Online Turkey-Day Shopping Trends

5 Best Value Stocks For 2014

Wall Street Journal A textile seamstress in Pakistan.

Thanksgiving Day online buying jumped again this year.

According to the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, overall online sales for Thursday, Nov. 28 rose nearly 20% over the same period last year, with the average order value at nearly $128.

Those not comatose on turkey tryptophan, and carbohydrates, reached for a mobile device or stumbled to the computer after dinner. After  8 p.m. EST, when retailers opened stores and offered Black Friday online promotions, online sales “skyrocketed,” IBM data show. Turkey Day online sales topped $1 billion, according to Adobe data. More here.

Some trends and percentages:

Department store Thanksgiving online sales grew by 60% vs 2012, with mobile sales growing by 44% year over year. Perhaps a boost for clothing purveyors like Gap (GAP), whose shares are up 1% in morning trading : total online sales of apparel on Thanksgiving grew by about 41% vs. 2012, with mobile sales growing by close to 62.4% year over year. Shares of Macy’s (M) are flat this morning, while shares of women’s clothing seller Chico's Fas (CHS) are down 0.4%. Mobile represented nearly 26% of all online sales, up 49 percent year-over-year, and accounted for hearly 43% of all online traffic, up more than 32% year over year. As a percentage of total online sales, users of the Apple (AAPL) operating system, iOS, outnumbered Android users by 4.5 times and represented 30% of online traffic. Apple iOS users spent 14% more, or $121.61 per order compared to $106.44 for Android users. Shares of Apple are up a point this a.m. Onlines sales were greatest in New York on Thanksgiving Day, followed by Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

5 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>Why You Should Buy Hedge Funds' 5 Favorite Stocks

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

Altair Nanotechnologies

Altair Nanotechnologies (ALTI) develops, manufactures and sells nano lithium titanate batteries and energy storage systems. This stock closed up 13.7% to $5.70 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $5.00-$5.74

52-Week Range: $2.02-$8.00

Thursday's Volume: 97,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 116,922

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

From a technical perspective, ALTI soared higher here right above some near-term support at $4.50 with decent upside volume. This stock recently formed a major bottoming pattern between $4.30 and $4.50. Following that bottom, shares of ALTI have started to spike sharply higher and move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if ALTI manages to take out Thursday's high of $5.75 and once it clears some key near-term overhead resistance at $6 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ALTI as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $5 or above $4.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 116,922 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ALTI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $7.50 to its 52-week high at $8. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give ALTI a chance to tag $9.

Document Security Systems

Document Security Systems (DSS) is engaged in fraud and counterfeit protection for all forms of printed documents and digital information. This stock closed up 8.1% to $1.20 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $1.10-$1.24

52-Week Range: $0.86-$3.64

Thursday's Volume: 1.61 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 476,778

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy This Week

From a technical perspective, DSS ripped higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $1.13 with strong upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of DSS within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if DSS manages to take out Thursday's high of $1.24, and then once it clears some more key overhead resistance levels at $1.30 to $1.38 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DSS as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $1.13 or above more key support at $1 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 476,778 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then DSS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $1.68 to $1.75. Any high-volume move above those levels will then put its next major overhead resistance levels at $1.88 to its 200-day at $1.95 into range for shares of DSS.

Gulf Resources

Gulf Resources (GURE) manufactures and trades bromine and crude salt, and manufactures and sells chemical products used in oil and gas field exploration. This stock closed up 6.6% to $2.56 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $2.43-$2.58

52-Week Range: $0.88-$3.10

Thursday's Volume: 273,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 428,468

>>2 Oversold Stocks That Could Bounce Higher

From a technical perspective, GURE ripped higher here with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months and change, with shares soaring higher from its low of $1.14 to its recent high of $3.10. During that uptrend, shares of GURE have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GURE within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if GURE manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.73 to its 52-week high at $3.10 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GURE as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $2.22 or above more support at its 50-day at $1.98 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 428,468 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GURE will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $3.50 to $4.50.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) is a biomedical company focused on the development of next-generation vaccines to prevent or treat cancers and chronic infectious diseases. This stock closed up 6.6% to $2.01 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $1.78-$2.06

52-Week Range: $0.44-$3.03

Thursday's Volume: 4.98 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 6.67 million

From a technical perspective, INO soared higher right above some near-term support at $1.70 with lighter-than-average volume. This move pushed shares of INO into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $1.97. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if INO can manage to take out Thursday's high of $2.06 to its 50-day moving average at $2.09 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in INO as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $1.78 or above more support at $1.70 and then once it sustains a move or close above $2.06 to $2.09 with volume that hits near or above 6.67 million shares. If we get that move soon, then INO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.19 to $2.38. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give INO a chance to tag its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.54 to $2.92.

Empresas ICA

Empresas ICA (ICA) is engaged in construction and related activities, including the construction of infrastructure facilities as well as industrial, urban and housing construction. This stock closed up 4.2% to $7.39 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $7.05-$7.51

52-Week Range: $6.14-$13.73

Thursday's Volume: 857,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 506,189

From a technical perspective, ICA ripped higher here right off some near-term support at $7 with above-average volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last month and change, with shares moving lower from its high of $9.34 to its recent low of $6.85. During that downtrend, shares of ICA have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, this bounce higher on Thursday could be signaling that the downside volatility for shares of ICA is over in the short-term, and the stock is ready to bounce higher.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICA as long as it's trending above some key near-term support at $6.85 and then once it sustains a move or close above Thursday's high of $7.51 with volume that hits near or above 506,189 shares. If we get that move soon, then ICA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $8 to its 50-day moving average at $8.31. Any high-volume move above $8.3 will then give ICA a chance to tag $9 to $9.20.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>4 Stocks Rising on Big Volume

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

>>5 Tech Stocks to Trade This November

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.

Toyota to pay damages in fatal acceleration case

Toyota has agreed to pay punitive damages on top of $3 million in other awards to victims of an alleged sudden acceleration case in a Toyota Camry that included a death, an Oklahoma judge said Friday.

The jury already found Toyota Motor Corp. liable Thursday for the crash that killed Barbara Schwarz and injured Jean Bookout, who was awarded $1.5 million. Schwarz's family was also awarded $1.5 million in compensation for the loss.

The jury decided Toyota acted with "reckless disregard" for the rights of others.

Oklahoma County District Judge Patricia Parrish said Friday that jurors won't be deliberating additional punitive damages.

The judge didn't disclose the amount of punitive damages awarded, which is still being discussed. The judge has barred the parties from discussing the case publicly until the trial's conclusion.

Earlier this month, a California jury failed to find Toyota liable for the death of a California woman who was killed when her 2006 Camry apparently accelerated and crashed despite her efforts to stop. Jurors deliberated for about five days before concluding the vehicle's design didn't contribute to the death of 66-year-old Noriko Uno, who died in August 2009 when she was struck by another motorist, sending her vehicle into a telephone pole and tree.

Best Growth Companies To Buy For 2014

In July, a federal judge in California approved a $1.6 billion settlement in a class action suit filed over economic loss suffered by owners who say their vehicles lost value over the adverse publicity about the issue.

Contributing: Associated Press

The Cost of Debt Ceiling Brinkmanship

For financial markets watching Washington's shenanigans on the debt ceiling and budget, it's becoming clear: Brinkmanship is the new normal. The willingness of politicians to play chicken with the U.S. Treasury's creditworthiness and the degree of partisanship that dominates national politics these days make it very likely that even if the current limit on the Treasury's authority to borrow is raised, it will do so only temporarily. Investors will have to weather a series of impending crises and, hopefully, last-minute reprieves. And the odds are the cost will get higher each time.

See Also: Why Washington's Fiscal Follies Will Continue

In 2011, the debt ceiling fight between President Obama and the Senate versus the House was averted by an agreement four days before the deadline. Although the limit was not broached, there were financial effects.

Ten business days before Aug. 4, the day the Treasury Department indicated it was likely to exhaust its borrowing authority, interest rates on four-week Treasury bills, which have the shortest maturity length the government sells, started to climb. From a rate of 0.01%, they climbed over the course of six days to peak at 0.17% before dropping back to 0.01% after the White House and congressional leaders reached an agreement to extend the debt ceiling. Over the same period, there were smaller pickups in the rates of three-month, six-month and one-year securities as well. The Government Accountability Office estimates that those increases drove up Treasury borrowing costs by $1.3 billion in 2011.

But the costs to taxpayers weren't the only price paid for the political games. Short-term securities are heavily used as collateral in the repurchase agreement (RP or repo) market, where financial institutions that want to borrow cash overnight put up riskless securities as a guarantee that the lender will get its money back. The rapid rise in four-week T-bill and other short-term rates indicated a loss of investor confidence in the "riskless" part of the equation. Although the stress level remained far below the heights it hit during the 2008 financial meltdown, when the repo market essentially ceased, it was, nevertheless, worrisome.

