6 Internet and Web Service Stocks to Buy Now

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This week, six internet and web service stocks are improving their overall ratings on Portfolio Grader. Each of these stocks is rated an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”).

Commtouch Software Ltd () is bumping up its rating from a C (“hold”) to a B (“buy”) this week. Commtouch Software provides messaging, antivirus, and Web security solutions to OEM customers, enterprises, and service providers primarily in Israel, North America, Europe, and Asia. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategory of Sales Growth, CTCH also gets an A. .

IntraLinks Holdings, Inc.’s () ratings are looking better this week, moving up to a B from last week’s C. IntraLinks Holdings provides Software-as-a-Service solutions for managing content, exchanging business information and collaborating within and among organizations. .

Akamai Technologies, Inc. () gets a higher grade this week, advancing from a C last week to a B. Akamai Technologies provides services for accelerating and improving the delivery of content and applications over the Internet. .

OpenTable, Inc. () earns a B this week, jumping up from last week’s grade of C. OpenTable provides free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners through an online booking service. .

This week, Jiayuan.com International Ltd. Sponsored ADR () pushes up from a C to a B rating. Jiayuan. com International is an online Chinese dating company. Shares of the stock have been changing hands at an unusually rapid pace, twice the rate of the week prior. .

Sohu.com, Inc. () boosts its rating from a C to a B this week. Sohu.com is an Internet media company that serves as a daily source of information, communication and entertainment for millions of Chinese consumers. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Forget Dragons' Den: Welcome To The Real World Of Business Angel Investment

Dragons' Den (or Sharks' Tank in the US) is one of the BBC's great success stories, and has certainly played its part in propelling entrepreneurship into the mainstream. But as is so often the case with reality TV, it's worth bearing in mind that any resemblance to real life is tenuous. For Business Angels or Angel Investors – the dragons' real world counterparts – it is their money alone, not their celebrity status, that is at stake.

Angel investment is still a mythical world for most people, and few know what really goes on behind those boardroom doors. According to a report by NESTA, UK business angels make an annual return of 22% from their investments, which outperforms the stock exchange, property or bonds, but how do they do it? Are they lucky? Do they have a very calculated approach? Or do they just follow their gut instincts?  Throughout my career in this industry I have been privy to what really goes on across the UK's Business Angel Networks, and I've witnessed plenty of exciting businesses failing to attract investment due to a lack of understanding about what Business Angels are really looking for.

 

Dragons' Den (Photo credit: dullhunk)

 

Business Angels will look at two distinct areas: the business itself, and the people behind the business. The former is an objective and cold analysis of the investment opportunity being put forward and, importantly, how much the entrepreneur has thought about their own business. The latter is very subjective, and the hardest to get right because it's mostly a matter of the right attitude and chemistry between angel and entrepreneur. One thing entrepreneurs frequently overlook is that although making money is almost always a key decision factor for a Business Angel, it's far from being the only factor that will secure their investment. On top of the financial returns, angels will generally ask themselves the following questions:

1)      "Do I like and trust the team?"

Business Angels are spoilt for choice when it comes to investment opportunities, and they can afford to cherry pick the people they work with. Put yourself in their shoes – if you could choose, wouldn't you go for the people that you like, trust and believe have what it takes to deliver? First impressions matter, but it's rare that Business Angels invest off the back of one meeting alone. They will take the time to figure out whether they want to work with an entrepreneur before committing.

 

2)      "How much fun am I going to have?"

Angels enjoy getting involved with new businesses, usually at a strategic rather than full hands-on level, and are looking to have fun while working with new entrepreneurs to create 'the next big thing'. They love the challenge, and they love to work with quality people who are up to that challenge.

 

3)      "Am I proud to support the vision?"

Angels don't have to invest in companies; they do it out of choice. This means that they'll rarely invest in something they are not proud of supporting. Entrepreneurs with a vision to make the world a better place whilst making money will be more likely to raise finance than those planning to profit from exploiting pensioners, no matter how legitimate the business model might be. I remember talking to one of the investors of MitoDys Therapeutics (a drug-discovery platform with a novel approach for treating Parkinson's disease) and her motivation for investing online was the potential social outcome, followed by the potential return.

 

Over the next few weeks I'll be interviewing some of the UK's most prolific business angels to give Forbes readers a rare insight into their world. Forget everything you think you know about the dragons, and prepare to meet the real people who can make the difference between a successful business, or just a flash in the pan. Follow the journey@goncalotv.

 

Gonçalo de Vasconcelos is the CEO of SyndicateRoom, an equity crowdfunding platform that allows its members to invest in the same deals that top UK Business Angels are investing in. Follow Gonçalo @goncalotv , @syndicateroom or on SyndicateRoom.

Amazon.com is Coming for Your Grocery Store

Amazon.com (AMZN) might be bringing Amazon Fresh to a city near you–and hammering your grocery stock in the process. Deutsche Bank sees tough times for Supervalu (SVU) and Safeway (SWY)  if an when Amazon expands its grocery delivery service beyond its three current test markets, while Kroger (KR) and Whole Foods Markets (WFM) should be able to thrive.

Bloomberg

Deutsche Bank’s Karen Short and team explain:

So, who is most exposed to the Amazon.com competitive threat? To answer this question, we first looked for the U.S. markets that are most structurally economical to an online grocer; that is, markets with: 1) a large population, 2) high population density, and 3) relatively high prices. As identified by Oliver Wyman, the most appealing markets (lowest market share breakeven levels) include NYC (0.3% breakeven share), LA (0.3%), Boston (0.9%), and San Fran (1.0%)…

…we believe the conventional grocers in our universe – namely, Safeway, Supervalu, and SpartanNash (SPTN)—are most at risk from Amazon.com’s expansion. Kroger should fare better due to its very strong price positioning and weighted-average market share positions. In addition, we believe that Kroger may actually end up as a net beneficiary of Amazon.com’s expansion, as grocers with lower market share positions (outside the top 5) are likely to exit/close, leaving more share to top players such as Kroger. The natural/organic specialty players are also better positioned to absorb Amazon.com’s expansion, with Whole Food Markets least at-risk due to its product mix (e.g. prepared foods), differentiated format, strong EBIT margins, and very strong balance sheet.

Morgan Stanley’s Vincent Sinisi says online is “not a major threat to brick and mortar food retailers.” He explains:

Surprisingly, our AlphaWise survey showed that consumers' interest in online ordering (either to be picked-up at store, or delivered to home) is very low…only 12% of consumers surveyed said they would be ‘very likely’ to order groceries online in the next 6 months if the offering were available. This reflects the fact that consumers like to see and choose the food they're purchasing, especially perishables. We believe this dynamic largely insulates traditional food retailers (both conventional like Kroger, and specialty like Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM)) from online competition.

Shares of Amazon.com have gained 0.9% to $327.20 at 3:31 p.m., while Whole Foods Market has risen 0.5% to $39.15, Sprouts Farmers Market has jumped 4.3% to $32.62, Kroger is unchanged at $49.17 and Supervalu is down 1.9% at $7.66.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CBST): Poised To Pop on FDA OK

An approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) usually puts a charge into the stock price of the beneficiary(s) of the thumbs up. On the other hand, the plug can be pulled and the stock price drained on a "No" from the FDA.

Any investors that's been on either side of the FDA equation understands and knows the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." That's why it is important for shareholders and trades to be aware of these crucial, impactful events.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:CBST) is slated to hear from the government agency before the end of June.

Cubist is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for medical needs in the acute care environment in the United States.

[Related -Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CBST): All-Time Highs On The Horizon?]

The FDA has accepted the Company's New Drug Application (NDA) for its investigational antibiotic tedizolid phosphate (TR-701) with Priority Review. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of June 20, 2014. Cubist is seeking FDA approval of tedizolid for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI).

