Best Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now

After a rough day yesterday, financial stocks are generally higher this morning. The financial stories below help to explain why.

1. Bank of Japan: Let the printing begin!
What's the best way to get an economy up and going again? According to Japan's central bank, the answer is to print copious amounts of money. In the first policy statement since Haruhiko Kuroda took over as the head of the institution, the Bank of Japan outlined what's being claimed as the most aggressive monetary policy since the Weimar Republic:

The Bank will achieve the price stability target of 2 percent in terms of the year-on-year rate of change in the consumer price index (CPI) at the earliest possible time, with a time horizon of about two years. In order to do so, it will enter a new phase of monetary easing both in terms of quantity and quality. It will double the monetary base and the amounts outstanding of Japanese government bonds (JGBs) as well as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in two years, and more than double the average remaining maturity of JGB purchases.

Hot Managed Healthcare Companies To Own In Right Now: Ishares Msci Korea (EWY)

iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the South Korean market. The Fund's performance is measured by the MSCI Korea Index (the Index).

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  Of course, Samsung�� massive presence has weighed on the region lately. In the last 12 months, the iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (EWY) has declined about 4%, pretty much the same performance as Samsung�� stock.

Best Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Luna Innovations Incorporated(LUNA)

Luna Innovations Incorporated engages in the research, development, and commercialization of technologies in the areas of sensing and instrumentation products, and health care products primarily in the United States. The company?s Product and Licensing segment offers test and measurement products to monitor the integrity of fiber optic network and sub-assemblies. This segment provides Optical Vector Analyzer platform, a device for single-measurement, all-parameter analysis of fiber optic components and assemblies up to 150 meters in length; Optical Backscatter Reflectometer, a sensitive diagnostic device, for data and telecommunications companies, and service providers who maintain their own fiber optic networks; and Phoenix laser, a MEMs-based external cavity laser, that offers low noise and precise tuning capability over the C-band. It also offers distributed sensing systems, which comprise multiple sensors whose input is integrated through a fiber optic network and soft ware to detect distributed strain, shape, and temperature; and tunable lasers. In addition, this segment provides health care products, including medical devices for minimally invasive diagnostics, surgery, and therapy; non-invasive monitoring and diagnosis medical devices consisting of emboli detection and classification QUANTIFIER, a non-invasive medical device, that uses quantitative ultrasound technology to count emboli in ex-vivo blood circuit; and nanomaterial-based medical products comprising Trimetasphere nanomaterials. The company?s Technology Development segment provides contract research services to universities, government entities, and corporations. Luna Innovations Incorporated offers its services to energy, telecommunications, life sciences, and defense industries .The company was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA), a rather unusual and innovative small cap stock,�soared some 23.26%���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with its performance verses the performance of small cap benchmarks like the iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWM), the�iShares Russell 2000 Value Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWN) or the iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWO).

• [By Rich Smith]

  Shares of microcap fiber optic test and measurement sensor-maker Luna Innovations (NASDAQ: LUNA  ) surged as much as 85% in Monday trading before finally settling down to book a 41% gain for the day. The catalyst: The company announced that it had extended its multiyear agreement to develop and supply "high-speed shape-sensing technology" to robotic surgery giant Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) for use in its da Vinci surgical robots.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Luna Innovations (NASDAQ: LUNA) jumped 95.45% to $2.58 as the company announced its plans to sell its shape-sensing technology to Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG).

Best Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Honda Motor Company Ltd. (HMC)

Honda Motor Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and distribution of motorcycles, automobiles, and power products primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its motorcycle line consists of business and commuter models, as well as sports models, including trial and moto-cross racing; all?terrain vehicles; personal watercrafts; and multi utility vehicles. The company also produces various automobile products, including passenger cars, minivans, multi-wagons, sport utility vehicles, and mini cars; and power products comprising tillers, portable generators, general-purpose engines, grass cutters, outboard marine engines, water pumps, snow throwers, power carriers, power sprayers, lawn mowers and lawn tractors, home-use cogeneration units, and thin film solar cells for home, public, and industrial uses. In addition, it sells spare parts and provides after sales services are through retail dealers, as well as offers retail lendin g and leasing to customers, and wholesale financing to dealers. The company was founded in 1946 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Quick Pen]

  Japanese peers still see depressed sales While Toyota�� sales rise might have indicated that the Chinese population is gradually opening up to purchasing Japan-made products, Nissan (NSANY) and Honda (HMC) are still witnessing declining sales. Last month Nissan sold 85,500 vehicles in the country, down 0.7% from last year. Honda Motor too, suffered a 5.5% fall in sales by selling 52,513 vehicles during the month.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Two figures that make Tesla look terrible
  Then, last week, out of a combination of a long-term dislike for Tesla's valuation and a love for creating my own indexes, I decided to work out a comparative index that would look at Tesla's value as compared with its production and profitability, and use those figures to compare Tesla against General Motors and Ford, the two U.S. juggernauts, as well as globally dominant brands Toyota (NYSE: TM  ) and Honda Motor (NYSE: HMC  ) . The results were nothing short of laughable.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  KBB expects Chrysler Group LLC to post the biggest year-over-year gain in March, 7.2%. Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) is expected to get an increase of 2.3%, while Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) is expected to get a 1% boost, and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) should see a gain of just 0.4%. Sales for Honda Motor Corp. (NYSE: HMC) are slated to be flat with March of 2013.

Best Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  What happens if the federal government kills the proposed combination of Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) and Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA)? Nothing. Cable service will remain poor. Customer satisfaction with cable companies will remain awful. Attempts to raise rates and cut cable speeds will continue.

• [By Brian Stelter]

  Separately, Comcast has been growing its base of broadband subscribers rapidly. It is the country's largest cable company. It is awaiting government approval for its merger with Time Warner Cable (TWC), the country's second-largest cable company.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images AT&T (T) has approached DirecTV (DTV) about a possible acquisition of the satellite TV company, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation. A deal would likely be worth at least $40 billion, DirecTV's current market capitalization, the newspaper said. A combination of AT&T and DirecTV would create a pay television giant close in size to where Comcast (CMCSA) will be if it completes its pending acquisition of Time Warner Cable (TWC), the Journal said. Representatives for AT&T weren't immediately available for comment outside of regular U.S. business hours. DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said the company doesn't comment on speculation.