Fast forward to 2013 and another debt ceiling crisis in the works. This time, rates on four-week T-bills started rising on Sept. 26, 15 business days before the presumed deadline of Oct 17. They also rose faster and further than two years earlier. After word of a potential agreement aired, the rates began to ease a little on Oct. 10 and 11. Again, there were costs to the Treasury of having to sell bills at the higher interest rate. Again, the decline in investor confidence put some stress on the repo market, as some lenders refused to accept short-term Treasuries as collateral.

Investors have learned to anticipate potential losses in the value of short-term Treasuries as the debt ceiling is approached. Today, the prospect of a short-term, 60-day extension of the debt ceiling is under negotiation. The chances of an agreement setting aside the debt ceiling for a year or more is slim. So 40 to 50 days or so from now, markets are likely to go through the same exercise, forcing down the values of Treasuries — even more and faster than this time. What's worse, the odds are it'll happen again and again over the next year or two.

Shriram Transport Finance to raise Rs 500 cr via NCD

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014

The NCDs proposed to be issued under this issue have been rated AA/stable by CRISIL and AA+ by CARE. The rating of the NCDs by CRISIL indicates high degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations and carrying very low credit risk, while the rating of NCDs by CARE indicates high degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations and carrying very low credit risk.

The NCDs offered are proposed to be listed on the National Stock Exchange and BSE.

These NCDs, bearing a fixed rate of interest, are being offered under six different Series:

The coupon rate for Series I, Series II and Series III having tenure of 36 months, 60 months and 84 months, respectively, shall be 10.75 percent p.a., payable annually. However, on any record date Individuals shall receive an additional incentive of 0.50 percent p.a. for Series I, 0.75 percent p.a. for Series II, 1 percent p.a. for Series III, aggregating upto 11.25 percent p.a., 11.50 percent p.a. and 11.75 percent p.a., respectively.

Series IV, Series V and Series VI NCDs shall be redeemable at a premium, at the end of 36 months, 60 months and 84 months, respectively, from the Deemed Date of Allotment.

The effective yield for Series IV, Series V and Series VI NCDs shall be 10.75 percent p.a. for Non-Individuals and 11.25 percent p.a., 11.50 percent p.a. and 11.75 percent p.a., respectively for Individuals.

High net-worth individuals and retail individual investors are collectively referred to as "individuals".

The issue shall be opened for subscription from October 7, 2013 to October 21, 2013 with an option to close on such earlier date or extended date up to a period as may be decided at the discretion of the duly authorised committee of Directors of the company subject to necessary approvals.

The funds raised through this issue will be used for various financing activities including lending and investments, to repay existing loans and for business operations including capital expenditure and working capital requirements.

JM Financial Institutional Securities Private Limited and A K Capital Services Limited are the lead managers to the issue. IDBI Trusteeship Services Limited is the debenture trustee, while Integrated Enterprises (India) Limited is the registrar to the issue.

Logansport Financial Corp. Reported Net Earnings (OTCBB: LOGN, OTCMKTS:CLNO)

Logansport Financial Corp. (LOGN)

Today, LOGN remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $23.25 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:11AM EDT July 25, 2013).

Logansport Financial Corp. previously reported net earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 of $462,000 or $.71 per diluted share, compared to earnings in 2012 of $427,000 or $.54 per diluted share. Year to date the company reported net earnings of $936,000 for 2013 compared to $763,000 for 2012. Diluted earnings per share for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were $1.43 compared to $.97 for the six months ended June 30, 2012. Total assets at June 30, 2013 were $165.8 million compared to total assets at December 31, 2012 of $172.9 million. Total shareholder's equity at December 31, 2013 was $18.6 million compared to $19.0 million at June 30, 2012

Logansport Financial Corp. (LOGN) 5 day chart:

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO)

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CLNO) (www.cleantechtransit.net ) through its Discovery Carbon subsidiary, develops emissions offset strategies for companies, municipalities, and countries. Today, CLNO has surged (+4.05%) up + 0.007 at $.180 with 33,560 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:49PM EDT July 25, 2013).

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now

CLNO's daily range is at ($.19 – $.17) thus far and currently at $.180 would be considered a (+16263.63%) gain above the 52 wk low of $.0011. The stock is up +0.18 ( +7400%) since the concerning dates of January 28, 2013 – July 25, 2013. +7400% is the 6 month high and rightly so.

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO ) 5 day chart:

Buffalo Wild Wings Hits 52-Week High - Analyst Blog

Top 10 Stock Investments For 2014

Shares of the casual dining restaurant chain, Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD), reached a new 52-week high of $106.03 on Jul 12, following consistent decline in prices of its main material, chicken wings.

The closing price of Buffalo Wild Wings on July 12 was $104.96, representing a solid 1-year return of about 25.2% and year-to-date return of about 43.8%. Average volume of shares traded over the last three months stands at approximately 423K.

Growth Drivers

After witnessing high wing costs even as late as the first quarter of 2013, Buffalo Wild Wings' premium wings prices are now easing. During the first quarter conference call, the company stated that the average price of chicken wing was $1.75 per pound in the first two months of the second quarter, down nearly 7.9% from the comparable year-ago period. The wing price is also expected to go further down in the coming quarters, thus, boosting profitability.

Amid uncertain economic conditions, Buffalo Wild Wings has been posting positive comparable store sales (comps) for the past eight quarters, driven by unit expansion and higher guest counts. The company is also taking a series of initiatives to further boost its comps in the ensuing quarters.

With a consistent fall in wing costs, Buffalo Wild Wings is now making an effort to reduce the risk associated with inconsistent wing yields. The company has decided to change its traditional menu servings and serve wings based on its weight, rather than by its numbers. This initiative, slated to start in the third quarter of 2013, will help the company to serve a consistent portion of chicken wings to its customers.

Buffalo Wild Wings, famous for its 'dine and watch the game' concept, is highly benefitting from its three-year collaboration with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The partnership allowed the company to be an! official marketing as well as hangout partner for all NCAA sport events through 2016. This association will help the restaurant chain to increase its visibility as a brand and attract customers through digital and social media platform.

The company plans to unveil nearly 100 units in 2013 in its attempt to achieve the 1,000-unit milestone by the end of this year. Gaining from the higher top line, easing wing costs and proper labor management, Buffalo Wild Wings expects to achieve net earnings growth of 25% in 2013, higher than the prior-year growth of 17%.

Buffalo Wild Wings is expected to report its second-quarter 2013 earnings on Jul 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter at the moment is 78 cents per share. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and positive Earnings ESP (Read: Zacks Earnings ESP: A Better Method) of 2.56%, the company is expected to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the second quarter of 2013.

Some other restaurateurs that are likely to perform well include BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (BJRI), AFC Enterprises Inc. (AFCE) and The Cheesecake Factory Inc. (CAKE). All these companies carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

1 Thing Farmers Simply Can't Live Without

Drought and malnutrition can wreak havoc on a farmer's crop production. That's why fertilizers, such as potash, are so vital, especially as available, arable land continues to decline. Potash does more than just aid in water retention and enhance a plants ability to withstand extreme climates. It also contributes mightily to the revenue and profits of companies like PotashCorp (NYSE: POT  ) and Agrium (NYSE: AGU  ) . 

Both of these companies will be reporting over the next three weeks, with PotashCorp announcing its latest quarterly performance on Thursday, July 25. After record potash sales volumes at Mosaic (NYSE: MOS  ) , Motley Fool analyst Taylor Muckerman has high hopes for this segment at PotashCorp. He'll be looking for PotashCorp's realized prices and the effects of greater diversification through the sale of nitrogen- and phosphate-based fertilizers as well. Tune in below for more. 

5 Best Undervalued Stocks To Invest In 2014

Another thing fertilizer companies share in common is a decent dividend yield. For dividend hunters on the lookout for high-yielding stocks, The Motley Fool has compiled a special free report outlining our nine top dependable dividend-paying stocks called, "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks". You can access your copy today at no cost! Just click here.

3 Hot Stocks to Trade (or Not)

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Big Trades for Post-Taper Gains

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. That's especially true now that earnings season is officially underway. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

Activision Blizzard

Nearest Resistance: $18

Nearest Support: $16.50

Catalyst: Technical Setup/Call of Duty Sales

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

Despite lower-than-expected sales numbers for Call of Duty: Ghosts this week, video game maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI) is enjoying some buoyancy in today's session. Shares are up close to 3% this afternoon, the result of investors' glass-half-full reaction to the Ghosts numbers, and a bullish technical setup in shares.

Right now, ATVI is forming a rectangle pattern with resistance at $18 and support down at $16.50. The consolidation setup is showing upside bias right now, which means that a move through $18 looks like the most probable outcome for shares in December. When that happens, traders have a buy signal in this video game giant.

Cobalt International Energy

Nearest Resistance: $15

Nearest Support: N/A

Catalyst: Aegean Well Results

>>5 Cash-Rich Stocks That Could Pay Triple the Gains in 2014

Cobalt International Energy (CIE) is getting sold off more than 8% this afternoon, after the firm released a statement that it was plugging and abandoning its Aegean number-one exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico. CIE's drill didn't find commercial hydrocarbons, which means that it's back to square one for the project. After selling off more than 41% year-to-date, this latest hiccup is far from an ideal way to end the year.

