Lakshmi Vilas Bank raises over Rs 250 crore Tier-II Bonds

The size of the issue was Rs. 250 crore including option to retain over subscription. The bonds with combination of tenures of 6 years and 10 years offered a coupon rate of 11.40%. The issue of bonds was made for augmenting Tier-II capital for improving the Capital Adequacy Ratio and enhancing the long-term resources of the Bank.

LVB has a rich track record of 85 years of time tested presence and growth. The Bank has a wide network of 277 branches spread across 15 states and 1 Union territory, supported by 502 ATMs. LVB announced its quarterly results for the quarter ended 31st December 2011 on the 2nd February 2012, reflecting an Y-on-Y growth of 34% on total business which stood at Rs 22625 Cr as at 31st December 2011. Total deposits grew to Rs 13281 Cr (33.43%), with retail deposit growth of 45.93% and gross credit at Rs 9344 Cr grew Y-o-Y by 35%. Net profit for the quarter 31st December 2011 was up 10.35% at Rs 28.35 Cr and for the 9 months was up 11.2% at Rs 82.06 Cr.

 

Investors to face some small changes after Budget 2013-14

Investors will witness some incremental changes as far as their investment plans are concerned in the coming financial year following the announcement of the Union Budget 2013-14. These will not mean a major deviation from their existing plans though they will be able to make use of some additional options in their investment mix.

One bit of good news is that the investors will have a choice of tax free infrastructure bonds for one more year as there has been a permission given for the issuance of these bonds. The individual can choose this as a long term option for parking their funds for 10 to 15 years and this will not have an adverse tax impact because of the fact that the income will be tax free in their hands.

The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme (RGESS) has also witnessed some small changes wherein the income limit for being eligible for the scheme has been raised to Rs 12 lakh. At the same time the benefit can be claimed over a period of three years as compared to the one year time period that exists currently which means that the investor can actually phase out their investments to suit their requirements. The choice of instruments in the scheme has also been increased as equity oriented funds have been included in the eligible list of investments which will help the investor to choose a fund as per their liking.

On the house property front there is an attempt to encourage first time investors through a higher deduction that will be available for repayment of interest on housing loans. For a first time buyer if the value of the property is Rs 40 lakh or less and if the housing loan is Rs 25 lakh or lower then an additional deduction of Rs 1 lakh would be available over and above the existing Rs 1.5 lakh deduction. Once again this can be easily claimed because of the fact that is can be taken over a two year time period.

However the provision for a tax deducted at source at the time of sale of the house property if the value of this is Rs 50 lakh or higher would be a negative. This would increase the burden on the individual in terms of compliance and effort in deducting and depositing the tax with the government.

There will also be a better option available for those who want to protect their real rate of return because there will be the introduction of inflation linked bonds and inflation linked National Savings Certificates. Conservative investors as well as senior citizens can make use of this opportunity when it becomes available. This will ensure that the interest rates earned by the investor moves along with the changes in the overall interest rates and hence there is protection in times when inflation rises in the economy.

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Breaking Down Financial Securities Licenses

So, you've decided to sell investments. Whether you want to be a registered representative (RR) or an investment advisor, the first step in either process is obtaining the proper securities license. The license needed is determined by several factors, such as the type of investments to be sold, method of compensation and the scope of services that will be provided. In this article, we'll examine the different types of licensing and show you how to determine which license is right for you.

FINRA Licensing Breakdown
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) oversees all securities licensing procedures and requirements. This self-regulatory organization administers many of the exams that must be passed to become a licensed financial professional. It also performs all relevant disciplinary and record-keeping functions.

FINRA offers several different types of licenses needed by both representatives and supervisors. Each license corresponds to a specific type of business or investment. While there are several licenses geared toward specific types of securities, there are three general licenses that the majority of representatives and advisors usually obtain:

Series 6
The Series 6 license is known as the limited-investment securities license. It allows its holders to sell "packaged" investment products such as mutual funds, variable annuities and unit investment trusts (UITs). The Series 6 exam is 135 minutes long, and covers basic information regarding packaged investments, securities regulations and ethics.

This license is also required for insurance agents that sell variable products of any kind, because securities constitute the underlying investments within those products. Principals who supervise representatives holding a Series 6 license must obtain the Series 26 license in addition to having already obtained the Series 6.

Series 7
The Series 7 license is known as the general securities representative (GS) license. It authorizes licensees to sell virtually any type of individual security. This includes common and preferred stocks; call and put options; bonds and other individual fixed income investments; as well as all forms of packaged products (except for those that also require a life insurance license to sell). The only major types of securities or investments that Series 7 licensees are not authorized to sell are commodities futures, real estate and life insurance.

