Does NVIDIA Have the Right Idea?

With the pervasive rise of smartphones, tablets, and high-def screens, the market for visual computing has grown beyond what NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA  ) could realistically address with its own product lines alone. To keep up with the rapid pace of growth, the company has decided to license its cutting-edge Kepler GPU architecture to device manufacturers.

Not only does this move give device manufacturers an opportunity to leverage NVIDIA's GPU technology, it also gives NVIDIA an opportunity to expand its addressable market and create new revenue streams. In an age where over a billion computing devices are produced yearly, NVIDA's decision seems to be right on the money.

In fact, it almost sounds too good to be true.

A conflicted place
As a result of this development, NVIDIA's business model has transformed somewhere in between ARM Holdings' and Intel's core business model, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Because NVIDIA will be licensing and selling GPU products, it could create a breeding ground for conflicts of interest between potential customers and the company's own interests. What's going to stop NVIDIA from developing a markedly better GPU that it hoards for itself if the company thinks it could make more money that way versus licensing the technology out?

Since ARM only licenses out its technology and doesn't compete with its customers, it gives its customers the peace of mind that they will get ARM's best technology.

Although Intel licenses out its x86 architecture to a handful of semiconductor companies, the company has zero conflicts of interest as far as device manufacturers are concerned. Considering the vast majority of Intel's business relies on relationships with device manufacturers, it's wise to keep any potential conflicts out of the equation.

It's never this simple
Although NVIDIA's announcement opens up a world of opportunities for the company to land high-profile clients like Apple, Samsung, or possibly even Intel, I wouldn't be betting on the chances of it happening anytime soon. It's likely there will be a host of engineering challenges associated with manufacturing NVIDIA's technology on a different foundry process. In other words, if NVIDIA's potential customer isn't already a Taiwan Semiconductor customer like NVIDIA, it may not be worthwhile for that customer to license NVIDIA's tech. Since Apple, Samsung, and Intel aren't currently TSM customers, it likely diminishes the possibility of such a deal being struck with NVIDIA anytime soon.

No matter how great an idea looks on paper, there's always a chance the real world plays out differently.

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Recovery in Japan: Threading the Needle

Washington Post columnist Neil Irwin stopped by to discuss his book, The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire. It's a great read on the history of central banks, including how they responded to the financial crisis and the challenges they face in the future.

Japan's economy has dropped from the second to the third largest in the world. In this video segment, Neil shares some of what the island nation's leaders are up against, and what they're willing to try in an effort to get their economy back on track. A full transcript follows the video.

Morgan Housel: We talk about printing money here in America, but what they're doing in Japan right now is on a totally different scale. It makes the Fed look like sissies. Does Japan know what they're ... is this the ultimate Hail Mary, or do they know what they're doing?

Neil Irwin: I think it is a Hail Mary. The Japanese economy, they've had 20 years of low-level deflation. It's amazing how much the things they're trying to do now under the Abe government in Japan -- it's stuff that Ben Bernanke and other American economists were saying they ought to do in 1999, 2000, 2001 -- and now they're diving in and going for it.

The Bank of Japan, on the central bank side, Kuroda, the new governor, is determined to get inflation to 2%. That's their target. They're going to do whatever they have to do, buy whatever they have to buy, to pump enough yen out into the economy to do it. It's mixed with activity on the fiscal side from the government.

The great hope is that by resetting expectations -- that Japan will have 2% inflation, it'll get out of its deflationary spiral, the stock market's already way up, asset prices are way up, the yen's down; that helps exporters -- that all these things together will finally get the world's third-largest economy out of its rut and get it back on a better course.

I hope they're right. I hope they've calibrated it right and can manage that thing. It's a little bit like threading a needle, though, because if you go too far on some of that stuff you could get in big trouble pretty fast.

Japan has a debt of about 200% of GDP, the largest in the world. Let's say inflation expectations get to 2, but then they get to 3 or 4 or 5%. Well, suddenly your nominal interest rates are going to rise; the debt burden the government faces is huge.

You can imagine that's just one of many ways in which you could see, if they're either too successful that they could end up in a bad spot. At the same time, they had to try something. What they've been doing for the last 20 years has not gotten them anywhere. There's a reason they used to be the second-largest economy in the world, and now they're No. 3.

Housel: They have a very old economy, too. Their overall population is shrinking. To the extent that their economic problems are structural, can they be fixed with monetary policy?

Irwin: It's absolutely true that a central bank, whether it's the Bank of Japan or the Federal Reserve, they can't fix structural things. If American workers are not getting the right education they need to compete in the modern economy, that's not something Ben Bernanke can do anything about.

If Japan, which they do, has terrible demographics -- an aging population, no real in-migration, no immigration -- those are realities that limit the potential of their economy to produce at the rate it used to. Mr. Kuroda, the governor of the Bank of Japan, could do nothing about that.

That said, I think most analysis says Japan is functioning below its potential, even after you adjust for all those structural issues.

There's always some guesswork involved in judging where an economy is performing relative to its potential, given whatever structural problems it might have. It's the job of the central banker to try to get output to whatever that potential is, given structural issues, and I think there's still some room to run in Japan and the United States.

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Will Superstition Take Hold Of the Dow?

Following the past two days of declines, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) was back in positive territory for a brief time this morning. And while impatient investors might have asked why the index hadn't regained more of its losses yet, the news that it was out of the red might have been enough for others. But the fickle market has now sent the index back into the red, as it sits down 50 points at 11:45 a.m. EDT. And while the day is not over yet, one particularly infrequent event may have the index down and out before the closing bell.

Summer Solstice and the witching hour 
So not only is today the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, but it is also a day of "quadruple witching," during which four types of investment contracts are set to expire -- stock index futures, stock index options, stock options, and single stock futures. This event only happens four times a year, and the expiration may inspire traders and investors to close out their positions. With the recent news from the Fed, Wall Street may be especially jittery, possibly leading to extreme volatility in the market later in the day.

For long-term investors, don't let the witching hour cast a spell of doubt on you -- it will pass, and if you're confident in your investments there's no need to fear technical trading events.

Long day for B of A
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) is leading the Dow lower this morning following some very disappointing news for its investors. A new investigation has unveiled some more deception tactics from the bank, but this time it's with its mortgage bond holders. The investigation alleges that B of A and Ocwen Financial (NYSE: OCN  ) as mortgage servicers misrepresented the status of homes to mortgage bond trustees, including Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) and Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK  ) . While it was continuing to collect fees by stating the homes were still in the process of foreclosure, the homes had in fact been sold or paid off.

These new allegations come on the heels of testimony from former B of A employees, who described incentives for stalling otherwise qualified homeowners from proceeding through the loan modification process.

For Bank of America, these latest allegations may prove a deadly blow to its stated goal of capturing a bigger slice of the new mortgage business market. Though the company already had a tarnished reputation from its Countrywide legacy, it now has to deal with both customer and investor wariness. The bank will need to prove to new customers that it has cleaned up its loan processing department and prove to new business partners in the MBS market that it won't misrepresent the loans bundled in its securities. Both could prove a herculean task.

These two mortgage-related scandals could generate more uncertainty in the bank's place as an investment. New lawsuits may be forthcoming, and who knows when the next headline may emerge with further allegations of misconduct.

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Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now

The old adage of risk equaling reward couldn't be truer. It was 2008, and the stock market was in chaos.

 

Great rewards went to investors who took the risk of stepping into the fray to buy the lows. But during the same time, many investors were practically wiped out because they failed to manage their risks wisely in the highly volatile environment.

The stock market today isn't as volatile as it was during the financial crisis. However, the same investing maxim still holds: The greater the risk, the greater the rewards. 

Many investors shun risk. These risk-averse investors pile into the safest possible investments in an effort to preserve principal at all costs. This attitude will most likely preserve your portfolio, but it will also greatly decrease your potential for market-beating rewards. 

Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: 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.

Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Under Armour Inc.(UA)

Under Armour, Inc. develops, markets, and distributes performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth primarily in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers products made from moisture-wicking synthetic fabrics designed to regulate body temperature and enhance performance regardless of weather conditions. The company provides its products in three fit types: compression (tight fitting), fitted (athletic cut), and loose (relaxed) extending across the sporting goods, outdoor, and active lifestyle markets. Its footwear offerings comprise football, baseball, lacrosse, softball, and soccer cleats; slides; performance training footwear; and running footwear. The company also provides baseball batting, football, golf, and running gloves, as well as licenses bags, socks, headwear, custom-molded mouth guards, and eyewear that are designed to be used and worn before, during, and after competition. Under Armour sells its products through retai l stores, as well as directly to consumers through its own retail outlets and specialty stores, Website, and catalogs. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenn]  

  Current Price: $27.27 12-month target: $37

  I see potential in opportunities for new product adjacencies, and expanding distribution worldwide. Footwear growth will continue to increase. Revenues for these products have increased over 69% in 2009. Adding to this I still see growth in Under Armour’s apparel sales, which are up 8%. Under Armor had yet to even break into the international market, which offers a plethora of new opportunities for this growing brand. I believe sales will rise drastically in 2010 driven by international sales, new women’s clothing line, and expansion within their own footwear line.

Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2014: Fluor Corporation(FLR)

Fluor Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management services worldwide. Its Oil & Gas segment offers design, engineering, procurement, construction, and project management services to upstream oil and gas production, downstream refining, chemicals, and petrochemicals industries. This segment also provides consulting services comprising feasibility studies, process assessment, and project finance structuring and studies. The company?s Industrial & Infrastructure segment offers design, engineering, procurement, and construction services to the transportation, wind power, mining and metals, life sciences, manufacturing, commercial and institutional, telecommunications, microelectronics, and healthcare sectors. Its Government segment provides engineering, construction, logistics support, contingency response, management, and operations services to the United States government focusing on the Departme nt of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. The company?s Global Services segment offers operations and maintenance, small capital project engineering and execution, site equipment and tool services, industrial fleet services, plant turnaround services, temporary staffing services, and supply chain solutions. Its Power segment provides engineering, procurement, construction, program management, start-up and commissioning, and operations and maintenance services to the gas fueled, solid fueled, plant betterment, renewables, nuclear, and power services markets. The company also offers unionized management and construction services in the United States and Canada. Fluor Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

Top Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras(PBR)

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. primarily engages in oil and natural gas exploration and production, refining, trade, and transportation businesses. The company?s Exploration and Production segment involves in the exploration, production, development, and production of oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas in Brazil. This segment supplies its products to the refineries in Brazil, as well as sells surplus petroleum and byproducts in domestic and foreign markets. Its Supply segment engages in the refining, logistics, transportation, and trade of oil and oil products; export of ethanol; and extraction and processing of schist, as well as holds interests in companies of the petrochemical sector in Brazil. The Gas and Energy segment involves in the transportation and trade of natural gas produced in or imported into Brazil; transportation and trade of LNG; and generation and trade of electric power. In addition, the segment has interests in natural gas transportation and d istribution companies; and thermoelectric power stations in Brazil, as well engages in fertilizer business. The Distribution segment distributes oil products, ethanol, and compressed natural gas in Brazil. The International segment involves in the exploration and production of oil and gas, as well as in supplying, gas and energy, and distribution operations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Further, the company involves in biofuel production business. Petroleo Brasileiro was founded in 1953 and is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  Market Value: $173 billion
  Fall from 52-week high: 38%

  This Brazilian oil giant has lost $100 billion in market value since March 2011. That's a lot of dough. The sell-off is the result of a drop in oil prices, slightly stricter government policies regarding oil and gas royalties, and recent moves to issue more stock and debt to help fund business development. (Though the company now vows to stop issuing any more equity.)

  Indeed, this company has been sucking in cash for quite some time, generating a cumulative $40 billion in free cash flow loss in just the past two years. Pretty soon, though, losses will morph into outsized profits when the company's heavy investments to tap massive offshore oil fields finally bear fruit. In 2007, 2008 and again in 2009, Petrobras discovered three new offshore oil fields, known as Tupi, Jupiter, and yet-to-be-named site off of the state of Sao Paolo.

  It's the Tupi energy play that should pique your interest. It's the largest new find of oil since the Kashagan oil field was discovered in Kazakhstan in 2000 and instantly put Brazil's oil reserve base on par with industry giant Norway. Tally up all of its fields, and Petrobas' engineers estimate the country is sitting on more than 12 billion barrels of oil.

  The recent sell-off has put shares of Petrobras deep into bargain territory, trading at just 7.3 times projected 2011 profits and 1.2 times tangible book value.

• [By ETF Authority]  

  Current Price: $47.68 12-month target: $80

  PBR plans to invest $174 billion by 2013 to support the largest oil discovery in 30 years. PetroBras has both the backing of the Brazilian government who invested over $30 billion and the Chinese private investors who have pledged over $20 billion to PBR’s discovery. Brazils government proposed to make PBR the only operator of all new offshore pre-salt oil fields yet to be exploited. PetroBras expects oil production to increased from 2.4 million barrels a day to around 5.7 million barrels a day by 2020. PBR has long-term views and have been expanding renewable energy programs such as solar, biofuel, and energy. Biofuel production is expected to increase 18% by 2013.
• [By Dave Friedman]

  Institutional investors bought 78,663,680 shares and sold 101,125,380 shares, for a net of -22,461,700 shares. This net represents 0.23% of common shares outstanding. The number of shares outstanding is 9,872,826,100. The shares recently traded at $27.61 and the company’s market capitalization is $170,178,700,000.00. About the company: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras explores for and produces oil and natural gas. The Company refines, markets, and supplies oil products. Petrobras operates oil tankers, distribution pipelines, marine, river and lake terminals, thermal power plants, fertilizer plants, and petrochemical units. The Company operates in South America and elsewhere around the world.

B of A Hit Hard This Week By Legal Battle and Market Worries

It's been an up-and-down week for Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , but mostly down: Share prices for the superbank are net 2.79% in the red over the last five days, with less than two hours to go on the last day of trading. Thank general market negativity for that, but also uncertainty over what could be the bank's most crucial legal battle yet.

Waiting for Bernanke
Firstly, the world waits to see when Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and his central-bank compatriots from Europe and Japan are going to turn off the money spigots that have spurred America's nascent economic recovery, kept Europe's recessions from turning into depressions, and offered a glimmer of hope that Japan will finally emerge from its decades-long doldrums.

Secondly, B of A investors are waiting to see what will come out of a trial ending today in a New York courtroom. At issue is a challenge to a 2011 settlement between B of A, AIG (NYSE: BAC  ) , and other big investors over mortgage-backed securities issued by the superbank's problem child, Countrywide Financial.

The original settlement was for $8.5 billion, but if AIG and its co-plaintiffs win this rematch B of A could be on the hook for tens of billions more.

Foolish bottom line
Meanwhile, interest rates in the U.S. are on the rise from record lows. The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasuries has jumped more than 60 basis points in recent months, and now sits at 2.14%: still low by historic standards, but enough of a sudden jump to make everyone nervous. Mortgage-interest rates are on the rise as well, which could effect the revenue and profit of large mortgage lenders like Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) , as well as slowdown the country's blossoming housing recovery overall.

Of course, B of A wasn't alone in its poor showing this week: all of the Big Four banks were down to one degree or another, as were the three major market indices. When will the general market nervousness clear up? Maybe when Ben Bernanke finally begins winding down QE3. Maybe this is all just over-anticipation, and once the wind-down gets under way, everyone will relax. Or, maybe once the wind-down begins, that's when things are really going to get hairy -- as the true effects of a slowing money spigot hit the economy not just in theory, but in actuality.

As for Countrywide rematch, there's no word yet on when Judge Barbara J. Kapnick will make her decision. Unfortunately, until then, investors will remain in the decidedly uncomfortable position of not knowing if their favorite bank is facing yet another massive, crisis-related payout. As a result, the stock will likely not perform as well as it could, regardless of what the rest of the market is doing.

But always remember, Fools, to focus on the long term when it comes to investing. Obsessive ticker checking can lead to overtrading, which costs money and can hurt the performance of your portfolio. So tune out the market noise and tune into the fundamentals of the companies you're invested in: Your portfolio will thank you, even if your broker won't. 

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Look no further than this Motley Fool premium report -- written by top Motley Fool banking analysts Anand Chokkavelu and Matt Koppenheffer. They'll help you lift the veil on the bank's operations, and give you three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell along the way. And with included quarterly updates, this could literally be the last bit of investment research on B of A you'll ever need. For immediate access, simply click here now. 

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014

With government austerity tightening budgets in Europe, the solar industry is finding that tight times mean less for subsidies. Several countries in Europe in the past year have either severely reduced or outright dropped feed-in tarrifs for solar power generation. Looking for a more sure thing, governments have dedicated more of those�subsides�toward fossil fuels, which, according to the International Energy Agency, received almost $5.94 for every dollar spent on solar.�

Despite all of these moves, the solar industry is starting to find its own without those subsidies. With major utilities like Southern (NYSE: SO  ) and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway all buying into solar in recent weeks, there are some strong signs that the cost to produce from solar could be in the same conversation as fossil fuels. In this video, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe talks with Aimee Duffy to look at some of the places solar feels a little less welcome and how it is finding�success�on its own.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sherry Jim]

  Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd.(NASDAQ: HSOL) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $1.06. HSOL is trading -15.30% below its 50 day moving average and -67.04% below its 200 day moving average. HSOL is -89.16% below its 52-week high of $9.78 and 16.48% above its 52-week low of $0.99. HSOL‘s PE ratio is 1.64 and its market cap is $89.18M.

  Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. is an investment holding company which engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. HSOL also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Spire Corporation(SPIR)

Spire Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets engineered products and services in the areas of PV solar, biomedical, and optoelectronics. It offers specialized equipment for the production of terrestrial photovoltaic modules from solar cells; and photovoltaic systems for application to powering buildings with connection to the utility grid, as well as supplies photovoltaic materials. It also provides surface treatments to manufacturers of orthopedic, cardiovascular, and other medical devices; and performs sponsored research programs into practical applications of biomedical and biophotonic technologies. In addition, the company offers custom compound semiconductor foundry and fabrication services to customers involved in biomedical/biophotonic instruments, telecommunications, and defense applications. Its services comprise compound semiconductor wafer growth, other thin film processes, and related device processing. Further, the company provides materials testing s ervices; and performs services in support of sponsored research into practical applications of optoelectronic technologies. The company offers its products primarily through its sales personnel in the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Spire Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Putnam]

  Spire Corp.(NASDAQ: SPIR) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $0.73. SPIR is trading -5.05% below its 50 day moving average and -52.78% below its 200 day moving average. SPIR is -88.23% below its 52-week high of $6.20 and 37.74% above its 52-week low of $0.53. SPIR‘s PE ratio is N/A and its market cap is $6.10M.

  Spire Corp. develops, manufactures, and markets engineered products and services in the areas of PV solar, biomedical, and optoelectronics.

5 Best Canadian Stocks To Invest In 2014: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul]

  LDK Solar Co., Inc.(NYSE: LDK) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $4.38. LDK is trading 9.48% above its 50 day moving average and -11.82% below its 200 day moving average. LDK is -70.74% below its 52-week high of $14.97 and 71.76% above its 52-week low of $2.55. LDK‘s PE ratio is 6.53 and its market cap is $573.78M.

  LDK Solar Co., Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects together with its subsidiaries. LDK offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules.

• [By Hawkinvest]

  LDK Solar (LDK) is one of the largest solar companies, but it has a balance sheet that concerns me. According to Yahoo Finance, LDK has a debt load of over $3.5 billion and with the industry still struggling, that is too much risk for my tastes. The company expanded aggressively in the past few years, but that expansion now looks poorly timed. When the stock was trading below $4, I thought it made sense to do some bottom-fishing, but the shares have more than doubled from the 52 week low, and look vulnerable at these levels.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Martin]

  Renesola Ltd.(NYSE: SOL) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $1.61. SOL is trading -6.98% below its 50 day moving average and -45.69% below its 200 day moving average. SOL is -87.85% below its 52-week high of $13.25 and 11.03% above its 52-week low of $1.45. SOL‘s PE ratio is 1.56 and its market cap is $139.77M.

  Renesola Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products together with its subsidiaries. SOL offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited(YGE)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and installation of photovoltaic (PV) products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. The company offers PV cells, PV modules, and integrated PV systems, as well as polysilicon ingots, blocks, and wafers. It sells its PV modules to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators in Germany, the United States, Italy, China, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan under the Yingli and Yingli Solar brand names. The company also offers its integrated PV systems directly to end-users or to contractors for use in the electricity projects, as well as to mobile communications companies in the People's Republic of China. Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Baoding, the People? s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harding]

  Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd.(NYSE: YGE) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $4.07. YGE is trading 4.05% above its 50 day moving average and -22.09% below its 200 day moving average. YGE is -70.05% below its 52-week high of $13.59 and 48.00% above its 52-week low of $2.75. YGE‘s PE ratio is 3.79 and its market cap is $643.85M.

  Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd. engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and installation of photovoltaic (PV) products in the People’s Republic of China and internationally.

• [By Hawkinvest]

  Yingli Green Energy (YGE) is one of the largest solar companies in China, and it recently announced that it expects to recognize an impairment charge of about $361 million and an impairment of goodwill for about $43 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Yingli plans to announce fourth quarter and full year results for 2011 on February 29, 2012. It makes sense to wait for an update on the financial results from the company before making a significant investment. If the stock remains stable after earnings, it could be a positive sign that it has reached a bottom.

  This company has a debt load which concerns some investors, but it is posting smaller losses when compared to other solar companies. When the solar stocks were at a cyclical peak around December 2007, Yingli shares traded for about $38 per share. Now the stock can be bought for less than one-tenth of that price. The impairment charges this company plans to take is a sign that it is making tough choices and possibly positioning it for a future rebound.

• [By Jim Jubak]

   Yipes! A Chinese solar stock? Everyone knows that the market for solar cells has collapsed and that China's solar sector is awash in unused capacity and desperate companies barely clinging to life. Exactly --everybody knows. So what does it take to move a stock like Yingli Green Energy (YGE)?

  It doesn't take much. Some positive speculation that Yingli and competitor Trina Solar (TSL) are well-financed enough  to be among the survivors in the sector would do it. (Yingli can sustain the 2013 cash burn rate for four years, Credit Suisse calculates.) Yingli would also be helped by news of China's State Council encouraging mergers and acquisitions (and maybe even a bankruptcy) in an effort to reduce capacity in the sector -- and banning local government financing of the sort that has kept Suntech Power (STP) and LDK Solar (LDK) in business. There's also a new, high-profile target for increased buying of solar equipment by China's power companies. That last factor has been especially important to Yingli Green Energy, since the company is set to receive orders under the government-funded program.

  Shares of Yingli Green Energy have just about doubled from a Nov. 21 low of $1.28 to a Dec. 19 price of $2.44. But there's room to run; the 52-week high is $6.27.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd.(JASO)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People's Republic of China. The company?s principal products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, as well as various solar modules. It also provides silicon wafer and solar cell processing services. The company sells its products primarily under the JA Solar brand name, as well as produces equipment for original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It sells its solar cell and module products primarily to module manufacturers, system integrators, project developers, and distributors in the Germany, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, France, and South Korea. The company has strategic partnerships with various solar power companies, such as BP Solar, Solar-Fabrik, and MEMC/SunEdison. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cutler]

  JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.(NASDAQ: JASO) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $1.37. JASO is trading -10.95% below its 50 day moving average and -54.27% below its 200 day moving average. JASO is -84.01% below its 52-week high of $8.57 and 13.22% above its 52-week low of $1.21. JASO‘s PE ratio is 2.09 and its market cap is $225.58M.

  JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People’s Republic of China through its subsidiaries.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: First Solar Inc.(FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. manufactures and sells solar modules using a thin-film semiconductor technology. It also designs, constructs, and sells photovoltaic solar power systems. The company?s solar modules employ a thin layer of semiconductor material to convert sunlight into electricity. Its integrated solar power systems activities include the project development; engineering, procurement, and construction services; operating and maintenance services; and project finance. The company sells solar modules to project developers, system integrators, and operators of renewable energy projects; and solar power systems to investor owned utilities, independent power developers and producers, and commercial and industrial companies, as well as other system owners. It operates in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, and internationally. The company was formerly known as First Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to First Solar, Inc. in 2006. First Solar was founded in 1999 a nd is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cutler]

  First Solar (FSLR) is a leading manufacturer of solar power modules, boasting great growth of both revenues and earnings … and profit margins of 27% in the latest quarter, very impressive for a manufacturer. The stock was a big winner for Cabot Market Letter in 2006 (we sold in March 2007) and like most stocks in the industry it’s spent the time since then cooling off. I think it’s cool enough now. First Solar was on the list three years ago, too.

• [By Chuck]

  First Solar (FSLR) has been picked by J.P. Morgan as the worst company in this sector and it is recommended that stocks be sold in the short run. With the reduction in subsidies, First Solar is likely to see a reduction in the sale of modules (which constitutes the largest part of its revenue). Operating margins are expected to be lower than expectations due to lower module margins. The stock is currently trading at $46.11 and is expected to go south of $4 0. Earnings per share of $7.71 are expected to decrease to $5.13 by the end of 2012. The company has market capitalization of $3.99 billion.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Canadian Solar Inc.(CSIQ)

Canadian Solar Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of solar power products in Canada and internationally. The company offers solar cell and solar module products that convert sunlight into electricity for various uses. Its products include a range of standard solar modules for use in a range of residential, commercial, and industrial solar power generation systems. The company also designs and produces specialty solar modules and products consisting of customized modules that its customers incorporate into their products, such as solar-powered bus stop lighting; and specialty products, such as portable solar home systems and solar-powered car battery chargers. In addition, it sells solar system kits, a package consisting of solar modules produced by it and third party supplied components, such as inverters, racking system, and other accessories, as well as implements solar power development projects. The company sells its products under the Canad ian Solar brand name. Canadian Solar Inc. offers its standard solar modules through a direct sales force and sales agents primarily to distributors, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturer customers, as well as to solar projects; and specialty solar modules and products to the automotive, telecommunications, and light-emitting diode lighting sectors. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Kitchener, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenn]

  Canadian Solar, Inc.(NASDAQ: CSIQ) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $2.80. CSIQ is trading 7.52% above its 50 day moving average and -50.19% below its 200 day moving average. CSIQ is -83.32% below its 52-week high of $16.79 and 35.27% above its 52-week low of $2.07. CSIQ‘s PE ratio is N/A and its market cap is $120.83M .

