Top US Companies To Own In Right Now

Q: Steve, I get that you are all about the "joys of small business," but one thing I never considered -- and the thing I don't think people mention often enough -- is just how much work is involved when you own a business. Now, don't get me wrong, I like being my own boss, but sometimes I miss the days of being an employee and goofing off or calling in sick. --Rich

A: I hear you, brother.

Like anything in life, being an entrepreneur has its ups and downs, it's good and bad points. I happen to think the good far outweighs the bad, but not a few people disagree or learn about the bad the hard way.

Sad story: A few years ago, a lawyer I know had to leave her hometown where she had lived most of her life and move cross country for family reasons. And because she loved her solo practice and the flexibility it afforded her as a mother, and since she is smart and confident, she decided to re-start her solo practice in the new city, thinking it would not be too difficult.

Best Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2016: Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (STAF)

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 22, 2009, is an international staffing sector engaged in the acquisition and integration of the United States and international staffing agencies. Staffing 360 Solutions seeks staffing agencies in the information technology (IT), financial, accounting, healthcare and cyber security industries. On April 26, 2013, it consummated (the Closing) the acquisition 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of The Revolution Group, Ltd. (TRG). In March 2014, the Company announced that its subsidiary Staffing 360 Solutions (UK) Ltd acquired the business and assets of Poolia UK Ltd, subsidiary of Poolia AB. In May 2014, the Company acquired IT staffing firm PeopleSERVE.

In March 2012, the Company commenced its operations in the international staffing sector. On July 31, 2012, the Company formed Staffing 360 Alliance, Inc. (Staffing Alliance), which is a wholly owned subsidiary, for the purpose of exploring business prospects in the staffing sector. In September 2012, Alliance began operations and provides trained employees to companies who work in word processing, data entry, administrative support staff and other areas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  As cyber theft and hacking continues to grow, mir or small cap stocks like Splunk Inc (NASDAQ: SPLK), Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN) and Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF)�are some overlooked, indirect or just plain interesting plays on cybersecurity that investors might want to take note of:

Top US Companies To Own In Right Now: Simpson Manufacturing Company Inc.(SSD)

Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and sale of building products. It offers wood-to-wood, wood-to-concrete, and wood-to-masonry connectors; screw fastening systems and collated screws; stainless steel fasteners; pre-fabricated shear walls and moment-frames; truss plates; and a range of adhesives, chemicals, mechanical anchors, carbide drill bits, and powder-actuated tools for concrete, masonry, and steel markets, as well as a range of concrete repair products and engineered materials for the repair, strengthening, and restoration of asphalt and masonry construction. The company markets its products to the residential construction, light industrial and commercial construction, remodeling, and do-it-yourself markets primarily in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. was founded in 1956 and is based in Pleasanton, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top US Companies To Own In Right Now: Ishares Msci Australia Inc (EWA)

iShares MSCI Australia 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 Australian market, as measured by the MSCI Australia Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the Australian equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chad Fraser]

  Another option is to buy units of an Australian exchange traded fund (ETF) like the iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (NYSE: EWA), one of the investments we cover in Australian Edge’s How They Rate universe, which keeps over 100 Australian companies and other investments under continuous review.

Top US Companies To Own In Right Now: ATAC Resources Ltd (ATC)

ATAC Resources Ltd. (ATAC) is a Canada-based exploration-stage company. ATAC is in the business of exploring for metals and minerals with a particular emphasis on gold. The Company holds interests in a number of other mineral properties outside of the Rackla Gold project area, which is located in the Mayo Mining District of central Yukon. ATAC��s wholly owned Rackla Gold project consists of an approximate center of the project area is 100 kilometers northeast of Keno City. The Rackla Gold project area is comprised of over 8,000 mineral claims. The claims cover an area of 1,700 square kilometers. The Rackla Gold project area includes Rau Trend and the Nadaleen Trend. Joint venture properties include the Connaught property. ATAC and Klondike Silver Corp. each hold a 50% interest in the Connaught property. Property interests under option include the Rosy Property, Green Gulch, Touleary, Dan Man and Shamrock Properties. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  Management��s efficiency is also evidenced by its decision to reduce its non-core assets in order to concentrate on its most profitable businesses. Consequently, almost nine months after its initial tender, Orange divested its Dominican unit to Luxemburg-based Altice SA (ATC) for $1.4 billion last week.

Top US Companies To Own In Right Now: Crosstex Energy Inc.(XTXI)

Crosstex Energy, Inc., through its partnership interests in Crosstex Energy, L.P., engages in the gathering, transmission, processing, and marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and crude oil in the United States. The company connects the wells of natural gas producers in its market areas to its gathering systems; processes natural gas for the removal of NGLs; fractionates NGLs; and markets and transports natural gas and NGLs. It also purchases natural gas from natural gas producers and other supply sources; and sells that natural gas to utilities, industrial consumers, other marketers, and pipelines. In addition, the company operates processing plants that process gas transported to the plants by interstate pipelines or from its own gathering systems. Further, it purchases natural gas from producers not connected to its gathering systems for resale, as well as sells natural gas on behalf of producers; and through its crude oil terminal facilities in south L ouisiana provides access for crude oil producers. As of February 8, 2012, the company operated approximately 3,300 miles of pipeline, 9 processing plants, and 3 fractionators. Crosstex Energy, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Crosstex Energy��s (XTXI) shares are up 59.4% at $32.84 after posting a new 52-week high of $34.21. Crosstex Energy LP��s (XTEX) shares are up 38% at $28.08 after putting up a new high of $29.50 earlier.

Top US Companies To Own In Right Now: EnerNOC Inc (ENOC)

EnerNOC, Inc. (EnerNOC), incorporated on June 5, 2003, is a provider of energy management applications, services and products for the smart grid, which include demand response, data-driven energy efficiency, and energy price and risk management applications, services and products. The Company��s energy management applications, services and products enable energy management strategies for commercial, institutional and industrial end-users of energy, which it refers to as its C&I customers, and its electric power grid operator and utility customers by reducing real-time demand for electricity, increasing energy efficiency and improving energy supply transparency. The Company��s energy management applications, services and products include its EnerNOC EfficiencySMART and SupplySMART applications and services, and certain wireless energy management products.