The Series 7 exam is by far the longest and most difficult of all the securities exams. It lasts for six hours and covers all aspects of stock and bond quotes and trading; put and call options; spreads and straddles; ethics; margin and other account holder requirements; and other pertinent regulations.

Those who carry this license are officially listed as "registered representatives" by FINRA, but they are generally referred to as stockbrokers. Many insurance agents and other types of financial planners and advisors also carry the Series 7 license to facilitate certain types of transactions inherent in their businesses. Principals of general representatives must also obtain the Series 24 license.

Series 3
The Series 3 license authorizes representatives to sell commodity futures contracts, which are generally considered the riskiest publicly traded investments available. Representatives that carry the Series 3 license tend to specialize in commodities and often do little or no other business of any type.

The Series 3 exam is approximately 120 minutes long and covers all forms of commodities transactions, options, hedging, margin requirements and other regulations. An offshoot of this license is the Series 31 license, which allows representatives to sell managed futures (pooled groups of commodities futures similar to mutual funds).

NASAA Licensing Breakdown
Not all securities licenses are administered by FINRA. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) oversees the licensing requirements of three key licenses:

Series 63
The Series 63 license, known as the Uniform Securities Agent license, is required by each state and authorizes licensees to transact business within the state. All Series 6 and Series 7 licensees must carry this license as well. The provisions of the Uniform Securities Act are tested on the 75-minute exam.

While this test is much shorter and covers less material than the FINRA exams, it is known for asking "trick" questions that force the candidate to definitively know the difference between which transactions and situations are permitted and which are required by the rules. This test also contains some experimental questions that the NASAA uses to gauge future relevance.

Series 65
The Series 65 license is required by anyone intending to provide any kind of financial advice or service on a non-commission basis. Financial planners and advisors that provide investment advice for an hourly fee fall into this category, as do stockbrokers or other registered representatives that deal with managed-money accounts.

The exam for this license is a 180-minute exam that covers the rules and regulations pertaining to registered investment advisors, as well as various investment vehicles and disciplines, economics, ethics and analysis. Much of the material is covered on the Series 7 exam as well, as many of the advisors who sit for this exam are not, and may never become, Series 7 licensed and therefore need exposure to the investment material covered therein.

Series 66
This Series 66 is the newest exam offered by NASAA. In essence, it combines the Series 63 and 65 exams into one 150-minute exam. This test contains no investment material, as the Series 66 license is only available to candidates that are already Series 7 licensed.

Making the Grade
Most securities exams administered by both FINRA and the NASAA have a passing score of 70%, except for the Series 7, 63 and 65, which have passing rates of 72%, and Series 66, which has a passing score of 75%. All tests are now given via computer at approved proctor testing sites.

Broker-Dealer Sponsorship Vs. RIA Requirements
Once all relevant securities tests have been taken and a passing grade received, licensees must register their securities licenses with an approved broker-dealer, who will hold their licenses and oversee their business (in return for a portion of the commission income). Those who intend to hold themselves out to the public as Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) must register with the state they do business in if their assets under management are less than $25 million, or with the SEC if the assets exceed $25 million. Registered Investment Advisors do not need to associate themselves with a broker-dealer.

Company Policy
The majority of financial and investment companies that hire or train new advisors will have a mandatory licensing program included in the training package. The company will, in most cases, mandate which licenses must be obtained to sell the company's products and services. Those that decide to go into business for themselves still need to meet the licensing requirements of their chosen profession; the only real freedom of choice comes in which profession is chosen.

Monsanto Maintained at Neutral - Analyst Blog

On Jul 4, we reiterated our Neutral recommendation on the agricultural chemicals company, Monsanto Company (MON). The results of the company surpassed its year-ago performance. However, at the same time, its international presence exposes it to geo-political and financial risks.

Why the Reiteration?

Monsanto's earnings in the fiscal third quarter of 2013 were $1.66 per share increasing 1.8% year over year on the back of improved revenues and margins. Revenues for the quarter increased 0.7% year over year to $4.2 billion, driven by an improvement in its global corn business.

Based on the results, management maintained its outlook for fiscal 2013, with earnings in the range of $4.50 - $4.55, indicating year-over-year growth of 20%. This rising business of the company is expected to continue in fiscal 2014 as well, with an expected rise in the corn seed portfolio pricing in fiscal 2014. The improved seed business in the United States also strengthens this belief.

Monsanto's attempts to increase shareholders' value also seem promising as it announced a $2 billion share repurchase plan recently.

