Jeep fire recall can proceed as Feds close probe

The government's closing of an investigation into crash safety of older-model Jeeps clears the way for Chrysler Group to proceed with recall repairs.

The recall for risk that a rear-end crash could rupture the vehicles' gas tanks, causing fires, covers 1.6 million Jeep Cherokees from 1993 to 1998 and Jeep Libertys from 2002 to 2007. A trailer hitch will be added, if they don't already have one, to provide additional rear-crash protection.

NHTSA plans to issue a final report on its investigation in a few weeks. Amid an outcry from safety critics about the recall plan and proposed fix, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took a closer look. It now has "no reservations" about Chrysler Group's plan, according to the Associated Press.

Though it had earlier balked at doing a recall, Chrysler praised the examination of the case in a statement: "Chrysler Group commends the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the diligence demonstrated over the course of this investigation. We share NHTSA's commitment to safety."

Critics aren't happy. In a statement in response to the NHTSA action, Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. said, "It is tragic that NHTSA approved Chrysler's sham trailer hitch recall for Jeeps that explode in rear impacts. The government is closing its investigation into older-model Jeeps with fuel tanks that could rupture and cause fires."

Top 10 Cheap Companies To Invest In Right Now

The case gained added attention because of the number of vehicles first requested to be recalled, 2.7 million, and Chrysler's initial refusal. It argued that there was no statistical proof that the Jeeps were more prone to fires after rear crashes than comparable vehicles from those years.

NHTSA's outgoing chief, David Strickland, agreed. He told the AP in an interview last month that Chrysler had convinced NHTSA that the J! eeps posed no significantly greater risk.

"Those vehicles performed at a rate similar to their peers. That is the keystone analysis as to whether something poses an unreasonable risk to safety," Strickland is quoted as saying.

Pfizer: A Pharmaceutical Favorite

Pharmaceutical stocks have traditionally been considered logical choices for dividend stocks; here, we look at one of the blue chips of the pharmaceutical world, selling at discounts to historical valuations, explains John Dobosz, editor of Forbes Dividend Investor.

New York-based Pfizer (PFE) is one of the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies that discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells medicines for humans and animals.

Celebrex, for treating arthritis, and Viagra, for erectile dysfunction, are two of Pfizer's best selling drugs. Other products are targeted at Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular issues, depression, pain, respiratory ailments, and smoking cessation.

As blockbuster drugs lose patent protection, Pfizer must find new sources of growth to make up for the lower sales. What's encouraging is recent news from Merck (MRK) that it was working with Pfizer to develop new cancer drugs.

Revenue for 2014 is expected to dip 3% to $49.9 billion, with earnings inching higher by 2.3% to $2.27 per share. Earnings are expected to grow 12.9% for the year that just ended, with revenue up 15.7%.

10 Best Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2015

Pfizer started trading ex-dividend for the upcoming $0.26 quarterly dividend. That amount is up $0.02, or 8.3%, from the quarterly payout last year.

Pfizer slashed the dividend by 50% in 2009, but it has hiked the quarterly amount by $0.02 every year since then and amount to 46% of forecasted 2014 EPS. Dividends have been paid without interruption since 1982.

Shares of Pfizer trade at a 15% discount to their five-year average price-earnings multiple of 15.8. Multiplying that average P/E by $2.37 in EPS produces a $37.50 stock price. Pfizer's discount to its three-year average price-sales ratio is 13.6%.

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Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- There isn't a day that goes by on Wall Street when certain stocks trading for $10 a share or less don't experience massive spikes higher. Traders savvy enough to follow the low-priced names and trade them with discipline and sound risk management are banking ridiculous coin on a regular basis.

Just take a look at some of the hot movers in the under-$10 complex from Thursday, including Plug Power (PLUG), which is skyrocketing higher by 34%; ERBA Diagnostics (ERB), which is soaring higher by 31%; Vista Gold (VGZ), which is ripping higher by 20%; and Metalico (MEA), which is spiking higher by 11%. You don't even have to catch the entire move in lower-priced stocks such as these to make outsized returns when trading.

Low-priced stocks are something that I tweet about on a regular basis. I frequently flag high-probability setups, breakout candidates and low-priced stocks that are acting technically bullish. I like to hunt for low-priced stocks that are showing bullish price and volume trends, since that increases the probability of those stocks heading higher. These setups often produce monster moves higher in very short time frames.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Nippecraft Limited (N32.SI)

Nippecraft Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and distribution of information and organizing tools for personal and business users. The company offers a range of business accessories, office and school supply, household paper products, and print and pack services. Its products include folios, organizers, diaries, planners, calendars, journals, notebooks, decor wares and items, backpacks, lunch bags, paper bags, and household tissues. The company offers its products under the Fountain of Knowledge, Collins, Debden, H+O, and Top Grade brand names. It is also involved in the sourcing and trading of papers; provides customizable enterprise solutions for printed corporate literature, business accessories, office supplies, and calendars and planners; and branding, marketing partnership, and sourcing services. Nippecraft Limited has operations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquarte red in Singapore. Nippecraft Limited is a subsidiary of APP Printing (Holding) Pte Ltd.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Inergetics Inc.(NRTI.OB)

Inergetics, Inc., through its subsidiary, Millennium Biotechnologies, Inc., operates as a research-based bio-nutraceutical company in the United States. The company engages in the research, development, and marketing of specialized nutritional supplements as an adjunct to medical treatments for select medical conditions, as well as for athletes seeking improved recovery. Its products are used by immuno-compromised individuals undergoing medical treatment for diseases, including cancer, as well as wound healing and post-surgical healing and geriatric patients. The company?s product line includes Resurgex Select, a nutritional formula for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments; and Resurgex Essential and Resurgex Essential Plus, the ready-to-drink product line for the long-term care-geriatric markets. It also provides Surgex, a nutritional support formula for athletes, who suffer from fatigue, lean muscle loss, lactic acid buildup, oxidative stress, and stressed immune systems. The company was formerly known as Millennium Biotechnologies Group, Inc. and changed its name to Inergetics, Inc. in March 2010. Inergetics, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey.

Top 10 Cheapest Stocks To Own For 2015: United Dominion Realty Trust Inc. (UDR)

UDR, Inc. is an independent real estate investment trust. The firm invests in the real estate markets of the United States. It owns, operates, acquires, renovates, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily apartment communities. The firm was previously known as United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc. UDR, Inc. was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with additional offices in Dallas, Texas; Houston, Texas; Newport Beach, California; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Santa Clara, California; Tampa, Florida; and Washington DC, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuben Brewer]

  Change doesn't always work out so well
  The thing is, income investors don't always make out so well when big changes are taking place. For example, UDR (NYSE: UDR  ) once bought fixer-uppers and upgraded them as a means to increase rents. That model worked well for the company for many years.

• [By The Part-time Investor]

  The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

  Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

  Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: LiveDeal Inc.(LIVE)

LiveDeal, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, delivers local customer acquisition services for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides online marketing Internet directory services. The company offers InstantProfile, which distributes small businesses? key contact and service information to Internet destinations, including the search engines, Internet directories, and social media networks that enable advertisers to manage their business information in one location and enhance their reach to various destinations a consumer may search for local business services. It also provides online listing services. The company was formerly known as YP Corp. and changed its name to LiveDeal, Inc. in August 2007. LiveDeal, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  To be completely fair, investors and consumers alike may understandably roll their eyes regarding any news from, or about, any online-coupon "daily deals" site. We've been down that road before, with names like Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) and LivingSocial. While both sites were interesting and had their day in the sun, it didn't take long for either to lose their luster. And for GRPN, it didn't take long for its early investors to lose a lot of their money. The daily deals premise never really went away, though. It's just been morphing - and right-sizing - into something that's a win for all the parties involved. That's why Groupon and LivingSocial are still around, even if they're just limping by... the premise itself basically works. What if, however, there was a daily deals site that wasn't too far down the wrong digital-coupon path? Enter LiveDeal Inc. (NASDAQ:LIVE).

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, I hate to be the one to say I told you so, but, I told you so. Back on December 11th I said it was time to take a swing on LiveDeal Inc. (NASDAQ:LIVE). The company was causing quite a stir within the investment community, and shares of LIVE were getting more and more bullish traction. All told, LiveDeal shares are up 119% since the look I took less than a month ago, coming out of nowhere, and surprising a lot of people.

• [By Alan Brochstein]

  Matula, who is currently a SVP for LiveDeal (LIVE), has a history of association with penny stock failures. An interesting angle is his tie to a lawyer in Las Vegas, Michael Balabon, who purports to have two separate practices, including a bankruptcy/divorce practice and an employment law practice who has acted as Registered Agent for many of these companies. I was unable to reach anyone at either office on several occasions. In any event, Balabon is the registered agent for PLPL. Coincidentally, he served in that role for NVLX as well as well as all of the former subsidiaries and partners the firm used (the new Medical Marijuana Sciences subsidiary too). Recall that the predecessor to PLPL was Diamond Ranch, and Balabon was the RA there as well. Matula has served in I.R. roles for perpetual failures like VelaTel Global (VELA.PK).