Tedizolid phosphate is an oxazolidinone being developed for both intravenous (I.V.) and oral administration for the treatment of serious Gram-positive infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The NDA submission is based on positive data from two global Phase 3 clinical studies of tedizolid in ABSSSI, which met the primary and secondary endpoints defined by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

[Related -Stock Upgrades And Downgrades: CBST, CCL, CMA, COH, OIS, SF, VFC, WCG]

Gram-positive bacteria include staphylococci ("staph"), streptococci ("strep"), pneumococci, and the bacterium responsible for diphtheria (Cornynebacterium diphtheriae) and anthrax (Bacillus anthracis).

Just from hospital alone, "Each year there are '-37.7 million admissions to acute-care hospitals in the United States; among these, =2.1 million patients (5.7%) develop nosocomial infections," according to paper titles, "Hospital-acquired infections: Diseases with increasingly limited therapies."

That's a fairly big audience for tedizolid.

The stock is positioned to pop if the street likes what it hears on June 20, 2014. As you'll see on the chart below, CBST's stock chart could be drawing a bullish, right angle triangle pattern. That when the top (resistance) is flat and the bottom is an ascending line from left to right.

If/when the stock price pierces the flat top; it usually makes a move equal to the short-side of the right angle – about $10 in this case. If things don't go right, the biotech should catch support at one of three places.

The 50-day average of $67.36 and rising or $65 or $62.50.

Overall: Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:CBST) could offer some considerable upside on a FDA approval with less downside if the support levels outlined above act as safety nets.  It's the sort of relationship that favors the bullish side of the trade. 

Few Believe Gold Can Shine

By Poly

This is a special report from the The Financial Tap, which is dedicated to helping people learn to grow into successful investors by providing cycle research on multiple markets delivered twice weekly. Now offering monthly & quarterly subscriptions with 30 day refund. Promo code ZEN saves 10%. 

Considering that Gold has risen $80 off its low and the precious metals Miners have screamed higher, it's surprising how little bullish cheering we've heard.  My discussion forum, Bull & Bear Talk, is very sensitive to Gold, but has barely seen an uptick in traffic during this move.  In past moves out of Investor Cycle Lows, Bull and Bear Talk has had an immediate surge in traffic and a significant rise in the number of excited posts.

This is just a small sampling of sentiment, but I think it's telling.  We've had a 3 year bear market in Gold that has battered and beaten the bulls into complete submission.  All speculative interest and fond memories of the past bull market have been completely erased.  This lack of interest was evident in the recent 3rd test of the bear market low – the volume and volatility was much lower than during the first two retests.  The bear market has achieved its goal – to clear sentiment on a longer timeframes and lay the foundation for a real change in trend.  The view of Gold and its sentiment on longer timeframes is a picture perfect example of the ebb & flow of Cycles.

The $40 “recognition day” last week was obviously more than enough confirmation to declare a new Daily Cycle (Daily Cycle is 24-28 trading days), but it was powerful enough for declaration of a new Investor Cycle (Investor Cycle is 22-26 Weeks) as well.  This is the development we've patiently waited for.  However, on shorter time frames, Gold has pushed the Daily Cycle into an extremely overbought state, so a $20 or more retracement is possible.

This is only a problem for short term traders; a decision to take a new position now at such overbought levels could mean entering just as the market cools off.  Nobody ever said that trading is easy, and determining when to enter a fast-moving asset is a frequent dilemma.  Getting the trend right is only part of the challenge.  Gold's 1st Daily Cycle typically rallies until day 18-20 before topping, so on day 13 here we're likely to see another push higher before Gold turns down into its 1st Cycle Low.  There is no way of knowing how powerful the remainder of the Cycle will be, but the average 1st Daily Cycle adds 10%.  If that happens this time, Gold will top at around $1,364.

While the prescious metals Miners are looking good, Silver looks potentially explosive.  Traders were caught flat footed and overly short, as is often the case at Investor Cycle Lows.  The current 5% surge has come primarily on short covering, and Silver's massive short position will need to be reversed.  The process of unwinding has only just begun, and it should provide enough fuel for Silver to move closer to the $23 level.

Beyond short covering, speculators will determine where Silver eventually tops.  If price continues to rise, speculators should begin to jump on the bandwagon and it will be interesting to see how far Silver gets pushed in the current Investor Cycle.  From a historical standpoint, it's very common to see Silver rally at least 20% – and typically close to 30% – in any given Investor Cycle.  In some cases, it did so while overbought for almost the entire move.  A similar move now would put Silver near $26, a level that tests former support.

I hope people keep their emotions contained while seeing these potential price projections.  I'm not a believer in picking targets, especially ones 20%-30% above current levels, because doing so can serve to fuel a trader's bias while diverting focus from the price action at hand.  It can also encourage a “can't lose” mentality and a tendency to over-trade or overleverage a move.  This can lead to being whipsawed out of positions and to undue stress even as positions do well.  Trading is more about execution that anything else, and proper timing (Cycles) of the markets is a key to success.

From an Investor Cycle standpoint, we've yet to break the bear market trend-line.  That's OK, because Gold is the slowest in this sector to react and it's only 14 days into what should be a 6 month Cycle.  What a new Investor Cycle shows, however, is the potential ahead – a normal Investor Cycle can add up to 20% in gains before topping out.

From a technical standpoint, the $1,500 area stands out as a potential top for Gold's coming move.  At $1,500, Gold would test a key bear market resistance level and the point where bulls unsuccessfully mounted a defense.  For the investors who trade on the Investor Cycle timeframe, we've finally got the turn and confirmation we've patiently waited for.  All of that said, however, please remember that in investing, there are no guarantees.  I will never stop repeating this phrase.  But with a confirmed new Investor Cycle in play, the odds have dramatically shifted and the bulls should now be calling the action.

The Financial Tap publishes two member reports per week, a weekly premium report and a midweek market update report.  The reports cover the movements and trading opportunities of the Gold, S&P, Oil, $USD, and US Bond Cycles.  Along with these reports, members enjoy access to two different portfolios and trade alerts.  Both portfolios trade on varying timeframes (from days, weeks, to months), there is a portfolio to suit all member preferences.

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Commodities Previews Markets Trading Ideas

Originally posted here...

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Can this bank lift 80,000 out of poverty?

Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, cuts the ribbon at the U.S. Training Institute's opening. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) $1,500 can go a long way for aspiring entrepreneurs. And it's about to be easier for women to get this cash.

The Grameen Bank made its name by offering loans of $1,500 to impoverished female entrepreneurs in the developing world. In 2008, it expanded its program to the United States.

In the last six years, more than 28,000 women have received micro loans from Grameen America totaling over $150 million. Last week, the organization officially opened the doors of its first U.S. training institute in Queens, N.Y., which it will use to reach even more women across the country.

In partnership with Capital One (COF), the Robin Hood Foundation and Citibank (C), the new center will act as a training school for loan officers, who are crucial to Grameen's strategy of empowering female entrepreneurs.

The organization takes a peer-group lending approach: Groups of five women band together and work with a loan officer or "center manager" at one of Grameen America's 18 branches. Center managers, who are full-time salaried employees, give women financial training to open bank accounts (for many, it's their first), establish credit and launch businesses.

Loan officers are the gateway to capital and play a "critical, pivotal role," according to Grameen America CEO Andrea Jung.

"Part of scaling nationally is embedding best practices to our loan officers," she said.

There are already over 110 Grameen loan officers in the U.S., and Jung expects the new training center to add 200 men and women to the roster in the next year. Center managers will be trained at the new center and then will return to their local branches around the country. Each manager can help an estimated 400 women get their small businesses off the ground per year.

All women who receive micro loans from Grameen are living below the poverty line, and many are single moms working dead-end or unsustainable jobs. The new institute could help as many as 80,000 women a year launch their own small businesses and improve their financial situation.

  Jack Dorsey wants to ! give you money

The center had a soft launch earlier this year, and 70 people already went through the training, including Mercedes Martinez.

Originally from Puerto Rico but now living in the Bronx, Martinez received $1,500 in loan from Grameen America in January 2014. A new mom, she wasn't working when a neighbor told her about the program and suggested she start a business selling jewelery. Martinez, who had previously worked as a cashier in the jewelry business, opted to buy jewelry on Canal St. with her initial loan.