  Canadian Solar, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of solar power products in Canada and internationally. The company offers solar cell and solar module products that convert sunlight into electricity for various uses. Its products include a range of standard solar modules for use in a range of residential, commercial, and industrial solar power generation systems.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Peabody Energy Corporation(BTU)

Peabody Energy Corporation engages in the mining of coal. It mines, prepares, and sells thermal coal to electric utilities and metallurgical coal to industrial customers. The company owns interests in 30 coal mining operations located in the United States and Australia, as well as owns joint venture interest in a Venezuela mine. It is also involved in marketing, brokering, and trading coal. In addition, the company develops a mine-mouth coal-fueled generating plant; and Btu Conversion projects that are designed to convert coal to natural gas or transportation fuels; and clean coal technologies. As of December 31, 2011, it had 9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sherry Jim]

  BTU International, Inc.(NASDAQ: BTUI) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $2.5608. BTUI is trading -7.35% below its 50 day moving average and -45.75% below its 200 day moving average. BTUI is -80.90% below its 52-week high of $13.41 and 5.38% above its 52-week low of $2.44. BTUI‘s PE ratio is 12.93 and its market cap is $24.28M .

  BTU International, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, sale, and service of thermal processing systems used in various manufacturing processes primarily in the electronics, alternative energy, and automotive industries worldwide.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: DayStar Technologies Inc.(DSTI)

DayStar Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of solar photovoltaic products to the grid-tied and ground-based photovoltaic markets. The company offers solar photovoltaic modules to convert sunlight into electricity. It provides monolithically integrated copper indium gallium selenide modules on glass laminate substrates for centralized utility power plants, commercial building roof tops, and smaller residential roof tops. DayStar Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Milpitas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Smith]

  Daystar Technologies, Inc.(NASDAQ: DSTI) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $0.22. DSTI is trading -21.76% below its 50 day moving average and -29.42% below its 200 day moving average. DSTI is -88.30% below its 52-week high of $1.88 and 69.23% above its 52-week low of $0.13. DSTI ‘s PE ratio is N/A and its market cap is $2.10M .

  Daystar Technologies, Inc. is a development stage company. DSTI engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of solar photovoltaic products to the grid-tied and ground-based photovoltaic markets.

Can Merck Regain Its Biosimilar Footing?

Merck (NYSE: MRK  ) hasn't done a bad job fighting the patent cliff in recent years. When it comes to developing generic biologic drugs, or biosimilars, the company finds itself in a much less envious position. Some of the problem can to be owed to the fact that Merck didn't quite know where to start. It seemed to be forging ahead without a clear plan. The company established a subsidiary called Merck BioVentures to focus on biosimilar development only to absorb it back into larger operations. That forced high profile hires such as Mike Kamarck to leave the company, led to the cancellation of at least one therapy, and left shareholders questioning what the heck Merck was doing.

Before you write off Merck's biosimilar ambitions, you should know of a last-ditch effort to right the ship. A partnership announced earlier this year with Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung and Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB  ) , aims to resuscitate internal goals. Fool contributor Maxx Chatsko explains the checkered past, the new beginning, and what it could mean for the future of the biosimilar development at the company.

One of the best parts of owning big pharma stocks is their attractive dividends, but smart investors know the importance of diversifying -- seeking high-yielding stocks from multiple industries. The Motley Fool's special free report "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks" outlines the Fool's favorite dependable dividend-paying stocks across all sectors. Grab your free copy by clicking here.

Will They Be Too Big to Fail Next Crisis?

The following video is from Monday's installment of Where the Money Is, in which Fool analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson highlight for investors the most important stock news from the financial sector.

In this segment, Matt discusses an article from The Wall Street Journal, which addressed the conflicting motivations between banking regulators and the big banks. As the spread between the interest rate at which banks can borrow money and the interest rate they are able to get for lending, or the net interest margin, continues to compress, many banks have been reducing the amount of long-term debt they have been carrying, as that often has a higher interest rate. Matt tells investors what it would mean for the big banks if regulations are imposed that require a higher amount of long-term debt to be maintained on these banks' balance sheets in preparation for the next banking crisis.

Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, Financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

The relevant video segment can be found between 3:00 and 4:24 .

For the full video of today's Where the Money Is, click here.

Apple Targets the Video-Game Industry

The following video is from The Motley Fool's weekly Tech Review, in which host Chris Hill talks all things tech with Fool analysts Eric Bleeker and Lyons George.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) has included a feature in its new iOS 7 mobile operating system that supports external game controller hardware, essentially turning an iPhone into a portable gaming device with far more user interactivity than just touch. Could this prove to be a big threat to a company like Nintendo, whose DS portable system sold in the area of 150 million units? In this segment, Lyons and Eric discuss what would need to happen for this to become a major threat to dedicated mobile gaming devices.

There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded, with more than 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. Eric is prepared to fill you in on reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

The relevant video segment can be found between 3:44 and 6:45.

For the full video of this edition of the weekly Tech Review, click here .

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch In Right Now

Following up on a strong earnings report from Wednesday, hi-tech glassmaker Corning (NYSE: GLW  ) offered further details this morning on its plans for the future.

Specifically, Corning announced plans to capitalize upon a coming wave in new environmental regulation of heavy-duty engines in Europe and China, by investing similarly heavily in its production of diesel emissions control products.

Corning says it will spend about $250 million on capital improvements in its Environmental Technologies�&�Life Sciences�Business Group, hoping to double its revenues from the group by 2017. Corning will spend to increase capacity at its Erwin diesel facility, which manufactures large ceramic substrates and filters for heavy-duty diesel engine, truck, construction, and agricultural equipment manufacturers.

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch In Right Now: Intl Samuel Exploration Corp (ISS.V)

International Samuel Exploration Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of resource properties in Canada. It primarily explores for copper, gold, base metal, and diamond properties. The company holds a 50% interest in the Reed Lake base metal project located in Manitoba; and has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the 256 hectare Rasp copper-gold property located north of Thompson, Manitoba. Its property portfolio also includes the Niv property and the Omega property located in British Columbia. In addition, the company, through its joint venture agreement with Diamonds North Resources Ltd., holds an interest in the Ualliq diamond project in Nunavut. The company was formerly known as TranDirect Holdings Inc. The company is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch In Right Now: El En(ELN.MI)

El.En S.p.A., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of laser systems in Europe and internationally. It offers laser systems for medical applications, including aesthetics, surgical, physiotherapy, dermatology, surgery, cosmetics, dentistry, and gynaecology. The company also provides laser systems for industrial applications, such as cutting, marking, and welding of metals, wood, plastic, and glass, as well as in the decoration of leather and fabric, and the conservative restoration of works of art; and systems for scientific applications and research. In addition, it offers after-sales service, including support for the installation and maintenance of its laser systems; and spare parts, consumables, and technical assistance services. The company sells its products through its subsidiaries, as well as through a network of distributors. El.En S.p.A. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Calenzano, Italy.

Top Biotech Companies To Buy Right Now: InterXion Holding N.V. (INXN)

InterXion Holding N.V. provides carrier-neutral colocation data center services in Europe. It enables its customers to connect to a range of telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, and other customers. The company�s data centers act as content and connectivity hubs that facilitate the processing, storage, sharing, and distribution of data, content, applications, and media among carriers and customers. The company offers colocation services, including space and power to enable customers to deploy IT infrastructure in its data centers; connectivity services; cross connect services; and monitoring services. It also provides managed services comprising systems monitoring, systems management, engineering support services, data back-up, and storage services. The company serves the digital media and distribution sector, enterprises, the financial services sector, managed services providers, and network providers. It serves 1,200 customers through 31 data centers in 11 countries. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Schiphol Rijk, the Netherlands.

Revealed: Buffett's 'Magic' Formula For Beating The Market

On Thursday, I told you about the advice Warren Buffett is all too happy to offer, but most investors seem to ignore.

Today, I'm going to share with you -- in the hopes that we can all heed his words a little more closely -- the seemingly "magic" formula he uses to consistently beat the market.

Ready for it?

Stuff minus debt.

That's it. That's the golden ticket.

 

That's how an investor can determine the intangible value of a business.

