own.

They may have a friend whose company they enjoy — or whose talents they respect — and expect the venture to be more exciting or successful if they join together. Or they may need the capabilities of someone they know but can't afford to pay that person to join a tiny start-up.

However, partners are around for a long, long time.

Jerry Greenfield, left, and Ben Cohen, founders of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, in 1996.(Photo: Jym Wilson, Gannett)

Legally, without a clear contract, they may continue to own a piece of your company and be entitled to a share of income even if they flake out on you. They may be able to incur debts, tie up your bank account or access your website.

If you're considering going into business with someone, stop! First, carefully consider why you want or need a partner.

Then, spend time really getting to know the business skills, attitudes, and aspirations of any potential partners — even if you've been friends for ma! ny years.. Find out whether a person's goals, work style and values fit yours.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own For 2015

Next, make certain everyone's expectations are realistic.

Are your partners willing to work as hard and as many hours,as you? Do they bring the same level of talent although perhaps in a different area as you? Do they share the same vision for the company?

Remember, you have more leeway, legally, to ask probing questions of potential partners than of employees.

Do they have family issues that could affect their commitment? What is their financial situation?

Get a sense of how they handle stress. What legal problems have they had in the past or do they have now?

David Packard, left, and Bill Hewlett in 1996 in front of the Palo Alto, Calif., garage where they founded Hewlett-Packard Co.(Photo: AP)

If you're considering going into business with someone, sit down and ask your potential partner the following questions:

1. Why are you going into business? What are your personal goals?

2. How much money are you willing and able to invest in the company?

3. What are your monetary needs now, in the next 12 months, in the next 24 to 36 months?

4. What's your vision for this business? How big will it be, what it will sell and to whom?

5. How much time do you have to devote to this company? What time conflicts, both business and personal, do you have?

6. How do you see decisions being made? By whom? How will we resolve conflicts?

7. What do you see as your job responsibilities? Mine? What happens if either of us don't live up to them?

8. Will we have set work hours? I! f so, what! should they be? Where will we work? Will we have a dress code?

9. Is your family completely supportive of this commitment?

10. Have you ever been in a partnership before? What happened?

No matter what, once you decide to go into business with someone, agree to everything in writing. It's best to have a business lawyer help you with this.

Take the time to work out as many details as possible.

Be absolutely certain to include a way to buy each other or each other's heirs and ex-spouses out of the business.

A messy divorce from a business partner is as difficult as a messy marital divorce — with potentially greater financial consequences. Drawing up an agreement now will help avoid difficulties if you later decide to go your separate ways.

Finally, keep in mind that in the eyes of the law you don't need a written agreement to be a partnership.

If a friend decides to invest in your fledgling social-networking site over a beer, you may have become partners. And that friend may own a piece of your company.

So when you sell the venture for millions of dollars, that friend — even if you haven't seen him in years — may own a pretty good chunk of the next Twitter or Facebook you worked so hard to build.

Rhonda Abrams is president of The Planning Shop and publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Her most recent book is Entrepreneurship: A Real-World Approach. Register for Rhonda's free newsletter at PlanningShop.com. Twitter: @RhondaAbrams. Facebook: facebook.com/RhondaAbramsSmallBusiness.Copyright Rhonda Abrams 2013.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Invest In 2015

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Invest In 2015: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 13.9% at $4.36. D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is up 4.7% at $18.91 on good earnings boosted by land sales.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  News and notes
  Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) announced another $100 million in financing this week, this time a term loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea.  

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-solar-stocks-to-invest-in-2015-2.html

Top 10 Machinery Companies To Invest In 2015

Top 10 Machinery Companies To Invest In 2015: IDEX Corp (IEX)

IDEX Corporation (IDEX), incorporated on September 24, 1987, is an applied solutions business that sells an array of pumps, flow meters and other fluidics systems and components and engineered products to customers in a variety of markets worldwide. All of the Companys business activities are carried out through wholly owned subsidiaries. IDEX operates in three business segments: Fluid & Metering Technologies, Health & Science Technologies and Fire & Safety/Diversified Products. Reporting units in the Fluid & Metering Technologies segment consist of Banjo; Energy and Fuels (Energy); Chemical, Food & Process (CFP) and Water & Waste Water (Water). Reporting units in the Health & Science Technologies segment consist of IDEX Health & Science (IH&S); IDEX Optics and Photonics (IOP); Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE); Gast; Micropump and Materials Process Technologies (MPT). Reporting units in the Fire & Safety/Diversified Products segment consist of Fire Suppression; Rescu e Tools and Band-It. In July 20, 2012, it acquired Matcon Group Limited. In March 2013, it announced the acquisition of FTL Seals Technology, Ltd. On April 11, 2012, the Company acquired the stock of PPC. On April 30, 2012, the Company acquired the stock of ERC.

Fluid & Metering Technologies Segment

The Fluid & Metering Technologies Segment designs, produces and distributes displacement pumps, flow meters, injectors, and other fluid-handling pump modules and systems and provides flow monitoring and other services for the water and wastewater industries. Fluid & Metering Technologies pump and metering solutions serve a range of end markets, including industrial infrastructure (fossil fuels, refined and alternative fuels, and water and wastewater), chemical processing, agricultural, food and beverage, pulp and paper, transportation, plastics and resins, electronics and electrical, construction and mining, pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutic! al, machine ry and other markets. Fluid & Metering Technologies accounted for 43% of IDEXs sales and 82% of IDEXs operating income, with approximately 46% of its sales to customers outside the United States as of December 31, 2012, with approximately 46% of its sales to customers outside the United States. Banjo is a provider of pumps, valves, fittings and systems used in liquid handling. Banjo is based in Crawfordsville, Indiana and its products are used in agricultural and industrial applications. Approximately 11% of Banjos sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Energy consists of the Companys Corken, Faure Herman, Liquid Controls, S.A.M.P.I. and Toptech businesses. Energy is a supplier of flow meters, electronic registration and control products, rotary vane and turbine pumps, reciprocating piston compressors, and terminal automation control systems. Energy has facilities in Longwood, Florida and Zwijndrech, Belgium (Toptech products) , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Corken products), La Ferte Bernard, France (Faure Herman products), Vadodara, Gujarat, India (Liquid Controls products), and Altopascio, Italy (S.A.M.P.I. products). Applications for Liquid Controls and S.A.M.P.I. positive displacement flow meters, electronic, registration and control products include mobile and stationary metering installations for wholesale and retail distribution of petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas, aviation refueling, and industrial metering and dispensing of liquids and gases. Corken products consist of rotary vane pumps, single and multistage regenerative turbine pumps, and small horsepower reciprocating piston compressors. Toptech supplies terminal automation hardware and software to control and manage inventories, as well as transactional data and invoicing, to customers in the oil, gas and refined-fuels markets. Faure Herman is a supplier of ultrasonic and helical turbine flow meters used in the custody transfer and c ontrol of fluids and gases. Approximately 53% of Energy! s sales d! uring 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