"I wasn't good at money management," explained Martinez. "Through Grameen, I learned you have to save and make your money grow."

Martinez paid off her loan in March. Changed by the foundation and its mission, she completed the one-month training -- which combines classroom-style learning with shadowing Grameen America loan officers -- and is now a loan officer at the Manhattan branch of Grameen.

The fact that the training center is located in Queens, where the first of Grameen America's 18 branches opened, is no coincidence, according to Jung.

Franklin Mora, deputy director of Queens Economic Development Corporation, said his organization refers women to the Queens branch.

"The model works really well with local communities," Mora said. "As a whole, the borough could really benefit from more organizations like Grameen America to help support small businesses."

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Preaches Collaboration and Other News (INTC & NVDA)

Chip stock Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) has been busy announcing new partnerships along with other news as the company continues to compete with or differentiate itself from Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA). I should note that recently had an open position in Advanced Micro Devices in our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio from roughly last summer up until late January when we locked in a small loss. Because the SCN EO is a trading rather than a buy and hold portfolio, we decided to get out when shares sank once more after AMD issued an earnings report – a repeat of the performance that occured after three previous earnings reports. However and if you are an investor or trader with a longer term horizon, you might want to consider the following news about AMD:

New Gaming Partnerships and Collaborations. Late last week, Advanced Micro Devices announced three new game developer partnerships with Rebellion Developments, Square Enix® and Xaviant in order to optimize PC games to make them look and run better for every gamer on AMD hardware plus the company announced another partnership with German video game developer Crytek to add native Mantle graphics API support to CRYENGINE®. Matt Skynner, the Corporate VP and GM of AMD's Graphics Business Unit, recently had a lengthy chat with a Forbes Contributor by first "preaching a message of open collaboration as opposed to competitor Nvidia"with the writer commenting: "How widely adopted Mantle becomes following this partnership is just speculation, but it's a bright spot for a technology still in its infancy." When asked about the appeal of Mantle to developers, Skynner commented:

"I think you're seeing it. Guys like Crytek, DICE, Oxide, seeing the value and supporting it. The names associated with Mantle tell the story. As general manager for AMD's graphics I'm pretty damn happy!"

Ascendiant Capital Initiates Coverage. Analyst Cody G. Acree from Ascendiant Capital has initiated coverage of AMD with a "buy" rating and a price target of $5. Acree wrote:

"While we are not expecting any singular dramatic near-term catalyst, we do see the company working through a methodic restructuring and repositioning that has already reduced spending and earned significant wins that are driving growth at Sony (SNE), Microsoft  (MSFT), Verizon  (VZ), Apple  (AAPL) and others."

Acree noted that AMD's restructuring reduced headcount by 15% and lowered operating expenses by 26% plus he believes the company's new APU chips can help it "regain a moderate share" of the consumer PC market. On the other hand, Acree commented that he does not expect "any singular dramatic near-term catalyst."

The Next Earnings Report. Advanced Micro Devices is scheduled to next report earnings for the fiscal first quarter ending March 29, on Thursday, April 17, after the market closes. There will be an audio webcast of the teleconference over the Internet on the company's website at ir.amd.com.

Share Performance. Advanced Micro Devices is up 5.2% since the start of the year, up 59.4% over the past year and up 51.7% over the past five years while here is a look at its long term performance verses that of Intel Corporation and NVIDIA Corporation:

Finally, here is a look at the latest technical charts for all three chip stocks:

 

SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) had an open position in AMD. To find out what other open positions SCN EO currently has, and to learn why so many traders and investors are relying on this premium subscription service, click here to find out more.

CFP Board Announces First AACSB-Accredited Ph.D. Program

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards announced Thursday its first AACSB-accredited doctoral program for financial planners available through Louisiana State University E. J. Ourso College of Business.

The University’s finance department is offering a Ph.D. in business administration with a specialization in financial planning, the Board announced on its business update webcast.

Since Texas Tech launched its Ph.D. program in financial planning about 14 years ago, also with the backing of the CFP Board, other doctoral studies for financial advisors have sprung up. But the Louisiana State program is the first CFP Board-registered doctoral program that is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Ray Ferrara, chair of CFP Board’s Board of Directors, said on the call that those CFPs interested can start registering now. “The program is going to be very rigorous because you’d get the Ph.D. in business with an emphasis on financial planning,” he said.

There are currently 225 colleges and universities offering CFP Board-registered programs with more than 120 of those offering financial planning baccalaureate programs.

The Board also announced two other new initiatives that it says are designed to bolster the academic underpinnings of financial planning as a profession, as well as provide new opportunities for research and teaching and to enhance the quality of financial advice to the public.

CFP Board is now exploring the creation of a center that would serve as a credible source of research that advances the financial planning professional in three areas: Influencing and supporting academic research dedicated to helping financial planners better serve the public; supporting diversity within the profession; and building capacity for the next generation of competent and ethical financial planners to meet public demand.

As of the end of February, there were 69,440 CFP certificants; 23% are female, and 70% are age 40 to 70. California has the largest number (7,890) of CFPs, with Florida coming in second at 4,725 and Texas third with 4,689.

CFP Board wants to boost the number of CFPs to 81,000 in the next five years, with a focus on ensuring that many of those new CFPs are female.

The third initiative is a collaboration between John Wiley & Sons and CFP Board on a peer-reviewed academic journal focused exclusively on financial planning. CFP Board says it will be creating “an academic home for those faculty who are teaching and conducting research in financial planning.” The journal will be available free to all CFP professionals.

“Along with our partners in the academic community, CFP Board is focused on providing rigorous research and publication opportunities, which will only elevate the certification, the profession and ultimately benefit the public,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller.

Ty Burrell freaks bystanders by driving 'Muppets'…

Actor Ty Burrell likes to joke about his career's "greatest acting challenge" -- squeezing into a tiny Muppet mini in the new movie, Muppets Most Wanted.

He puts it on par with Robert De Niro putting on 60 pounds for his role in Raging Bull.

But Burrell, best known for his role the TV sitcom Modern Family, achieved the seeming impossible, even fitting in the mobile with a large Muppet, Sam the Eagle.

The Muppets are already fresh in viewers minds from their stint in Toyota's Super Bowl commercial. And Burrell says he loved cruising in the mini-mini, once he got inside, which was a fully functional car with its golf cart engine.

"We actually took it into the street," says Burrell, discussing working on the London shoot. "There was always someone walking by who was genuinely freaked out. I loved doing that every time. People thought it was an actual mini."

Getting into the contraption, however, was a bit of a bear even by European small car standards.

When Burrell stepped onto the Muppets soundstage for his first day of work, he saw one of the crew testing it out and it looked painful. But Burrell is a slave to his comedic art.

"Nothing beats a great sight gag," says Burrell. "I laughed so hard when I saw it. I couldn't wait to get inside of it."

Burrell did bang himself pulling his limbs inside and crunching into the car with his Muppet co-star Sam the Eagle, who plays a CIA agent.

"I still have the bruises," says Burrell. "I wear them like a badge of honor. I practiced so many times getting in and out of that thing smoothly."

Actually the whole Muppets Most Wanted (opening March 21) experience was a surreal trip. It took a few days for Burrell to direct his acting to Sam the Eagle and not look at th! e puppeteer working beneath.

Even the specially built stage was made for the famous foam creations, with the stage built four feet above the ground to allow the puppeteers full freedom to walk about below.

"There is an inherent level of absurdity on these sets every time you go to work," says Burrell.

Dov Charney’s Out, American Apparel Rallies … and APP Stock’s Still a Bad Joke

Popular Posts: Don't Tread on Me – 3 Great All-American Dividend Stocks to Buy3 Things That Could Get Amazon Stock Popping AgainThe Top 10 S&P 500 Dividend Stocks for June Recent Posts: Dov Charney’s Out, American Apparel Rallies … and APP Stock’s Still a Bad Joke Who Needs the World? FedEx Stock Looking Up on Its Own Adobe Stock Hits Record Territory, But New Money Should Stay Away View All Posts Dov Charney’s Out, American Apparel Rallies … and APP Stock’s Still a Bad Joke

American Apparel (APP) stock soared Thursday before settling down at mid-single-digit gains after the company’s board moved to fire founder Dov Charney as chairman and CEO — but that still doesn’t make shares in the racy retail chain and soft-core pornographer a buy.