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Bacanora Minerals Ltd (BCN)

Bacanora Minerals Ltd. (Bacanora) is an exploration-stage company. The Company is a mining company engaged in exploration for mineral deposits in Mexico. The Company�� mineral properties include Tubutama Borate, Magdalena Borate and Sonora Lithium. The Company�� exploration activities include Borate Properties and Lithium Property. Mineramex Limited is the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, whose assets consist of 99.9% interest of Minera Sonora Borax, S.A. de C.V. (MSB) and 60% interest of Minerales Industriales Tubutama, S.A. de C.V. (MIT). Tubutama Borate project consists of six mining concessions with a total area of 1,661 hectares. The concessions are located 15 kilometers from the town of Tubutama, and they are 100% owned by MIT. The Magdalena Borate project consists of seven concessions, with a total area of 15,508 hectares. The concessions are located 15 kilometers from the city of Magdalena and the city of Santa Ana, and are 100% owned by MSB.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Dajin Resources Corp (DJI.V)

Dajin Resources Corp. (Dajin) together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties located in the Province of British Columbia, Canada and Argentina. The Company owns a 100% interest in 29 mineral claims with a 1,500 meter long, linear gold in soils anomaly adjacent to Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd.�� Spanish Mountain gold discovery. The Company also owns a 100% interest in 47 mineral claims in the Addie 2 property which is located south of Quesnel Lake and adjacent to the Frasergold deposit. The Company owns a 65% interest in 32 certain mineral claims and 100% interest in 23 additional minerals claims which make up the Cowtrail Property where Dajin has intersected 1.16 grams per ton gold and 0.043% copper mineralization over 60.0 feet (18.3 meters). The Company holds a 100% interest in concessions or concession applications in Salta and Jujuy Provinces.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: DynaVox Inc.(DVOX)

DynaVox Inc. develops and markets software, devices, and contents to assist people in overcoming their speech, language, or learning disabilities. It offers speech generating technology and special education software solutions. The company?s speech generating technology solutions include DynaVox V/DynaVox Vmax, a Series V product line of speech generating devices; EyeMax system comprising Vmax and EyeMax accessory that allows users to control the Vmax with a blink or by causing the eye to dwell on a desired area of the screen; Xpress speech generating device; Tango, a speech generating device designed for children and young adults; M3, a digitized-only device that plays back pre-recorded messages; and DynaWrite, a communication device for two-handed typists. Its special education software solutions consist of Boardmaker Plus! for talking and playing sound recordings and movies, as well as for creating talking activity boards, worksheets, schedules, books, writing activitie s, and games; Boardmaker, an education software platform used by educators and speech language pathologists for creating printed symbol-based communication and education materials for students with learning challenges; and Boardmaker Studio that offers online and desktop assets, which provide integrated online support and community functions, as well as direct-to-user e-commerce communication. DynaVox Inc. distributes its speech generating devices through a direct sales force in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries in the European Union; and through strategic partnerships with third-party distributors internationally, as well as sells its special education software through direct mail, Internet, and catalog. It offers speech generating devices to speech language pathologists; and special education software to special education teachers and speech language pathologists. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Weyco Group Inc.(WEYS)

Weyco Group, Inc. engages in the distribution of men?s foot wear primarily in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, and South Africa. It offers casual, dress, and fashion shoes. The company offers its products under the brand names of Florsheim, Nunn Bush, Stacy Adams, Umi, Brass Boot, and Nunn Bush NXXT. Weyco Group sells its products to shoe specialty stores, department stores, and clothing retailers. As of December 31, 2010, it owned 35 retail stores in the United States and an Internet business. The company was formerly known as Weyenberg Shoe Manufacturing Company and changed its name to Weyco Group, Inc. in April 1990. Weyco Group, Inc. was founded in 1896 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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 Weyco Group (Nasdaq: WEYS  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Erin Ventures Inc (EV.V)

Erin Ventures Inc., a junior mining and exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties primarily in Canada, the United States, and Serbia. It primarily explores for gold and boron deposits. The company has interests in the Deep River Gold Project located in central North Carolina; and the Piskanja boron deposit located in Siberia. It also has an option to acquire interest in the Yukon Property located in Canada. Erin Ventures Inc. was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Victoria, Canada.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Sandstorm Metals and Energy Ltd (SND)

Sandstorm Metals & Energy Ltd (Sandstorm) is a resource based company. Sandstorm seeks to complete commodity purchase agreements with companies that have advanced stage development projects or operating mines. A commodity purchase agreement involves Sandstorm making an upfront cash payment to its partners and in exchange, it receives the right to purchase a percentage of the commodity produced for the life of the asset, at a fixed price per unit. Sandstorm helps other companies in the resource industry grow their business, while acquiring attractive assets in the process. Its projects include Donner Metals, NovaDx, Royal Coal, Terrex Energy and Thunderbird Energy. In January 2013, Sandstorm together with Novadx Ventures Corp. acquired Mine 12, the Turley Rail Load-Out, and the Smokey Junction Preparation Plant located in Campbell and Scott Counties, Tennessee. Effective July 19, 2013, Sandstorm Metals & Energy Ltd raised its interest to 15.81% from 5.429% in Donner Metals Ltd.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Realogy Holdings Corp (RLGY)

Realogy Holdings Corp., incorporated on December 14, 2006, is an integrated provider of residential real estate services in the United States. The Company is the franchisor of residential real estate brokerages with some of the recognized brands in the real estate industry, the owner of United States residential real estate brokerage offices, the global provider of outsourced employee relocation services and a provider of title and settlement services. The Company's operating platform is supported by the Company's portfolio of industry franchise brokerage brands, including Century 21 , Coldwell Banker , Coldwell Banker Commercial , ERA , Sotheby's International Realty and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and the Company also owns and operates the Corcoran Group and CitiHabitats brands. In October 2013, Realogy Holdings Corp's Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC announced that it has acquired the assets of Coldwell Banker Cocoa Beach Realty's two offices in Cocoa Beach, Fla. In October 2013, Realogy Holdings Corp's NRT LLC announced the acquisition of Frank Howard Allen Realtors Company-owned operations in Northern California.

The Company operates in four segments: Real Estate Franchise Services (RFG), Company Owned Real Estate Brokerage Services (NRT), Relocation Services (Cartus) and Title and Settlement Services (TRG).As of December 31, 2012 , the Company's franchise systems had approximately 13,600 franchised and company owned offices and 238,900 independent sales associates operating under its franchise and brands in the United States and 101 other countries and territories around the world, which includes approximately 710 of its company owned and operated brokerage offices.

Real Estate Franchise Services

The Company is the franchisor of residential real estate brokerages in the world through its portfolio of well known brokerage brands, including Century 21 , Coldwell Banker , Coldwell Banker Commercial , ERA , Sotheby's International Realty an! d Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. The Company derives substantially all of its real estate franchising revenues from royalty fees received under long-term (typically ten year) franchise agreements with its franchiseesThe Company's franchisees pay the Company fees for the right to operate under one of the Company's trademarks and to enjoy the benefits of the systems and business enhancing tools provided by its real estate franchise operations.

As of December 31, 2012 , the Company's real estate franchise systems had approximately 13,600 offices worldwide in 102 countries and territories, including approximately 6,100 brokerage offices in the United States and approximately 238,900 independent sales associates worldwide (which included approximately 41,300 independent sales agents working with its company owned brokerage offices) including approximately 166,000 sales associates operating under its franchise and brands in the United States, with an average tenure among United States franchisees of approximately 19 years as of December 31, 2012 .

Company Owned Real Estate Brokerage Services

The Company owns and operates the residential real estate brokerage business in the United States under the Coldwell Banker , Sotheby's International Realty , ERA , Corcoran Group and CitiHabitats brand names. The Company offers full-service residential brokerage services through approximately 710 company owned brokerage offices in more than 35 metropolitan areas of the United States. In addition, the Company participates in the mortgage process through its 49.9% ownership of PHH Home Loans LLC (PHH Home Loans), its home mortgage venture with PHH. The Company's home mortgage joint venture with PHH is the recommended provider of mortgages for the Company's real estate brokerage and relocation service customers (unless exclusivity is waived by PHH). The Company also assists landlords and tenants through property management services. In addition, as a full-service real estate br! okerage c! ompany, the Company promotes the complementary services of its relocation and title and settlement services businesses, in addition to PHH Home Loans.

Relocation Services

The Company is a global provider of outsourced employee relocation services. The Company is the provider of such services in the United States and also operates in key international relocation destinations. The Company offers a range of employee relocation services designed to manage all aspects of an employee's move to facilitate a smooth transition in what otherwise may be a complex and difficult process for the employee and employer. The Company's relocation services business serves corporations, including over 64% of the Fortune 50 companies, as well as affinity organizations such as insurance companies and credit unions that provide the Company's services to their members. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company assisted in over 158,000 relocations in more than 150 countries for approximately 1,500 active clients and as of December 31, 2012, its top 25 relocation clients had an average tenure of 17 years with the Company.

The Company primarily offers corporate clients employee relocation services, such as homesale assistance, including the evaluation, inspection, purchasing and selling of a transferee's home; the issuance of home equity advances to transferees permitting them to purchase a new home before selling their current home (these advances are generally guaranteed by the client); certain home management services; assistance in locating a new home; and closing on the sale of the old home, generally at the instruction of the client; expense processing, relocation policy counseling, relocation-related accounting, including international assignment compensation services, and other consulting services; arranging household goods moving services, with approximately 72,000 domestic and international shipments in 2012 , and providing support for all aspects of moving a transferee'! s househo! ld goods, including the handling of insurance and claim assistance, invoice auditing and quality control; coordinating visa and immigration support, intercultural and language training, and expatriation/repatriation counseling and destination services, and group move management services providing coordination for moves involving a number of transferees to or from a specific regional area over a short period of time.