DemandSMART

The Company��s demand response capacity provides an alternative to building conventional supply-side resources, such as natural gas-fired peaking power plants, to meet periods of peak electricity demand. The Company is in the development, implementation and broader adoption of technology-enabled demand response services for the smart grid. The Company��s DemandSMART application enables us to send control signals to, and receive bi-directional communications from, an Internet-enabled network of dispersed C&I customer sites in order to initiate, monitor and complete demand response activity. The Company��s technology and operational processes have the ability to automate demand response and simplify C&I customer participation by remotely reducing electricity usage in a matter of minutes, or send curtailment instructions to its C&I customers to be manually implemented on site. The devices that it installs at its C&I customer sites transmit to us through the cellular network and Internet near real-time electrical consumption data on a 1-minute, 5-minute, 15-minute or hourly basis. The Company��s DemandSMART app! lication analyzes the data from individual sites and aggregates data for specific regions. When a demand response event occurs, its network operations center (NOC) automatically processes the notification coming from the electric power grid operator or utility. The Company��s NOC operators then begin activating procedures to curtail demand from the grid at its C&I customer sites.

The Company provides its demand response services to electric power grid operators and utilities under long-term contracts and pursuant to open market bidding programs. The Company��s long-term contracts generally have terms of 3-10 years and predetermined capacity commitment and payment levels. Within these contracts and open market programs, it offers the services to address the needs of electric power grid operators and utilities: reliability-based demand response, price-based demand response, and short-term reserve resources referred to in the electric power industry as ancillary services.

EfficiencySMART

EfficiencySMART is the Company��s data-driven energy efficiency suite that includes energy efficiency planning, audits, assessments, commissioning and retro-commissioning authority services, and a cloud-based energy analytics application used for managing energy across a C&I customer��s portfolio of sites. The cloud-based energy analytics application also includes the ability to integrate with a C&I customer��s existing energy management system, provide utility bill management and tools for measurement, tracking, analysis, reporting and management of greenhouse gas emissions. The Company offers the EfficiencySMART applications and services, which include EfficiencySMART Plan, EfficiencySMART Audit, EfficiencySMART Assessment, EfficiencySMART Commissioning and EfficiencySMART Insight.

EfficiencySMART Plan provides its C&I customers with a multi-year profile of projected energy demand, consumption and costs, including a lifecycle financial analysis of potential energy! strategi! es and a roadmap for implementation. EfficiencySMART Audit provides its C&I customers with energy efficiency recommendations in compliance with the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE) standards for conditioned space, and tactical energy surveys for industrial facilities. EfficiencySMART Assessment provides detailed recommendations for energy savings, demand reductions, reductions in energy intensity through operation and maintenance activities, equipment retrofits, behavioral changes, or the use of new technologies. EfficiencySMART Commissioning includes traditional and/or new building commissioning services, such as investigation, testing and verification of energy efficiency strategies, and data analytics over a specified period of time. EfficiencySMART Insight provides its large, multi-site C&I customers with a Software-as-a-Service enterprise energy management solution that provides persistent commissioning with the ability to visualize near real-time energy usage, identify savings opportunities, and prioritize energy-related investments across a portfolio of meters and buildings across a C&I customer��s organization.

SupplySMART

SupplySMART is the Company��s energy price and risk management application that provides its C&I customers located in restructured or deregulated markets throughout the United States with the ability to more effectively manage the energy supplier selection process, including energy supply product procurement and implementation. SupplySMART provides a framework for developing and implementing risk management strategies and executing purchasing strategies that provides maximum price transparency and structural savings on an ongoing basis for its C&I customers.

Technology and Operations

The Company��s technology has been developed provides a platform on which to design, customize, and implement its energy management applications, services and products. The Company��s technology infrast! ructure i! s built on Linux, Java and Oracle, and supports open Web services architecture. The Company��s enterprise energy management application platform enables the Company to efficiently scale its DemandSMART, EfficiencySMART, and SupplySMART applications and services, as well as certain wireless energy management products, in new geographic regions and rapidly grow the number of C&I customers in its network. The Company��s energy management application platform leverages Web services and wireless technologies that connect applications directly with other applications through a form of loose coupling, which allows connections to be established across applications without customization.

Network Operations Center

The Company��s technology enables its NOC to automatically respond to signals sent by electric power grid operators and utilities to deliver demand reductions within targeted geographic regions. The Company can customize its technology to receive and interpret many types of dispatch signals sent directly from an electric power grid operator or utility customer to its NOC. Following the receipt of such a signal, its NOC automatically notifies specified C&I customer personnel of the demand response event. After relaying this notification to its C&I customers, it initiate processes that reduce their electricity consumption from the electric power grid. These processes may include dimming lights, shifting equipment to power save mode, adjusting heating and cooling set points and activating a back-up generator. Demand reduction is monitored remotely with near real-time data feeds, the results of which are displayed in its NOC through various data presentment screens.

Energy Management Platform

The Company��s energy management platform is consists of its cloud-based enterprise software platform used for DemandSMART, EfficiencySMART and SupplySMART, as well as wireless energy management products and technology, and is the underlying system that runs its ! NOC. It u! tilizes a modular Web services architecture that is designed to allow application modules to be easily integrated into the platform. The Company use its energy management platform to measure, manage, benchmark and optimize C&I customers�� energy consumption and facility operations. The Company use this data to help C&I customers analyze consumption patterns, forecast demand, measure real-time performance during demand response events, continuously monitor building management equipment to optimize system operation, model rates and tariffs and create energy scorecards to benchmark similar facilities. In addition, its energy management application platform has the ability to track its C&I customers�� greenhouse gas emissions by mapping their energy consumption with the fuel mix used for generation in their location, such as the proportion of coal, nuclear, natural gas, fuel oil and other sources used.