A lot of people try to make this more complicated than that, but it's really not. 

After all, the accountants are not trying to trick anyone: Each line is exactly what it says it is. "Cash" is self-explanatory. "Inventory" is stuff. "Receivables" are unpaid bills sent for goods delivered or services rendered. And so forth.

Yet balance sheets hold this weird mystique. They scare the hell out of a lot of investors. But they aren't rocket science. Stuff owned minus debt owed. Simple as that. It's just addition and subtraction.

Not only is it simple, it's standardized. That's all accounting is -- it's not black magic. It's just a tried-and-true system of common and accepted rules for how a company's books are put together.

At the end of the day, every balance sheet adds up the same way:

Assets - Liabilities = Shareholder Equity

To determine the value of any public company's business, subtract shareholder equity from market capitalization. That is the value of the business. Don't overthink it. It's just math using readily available numbers.

So, let's take a look at three examples, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). Each of the abbreviated balance sheets below (all gathered from the companies' first quarter 2013 results) contains the basics. They all adhere to the balance-sheet equation above.

Then, to make an apples-to-apples comparison, I divided the company's market cap by its shareholder equity. This nifty metric -- called the price-to-book (P/B) ratio -- shows which business is the most valuable relative to its individual equity.

There are three ways these numbers can shake out and three (basic) conclusions to draw:

1. If a company trades at a slim premium to its equity, the company's intangible business value -- the coll! ective ability of its resources to use the company's capital and equipment to earn a profit serving customers -- is low.

2. In some cases, the value of a company's stocks actually drops below the value of its net assets. This is when investors lose confidence in a business as a going concern, which can happen for a number of reasons. J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP), for example, hired a CEO who attempted to remake the venerable retailer. But customers resisted and stopped shopping there, and revenue and earnings fell. Now the company's market cap is only slightly higher than its equity. This is an atypical and unhealthy balance-sheet scenario. The implication couldn't be more crystal-clear: The business of J.C. Penney is perceived by Wall Street to be in peril.

3. In the case of a company with a strong market cap but with little equity (resulting in a high P/B), Wall Street has placed a rich value on the company's business. To put it another way, investors perceive the company's ability to earn future profits as very strong.

The final step in the process is the relationship between market capitalization and equity. By tapping into this metric we can find companies whose business is highly valued by Wall Street.

From there, it's up to investors to determine their goals so they can concentrate on the criteria that matters most. Remember, when you set your investment goals, given the number of choices you have, it's critical to determine what you don't want as much as it is to decide what you want.

My goal is to find the next big thing -- the Game-Changing Stocks. My readers and I are not looking for stocks with any certain fundamental trait. We're not even looking for the merely very good. One company that fits a certain criteria could be a 10-bagger, while another could be a completely pedestrian investment.

What does all of this mean? Unfortunately, it means there is no magic formula for picking stocks.

We can tell this from looki! ng at one! of the most famous investors of all time. Just look at the publicly available records of Ben Graham, the father of value investing. Graham was a good college professor -- his star pupil Buffett went on to do pretty well for himself -- but Graham did not himself run a particularly successful portfolio. Indeed, if one back-tests the criteria he outlined in "Ben Graham's Last Will and Testament," published by Forbes and available online, one sees that the picks were pretty humdrum.

So, again, there is no magic formula. I know, I know -- I was just telling you I had a magic formula of my own. Well that was just simple math. There's no real magic to it. And let me be brutally honest. If I had such a formula, I wouldn't tell you! I wouldn't share it with anyone. My head butler would call his chief of staff, who would relay my picks to my broker.

But that doesn't mean you can't use the tools I've listed here to narrow down your next stock purchase.

P.S. Some of the best value investors out there don't buy shares of companies listed on an exchange. Instead, these investors are allowed to invest in a market only available to the richest 6% of Americans. But there is a back-door into this market I want to show you today. And the results speak for themselves... 97%... 140%... 180%... returns in just a short period of time. To learn more about this opportunity, click here.

Why Amira Natural Foods Shares Fell

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

What: Shares of Amira Nature Foods (NYSE: ANFI  ) were looking rotten today, falling as much as 12% after reporting earnings this morning.

So what: The Indian specialty rice maker said adjusted earnings moved up to $0.24 from $0.20 a year ago as revenue increased 10% to $140.2 million. Earnings were in line with estimates, while revenues topped expectations of $133.9 million. The company also guided sales in line with estimates as it sees revenue of $480 to $507 million for fiscal 2014, starting this quarter. Shares of Amira actually opened 4% higher but fell shortly after opening, for reasons that are unclear. On the earnings call, analysts brought up concerns about guidance and international expansion.

Now what: With only six months under its belt as a publicly traded company, Amira shares could have a bright future ahead of them. Unlike most IPOs or some other foodmakers that investors are excited about, shares are unbelievably cheap at a P/E of just 7.5. I'd say that makes Amira worth a closer look, as Basmati rice and other Indian foods are gaining popularity and elsewhere as people turn to healthier diets. You can stay on top of Amira by adding the company to your Watchlist here.

Should Smithfield Shareholders Reject the Buyout Offer?

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014

A number of sources, from Fitch Ratings to UBS,�have decided that it's time for investors to get out of department stores. The argument is that customers are trending more toward specialty retailers, and that the benefit well for department store stocks is all but dried up. Other observers aren't sold on the idea, though, and the National Retail Federation ranks among the skeptics. Daniel Butler, a VP of retail operations with the Federation, said that department stores are actually outperforming the retail sector overall.

For investors, it may simply be a matter of being more selective. The range of department stores and performances is broad, so here are three of the bigger players, and how they stack up against one another.

J.C. Penney
At the bottom of the pile is J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) . I vacillate between thinking that J.C. Penney is about to go out of business and take everyone down with it and thinking that it's about to go out of business but liquidate its real estate to generate some value for investors. Either way, things at the retailer are not working out. Last quarter, both net sales and comparable sales were down more than 16%. The company's loss per share doubled from the quarter last year.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Johnson Controls Inc.(JCI)

Johnson Controls, Inc. engages in building efficiency, automotive experience, and power solutions businesses worldwide. Its building efficiency business designs, produces, markets, and installs integrated heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, as well as building management systems, controls, and security and mechanical equipment. This business also provides technical services, energy management consulting, and operations of real estate portfolios for the non-residential buildings market. In addition, this business offers residential air conditioning and heating systems, and industrial refrigeration products. The company?s automotive experience business designs and manufactures interior products and systems for passenger cars and light trucks, including vans, pick-up trucks, and sport/crossover utility vehicles. It offers seating systems and components; cockpit systems comprising instrument panels and clusters, information displays, and body controllers; overh ead systems, such as headliners and electronic convenience features; floor consoles; and door systems. This business also produces automotive interior systems for original equipment manufacturers. Its power solutions business produces lead-acid automotive batteries serving automotive original equipment manufacturers and the general vehicle battery aftermarket. This business produces lead-acid batteries, as well as offers absorbent glass mat and lithium-ion battery technologies to power hybrid vehicles. The company was formerly known as Johnson Electric Service Company and changed its name to Johnson Controls, Inc. in 1974. Johnson Controls, Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Martin]

  Johnson Controls (JCI, $28.85). Auto parts supplier — one of every three cars uses their components — to benefit from "pe nt-up demand."

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Kam And Ronson Media Group Inc (KME.V)

Kam and Ronson Media Group Inc., together with its subsidiary, Kam and Ronson Enterprise Company Limited, engages in the distribution of home video program titles primarily in Hong Kong and Macau. The company distributes various titles in digital video disc, video compact disc, compact disc, and blue ray disc formats. It also involves in the production of digital video discs and video compact discs. The company is based in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own For 2014: BioSpecifics Technologies Corp(BSTC)

Biospecifics Technologies Corp., a biopharmaceutical company, involves in the development of an injectable collagenase for various indications. It has a development and license agreement with Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for injectable collagenase for clinical indications in Dupuytren?s contracture, Peyronie?s disease, and frozen shoulder. Biospecifics Technologies Corp. also focuses on the development of collagenase for various other clinical indications, including human and canine lipoma and cellulite. The company develops and commercializes XIAFLEX, which is used for the treatment of adult Dupuytren?s contracture. Biospecifics Technologies Corp. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Lynbrook, New York.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: First Merchants Corporation(FRME)

First Merchants Corporation, a financial holding company, provides financial and banking products and services. Its deposit products include demand deposits, savings deposits, and certificates and other time deposits. The company?s loan products portfolio comprises commercial and industrial loans; agricultural production financing and other loans to farmers; real estate loans, including construction, commercial and farmland, and residential loans; individuals? loans for household and other personal expenditures; tax-exempt loans; lease financing; consumer loans; and other loans. It also rents safe deposit facilities; and provides personal and corporate trust services, brokerage services, and other corporate services, as well as letters of credit and repurchase agreements. The company operates through 79 banking locations in 23 Indiana and 2 Ohio counties, as well as through ATMs, check cards, interactive voice response systems, and Internet technology. In addition, First Merchants Corporation operates as a property, casualty, personal lines, and employee benefit insurance agency; and involves in life reinsurance business. The company was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Independent Bank Corporation(IBCP)

Independent Bank Corporation operates as a holding company for the Independent Bank that provides various retail and commercial banking services in Michigan. The company offers various deposit products, including non-interest bearing demand deposits, time deposits, checking and savings accounts, and NOW accounts. It also provides commercial lending, direct and indirect consumer financing, mortgage lending, and safe deposit box services. The company, through its other subsidiaries, offers payment plans used by consumers to purchase vehicle service contracts and title insurance services, as well as provides investment and insurance services. As of May 2, 2011, it operated approximately 100 offices across Michigan?s Lower Peninsula. The company was founded in 1864 and is based in Ionia, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harding]

  Independent Bank is a commercial bank in Michigan. It provides checking and savings accounts, commercial lending, direct and indirect consumer financing and mortgage lending.