A quick glimpse at CIE's chart is just about all you need to figure out its tradability right now. This resource stock is clearly broken. Resistance is in place at $15, and support is nowhere to be found at this point. If you're looking for a cheap buying opportunity in CIE, wait for shares to establish some semblance of support before you put money in this name; for now, it's a falling knife you don't want to catch.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals

Nearest Resistance: $6

Nearest Support: $4

Catalyst: Iculsig Drama

>>3 Biotech Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

Last up is Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA), the small-cap pharmaceutical name that's one of the most heavily-traded names on the Nasdaq this afternoon thanks to the latest bit of drama over its Iculsig drug. ARIA is up 4.5% as I write this afternoon following news that European regulators won't be pulling the drug from the market, after the FDA suspended sales on Oct. 31.

ARIA is currently forming a textbook inverse head-and-shoulders pattern with resistance at $6. A push through the $6 level is a pretty strong buy signal for ARIA. Despite the volatility this stock has seen this year, shares could look a whole lot worse right now. If the trade does trigger, I'd recommend putting a protective stop under the 50-day moving average.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>4 Stocks Triggering Breakouts on Unusual Volume

>>5 Commodity Stocks to Trade for Gains

>>3 Stocks Under $10 in Breakout Territory

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Are Alternative Energy Stocks Doomed?

In opening its energy sector to foreign investment, Mexico is dealing another crippling blow to the alternative energy industry.

This move will increase the supply of oil and natural gas, which will decrease the economic viability of sun, wind, and other alternative power sources.

For investors looking to profit from shorting stocks in the sector, JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) and LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) are both vulnerable. For those looking to go long, Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is very strong in natural gas, which is expected to increase its market share, according to a recent report from the Department of Energy.

As with so many other publicly-traded companies in the current bull market, both JA Solar and LDK Solar are up for the last year of market action. That makes it easier to make more money for those shorting the stocks. To start with the basics, each is losing money and is loaded with debt.

JA Solar has profit margin of minus 19.70 percent and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Of that debt, two-thirds of it is short term. That most likely results from lenders refusing to allow for the company to have any debt that is not repaid quickly. That makes sense as sales growth is down more than 12 percent on a quarterly basis.

It is even worse for LDK Solar.

The company has missed debt payments. On a quarterly basis, sales are down more than 50 percent. The return-on-investment and return-on-equity are both negative. Survival for this company is questionable. However, the stock price is up more than 10 percent for the last year.

At present, there is no form of alternative energy even close to replacing fossil fuels as a power source.

With greater oil and natural gas production from North America, due to fracking, and Mexico finally opening up to foreign investment, that situation will remain.

A recent  article in Benzinga reported oil and natural gas stocks should be profitable well into the future, due to increasing demand from around the world. Exxon Mobil is well positioned to benefit from it. The world's largest oil and natural gas company, Exxon Mobil is up more than 8 percent for the last quarter of trading.

Much of that is due to the recent news that legendary investor Warren Buffett is now a shareholder.

That shows the appeal of oil and natural gas stocks, as Buffett is the ultimate long term investor. As a Dividend Aristocrat, Exxon Mobil rewards its shareholders with its history of increasing its dividend payment annually.

For those looking to profit for the long-term in the energy sector, going short on JA Solar and LDK Solar while going long on Exxon Mobil should be rewarding.

Posted-In: alternative energies Alternative Energy Warren BuffettLong Ideas News Emerging Markets Short Ideas Dividends Dividends Small Cap Analysis Commodities Technicals Economics Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

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

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Dollar edges lower with Fed decision on deck

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — The U.S. dollar was flat against most major rivals Wednesday, with investors preparing for a decision from the Federal Reserve about what it plans to do with its bond-buying program.

The Fed is slated to release a statement on monetary policy at 2 p.m. Eastern time . While many analysts expect there will be no change in the central bank's program of purchasing $85 billion a month in assets, investors will be looking for, at least, some insight about when a tapering of purchases will begin.

The ICE dollar index (DXY)  , which compares the U.S. unit with six rivals, inched down to 80.049 from 80.060 late Tuesday. The WSJ Dollar Index (XX:BUXX)  , however, edged up to 73.41 from 73.38.

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The Fed's purchases of U.S. government debt and mortgage-backed securities have been seen as hurting the greenback's value.

Speculators are holding "massive" amounts of long-dollar positions against the Japanese yen, the Australian dollar and the Canadian dollar (USDCAD) , according to the latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, cited by BK Asset Management managing director of foreign exchange strategy Kathy Lien in a note Tuesday.

"If the central bank fails to be as hawkish as the market expects, profit-taking on those positions could drive the dollar quickly and aggressively lower, even if the Fed ends up being one of the few central banks unwinding stimulus next year," she said.

A recent round of better-than-expected economic data have raised the prospect that the Fed is getting closer to reducing the pace of its asset buys. Wednesday's policy announcement will mark the bank's last under Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose second term ends in January.

In May, he told Congress that "in the next few meetings," the bank could slow the pace of stimulus, though a widely anticipated move in September didn't materialize.

Click to Play If 2014 is 'average,' will markets rise 10%?

If 2014 is an "average" year, the stock market will rise 10%, right? Not necessarily. It depends on what about 2014 you think will be average. Marketwatch columnist Mark Hulbert explains. Photo: Getty Images.

Renewed strength of jobs growth in the past few months may be just enough to lead the Fed to begin tapering asset purchases, said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, on Wednesday.

"It will be a close call, however," he said.

The central bank may make a "small" reduction of $10 billion, evenly split between Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities, wrote Ashworth. "We also expect the Fed to take steps to strengthen its forward guidance on rates, in an attempt to offset the impact of tapering on long-term borrowing costs," he said.

While the Fed decision is likely to be highlight of Wednesday's session, reports on U.S. housing starts and building permits are also due.

In other currency action Wednesday, the euro (EURUSD)  rose to $1.3772 from $1.3765 during Asian trade ahead of a December business-sentiment survey from the Ifo institute in Germany. Sentiment in November rose on improved sales expectations.

Meanwhile, the British pound (GBPUSD)   rose to $1.6283 from $1.6265. Minutes from the Bank of England's policy meeting earlier this month are due out, as well as a government report on employment.

The dollar (USDJPY)  , however, gained ground against the yen, rising to ¥102.91 from ¥102.67 late Tuesday, while the Australian dollar (AUDUSD)  bought 89.06 U.S. cents, up from 88.95 U.S. cents.

More MarketWatch news

Fed never grabs punch bowl in December, analyst points out

Line between grief and greed on Wall Street: Weidner

Apple Welcomes Chat Heads From Facebook

Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) recently announced that it plans to roll out a new functionality dubbed Chat Heads that would make integrating messaging even more seamless. Not only will Chat Heads be part of the company's new meta app FB Home on Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android, but it will be available as part of the Facebook app in Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) iOS. The functionality may be critical to Apple, depending on what level of traction FB Home is able to achieve.

In this video, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the specifics of Chat Heads for Apple and how their integration may shift the smartphone landscape permanently, particularly if FB Home becomes a full option on Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) Windows Phone as well.

After the world's most hyped IPO turned out to be a dunce, most investors probably don't even want to think about shares of Facebook. But there are things every investor needs to know about this company. We've outlined them in our newest premium research report. There's a lot more to Facebook than meets the eye, so read up on whether there is anything to "like" about it today, and we'll tell you whether we think Facebook deserves a place in your portfolio. Access your report by clicking here.

Two vie in runoff for Finra small firm advisory board

Finra should design compliance programs that take into account the size and resources of the broker-dealers it oversees, according to one of two candidates for the regulator's Small Firm Advisory Board.

“Regulation should not be one-size fits all,” said Stephen Hart, chief compliance officer at Robotti & Company.

“I would encourage a closer look at firm sizes and [tailor] regulation that is targeted at them,” he said. “It's paramount to protect our clients' interests through appropriate regulation.”

Mr. Hart would have a platform for promoting his views, if he wins a runoff election for the New York Region seat on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. advisory board. He is running against Myles Edwards, chief compliance officer and general counsel at Constellation Wealth Advisors.

The nearly 1,000 eligible small-firm broker-dealers in the area, which includes New York City and nearby Nassau and Suffolk counties, must cast their ballots by phone or electronically by Monday. A small firm is defined as one that has 150 or fewer registered representatives.

The original four-candidate race ended in a dead heat between Mr. Hart and Mr. Edwards. The winner will serve a three-year term beginning next month.

“It's pretty interesting,” said Mr. Hart, 34, who was a chief administrative officer and vice president at BlackRock Inc. before joining Robotti. “What are the chances of it being an exact tie?”

Mr. Edwards is the incumbent on the advisory board.