The EnerNOC Site Server

The Company designs and installs a small device, called an EnerNOC Site Server, or ESS, at each C&I customer site to collect and communicate to its platform near real-time electricity consumption data and, in certain cases, enable remote control of a C&I customer��s electricity consumption. The ESS communicates to its NOC through the C&I customer��s LAN or secure Internet connection. The ESS is an open, integrated system consisting of a central hardware device residing inside a standard electrical box. The ESS allows its C&I customers to, among other things, respond quickly and completely to instructions from us to reduce electricity consumption. The Company also supports OpenADR protocol on its most recent ESS devices, an emerging standard for automated demand response communications.

The Company competes with Comverge, Inc., Exelon Corporation, Energy Curtailment Specialists and Hess, Inc., as well as energy technology providers Lucid Design Group, Inc., Building IQ, SCIEnergy, Inc. and McKinstry Co., LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  Shares of EnerNoc (NASDAQ: ENOC  ) and Exelon (NYSE: EXC  ) lose energy in the wake of analyst downgrades. Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) falls after releasing the fourth season of Arrested Development. And Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) benefits from rising home prices. In this installment of Investor Beat, our analysts discuss four stocks making moves.

Top 5 Forestry Companies To Buy For 2016

Top 5 Forestry Companies To Buy For 2016: Boot(h)

Henry Boot PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a property and construction company in the United Kingdom. Its property portfolio includes retail warehousing properties, leisure and retail parks, town centre retail and mixed use properties, industrial and office properties, and business parks. The company engages in the acquisition, promotion, development, and trading of land; and holds interest in 8,200 acres of land through ownership, option, and agency agreements. It also involves in construction, civil engineering, and road maintenance activities; and offers construction services to the health, education, housing, custodial, and public sectors. In addition, the company offers a range of products and services for sale and hire, such as fleet of contractors' mechanical plant and equipment ranging from telehandlers to rollers; boom and scissor lift access platforms suitable for slab or rough terrain work; accommodation units for applications, including offices , canteens, showers, toilets, and security stores; power tools and equipment consisting of electric tools, engine powered items, concreting and compaction tools, lightweight access equipment, heating and lighting appliances, and home maintenance items; and fleet of machines for construction and industrial applications. Henry Boot PLC was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Sheffield, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Guests want this because it makes their lives simpler. The ability to go right to your room, gives them back time.

  Hilton Worldwide (H) is the only other hotel chain to publicly acknowledge plans for mobile room keys -- which it plans to roll out at the end of 2015 at some U.S. properties. Hilton won't say how many hotels will be included, except that the service will be available at four of its br! ands, Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Canopy. "Guests want this because it makes their lives simpler," says Mark Vondrasek, who oversees the loyalty program and digital initiatives for Starwood. "The ability to go right to your room, gives them back time." Other hotel companies are finding other ways to streamline the arrival process. Marriott International (MAR) launched the ability to check in through its app at 330 North American hotels last year. By the end of this year, the program will be live at all 4,000 hotels worldwide. When a room becomes available, a message is sent to the guest's phone. Traditional room keys are pre-programmed and waiting at the front desk. A special express line allows guests to bypass crowds, flash their IDs and get keys. At Hilton, all 4,000 properties worldwide will have a similar check-in by the end of the year. The one added feature: Guests can use maps on the app to select a specific room. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is testing express check-in at 60 hotels. Not About Cutting Jobs The services are geared toward road warriors who don't want to slow down, even for a second. Guests who like personal interaction can still opt for a more leisurely check-in, and hotel companies say the move isn't about cutting jobs. "If you're at the end of a long day, you might want a little less of a chatty experience. But if you're showing up at a new resort, you may want to know what the pool hours are," says Brett Cowell, vice president of information technology for Hyatt, which is testing permanent keys for frequent guests
• [By Tom Rojas and Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Hyatt Hotels Corp.(H) said its revenue rose 7.6% in the latest quarter, as the hotel operator’s occupancy rates increased.

  Eaton Corp.(ETN) PLC said revenue edged up 2.2% in the latest quarter as the diversified manufacturer reported higher sales in its electrical and aerospace segments.

• [By Jess! e Solomon]

  Investors have taken notice. Marriott International (MAR)has soared 33% this year while Hyatt (H) is up 26%. Hilton (HLT) has spiked roughly 23% from its initial public offering in December.

• [By CNNMoney Staff]

  In corporate news, firms including Campbell Soup (CPB, Fortune 500) and Hyatt Hotels (H) are set to release quarterly results before the opening bell.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-forestry-companies-to-buy-for-2016.html

Hot Specialty Retail Stocks To Own Right Now

Hot Specialty Retail Stocks To Own Right Now: Ulta Salon Cosmetics and Fragrance Inc (ULTA)

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (Ulta), incorporated on January 9, 1990, is a beauty retailer, which provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. During the year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened 61 new stores. It operates full-service salons in all of its stores. Its Ulta store format includes an open and modern salon area with approximately eight to 10 stations. The entire salon area is approximately 950 square feet with a concierge desk, skin treatment room, semi-private shampoo and hair color processing areas. Each salon is a full-service salon offering hair cuts, hair coloring and permanent texture, with salons also providing facials and waxing.

The Company offers products in the categories, such as cosmetics, which includes products for the face, eyes, cheeks, lips and nails; haircare, which includes shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and hair accessories; salon styling tools, which includes hair dryers, curling irons and flat irons; skincare and bath and body, which includes products for the face, hands and body; fragrance for both men and women; private label, consisting of Ulta branded cosmetics, skincare, bath and body products and haircare, and other, including candles, home fragrance products and other miscellaneous health and beauty products. The Company has combined its three operating segments: retail stores, salon services and e-commerce, into one reportable segment.

The Company competes with Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, Regis Corp., Sally Beauty and JCPenney salons.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

   

   

  Nearest Resistance: $130

  Nea! rest Support: $100

  Catalyst: Q2 Earnings

   

  Shares of beauty supply operator Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (ULTA) moved up approximately 20% in Friday's session, boosted by positive second quarter earnings numbers. Ulta reported profits for 94 cents per share for the quarter, beating out analysts' best guess profits of 83 cents per share. Even better, the firm expects third quarter revenues on the high end of Wall Street's expectations for both revenue and profits.