Title and Settlement Services

The Company assists with the closing of real estate transactions by providing full-service title and settlement, which is closing and escrow services to customers, real estate companies, including its Company-owned real estate brokerage and relocation services businesses, as well as a targeted channel of financial institution clients, including PHH. In 2012, TRG was involved in the closing of approximately 194,000 transactions of which approximately 54,000 related to NRT. In addition to the Company's own title and settlement services, the Company also coordinates a nationwide network of attorneys, title agents and notaries to service financial institution clients on a national basis. The Company also serves as an underwriter of title insurance policies in connection with residential and commercial real estate transactions. As of December 31, 2012 , the Company had approximately 340 offices, approximately 200 of which are co-located within one of its company owned brokerage offices.

The Company competes with HSF Affiliates LLC, Brookfield Residential Property Services, HomeServices of America, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices; RE/MAX International, Inc.; and Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Traders Reserve]

  Realogy Holdings (RLGY) is a real estate services provider that owns a huge corner of the market with Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby�� International Realty (BID). In 2012, the company had a sales volume three times that of its nearest domestic competitor, accounting for 26% of all broker-assisted transactions in the U.S. It has 239,000 agents working in every corner of the world.

Yellen: Steady Fed Policy Could Shift With ‘Notable’ Economic Change

Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman Janet Yellen told House lawmakers Tuesday in her prepared remarks that she expects “a great deal of continuity” in the Federal Open Market Committee’s approach to monetary policy.

However, Yellen conceded during the question and answer session with lawmakers that the Fed would pause its tapering of asset purchases if there was a “notable change” in the economic outlook, and increase asset purchases again if there were “a significant deterioration in the outlook — either for the job market or if inflation would not be moving back up over time.”

While receiving mostly congratulations from the lawmakers in taking her new post, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, chairman of the committee, reminded Yellen of his committee’s yearlong examination of the Fed via its Federal Reserve Centennial Oversight Project. “Any agency or bureau of government that is 100 years old probably needs a good check-up, especially one as powerful as yours,” Hensarling said. “And I remind all, independence and accountability are not mutually exclusive concepts.”

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In her first report on monetary policy, Yellen told members of the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday that  “If incoming information broadly supports the committee’s expectation of ongoing improvement in labor market conditions and inflation moving back toward its longer-run objective, the committee will likely reduce the pace of asset purchases in further measured steps at future meetings.”

She then took a line from her predecessor, Ben Bernanke, in his last speech by stating that “purchases are not on a preset course” and that “the committee’s decisions about their pace will remain contingent on its outlook for the labor market and inflation as well as its assessment of the likely efficacy and costs of such purchases.”

At his last press conference in early January, Bernanke said after the December FOMC meeting that further tapering will “be data dependent.” However, he said he anticipated that the Fed would “probably do a measured reduction” at each meeting in 2014.

Jim O'Sullivan, Chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, said that Yellen "expressed cautious optimism about growth, with no sign of concern about some of the weaker data recently while downplaying the volatility in markets."

Indeed, Axel Merk, president and CIO of Merk Investments LLC, noted in his Tuesday commentary that on Yellen's first day on the job, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 326 points; 10-year Treasury yields fell to 2.58%.

"While a day does not set a trend, let alone create a legacy, there is no honeymoon for Janet Yellen," Merk said. "Volatility, seemingly absent in 2013, is back, with major implications for investors’ portfolios."

While Yellen expressed disappointment with the past two jobs reports, she said that “we can’t jump to conclusions” about what those reports mean — noting that cold winter weather was likely a contributing factor. She added that the FOMC would look at a “broad range of data” at its March meeting to assess the significance of the jobs reports. “We’re not back to maximum employment,” Yellen said. “However, there has been substantial job creation. But we have further to go.”

The unemployment rate has fallen “nearly a percentage point since the middle of last year and 1-1/2 percentage points since the beginning of the current asset purchase program,” she said. It was 6.6% in January.

“Nevertheless, the recovery in the labor market is far from complete,” with the unemployment rate “still well above levels that FOMC participants estimate is consistent with maximum sustainable employment.”

Yellen summed up her remarks by stating: “Since the financial crisis and the depths of the recession, substantial progress has been made in restoring the economy to health and in strengthening the financial system. Still, there is more to do. Too many Americans remain unemployed, inflation remains below our longer-run objective, and the work of making the financial system more robust has not yet been completed.”

Washington D.C. Best Place to Work Based on Pay

Perhaps living in the seat of the federal government has one large advantage — how well people are paid. Since Maryland does well by the same measure, the benefits may spread miles beyond the U.S. capital.

According to a new poll from Gallup:

Washington, D.C., had the highest Payroll to Population (P2P) rate in the country in 2013, at 55.7%. A cluster of states in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions — North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Colorado, and South Dakota — all made the top 10. West Virginia (36.1%) had the lowest P2P rate of all the states.

According to the research firm:

Gallup’s P2P metric tracks the percentage of the adult population aged 18 and older that is employed full time for an employer for at least 30 hours per week.

The good ratio in areas that include North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming may be due to the surge of the energy industry in the states, which is due, in large part, to share deposits. The balance of top 10 states for Payroll to Population includes Alaska — another energy-rich state.

At the other end of the spectrum are states that have been poor for decades, and one that has been most badly hurt by the gutting of the traditional American industrial base. In addition to West Virginia, Michigan is among the bottom 10 states in Payroll to Population, as are Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Mexico, Florida, Oregon and Iowa.

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The research firm ties the state lists of their Payroll to Population to underemployment rates:

Gallup’s U.S. underemployment rate combines the percentage of adults in the workforce that is unemployed with the percentage of those working part time but looking for full-time work. While P2P reflects the relative size of the population that is working full time for an employer, the underemployment rate reflects the relative size of the workforce that is not working at capacity, but would like to be.

Since the states that traditionally have had high underemployment rates since the start of the recession have not changed much, the list is unlikely to look much different in the future. In other words, states that have been unable to improve employment rates by meaningful amounts will be unable to do so as time passes.

Methodology: Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking from Jan. 2 to Dec. 29, 2013, with a random sample of 356,586 adults, aged 18 and older, selected using random-digit-dial sampling.

Will Expected Retreat Segue Into Seasonal Trend?

Natural gas prices have slumped in recent weeks, despite the fact that, over the last three months, there's been a huge run up in price due to the coldest winter in decades, writes MoneyShow's Jim Jubak, who explains where prices may be headed next.

Will the expected retreat from peak prices for natural gas—a result of the intense cold that the US saw in January—segue into the normal seasonal trend that produces an annual bottom in natural gas prices during the shoulder season of May/June?

That possibility suggests that this isn't the least risky moment in the near term to be buying the shares of natural gas producers—even if, like me, you're bullish on the long-term trends for this commodity.

I use United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG), an ETF that follows the Henry Hub price of natural gas in the United States, to track trends in natural gas prices. From a low of $17.09 on November 4, United States Natural Gas climbed, first to $19.69 on January 9, and then to $26.73 on January 29. Total gain 56.4%.

For the last two weeks, though, natural gas prices have slumped. From January 29 to February 10, the ETF has dropped 15.2%. (Natural gas rallied big time yesterday, February 11, with the ETF rising 6.7% at the close.)

The huge run up in natural gas prices over the last three months has been a result of a higher than normal spike in heating demand, thanks to lower than usual temperatures. The amount of gas in storage has dropped, as demand has soared, in what has been the coldest winter in decades. Utilities and industrial gas users have drawn down more gas than stipulated in their long-term contracts and they have been forced to buy gas on the spot market. In addition, the extremely cold weather has recently reduced natural gas production, with US natural gas output running about 0.8 billion cubic feet per day lower than the 30-day moving average.

Under those conditions, natural gas prices should have moved higher and they did.

In the last week (before yesterday anyway), though, traders have started to wonder how long the trend toward tighter supplies and higher prices will run. Last week, a report from the Energy Information Administration said that natural gas inventories fell by 262 billion cubic feet. That kept the supply trend pointed in the right direction, but the drop was still less than the 270 billion cubic feet decline, forecast by analysts surveyed by Reuters.

A market up 56% in less than three months doesn't need much of a reason to sell off. And traders who caught the move have been taking profits recently.

It's certainly too early to start factoring the May/June seasonal slump in natural gas demand into natural gas prices-but it's not too early for traders to start factoring the drop in demand during what is called the shoulder period, between the high demand for natural gas during the winter heating season, and the high demand for natural gas during the summer air conditioning season, into their trading strategies. Storage levels typically peak in November/December, ahead of winter demand, and then bottom in May. The rate of draw down from storage starts to slow well before that May bottom.

I don't think the May/June shoulder is a compelling reason for traders to sell positions in February. But that 56% gain, from November to February, does make profit taking very attractive right now and it does lower the incentive to put on new positions after a drop of only 15%.

The big question in my mind is whether a 20% or 25% drop would bring traders back into the market in an attempt to play natural gas one more time before shoulder season, or whether most traders will be content to sit out the next few months and wait for the seasonal bottom. Is yesterday's surge, the beginning of a tradable move, or simply a one- or two-day wonder?

If you're not a short-term trader, in my opinion, waiting for the seasonal bottom to rebuild any positions that you sold recently, in order to take profits (such as by selling part of a position in Jubak's Picks portfolio member Chesapeake Energy (CHK)) is the most attractive play on a risk/reward basis.

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

2 Tech Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>4 Stocks Poised for Breakouts

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Toxic Stocks to Sell Now

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently.

