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
  
  

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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.