True, APP stock jumped as much as 22% soon after the opening bell, but we’re talking about a penny stock here. Even after that eye-popping move, American Apparel stock topped out at only 78 cents a share.

And although American Apparel’s market cap might have ballooned on the news, it still stands at only about $120 million.

Face it: The only reason this microcap is on anyone’s radar is because of Dov Charney and his long history of bad behavior.

The amazing thing is that Dov Charney lasted this long. Quartz summed it up best with a list of the five things Dov Charney didn’t get fired for. It’s both hilarious and stunning:

“Hiring illegal immigrants to work in its US factory. Allegedly sexually harassing and assaulting numerous female employees, resulting in a slew of lawsuits. (Most of these were settled without costing the company any money. Trying to choke a male employee and throwing dirt at him. Running a company that hasn't made an annual profit since 2009. Running a company whose stock has rarely traded over $2 since April of 2013.”

It’s that last item on the list that makes APP stock a no-go area. Even after Thursday’s action, American Apparel stock is off 44% for the year-to-date, and there’s no standard time frame you can chart that makes it a winner. Here are some examples of the carnage in American Apparel stock:

Last 52 weeks: -66% Last three years: -20% Last five years: -79% Last 10 years: -91% American Apparel Stock: Why?

American Apparel stock is an ugly joke and has been one since, oh, the end of 2007. But — hey — that just accurately reflects American Apparel’s bottom-line performance.

APP hasn’t booked a full-year net profit since 2009. Even then it reported net income of just $1.1 million on $558.8 million in revenue, giving it a net profit margin of … 0.2%. Over the same span, revenue grew to $634 million — or a whopping 13% in four fiscal years.

It gets better: American Apparel warned that it will be in talks with its lenders for a waiver, since ousting the CEO/chairman could trigger a default under the terms of its credit agreements.

That’s never good news, especially for a company with a balance sheet as skanky as American Apparel’s. At the end of the March quarter, American Apparel had total assets of $332 million and total liabilities of $385 million, negative free cash flow, and negative book value.

If it weren’t for Dov Charney’s scandalous behavior and American Apparel’s soft-core image, no one would care about this stock.

And that creates a truly ironic situation: The end of Dov Charney’s embarrassing reign of error could actually be the move that buries American Apparel once and for all.

As of this writing, Dan Burrows did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Surge; AutoZone Posts Rise In Profit

Related BZSUM Market Wrap For March 4: Bulls Take Over As Ukraine Fears Dissipate Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets Rally on Easing Ukraine Tensions as Dendreon Pulls Back

Following the market opening Tuesday, the Dow traded up 1.10 percent to 16,345.41 while the NASDAQ surged 1.46 percent to 4,339.62. The S&P also rose, gaining 1.17 percent to 1,867.30.

Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Tuesday, industrials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.61 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) and Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL).

Utilities sector gained 0.78 percent in the US market today. Among the utilities stocks, Huaneng Power International (NYSE: HNP) was down more than 1.4 percent, while UIL Holdings (NYSE: UIL) tumbled around 0.7 percent.

Top Headline
AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) reported a gain in its fiscal second-quarter profit. AutoZone's quarterly profit surged to $192.8 million, or $5.63 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $176.2 million, or $4.78 per share. Its net sales rose to $1.99 billion versus $1.86 billion. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $5.57 per share on sales of $1.98 billion. AutoZone's US same-store sales jumped 4.3% in the quarter.

Equities Trading UP
Vipshop Holdings (NYSE: VIPS) shot up 37.53 percent to $175.71 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued a strong revenue forecast for the first quarter.

Shares of Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) got a boost, shooting up 4.54 percent to $15.42 after the company posted a profit in the fourth quarter.

MBIA (NYSE: MBI) was also up, gaining 8.18 percent to $14.41 after the company reported upbeat Q4 earnings.

Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of McDermott International (NYSE: MDR) were down 6.97 percent to $7.55 after the company reported a Q4 loss of $1.37 per share on revenue of $517.3 million. It also withdrew its previous outlook. Capital One Financial downgraded the stock from Equalweight to Underweight and cut the price target from $8.00 to $6.00.

Ascena Retail Group (NASDAQ: ASNA) shares tumbled 5.83 percent to $17.77 after the company reported Q2 results. Ascena Retail expected FY14 earnings of $1.00 to 1.05 per share.

WebMD Health (NASDAQ: WBMD) was down, falling 3.65 percent to $41.75 after Stifel Nicolaus downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold and removed the target price of $55.

Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded down 1.21 percent to $103.65, while gold traded down 1.23 percent to $1,333.70. Silver traded down 1.75 percent Tuesday to $21.11, while copper rose 0.66 percent to $3.19.

Eurozone
European shares were higher today.

The Spanish Ibex Index rose 1.89 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index surged 2.88 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX jumped 2.31 percent and the French CAC 40 rose 2.33 percent while U.K. shares climbed 1.51 percent.

Economics
The ICSC-Goldman same-store sales index climbed 0.3% in the week ended Saturday versus the earlier week.

The Treasury is set to auction 4-and 52-week bills.

Posted-In: Earnings News Guidance Eurozone Futures Forex Global Econ #s Economics Intraday Update Markets Movers Tech

(c) 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Fire heats up under Finra's Brokercheck link proposal

Major brokerage firms and industry trade groups have reiterated their objections to a controversial Finra proposal that would require links to a public database of brokers' records in the firms' online marketing materials.

At the close of a public comment period on Monday, such firms as Wells Fargo Advisors and Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., and trade groups such as the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association all filed comment letters adding fresh critiques to the controversial proposal.

The proposal would require brokers to place a link on social media and other public sites to Finra's BrokerCheck database of advisers' disciplinary records and employment history.

“Wells Fargo Advisors applauds Finra for seeking to enhance investor protection, but urges Finra to balance the potential benefits derived from making BrokerCheck more accessible to investors with the burdens imposed on member firms to comply,” wrote Robert McCarthy, director of Regulatory Policy for Wells Fargo Advisors.

It's the second time that Finra has floated the proposal, which seeks to raise investors' awareness of the database. The latest proposal was modified to exclude objectionable requirements, including one that would have required firms to post “deep linksR

Economic Growth in January Suggests Continued Expansion

Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Conference Board says economic growth in January was held back by severe winter weather in many parts of the U.S. WASHINGTON -- A measure of the U.S. economy's health posted a moderate gain in January, suggesting that the economy will continue to expand in the first half of this year. The Conference Board reported Thursday that its index of leading indicators rose 0.3 percent last month following no change in December and a solid 0.9 percent increase in November. The index is designed to signal economic conditions over the next three to six months. Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein said the January advance reflects an economy that is expanding moderately. But he said growth was held back over the past two months by severe winter weather in many parts of the country. "If the economy is going to move on to a faster track in 2014 compared to last year, consumer demand and especially investment will need to pick up significantly from their current trends," Goldstein said. The advance in January was aided by fewer applications for unemployment benefits and strength in financial indicators. This strength offset weakness from a decrease in applications for building permits and fewer hours worked in manufacturing.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015

NEW YORK ��How will we watch TV in five years?

It's an apropos question fresh off the International CES trade show in Las Vegas, where lust-worthy Ultra High-Definition 4K televisions were ubiquitous. CES is also where I moderated a panel on that very topic, with top TV executives from Starz, Twitter and Verizon.

The question goes beyond the physical TV that will anchor your home theater. It touches on how you'll find what to watch, how you'll pay to watch it, and how and where it will be delivered. The broadband pipe will be faster. Your social networks will remain major influences. And you can expect the usual mix of pricey-to-produce glitz and popular series, cheaper homegrown-type videos and everything in between ��including, of course, live news and sports.