Ubiquiti Networks

Ubiquiti Networks (UBNT), together with its subsidiaries, offers a portfolio of networking products and solutions for service providers and enterprises. This stock closed up 3.7% at $42.46 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 3.77 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.08 million

Volume % Change: 273%

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

From a technical perspective, UBNT spiked higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $42.14 with strong upside volume. This move briefly pushed shares of UBNT into breakout territory, since the stock flirted with some near-term overhead resistance levels at $42.60 to $45.31. Shares of UBNT tagged an intraday high of $45.39 before closing well off that level at $42.46. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if UBNT can manage to take out Friday's high of $45.39 to its all-time high at $48 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in UBNT as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $41.03 and then once it sustains a move or close above $45.39 to $48 with volume that hits near or above 1.08 million shares. If we get that move soon, then UBNT will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $55 to $60.

ChannelAdvisor

ChannelAdvisor (ECOM) provides software-as-a-service solutions worldwide. This stock closed up 3.6% at $41.52 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 1.32 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 309,727

Volume % Change: 343%

>>5 Big Trades to Take in February

From a technical perspective, ECOM spiked sharply higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $41.38 with heavy upside volume. This stock has been downtrending over the last month, with shares moving lower from its high of $49.75 to its recent low of $37.87. During that move, shares of ECOM have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of ECOM now look ready to possibly reverse its downtrend and enter a new uptrend, since the stock recaptured its 50-day on Friday with volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ECOM as long as it's trending above $40 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $43.59 with volume that's near or above 309,737 shares. If we get that move soon, then ECOM will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $47.25 to its all-time high at $49.75.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Hot Stocks to Trade (or Not)

>>4 Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher

>>5 Ways to Invest Like a Pension Fund

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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

Treasuries Yields Rally, ETFs Fall (IEF, TLT, TBF)

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond hit 3.0 percent for the second time this year as investors prepared for more tapering from the Federal Reserve. The yield is the highest since September and on the verge of the highest level since 2011.

There is an inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices. As interest rates move higher the value of the underlying bond will decrease in value.

The iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSE: IEF) is down 3.5 percent in the last two months and is trading at three-month low. Since hitting an all-time high in 2012 the ETF is down 10 percent, however the downtrend may only be in the early stages. If interest rates on the 10-year move back to where they were in 2007 it would send IEF down another 20 percent.

See also: Clean Energy ETFs Top the List in 2013

The long bond ETF, iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSE: TLT) has been hit even harder by rising interest rates. Typically the longer the maturity of the bond, the more exaggerated the moves when interest rates increase. Since its high in 2012, TLT is down 22 percent and today it is set to close at the lowest level in two years.

With the taper underway and the U.S. economy set to increase the pace of growth next year the overwhelming consensus is that interest rates will continue to increase into 2014. A long-term chart of the yield on U.S. Treasuries of all maturities shows that the upside potential for interest rates is very high.

Investors that agree with the consensus could consider the ProShares Short 20+ Year Treasury ETF (NYSE: TBF). Because the ETF is short long-term Treasuries, the ETF will increase in value as bond prices fall and interest rates increase. The ETF is up 0.3 percent today and close to a multi-month high. So far this year the ETF is up 12 percent.

The long-term trend is that interest rates will move higher and U.S. Treasuries will fall in value. With that being said, the path to higher interest rates will not be a straight line higher. Investors should consider using pullbacks in TBF as buying opportunities in early 2014. The other move investors should consider is selling any U.S. Treasury ETFs that are long bonds. The interest payments on the ETFs will not make up for the loss in value of the ETF and the end result will likely be a losing investment.

Posted-In: TreasuryBonds Broad U.S. Equity ETFs Treasuries Markets ETFs Best of Benzinga

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Survey finds more could benefit from electric cars

People who aren't buying electric vehicles because they think charging will involve too much hassle are wrong, says a new study from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Consumers Union.

Four out of 10 households could use an electric vehicle with little or no change to their driving habits and vehicle needs, the study says. Yet less than 1% of drivers have gone fully electric, whether it is the Nissan Leaf at the low end or the Tesla Model S at the luxury end.

•Why would 42% of the respondents be a good match for an electric vehicle? The survey says they:

•Drive less than 60 miles on a typical weekday and have another car in the household for longer weekend jaunts.

•Have access to parking and an electrical outlet at home or work.

•Need to carry less than five occupants.

•Do not need hauling or towing capability.

More than a third said they would be more enticed to consider an electric vehicle if they had a charging station at their workplace.

"Consumers who might be shopping for a new vehicle this holiday season may be surprised to learn that an electric vehicle could be a good fit for their household," sayw Josh Goldman, policy analyst for the UCS Clean Vehicles Program, in a statement.

If all the drivers switched, the country could save 15 billion gallons of gasoline each year, as much as was burned last year in California, the nation's top motoring state. Also, the reduce gas use would cut greenhouse gas emissions and save $33 billion in gas costs.

Top 10 Stocks For 2015

The telephone survey was conducted among 1,004 randomly selected adults over 18 years of age and carried out from Sept. 26 to 30. Of those surveyed, 914 respondents had at least one vehicle and were asked about driving and parking behaviors. All respondents were surveyed about attitudes toward electric vehicles. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 p! ercent confidence level.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now

Julio Cortez/AP NEW YORK -- Many U.S. retailers had to ramp up promotions last month as shoppers continued to watch their spending during the holiday season, hitting profits at several chains. L Brands (LB) cut its earnings forecast for the holiday quarter Thursday after reporting disappointing December sales at its Victoria Secret and La Senza chains. The company said it had to offer more deals than expected, the second month in a row it has had to do so. Family Dollar Stores (FDO) and teen retailer Zumiez (ZUMZ), which both reported sales declines for December, also slashed their profit forecasts. Even retailers that saw big sales gains, such as Kay Jewelers parent Signet Jewelers (SIG), weren't spared. "Additional discounting was necessary in a highly promotional retail environment," Signet Chief Executive Officer Mike Barnes said in a statement. A group of nine U.S. retailers in the Thomson Reuters same-store sales index are expected Thursday to report a sales rise of 1.9 percent in December at stores open at least a year, well below the 7.2 percent increase of a year earlier. Including drugstore chains Walgreen (WAG) and Rite Aid (RAD), analysts estimate the rise at 2.7 percent. Gap (GPS) will report after the markets close Thursday. Faced with reticent shoppers worried about their job prospects and modest economic growth, retailers offered more discounts during the holiday season than a year earlier. Between Nov. 3 and Jan. 4, eight retailers, including Walmart Stores (WMT), Target (T) and Macy's (M) , increased the number of circulars published by 6 percent and sent 57 percent more promotional emails, according to data prepared for Reuters by MarketTrack. Retailers also had to deal with shoppers who were less willing to go into stores: Data firm ShopperTrak this week said foot traffic had dropped 14.6 percent this holiday season. Walgreen, whose comparable sales of general merchandise rose 2.5 percent in December, said fewer shoppers had come to its stores. Signet's Barnes said more enticing deals were needed to attract customers. L Brands' sales at stores open at least year rose 2 percent last month, less than the 3.7 percent Wall Street expected, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Zumiez reported an unexpected drop in same-store sales. Small clothing chain Cato (CATO) also slashed its profit forecast after reporting poor December sales. Still, some chains offering staples at low prices fared well: Costco Wholesale (COST), which draws shoppers with low prices for its members, reported a 5 percent same-store U.S. sales gain for December, while Wall Street was expecting only 1 percent. American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) said comparable sales for November and December fell 7 percent and that it expected its quarterly profit to come in at the bottom of its earlier forecast range of 26 cents to 30 cents a share. Signet's U.S. comparable sales rose 5 percent for the combined November-December period. Family Dollar's same-store sales fell 3 percent last month. American Eagle, Signet and Family Dollar aren't part of the same-store sales index. Percentage of U.S. population who visited in March: 14.2%  Revenue: $73.3 billion  1-year stock price change: 27.56%  Store category: Discount & variety stores

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Saratoga Electronic Solutions I (SAR.V)

Saratoga Electronic Solutions Inc. engages in placing and operating a network of automated teller machines (ATMs) primarily in eastern Canada. It also involves in the wholesale distribution of prepaid cards, point-of-sale activated prepaid phone personal identification numbers (P.O.S.A.), prepaid debit cards, long distance calling cards, and various electronic gift card solutions to consumers. The company provides its prepaid products through freestanding intelligent machines, P.O.S.A. terminals, and traditional merchants. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of approximately 445 ATMs, as well as managed approximately 2,670 point-of-sale locations. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Montreal, Canada.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: ServiceSource International Inc.(SREV)

ServiceSource International, Inc. manages the service contract renewals process of maintenance, support and subscription agreements for technology and technology-enabled healthcare, and life sciences companies. The company provides end-to-end management and optimization of the service contract renewals process, including data management, quoting, selling, and service revenue business intelligence. It offers an integrated solution that consists of Service Revenue Intelligence Platform, a data warehouse of transactional, analytical, and industry data that provides insight into the business; service sales teams working under its customers? brands; and Service Revenue Performance Suite, a suite of cloud applications. The company?s cloud applications include Analytics Cloud, which provides customers with dashboards to view and analyze service revenue performance; Service Sales Cloud that provides renewals analytics and pipeline management used by service sales teams; and Chan nel Sales Cloud, which offers channel partners and resellers with online access to their specific renewals opportunities and their performance. Its cloud applications also comprise eCommerce Cloud that provides self-service capabilities to end customers through a secure online portal; Installed Base Intelligence Cloud, which offers a single repository to analyze the data, to flag anomalies and missing data elements, and to identify cross-sell and up-sell opportunities; and Dynamic Quoting Cloud that provides an easy-to-use tool for sales representatives and channel partners to create and modify service renewal quotes. The company sells its solutions directly through sales representatives in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. ServiceSource International, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional offices in Colorado, Tennessee, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Si ngapore.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Service Source International Inc. (NASDAQ: SREV) is a small cap name with big possibilities. The company provides recurring revenue management contracts maintenance, support and subscription for technology and technology-enabled health care and life sciences companies. The consensus price objective for the stock is $14.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now: NB&T FINANCIAL GROUP INC(NBTF)