   

  The technicals look good in ULTA right now. This stock's big gap higher on Friday broke shares above key round-number resistance at $100, clearing the way for a retest of last year's highs up near $130. For traders who aren't risk-averse, ULTA is buyable here.

   

  Read More: 5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

   

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Shares of ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (NASDAQ: ULTA) got a boost, shooting up 17.9 percent to $114.89 after the company reported upbeat second-quarter results and raised its outlook. The company also unveiled a five-year plan for impressive growth.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-specialty-retail-stocks-to-own-right-now-3.html

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Amalgamated Gold and Silver Inc (BCHS)

Amalgamated Gold & Silver Inc., formerly Balmoral FX Systems Inc, incorporated on November 13, 1992, is a development-stage company. The Company is a holding Company researching various opportunities for investment in gold and silver mining operations.

The Company is focused on gold and silver mining interests in the United States and Mexico. The Company has conducted or has attempted to conduct operations in several other industries and is concentrating all operations on the development.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap mining stocks Discovery Minerals Ltd (OTCMKTS: DSCR), Zinco Do Brasil Inc (OTCMKTS: ZNBR) and Amalgamated Gold and Silver Inc (OTCMKTS: BCHS) have been getting some extra attention lately as one stock surged last Friday while the other two are or have been in the past, the subject of paid promotions. It goes without saying though that small cap mining stocks tend to be riskier than your average stock. But do these three small cap mining stocks have what it takes to produce a mother lode for investors? Here is a deeper dig into all three:

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-defensive-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-6.html

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) has been a poster boy for market success in 2013. The stock has gained 134% in value during the first six months of the year and is one of the strongest performers outside of ultra-risky penny stocks. The digital video maven earned it by collecting more than 30 million domestic customers and more than 7 million viewers abroad, while also producing high-quality original shows and locking up even more third-party content deals.

As successful as Netflix stock has been this year, it's not the biggest winner of all. In fact, it's just the 15th strongest performer among reasonably sized Russell 3000 members. Let's take a closer look at four of the stocks that managed to outperform Netflix so far, using the video veteran as the benchmark to beat.

CLVS Total Return Price data by YCharts.

No. 1 with a bullet
Nobody, but nobody, is beating Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ: CLVS  ) right now. The cancer-focused biotech company got the party started with a fine earnings report in February, which helped push the stock 15% higher overnight. But that's nothing next to the 136% one-day pop Clovis experienced after releasing positive data from early-stage studies on two types of cancer-busting drugs.

Top 5 Forestry Stocks To Own For 2016: Stewart Enterprises Inc.(STEI)

Stewart Enterprises, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides funeral and cemetery products and services in the death care industry in the United States and Puerto Rico. The company also offers a range of funeral merchandise and services, as well as cemetery property, cremation, merchandise, and services. Its funeral homes provide various services and products, including the family consultation, removal and preparation of remains, usage of funeral home facilities for visitation, worship and funeral services, transportation services, flowers, and caskets. The company also sells cemetery property and related merchandise, which includes lots, lawn crypts, family and community mausoleums, monuments, markers, and burial vaults; and provides burial site openings and closings and inscriptions. In addition, it maintains cemetery grounds under cemetery perpetual care contracts and local laws. As of January 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 218 funeral homes and 141 cemeterie s. Stewart Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1910 and is based in Jefferson, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Katje]

  Service Corporation (SCI), the largest funeral home operator in the United States, made news last week with its large acquisition of Stewart Enterprises (STEI). The acquisition was well received by investors, as shares rose 8% on the day of the announcement. Together, the two companies will see huge cost savings advantages and a backlog that is currently undervalued.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of funeral-home operator Stewart Enterprises (NASDAQ: STEI  ) soared 34% today, after larger rival Service Corp. International (NYSE: SCI  ) agreed to acquire it in a deal worth about $1.4 billion.

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: Key Tronic Corporation(KTCC)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

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

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: The Hackett Group Inc.(HCKT)

The Hackett Group, Inc. operates as a strategic advisory and technology consulting firm primarily in the United States and western Europe. The company offers executive advisory programs, benchmarking, business transformation, and technology consulting services, as well as shared services, offshoring, and outsourcing advice. Its executive advisory programs consists of advisor inquiry, an inquiry service used by clients for access to fact-based advice on proven approaches and methods to increase the effectiveness of selling, general, and administrative processes (SG&A); best practice research, a research that provides insights into the proven approaches in use at organizations; peer interaction program comprising member-led Webcasts, annual Best Practice Conferences, annual Member Forums, membership performance surveys, and client-submitted content; and best practice intelligence center, an online, searchable repository of practices, performance metrics, conference presentat ions, and associated research. The company?s bench marking services conduct studies in the areas of SG&A, finance, human resources, information technology, procurement, enterprise performance management, shared service centers, and working capital management. These services are used by clients to establish priorities, generate organizational consensus, align compensation to establish performance goals, and develop the required business case for business and technology investments. Its business transformation programs help clients to develop coordinated strategy for achieving performance improvements across the enterprise; and Hackett Technology Solutions help clients choose and deploy the software applications that meet their needs and objectives. The company was formerly known as Answerthink, Inc. and changed its name to The Hackett Group, Inc. in January 2008. The Hackett Group, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ValueArtifex]

  One such situation currently in the process of unfolding this month is a Dutch Tender by The Hackett Group (HCKT). I will briefly discuss the underlying business, what exactly a Dutch Auction (or in this case, a Tender) is, what options investors have when approaching this situation and how it could play out.