CFP consists of the Companys Richter, Viking and Warren Rupp businesses. CFP is a producer of air-operated and motor-driven double-diaphragm pumps and replacement parts, lined pumps, valves and control equipment for the chemical, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and external gear pumps. Richters corrosion resistant fluoroplastic lined products offer solutions for applications in the process industry. Vikings products consist of external gear pumps, strainers and reducers, and related controls used for transferring and metering thin and viscous liquids sold under the Viking and Wright Flow brands and air-operated double-diaphragm pumps sold under the Blagdon brand. Markets served by Viking products include chemical, petroleum, pulp and paper, plastics, paints, inks, tanker trucks, compressor, construction, food and bevera ge, personal care, pharmaceutical and biotech. Warren Rupp products (which also include Pumper Parts and Versa-Matic products) are used for abrasive and semisolid materials, as well as for applications where product degradation is a concern or where electricity is not available or should not be used. Markets served by Warren Rupp products include chemical, paint, food processing, electronics, construction, utilities, mining and industrial maintenance. CFP maintains operations in Kampen, Germany (Richter products), Cedar Falls, Iowa (Richter and Viking products), Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, Shannon, Ireland (Viking products) and Mansfield, Ohio (Warren Rupp products). CFP primarily uses independent distributors to market and sell its products. Approximately 54% of CFPs sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Water consists of the Companys ADS, IETG, iPEK, Knight and Pulsafeeder businesses. Water is a provider of metering technol ogy and flow monitoring products and underground surveillance services for water and wastewater markets, as well as a manufacturer of pump! s and dis! pensing equipment for industrial laundries, commercial dishwashing and chemical metering, and a provider of metering pumps, special-purpose rotary pumps, peristaltic pumps, fully integrated pump and metering systems, custom chemical-feed systems, electronic controls and dispensing equipment. ADSs products and services provide integrated solutions that enable industry, municipalities and government agencies to analyze and measure the capacity, quality and integrity of wastewater collection systems, including the maintenance and construction of such systems. IETGs products and services enable water companies to manage their water distribution and sewerage networks, while its surveillance service specializes in underground asset detection and mapping for utilities and other private companies. iPEK supplies remote controlled sys tems used for infrastructure inspection. Knight is a manufacturer of pumps and dispensing equipment for industrial laundries, commercial dishwashing and chemical metering. Pulsafeeder products are used to introduce precise amounts of fluids into processes to manage water quality and chemical composition, as well as peristaltic pumps. Its markets include water and wastewater treatment, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper, chemical and hydrocarbon processing, and swimming pools. Water maintains operations in Huntsville, Alabama and various other locations in the United States, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (ADS products), Leeds, England (IETG products and services), Hirschegg, Austria, and Sulzberg, Germany (iPEK products), Lake Forest, California, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, Unanderra, Australia, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (Knight products), Rochester, New York, Punta Gorda, Florid a and Milan, Italy (Pulsafeeder products). Approximately 47% of Waters sales during 2012 were to customers outside the United States.

Water Services & Technology (WST) consists of the Companys AD! S, IETG a! nd iPEK businesses. WST is a provider of metering technology and flow monitoring products and underground surveillance services for wastewater markets. ADSs products and services provide integrated solutions that enable industry, municipalities and government agencies to analyze and measure the capacity, quality and integrity of wastewater collection systems, including the maintenance and construction of such systems. IETGs products and services enable water companies to manage their water distribution and sewerage networks, while its surveillance service specializes in underground asset detection and mapping for utilities and other private companies. iPEK supplies remote controlled systems used for infrastructure inspection. WST maintains operation s in Huntsville, Alabama and various other locations in the United States and Australia (ADS products and services); Leeds, England (IETG products and services); and Hirschegg, Austria, and Sulzberg, Germany (iPEK products). Approximately 40% of WSTs 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with Pump Solutions Group, Dover Corporation, Milton Roy and Tuthill Corporation.

Health & Science Technologies Segment

The Health & Science Technologies Segment designs, produces and distributes a range of precision fluidics, rotary lobe pumps, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, roll compaction and drying systems used in beverage, food processing, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, pneumatic components and sealing solutions, including pumping solutions required in analytical instrumentation, clinical diagnostics and drug discovery, molded and extruded, biocompatible medical devices and implantables, air co mpressors used in medical, dental and industrial applications, optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, defense, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing, laboratory and commercial equipment used in the production of micro a! nd nano s! cale materials, precision photonic solutions used in life sciences, research and defense markets, and precision gear and peristaltic pump technologies. The segment accounted for 35% of IDEXs sales and 35% of operating income in 2012, with approximately 54% of its sales to customers outside the United States.

IH&S consists of Eastern Plastics, Rheodyne, Ismatec, Sapphire Engineering, Upchurch Scientific and ERC, which was acquired in April 2012. IH&S has facilities in Rohnert Park, California (Rheodyne products); Bristol, Connecticut (Eastern Plastics products); Wertheim-Mondfeld, Germany (Ismatec products); Middleboro, Massachusetts (Sapphire Engineering products); O ak Harbor, Washington (Ismatec and Upchurch Scientific products); and Kawaguchi, Japan (ERC products). Eastern Plastics products, which consist of high- precision integrated fluidics and associated engineered plastics solutions, are used in a set of end markets including medical diagnostics, analytical instrumentation, and laboratory automation. Rheodyne products consist of injectors, valves, fittings and accessories for the analytical instrumentation market. Rheodyne products are used by manufacturers of high pressure liquid chromatography equipment servicing the pharmaceutical, biotech, life science, food & beverage, and chemical markets. Ismatec products include peristaltic metering pumps, analytical process controllers, and sample preparation systems. Sapphire Engineering and Upchurch Scientific products consist of fluidic components and systems for the analytical, biotech and diagnostic instrumentation markets, such as fittings, precision-dispensing pumps and valves, tu bing and integrated tubing assemblies, filter sensors and other micro-fluidic and nano-fluidic components, as well as advanced column hardware and accessories for the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) market. Sapphire Engineering and Upchurch Scientific products primarily serve the pharmaceutical, drug discovery, chemical, biochemical processi! ng, genom! ics/proteomics research, environmental labs, food/agriculture, medical lab, personal care, and plastics/polymer/rubber production markets. ERC manufactures gas liquid separations and detection solutions for the life science, analytical instrumentation and clinical chemistry markets. ERCs products consist of in-line membrane vacuum degassing solutions, refractive index detectors and ozone generation systems. Approximately 52% of IH&Ss 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

IOP consists of CVI Melles Griot (CVI MG), Semrock and AT Films (the Precision Photonics portion of the AT Fil ms business was acquired in April 2012). CVI MG is a into design and manufacture of precision photonic solutions used in the life sciences, research, semiconductor, security and defense markets. CVI MGs products are focused on the generation, control and productive use of light for a variety of key science and industrial applications. Products consist of specialty lasers and light sources, electro-optical components, specialty shutters, opto-mechanical assemblies and components. In addition, CVI MG produces critical components for life science research, electronics manufacturing, military and other industrial applications including lenses, mirrors, filters and polarizers. These components are utilized in a number of applications such as spectroscopy, cytometry (cell counting), guidance systems for target designation, remote sensing, menology and optical lithography.

CVI MG is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with additional manufacturing sites locat ed in Carlsbad, California; Rochester, New York; Isle of Man, British Isles; Leicester, England; Kyongki-Do, Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Didam, The Netherlands; and Singapore. Semrock is a provider of optical filters for biotech and analytical instrumentation in the life sciences markets. Semrocks optical filters are produced using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes which enable it to offer its customers improvements in instrume! nt perfor! mance and reliability. Semrock is located in Rochester, New York. AT Films specializes in optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, defense, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. The Precision Photonics portion of its business specializes in optical components and coatings for applications in the fields of scientific research, aerospace, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. AT Films is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Approximately 57% of IOPs 2012 sales were to customers outside the United Sates.