In a statement on Finra's website, he said he would provide a “practical and responsible approach to serving small firms.”

“Self-regulation and business practicability can be compatible, and I would seek to assist in the process whereby rules are formulated collaboratively, thus strengthening the relationship between the member firm, the district and Finra itself,” Mr. Edwards, who didn't respond to an interview request, said in the statement.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014

Check out Jim Cramer's latest trading recommendations on "Action Alerts Plus".

(Updates from 10:42 a.m. ET with closing information.)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Here's what Jim Cramer had to say on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" Tuesday.

Piper Jaffray raised its price target on Best Buy (BBY). Cramer suggested analysts have been waiting for a day to raise their targets and that "this stock goes higher." BBY closed up 1.8% at $44.06.

ImmunoGen (IMGN) has stopped testing its lung cancer drug, which disappointed Cramer. "This is a really important thing," he said. The stock "may not come right back." IMGN dropped 19% to $13.41.

Cramer called Anheuser-Busch Inbev (BUD) "a good stock." BUD was flat at $102.25.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: Miranda Gold Corp (MAD.V)

Miranda Gold Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in the United States and Colombia. The company primarily explores for gold properties. It holds interests in various properties located in Nevada, Alaska, and Colombia. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in White Rock, Canada.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: MONEYSUPERMARKET.COM GROUP PLC ORD GBP0.02(WI)

Moneysupermarket.com Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides online price comparison services in the United Kingdom. The company, through its Web sites moneysupermarket.com and travelsupermarket.com, provides online services to compare various products in the money, insurance, travel, and home services markets. It offers comparison services for financial products, including loans, credit cards, current accounts, mortgages, debt solutions, savings accounts, and business finance; insurance products, such as home insurance, life insurance, medical and motor insurance, breakdown cover, mortgage payment protection, payment protection, and pet and travel insurance; travel products comprising airport parking, car hire, flights, hotels, and package holidays; and home services products consisting of products for broadband, mobile telephones, vouchers, shopping, and utilities. The company also offers support services to customers to research the product they wish to purc hase, as well as sends emails to customers, enabling them to keep up to date with the latest deals, offers, and best buys on a range of products. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Chester, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Xueda Education Group(XUE)

Xueda Education Group provides tutoring services for primary and secondary school students in the People?s Republic of China with a focus on offering personalized tutoring services. Its services include consultation and assessment, formulation of a customized study plan, personalized tutoring, and delivery of supporting services. The company also provides course offerings that cover various academic subjects taught in primary and secondary schools, such as mathematics, English, physics, Chinese, and chemistry; and self-designed courses beyond the standard curriculum in certain subjects, as well as in subjects not taught at public primary and secondary schools. As of December 31, 2010, its tutoring service network comprised 207 learning centers and approximately 9,650 full-time service professionals, serving customers located in 53 economically developed cities across 27 of China?s 31 provinces and municipalities. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Beij ing, the People?s Republic of China.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: Ssp Offshore Inc (SSZ.V)

SSP Offshore Inc., together wit its subsidiaries, engages in the development and commercialization of its proprietary technology for the oil and gas industry. The company�s SSP FPSO platform technology is related to the floating, production, storage, and offloading of vessels for crude oil, compressed natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas, as well as SSP320 Plus floater for drilling operations used in various water applications. It also provides pipe-in-pipe technology for oil, hot oil, methanol, and refrigerated gas; and steel catenary riser-top connector to connect flexible steel catenary riser to surface production vessels, as well as designs and installs various platforms for marginal field developments in shallow water. The company offers its products primarily in Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, North Sea, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The company, formerly known as OPE holdings Ltd., was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Own For 2014: Crh Ord Eur 0.32(CRH.L)

CRH public limited company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and supply of building materials primarily in western Europe and North America. The company produces and sells a range of primary materials, including cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt/bitumen, and agricultural and chemical lime. It also produces and sells architectural and structural concrete products, clay products, fabricated and tempered glass products, and construction accessories, as well as provides a range of inter-related products and services to the construction sector. In addition, it engages in builders? merchanting activities; and operates a network of do-it-yourself (DIY) stores that market and sell supplies to the construction sector and to the general public. Further, the company manufactures and installs pre-stressed concrete flooring planks, modular precast structures, and other products used in structures, such as hotels, apartments, dormitories, and prisons ; and concrete pipes used for storm and sanitary sewer applications. It also has operations in eastern Europe, South America, the Mediterranean basin, China, India, and Australia. The company operates 138 Karwei and GAMMA brand DIY stores in the Netherlands; 19 GAMMA brand DIY stores in Belgium; 51 Hagebau brand DIY stores in Germany; and 33 Maxmat brand DIY stores in Portugal. CRH public limited company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Goldman Sachs: Never Mind the Volcker Rule, Look at the IPOs

In what may be a delayed reaction to the release of the final draft of the new Volcker rules yesterday, shares of Goldman Sachs (GS) have dropped today, joining Morgan Stanley (MS) JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC) in the red.

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But how bad will the Volcker rule really be? Not as bad as it could have been, says Susquehanna’s Doug Sipkin. He writes:

The most notable positives to us were permission to continue to trade sovereign bonds for proprietary purposes, permission to invest in non-covered entities such as wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, and acquisition vehicles such as business development companies, and the ability to hedge risk related to individual as well as aggregated positions of the banking entity. The timeline is also a positive. The rules become effective April 1, 2014 and the conformance period starts on July 21, 2015. Within our space, [Goldman Sachs] followed by [Morgan Stanley] are most impacted by the rule.

Investors shouldn’t underestimate the ability of Goldman Sachs to turn a profit, Sipkin says. He writes:

Despite some adverse consequences from the rule, we still believe GS can generate reasonable long-term returns driven by greater capital efficiency, potential wider bid-ask spreads, and leading positioning within investment banking. We believe 4Q13 will likely serve as some indication as it looks as if GS is beginning to execute on its best banking pipeline in five years driven by a torrid pace of equity issuance in the quarter. Year-to-date, GS has 11.8% share of equity issuance, up from 8% during the same
period in 2012. The equity business in 4Q13 is likely seeing its best quarter since prior to the credit crisis.

Goldman Sachs has dropped 1.2% to $167.79 at 3:12 p.m., while Morgan Stanley has fallen 1.7% to $30.24, JPMorgan has declined 0.9% to $56.17 and Bank of America is off 2.2% at $15.23.

2014 Mazda6 i-ELOOP breaks from traditional brakes

With a thriftiness that could only come from growing up during the 1930s, my father has always preferred to save his brakes by coasting to stoplights and taking curves far too fast. In theory, it's a good idea: Brakes convert your car's forward momentum (good!) into heat (bad!), and not using them will save you money—at least until you rear-end another car or careen off a cliff.

Saving brakes by not using them follows the same logic as putting a slipcover on a couch, or patches on the elbows of a blazer. That's why Dad should drive a Mazda6 Grand Touring with the Technology Package, which features a unique regenerative braking setup. It's inexplicably called i-ELOOP, and though it's price tag won't please cheapskates, it has a certain appeal for those who hate waste.

But first, some background

Instead of converting kinetic energy to heat, regenerative brakes recover that energy and store it. It's either used to power accessories or to give the car extra oomph during acceleration, and ideally cars with regenerative brakes get better fuel economy than their traditional counterparts.

There's only one problem: Weight. Traditionally, hybrid vehicles have sent energy recovered by regenerative brakes back to big, heavy batteries. Mazda's decided to go a different tack, adding a capacitor instead of a battery as an energy-storage device.

Capacitors can't hold energy as long as batteries, but they're great at rapidly charging and discharging. And Mazda's capacitor design is lighter than a battery, so you won't waste fuel hauling around a fuel-saving device. It's a brilliant and elegant way to save a few mpgs—a Mazda6 equipped with i-ELOOP is EPA rated at an astounding 40 mpg highway, 28 mpg city, while a conventional Mazda6 gets a still-respectable 38 highway, 26 city.

BEST OF YEAR: Reviewed.com's picks for the top car tech of 2013

Does it work?

I got the chance to drive an i-ELOOP-equipped Mazda6 for a week, and almost duplicated the same routes I took in the ! conventional 6 I drove about a month earlier. As expected, i-ELOOP improved fuel economy by about two miles per gallon. I got 29.2 with i-ELOOP, 27.5 without.

Unexpectedly, the i-ELOOP 6 is virtually indistinguishable from the conventional sedan. About the only physical difference I could find was an additional screen hidden inside a menu on the gauge cluster. Select it, and it'll show energy flow to and from the capacitor. There's no special "Eco" badging, and the word "i-ELOOP" thankfully doesn't appear on the outside of the car.

I was most impressed that the Mazda's regenerative brake setup didn't feel any different when coming to a stop. Drive a Prius or any other conventional hybrid, and you'll instantly notice an uneven grabbiness to the brakes that takes some getting used to. Coast, and the i-ELOOP-equipped 6 will offer a hint of what feels like engine braking. Otherwise, it's no different from the standard sedan.