  Shares of the Michigan company climbed after Independent Bank said its net loss applicable to shareholders shrank to $4.9 million, or 65 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, compared to a year-earlier loss of $48.2 million, or $20.49 a share. On Feb. 16, Independent Bank announced its senior management succession plan, although shares pulled back shortly after when the company announced the unregistered sale of 253,000 shares of common stock to Dutchess Opportunity Fund II as part of an investment agreement established in July 2010.

  Current Share Price: $3.23 (March 29)

  First Quarter Total Return: 148%

  Analyst Ratings: Stifel Nicolaus is the only research firm currently following Independent Bank, recommending that investors hold on to shares.

  TheStreet Ratings has a "sell" rating on Independent Bank, noting that despite the recent stock rally, shares are down sharply in the past two years and underperform the S&P 500. "Investors have so far failed to pay much attention to the earnings improvements the company has managed to achieve over the last quarter," the March 20 research note reads.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Canda Gas Corp (CJC.V)

Canada Strategic Metals, Inc., an exploration stage mining company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company holds interests in various rare earth element and graphite properties located in Quebec, Canada. It also owns a 33.33% interest in the Prophet River natural gas project situated in northeastern British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Canada Rare Earths Inc. and changed its name to Canada Strategic Metals, Inc. in August 2012. Canada Strategic Metals, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FQVLF.PK)

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (First Quantum) is a mineral exploration, development and mining company. First Quantum is engaged in the production of copper, gold, nickel and acid and related activities, including exploration, development and processing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� operating mines and projects are located in Zambia, Mauritania, Australia, Finland and Peru. It is developing the Kevitsa nickel-copper-platinum project in Finland and the Sentinel copper project in Zambia, and exploring the Haquira copper deposit in Peru. As of December 31, 2011, it produced London Metal Exchange grade equivalent copper cathode, copper in concentrate, nickel, gold and sulphuric acid. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it produced 265,576 tons of copper, 175,225 ounces of gold. In March 2012, Eurasian Natural Resources Corp PLC acquired its residual claims and assets in respect of the Kolwezi Tailings project, the Frontier and Lonshi mines and related exploratio n interests.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Goldsearch Ltd (GSE.AX)

Goldsearch Limited engages in the identification, discovery, and development of mineral properties in Australia and southern Sweden. It primarily explores for gold, silver, nickel, lead, zinc, copper, and uranium deposits, as well as other base metals. The company�s principal properties include the Mount Wellington project in Victoria, Australia. Goldsearch Limited is based in Sydney, Australia.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: GATX Corp (GMT)

GATX Corporation (GATX) leases, operates, manages and remarkets assets primarily in the rail and marine markets. GATX has three segments: Rail, American Steamship Company (ASC) and Portfolio Management. Rail and its affiliates lease tank cars, freight cars and locomotives in North America and Europe. ASC operates a fleet of United States flagged vessels on the Great Lakes. Portfolio Management has investments in affiliated companies. As of December, 31, 2011, the Company held 37.5% interest in AAE Cargo AG (AAE), a 12.5% interest in Adler Funding LLC (Adler) and a 50% interest in Southern Capital Corporation (ACC). In January 2012, ASC entered into a five-year lease for a newly constructed articulated tug-barge. The tug is diesel powered and the barge is 740 feet in length with a carrying capacity of 34,000 gross tons. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Clipper Fourth Limited and Clipper Fourth APS marine joint ventures, in each of which GATX held a 45% interest, were dissolved.

Rail

Rail is exploring leasing opportunities in Asia through both wholly owned subsidiaries, as well as joint venture arrangements. As of December 31, 2011, Rail�� worldwide fleet, consisted of wholly owned and leased-in railcars, totaled approximately 130,000 railcars. Rail offers customers financial, operational, management and maintenance expertise. In addition, Rail actively manages fleets for an affiliate and other third-party owners of approximately 8,000 railcars, in aggregate.

Rail�� customers primarily operate in the chemical, petroleum, food/agriculture and transportation industries. Rail�� fleet consists of a diverse selection of railcar types that are used by its customers to ship approximately 700 different commodities. Rail also had an ownership interest in approximately 32,000 railcars through investments in affiliated companies. Affiliate fleets consist primarily of freight and intermodal railcars. Additionally, Rail manages approximately 2,000 railcars f! or third-party owners. Rail primarily provides railcars pursuant to full-service leases under which it maintains the railcars, pays ad valorem taxes and insurance and provides other ancillary services. Rail also offers net leases for railcars under which the lessee is responsible for maintenance, insurance and taxes.

In North America, Rail leases railcars for terms that generally range from three to 10 years. Rail�� North American operations also include a locomotive leasing business. As of December 31, 2011, Rail�� locomotive fleet totaled 572 locomotives. The majority of Rail�� leases are full-service contracts under which Rail maintains the railcars. Rail operates an extensive network of service facilities across North America that perform repair, maintenance, modification and regulatory compliance work on the fleet. Maintenance services include interior cleaning of railcars, general repairs to the car body and safety appliances, regulatory compliance work, wheelset replacements, exterior blast and painting, and car stenciling.

Rail leases standard gauge railcars to customers throughout Europe. Lease terms generally range from one to seven years and at December 31, 2011, the average remaining lease term of the fleet was approximately two years. Rail acquires new railcars primarily from the IRS Group and VRZ Karlovo. The owned service centers are supplemented by a number of third-party repair facilities.

ASC

ASC operates a fleet of United States flagged vessels on the Great Lakes, providing waterborne transportation of dry bulk commodities primarily for customers in the steel, electric utility and construction industries. The primary commodities carried by ASC�� vessels are iron ore, coal, limestone aggregates and metallurgical limestone. End markets for these commodities include domestic automobile manufacturing, electricity generation and non-residential construction. At December 31, 2011, ASC�� fleet consisted of 17 vessels. Fourteen ! of the ve! ssels are diesel powered. The diesel vessels range in size from 635 to 1,004 feet in length with maximum load capacities between 23,800 and 80,900 gross tons. The three remaining vessels are steam powered. The steamer vessels range in size from 690 to 767 feet in length with maximum load capacities between 22,300 and 26,300 gross tons. In 2011, ASC carried 28.4 million net tons of cargo including both contracted volume and spot business.

Portfolio Management

Portfolio Management leverages its equipment knowledge by managing portfolios of assets for third parties. Portfolio Management generates fee and residual sharing income through portfolio administration and remarketing of these assets. Affiliate activities include aircraft spare engine leasing, shipping operations and gas compression equipment leasing. Rolls-Royce and Partners Finance (RRPF) is a collection of 50%-owned domestic and international joint ventures with Rolls-Royce plc, a manufacturer of commercial aircraft jet engines. RRPF leases spare engines to Rolls-Royce plc and commercial airlines. The RRPF portfolio in aggregate is comprised of approximately 370 Rolls-Royce and International Aero Engine aircraft engines. Cardinal Marine Investments LLC (Cardinal Marine) is a 50%-owned marine joint venture with IMC Holdings, a subsidiary of the IMC Pan Asia Alliance Group (IMC).

Cardinal Marine owns six chemical parcel tankers (each with 45,000 dead weight tons that operate under a pooling arrangement with IMC�� other chemical tankers in support of the movement of liquid bulk chemicals in the Middle East Gulf/Far East and United States Gulf/Far East trades. Somargas II Private Limited (Somargas) and Singco Gas Pte, Limited (Singco), respectively, are 35% and 50%-owned joint ventures with IM Skaugen ASA (Skaugen). Clipper Third Limited (Clipper Third) is a 50%-owned joint venture with Clipper Group Invest Ltd. (the Clipper Group). Clipper Third owns two handysize vessels that support the worldwide movement! of dry b! ulk products, such as grain, cement, coal and steel. Enerven Compression, LLC (Enerven) is a 45.6%-owned joint venture with ING Investment Management and Enerven management. Enerven provides natural gas compression equipment leasing through its subsidiary, Enerven Compression Services (ECS) and third-party maintenance and repair services through its subsidiary, Worldwide Energy Solutions Company (WESCO).