TV TECH: These Vizio sets could soon be the most advanced on the market

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Nexans SA (NEX)

Nexans SA is a French company engaged in the cable industry. It provides copper and fiber-optic cables and cabling systems to the Energy Infrastructure, Industry, Building and Local Area Network (LAN) markets. It operates under three segments: Energy, Telecom and Electrical Wires and has six main product lines: indoor cabling, which includes rugged industrial, fire-performance and standard domestic cables; industrial cabling, which comprises a variety of cables for the automotive, aerospace and defense industries, among others; power network cabling, which offers low, medium and high-voltage cables; telecom network cabling that includes a range of copper and optical fiber cables and associated interconnect solutions and cable maker supply, which includes the provision of conductors and superconductive materials for making cables. The LAN Segment provides cables for business networks and offers integrated solutions combining cables, connectors, administration and security. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Bloomberg via Getty Images William 'Bill' Ackman founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management (left) Daniel Loeb, founder and CEO of Third Point: Two activist investors taking big positions in large public companies and demand even bigger changes. Is activist investing a force for good when it comes to shareholders? Recent events, namely the Bill Ackman-J.C. Penney (JCP) debacle, have left investors and analysts tired of the outspoken hedge-funders of the world. There are, of course, plenty of activists whose actions have enhanced not just their funds' portfolios, but those of passive, minority shareholders. They've forced companies to make positive changes -- to restructure, elect new board members, and get back on track toward healthier operations. Then again, others end up like J.C. Penney -- a seemingly lost business, rich with legacy yet left crippled by boardroom drama. That leaves us -- the average consumers and investors -- with a pressing question: Are these megaphoned power players trying to effect change that will benefit all, the company included? Or are they just after results that will juice their own returns? The Age of Activism While many activist investors consider themselves to be molded in the image of a certain Omaha-based super-investor, many of today's hedge fund superstars have taken a very different approach to the craft of identifying mispriced securities. Like the old guard -- raiders like Carl Icahn and Nelson Peltz -- young guns such as Daniel Loeb and Bill Ackman take substantial positions in large public companies and demand change in an approach that is about as far from Warren Buffett's investor behavior as one can get. Their style can be best described as personality-driven activism. The practice is on the rise, too. According to FactSet, 2012 saw 21 activist campaigns in companies with market caps larger than $1 billion. In 2010, the number was 11. In 2003, there were four. While some passive shareholders may

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Newpark Resources Inc (NR)

Newpark Resources, Inc., incorporated on June 3, 1988, is a diversified oil and gas supplier providing products and services primarily to the oil and gases exploration (E&P) industry. The Company operates in three segments: fluids systems and engineering, mats and integrated services, and environmental services. The Company's Fluids Systems and Engineering segment provides customized drilling fluids solutions to E&P customers globally, operating through four geographic regions: North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America, and Asia Pacific. The Company's Mats and Integrated Services segment provides composite mat rentals, well site construction and related site services to oil and gas customers at well, production, transportation and refinery locations in the United States. The Company's Environmental Services segment processes and disposes of waste generated by E&P and industrial activity, primarily along the United States Gulf Coast. On December 31, 2012, it acquired operations of Alliance Drilling Fluids, LLC

Fluids Systems and Engineering

The Company's Fluids Systems and Engineering business offers customized solutions, including technical drilling projects involving complex subsurface conditions, such as horizontal, directional, geologically deep or deep water drilling. These projects require increased monitoring and critical engineering support of the fluids system during the drilling process. The Company provides drilling fluids products and technical services to markets in North America, EMEA, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region. The Company also provides completion services and equipment rental to customers in Oklahoma and Texas. The Company has industrial mineral grinding operations for barite. The Company grinds barite and other industrial minerals at facilities in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, New Iberia, Louisiana and Dyersburg, Tennessee. The Company uses the resulting products in its drilling fluids business, and also sell! s them to third party users, including other drilling fluids companies. The Company also sells a variety of other minerals, principally to third party industrial (non oil and gas) markets, from its main plant in Houston, Texas and from the plant in Dyersburg, Tennessee.

Mats and Integrated Services

The Company provides mat rentals, location construction and related well sites services to E&P customers in the Northeast United States, onshore United States Gulf Coast, and Rocky Mountain regions, and mat rentals to the petrochemical industry in the United States and the utility industry in the United Kingdom. These mats provide environmental protection and ensure all-weather access to sites with unstable soil conditions. The Company manufactures its DuraBase Advanced Composite Mats for sales, as well as for uses in its domestic and international rental operations. The Company's marketing efforts for this product remain focused in principal oil and gas industry markets which include the Asia Pacific, Latin America, EMEA, as well as markets outside the E&P sector in the United States and Europe.

Environmental Services

The Company processes and disposes of waste generated by its oil and gas customers. Primary revenue sources include onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico drilling waste management, as well as reclamation services. Additionally, the Company provides disposal services in the West Texas market. The Company operates six receiving and transfers facilities located along the United States Gulf Coast. E&P waste is collected at the transfer facilities from drilling and production operations located offshore, onshore and within inland waters. Waste is accumulated at the transfer facilities and moved by barge through the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to the Company's processing and transfer facility at Port Arthur, Texas, and, if not recycled, is trucked to injection disposal facilities. Any remaining material is injected, after further processing, into envir! onmentall! y secure geologic formations. Under permits from Texas state regulatory agencies, the Company operates waste disposal facilities in Jefferson County, Texas (Fannett and Big Hill). The Fannett site is the Company's primary facility for disposing of E&P waste. Utilizing this same technology, the Company also receives and disposes of non-hazardous industrial waste at the Big Hill facility, principally from generators in the United States Gulf Coast market, including refiners, manufacturers, service companies and industrial municipalities that produce waste. These non-hazardous waste streams are injected into a separate well utilizing the same low-pressure injection technology. The Company also disposes of non-hazardous industrial waste.

The Company competes with Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of energy service provider Newpark Resources (NYSE: NR  ) jumped 17% today after the company released earnings.

  So what: Revenue was up 7.7%, to $283 million in the first quarter, and net income jumped 11.1%, to $17.4 million, or $0.18 per share. Analysts only expected $278 million in revenue, and earnings of $0.17 per share, and the slight beat was enough to send shares higher. It didn't hurt that the report was accompanied by a $50 million share repurchase plan, which indicates that management is bullish on the company's long-term future.�

Top Promising Companies To Buy Right Now: Tencent Holdings Ltd (TCEHY.PK)

Tencent Holdings Limited is an investment holding company. The Company and its subsidiaries are principally engaged in the provision of Internet value-added services, mobile and telecommunications value-added services and online advertising services to users in the People�� Republic of China. The Company operates in four segments: Internet value-added services, Mobile and telecommunications value-added services, Online advertising, and Others. As of December 31, 2011, its subsidiaries included Tencent Cyber (Tianjin) Company Limited, Tencent Asset Management Limited, Tencent Technology (Beijing) Company Limited, Tencent Cyber (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Tencent Technology (Shanghai) Company Limited and others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shareholders Unite]

  The main on-line competitors are:

  Qunar.com, a travel website owned by Baidu (BIDU) and a few venture fundseLong (LONG), backed by Tencent (TCEHY.PK) and Expedia (EXPE). Analyst expect it to generate $163M in revenue next year

  That is pretty serious competition, needless to say. Having the backing of Baidu or Expedia offers several advantages, but Ctrip is the biggest and most established company. It's quite difficult to compare Qunar.com to Ctrip, for the simple sake that Qunar is a private company. However, there can be little doubt that it constitutes serious competition:

• [By Matthew Smith]

  Shares in Sohu.com (SOHU) continued their rapid rise, hitting yet another fresh 52-week high during the session, as the company announced the special dividend from Sohou yesterday (press release located here). Sohu.com will receive nearly $161.2 million in the transaction which is part of the overall $400 million deal with Tencent (TCEHY.PK) which was announced not too long ago. These are exciting times in the internet space as we move from computers to mobile devices, but China's internet landscape looks like the 'Wild West' right now and we expect to see further deals as companies jockey for position in their respective niches and consolidation begins as the larger players look to step up growth and gain exposure to new business segments.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Affymax Inc.(AFFY)

Affymax, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of drugs for the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions. It develops peginesatide (Hematide), which has completed Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure. Hematide is a synthetic peptide-based erythropoiesis stimulating agent designed to stimulate production of red blood cells. The company has strategic alliance agreements with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Nektar Therapeutics AL, Corporation to develop and commercialize Hematide. Affymax, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is based in Palo Alto, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kanak Kanti De]

  Amgen needed an Onyx-like acquisition badly. For one, sales of Aranesp and Epogen, its flagship drugs for anemia, are dropping on concerns of safety, and loss of monopoly in 2012 to Affymax (AFFY), which received FDA approval for a rival anemia drug. (Note though, that after Omontys was recalled this year, that problem is resolved for Amgen.) Secondly, four of its top selling products go off patent in 2015.