RELATED: Your car may be automated before it's electric

It'll cost ya

If the fuel savings appeal to your inner Scrooge, the price of entry won't. You can only get i-ELOOP on the range-topping Grand Touring trip as part of the technology package. For that, you get a fully-loaded car with lane-departure warning, automatic anti-collision braking, radar cruise control and active grille shutters that make the car even more aerodynamic. Total MSRP is $32,845. Compare that to an identical i-ELOOP-less car, and you're spending an additional $1355.

Based on EPA estimates, you'd have to own the car for more than ten years before the fuel savings equals the cost of the option. Since regenerative brakes don't get as hot as their conventional counterparts, that payback period may come down a bit if you don't have to get your brake pads replaced as often—a benefit that Prius owners have reported.

Top Stocks To Buy

None of that would matter to my father, however. He'd rest easy at night knowing that the ! Law of Co! nservation of Energy suddenly works in his favor, returning energy that would've been lost to braking to power his car.

I'm inclined to agree. Though cheapskates may balk at the Mazda6's initial purchase price, the car itself is one elegantly engineered tightwad.

For more product reviews and news, visit Reviewed.com, a division of USA Today, and follow @ReviewedDotCom on Twitter.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014

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The Top Ten Stocks for April 16

U.S. stocks rallied, with the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index rebounding from its biggest drop since November, as housing starts and earnings from Coca-Cola Co. (KO) to Johnson & Johnson topped estimates.

All 10 industry groups advanced as raw-materials and consumer-staples companies gained the most, rising at least 1.7 percent. Coca-Cola jumped 5.7 percent as Latin American sales volume increased. Johnson & Johnson added 2.1 percent as new drugs and the acquisition of Synthes Inc. boosted sales.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.4 percent to 1,574.50 at 4 p.m. in New York, for the largest increase since Jan. 2. The equity benchmark index plunged 2.3 percent yesterday, its biggest tumble since Nov. 7, after China�� economy grew at a slower pace than forecast and a slump in gold weighed on commodity shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 157.58 points, or 1.1 percent, to 14,756.78 today. About 6.4 billion shares traded on U.S. exchanges, in line with the three-month average.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

Northgate Minerals Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in exploring, developing, processing, and mining gold and copper deposits in Canada and Australia. Its principal producing assets include 100% interests in the Fosterville and Stawell Gold mines in Victoria, Australia; and the Kemess South mine located in north-central British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as Northgate Exploration Limited and changed its name to Northgate Minerals Corporation in May 2004. Northgate Minerals Corporation was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

New Gold Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of mineral properties. The company primarily explore for gold, silver, and copper deposits. Its operating properties include the Mesquite gold mine in the United States; the Cerro San Pedro gold-silver mine in Mexico; and the Peak gold-copper mine in Australia. The company also has development projects, including the New Afton gold, silver, and copper project in Canada; and a 30% interest in the El Morro copper-gold project in Chile. The company was formerly known as DRC Resources Corporation and changed its name to New Gold Inc. in June 2005. New Gold Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  One group of stocks not feeling the optimism today: Gold miners. With fewer concerns that a U.S. attack on Syria will be disruptive and more evidence that tapering will begin this month, the price of the precious metal has dropped 1.6% to $1,388.90 an ounce–and gold stocks are falling with it. New Gold (NGD), for one, has dropped 3% to $6.55, while Barrick Gold (ABX) has fallen 1.3% to $19.25.

Top Energy Stocks To Watch For 2014: Claude Resources Inc.(CGR)

Claude Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties, as well as production and marketing of minerals in Canada. It primarily explores for gold in northern Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario. The company holds interests in the Seabee gold mine located at Laonil Lake, northern Saskatchewan; and the Madsen property that consists of 6 contiguous claim blocks totaling approximately 10,000 acres, located in the Red Lake Mining District of northwestern Ontario. It also holds interest in the Amisk Gold project, which covers an area of 13,800 hectares in the province of Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  In terms of individual companies, there are several good choices, but these can behave very differently. Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) , for example, missed revenue expectations and beat earnings expectations in its last earnings release. But despite the beat, EPS shrank considerably from a year earlier on a GAAP basis. The stock has been fairly flat ever since. Conversely, First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) reported strong revenue growth and a small bump in profits, sending the stock higher since the announcement. First Majestic reported increased cash costs and tightening margins, largely driven by lower silver prices. Each of these companies faces pressure from increasing production costs and environmental concerns.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  While many precious-metals companies have been in a slump of late, there is one that belongs perpetually in your portfolio: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) . The company is not like other miners -- including Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) -- in that it has a unique business plan that insulates it against many of the vagaries of the mining business. Moreover, because silver will always have a significant industrial demand component, even with the heightened volatility you see in the silver market, maintaining exposure to silver is appropriate.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  It is no secret that precious metals companies have been taking a pounding for some time now. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) , the gold and silver ETFs, have been hard hit and operating companies like First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) and Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) have been hit even harder. Through all of these struggles, and in some cases because of them, one precious metals company continues to look attractive for the long term: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) .

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Its Investment Banking segment offers financial advisory, including advisory assignments with respect to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense, risk management, restructurings, and spin-offs; and underwriting securities, loans and other financial instruments, and derivative transactions. The company?s Institutional Client Services segment provides client execution activities, such as fixed income, currency, and commodities client execution related to making markets in interest rate products, credit products, mortgages, currencies, and commodities; and equities related to making markets in equity products, as well as commissions and fees from executing and clearing institutional client transactions on stock, options, and fu tures exchanges. This segment also engages in the securities services business providing financing, securities lending, and other prime brokerage services to institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and foundations. Its Investing and Lending segment invests in debt securities, loans, public and private equity securities, real estate, consolidated investment entities, and power generation facilities. This segment also involves in the origination of loans to provide financing to clients. The company?s Investment Management segment provides investment management services and investment products to institutional and individual clients. This segment also offers wealth advisory services, including portfolio management and financial counseling, and brokerage and other transaction services to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, it provides global investment research services. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Golden Star Resources Ltd., a gold mining and exploration company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of gold properties. It owns and operates the Bogoso/Prestea gold mining and processing operation that covers approximately 40 kilometers of strike along the southwest-trending Ashanti gold district in western Ghana; and the Wassa open-pit gold mine located to the east of Bogoso/Prestea in southwest Ghana. The company also has an 81% interest in the Prestea underground gold mine located in Ghana. In addition, it holds interests in various gold exploration projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d?Ivoire, as well as holds and manages exploration properties in Brazil in South America. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Littleton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Clash of the titans
  When bears are raging on the gold bullion market, it's not surprising to see gold stocks getting mauled as well. Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  ) was the biggest loser in the sector, losing a quarter of its market cap on no company-specific news, though a report last Friday indicated that a large number of hedge funds had recently dumped their positions in the mid-tier miner. Yet it wasn't all that much better among the majors, either, as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) fell almost 13% and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) was down 14%.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Finland, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver, copper, zinc, and lead. Its flagship property includes the LaRonde mine located in the southern portion of the Abitibi volcanic belt, Canada. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  He increased his holdings in gold companies in the fourth quarter accordingly. Gold stocks he found attractive in the fourth quarter are: Novagold Resources (NG), Randgold Resources (GOLD), Iamgold Corp. (IAG), Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), Agnico Eagle (AEM) and International Tower Hill (THM).

• [By Hebba Investments]

  Even with rising Q2 costs, GG still has lower true all-in costs than many of its larger competitors' Q1FY13 costs. Compared to Q1FY13 numbers of competitors such as Yamana Gold (AUY) (costs just over $1300), Kinross Gold (KGC) (costs above $1350), Silvercrest Mines (SVLC) (costs below $1100), Newmont Gold (NEM) (costs around $1300) Agnico-Eagle (AEM) (costs around $1400) and Barrick Gold (ABX) (costs around $1200).

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In the longer term, IAMGOLD could potential challenges from higher taxes on some of its holdings. The Canadian province of Quebec is considering changing the current 16% profit tax either to what amounts to a gross revenue tax or to a more progressive profit tax with higher rates on high-margin mining operations. Under current conditions, those taxes might not have much effect either on IAMGOLD or rivals Agnico-Eagle (NYSE: AEM  ) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , both of which also have projects in the province, but it's hard to predict how a changes might affect future results if they take effect.

Best Gold Stocks To Invest In 2014: Newmont Mining Corporation(Holding Company)

Newmont Mining Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and production of gold and copper properties. The company?s assets or operations are located in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, it had proven and probable gold reserves of approximately 93.5 million equity ounces and an aggregate land position of approximately 27,500 square miles. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Starbucks’ $450 metal gift cards will go fast

You might call it the Starbucks card for the 1%.

Or this year, perhaps, for the 0.5%.

For the second year in a row, Starbucks is rolling out an ultra-limited edition, $450 metal, gift card for the holidays — pre-loaded with $400. But this year, it's literally five times more exclusive. Last year, the coffee giant made 5,000. This year, it's making a mere 1,000.