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: Brocade Communications Systems Inc.(BRCD)

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. supplies networking equipment comprising end-to-end Internet protocol based Ethernet and storage area networking solutions. Its Data Storage segment provides infrastructure products and solutions, including directors, switches, routers, fabric-based software applications, distance/extension products, management applications, and utilities to centralize data management; and host bus adapters, converged network adapters, mezzanine cards, and switch modules for bladed servers. The company?s Ethernet Products segment offers Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model (OSI) Layer 2-3 switches and routers, which enable the use of bandwidth-intensive network business applications and digital entertainment on local area networks and wide area networks; and OSI Layer 4?7 switches that allow enterprises and service providers to build network infrastructures to direct the flow of traffic, and file area network products and associated management s olutions. The company?s Global Services segment provides break/fix maintenance, extended warranty, installation, consulting, network management, and related software maintenance and support services; consulting and support services that assist customers in designing, implementing, deploying, and managing networking solutions; and post-contract customer support and extended warranties. It serves various businesses and organizations, which include global enterprises and service providers, such as telecommunication firms, cable operators, and mobile carriers. The company has a strategic partnership with LG-Ericsson. It offers its products and services to end-user customers directly, and through various distribution partners comprising original equipment manufacturers, distributors, systems integrators, and value-added resellers in the United States, western Europe, Japan, and the greater Asia Pacific region. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in San Jose, Cali fornia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Brocade Communications Systems Inc.(BRCD) raised its stock buyback program to $1 billion from $308 million, as the company cited confidence in generating greater cash flow as well as its long-term business prospects. Shares rose 3.8% premarket to $8.49.

• [By jaggom]

  Brocade Communications (BRCD) is another company that provides solutions similar to EMC, but it is a smaller player. Brocade earns 50% of its total revenue from its core service of storage area networks (SAN). However, it faced a 7% decline in revenue in the second quarter from the prior year period. This can be concerning for investors. With major players like Cisco (CSCO), Brocade faces fierce competition for its core business and the company might be in for tough times.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Networked storage specialist Brocade Communications Systems (NASDAQ: BRCD  ) kicked out its poison pill plan in 2007, following an annual policy review that found it unnecessary. The company has often been the subject of buyout speculation in a rapidly consolidating storage market, but is still standing alone. Brocade shares have only gained 3% since the plan change, trailing the S&P 500's 29% returns.

• [By amal.singh70]

  Analysts forecast the Global SAN (Storage Area Networks) market to grow at a CAGR of 8.42 percent from 2012 to 2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market is the improved scalability facilitated by SAN solutions. The Global SAN market has also been witnessing an increasing adoption of Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) solutions. However, the high cost of FC SAN solutions could pose a headwind to the growth of this market. Brocade Communications�(BRCD) has been steadily gaining a wider market share, which influences growth in its stocks prices. This year, Brocade's share price has gained 18.3%, and the momentum should continue providing healthy returns to investors.

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: Northstar Realty Finance Corp. (NRF)

NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. operates as a real estate investment trust in the United States. It invests in real estate debt business, which acquires, originates, and structures debt investments secured primarily by income-producing real estate properties; real estate securities business that invests in commercial real estate debt securities, including commercial mortgage backed securities, REIT unsecured debt, and credit tenant loans; and net lease properties business, which acquires properties that are primarily net leased to corporate tenants. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT and it would not be subject to federal income tax, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. NorthStar Realty Finance was founded in 1997 and is based in New York City.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Northstar Realty Finance (NRF) is a REIT that acquires, originates, and structures debt investments secured primarily by income-producing real estate properties. Northstar also invests in commercial real estate debt securities, including commercial mortgage backed securities, REIT unsecured debt, and credit tenant loans and has a portfolio of properties that are net leased to commercial tenants.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  NorthStar Realty Finance (NYSE: NRF) surged 8.86% to $17.45. The volume of NorthStar Realty Finance shares traded was 419% higher than normal. American Realty Capital Properties (NASDAQ: ARCP) is in talks for a takeover of NorthStar Realty Finance, Financial Times' Ed Hammond said on Twitter.

• [By alicet236]

  Northstar Realty Finance Corporation (NRF): Chairman and CEO David T. Hamamoto Sold 639,182 Shares

  Chairman and CEO of Northstar Realty Finance Corporation (NRF) David T. Hamamoto sold 639,182 shares on 01/13/2014 at an average price of $14.14. NorthStar Realty Finance Corporation is a Maryland corporation formed in October 2003. Northstar Realty Finance Corporation has a market cap of $4.16 billion; its shares were traded at around $14.00 with and P/S ratio of 4.15. The dividend yield of Northstar Realty Finance Corporation stocks is 5.57%.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.(NRF) disclosed a plan to spin off its asset-management business into a separate publicly traded company, a move investors praised. NorthStar’s shares rose 17% to $11.60 premarket.

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN)

Gladstone Investment Corporation specializes in buyouts and recapitalizations. It seeks to make debt and equity investments in small and mid-sized private businesses. The fund invests in junior subordinated loans, mezzanine debt, preferred stock, and warrants to purchase common stock of companies based in the the United States. It can also invest in senior secured loans and common stock. The fund prefers to invest between $3 million and $20 million. It invests individually as well as jointly with other buyout funds. The fund is treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN)

  Over the past week two corporate executives made buys into Gladstone Investment Corporation. COO Terry Brubaker made three different buys over the past week and CEO David Gladstone made one.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Gladstone Investment (NASDAQ: GAIN) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $8.90 million.

  First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $286.98 million.

Top Telecom Stocks To Invest In 2016

Top Telecom Stocks To Invest In 2016: Sprint Corp (S&LS)

Sprint Corporation, incorporated on May 10, 2012, offers a range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumers, businesses and government users. On July 10, 2013, the Company, SoftBank Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint Nextel) completed the merger. In the Merger, Sprint Corporation was merged into Sprint Nextel, New Sprint became the parent company of Sprint Nextel, with Sprint Nextel becoming its direct wholly owned subsidiary, and Sprint Nextel changed its name to Sprint Communications, Inc.