• [By Alpha Exposure]

  Investors in Affymax (AFFY) would like you to believe that Omontys will make a miraculous comeback and that Affymax will be a major winner. My belief is that the last AFFY article contained multiple factual errors that when refuted show that the future for Omontys is in fact dire. At the conclusion of this article all doubt should be removed regarding the low likelihood that Omontys returns to market.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: DUSA Pharmaceuticals Inc.(DUSA)

DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a vertically integrated dermatology company, develops and markets Levulan photodynamic therapy (PDT) and other products for common skin conditions primarily in the United States, Canada, and Korea. Its products include Levulan Kerastick 20% Topical Solution with PDT and the BLU-U brand light source for the treatment of non-hyperkeratotic actinic keratoses of the face or scalp. The company also markets the BLU-U without Levulan for the treatment of moderate inflammatory acne vulgaris and general dermatological conditions; and non-PDT drug products, such as ClindaReach and AVAR products. DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(r) (Nasdaq:DUSA), a dermatology company that is developing and marketing Levulan(r) Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), reported that Bob Doman, President and Chief Executive Officer, will present a corporate overview at the Rodman & Renshaw 14th Annual Healthcare Conference on Monday, September 10, 2012 at 11:15 a.m. ET at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH)

Beazer Homes USA, Inc. designs, builds, and sells single-family and multi-family homes. The company offers homes for entry-level, move-up, or retirement-oriented buyers. It also engages in rental of previously owned homes that are purchased and improved by the company. The company sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers. It operates in 16 states, including Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jacob Roche]

  Sherwin-Williams, along with some other home-improvement stocks, benefits from being part of that rare breed of stocks that do well when times are good, and still do well when times are bad. If the housing market is good, new homes get built en masse, and those homes need to be painted and floored. Hence, with U.S. housing starts up nearly 90% over the past couple of years, homebuilders KB Homes (NYSE: KBH  ) and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) have seen revenues finally starting to recover, and companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) are being pulled along for the ride.

• [By Sean Williams]

  While this is good news from the perspective that the Fed thinks the market is strong enough to move forward without any additional stimulus, it's terrible news for the housing sector, which has relied on low lending rates to drive loans. It's no surprise that last week was the worst one we've witnessed in the housing sector in more than a year -- especially for homebuilders still on the shakiest of ground, like Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) . Beazer, which is still losing money on an annualized basis, fell 10% on the week, despite seeing its revenue surge 50% in its most recent quarter.

• [By Federico Zaldua]

  Beazer Homes USA (BZH), the diversified home-builder which is held by Mario Gabelli from GAMCO Investors, is my top play among single-family and multi-family home builders. While I believe higher interest rates should slow the pace of margin expansion for Beazer, I also believe higher top line growth will more than compensate interest rate effects on net earnings. As a matter of fact, I think gross margins are going to go north of 17.5% by the end of 2014 while top-line should keep on growing at a rate of 25%.

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Agent155 Media Corp (AGMC)

Agent155 Media Corp., formerly Freshwater Technologies Inc., incorporated on December 10, 1999, is a development-stage company. It will offer a free, online presence for the global artistic and athletic communities through its Website, Agent155.com. Agent155.com provides fashion, performer, art, sports, music, film, writer professionals and amateurs a multi-media content management solution, enabling a collaborative forum to network and develop through www.agent155.com. It also provides talent agencies, agents, producers, directors, and recording companies a location to search and view the profiles. It also re-distributes member content through traditional media channels, such as television, radio, film and print. It will produce films, music tours, commercials, and various events using talent from Agent155.com.directors, and recording companies a location to search and view the profiles and work of talent. In addition, the Company will provide targeted advertising opportunities for members and businesses.

Agent155 Media Corp fulfills the role of a matchmaker allowing talented individuals direct access to those who seek specific talents. Agent155 Media Corp provides talent agencies, agents, producers, directors and recording companies a location to search and view pool of profiles and work of talent.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Profitable Developments Inc (OTCMKTS: PRDL), Dynamic Applications Corp (OTCMKTS: DYAP) and Agent155 Media Corp (OTCMKTS: AGMC) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters. One of these small caps has been getting attention thanks to paid promotions while another saw a trading volume spike for the first three days of last week and the last one has seen a steady rise in share price over October. So what�� going on with these small cap stocks? Here is a quick reality check to help you decide how hot they might be or become:

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI)

iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the intermediate-term sector of the United States Treasury market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 3-7 Year U.S. Treasury Index (the Index). The Index includes all publicly issued the United States Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to three years and less than seven years, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in United States dollars, and must be fixed-rate and non-convertible securities. Excluded from the Index are certain special issues, such as flower bonds, targeted investor notes, and state and local government series bonds, and coupon issues that have been stripped from assets that are already included in the Index.

The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Donald van Deventer]

  Shorter-duration Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds: (SHY), (SHV), (IEI), (BIL), (TUZ), (FIVZ), (DTUL), (VGSH), (DTUS), (DFVS), (DFVL), (SST), (ISTB), (TBZ).

Best Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Kleangas Energy Technologies Inc (KGET)

Kleangas Energy Technologies, Inc., incorporated on January 7, 2008, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in designing, manufacturing and selling oxy-hydrogen systems. These systems function by creating oxygen and hydrogen from distilled water through electrolysis and injecting these gases into the mixture of fuel and air used in gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines. In August 2013, the Company acquired a Patent Pending Oxy-Hydrogen Generator Technology for all types of gas and diesel internal combustion engines. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Green Day Technologies, Inc.

The Company designs, develops and markets a range of technologies, including oxy-hydrogen on-demand generators, reverse fuel cells, hydrogen powered devices, welding and cutting systems and other products to deliver a clean gas. The Company�� technology can separate these two basic life giving elements or recombine them into a clean source of gas that can be implemented in a wide variety of applications

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap green stocks Vision Industries Corp (OTCMKTS: VIIC), Bravo Enterprises Ltd (OTCMKTS: OGNG) and Kleangas Energy Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: KGET) have reported recent news and/or they are being promoted. Of course, it goes without saying that small cap green stocks tend to be more volatile that other types of investments. So will investors and traders alike see some greenbacks from these green stocks? Here is a quick reality check:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap green stocks Essential Innovations Technology Corp (OTCBB: ESIV), Building Turbines Inc (OTCMKTS: BLDW) and Kleangas Energy Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: KGET) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters ��either because they were sinking, because of paid promotions or a combination of both. However, there aren�� many green stocks out there that have actually produced some green for investors in the form of profits. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three green small cap stocks to help you decide whether any have the potential for long-term success:

The 4 Stocks That Dominated the Market on Wednesday

February 12, 2014: Markets opened higher on Wednesday, but not by much. A report on a big jump in China's trade balance from earlier in the day may or may not have been accurate, but there was little other economic data out today. In the final minutes of trading the DJIA was down 0.21%, the S&P 500 was down 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.19%.

Today's big gainer among the Dow 30 stocks was Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT). Shares were trading up 1.29% at $96.19 in a 52-week range of $79.49 to $97.50 shortly before the closing bell. Smaller rival Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) posted better than expected results this morning and that is likely the cause for Cat's rising stock price. Volume today was about equal to the daily average of around 5.8 million shares.