If you want one, you gotta act fast. Really fast. Not one Starbucks store will sell them. The offer will be available only on the luxury goods website Gilt.com on Friday at noon EST. Last year, the 5,000 designer cards sold out in about six minutes. With just 1,000 offered this year, "Will it be one minute or two?" poses Cliff Burrows, group president of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

For Starbucks, just about anything goes at holiday time. Consider: 1 in 10 adults last December received a Starbucks gift card of some sort. Starbucks cards are the most "gifted" item in America, says Burrows. That makes the hard-to-get Starbucks Metal Card — even in a tough economy — an apparent must-have for the well-to-do. Some of last year's cards have been posted on eBay for as much as $1,000.

"If something is hard to get, it takes on irrational value," says Steven Addis, a brand consultant. "By making it even harder to get, the irrationality goes up."

At the same time, he notes, Starbucks protects itself from taking heat for its pricey card by also selling so many $5 gift cards. "It's a fail-safe gift," he says of conventional Starbucks cards.

Besides the $400 pre-loaded on the designer card, it also has Gold-level status — meaning free refills on iced or brewed coffee or tea, along with other perks.

Each of the cards — which are all hand-made — features an artisan rose metal base with rose-colored coating. Starbucks lettering is laser-etched on the front. Each comes in a blue gift box with a special letter inside that explains the card's value.

The company made a ! "deliberate decision" to make even fewer metal cards this year, says Burrows. "It's now more special," he says. "We've elevated it to a new level."

For folks who want to keep their designer card pristine — and don't want it to get scratched from use — well, you can simply load the card onto your mobile device and keep the card, itself, safe, says Burrows.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch For 2014

That might also increase its collectible value.

First, of course, you have to get your hands on one.

"Maybe the most potent of sales tools is scarcity," says Addis.

Even Burrows, himself, hasn't been able to get his hands on one yet.

But if he can land one for his wife before Christmas, he says, only half-jokingly, that may help determine if the holidays at the Burrows home "are very good — or very bad."

Yearly Charts Of Six Tech Giants

Though most of my analysis is focused on the monthly and weekly charts, the even longer term charts have less noise, which can reduce the number of false signals. This is one reason why I have found John Person's quarterly pivot analysis so interesting.

As I pointed out in my recent workshop at the Las Vegas Trader's Expo, the Spyder Trust (SPY) has stayed above its quarterly pivot all year. This is consistent with a positive major trend.

Several times a year, I also examine the yearly charts on some of the key markets, as I did last July. The yearly highs are often important levels of resistance, while the lows are often important levels of support.

The violation of the 2012 low for the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) $148.53 in the middle of April was a strong sell signal. The low, so far, for the year has been $114.68. The 2012 low now becomes an important level of resistance.

According to the tech analysts at UBS, there are six large tech stocks that investors should own, in addition to top new trend names like; Facebook, Inc. (FB), Linkedin Corp (LNDK), Splunk Inc. (SPLK) and Salesforce.com Inc. (CRM).

A look at the yearly charts of their large tech picks can help us identify the key trends and the important levels to watch.

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Chart Analysis: Google, Inc. (GOOG) is the first stock on their list, though it is up almost 22%, since the daily high close doji was triggered on October 10.

This year's wide range bar makes new yearly signals unlikely in 2014. However, the higher yearly lows in both 2010 and 2011 were bullish signs, as the stock was being supported at higher levels. It was supported by the move above the 2007 high, line a, in October 2012. The fourth quarter pivot is at $886.85 and it would take a close below it to weaken the trend.

The yearly chart of Microsoft Inc. (MSFT) shows that it has just moved above the 2007 and 2001 highs, line b, at $37.50.

A yearly close above this level will be a further positive indication for 2014. The 15-year trading range is $22 wide, so there are yearly upside targets now at $49.50. There is first yearly support now in the $35-$37 area, with the quarterly pivot at $33.62. Major support now at $26.26 and $26.28, which are the lows from 2012 and 2013.

UBS also likes Oracle Corp. (ORCL), which has made higher yearly highs in three of the past five years.

This year's high at $36.43 is above last year's high and just below the 2011 high of $36.50. The quarterly pivot is at $32.80 with more important support at $29.86, which are the year's lows. Since the 2002 low, the year chart shows a clear uptrend, line c,  that reflects long-term demand for the stock.

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One tech giant that has been frustrating investors for many years has been Cisco Systems,  Inc. (CSCO).

The yearly chart shows a trading range for the past six years. The quarterly pivot at $24.25 represents first important resistance. There is additional resistance at $27.72, (line c), which was the 2010 high. If it is overcome, it should signal a move to the 2007 high at $34.24. There is yearly closing support from 2011 at $19.65, and then at $18.08 from 2010. The 2011 low at $13.30 represents more important support.

Best Oil Stocks For 2014

The QUALCOOM, Inc. (QCOM) yearly chart looks quite positive since it bottomed after the dot.com low of $11.61 in 2002.

In 2011, QCOM exceeded the 2008 high of $56.88, (point 1). The yearly close that year was the highest since 1999. Over the past three years, QCOM has made sharply higher lows. The quarterly pivot is at $65.63, with support at this year's low of $59.02.

EMC Corp. (EMC) has traded in a tight range over the past three years.

EMC has been trading below the quarterly pivot at $25.43 since early October. A weekly close above this level will turn the focus on the resistance at $30, line c, which was the 2012 high. The chart shows that EMC traded over $100 in 2000. There is yearly support from the past three years at $19.84 to $21.45.

What it Means: I can not stress too much the importance of longer term charts, as too many focus on the daily charts, not the weekly, monthly, or yearly charts.

The government shutdown in October appeared to trigger a fair amount of panic selling. At the time, I encouraged investors to Avoid the Noise, Watch the Numbers by looking at long-term support and resistance levels, as well as the quarterly pivots. This, I felt, could help them react to the short-term news.

The quarterly pivot table can be used to both guide stop placement, as well as to help to determine profit targets, as several of the ETFs stalled at their R1 resistance levels, before moving higher.

How To Profit: No new recommendation.

Energize Your Portfolio With this Oil Services Play CLB

The holiday season is heating up, while temperatures are dropping. Winter is well under way!

What better way to celebrate the season than to take a look at an industry we’re putting to good use this time of year: Energy. The energy sector is full of companies working to provide consumers and business with electricity, fuel, heat and many other services we put to constant use.

The energy sector gives investors a variety of options to put money into. Whether you’re interested in traditional oil and drilling companies, businesses dedicated to solar and other alternative energy sources or the corporations that provide energy equipment, there are stocks for every taste. So today we’ll see how the sector is performing as a whole, and I’ll share with you some of the best and worst energy plays on the market.

Let’s go ahead and see if the energy sector is helping warm up portfolios or burning investors.

Proceed With Caution

The energy sector can be a volatile place, as we all should be aware of after all the fluctuations it experienced this year. Surging and dropping oil prices, changes to federal regulations, availability and so many other factors may affect how the entire sector, not just a stock or two, perform.

Top Biotech Companies To Buy For 2014

The ishares Dow Jones U.S. Energy Sector Fund (IYE) tracks the performance of 99 major energy stocks in the U.S. IYE is actually up 20% for the year, but it has been trending downward over the past month. Meanwhile, the ishares S&P Global Energy Sector Fund (IXC) is up just 10% so far for the year. This fund, which also contains 99 holdings from all over the world, provides perhaps the best view of how the energy sector is faring on the global level. It has also fallen in the past month.

The energy sector is starting to take on water. The fact is that crude oil prices are now at the lowest level in about six months. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that crude oil supplies have risen for 10 straight weeks and this put downward pressure on prices.

Meanwhile, the six-month nuclear pact with Iran caused the U.S. to unfreeze $8 billion in Iran assets recent. With the prospect of Iranian oil more easily hitting world markets, the increased U.S. crude oil production from the fracking boom, plus a glut of refined gasoline and diesel, the prices at the pump are expected to continue to meander lower.

My Top Energy Pick

That said, you should be careful when investing in oil or natural gas companies due to the glut piling up in the U.S. right now. The good news is, despite the volatility that’s inevitable in this sector, there are always pockets of strong companies that perform well no matter the industry conditions.

One such company is Core Laboratories (CLB), a company in the Netherlands that helps the oil and gas recovery. And right now, Core Laboratories’ services are in hot demand because oil companies are having difficulties extracting gas from traditional deposits and are now being forced to look to alternative sources and methods of extraction. Whether it’s fracking or oil recovery techniques, Core Laboratories does it all, including reservoir description, production enhancement and reservoir management services.

In my opinion, this is one of the safest energy plays out there right now. .

30 Energy Stocks To Sell

But for every Core Laboratories out there, there are dozens of other energy stocks that you should steer clear of. To get you started, here are the Top 30 big-name energy stocks that have become too hot to handle.