NB&T Financial Group, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for The National Bank and Trust Company that provides commercial banking and financial services to individuals and corporate customers in southwestern Ohio. The company offers various deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, and term certificate accounts. Its loan portfolio includes commercial and industrial loans, such as loans to automobile dealers and loans guaranteed by the small business administration; loans secured by commercial real estate; real estate construction loans for constructing commercial and residential buildings; agricultural loans, including loans to finance farm operations, equipment purchases, and land acquisition; loans secured by one- to four-family residential real estate and multifamily real estate; and consumer installment loans, such as home equity loans, automobile loans, recreational vehicle loans, and overdraft protection. The company also offers credit card services; and trust services that consists of trust administration, investment purchase and management, estate planning and administration, tax and financial planning, and employee benefit plan administration. As of December 31, 2010, it operated a main office in Wilmington, as well as 23 full-service branch offices and 1 remote drive-through automated teller machine facility in Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Montgomery, Warren, and Cuyahoga counties in Ohio. The company was founded in 1859 and is based in Wilmington, Ohio.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Frasers Commercial Trust Cppu (KT8U.SI)

Allco Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust invests is a diverse portfolio of real estate and real estate related assets, primarily focusing on office and retail assets. It owns properties in Singapore, Japan, and Australia. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Singapore, Singapore. The registered name of Allco Commercial REIT has changed to Frasers Commercial Trust since its 17.7% stake acquisition by Frasers Centrepoint Ltd.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Microbix Biosystem Com Npv(MBX.TO)

Microbix Biosystems Inc. engages in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of cell based products and technology in the United States, Europe, and Asia. It offers cell culture-based microbiological products, such as viral products; and licenses cell culture based technologies. The company develops a portfolio of biological technologies comprising VIRUSMAX, a virus yield enhancement technology; LumiSort, a semen sexing technology; and KinlyticR, a thrombolytic drug. It also develops, manufactures, and distributes infectious disease antigens, including viral, bacterial, and parasitic products for use in various applications consisting of immunodiagnostic assays; basic and applied research in virology, microbiology, cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, and pathology; as controls and calibrators for a range of medical devices; and for vaccine and antiviral research and development. In addition, the company offers adenovirus vectors, cells, and services to bio pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers and companies; and water based products, such as WFI and USP quality waters. Further, it provides facility, technical, and production personnel for contract research and development. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Mobile Mini Inc.(MINI)

Mobile Mini, Inc. provides portable storage solutions in North America, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. It offers a range of portable storage products in varying lengths and widths with various features, such as its patented locking systems, premium doors, and electrical wiring and shelving. The company?s products include remanufactured and modified steel storage containers, steel security office/storage combination and security office units, wood mobile office units, and steel records storage containers, as well as non-core storage units consisting of van trailers and other manufactured storage products. Mobile Mini also provides its products on lease basis to its customers. Its customers use its products for a range of storage applications, including retail and manufacturing supplies, inventory and maintenance supplies, temporary offices, construction materials and equipment, documents and records, and household goods. The company serves large and small retaile rs, construction companies, medical centers, schools, utilities, manufacturers and distributors, the United States and the United Kingdom military, government agencies, hotels, restaurants, entertainment complexes, and households. As of December 31, 2011, it operated a lease fleet of approximately 237,600 portable storage units through 109 branches in the United States, 4 branches in Canada, 19 branches in the United Kingdom, and 1 branch in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of portable storage specialist Mobile Mini (NASDAQ: MINI  ) climbed 10% today after its quarterly results topped Wall Street expectations.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Hansen Technologies Ltd (HSN)

Hansen Technologies Limited is an Australia-based provider of billing, customer care and information technology (IT) solutions. The Company�� billing software is used by companies in the telecommunications, electricity, gas and water industries. The Company also provides facilities management and IT services from its purpose-built data centers in Melbourne, as well as superannuation administration software. The Company operates in three segments: billing, IT outsourcing and other. The billing segment represents the sale of billing applications and the provision of consulting services in regard to billing systems. The IT outsourcing segment represents the provision of various IT outsourced services covering facilities management, systems and operations support, network services and business continuity support. The other segment represents software and service provision in superannuation administration. Effective March 1, 2013, the Company acquired Utilisoft Pty. Ltd.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Promotora De Informaciones SA(PRIS)

Promotora de Informaciones, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multimedia company in Spain and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Audiovisual, Education, Radio, and Press. The Audiovisual segment produces and distributes audiovisual content; distributes various products and services, including pay television through the satellite platform DIGITAL+; and operates free-to-air television network, as well as produces films and television programs. The Education segment publishes and distributes school textbooks, language teaching books, and general books, as well as involves in the educational and training activities. The Radio segment provides music services; produces and promotes musical events; and develops and records sound media, as well as operates 1,270 proprietary and affiliated broadcasting stations. The Press segment publishes El Pais, a Spanish newspaper; AS, a sports paper; and Cinco D�s, a financial newspaper, as well as invo lves in advertising and promotional activities. This segment also publishes various magazines, such as Cineman�, Rolling Stone, Gentleman, La Revista 40, Claves de la Raz� Pr�tica, Car, Europa, and Foreign Policy, as well as the El Pa� Yearbook and the Wine Yearbook. The company also provides Internet services; telecommunication services; engages in printing, storage, publishing, distributing, and sale of publishing products; and leases commercial and industrial premises, as well as involves in music publishing activities. In addition, it offers advisory, guidance, accounting, and financial consulting services; operates various television channels; produces broadcast news; manages a football team; provides services in the areas of accounting and financial consultancy; and purchases, sells, and rents audiovisual media; designs, constructs, and installs decorating accessories, as well as manages promotional products and services. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Madrid, Spain.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Quest Diagnostics Inc (DGX)

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (Quest Diagnostics), incorporated in 1990, is a provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, providing insights that enable patients and physicians to make healthcare decisions. Quest Diagnostics offers United States patients and physicians the access to diagnostic testing services through its nationwide network of laboratories and Company-owned patient service centers. The Company provides interpretive consultation through the medical and scientific staff. The Company is a provider of clinical testing, including gene-based and esoteric testing and anatomic pathology services, and the provider of risk assessment services for the life insurance industry. The Company also is a provider of testing for clinical trials and testing for drugs of abuse. Its diagnostics products business manufactures and markets diagnostic test kits and specialized point-of-care testing. On April 4, 2011, the Company acquired Athena Diagnostics (Athena). On May 17, 2011, the Company acquired Celera Corporation (Celera). In January 2012, the Company acquired S.E.D. Medical Laboratories. In December 2012, the Company sold all of the assets of OralDNA Labs salivary-diagnostics business to Access Genetics. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (Quest Diagnostics) is a provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, providing insights that enable patients and physicians to make healthcare decisions. Quest Diagnostics offers United States patients and physicians the access to diagnostic testing services through its nationwide network of laboratories and Company-owned patient service centers. The Company provides interpretive consultation through the medical and scientific staff. The Company is a provider of clinical testing and the provider of risk assessment services for the life insurance industry. The Company also is a provider of testing for clinical trials and testing for drugs of abuse. In January 2012, it acquired S.E.D. Medical Laboratories. In December 2012, it sold all of the ! assets of OralDNA Labs salivary-diagnostics business to Access Genetics. In January 2013, the Company acquired the Worcester -based clinical outreach laboratory business of UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Clinical Testing

The Company is a commercial clinical testing company. Physicians use clinical tests to assist in the detection, diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring and treatment of diseases and other medical conditions. Clinical testing is generally categorized as clinical laboratory testing and anatomic pathology services. The Company offers customers the access to the test menu of clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology tests in the United States. Clinical laboratory testing generally is performed on whole blood, serum, plasma and other body fluids, such as urine, and specimens such as microbiology samples.

The Company is a provider of routine clinical testing, including testing for drugs of abuse. The Company performs routine testing through its network of laboratories and rapid response laboratories. The Company also performs routine testing at hospital laboratories that the Company manages. The Company operates laboratories round the clock. The majority of test results are delivered electronically. Routine tests measure various bodily health parameters, such as the functions of the kidney, heart, liver, thyroid and other organs. Commonly ordered tests include blood chemistries, including cholesterol levels; complete blood cell counts; urinalysis; pregnancy and other prenatal tests, and routine microbiology testing.

The Company is a provider of anatomic pathology services in the United States, through its AmeriPath, Dermpath Diagnostics and Quest Diagnostics brands. Anatomic pathology involves the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases and medical conditions through examination of tissue and cell samples taken from patients. The Company provides inpatient anatomic pathology and medical director services at hospitals throughout the country, and through ! its labor! atories. The Company provides a range of services to all anatomic pathology subspecialties. The Company provides integrated, reports that include both anatomic pathology and clinical pathology tests, enabling its pathologists to offer patients and physicians a complete analysis. The Company introduced the Leumeta family of tests for leukemia and lymphoma.