Containment consists of Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE). PPE, which is located in Blackburn, England, is a provider of high performance seals and advanced sealing solutions for a diverse range of global industries and applications, including hazardous duty, analytical instrumentation, semiconductor/solar, process technologies, pharmaceutical, electronics, and food applications. Approximately 79% of PPEs 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Gast consists of the Companys Gast and Jun-Air businesses. The Gast business is a manufacturer of air-moving products, including air motors, low-range and medium-range vacuum pumps, vacuum generators, regenerative blowers and fractional horsepower compressors. Gast products are used in a variety of long-life applications requiring a quiet, clean source of moderate vacuum or pressure. Gast products primarily serve the medical equipment, envi ronmental equipment, computers and electronics, printing machinery, paint mixing machinery, packaging machinery, graphic arts, and industrial manufacturing markets. The Jun-Air business is a provider of low-decibel, ultra-quiet vacuum compressors suitable for medical, dental and laboratory applications. Based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Gast also has a logistics and commercial center in Redditch, England. Approximately 27% of Gasts 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Mic! ropump, h! eadquartered in Vancouver, Washington, produces, precision-engineered, magnetically and electromagnetically driven rotary gear, piston and centrifugal pumps. Micropump products are used in low-flow abrasive and corrosive applications. Micropump products primarily serve the printing machinery, medical equipment, paints and inks, chemical processing, pharmaceutical, refining, laboratory, electronics, pulp and paper, water treatment, textiles, peristaltic metering pum ps, analytical process controllers and sample preparation systems markets. Approximately 77% of Micropumps 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

MPT consists of Quadro, Fitzpatrick, Microfluidics and Matcon Group Limited (Matcon), which was acquired in July 2012. Quadro is a provider of particle control solutions for the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Quadros activities include fine milling, emulsification and special handling of liquid and solid particulates for laboratory, pilot phase and production scale processing within the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets. Fitzpatrick is into the design and manufacture of process technologies for the pharmaceutical, food and personal care markets. Fitzpatrick designs and manufactures customized size reduction, roll compaction and drying systems to support their customers product development and manufacturing processes. Fitzpatrick is headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. Microfluidics is into designing and manufacturing of laboratory and commercial equipment used in the production of micro and nano scale materials for the pharmaceutical and chemical markets. Microfluidics is the producer of the Microfluidizer family of high shear fluid processors for uniform particle size reduction, robust cell disruption and nanoparticle creation. Microfluidics has offices in Newton, Massachusetts. Matcon is into material processing solutions for high value powders used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, food, plastic! s, and fi! ne chemicals.

Matcons products consist of the original cone valve powder discharge system and filling, mixing and packaging systems, all of which support its customers automation and process requirements. Matcon is located in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. Approximately 61% of MPTs 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company compe tes with Gardner Denver, Inc., Thermo Scientific Dionex, Gooch & Housego PLC, Parker Hannifin and Valco Instruments Co., Inc.

Fire & Safety/Diversified Products Segment

The Fire & Safety/Diversified Products segment produces firefighting pumps and controls, rescue tools, lifting bags and other components and systems for the fire and rescue industry, engineered stainless steel banding and clamping devices used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications, and precision equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing colorants and paints used in a variety of retail and commercial businesses around the world. The segment accounted for 22% of IDEXs sales and 53% of IDEXs operating income in 2012, with approximately 56% of its sales to customers outside the United States.

Fire Suppression consists of the Companys Class I, Hale and Godiva businesses, which produce truck-mounted and portable fire pumps, stainless steel valves , foam and compressed air foam systems, pump modules and pump kits, electronic controls and information systems, conventional and networked electrical systems, and mechanical components for the fire, rescue and specialty vehicle markets. Fire Suppressions customers are primarily OEMs. Fire Suppression is headquartered in Ocala, Florida (Class 1 and Hale products), with additional facilities located in Warwick, England (Godiva products). Approximately 41% of Fire Suppressions 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Rescue consists of the Companys Dinglee, Hurst Jaws of Life, Lukas and Vetter businesses, which produce hydraulic, bat! tery, gas! and electric-operated rescue equipment, hydraulic re-railing equipment, hydraulic tools for industrial applications, recycling cutters, pneumatic lifting and sealing bags for vehicle and aircraft rescue, environmental protection and disaster control, and shoring equipment for vehicular or structural c ollapse. Rescue Tools customers are primarily public and private fire and rescue organizations. Rescue has facilities in Shelby, North Carolina (Hurst Jaws of Life products); Tianjin, China (Dinglee products); Erlangen, Germany (Lukas products); and Zulpich, Germany (Vetter products). Approximately 75% of Rescues 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Band-It is a producer of stainless steel banding, buckles and clamping systems. Band-It products are used for securing exhaust system heat and sound shields, industrial hose fittings, traffic signs and signals, electrical cable shielding, identification and bundling, and in numerous other industrial and commercial applications. Band-It products primarily serve the automotive, transportation equipment, oil and gas, general industrial maintenance, electronics, electrical, communications, aerospace, utility, municipal and subsea marine markets. Band-It is based in Denver, Colorado, with additio nal operations in Staveley, Derbyshire, England, and a IDEX shared manufacturing facility in China. Approximately 39% of Band-Its 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

Dispensing Equipment produces precision equipment for dispensing, metering and mixing colorants and paints used in a variety of retail and commercial businesses worldwide. Dispensing Equipment is a global supplier of precision-designed tinting, mixing, dispensing and measuring equipment for auto refinishing and architectural paints. Dispensing Equipment products are used in retail and commercial stores, hardware stores, home centers, department stores, automotive body shops as well as point-of-purchase dispensers. Dispensing Equipment is headq! uartered ! in Wheeling, Illinois with additional facilities in Sassenheim, The Netherlands; Unanderra, Australia; and Milan, Italy, as well as IDEX shared manufacturing facilities in India and China. Approximately 59% of Dispensing Equipmen ts 2012 sales were to customers outside the United States.

The Company competes with American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Holmatro, Inc., Nordic Capital and Panduit Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Damon Churchwell]

  Lastly, a growth company
  The third example of a thriving flow technologies company is IDEX (NYSE: IEX  ) . This one is situated in a unique set of end markets, namely fluid & metering, health & science, and fire & safety/diversified.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Xylem’s big day has also boosted other water-infrastructure stocks. Flowserve (FLS) has gained 1.2% to $70.59, Idex Corp. (IEX) has risen 0.5% to $68.69 and Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) has advanced 0.4% t0 $98.22.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-machinery-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

5 Best Services Stocks To Buy Right Now

5 Best Services Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Sirius XM Radio Inc. provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It broadcasts a programming lineup of approximately 135 channels of commercial-free music, sports, news and information, talk and entertainment, traffic, and weather on subscription fee basis through two satellite radio systems in the United States; and holds an interest in the satellite radio services offered in Canada. The company also simulcasts music and selected non-music channels over the Internet; and offers applications to allow consumers to access its Internet services on mobile devices. As of December 31, 2010, it had 20,190,964 subscribers. In addition, the company designs, establishes specifications, sources or specifies parts and components, and manages various aspects of the logistics and production of satellite radios; licenses its technology to various electronics manufacturers to develop, manufacture, and distribute radios under various brands; and imports radios distri buted through its Websites. The company?s satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers, retailers, and its Websites. Further, it provides music services for commercial establishments; a satellite television service to offer music channels as part of certain programming packages on the DISH Network satellite television service; music and comedy channels to mobile phone users through mobile phone carriers; Backseat TV, a service offering television content designed primarily for children in the backseat of vehicles; Travel Link, a suite of data services that include graphical weather, fuel prices, sports schedules and scores, and movie listings; and real-time traffic and weather services. The company was formerly known as Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and changed its name to Sirius XM Radio Inc. in August 2008. Sirius XM Radio Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [! By Rick Munarriz]

  Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) is shaking up its board for the second time this year.

  Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCA  ) is making sure that everyone knows that it's the one calling the shots, as Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei will replace Los Angeles Times CEO Eddy Hartenstein as chairman of the satellite radio provider. Hartenstein will remain on the board as its lead independent director.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  5. Satellite radio hitchhikes on the information superhighway
  Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) officially rolled out its MySXM offering this week.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.

  I predicted that Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) would close higher on the week. The satellite-radio provider was reporting quarterly results on Tuesday, and all of the trends appeared favorable heading into the earnings call. Sirius XM didn't post amazing results, but it did raise its free cash flow guidance. It also revealed that it's been aggressively buying back shares. The company went on to hit a five-year high shortly after the report. I was right. I predicted that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) . This has been a tricky call lately, so how did it play out this time? Well, the market had a strong run this week, fueled by encouraging economic news. Secondary stocks led the way, with the Nasdaq soaring 3% on the week. The Dow managed to close just 1.8% higher. I was right. My final call was for Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR  ) to beat Wall Street's quarterly profit target. The firearms maker has been posting blowout quarterly results as consumers snapped up weaponry ahead of any potential gun-control legislation. Analysts were looking for a profit of $1.01 a share during the quarter, and it came through with net income of $1.20 a s! hare. I w! as right.

  Three for three? Awesome! That's six for six over the past two weeks! I'm at an encouraging 10 of 12 over the past four weeks.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Industry juggernaut Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCA  ) is a busy, busy organization -- acquiring and spinning off companies at an impressive clip. While it has recently taken the reins over satellite-radio company Sirius XM (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) , it has also spun out the largest premium cable company available, Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA  ) . Liberty gives investors plenty of options (no pun intended) to evaluate with its myriad of subsidiaries, not to mention the parent company itself. And still, the company has a sizable cash hoard and the ability to tap capital markets for another substantial acquisition. Though at this point it is mere speculation, where could Liberty be heading next?

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-services-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now

Take a look around the pharmaceutical industry and you won't find many companies with market caps exceeding $100 billion (seven by my count). If you discount non-pharmaceutical businesses at Roche and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) , then the largest pure-play pharma company in the world is Pfizer (NYSE: PFE  ) . The giant weighs in at more than $200 billion -- nearly $30 billion larger than its next closest competitor -- and has been a stalwart of the industry for many decades. �

Established pharmaceutical companies can be great core holdings for your portfolio; what they lack in growth they can make up for in hefty dividends. They don't offer risk-free investments, but their larger pipelines can often swallow late-stage failures. Still, investors may be left wondering if bigger really is better, especially after Pfizer trimmed its 2013 guidance. Let's take a quick look at several opportunities and risks facing Pfizer to see if the biggest pharma company in the world is the best investment.

Top Transportation Stocks To Own For 2015: PPL Corporation(PPL)

PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, generates and sells electricity; and delivers natural gas to approximately 5.3 million utility customers primarily in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. The company operates in four segments: Kentucky Regulated, International Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Supply. The Kentucky Regulated segment engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity; and the distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.3 million customers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The International Regulated segment owns and operates electricity distribution businesses in the United Kingdom that deliver electricity to 7.7 million customers. The Pennsylvania Regulated segment delivers electricity to approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Supply segment owns and operates power plants to generate electricity using coal, uranium, natural gas, oil, and water res ources; markets and trades electricity and other purchased power to wholesale and retail markets; and acquires and develops domestic generation projects. It controls or owns a portfolio of generation assets of approximately 11,000 megawatts in Montana and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s distribution system included 649 substations with a capacity of 25 million kVA, 28,838 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 24,131 cable miles of underground conductors in the United Kingdom. It also operated 377 substations with a capacity of 31 million kVA, 33,122 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 7,368 cable miles of underground conductors in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Hedging is common practice for any energy company, but Q1 earnings reports have already proven that this financial tactic can only absorb so much of increasingly volatile energy prices. Exelon (NYSE: EXC  ) took a one-time $235 million hit this quarter as a result of natural gas hedges gone wild, while PPL's (NYSE: PPL  ) bad bet helped knock around 20% off its first quarter EPS.

• [By Maria Armental and Anna Prior]

  Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Fitch Ratings downgraded PPL Energy (PPL) after parent company PPL Corp. said it would spin off the power-generation business to its shareholders.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: ONEOK Inc.(OKE)

ONEOK, Inc., a diversified energy company, operates as a natural gas distributor primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: ONEOK Partners, Distribution, and Energy Services. The ONEOK Partners segment engages in gathering, processing, fractionating, transporting, storing, and marketing natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) principally in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions, which include Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, Fort Worth Basin of Texas, Hugoton and Central Kansas Uplift Basins of Kansas, Williston Basin of Montana, and North Dakota and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. This segment offers its services to oil and gas production companies; natural gas gathering and processing companies; petrochemical, refining, and NGL marketing companies; Local distribution companies (LDCs) and power generating companies; and natural gas marketing and NGL gathering companies, and propane distributors. The Distribution segment provides natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation customers, as well as public authority customers, such as cities, governmental agencies, and schools in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. The Energy Services segment delivers physical natural gas products and risk management services through its network of contracted transportation and storage capacity, and natural gas supply. This segment?s customers primarily comprise LDCs, electric utilities, and industrial end users. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend Monk]

  Oneok Inc. (OKE) is a natural gas utility company that owns the General Partner of Oneok Partners LP (OKS).

  Seven Year EPS Growth Rate: 4.1%Seven Year Dividend Growth Rate: 12.6%Current Dividend Yield: 2.80%Balance Sheet Strength: Investment GradeOverview

  I published a stock report last week on Oneok Partners LP, which is a relatively large natural gas and NGL master limited partnership. In the article, I stated that quantitatively and qualitatively, it appears to be a strong investment with a great combination of yield and growth.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Eaton Corporation(ETN)

Eaton Corporation operates as a power management company worldwide. It provides electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution, and control; hydraulics components, systems, and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics, and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain, and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy, and safety. The company also manufactures screw-in cartridge valves, custom-engineered hydraulic valves, and manifold systems; and electrical and electromechanical systems. In addition, it designs, manufactures, and distributes intake and exhaust valves for diesel and gasoline engines; supplies electrical components for commercial and residential building applications and industrial controls for industrial equipment applications; and manufactures human machine interfaces, programmable logic controllers, and input/output devices. Further, the company also operates a s a provider of customized enclosures, rack systems, and air-flow management systems to store, power, and secure mission-critical IT data center electronics; and manufacturer, distributor, and service provider of single-phase and three-phase uninterruptible power supply systems. Eaton Corporation was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  In the mid-cap growth portfolio, Argus is recommending that investors add Eaton Corp. PLC (NYSE: ETN) at $66.00 for some 2.6% of the portfolio. It is selling 100% of its position in Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NASDAQ: GT) at $18.75. Since inclusion in July 2012, Goodyear shares appreciated 69%. Argus said of Eaton”

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  That negative sentiment “flashed as a positive indicator,” Inch and Lau say, and some stocks appear to be “‘locked and loaded’ to meaningfully exceed forecast estimates.” Those include Rockwell Automation (ROK), Eaton (ETN) and Emerson Electric (EMR).