Symbol	Company Name	Quantitative Grade	Fundamental Grade	Total Grade
APC	Anadarko Petroleum Corporation	D	C	D
BHI	Baker Hughes Incorporated	D	C	D
CAM	Cameron International Corporation	F	C	D
CVE	Cenovus Energy Inc.	F	C	F
CVX	Chevron Corporation	D	C	D
DVN	Devon Energy Corporation	F	C	D
E	Eni SpA	F	D	D
EC	Ecopetrol SA	F	C	D
ENB	Enbridge Inc.	F	C	D
ESV	Ensco plc	F	C	F
FTI	FMC Technologies, Inc.	F	C	D
IMO	Imperial Oil Limited	F	D	F
KMI	Kinder Morgan, Inc. Class P	F	D	D
KMP	Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P.	F	C	D
MRO	Marathon Oil Corporation	F	C	D
NBL	Noble Energy, Inc.	D	C	D
NOV	National Oilwell Varco, Inc.	F	C	D
OKS	ONEOK Partners, L.P.	F	C	D
PAA	Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.	D	C	D
PBR	Petroleo Brasileiro SA	F	D	F
PSX	Phillips 66	D	D	D
PTR	PetroChina Co. Ltd.	F	C	F
RIG	Transocean Ltd.	F	C	D
STO	Statoil ASA	F	D	F
TLM	Talisman Energy Inc.	D	C	D
TRP	TransCanada Corporation	F	C	D
TS	Tenaris S.A.	D	D	D
WMB	The Williams Companies, Inc.	F	C	D
WPZ	Williams Partners L.P.	F	C	D
XOM	Exxon Mobil Corporation	F	C	D

10 Best Finance Tweets of the Month: November

Fresh off the announcement that it was going to pay a $13 billion settlement over questionable mortgage practices, JPMorgan Chase made a social media gaffe big enough to make Anthony Weiner blush: With a straight face, it invited the public to ask one of its top executives for career advice.

"What career advice would you ask a leading exec at a global firm?" the bank tweeted. "Tweet a Q using #AskJPM. On 11/14 a $JPM leader takes over @JPMorgan."

Buy a Tesla with Bitcoins, drive it to Potbelly, twerk through the front door as you take a selfie to share on SnapChat. - 2013, basically

Gross: Betting on Secretariat in the ’73 Belmont was a near sure fire winner. Betting on #Fed Funds in 2016 at 25 basis pts is close to same

Discipline is like spinach. We may not care for it ourselves but feel sure it would be good for everybody else. - Anonymous

Gross: Stocks roll onward & upward based on a dovish Yellen, but a dovish #Yellen must produce growth for them to continue. @federalreserve

Ouch. November almost over, & best Healthcare[dot]gov has to report is "90% of users can CREATE ACCOUNTS"? pic.twitter.com/eNrPi3JsVM

Keep your social media activity on your computer, phone or tablet–and out of your portfolio. http://t.co/QOIZndBITr #TwitterIPO $TWTR

As a young sociopath, how can I succeed in finance? #AskJPM

I have Mortgage Fraud, Market Manipulation, Credit Card Abuse, Libor Rigging and Predatory Lending AM I DIVERSIFIED? #AskJPM

Is it true a young Satan would cower under the covers at night fearing there was a Jamie Dimon under the bed? #AskJPM

What's your favorite type of whale? #AskJPM

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014

Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does British Petroleum (NYSE: BP  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

What we're looking for
The graphs you're about to see tell BP's story, and we'll be grading the quality of that story in several ways:

Growth: are profits, margins, and free cash flow all increasing? Valuation: is share price growing in line with earnings per share? Opportunities: is return on equity increasing while debt to equity declines? Dividends: are dividends consistently growing in a sustainable way?

What the numbers tell you
Now, let's take a look at BP's key statistics:

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Sara Lee Corporation(SLE)

Sara Lee Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of a range of branded packaged meat, bakery, and beverage products worldwide. Its packaged meat products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, sandwiches and bowls, smoked and dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, bacon, beef, turkey, and cooked ham. It also offers frozen baked products, which comprise frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, and other desserts. In addition, Sara Lee provides roast, ground, and liquid coffee; cappuccinos; lattes; and hot and iced teas, as well as refrigerated dough products. The company sells its products under Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, State Fair, Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Maison du Caf

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Checkpoint Systms Inc.(CKP)

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. manufactures and markets identification, tracking, security, and merchandising solutions for the retail and apparel industry worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Shrink Management Solutions, Apparel Labeling Solutions, and Retail Merchandising Solutions. The Shrink Management Solutions segment provides shrink management and merchandise visibility solutions. It offers electronic article surveillance systems, such as EVOLVE, a suite of RF and RFID-enabled products that act as a deterrent to prevent merchandise theft in retail stores; and electronic article surveillance consumables, including EAS-RF and EAS-EM labels that work in combination with EAS systems to reduce merchandise theft in retail stores. This segment also provides keepers, spider wraps, bottle security, and hard tags, as well as Showsafe, a line alarm system for protecting display merchandise. In addition, it offers physical and electronic store monitoring solutions, incl uding fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and digital video recording systems for retail environments; and RFID tags and labels. The Apparel Labeling Solutions segment provides apparel labeling solutions to apparel retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers. It has Web-enabled apparel labeling solutions platform and network of 28 service bureaus located in 22 countries that supplies customers with customized apparel tags and labels. The Retail Merchandising Solutions segment offers hand-held label applicators and tags, promotional displays, and queuing systems. The company serves retailers in the supermarket, drug store, hypermarket, and mass merchandiser markets through direct distribution and reseller channels. Checkpoint Systems was founded in 1969 and is based in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Three months after settling upon a new chief executive officer, it looks like Thorofare, N. J.-based Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP  ) will soon have itself a new CFO as well.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Medifast, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of weight management and disease management products, and other consumable health and diet products in the United States. The company?s product lines include weight and disease management, meal replacement, and vitamins. It also operates weight control centers that offer Medifast programs for weight loss and maintenance, customized patient counseling, and inbody composition analysis. The company markets its products under the Medifast and Essential brand names, including shakes, appetite suppression shakes, women?s health shakes, diabetics shakes, joint health shakes, coronary health shakes, calorie burn drinks, calorie burn flavor infusers, antioxidant shakes, antioxidant flavor infusers, bars, crunch bars, soups, chili, oatmeal, pudding, scrambled eggs, hot cocoa, cappuccino, chai latte, iced teas, fruit drinks, pretzels, puffs, brownie, pancakes, soy crisps, crackers, and omega 3 and digestive health products. Medifast Inc. sells its products through various channels of distribution comprising Web, call center, independent health advisors, medical professionals, weight loss clinics, and direct consumer marketing supported via the phone and the Web; Take Shape for Life, a physician led network of independent health coaches; and weight control centers. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Medifast Inc. (NYSE: MED) saw its stock down 5% in evening trading on Tuesday after the weight loss player had soft sales and guided expectations lower. Shares were still indicated down about 5%, but volume has not yet started.

• [By Holly LaFon] ast produces, distributes and sells weight and health management products with the brand names Medifast, Take Shape for Life, Hi-Energy Weight Control Centers and Woman�� Wellbeing.

  Its return on assets in the third quarter of 2011 was 19.6%, which has been increasing in the past several years. The average return on assets for the specialty retail industry is 10.48% for the trailing 12 months.

  The company�� total assets amounted to $94 million in 2010, which increased from $62.8 million in 2009. Net income also increased to $19.6 million in 2010 from $12 million in 2009.

  Boston Beer Inc. (SAM)

  Boston Beer Inc. is the largest brewer of handcrafted beers in America. Boston Beer is a growing company that recently saw a large increase in its return on assets. It increased from 19.3% in 2010 to 29.7% in 2011, and was negative as recently as 2008. The average return on assets for the beverages industry in the trailing 12 months is 9.47%.

  In 2011, the company�� total assets increased to $272.5 million from $258.5 million in 2010. Net income increased to $66 million from $50 million.

  Alliances Resources Partners (ARLP)

  Alliance Resources Partners is a coal producer and marketer primarily in the eastern U.S. Its ROA has been increasing since 2008 and increased to 22.5% in 2011 from 21.4% in 2010. The average return on assets for the oil, gas & consumable fuels industry in the trailing 12 months is 24.47%.

  In 2011, its total assets increased to $1.7 billion from $1.1 billion in 2010. Its net income increased to $389 million from $321 million.