Consumer products giant The Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) said this morning that said it would take a one-time charge of $230 to $280 million related to devaluation of Venezuela's currency. Shares traded down 1.76% at $77.45 in a 52-week range of $73.61 to $85.82. Trading volume was about 6% higher than the daily average of nearly 9 million shares traded.

S&P 500 stock Lorillard Inc. (NYSE: LO) had dropped 4.84% shortly before today's close at $47.51, in a 52-week range of $37.95 to $53.27. The tobacco company missed estimates for the fourth quarter and the full year this morning. Share volume was more than triple the daily average of around 3 million shares traded.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) traded down 3.62% at $348.69 today after losing its Buy rating at UBS. A threatened increase to the cost of Amazon Prime could significantly reduce the number of subscribers to the service. UBS lowered its price target on the stock from $450 to $375. Amazon's 52-week range is $245.75 to $408.06. Volume was about 67% above the daily average of around 3.3 million shares.

Of the Dow 30 stocks 14 closed lower today while 16 closed higher.

7 Ways to Celebrate the Olympics Stateside

SAN DIEGO (TheStreet) -- So you've got Olympic fever but don't have a ticket to Sochi?

All is not lost.

For those who can't be in the front row in Russia for the snowboarding, slopestyle or figure skating there are plenty of activities taking place across the U.S. during the next few weeks letting you celebrate the Olympics in high style. From coast to coast, hotels, restaurants, resorts and bars are offering their own quirky and luxurious ways to take part in Olympic-themed fun. Whether it's curling, eating a deluxe Russian meal or sipping a pricey Russian-inspired drink, there's something for almost everyone. Let Winter Games (and stateside festivities) begin. "Gold Medal" Luxury Olympic Adventure Package, Hyatt Escala Lodge, Park City, Utah For athletic types, the Hyatt Escala Lodge has created a Gold Medal package that includes pampering, participating in winter sports and even professional training. The three-night getaway includes such things as sports massages for two, lift tickets at Canyons Resort, a heli-skiing experience, one-day passes to Olympic Legacy Park to train with the pros and an Olympian buffet breakfast each morning. All of this sporty Olympic fun does not come cheap. The package, available until March 1, costs $5,000. Olympic Sushi, The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Who knew eating is a way to express your Olympic support? For the less athletically inclined Olympic enthusiast, there's the option of ordering the Team USA Roll at Amatsu Sushi & Sake at The Westin Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale. The $18 roll is stuffed with shrimp tempura, scallions and spicy mayo and topped with white escolar, tuna and avocado. The restaurant is also offering an Olympic Sushi special that includes five California rolls in the shape of Olympic Rings, each with a different topping -- avocado, mango, black tobiko, red tobiko and wasabi tobiko. The Olympic sushi will be available through Feb. 23.
Also see: 7 Winter Spa Treatments That Will Warm You Up>> Russian Team Time, The St. Regis, Atlanta Here's yet another non-athletic way to feel closer to the events taking place in Sochi: Russian Tea Time. The St. Regis Atlanta is offering this Russian ritual throughout February in honor of the 2014 Winter Games. And the appropriately Russian-sounding menu includes Chicken Dijon Piroshky, Potato and Cheese Pazharski, Rugalach, Korzinki and Russian Tea Cookies. Russian Tea Time will take place every afternoon this month from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The cost for this elegant Olympic celebration option is $48 per person or $52 per person with a glass of champagne.

Sochi Savings Time, Waldorf Astoria, New York City

Frank Caiafa was so inspired by the 2014 Winter Olympics he developed a special cocktail in honor of the games.

Called Sochi Savings Time, the $19 cocktail is made with Russian Standard Vodka, Maurin Quina Apertif and Combier Kummel Liqueur.

"I wanted to create something that reflected the geographic area," says Caifa, house mixologist for the legendary Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria. "This drink has a very interesting taste and it has that 'what is it' factor that most great drinks have from the layers of flavor." "Go for Gold" Cocktail, Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles And not to be outdone, West Coast Olympic enthusiasts can also celebrate the Olympics with a specially created drink. Angelenos have the option of drinking 24-carat edible gold while rooting for gold medal winners. The "Go for Gold" cocktail is being offered by the WP24 Restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles.
Also see: Sleek New Breed of Boat Takes to Lake Powell>> Created by beverage Director Klaus Puck, the drink features vodka, elderflower, vermouth and 24-carat gold flakes. There's even a silver lining with this drink: A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the cocktail will be donated to the Special Olympics, which makes the $24 price tag not seem so pricey after all. "Go for Gold" will be available through Feb. 23. Curling, Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, N.Y. Now is your chance to try curling -- that quirky winter sport that involves teams moving a 40-pound stone up and down the ice with a broom. The Mohonk Mountain House is offering this and other Olympic activities, including skating and cross-country skiing, to guests. Curling, which is complimentary for hotel guests, takes place in the hotel's 10,000-square foot open-air ice skating pavilion. (A one-night stay at the hotel is about $185.) Private and group curling lessons are also available for a fee. Curling on the Canal, Palmyra, N.Y. If you're in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York on Saturday, check out the sunset Curling on the Canal festival at the Port of Palmyra Marina. The event, on the historic Erie Canal, includes curling instruction and demonstrations, music, local food vendors and the chance to win a gold medal of your own. "You're not going to go ski jumping, unless you pay hundreds of dollars, and you're not going to go bobsledding, but you can come to the Erie Canal and try curling," event organizer Bill Unterborn says. No advance registration is necessary to participate in the event. And more importantly, no experience is necessary.

Stocks to Watch: Herbalife, Altria, Pfizer

Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session is Herbalife Ltd.(HLF), Altria Group(MO), and Pfizer Inc.(PFE)

Herbalife Ltd. raised its fourth-quarter outlook and boosted its stock buyback program, but provided a weak estimate for its first quarter. Herbalife sells a range of products, including weight-loss shakes and fitness supplements, operating through a wide global network of independent distributors. Shares edged up 2.5% to $66 premarket.

Cigarette maker Altria Group Inc. agreed to buy Green Smoke Inc. for about $110 million in cash, adding to a growing trend of big tobacco companies jumping into the nascent e-cigarette market. Green Smoke, founded in 2008, has operations in the U.S. and Israel and has sold e-cigarette products since 2009, mostly in the U.S. Its revenue last year was about $40 million, just a tiny fraction of Altria’s $24.5 billion in 2013 revenue.

Activist investor William A. Ackman’s Pershing Square scaled back its stake in Beam Inc.(BEAM) to 8.3%, weeks after the alcoholic-beverage maker agreed to be taken over by Japanese company Suntory. The firm had been the largest shareholder in Beam, with a stake of about 13%.

International Business Machines Corp.(IBM) Chief Executive Ginni Rometty and her senior executive team will forgo annual bonuses for 2013 because of poor results. Ms. Rometty and the executives had proposed the move last week after the company reported that its revenue fell 4.6% in 2013 amid continued hardware struggles. The computer giant said in a filing Friday that the compensation committee approved the recommendation.

Pfizer Inc. said a Phase 2 trial of its advanced breast cancer treatment met its primary endpoint. A study comparing the effects of a combination treatment of palbociclib and letrozole with letrozole alone showed that the combination of treatments had significantly improved progression-free survival in post-menopausal women with certain types of locally advanced or newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer.

Post Holdings Inc.(POST) agreed to acquire the PowerBar and Musashi brands from Nestle SA(NESN.VX), further expanding the cereal maker’s position in the active nutrition category.

Sysco Corp.(SYY) said its fiscal second-quarter earnings fell 4.8% as higher expenses overshadowed revenue growth. The food-service distributor’s revenue grew less than expected.

Violin Memory Inc.(VMEM) named Kevin A. DeNuccio as chief executive after firing prior CEO Don Basile in December because of the company’s poor performance. The flash-storage company posted disappointing third-quarter results and a sagging stock price.

Trucking company YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW) said Friday it had cut its large debt load by about $300 million while offering $250 million in stock, the proceeds of which will be used to retire convertible notes. About $50 million in the principal amount of other convertible notes were swapped or converted to common stock, the company said.

Will Recent Headlines Hurt Pfizer Stock?

With shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) trading around $29, is PFE an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Pfizer is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells medicines for people and animals worldwide. The company manages its operations through five segments: Primary Care, Specialty Care and Oncology, Established Products and Emerging Markets, Animal Health and Consumer Healthcare, and Nutrition. Pfizer's main products are human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines, as well as vaccines, nutritional products, consumer healthcare products, and products for the prevention and treatment of diseases in livestock and companion animals.

Pfizer on Monday said one of its experimental drugs had failed to meet its goals in two late-stage studies among patients who had received prior treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease. Although Pfizer continues to test the drug, called dacomitinib, in another Phase III study, hopes for its success have now largely faded, according to ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum. ”We believe consensus expectations (for the drug) will be close to zero given today’s readout” of unsuccessful trial results, Schoenebaum said in a research note.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Mixed

Pfizer stock has been trending higher in the last couple of years. However, the stock is currently pulling back and may need time to stabilize. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Pfizer is trading between its rising key averages which signal neutral price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Pfizer options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Pfizer options	22.24%	96%	94%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very significant amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
February Options	Average	Average
March Options	Average	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call and put buyers or sellers, all neutral over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Pfizer’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Pfizer look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	-9.30%	360.50%	58.33%	358.00%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	-2.39%	-7.12%	-9.30%	-6.65%
Earnings Reaction	1.67%	0.44%	-4.46%	3.20%

Pfizer has seen increasing earnings and decreasing revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have had mixed feelings about Pfizer’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Pfizer stock done relative to its peers, Merck (NYSE:MRK), Novartis (NYSE:NVS), Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), and sector?

	Pfizer	Merck	Novartis	Sanofi	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	-2.74%	6.55%	-2.13%	-8.33%	-2.66%

Pfizer has been an average relative performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Pfizer discovers and develops medicines for people and animals around the world. The company said one of its experimental drugs had failed to meet its goals in two late-stage studies. The stock has been trending higher in recent years, but is currently pulling back. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been increasing while revenues have been decreasing, which has produced mixed feelings among investors about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, Pfizer has been an average year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Pfizer does next.

Ford needs more women in top jobs, COO says

Ford still has work to do to align the gender mix of its management team and workforce with its customer base, Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields said following a speech to 1,100 women at a Detroit event today sponsored by Inforum, a Michigan professional women's group.

"I think there's more work to do, absolutely," he said. "But I think we are well on our way to getting there. We're stepping up our recruiting efforts."

The historic ascension of Mary Barra to General Motors CEO may help the industry recruit women.

"It's a very positive sign in terms of, as women look to this industry, that they can have great careers and they can go right up to the top," Fields told journalists.

Ford has made progress. Fields said when he joined Ford in 1989, there might have been one woman at the vice president level. Now there are four.

Of Ford's 19 executive officers, there is one woman and the top five compensated positions are all held by men, according to an Inforum survey of Michigan companies released last fall. Of 15 directors on its board, two are women.

When you look below the vice president level, there are significantly more women at Ford today, Fields said. There also are more women managing plants.

Nancy Gioia, Ford director of global electrification, said that women overall are better educated than men today, but hold only 16% of the industry's top jobs in the U.S. and 11% in Michigan.

Teenage girls are more likely to pursue engineering, math and sciences if they see women in top posts, Gioia said.

The Inforum study found that among 850 board seats at Michigan's top public companies, women hold just 98 and 28 companies do not have one female executive, director or top-five compensated officer.

Women make up 47% of the U.S. labor force and have been pulling down a majority of bachelor's and master's degrees for at least 15 years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Auto company results were in the middle of the pack. ! The sector averaged two female executives or board members per company.

GM has four female directors on a 14-member board. With Barra as CEO, 25% of GM corporate officers in North America are women.

"The change at GM has been amazing," said purchasing chief Grace Lieblein. "The number of women in key positions all over is pretty remarkable."

She credits GM for grooming women over the years and former CEO Dan Akerson for casting fresh eyes on corporate talent.

Women traditionally make car purchase decisions, and their buying power will only increase as the millennial generation, those born after 1980, ages, Fields said. "The millennials will be the first generation where women buyers outnumber male buyers."

How to Get Your Insurance Claim Paid

Getty Images When emergencies like car accidents, medical scares or house fires strike, filing an insurance claim may not be top of mind. But once the dust settles and the bills start pouring in, many consumers are relieved to know that insurance could help protect them against financial losses resulting from these calamities. However, the claims process doesn't always run smoothly. If, for instance, you forget to submit a key piece of documentation, your loss falls under an exclusion or you use an out-of-network provider, your insurance provider may not cover your losses. Here's a look at strategies for maximizing the chances that your claim will get paid. Know what's covered. Ideally, you'd be familiar with the ins and outs of your policy before you actually need it, including the amount of any deductibles you are responsible for, how long you have to file a claim and how long the process takes. Knowing this can help you set realistic expectations and choose providers that are likely to be covered (auto insurers may try to steer you toward a certain body shop, but you are not required to use the shop they prefer). Issues around health care insurance claims often center on whether the medical provider is in-network or out-of-network, according to Martin Rosen, executive vice president, chief marketing officer and co-founder of Health Advocate, an independent health care advocacy and assistance company. In-network doctors have a contracted rate set with your insurance company, so you'll typically pay less out of pocket. "If you go out of network, doctors are able to bill their regular list charges and then to the extent that you've met your deductible and your insurance kicks in, insurance companies only pay what's usual and customary," Rosen explains. Unfortunately, the in-network issue isn't always clear to the patient. Say you have a doctor who's in-network and refers you to a hospital. You might assume that the hospital would also be in-network, but Rosen says this isn't necessarily the case because some doctors practice at multiple hospitals. "All of this ends up in confusion depending on what you did," he adds. Understanding your policy is also key with property and casualty insurance, where there's an important distinction between replacement cost and actual cash value for your car, home or possessions. Say a tree falls through the roof of your house and destroys your eight-year-old washing machine. "With a replacement cost policy, the insurance company would pay to replace the old machine with a new one," explains Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute. "If you had an actual cash value policy, the company would pay only a part of the cost of a new washing machine because a machine that has been used for eight years is worth less than its original cost." When it comes to destruction from floods, standard homeowners and renters insurance policies do not cover flood damage, but separate flood coverage is available from the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program and a few private insurers. Keep detailed documentation. Maintain records of all communication with your insurance company, including copies of documents you mail and logs of phone conversations, the date of each call, the name of the person you spoke to and what was said. If you need to appeal a decision, this documentation can prove critical, according to Rosen. Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit that advises consumers on the claims process, suggests following up on each conversation to create a paper trail. "If you've had a conversation with the adjuster, follow up on it with a short email confirming what's been agreed to and what still remains outstanding," she says. "Make it clear in your communications that you are a proactive consumer, give your insurer proof of your losses and be very specific in asking for the dollar amounts you are entitled to." Keep receipts for all out-of-pocket expenses such as a hotel stay while your home is being repaired or towing your car to a body shop following an accident. Here are your options if your claim is denied and you still believe it should be covered: File an appeal. Once you've exhausted your insurer's internal channels for filing a claim, you can generally appeal with an external review through the government agency that oversees insurance companies in your state. "The insurance company is obligated to provide you with this information, but it might not be in the easiest-to-understand way," Rosen says. In cases when an insurance company has denied coverage for a medical condition that's considered an emergency, you may be able to apply for an expedited review. Even if it's not an emergency, pay attention to timelines. "Don't ignore things because there are limits on how long you have to appeal [claims], and the clock is running," Rosen says. Hire a professional. For smaller claims, it may not make financial sense to hire an attorney, advocate or public adjuster to help argue your case. But if large sums of money are at stake or the issue is complex, the math may pencil out. Depending on your state and the size of your claim, you may be able to hire a lawyer on a contingency basis, which means the lawyer "will only get paid if they recover for you, and their fee will be a percentage of what they recover for you," Bach says, adding that good contingency lawyers won't take on cases of less than $50,000 because their fee wouldn't be large enough to make it worth their while.