The Company competes with Union Tank Car Company, General Electric Railcar Services Corporation, American Railcar Leasing, CIT Group Inc., Trinity Leasing, First Union Rail, Helm Financial Corporation, National Railway Equipment Corporation, Relco Locomotives, Inc., VTG Aktiengesellschaft, Ermewa, CTL Logistics Group, PCC Rail Group, Interlake Steamship Company, VanEnkevort Tug and Barge, Grand River Navigation, Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. and Central Marine Logistics.

Top 10 Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd (BGM.V)

Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of gold mineral properties in British Columbia, Canada. The company controls 117,691 hectares of mineral tenure, including 3 historic groups of contiguous crown-granted mineral claims, such as Cariboo Group, Island Mountain Group, and Mosquito Creek Group, as well as a block of primarily contiguous mineral tenures roughly centered on the Town of Wells located to the east of Quesnel, British Columbia. It also operates the QR mine and mill that is located to the southeast of Quesnel in the Cariboo Mining District. The company was formerly known as International Wayside Gold Mines Ltd. and changed its name to Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. in January 2010. Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1970 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Following what seemed to be a relentless upward march in stock prices, we may be witnessing a shift in sentiment and the start of a period in which prices get reacquainted with downward volatility.

U.S. stocks fell 0.8% yesterday, and they opened lower this morning, with the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) and the narrower, price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) down 0.84% and 0.62%, respectively, at 10:05 a.m. EDT. Still, that's nothing compared to Japan's Nikkei 225, which fell 7.3% today!

Hewlett-Packard beats the Street
What a difference a quarter makes. Dow component Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) reported its quarterly results after yesterday's close, and investors seem to like what they see, sending the shares up 13% (in a market that is broadly declining, no less).

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: FalconStor Software Inc.(FALC)

FalconStor Software, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells network storage software solutions in the United States and internationally. It also offers related maintenance, implementation, and engineering services. The company?s proprietary technology includes the IPStor software platform that provides disk-based data protection and storage virtualization solutions for small/medium businesses, organizations, and enterprises. Its open data protection solutions include Virtual Tape Library with data deduplication for backup optimization by reducing the data needed to be stored on disk; Continuous Data Protector combines local and remote protection into a disk-based solution that allows organizations to recover data back to the most recent transaction; Network Storage Server for storage virtualization and provisioning; File-interface Deduplication System for capacity optimized storage; and HyperFS, a SAN-based file system to optimize storage performance for data intensive ap plications. The company offers data protection services at various levels from operating systems and application software, to files, databases, and messaging data across the organization. In addition, its storage virtualization and data protection solutions are designed for IT administrators and end users to recover data in the event of hardware failure, data corruption, deletion, or catastrophic site-level disaster; and to facilitate data restoration while minimizing downtime. Further, the company offers Application-Aware Snapshot Agents that automate and minimize quiescence time during data replication, backup, and other snapshot-based operations; and Application Specific Recovery Options, which offer recovery solutions for database and messaging systems. It sells its products through original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, solution providers, system integrators, direct market resellers, and distributors. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartere d in Melville, New York.

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: New York Community Bancorp Inc (NYCB.N)

New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company and a producer of multi-family mortgage loans in New York City, with an emphasis on apartment buildings that feature below-market rents. It has two bank subsidiaries: New York Community Bank (the Community Bank),New York Commercial Bank (the Commercial Bank. The Community Bank has 241 branches and operates through seven divisional banks. The Commercial Bank has 34 branches in Manhattan and operates 17 of its branches under the divisional name Atlantic Bank.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, all of the one-to-four family loans the Company originated was sold to government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). In New York, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through Roslyn Savings Bank, with 55 branches on Long Island; Queens County Savings Bank, with 34 branches in the New York City borough of Queens; Richmond County Savings Bank, with 22 branches in the borough of Staten Island, and Roose velt Savings Bank, with eight branches in the borough of Brooklyn. As of December 31, 2011, in the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County, the Company had four branches that operated directly under the name New York Community Bank.

In New Jersey, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through 51 branches that operate under the name Garden State Community Bank. In Florida and Arizona, where it has 25 and 14 branches, respectively, the Company serves its customers through the AmTrust Bank (AmTrust) division of the Community Bank. In Ohio, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through 28 branches of Ohio Savings Bank. Customers of the Community Bank and the Commercial Bank have access to their accounts through 261 of its 285 automatic teller machines (ATMs) locations in five states. The Company also serves its customers through three Websites, which include www.myNYCB.com, www.NewYorkCommercialBank.com and www.NYCBfamily.com.

Lendi ng Activities

The Company�� principal asset i! s loans. Its loan portfolio consists of three components: covered loans, non-covered loans held for sale and non-covered loans held for investment. As of December 31, 2011, the balance of covered loans was $3.8 billion, of which $3.4 billion were one-to-four family loans. Non-covered loans held for sale consists of the one-to-four family loans that are originated for sale, primarily to GSEs. At December 31, 2011, the held-for-sale loan portfolio totaled $1.0 billion

As of December 31, 2011, loans held for investment consisted of loans that it originates for its own portfolio, and totaled $ 25.5 billion.

In addition to multi-family loans, loans held for investment include commercial real estate loans (CRE); acquisition, development and construction (ADC) loans; commercial and industrial loans (C&I), and one-to-four family loans. As of December 31, 2011, its multi-family loans represented $17.4 billion, or 68.3%, of total loans held for investment, and repr esented $5.8 billion, or 64.1%, of the total loans that it originated for investment. The multi-family loans it originates are typically secured by non-luxury apartment buildings in New York City. It also makes multi-family loans to property owners who are seeking to expand their real estate holdings by purchasing additional properties.

As of December 31, 2011, CRE loans represented $6.9 billion, or 26.9%, of total held for investment; ADC loans represented $445.7 million, or 1.7%, of total loans held for investment. Its ADC loan portfolio consists of loans that were originated for land acquisition, development, and construction of multi-family and residential tract projects in New York City and Long Island.

C&I loans represented $600.0 million, or 2.4%, of total held for investment. It also offers a range of loans to small and mid-size businesses for working capital (including in! ventory a! nd receivables), business expansion, and the purchase of equipment a nd machinery. Non-covered one-to-four family loans totaled $! 127.4 mil! lion at December 31, 2011.

Investment Activities

The Company�� securities portfolio primarily consists of mortgage-related securities, and debt and equity (other) securities. Its investments include GSE certificates, GSE collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and GSE debentures. The Community Bank and the Commercial Bank are members of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLB-NY), one of 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) consisting of the FHLB system. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� securities represented $4.5 billion, or 10.8%, of total assets. As of December 31, 2011, 93.7% of its securities portfolio consisted of GSE obligations; held-to-maturity securities represented $3.8 billion, or 84.0%, of total securities, and its investment in bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) was $769.0 million.

Source of Funds

The Company has four primary funding sources. These include the deposits that it added thr ough its acquisitions or gathered through its branch network, and brokered deposits; wholesale borrowings, primarily in the form of FHLB advances and repurchase agreements with the FHLB and various brokerage firms; cash flows produced by the repayment and sale of loans, and cash flows produced by securities repayments and sales. As of December 31, 2011, deposits totaled $ 22.3 billion, which included certificates of deposit (CDs) of $7.4 billion; negotiable order withdrawal (NOW) and money market accounts of $8.8 billion; savings accounts of $ 4.0 billion, and non-interest-bearing accounts of $2.2 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� borrowed funds totaled $14.0 billion, loan repayments and sales generated cash flows of $15.0 billion, and securities sales and repayments generated cash flows of $4.2 billion.

Subsidiary Activities

As of December 31, 2011, C! ommunity ! Bank had 34 subsidiary corporations. Of these, 22 are direct subsidiaries of the Community Bank and 12 are subsidiaries of Community B! ank-owned! entities. The 22 direct subsidiaries of the Community Bank include DHB Real Estate, LLC, Mt. Sinai Ventures, LLC, NYCB Community Development Corp., NYCB Mortgage Company, LLC, Eagle Rock Investment Corp., Pacific Urban Renewal, Inc., Somerset Manor Holding Corp., Synergy Capital Investments, Inc., 1400 Corp., BSR 1400 Corp., Bellingham Corp., Blizzard Realty Corp., CFS Investments, Inc., Main Omni Realty Corp., NYB Realty Holding Company, LLC, O.B. Ventures, LLC, RCBK Mortgage Corp., RCSB Corporation, RSB Agency, Inc., Richmond Enterprises, Inc. and Roslyn National Mortgage Corporation.