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Eaton provides essential power management products and services to a wide variety of companies and industries around the world. The stock has seen a powerful run in recent years that has taken it to all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, the company has seen mixed earnings and revenue numbers, regardless, investors have remained upbeat. Relative to its peers and sector, Eaton has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Eaton to continue to OUTPERFORM.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The Motley Fool named Cummins the best company in America based on its focus on engine solutions that balance the needs of its customers against the good of society. Cummins has made a viable business model out of developing high-performance engines that nevertheless provide fuel efficiency and reliability while producing less pollution. Just last month, Cummins announced a deal with Eaton (NYSE: ETN  ) to produce a heavy-truck powertrain package to improve fuel economy by 3% to 6%.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Kimberly-Clark Corporation(KMB)

Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of various health care products worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, K-C Professional & Other, and Health Care. The Personal Care segment provides disposable diapers, training and youth pants, and swimpants; baby wipes; and feminine and incontinence care products, and related products. It offers its products primarily for household use under various brand names, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Kotex, Lightdays, Depend, and Poise. The Consumer Tissue segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, and related products for household use under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Hakle, and Page brands. The K-C Professional & Other segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, wipers, and a range of safety products for the away-from-home marketplace und er Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, KleenGuard, Kimcare, and Jackson brand names. The Health Care segment offers disposable health care products, such as surgical drapes and gowns, infection control products, face masks, exam gloves, respiratory products, pain management products, and other disposable medical products under the Kimberly-Clark, Ballard, and ON-Q brand names. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high volume public facilities. It markets its products through wholesalers, distributors, and direct sales. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Procter & Gamble's competitors include Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB). Here is a table comparing these companies.

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  Reporting ahead of the bell Monday, Halliburton Co. (HAL) , Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) � and Kimberly-Clark Corp. (KMB) beat Wall Street�� expectations. Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) � shares rose in aftermarket trade after earnings topped estimates.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Raytheon Company(RTN)

Raytheon Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides electronics, mission systems integration, and other capabilities in the areas of sensing, effects, and command, control, communications, and intelligence systems, as well as mission support services in the United States and internationally. It operates in six segments: Integrated Defense Systems, Intelligence and Information Systems, Missile Systems, Network Centric Systems, Space and Airborne Systems, and Technical Services. The Integrated Defense Systems segment provides integrated naval, air, and missile defense and civil security response solutions. The Intelligence and Information Systems segment offers intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, advanced cyber solutions, weather and environmental solutions, and information-based solutions for law enforcement and homeland security. The Missile Systems segment develops and produces weapon systems, including missiles, smart munitions, close-in weapon systems, projectiles, kinetic kill vehicles, and directed energy effectors for the armed forces of the U.S. and other allied nations. The Network Centric Systems segment provides net-centric mission solutions, including integrated communications systems, command and control systems, combat systems, and operations and precision components for the U.S. federal, state, and local government customers, as well as civil customers. The Space and Airborne Systems segment designs and develops integrated systems and solutions for missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; precision engagement; unmanned aerial operations; and space. The Technical Services segment provides training, logistics, engineering, product support, and operational support services for the mission support, homeland security, space, civil aviation, counterproliferation, and counterterrorism markets. Raytheon Company was founded in 1922 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chad Tracy]

   

  Raytheon (NYSE: RTN)  Raytheon is currently trading at a slightly higher cost, with a P/E ratio of 12 and a P/B ratio of 3. With a yield of 2.7%, the company has an impressive history of raising dividends over the past five years. During the same period, it has reduced its outstanding share count by almost 100 million shares since 2008, to 329 million.

  Raytheon's primary strength lies in its international sales. Customers include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, Oman, Kuwait and India. Overseas sales, which make up about a quarter of total revenue, should help the company lock in profits should domestic spending continue to decline.

• [By Rich Smith]

  South Korea plans to arm its Lockheed KF-16 and Boeing F-15K�with the missiles, in part in order to "deter aggression in the region." (Three guesses whom they're aiming to deter). If the deal goes through, it could be worth as much as $452 million to prime contractor Raytheon (NYSE: RTN  ) .

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings reports expected on Thursday include:

  Amazon.com, Inc.(NASDAQ: AMZN) is expected to report a third quarter loss of $0.09 per share on revenue of $16.77 billion, compared to last year�� loss of $0.60 on revenue of $13.81 billion. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is expected to report EPS of $0.54 on revenue of $17.79 billion, compared to last year�� EPS 0f $0.53 on revenue of $16.01 billion. Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.37 on revenue of $33.98 billion, compared to last year�� EPS 0f $0.40 on revenue of $30.25 billion. 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $1.75 on revenue of $7.85 billion, compared to last year�� EPS 0f $1.65 on revenue of $7.50 billion. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $1.33 on revenue of $5.81 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.51 on revenue of $6.04 billion.

  Economics

• [By Rich Smith]

  Life just got more complicated for anyone going up against the U.S. Air Force -- thanks to�Raytheon (NYSE: RTN  ) . Earlier this week, the nation's foremost missile maker announced that USAF has ordered up 202 of its MALD-J�radar-jamming, plane-spoofing drone missiles.

Top Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.(SBGI)

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., a television broadcasting company, owns or provides certain programming, operating, or sales services to television stations in the United States. The company broadcasts free over-the-air programming, such as network provided programs, news produced locally, local sporting events, programming from program service arrangements, and syndicated entertainment programs. It owns or provides programming and operating services pursuant to local marketing agreements, or provides sales services pursuant to outsourcing agreements to 58 television stations in 35 markets. The company was founded in 1952 and is based in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI  ) is tapping the markets in a new, underwritten public share offering. The company has priced its issue of 18 million class A common shares at $27.25 apiece. Sinclair said that certain selling stockholders have granted the underwriters of the offering a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 2.7 million shares.

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI  ) says it is on its way to becoming the nation's largest television broadcasting company if a� definitive agreement it signed with the Allbritton family comes to fruition, according to an announcement today by Sinclair.

Top 5 Rising Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Rising Stocks To Buy For 2015: Ishares Trust Russell (IWD)

iShares Russell 1000 Value Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the large-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market, as represented by the Russell 1000 Value Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the Russell 1000 Index. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index and consists of those companies or portion of a company, with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth within the Russell 1000 Index. The Index represents approximately 51% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 1000 Index.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to Index. iShares Russell 1000 Value Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Brumley]

  It’s been especially untrue the last few years. Since this point in the year back in 2003, the iShares Russell 1000 Growth Fund (IWF) has advanced 81%, while the iShares Russell 1000 Value Fund (IWD) has only advanced 67%.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-rising-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-4.html

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now

One of the best ways to make a lot of money in stocks is to invest in dividend-paying stocks. After all, a company that is able to commit to regularly rewarding its shareholders with a payout of cash is a company that's relatively stable, with a sufficiently predictable profit stream. There are pitfalls within the world of dividend investing, though. Here are some tips to help you avoid common blunders.