The Company develops, engineers and deploys technologies, including the first wireless fourth generation (4G) service from a national carrier in the United States; offering mobile data services, prepaid brands, including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities, and a global Tier 1 Internet Service. The Company also offers unlimited data services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Since Wilmers & Co. took over M&T Bank in 1983 the bank has acquired 23 banks and Savings and Loans (S&Ls) – expanding from a single state to seven – and assets have grown from $2 billion to $110 billion. M&T's branch count has grown from 60 to over 870. The bank currently boasts a customer base of over 2 million retail household customers and nearly 220,000 commercial customers.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-telecom-stocks-to-invest-in-2016.html

Top 5 Trucking Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Trucking Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Brown-Forman Corp (BF.B)

Brown-Forman Corporation, incorporated on October 19, 1933, primarily manufactures, bottles, imports, exports, markets, and sells a variety of alcoholic beverage brands. The Companys principal brands are Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, Pepe Lopez Tequilas, Jack Daniels Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve Bourbons, Jack Daniels Ready-to-Drinks, Canadian Mist Blended Canadian Whiskies, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, Chambord Liqueur, Jack Daniels Winter Jack Chambord Vodka, Gentleman Jack, Collingwood Canadian Whisky, Southern Comfort, Early Times Bourbon, Southern Comfort Ready-to-Drinks, Early Times flavored line extensions, Southern Comfort flavored line extensions, Early Times Kentucky Whisky, Finlandia Vodkas, Korbel California Champagnes, Finlandia Ready-to-Drinks, Little Black Dress Vodkas, Antiguo Tequila, Maximus Vodkas, el Jimador Tequilas, Old Forester Bourbon, el Jimador New Mix Ready-to-Drinks, Sonoma-Cutrer Wines, Herradura Tequilas, and Tuaca Liqueur.

The Companys products are sold in more than 150 countries around the world. The Companys international markets include Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Poland, France, Russia, Japan, Turkey, Canada, Spain, Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil and Italy.

The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Beam Inc., Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., Diageo plc, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A., Pernod Ricard S.A., and Remy Cointreau S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Alcohol manufacturer and distributor Brown-Forman (BF.B) raised its quarterly dividend 13.7% to 29 cents per share, payable on Dec. 27 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 4.
  BF.B Dividend Yield: 1.54%

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  BFB: Brown-Forman Corp. (BF.B) Class B shares gained 3.7%. The ! alcoholic beverage maker reported fiscal third-quarter earnings Wednesday that beat expectations and boosted its full-year view on per-share earnings to between $2.95 and $3.05.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-trucking-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Top Trucking Companies To Watch In Right Now

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Universal Truckload Services (NASDAQ: UACL  ) , a North American provider of trucking and logistics solutions, jumped as much as 12% after receiving an upgrade from BB&T�Capital Markets.

So what: According to BB&T Capital Markets, Universal Truckload's product offerings should broaden and its gross margins should improve following its $335 million purchase of privately held LINC Logistics, announced last year. BB&T upgraded Universal Trucking to a buy from a hold and set its price target at $33, implying 32% upside based on Friday's closing price.

Now what: As usual, the first thing you need to do is not allow the extremely short-term movements of analysts to cloud your long-term investing thesis. In the case of Universal Truckload, it's going to be a bumpy ride but management seems to have the steering wheel pointed in the right direction. The purchase of LINC adversely affected the company's bottom line because of a change in tax code last quarter and Universal could suffer as it sheds lower margin and unprofitable operations. However, I do see value in the LINC purchase and feel, after a moderate pullback, that this could be a name worth keeping an eye on in the trucking sector.

Hot Long Term Stocks To Buy Right Now: Briggs & Stratton Corporation (BGG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Small-engine maker�Briggs & Stratton� (NYSE: BGG  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.12 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past four quarters after raising the payout 9% from $0.11 per share.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

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

Top Trucking Companies To Watch In Right Now: Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB)

Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB), incorporated on January 19, 1984, is a bank holding company. The Company has one wholly owned operating subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (the Bank), which offers a range of deposit, loan, and related banking products, as well as brokerage services provided, through a third-party brokerage arrangement. In addition, the Company offers trust and investment management services, through its subsidiary, Bar Harbor Trust Services (Trust Services), a trust company. These products and services are offered to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations and municipalities. In August 2012, the Company announced that its principal subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, acquired Border Trust Company (Border Trust), a subsidiary of Border Bancshares, Inc.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust

The Bank has 12 branch offices located throughout downeast and midcoast Maine, including its principal office in Bar Harbor. The Bank�� offices are located in Hancock, Washington and Knox Counties, representing the Bank�� principal market areas. The Hancock County offices, in addition to Bar Harbor, are located in Blue Hill, Deer Isle, Ellsworth, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Winter Harbor. The Washington County offices are located in Milbridge, Machias, and Lubec. The Knox County office is located in Rockland. The Bank delivers its operations and technology support services from its operations center located in Ellsworth, Maine.

The Bank is a retail bank serving individual and business customers, retail establishments and restaurants, seasonal lodging, biological research laboratories, and a contingent of retirees. As a coastal bank, it serves the tourism, hospitality, lobstering, fishing, boat building and marine services industries. It also serves Maine�� wild blueberry industry through its Hancock and Washington County offices. The Bank operates in a market that includes other community banks, savings institutions, credit unions, a! nd branch offices of statewide and interstate bank holding companies located in the Bank�� market area.

The Bank offers a variety of consumer financial products and services. The Bank�� retail deposit products and services include checking accounts, interest bearing negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, club accounts, short-term and long-term certificates of deposit, health savings accounts and individual retirement accounts. Credit products and services include home mortgages, residential construction loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, credit cards, installment loans, and overdraft protection services. The Bank provides secured and unsecured installment loans for new or used automobiles, boats, recreational vehicles, mobile homes and other personal needs. The Bank also offers other customary products and services, such as safe deposit box rentals, wire transfers, check collection services, foreign currency exchange, money orders, and United States Savings Bonds redemptions.

The Bank retains Infinex Investments, Inc., (Infinex) as a third-party broker-dealer, conducting business business name Bar Harbor Financial Services. Bar Harbor Financial Services is a branch office of Infinex, an independent registered broker-dealer offering securities and insurance products that is not affiliated with the Company or its subsidiaries. Bar Harbor Financial Services principally serves the brokerage needs of individuals, including first-time purchasers and investors. It also offers a line of life insurance, annuity, and retirement products, as well as financial planning services. The Bank offers Internet banking services, including free check images and electronic bill payment, through its Website at www.BHBT.com. Additionally, the Bank offers TeleDirect, an interactive voice response system, through which customers can check account balances and activity, as well as initiate money transfers between their accounts. Automated te! ller mach! ines (ATMs) are located at each of the Bank�� 12 branch locations, as well as two machines in non-Bank locations. The Bank is also a member of Maine Cash Access, providing customers with surcharge-free access to 217 ATMs throughout the state of Maine. Visa debit cards are also offered, providing customers with free access to their deposit account balances at point of sale locations worldwide.