  Factset Research Systems Inc. (FDS)

  Factset researches global market trends and develops analytical tools for investors. Of all of GuruFocus��5-star predictable companies, it has the highest return on assets at 27%. ROA has been increasing over the past several years. The average return on assets for the software industry for the trailing 12 m

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Nutrisystem have gained 20% to $18.05 at 1:34 p.m., while Weight Watchers (WTW) has risen 3.6% to $39.42. Medifast (MED), however, has dropped 1.9% to $24.94.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for women, men, and children in the United States. It offers a selection of brand name and private label merchandise. The company sells its products through various channels, including Nordstrom full-line stores, off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, Jeffrey? boutiques, treasure & bond, and Last Chance clearance stores; and its online store, nordstrom.com, as well as through catalog. Nordstrom also provides a private label card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards, and a debit card for Nordstrom purchases. The company?s credit and debit cards feature a shopping-based loyalty program. As of September 30, 2011, it operated 222 stores, including 117 full-line stores, 101 Nordstrom Racks, 2 Jeffrey boutiques, 1 treasure & bond store, and 1 clearance store in 30 states. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  They also drove up the share prices of its suppliers and department store rivals. Nordstrom (JWN) and Kohl�� Corp. (KSS ), both reporting Thursday, rose more than 2% each. Its suppliers Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL) and Calvin Klein parent PVH Corp. (PVH) saw their shares up 2% and 4% each.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  While the e-commerce revolution is disrupting many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, there are still some "physical" retailers that continue to show solid growth. Two particularly promising investment opportunities in this vein are Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN  ) and TJX (NYSE: TJX  ) . Both companies are well positioned within their sectors, and see the rise of e-commerce as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. engages in the ownership, operation, and franchise of restaurants in the United States. The company provides quick casual and casual dining services, as well as serves bottled beers, wines, and liquor. As of July 26, 2011, it had 773 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in 45 states in the United States, as well as in Canada. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD  ) has a serious weight problem.

  Sure, the restaurant chain reported strong sales growth again this week. Revenue was up by better than 21%, marking the eighth consecutive quarter where sales rose by 20% or more.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

TrueBlue, Inc. provides temporary blue-collar staffing services in the United States. It supplies on demand general labor to various industries under the Labor Ready brand; skilled labor to manufacturing and logistics industries under the Spartan Staffing brand; and trades people for commercial, industrial, and residential construction, and building and plant maintenance industries under the CLP Resources brand. The company also provides mechanics and technicians to the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerospace manufacturing, and assembly industries, as well as to other transportation industries under the Plane Techs brand; and temporary drivers to the transportation and distribution industries under the Centerline brand. It primarily serves small and medium-size businesses. The company was formerly known as Labor Ready, Inc. and changed its name to TrueBlue, Inc. in December 2007. TrueBlue, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  When looking at small cap stocks, it is useful to compare the company with others that have expanded in both share price and size. For those considering investing in the $100 billion staffing industry, the growth of TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) shows what could be the potential path for Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), as both operate in the $29 billion demand labor sector. Other firms have done well in the staffing industry include Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and ManPower Group (NYSE: MAN).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Crocs Inc.(CROX)

Crocs, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children. The company primarily offers casual and athletic shoes, and shoe charms. It also designs and sells a range of footwear and accessories that utilize its proprietary closed cell-resin, called Croslite. The company?s footwear products include boots, sandals, sneakers, mules, and flats. In addition, it provides footwear products for the hospital, restaurant, hotel, and hospitality markets, as well as general foot care and diabetic-needs markets. Further, the company offers leather and ethylene vinyl acetate based footwear, sandals, and printed apparels principally for the beach, adventure, and action sports markets; and accessories comprising snap-on charms. The company sells its products through the United States and international retailers and distributors, as well as directly to end-user consumers th rough its company-operated retail stores, outlets, kiosks, and Web stores primarily under the Crocs Work, Crocs Rx, Jibbitz, Ocean Minded, and YOU by Crocs brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 164 retail kiosks located in malls and other high foot traffic areas; 138 retail stores; 76 outlet stores; and 46 Web stores. Crocs, Inc. operates in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was formerly known as Western Brands, LLC and changed its name to Crocs, Inc. in January 2005. Crocs, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Niwot, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Crocs (CROX) has dropped 5.5% to $12.93 after it was cut to Neutral from Overweight at Piper Jaffray.

  CF Industries�(CF) has gained 3.6% to $$217.51 after it sold its phosphate business to�Mosaic�(MOS) for $1.4 billion. Mosaic edged up 0.1% to $45.98.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX  ) fit the bill? Let's look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

• [By Matt Brownell]

  AOL When we spoke to Crocs (CROX) CEO John McCarvel back in January, we couldn't help but notice his choice of footwear: He wasn't wearing Crocs. But we couldn't really hold it against him. McCarvel was in town to accept an innovator award from the National Retail Federation, and Crocs didn't really make anything appropriate for the occasion. You can't wear Crocs with a suit, right? Well, that's not entirely true. As it turns out, Crocs now offers a number of shoes that are a bit more on the dressy side. They've got loafers, for instance, which could work at the country club. And for the office they've got the "Tummler" shoe, which combines the molded rubber clogs with a black leather slip-on dress shoe. As the website explains, it's meant to be a "work shoe you can live with." Around the same time we came across the Crocs dress shoe, we also became aware of another product that tries to combine stay-at-home comfort with office-appropriate wear: Dress pants-style sweatpants. These have all the comfort and warmth of a pair of sweatpants, but are designed like a pair of dress slacks, complete with back pockets, belt loops and pinstripes. Together, the Crocs dress shoes and sweatpants dress pants suggest a new paradigm for office wear: Dressy enough to pass muster with your boss, but comfortable enough that you can feel like you're having a pajama day working from home. But could you really pull this off in an office environment? To find out, I got a pair of each, then put them on and headed down to the offices of StyleList, Aol's fashion experts. I modeled my office wear for a panel of three StyleList editors: Ellen Thomas, Logan Sowa and Abby Silverman. Their first reaction was telling -- two of them didn't realize that I'd actually changed into the sweatpants. That, I thought, meant that I could get away with wearing sweatpants without anyone noticing. But on closer inspection, doubts started to emerge. "I don't think I'll ever be inclined to think this is

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI)

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides workers compensation insurance and reinsurance products in the United States. The company?s Workers Compensation Insurance segment provides traditional workers compensation insurance coverage products, including guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies, and alternative market products to employers. This segment distributes its workers? compensation products and services through its independent insurance agents primarily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and Virginia. Its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment offers alternative market workers compensation solutions comprising program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, segregated portfolio cell rental, asset management, and segregated portfolio management services to individual companies, groups, and associations. Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  ProAssurance Corp.(PRA) agreed to acquire Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI) for about $205 million, expanding the insurance company’s casualty insurance offerings. Eastern Insurance is a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation products and services, among other things. ProAssurance plans to pay $24.50 in cash for each outstanding Eastern share, a 16% premium over Monday’s closing price.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  For example, a company involved in a mundane business like running hair salons ��like Regis (RGS), dentist offices ��like Birner Dental (BDMS), grocery stores ��like Village Supermarket (VLGEA), or garbage dumps ��like Waste Management (WM), may be easy to estimate as essentially a no-growth business.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  It can be good, though, with kids, to add a few individual company stocks to the mix, to keep things more interesting. A solid, dividend-paying blue chip such as Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) can be a smart choice, in part because it's relatively easy to understand. It's reliable because garbage collection is likely to be in great demand for a long time, and the company has become a major recycler, too, even generating energy from some waste.

Top 10 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets da Vinci surgical systems for various surgical procedures, including urologic, gynecologic, cardiothoracic, general, and head and neck surgeries. Its da Vinci surgical system consists of a surgeon?s console or consoles, a patient-side cart, a 3-D vision system, and proprietary ?wristed? instruments. The company?s da Vinci surgical system translates the surgeon?s natural hand movements on instrument controls at the console into corresponding micro-movements of instruments positioned inside the patient through small puncture incisions, or ports. It also manufactures a range of EndoWrist instruments, which incorporate wrist joints for natural dexterity for various surgical procedures. Its EndoWrist instruments consist of forceps, scissors, electrocautery, scalpels, and other surgical tools. In addition, it sells various vision and accessory products for use in conjunction with the da Vinci Surgical System as surgical procedures are performed. The company?s accessory products include sterile drapes used to ensure a sterile field during surgery; vision products, such as replacement 3-D stereo endoscopes, camera heads, light guides, and other items. It markets its products through sales representatives in the United States, and through sales representatives and distributors in international markets. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  )
  Most of the time, when a company handily beats expectations for revenue and earnings, its stock gets a pretty nice bump. Such was not the case, however, for Intuitive Surgical, maker of the daVinci Surgical Robotic system.

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) maker of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System and market-leader in technology-assisted surgery, is slated to report earnings after the market closes Thursday. For investors who have suffered through a rough 2013 -- with shares trading down almost 20% since the beginning of the year -- here are three key areas to focus on when earnings are reported.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) will release its quarterly report on Thursday, but don't expect shareholders to be too excited about the report. Shares of the company recently traded at their lowest levels in nearly two years, and with ongoing controversy about the company's da Vinci robotic surgical systems, it's unclear whether Intuitive Surgical earnings can hold up to the pressure the stock is under right now.

• [By Steve Symington and Alison Southwick]

  On the heels of Intuitive Surgical's (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) recent warning about weak capital spending in the U.S., MAKO Surgical (NASDAQ: MAKO  ) investors are worried that their up-and-coming company may not be able to meet its already conservative guidance when it reports earnings later this month.