Don't overshoot
It's easy to be drawn to sky-high dividend yields. Who wouldn't favor a 10% yield over a 3% one, after all? Plenty of 10% yields are solid, but plenty are tied to companies on shaky ground. The best explanation for that is math: A dividend yield is simply a ratio, dividing a stock's annual dividend payout by its current stock price, and then expressing that result as a percentage. Thus, if the stock price falls sharply, you'll be dividing the dividend by a smaller number, and the yield will be bigger. Huge dividend yields are sometimes due to a company simply having a lot of excess cash to distribute, but sometimes they reflect a company in temporary or permanent trouble that has seen its price plunge.

Hot Insurance Stocks To Buy For 2015: Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated(CORT)

Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated, a development stage pharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of severe metabolic and psychiatric disorders. The company focuses on the development of drugs for disorders that are associated with steroid hormone called cortisol. Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated has completed its Phase III study of CORLUX for the treatment of Cushing's Syndrome, as well as has an ongoing Phase III study of CORLUX for the treatment of the psychotic features of psychotic depression; and a Phase II program for CORT 108297 and an IND-enabling program for CORT 113083. It has a patent license from Stanford University for the use of GR-II antagonists, as well as agreements with ICON Clinical Research, LP; and MedAvante, Inc. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Looks out Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ:SNTA), and AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVEO), you're on notice too. Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ:CORT) is nipping at your heels, and better still, shares of the company looks like they're about to dole out a sizeable reward to investors who see the writing on the wall.

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now: The9 Limited(NCTY)

The9 Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and operation of online games, and Internet and Website related businesses in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers online games, including MMORPGs, Web, and SNS games. As of December 31, 2010, it owned or had exclusive licenses to operate SUN, EA Sports FIFA Online 2, Atlantica, World of Fighter, Kingdom Heroes 2 Online, Winning Goal, ShenXianZhuan, Planetside 2, Free Realms, and Seoyugi games in China. The9 Limited also involves in the provision of Internet protocol television services and SMS services; Website solutions and advertising services, and mobile game platform; and licensing of its proprietary games to third parties. The company was formerly known as GameNow.net Limited and changed its name to The9 Limited in February 2004. The9 Limited was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Chinese online game developer�The9� (NASDAQ: NCTY  ) �says that between April 22 and April 28, its chairman and CEO, Jun Zhu, purchased 200,000 of the company's American depositary shares on the open market, and he�intends to purchase�as much as $5 million�worth of the stock in total. He is also a co-founder of the company.

• [By Sally Jones]

  Here’s a look at three application software companies currently on a 52-week low and still held by a few billionaires. The9 Ltd. (NCTY), Merge Healthcare Inc. (MRGE) and FAB Universal Corp. (FU) are more than 52% off a 52-week high.

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now: Micropac Industries Inc (MPAD)

Micropac Industries, Inc. (Micropac), incorporated on March 3, 1969, manufactures and distributes various types of hybrid microelectronic circuits, solid state relays, power operational amplifiers, and optoelectronic components and assemblies. Micropac�� products are used as components in a range of military, space and industrial systems, including aircraft instrumentation and navigation systems, power supplies, electronic controls, computers, medical devices, and high-temperature (200o degree Celsius) products. The Company�� products are either custom (being application-specific circuits designed and manufactured to meet the particular requirements of a single customer) or standard components. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its custom-designed components accounted for approximately 34% of its revenue and standard components accounted for approximately 66% of its revenue.

Micropac occupies approximately 36,000 square feet of manufacturing, engineering and office space in Garland, Texas. The Company owns 31,200 square feet of that space and leases an additional 4,800 square feet. It also sub-contracts some manufacturing to Inmobiliaria San Jose De Ciuddad Juarez S.A. DE C.V, a maquila contract manufacturer in Juarez, Mexico.

Micropac provides microelectronic and optoelectronic components and assemblies along with contract electronic manufacturing services, and offers a range of products sold to the industrial, medical, military, aerospace and space markets. The Microcircuits product line includes custom microcircuits, solid state relays, power operational amplifiers, and regulators. During fiscal 2011, microcircuits product line accounted for 51% of its revenue and the optoelectronics product line accounted for 62% of its business respectively. The Company�� core technology is the packaging and interconnects of miniature electronic components, utilizing thick film and thin film substrates, forming microelectronics circuits. Other technologi! es include light emitting and light sensitive materials and products, including light emitting diodes and silicon phototransistors used in its optoelectronic components, and assemblies.

The Company�� basic products and technologies include custom design hybrid microelectronic circuits, solid state relays and power controllers, custom optoelectronic assemblies and components, optocouplers, light-emitting diodes, Hall-Effect devices, displays, power operational amplifiers, fiber optic components and assemblies, and high temperature (200o degree Celsius) products. Micropac�� products are primarily sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEM��) who serve major markets, which includes military/aerospace, such as aircraft instrumentation, guidance and navigations systems, control circuitry, power supplies and laser positioning; space, which include control circuitry, power monitoring and sensing, and industrial, which includes power control equipment and robotics.

The Company�� products are marketed throughout the United States and in Western Europe. During fiscal 2011, approximately 21% of the Company�� revenue was from international customers. The Company�� major customers include contractors to the United States Government. During fiscal 2010, sales to these customers for the Department of Defense (DOD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contracts accounted for approximately 62% of its revenues. The Company�� customers are Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Rockwell Int��, and NASA.

The Company compete with Teledyne Industries, Inc., MS Kennedy, Honeywell, Avago and International Rectifier.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] % of NCAV, has similar (slightly better) z- and f-scores, a FCF margin of 6%, but has ROA of 28%.
  
  ADDvantage (AEY) sells at 95% of NCAV, has similar (in the ballpark) scores and FCF and ROA of 23%.

  The slightly better businesses are currently more expensive in terms of price/NCAV. They have less asset-based downside protection, but they are better businesses.

  How do you quantify and qualify what is cheap enough? To me, there's a big difference in relative cheapness in a company selling at 74% of NCAV versus one selling at 95%. I'm wondering if I'm putting too much weight on this cheapness measurement instead of acknowledging that any decent business selling at less than NCAV is cheap enough. Yet, one has to have some quantifiable idea of when something is not cheap enough anymore.

  Can you help me put this into a unified framework?

  Dan

  There�� a great post over at Oddball Stocks called: �� Stock is a Business�� Read it. Then go over to Richard Beddard�� Interactive Investor Blog. Bookmark that blog. Read it religiously. He looks at Ben Graham type stocks in the U.K. And he looks at them not just as stocks but as pieces of a business.

  Here�� what Richard said in a post called ��iving Up on Mastery of the Universe��

  I need to know:

  1. Whether the managers have made good decisions in the past, and whether their incentives work in the interests of the owners, because those kind of managers often add value to a company.

  2. The products a company sells will still be in demand for years to come, because if they��e not then the past, which we know, does not tell us anything about the future, which we don��.

  3. A company is financially strong enough to withstand the kinds of shocks companies typically experience bearing in mind some are more sensitive to events than others.

  4. How to judge whether the share price undervalues the company, bearing in mind the preceding three factors.

• [By Geoff Gannon] strong>ADDvantage Technologies (AEY)

  路 Solitron Devices (SODI)

  路 OPT-Sciences (OPST)

  Micropac

  Micropac is 76% owned by Heinz-Werner Hempel. He�� a German businessman. You can see the German company he founded here. He�� had control of Micropac for a long-time. I don�� have an exact number in front of me. But I would guess it�� been something like 25 years.