The 12 subsidiaries of Community Bank-owned entities include Bronx Realty Funding Company, LLC, Columbia Preferred Capital Corporation, Ferry Development Holding Company, Peter B. Cannell & Co., Inc., Roslyn Real Estate Asset Corp., Walnut Realty Funding Company, LLC, Woodhaven Investments Inc, Your New REO, LLC, Ironbound Investment Company, Inc.,The Hamlet at Olde Oyster Bay, LLC, The Hamlet at Willow Creek, LLC and Richmond County Capital Corporation.

The two direct subsidiaries of the Commercial Bank include Beta Investments, Inc., and Gramercy Leasing Services, Inc. The two subsidiaries of Commercial Bank-owned entities include Omega Commercial Mortgage Corp. and Long Island Commercial Capital Corp.

Top Cheap Companies To Invest In Right Now: Marks & Spencer(MKS.L)

Marks and Spencer Group plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in retailing clothing, food, and home products in the United Kingdom and internationally. Its clothing products include womenswear, lingerie, menswear, school wear, and kids wear; and shoes and slippers, as well as offers accessories, handbags and purses, bags and briefcases, ties, jewellery, and beauty products. The company also provides home and furniture products comprising bath linens and accessories, bedding, cookware, curtains and blinds, cushions and throws, dinnerware, domestic and small appliances, luggage, rugs, storage, lighting products, home accessories, and other furniture products for living and dining rooms, bathrooms, kids bedrooms, office, nursery, kitchen, and conservatory and garden. In addition, it offers various technology products, including sound and vision products, such as audio and iPods, blu-ray, DVD and home theater products, DVDs and blu-ray disks, digital photography personal alar ms, and TVs and accessories; computing and communication products consisting of computing and gaming products, and phones and accessories; beauty electrical products, which comprise shavers and grooming, electric toothbrushes, hair care products, and female beauty products; and home and kitchen appliances. Further, the company provides flowers and gifts that comprise bouquets, books and DVDs, flowers and plants, cards, and stationery products; and food and wine gifts, and personalized and wedding cakes, as well as offers procurement and financial services. It markets its products through operating 705 stores in the United Kingdom and 361 wholly owned, partly owned, and franchised stores internationally in 42 countries, as well as through online. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Intl Northair Mines Ltd.(INM.V)

International Northair Mines Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in North America. It primarily explores for gold and silver, as well as zinc, lead, and copper. The company holds interests in the La Cigarra project consisting of 6 privately held concessions covering an area of approximately 335 hectares in State of Chihuahua, north central Mexico; the El Reventon project covering an area of approximately 3,400 hectares located in Durango, Mexico; and the Sierra Rosario project located in Sonora, Mexico. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sterling Resources Ltd (SLG.V)

Sterling Resources Ltd., an energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas. The company holds interests in various offshore and onshore properties located in the United Kingdom, Romania, the Netherlands, and France. Its primary projects include the Breagh project comprising 15 blocks in the greater Breagh area located in the southern North Sea; the Cladhan project consisting of 2 blocks, such as 210/29a and 210/30a in the northern North Sea; and the Ana/Doina project comprising Pelican and Midia blocks in the Black Sea offshore Romania. The company was formerly known as Peoples Oil Limited and changed its name to Sterling Resources Ltd. in February 1997. Sterling Resources Ltd. was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2014

Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold, via "13F" filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.

Today let's look at the D. E. Shaw & Co., founded by David E. Shaw and with a reportable stock portfolio totaled $41.8 billion in value as of March 31.

Shaw is known as a math wizard, and a quantitative investing pioneer. His firm is reportedly extremely selective, hiring less than 1% of applicants -- and Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos once made the cut.

Interesting developments
So what does D. E. Shaw's latest quarterly 13F filing tell us? Here are a few interesting details.

The biggest new holdings are Liberty Media�and the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund ETF. Other new holdings of interest include Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT  ) . Sarepta stock has soared about ninefold over the past year, and some still see it as undervalued. After Sarepta petitioned the FDA for accelerated approval for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, eteplirsen, the FDA requested more information. That sent shares lower, but management is optimistic about its recent interactions with the FDA.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2014: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dave Friedman]

  The shares closed at $91.37, up $1.56, or 1.74%, on the day. They have traded in a 52-week range of $63.34 to $116.55. Volume today was 10,450,473 shares, against a 3-month average volume of 9,960,260 shares. Its market capitalization is $59.03billion, its trailing P/E is 15.11, its trailing earnings are $6.05 per share, and it pays a dividend of $1.84 per share, for a dividend yield of 2.00%. About the company: Caterpillar Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets construction, mining, agricultural, and forestry machinery. The Company also manufactures engines and other related parts for its equipment, and offers financing and insurance. Caterpillar distributes its products through a worldwide organization of dealers.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Caterpillar (CAT) is staging a textbook breakout in May. Shares of heavy equipment maker haven't exactly been kind to investors year-to-date; CAT has barely broken even during a time when the broad market has been in a historic rally. But a textbook breakout should change that.

  CAT started forming an inverse head and shoulders pattern back in early April. The inverse head and shoulders is formed by two swing lows that bottom out around the same level (the shoulders), separated by a lower low called the head; the buy signal comes on the breakout above the pattern's "neckline" level, which was just below $86 for CAT. That puts this stock's upside target right around $92.

  Even though CAT has nearly hit its upside target already (the post-breakout buying has been very quick), the longer-term implication for investors is a break of the downtrend that had been haranguing shares this year. Now, with that downtrend broken, CAT should have more room to move higher. I'd just expect some consolidation first.

• [By Jim Cramer]

  this stock could be a monster in 2011, especially with the integration of Bucyrus (BUCY), which I think will turn out to be a fantastic acquisition. Estimates, currently showing EPS at about $6, I think are way, way too low. I see this stock going to $120 in the next year. Too gutsy? Ask yourself what happens if the United States comes back as a growth nation. Right now almost all of the growth is overseas. Still a fantastic mineral play and a terrific call on world growth.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2014: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Collins]

  Household name Tupperware Brands Corp. (NYSE:TUP) is a global direct seller of products with multiple brands through an independent sales force of 2.4 million people. Its product line focuses on kitchen storage and serving solutions, as well as personal-care products. Over 60% of sales in 2011 are expected to come from Europe and Asia, and the stock has appeal as an emerging markets story.

  S&P estimates that 2011 earnings will increase to $4.54 versus $3.53 in 2010, and it increased its rating to a “five-star strong buy” with a recently revised 12-month target of $81, up from $73. The 2005 purchase of Sara Lee’s (NYSE:SLE) direct-sales business, which has a high growth rate, should be a long-term benefit. TUP’s annual dividend yield is 1.92%.

  Technically TUP had a pullback following a new high at over $70 and is currently oversold. Buy TUP at the current market price with a trading target of $70, but longer term a much higher target will likely be attained.

Top 10 Casino Stocks To Own For 2014: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Collins]

  Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) is a leading operator of discount variety stores. The stock has hugged its 50-day moving average since mid-February. But a recent minor revision of earnings for this year by several analysts and the recent market sell-off have resulted in a fall from its high of the year at over $70 to under $66. However, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) increased its price target to $73 from $69.

  Technically DLTR is oversold, according to MACD. A break below its 50-day moving average could result in a pullback to $64, but positions could be taken at the current market price. The trading target for DLTR is $72.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2014: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Holmes]

   Schlumberger has the most potential upside of any stock in this group of 50 that also makes the firm's Best Ideas list. Analyst Ole Slorer says Schlumberger has "what we consider the most advanced technology portfolio in the industry."

  "Its fundamentals are impressive, with what we think are some of the best field personnel, a pristine service and performance reputation, and leading market share in most of its product lines," Slorer writes.

  Though Slorer's price target is 42% above current levels, his most bullish scenario for Schlumberger over the next year would see shares climb a whopping 116%. On the downside, his most bearish scenario for the company would see shares slide 38% over the next 12 months.

• [By Lowell]

  Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) is a premier supplier of technology and oil-well services and equipment. S&P has upgraded SLB to a “buy,” and Credit Suisse upgraded it to an “outperform” rating because the company exceeded recent earnings forecasts and increased its view of future earnings for 2011. SLB’s fundamental target is $117 and is based on earnings estimates of $3.85 for 2011, $5.40 for 2012, and $6.05 for 2013.

  Technically SLB may become the object of profit-taking following a recent run to over $95. Positions are recommended at around $85 with a target of $115 before December 2011, assuming a breakout through a triple-top at $95.