The Company is a provider in the United States of gene-based and esoteric testing. Esoteric tests include procedures in the areas of molecular diagnostics, protein chemistry, cellular immunology and advanced microbiology. Commonly ordered esoteric tests include viral and bacterial detection tests, drug therapy monitoring tests, genetic tests, autoimmune panels and complex cancer evaluations. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it acquired Athena Diagnostics, a provider of neurology testing. Its esoteric laboratories provide reference testing services to physicians, academic medical centers, hospitals and other commercial laboratories. The Company also offers gene-based tests for the predisposition, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of cancers. The Company develops tests at its laboratories, such as Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute. It also develops techniques and services in anatomic pathology.

In 2011, the Company introduced its melanoma treatment selection mutation panel, which is designed to assist in the personalized selection of patient therapies. The Company introduced its thyroid cancer mutation panel, which assists in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer and aids physicians and surgeons as they plan surgery and other therapies to treat and attempt to cure thyroid cancer. During 2011, it enhanced its SureSwab Vaginosis/Vaginitis Plus test. The Company introduced Accutype IL28b, a test designed to aid in the prediction of patient response to peginterferon alpha-based therapy for treating hepatitis C virus infection. In 2011, it introduced testing for very long chain fatty acids, to assist in diagnosis and monitori! ng of inh! erited disorders of fatty acid metabolism. It also introduced high resolution chromosomal analysis testing with oligonucleotide microarrays to enhance its testing services in the pre-natal and post-natal genetics areas. During 2011, the Company released a test for therapeutic drug monitoring of dabigatran, an oral anti-coagulant. The Company also released genetic testing for SLC01B1, which helps identify patients at risk for myopathy from Simvastatin therapy for cholesterol reduction. Through Athena Diagnostics, it launched several molecular genetic tests for stroke, neuromuscular diseases and mitochondrial disorders.

Healthcare Information Technology

The Company provides interoperable technologies that help healthcare organizations and physicians enter, share and access clinical information without costly information technology (IT) implementation or workflow disruption, including through its Care360 suite of products and its ChartMaxx electronic document management system for hospitals. These solutions offer access to a national healthcare provider network, including approximately 200,000 networked physicians and clinicians using Quest Diagnostics��Care360 connectivity products. The Care360 products, including its Care360 Labs and Meds, enable physicians electronically to order diagnostic tests and review test results from Quest Diagnostics and electronically to prescribe medication. As of December 31, 2011, prescriptions were written through Care360 ePrescribing at an annualized rate of 32 million medications. Using its Care360 connectivity products, physicians can securely provide diagnostic and other data to a patient�� account. It offers Gazelle, a secure mobile health platform that allows users to receive their Quest Diagnostics laboratory results, manage their personal health information, find a Quest Diagnostics location and schedule appointments directly from their smartphone.

Clinical Trials Testing

The Company is a provider of central l! aboratory! testing performed in connection with clinical research trials on new drugs, vaccines and certain medical devices. It has clinical trials testing centers in the United States and the United Kingdom, and it provides clinical trials testing in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the People�� Republic of China and Singapore through affiliated laboratories. The Company has biomarker capabilities. In 2011, it acquired Celera, enhancing its ability to provide biomarker discovery and develop IVD test kits.

Life Insurer Services

The Company is a provider of risk assessment services to the life insurance industry in North America. It also provides risk assessment services for insurance companies doing business in many countries outside the United States. Its risk assessment services comprise underwriting support services to the life insurance industry, including laboratory testing, electronic data collection, specimen collection and paramedical examinations, medical record retrieval, case management, motor vehicle reports, telephone inspections, prescription histories and credit checks. The laboratory tests that it performs and data it gathers are designed to assist insurance companies to objectively evaluate the mortality risks of policy applicants. The majority of the testing is performed on specimens of life insurance applicants, but also includes specimens of applicants for other types of insurance. Most of its specimen collections and paramedical examinations are performed by its network of approximately 5,000 contracted paramedical examiners at the applicant�� home or workplace. The Company also offers paramedical examinations through approximately 500 of its patient service centers, and operate approximately 80 locations other than patient service centers in the United States and Canada where the Company provides paramedical examinations, bringing to approximately 580 the total number of sites where it can provide these examinations. The Company also contracts with third parties at over! an addit! ional 200 locations globally to coordinate providing these exams.

Employer Services

The Company is a provider of testing to employers for the detection of employee use of drugs of abuse. Its Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index, which is an annual report of its aggregate drug testing results, is used by employers, the federal government and the media to help identify and quantify drug abuse among the nation�� workforce. It provides a range of solutions for drugs of abuse, including urine, hair, blood and oral fluid tests. In 2011, it introduced Oral-Eze, its own oral fluid collection system that simplifies the collection of oral samples for routine drug testing. The Oral-Eze Oral Fluid Collector provides all the advantages of previous collection systems, with the added benefit of its indicator window technology. The Company provides wellness testing and analytic services to employers.

Diagnostic Products

Diagnostic Products include point-of-care, or near-patient and testing. The Company develops and manufactures products that enable healthcare professionals to make healthcare diagnoses, including products for point-of-care, or near-patient, testing for the professional market. The Company has several companies, including Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue and Celera. Focus Diagnostics is a provider of infectious disease testing. Focus Diagnostics develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic products, such as HerpeSelect ELISA tests that detect patient antibodies to specific types of herpes simplex virus, which can be performed on a variety of instrument platforms. Focus Diagnostics sells its diagnostic products to academic medical centers, hospitals and commercial laboratories globally. Focus Diagnostics has an agreement with 3M Corporation for global human diagnostic rights to a compact integrated bench-top instrument for use with real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. These tests are sold under the Simplexa brand name. In 2011, Focus Diagnostic! s receive! d the CE mark to offer Simplexa tests in Europe, including tests for Cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus, BK virus and clostridium difficile. Focus Diagnostics offers molecular transplant-testing menus in Europe.

HemoCue manufactures and distributes point-of-care testing products globally. HemoCue is a global provider in point-of-care testing for hemoglobin, with a growing market share for glucose, microalbumin and white blood cell testing. HemoCue offers its White Blood Cell Differential System in Europe. Celera offers complexity molecular diagnostic products in segments, such as HIV-1 drug resistance testing, reproductive genetics, transplantation and cardiovascular genetics. It also manufactures and offers the InSure fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for screening for colorectal cancer.

The Company competes with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Quest Diagnostics'� (NYSE: DGX  ) �first-quarter results have been released. For the quarter, net revenues were just under $1.79 billion, a drop from the $1.91 billion in the same period the previous year. Attributable net profit also declined, to $136 million ($0.85 per diluted share) from Q1 2012's result of $159 million ($0.99).

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.17 per share on revenue of $1.82 billion.

  Valmont Industries (NYSE: VMI) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $2.43 per share on revenue of $800.97 million.

• [By Charles Carlson]

  If you are new to DRIP investing, treat yourself to a few DRIPs this holiday season. Trust me��t'll change your life.

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

  Subscribe to Dow Theory Forecasts here��/p>

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: NV Energy Inc(NVE)

NV Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, and distributes electric energy in Nevada. The company generates electricity from its gas, oil, and coal generating units. As of December 31, 2010, the company served approximately 830,000 electric customers primarily in Las Vegas, north Las Vegas, and Henderson and adjoining areas, including Nellis Air Force Base and the Department of Energy?s Nevada Test Site in Nye County. It also provides electricity in western, central, and northeastern Nevada comprising the cities of Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and Elko. In addition, the company distributes gas to approximately 151,000 customers in an area of approximately 800 square miles in Nevada?s Reno/Sparks area. It offers its services to residential and commercial customers, as well as to industries, including gaming/recreation, mining, warehousing/manufacturing, and other governmental entities. The company, formerly known as Sierra Pacific Resources, was founde d in 1906 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway� (NYSE: BRK-A  ) (NYSE: BRK-B  ) announced yesterday that it's buying Nevada Electric generator NV Energy (NYSE: NVE  ) for $23.75 per share in cash. That's great news that more or less locks in a gain for the real-money Inflation-Protected Income Growth portfolio,�which holds shares of NV Energy. Still, it raises a key question -- what should be done with the cash that the iPIG portfolio will get from that acquisition?

• [By Associated Press]

  The Fort Churchill Solar Array, to be built in Yerington, was included in a filing Monday by NV Energy (NYSE: NVE  ) with the Public Utilities Commission.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  NV Energy Inc. (1.8% of net assets as of September 30, 2013) (NVE - $23.61 - NYSE)(NVE) is a Las Vegas based holding company, which serves the state of Nevada as both a gas and electric utility. On May 29, 2013, MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced it was acquiring NV Energy for $23.75 per share in a $10 billion merger. MidAmerican, based in Des Moines, IA, provides electricity and natural gas services in several states and currently has no exposure in Nevada. The deal is awaiting approval from the Public Utility Commission of Nevada as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The shareholders have already approved the deal, and it is expected to close in January 2014.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The moreEnergy (NYSE: NVE  ) 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 strongEnergy's competitive position could be.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015

LONDON �-- I'm always searching for shares that can help ordinary investors like you make money from the stock market. However, many people have been worried the market could be overheating -- with fears recently being realized.

So right now I'm analyzing some of the most popular companies in the FTSE 100, hoping to establish if they can continue to outperform in today's uncertain economy.

Today I'm looking at�Wm. Morrison Supermarkets� (LSE: MRW  ) (NASDAQOTH: MRWSY  ) to determine whether the shares are still safe to buy at 264 pence.

So, how's business going?
Morrisons has failed to impress the market over the last few months as investors worry about the company's ability to compete with larger peers Tesco�and�Sainsbury's, which dominate the food retail market.

Having said that, Morrisons has been working hard to try and turn its fortunes around, and it appears that the company's plan is starting to gain traction.