  ADDvantage

  ADDvantage Technologies is controlled by the Chymiak brothers. See the company�� April 4 press release explaining their decision to turn over the CEO position to an outsider. Regardless, the Chymiaks still control 47% of the company. Ken Chymiak is now chairman. And David Chymiak is still a director and now the company�� chief technology officer. Clearly, it�� still their company.

  By the way, the name ADDvantage Technologies has nothing to do with the Chymiaks. Today�� AEY really traces its roots to a private company called Tulsat. The Chymiak brothers acquired that company about 27 years ago. So, effectively, when you buy shares of AEY you are buying into a 27-year-old family-controlled company.

  That�� pretty typical in the world of net-nets.

  Solitron

  Solitron Devices is 29% owned by Shevach Saraf. He has been the CEO for 20 years. The post-bankruptcy Solitron has never known another CEO. Before the bankruptcy, Solitron was a much bigger, much different company. So even though we are not talking about the founder here ��and even though 70% of the company�� shares are not held by the CEO ��we��e still talking about a company where one person has a lot of control. Solitron only has three directors. Saraf is the chairman, CEO, president, CFO and treasurer. Neither of the other two directors joined the board within the last 15 years. So, we aren�� talking about a lot of tumult at the top.

  In fact, profitable net-nets seem to be especially common candidates for abandoning the responsibilities of a public comp

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now: Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated(PEG)

Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy industry primarily in the northeastern and mid Atlantic United States. The company primarily operates as a wholesale energy supply company that integrates its generating asset operations through its wholesale energy, fuel supply, energy trading, and marketing and risk management activities. It operates nuclear, coal, gas, and oil-fired generation facilities. The company also involves in the transmission of electricity and distribution of electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers, as well as invests in the development of solar generation projects and energy efficiency programs. In addition, it owns and operates domestic projects engaged in the generation of energy; and offers appliance services and repairs to customers. As of December 31, 2010, it owned approximately 13,538 megawatts of generation capacity. The company also owned and operated approximately 17,608 miles of gas mains, 12 gas distribution headquarters, and 2 subheadquarters, as well as 62 natural gas metering and regulating stations. Public Service Enterprise Group was founded in 1985 and is based in Newark, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  First Energy (FE), Entergy (ETR) and Exelon (EXC) each lost more than 3%, and Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) fell nearly as much.

  A more temporary phenomenon beset airline stocks, with passenger revenue affected internationally by World Cup soccer mania. Leading the airline stocks lower were United Continental Holdings�(UAL),�Delta Air Lines (DAL) and American Airlines (AMR).

• [By Stephen Quickel]

  They trade at an average forward P/E of just 14.8 times fiscal 2014 earnings, about the same as the far slower growing S&P 500. Their collective price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio is a very attractive 0.77.

• [By John Grgurich]

  Hurricanes and job gains
  Last Wednesday, news broke that AIG and 10 other insurers were being sued by Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE: PEG  ) . The New Jersey-based gas and electric provider claims that damage from last fall's Hurricane Sandy far exceeded insurers' payouts of $50 million and is pursuing a total payout of $426 million.�

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top 10 Industrial Conglomerate Companies To Watch In Right Now: Smiths Group PLC (SMGKF.PK)

Smiths Group plc is a technology company. It has five divisions: Smiths Detection, Smiths Medical, John Crane, Smiths Interconnect and Flex-Tek. The Company and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture, sale and support advanced security equipment, including trace detection, millimeter-wave, infrared, biological detection and diagnostics; mechanical seals, seal support systems, engineered bearings, power transmission couplings and specialist filtration systems, and medical devices aligned to specific therapies, principally airway, pain and temperature management, and vascular access. It also develops, manufactures, sells and supports specialized electronic and radio frequency products for the global wireless telecommunications, aerospace, defense, space, medical, rail, test and industrial markets, and engineered components, including ducting, hose assemblies and heating elements. In May 2011, it acquired the entire issued share capital of SDBR Comercio De Equipamentos De Seguanc a LTDA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Lauchheimer]

  Currently, three main companies supply security equipment to the TSA - Safran (SAFRY.PK), Smiths (SMGKF.PK), and Level-3 Holdings (LLL). All three of these companies sell the whole range of their products to the TSA, with an ETD offering included. Recently, however, a new company, Implant Sciences Corporation (IMSC.PK) received approval from the TSA to begin selling their ETD equipment to airport security professionals. This approval has opened the door for IMSC to begin taking some market share away from the more established players in the US and beyond.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-industrial-conglomerate-companies-to-watch-in-right-now-2.html

Selectivity in Action

It's one thing to talk about diversification in theory. It's another to talk practice. Today, we'll be talking about diversification in practice. Especially how to balance diversification with selectivity In yesterday's article, I wrote about a theoretical framework for diversifying selectively. I showed how you could use as few as three strategies in three countries and pick just three examples of that strategy – net-nets, special situations, low EV/EBITDA, etc. – in each country and manage to have a widely diversified portfolio of 27 stocks (3 * 3 * 3 = 27).

The idea there was how to stay as selective as possible – as close to the center of your circle of competence – even while you diversify widely. It's easy to pick 27 stocks at random. It is harder to be disciplined enough to focus on just your three best strategies, your three most familiar countries, and your three favorite examples of each strategy in each country.

But that is how you build up areas of expertise.

Today, I want to talk about a situation where I had to diversify in an area – a country – where I was not an expert.

Japan.

A couple years ago, I decided the Japanese stock market – especially Japanese micro caps – looked very, very cheap. These companies often sold for less than book value. Dividend yields were frequently higher than in the U.S. (and inflation was lower). And P/E ratios – of the micro caps – were always lower.

There were a lot of stocks to choose from. I wanted to diversify. But I also wanted to be selectivite.

So let's take a look at selectivity in action.

The key to being selective is to focus your attention on the precise spots where it is likely to do the most good. Don't worry about things that don't matter. And don't worry about things you can't control. Try to focus on the things that matter that you can control.

In investing, "know" and "control" are often closely related. I can't control whether or not th! e net-nets I buy perform better or worse than other companies unless I can know – going into the position – whether one company has a stronger competitive position than another.

In the U.S., I can sometimes do this. I can always do it among businesses generally – although so can the market, so this is usually reflected (adequately handicapped) in the stock prices of the biggest and bluest chip stocks.

With net-nets – even in the U.S. – it is often harder to evaluate the competitive position of companies because it's rocky. There are few wide moat companies among net-nets in the U.S. There are perhaps a couple. However – almost without exception – net-nets with wide moats don't earn high returns on capital. To the extent a moat exists, it exists through something of a scorched earth situation. The fields the company controls are perhaps well defended – but they aren't fertile. The land is marginal. The castle poorly situated. There may be a moat. But it's not circling anything worth defending.

From time to time, I find exceptions to this rule. I count George Risk (RSKIA) an exception. When it traded around $4.50 (it's now more like $7.50 a share) it was a net-net with a good business and a moat. There were risks – customer concentration for one – and it was no blue chip. There was no diversification of product lines, customers, geography, industry, etc. It was closely tied to U.S. construction activity.

All this means it was no blue chip. Not that it didn't have a moat. I felt it did. And certainly not that it wasn't a high quality business. It demonstrably was (unleveraged returns on tangible equity were around 30%). And it was a net-net. In fact, it was a net cash stock at one time.