The Bank serves the small business market throughout downeast and midcoast Maine. It offers business loans to individuals, partnerships, corporations, and other business entities for capital construction, real estate and equipment financing, working capital, real estate development, and a range of other business purposes. Business loans are provided primarily to organizations and sole proprietors in the tourism, hospitality, healthcare, blueberry, boatbuilding, and fishing industries, as well as to other small and mid-size businesses associated with coastal communities.

The Bank offers a variety of commercial deposit accounts, including business checking and tiered money market accounts. These accounts are typically used as operating accounts or short-term savings vehicles. The Bank�� cash management services provide business customers with short-term investment opportunities through a cash management sweep program, whereby excess operating funds over established thresholds are swept into overnight securities sold under agreements to repurchase. The Bank also offers Business On Line Direct (BOLD), an Internet banking service for businesses. This service allows business clients to view their account histories, print statements, view check images, order stop payments, transfer funds between accounts, transmit automated clearing house (ACH) files, and order both domestic and foreign wire transfers. The Bank also offers remote deposit capture, enabling its business customers to deposit checks remotely. Other commercial banking services include merchant credit card processing provided throu! gh a thir! d party vendor, night depository, and coin and currency handling.

Bar Harbor Trust Services

Trust Services provides a range of trust and investment management services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities. Trust Services serves as trustee of both living trusts and trusts under wills, including revocable and irrevocable, charitable remainder and testamentary trusts, and in this capacity holds, accounts for and manages financial assets, real estate and special assets. Trust Services offers custody, estate settlement, and fiduciary tax services. Additionally, Trust Services offers employee benefit trust services, for which it acts as trustee, custodian, administrator and/or investment advisor, for employee benefit plans and for corporate, self employed, municipal and not-for-profit employers located throughout the Company�� market areas. As of December 31, 2011, Trust Services served 758 client accounts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Bar Harbor, Maine-based bank holding company Bar Harbor Bankshares (BHB) raised its quarterly dividend 1.6% to 32.5 cents per share, payable on Mar. 14 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 15.
  BHB Dividend Yield: 3.37%

Top Trucking Companies To Watch In Right Now: Organovo Holdings Inc (ONVO)

Organovo Holdings, Inc. (Organovo), formerly Real Estate Restoration & Rental, Inc., incorporated in 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company has developed and is commercializing a platform technology for the generation of three-dimensional (3D) human tissues that can be employed in drug discovery and development, biological research, and as therapeutic implants for the treatment of damaged or degenerating tissues and organs. On December 28, 2011, Real Estate Restoration and Rental, Inc.�� (RERR) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, pursuant to which RERR merged with its, wholly owned subsidiary, Organovo (Merger Sub). On February 8, 2012, the Company merged with and into Organovo Acquisition Corp. (Acquisition Corp.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo, with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo Holdings (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, Organovo acquired the business of Organovo, Inc.

The Company has collaborative research agreements with Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer) and United Therapeutic Corporation (Unither). As of March 31, 2012, it has five federal grants, including Small Business Innovation Research grants and developed the NovoGen MMX Bioprinter (its first-generation 3D bioprinter). The Company is engaged in the development of specific 3D human tissues to aid Pfizer in discovery of therapies in two areas of interest. In addition, in October 2011, it entered into a research agreement with Unither to establish and conduct a research program to discover treatments for pulmonary hypertension using its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter technology. Additionally, under the research agreement with Unither, the Company granted Unither an option to acquire from the Company a worldwide, royalty-bearing license in certain intellectual property created under the research agreement solely for use in the treatment or prevention of pulmonary hypertension and all other lung diseases.

The Company�� NovoGen MMX Bioprinter is an automate! d device that enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) living tissues comprised of mammalian cells. A custom graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates the 3D design and execution of scripts that direct precision movement of the dispensing heads to deposit cellular building blocks (bio-ink) or supporting hydrogel. The Company is using a third party manufacturer, Invetech Pty., of Melbourne, Australia, to manufacture its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter. Its bioprinting technology and surrounding intellectual property and commercial rights serve as a platform for product generation across multiple markets that employ cell- and tissue-based products and services.

The Company competes with Organogenesis, Advanced BioHealing, Tengion, Genzyme, HumaCyte and Cytograft Tissue Engineering.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harry Boxer]

  HARRY:  It is.  More than 10 years, I visited 3-D systems and saw a demo, and it was like whoa.  They weren’t even public then.  Of late, SSYS (Stratasys), Proto Labs (PRLB), EX1; those are the four big ones in the industry.  There is a little buy-out tech company called Orvganovo (ONVO) that is now bio-printing organs for testing.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market fought its way back from early losses on Friday, with investors taking heart from positive economic data, even as they prepared for the beginning of a new earnings season in the next couple of weeks. At least for now, it appears that policy makers will do their utmost to prevent any huge disruption in the stock market, and that boded well for shareholders today. In particular, shares of Universal Display (NASDAQ: OLED  ) , Taseko Mines (NYSEMKT: TGB  ) , and Organovo Holdings (NYSEMKT: ONVO  ) were among the best performers of the day, with their excitement helping to carry the whole market higher.

• [By John Udovich]

  As the the year comes to end, there is still a steady flow of interesting news coming from small cap biotech stocks like Organovo Holdings Inc (NYSEMKT: ONVO), Advanced Cell Technology, Inc (OTCMKTS: ACTC) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB)�plus still largely private biotech companies like Genocea Biosciences (NASDAQ: GNCA), Retrophin (OTCMKTS: RTRX), Auspex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ASPX) and GlycoMimetics (NASDAQ: GLYC) who have filed to become the next potentially hot biotech IPOs���presumably some time early�next year. Just consider the following biotech news:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Organovo Holdings (NYSE: ONVO) was also down, falling 11.45 percent to $6.43 as the 3D group showed broad weakness on the session.