Indeed, according to a report released this week by researcher Kantar, Morrisons' sales rose 1.2% in the 12 weeks to June, the company's third consecutive quarter of sales growth, reversing the previous six quarters of declining sales.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Cartier Resources Inc (ECR.V)

Cartier Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties in Quebec, Canada. It primarily explores for gold, as well as for zinc, silver, and copper. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Val d'Or, Canada.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Copart Inc. (CPRT)

Copart, Inc. provides online auctions and vehicle remarketing services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company offers a range of services for processing and selling vehicles over the Internet through its Virtual Bidding Second Generation Internet auction-style sales technology, to vehicle sellers, primarily insurance companies, banks and financial institutions, charities, car dealerships, fleet operators, and vehicle rental companies. Its services include online seller access, salvage estimation services, estimating services, end-of-life vehicle processing, virtual insured exchange, transportation services, vehicle inspection stations, on-demand reporting, DMV processing, flexible vehicle processing programs, member network, sales process, dealer services, direct services, and u-pull-it services, as well as CoPartfinder, an Internet-based used vehicle parts locator that provides vehicle dismantlers with resale opportunities for their purchases. Th e company sells its products to licensed vehicle dismantlers, rebuilders, repair licensees, used vehicle dealers, and exporters, as well as the general public. Copart, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Fairfield, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] s thousands of acres of land around the U.S. Some of it is quite valuable. It�� carried on the balance sheet at $343 million. That number excludes buildings and improvements (which had an original cost of another $384 million).

  Some of that land ��for example, some of the earliest properties they still own in California ��are worth much, much more than they are carried for.

  But that fact actually isn�� that important. Why not?

  Because Copart earns very high returns on its net tangible assets. We��e talking about probably 20% to 30% returns on tangible investment. You don�� normally earn 20% on land. So, the value of land is not very high outside of Copart�� operations relative to what it is worth inside Copart�� operations.

  And, yes, the land is critical to Copart�� operations. They don�� necessarily have to own it ��a major competitor leases almost all of its land ��but they do have to control it.

  Now, if something were ever to happen to Copart�� business where you had a long-term deterioration in the car salvage business that land might become very important to an analysis of Copart.

  Let�� assume that tomorrow there is some high tech crash avoidance system. For example, cars are navigated remotely rather than being driven by someone inside the car.

  Under those circumstances, Copart�� business would be forever changed. The volume of wrecks would decline. And Copart�� invested assets ��like its big salvage yards ��would become much less valuable inside Copart�� business.

  That means the market value of the land would now be a lot higher relative to the value Copart could get from using the land to store cars. This would change the analysis entirely. And suddenly Copart�� balance sheet would be worth careful analysis.

  While this sounds farfetched, it�� actually the kind of thing that happens at net-nets and other stocks that are valuable on a liquidation basis. They start

• [By Geoff Gannon] wo companies in its industry that are public. The other company is part of a kind of conglomerate car sales company. That other company, KAR Auction Services (KAR), was much more explicit in detailing the competitive position of Copart and Insurance Auto Auctions. It even gave market share data.

  This is common. Often one company will choose not to give names or put percentages on certain competitive facts. The other company will do so. And even when that is not the case, the two companies will often make statements that ��when taking together ��can give you rough indications of certain realities that neither company entirely intended to provide.

  The same is true for certain suppliers and customers. Although this is complicated by size. Very large customers of small companies are not good sources of information. But smaller companies often provide better insights into the larger suppliers, customers, etc., they deal with. That's because ��due to their small size ��more information is material and is explained in detail.

  I have found situations where one company simply says who the customer is that they are supplying. While the other company explains what product that supply goes into, the purchase amount, whether it is an exclusive arrangement, etc.

  So it is always important to ��at a minimum ��read the 10-Ks, 14As, and (where available) S-1s of every public company in the industry. This will give you a lot of insight into the competitive situation. Sometimes it is helpful to also look at customers and suppliers. However, this is not true of very large customers and suppliers because they will not discuss the specific area you are interested in.

  For example, Honeywell is a large customer of George Risk. It would do me no good to study Honeywell to learn about George Risk. Honeywell is a huge company. What they buy from George Risk is irrelevant to their shareholders. So they do not discuss it.

  An exception to this is

• [By Geoff Gannon] t business. If you haven�� read about it, you should look into it. It�� a good name to know in the event stocks fall at some point in the future and offer you a chance to buy at a good P/E.

  Anyway, Copart sells cars. That�� all it does. It has a tiny bit of the business in the UK that involves buying and selling cars. But normally it�� not a principal. It�� just an agent. A broker. It doesn�� ship cars. It doesn�� buy cars. It just stores and sells cars. Copart is a great business. This is especially true because they achieve very high returns on their net tangible investment even though they choose to own rather than leases most of their locations. They own acres and acres and acres of land on which they store cars. You can find the addresses for their locations on their website (each car has a location associated with it that will pop up if you click on the car). Copy and paste that location into Google Earth. You��l be amazed at what you see. Anyway, they carry all this land which they then cover in cars and still they earn good returns on their tangible investment in the business without relying on the use of a lot of leases. So, it�� a very good and very interesting business.

  Now, if I said Copart sold cars, you�� probably think that their revenues and earnings and free cash flow should rise and fall with U.S. car sales.

  If you look at the past 10 years for Copart and for U.S. auto sales you��l see this is not true. Not even a little bit.

  Why is this?

  Well, there�� this one tiny little detail I hid from you about Copart. Copart doesn�� sell new cars. Copart doesn�� sell used cars. Copart sells wrecked cars. They sell salvage.

  So, if you think of Copart as being in the auto retail business ��which they obviously are ��you��l have an entirely incorrect understanding of the company. That�� true even if you understand the wider industry of car dealers pretty well. Copart sells cars. But they

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  The same rule applies here that I mentioned with Copart (CPRT) in an earlier article. Although Wal-Mart is an inferior business to Copart from a pure ROI standpoint, it�� still earning good returns on its investment.

Top 5 Oil Stocks For 2015: Bank of Ireland (IRE)

Bank of Ireland incorporated on April 27, 1984, and its subsidiaries provide a range of banking and other financial services. The Company operates in five segments: Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland Life, Retail UK, Corporate and Treasury and Group Centre. Group Centre includes capital management activities, unallocated Group support costs and the cost of the Credit Institutions.

Retail Ireland

Retail Ireland distributes a range of financial products and services through the Bank�� branch operations in the Republic of Ireland and through its direct channels. The product suite includes deposits, mortgages, consumer and business lending, credit cards, current accounts, money transmission services, commercial finance, asset finance and general insurance. Retail Ireland is managed through a number of business units which include distribution channels, consumer banking including Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank and ICS Building Society, business banking and customer & wealth management including private Banking.

Bank of Ireland Life

The Company operates in the life and pensions market in Ireland through its wholly owned subsidiary New Ireland Assurance Company plc (NAIC). Bank of Ireland Life offers life assurance, protection, pensions and investment products to its customers in Ireland through the Bank of Ireland Life network. These products are manufactured by NAIC. New Ireland Assurance Company plc also operates in the independent intermediary market under the New Ireland brand and through a direct sales force.

Retail UK

Retail UK consists of Business Banking in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the branch network in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom residential mortgage business and the business activities with the United Kingdom Post Office. The business banking unit provides loan, current account and deposit facilities to medium and large corporate clients in addition to international banking, working capital financing,! Offshore deposit taking services are offered in the Isle of Man. The business activities with the United Kingdom Post Office provide a range of retail financial services. A substantial part of the Retail UK operations are conducted through the Group�� wholly owned UK licensed subsidiary, Bank of Ireland (UK) plc.

Corporate and Treasury

Corporate and Treasury division consists of Corporate Banking, Global Markets and IBI Corporate Finance. Corporate Banking provides integrated relationship banking services to a number of major Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland corporations, financial institutions and multinational corporations, operating in, or out of, Ireland. The range of lending products includes overdraft and short term loan facilities, term loans, project finance and structured finance. Corporate Banking is also engaged in international lending with offices located in London, Paris, Frankfurt and the United States. Its international lending acquisition finance and term lending.

Global Markets is responsible for managing the Company�� interest rate and foreign exchange risks, while also executing its liquidity and funding requirements. The trading activities include dealing in inter-bank deposits and loans, foreign exchange spot and forward contracts, options, financial futures, bonds, swaps, forward rate agreements and equity tracker products. Global Markets��operations are based in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Corporate Banking provides integrated relationship banking services to a number of the Irish corporations, financial institutions and multinational corporations operating in or out of Ireland. The range of lending products provided includes overdraft and short term loan facilities, term loans, project finance and structured finance. Corporate Banking is also engaged in international lending with offices located in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and the United States. Its international lend! ing busin! ess includes acquisition finance, project finance, term lending and asset based financing principally in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and the United States. IBI Corporate Finance provides independent financial advice to public and private companies on takeovers, mergers and acquisitions, disposals and restructurings, in addition to fund raising, public flotations and stock exchange listings.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Royal Bk Of Canada Com Npv (RY.TO)

Royal Bank of Canada provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor and treasury, and capital markets services worldwide. The company�s Personal & Commercial Banking segment provides personal financial services, business financial services, and cards and payment solutions. Its Wealth Management segment offers investment, trust, banking, credit, and other wealth management solutions to affluent, high net worth, and ultra high net worth clients; and asset management products and services directly to institutional and individual clients, as well as through distribution channels and third-party distributors. The company�s Insurance segment provides various life and health insurance, including universal life, term life, critical illness, disability, long-term care insurance, and group benefits; property and casualty insurance comprising home, auto, and travel insurance, as well as wealth accumulation solutions; and reinsurance products throug h retail insurance branches, field sales representatives, call centers, online network, independent insurance advisors, and travel agencies. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment offers global custody, fund, and pension administration; and a suite of products to institutional investors, as well as cash management, correspondent banking, trade finance, funding, and liquidity management services to financial institutions. The company�s Capital Markets segment is involved in the fixed income, foreign exchange, equity sales and trading, repos and secured financing, and commodities businesses, as well as engages in debt and equity origination, mergers and acquisitions advisory services, loan syndication, research, private equity, corporate lending, client securitization, and global credit businesses. This segment serves public and private companies, institutional investors, governments, and central banks. Royal Bank of Canada was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toront o, Canada.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Cedar Shopping Centers Inc (CDR)

Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc., real estate investment trust, engages in the ownership, operation, development and redevelopment of supermarket-anchored community shopping centers and drug store-anchored convenience centers in the United States. As of December 31, 2007, it owned 118 properties, aggregating approximately 12.0 million square feet of gross leasable area primarily in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan, and New York. Cedar Shopping has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to federal income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Port Washington, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bill Smith]

  Valuation
  Lastly, because of the negative perception the entire industry has received, prices in this sector have been absolutely pummeled. ESI now trades at the lower end of all of its historical valuation bands: P/E, P/B, and P/S.
  