So they do happen. But they are rare. The usual distinction with net-nets is not between companies like that – companies which may have a moat, do earn good returns on capital, etc. – but between companies that are legitimate and illegitimate businesses.

A le! gitimate business is – in my mind – a historically profitable one. It is likely to have positive retained earnings (there are exceptions to this rule – but it's a good first check). It should have more years of profits (6 or more) than losses in the last 10 years. And it should be self-financing.

Compare this to an illegitimate business. The least legitimate businesses are those that – while publicly traded – have never turned a profit and can't self finance. They may be net-nets – but they are net-nets because they have issued stock in the past and then seen their share prices drop. Retained earnings are often negative.

There are other factors to consider. Is the business old or young? Is depreciation – and other accounting – especially conservative or aggressive? Are taxes especially conservative or aggressive? And is share issuance dilutive or not.

I think a legitimate business tends towards LIFO accounting, quicker depreciation, higher taxes paid as a percentage of reported income, and lower share issuance. There are exceptions. Many big technology companies etc. would fail these tests. But we are talking about net-nets here.

So, for me, the biggest dividing line among net-nets – as businesses – tends to be on measures like:

· Time in business (longer is better)

· History of profitability (longer and more consistent is better)

· Retained earnings (positive is better)

· Share issuance (lower is better)

· Accounting (conservative is better)

· Type of business (boring is better)

· History of dividends (longer and more consistent is better)

· Communication (less promotional is better)

None of this guarantees you have found a winning net-net. All of it supports the idea you have found a true Ben Graham bargain. A Ben Graham bargain is not simply a net-net. A company that goes public – never turns a profit – and crashes and burns when its one developmental drug fails can be a net-net.! It can�! �t be a Ben Graham bargain.

Why not?

Ben Graham liked net-nets for one reason. They were logical. Graham was a very logical thinker. And he saw a very logical reason why net-nets should work. They were public companies selling for less than a private buyer would pay for them.

Is that true of public companies that have never turned a profit, don't have real products, a business history, etc.?

I don't think so. I don't think Graham would think so.

So a net-net – at least the kind of net-net I am looking for – is first and foremost a legitimate business. It may be a good or bad business. But it must be an established business. That is always the first test.

I have a second test. This one – like the first – is not meant to ensure better overall returns in the portfolio. Speculative net-nets – money losing companies – often perform at least as well as less speculative net-nets. They often give you some homeruns. They have high strikeouts rates. But net-nets are so cheap, that a homerun can easily mean returns of 200% or more even if the business never achieves very much. It just has to start out very, very cheap. And then – for a brief, blinking moment – convince a buyer (or the stock owning public) it has hope. Hope is all you need for a net-net to make money. If ever hope returns to the stock, you'll make a lot of money. Because nothing trades as cheaply as a net-net unless it is seen as hopeless.

But I'm not interested in the best theoretical returns. I'm interested in what works in practice for me. And for me, the net-nets that work in practice – the ones I actually buy and hold long enough to turn a profit in – are established businesses (legitimate businesses as I just described them) with low leverage.

What does low leverage mean for a net-net?

There are many rules of thumb. One of my favorites is to take net current assets – this is current assets less total liabilities – and then compare that number to total li! abilities! .

Here's an example. A stock trades for $3 a share. It has $20 in current assets (cash, receivables, inventory, etc.) and it has $16 in total liabilities. This is a net-net. It has $4 in net current assets (current asset minus total liabilities) against a stock price of just $3. That means it is trading for 75% of NCAV. It's a solid net-net by price.

But is it a solid net-net by leverage?

No. It's risky. All of the value you see in the stock is in that $4 you are getting versus the $3 you are paying. However, total liabilities are $16. So, you have NCAV of $4 versus total liabilities of $16. Yes, of course, we have already netted out those $16. But – let's say – those total liabilities turn out to be 10% greater (not an unusual circumstance) than they are today. That would wipe out $1.60 of your $4 in value. At a 25% greater total liability, you'd end up with a worthless stock.

This is an oversimplification. A company could have that much in total liabilities but little chance it will rise over time because they aren't working liabilities – they are related to some discontinued business or some past financial transaction or something. Likewise, operating expenses could be really low today.

Basically, though, the bigger a company is relative to its NCAV – sales, expenses, and liabilities all give you hints about this – the more likely it is to be either a home run or a strikeout. A stock with a much higher NCAV than its total liabilities (a company with an inappropriately big pile of cash, receivables, inventory, etc. relative to the business it does) may be a bad business. It's unlikely to become an insolvent business though. By definition it has a lot of quick assets – stuff that can become cash – versus a small pile of liabilities (stuff that needs to be paid for in cash).

One of the ultimate tests of a low leverage Ben Graham bargain is simply a net cash bargain. This can be calculated in one of two ways. The most stringent is to take c! ash minus! all liabilities. If cash is greater than all liabilities it is a low leverage company. If cash is so much greater than total liabilities that the surplus of cash over total liabilities is greater than the market cap – then it's a low leverage Ben Graham bargain.

I understood that. I knew net-nets. But I did not know Japan. So, I focused my attention specifically on the stuff I knew. I settled on two criteria. One, the company had to have posted 10 straight years of profits. No losses in the last 10 years. Two, the company had to be – not just a net-net – but a net cash stock.

I found five such stocks in Japan. Actually, a few more than that. And some folks shared other names I had missed. As it turns out, I could've come up with probably about 10 such stocks. I only bought five. They were the first five I found that met those two criteria.

I put equal amounts in all five stocks.

In this way, I was both selective and non-selective. I was totally non-selective when it came to specific stocks. However, I was selective when it came to the criteria for selection. I wanted legitimate businesses that were cheap and not leveraged. I was able to distill these traits into two simple, screenable criteria.

I then – manually, because I didn't have a database to screen in Japan – applied this selective screen to Japanese stocks. To speed up my search I focused on Japan's other exchanges. I focused on Osaka and JASDAQ rather than the main (Tokyo) exchange. I figured the kinds of stock I was hunting for – little, boring net-nets – were least likely to trade on the best known exchange.

This allowed me – in a matter of weeks – to invest in a country I hadn't before. I was only able to do this because I used a strategy – net-net investing – I had used before. And I was only able to do it because I was selective where I could be (criteria I understood) and non-selective where I couldn't be (the competitive position of specific Japanese businesses).

Remembe! r, this is a subjective issue. If I was a Japanese investor, I wouldn't have used this approach. I would've dug into the competitive position of specific stocks. I would have handpicked my companies. As someone who has never been to Japan and does not speak the language or know the business culture – this was impossible. So, I didn't fool myself into wasting attention on an issue where I couldn't add value.

Focus on the aspects of your investing where you will get the highest return on your attention.

In your local area, this is likely to be on the business itself. Scuttlebutt. In a foreign country, it's likely to be mechanical investing – like Ben Graham did. In industries you know, it's likely to be competitive position. In times of panic, it's likely to be emotional fortitude.

Know where you can add value in your selection process. And know where you can't. Then coordinate your attack so you bring the absolute maximum of effort to the very point where it is likely to do the most good in the least time. Once you have found that point focus on it to the exclusion of everything else. Push your advantage to its maximum extent.

That is selectivity in action. It's knowing what to ignore so you can bring the most attention to the most important question for you to answer.

Talk to Geoff about Selectivity

Read Geoff's Other Articles