  Commodities
  In commodity news, oil traded down 0.09 percent to $103.65, while gold traded up 0.55 percent to $1,326.20.

Top Trucking Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sappi Limited(SPP)

Sappi Limited manufactures and sells various pulp, paper, chemical cellulose, and wood products worldwide. It offers coated woodfree paper used for marketing promotions and brochures, catalogues, corporate communications materials, direct mail, textbooks, and magazines; uncoated woodfree paper used for business forms, business stationery, tissue, photocopy paper, books, brochures, and magazines, as well as cut-size, preprint, and office paper; specialty woodfree paper used in bags, labels, and packaging; and release paper for use in textile, automotive, furniture, and engineering film markets. The company also provides packaging paper products, including containerboards, sack kraft, and grocery bags used for primary and secondary packaging of fast moving consumer goods, and agricultural and industrial products. In addition, it offers mechanical newsprint paper used in advertising inserts and newspapers; uncoated mechanical fiber based printing paper used for the printing o f books and advertising inserts; and coated mechanical fiber-based paper used for magazines, catalogues, and advertising material. Further, the company provides pulp products, including paper pulp used in the production of printing, writing, and packaging paper; and chemical cellulose used in the manufacture of various cellulose textile and non-woven fiber products, as well as used in various other cellulose-based applications in the food, film, cigarette, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, Sappi Limited offers sawn timber for construction and furniture manufacturing purposes. Its customers include printers, publishers, corporate end-users, suppliers, and converters. The company was formerly known as South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited and changed its name to Sappi Limited in 1973. Sappi Limited was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Sappi (NYSE: SPP  ) reported earnings on May 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Sappi beat slightly on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Top Trucking Companies To Watch In Right Now: Safety Insurance Group Inc.(SAFT)

Safety Insurance Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides private passenger automobile insurance products primarily in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The company?s private passenger automobile policies offer coverage for bodily injury and property damage to others, no-fault personal injury coverage for the insured/insured?s car occupants, and physical damage coverage for an insured?s own vehicle for collision or other perils. It also provides commercial automobile policies that offer insurance for commercial vehicles used for business purposes, including private passenger-type vehicles, trucks, tractors and trailers, insure individual vehicles, and commercial fleets; and homeowners policies, which provide coverage for losses to a dwelling and its contents from various perils, and coverage for liability to others arising from ownership or occupancy. It writes policies on homes, condominiums, and apartments. In addition, the company offers business owners policie s that cover apartments and residential condominiums, limited cooking restaurants, office condominiums, processing and services businesses, special trade contractors, and wholesaling businesses. Further, it provides commercial package policies, which offer property, general liability, crime, and inland marine insurance for business enterprises; personal umbrella policies that provide personal excess liability coverage over and above the limits of individual automobile, watercraft, and homeowner?s insurance policies; and commercial umbrella policies to clients for whom the company underwrites commercial automobile and business owner policies. Additionally, the company underwrites dwelling fire insurance, inland marine coverage, and watercraft coverage. Safety Insurance Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Safety Insurance (NASDAQ: SAFT  ) , also impressive among high dividend stocks, is a rather boring company that's good at what it does�-- offering auto insurance, primarily in New England. Recently yielding 4.7%, its dividend has grown by 8.5% annually over the past five years and 24% annually over the past decade. (Its last hike, last year, was 20%.) Its payout ratio is 67%, which is not too worrisome. Its forward P/E ratio of 11 compares favorably with the five-year average near 18, and its PEG ratio is an appealing 0.70, as well.

• [By John Udovich]

  Auto sales are booming and that�� good news for large cap auto insurer�the Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR) along with small cap auto insurers Safety Insurance Group, Inc (NASDAQ: SAFT) and�Mercury General Corporation (NYSE: MCY) as they offer income to yield hungry investors as well as income in the form of dividends. Specifically, a Yahoo! Autos blog recently noted that last month, automakers sold 1.5 million new vehicles for the highest rate in years with�most industry forecasters expecting sales to�return to the level they hit before the 2008 recession of 16 million vehicles a year. The blog post then went on to note the three forces driving auto sales:

Top Trucking Companies To Watch In Right Now: Transdigm Group Incorporated(TDG)

TransDigm Group Incorporated designs, produces, and supplies engineered aircraft components for use on commercial and military aircraft principally in the United States. The company?s products include mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems and engine technology, pumps and valves, power conditioning devices, AC/DC electric motors and generators, NiCad batteries and chargers, engineered latching and locking devices, rods and locking devices, engineered connectors and elastomers, cockpit security components and systems, cockpit displays, aircraft audio systems, lavatory components, engineered interior surfaces, and lighting and control technology. Its customers comprise distributors of aerospace components; commercial airlines, including national and regional airlines; commercial transport and regional and business aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); various armed forces of the United States and foreign governments; defense OEMs; system suppliers; and various other industrial customers. TransDigm Group Incorporated was founded in 1993 and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  TransDigm (NYSE: TDG  ) is rewarding its shareholders mightily with an extraordinary payout. The company has declared a special dividend of $22.00 per share, which will be paid on July 25 to shareholders of record as of July 15.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  TransDigm Group (TDG)

  Fournier maintains his largest position in TransDigm Group where he holds 2,152,710 shares. His position in TransDigm represents 4.30% of the company�� shares outstanding and 6.3% of his total portfolio.

• [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 TransDigm Group (NYSE: TDG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Cleveland-based TransDigm Group (NYSE: TDG  ) is buying a piece of GE.

  On Friday, as trading wound down for the week, TransDigm announced a deal to buy the Electromechanical Actuation Division of General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) Aviation for $150 million, cash. The business, which makes proprietary, highly engineered aerospace electromechanical motion control subsystems for civil and military applications, counts all three of the world's biggest airplane manufacturers -- Boeing, Airbus, and Brazil's Embraer -- among its clients, and Sikorsky and General Atomics, as well, on the military side.