  Bullish Points
  Guru ownership and avg price: ESI owned by Hussman ($76.15), Weitz ($75.32), and Greenblatt ($73.29)Over 35% of shares are short, potential short squeezeStock buyback plan: ESI reduced outstanding shares by 19% yoy at the end of the 4th quarter. They repurchased 370K shares in 3Q11.The business model is scalable; the incremental cost to educate each additional student is low, leading to high marginsESI acquired Daniel Webster College, giving them a regional accreditation which they can use to broaden their reach in online classes
  Bearish Points
  High costs of education, in general, rightly or wrongly attract government intervention and could squeeze margins over time. Total student debt surpassed credit card balances, and sits at $1 Trillion as of the end of 2011.Subject to compliance with Dept of Education's 90/10 rules, which states a college can't collect more than 90% of revenue from students participating in federal loan programs.Cohort Default Rate (CDR): for-profit colleges must monitor the federal loan default rates of students who graduate or leave the school. If a school's CDR exceeds 25% for 3 consecutive years, or 40% in any one year, its students won't be eligible for federal financial aid.ESI competes on quality of product which is measured by graduation rates and ability to secure employment. For 2010, 70% of ESI graduates got employment in positions using skills taught in their program of study within 1 year. As of Oct 2011, this rate was 600 bp higher. The average annual salary reported by employed 2011 grads was $32K, compared to $32.4K for 2010 grads.With an improving economy, there's a potential ESI would see declining new student enrollmentsOver 35% of shares are short
  Summary

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Trustmark Corporation(TRMK)

Trustmark Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Trustmark National Bank, which provides banking and financial solutions to individuals and corporate institutions in Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. It operates in three segments: General Banking, Insurance, and Wealth Management. The General Banking segment provides commercial and consumer banking products and services, including checking accounts, savings programs, overdraft facilities, commercial loans, installment and real estate loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, drive-in and night deposit services, and safe deposit facilities. The Insurance segment provides retail insurance products, including commercial risk management products, bonding, group benefits, and personal lines coverage. The Wealth Management segment offers private banking, money management, full-service brokerage, financial planning, personal and institutional trust, and retirement services, as well as life insurance an d risk management services. This segment also acts as an agent to provide life, long-term care, and disability insurance services for wealth management customers. The company operates 140 full-service branches, 17 limited-service branches, 1 in-store branch, and an ATM network with 132 ATMs at on-premise locations and 67 ATMs located at off-premise sites. Trustmark Corporation was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Invesco Plc(IVZ)

Invesco Ltd. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to individuals, typically high net worth individuals. It also manages accounts for institutions. The firm manages separate client focused equity, fixed income, balanced portfolios. It also launches equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in core, growth, and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The firm employs a fundamental and quantitative analysis with a bottom-up stock picking approach to make its investments. It conducts in-house research to make its investments. Invesco Ltd. was founded in December 1935 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Today, however, investors are having none of it. As of 1:42 p.m., just three Dow components are in the red, and even the defense contractors are gaining, despite the fact that the government shutdown doesn’t look to be ending. Boeing (BA), for instance has gained 2.9% to $117.74, and United Technologies (UTX) has advanced 2.3% to $105.16. And if I’ve counted correctly, just 17 S&P-500 stocks are now in negative territory–led higher by companies such as Best Buy (BBY), which has gained 7.3% to $38.90 after Stifel Nicolaus said more people expecting to shop in its stores, and Invesco (IVZ), which has risen 4.9% to $33.75 after saying assets-under-management grew. Even Tower Group International (TWGP), the seriously troubled insurer, is up p 9.9% at $4.10.

• [By Sally Jones]

  This month, Invesco Ltd. (IVZ) reported that foreign exchange increased its assets under management by $1.1 billion. Invesco�� preliminary average total AUM for the quarter (through November 30) was reported at $757.2 billion. The preliminary month-end AUM of $767.3 billion, reflected an increase of 0.4%, month-over-month, according to the company website.

• [By Nicole Seghetti]

  Gaining ETF exposure...�without breaking the piggybank
  So what's the best choice? A traditional ETF or one that's value creating? That depends. First, determine your need for market exposure. For example, if you're lacking international investments, go with an ETF that'll get you that type of exposure. Next, decide whether or not you're willing to pay a higher cost for the chance to outperform. If you're inclined to fork over extra dough for that potential, then consider a value-creating type of ETF. For example, Invesco's (NYSE: IVZ  ) PowerShares ETFs seek to beat traditional benchmark indexes while giving investors access to more focused investment opportunities. Instead, if you want to keep costs to a minimum, then look for a traditional ETF with a low expense ratio.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Emclaire Financial Corp(EMCF)

Emclaire Financial Corp. operates as the holding company for The Farmers National Bank of Emlenton, which provides retail and commercial financial products and services to individuals and businesses in western Pennsylvania. Its deposit products include checking, savings, term certificate, money market, and non-interest bearing and interest bearing demand deposit accounts, as well as time and savings deposits. The company?s loan portfolio comprises one-to-four family mortgage loans, home equity loans, and commercial business and commercial real estate loans; and consumer loans, such as loans for automobile purchases, home improvements not secured by real estate, capital, and other personal expenditures, as well as unsecured revolving personal lines of credit and overdraft protection. Emclaire Financial Corp., through its other subsidiary, Emclaire Settlement Services, LLC, provides real estate settlement services. In addition, the company offers investment advisory service s. As of April 23, 2010, it operated 13 full service offices in Venango, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Jefferson, and Mercer counties, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Emlenton, Pennsylvania.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Roma Financial Corporation(ROMA)

Roma Financial Corporation operates as a holding company for Roma Bank and RomAsia Bank that provide traditional retail banking services primarily in New Jersey. The company offers current deposit products, including checking and savings accounts, money market, certificates of deposit accounts, and individual retirement accounts. It also provides one-to four-family residential mortgage loans; multi-family and commercial mortgage loans; construction loans; commercial business loans; and consumer loans comprising home equity loans and lines of credit. In addition, the company sells title insurance; performs title searches; and provides real estate settlement and closing services. It operates 23 branch offices in Mercer, Burlington, Camden, and Ocean Counties, New Jersey; and 2 branches in Monmouth Junction and Edison, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  He also pointed out that the approaching completion of Roma Financial (ROMA) and Investors Bancorp (ISBC) has some interesting implications for bank stock investors. Both are mutual holding companies, and the newly formed bank is expected to complete the process and do a second-step conversion offering. That will be a fairly large deal, much larger than most second-step offerings, as the combined banks should be somewhere around $3 billion in market cap. There will be larger investment banks involved, complete with road shows and institutional meetings to promote the deal. The attention could well cause a revaluation of the mutual holding company and converted thrift sector of the banking market.

Top 10 Supermarket Stocks For 2015: Novelos Therapeutics Inc (NVLT.PK)

Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. (Novelos), incorporated in June 1996, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oxidized glutathione-based compounds for the treatment of cancer and hepatitis. The Company�� compound, NOV-002 is a small-molecule compound based on a formulation of oxidized glutathione that has been administered to approximately 1,000 cancer patients in clinical trials. As of December 31, 2009, NOV-002 was in Phase II development for solid tumors in combination with chemotherapy. The Company�� second glutathione-based compound, NOV-205 acts as a hepatoprotective agent with immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory properties.

NOV-002

NOV-002 is an injectable small-molecule compound based on a formulation of oxidized glutathione. As of December 31, 2009, NOV-002 was being developed for use in combination with care chemotherapies for the treatment of solid tumors. As of December 31, 2009, the Company was d eveloping NOV-002 to treat early-stage breast cancer in combination with chemotherapy. As of December 31, 2009, it was also developing NOV-002 to treat platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Glutoxim (the tradename for NOV-002 in Russia) is approved in Russia for general medicinal usage as an immunostimulant in combination with chemotherapy and antimicrobial therapy, and specifically for indications, such as tuberculosis and psoriasis.

NOV-205

NOV-205 is an injectable, small-molecule formulation of oxidized glutathione in a 1:1 molar ratio with inosine. As of December 31, 2009, the Company was developing NOV-205 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C non-responders. NOV-205 acts as a hepatoprotective agent with immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory properties.