The company's presence in countries outside the United States exposes it to various risks such as foreign currency fluctuation, economic and socio-political risks, making it difficult for the company to operate smoothly.

For a company like Monsanto, an enormous amount is spent toward research and development. Such expenses may prove to be futile if government permits are not received in time.

Moreover, Monsanto's business in Brazil still remains vague, leading to the possibility of a lower demand in the coming quarters as well. Moreover, the increased societal/government resistance to genetically modified crops and farmers' reluctance to accept new products remain the major offsetting factors.

Other Stocks to Consider

Monsanto currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some other companies in the sector which are performing well and carry! a favorable Zacks Rank include Limoneira Company (LMNR), Gevo, Inc. (GEVO) and FMC Corp. (FMC). All the companies carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

PVH Hits New 52-Week High - Analyst Blog

Riding on better-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2013 bottom-line results, shares of PVH Corporation (PVH) attained a new 52-week high of $130.95 yesterday, before closing at $130.86, up 2.0% from the previous day's session. This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock generated a year-to-date return of approximately 17.1%.

Based on the current price, this designer, marketer and retailer of apparel, furnishings and accessories is 0.8% below the Zacks Consensus average analyst price target of $131.91. The company currently trades at a forward P/E of 18.42x, a 2.6% premium to the peer group average of 17.96x. Additionally, the company's long-term estimated EPS growth rate is 14.3% higher than the peer group average of 12.7%.

PVH Corporation's earnings surprise history shows it to have outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last 10 quarters with an average beat of 10.1%, including a positive surprise of 39.4% in the previous quarter.

PVH Corporation posted results on Jun 12, in which quarterly earnings of $1.91 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.37 and surged 43.6% from the year-ago quarter. The upside was primarily driven by revenue growth from the acquisition of The Warnaco Group, Inc. and improved margins.

During the quarter, total revenue of the company jumped 33.8% to $1,910.2 million compared with $1,427.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Management hinted that strong performance across Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Heritage Brands were the growth drivers. PVH Corporation expects the momentum to continue in the second quarter as well.

However, despite impressive results, the guidance seems somewhat conservative, with the company's adherence to its outlook.

PVH Corporation continues to expect fiscal 2013 total revenue to be $8.2 billion, and reiterated earnings of $7.00 per share. Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the fiscal is $7.10 per share. For the second quarter, ! total revenue is projected to be $1.9 billion, with earnings of approximately $1.35 per share. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.36 per share for the second quarter is slightly above the company's forecast.

Alongside, Gap Inc. (GPS), Macy's Inc. (M) and V.F. Corp. (VFC) achieved new 52-week highs of $44.10, $50.77 and $200.43, respectively on Jul 9, 2013.

GW Pharma's Sativex Launched in Italy - Analyst Blog

GW Pharmaceuticals plc (GWPH) recently announced that Sativex has been launched in Italy. Sativex is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who did not respond adequately to other anti-spasticity medications.

In May this year, GW Pharma received full marketing authorization for Sativex in Italy. GW Pharma has also successfully reimbursed Sativex in Italy as a Class H (hospital dispensed) medicine. The price reimbursed in Italy is comparable to the price in Spain. Following the launch, Sativex becomes the only drug in Italy containing cannabinoids, for the treatment of spasticity in MS.

We note that GW Pharma has a licencing agreement with Almirall S.A. for Sativex. As per the agreement, Almirall has the exclusive rights to market the drug in the European Union (excluding the UK), EU accession countries as well as Switzerland, Norway and Turkey. Almirall also has the rights to market Sativex in Mexico. However, GW Pharma holds the rights to manufacture and supply Sativex to Almirall.

GW Pharma also has a licence agreement with Novartis (NVS) to commercialise Sativex in Australia and New Zealand, Asia (excluding Japan, China and Hong Kong), the Middle East (excluding Israel/Palestine) and Africa. As per the agreement, Novartis holds exclusive commercialization rights to Sativex and will also act as marketing authorization holder of the drug while GW Pharma will be responsible for the manufacture and supply of Sativex.

Sativex is approved in 21 countries for the treatment of MS spasticity so far. The company is also looking for regulatory submission for the drug in other countries. GW Pharma is expecting several commercial launches of Sativex over the next one year.

We remind investors that GW Pharma is also conducting two phase III cancer pain studies on the drug in the US. The company expects top-line results from these studies by next year, after which it will file a New Drug Application (NDA) for the drug in! the US.

GW Pharma presently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, other pharma stocks such as Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ), and Targacept, Inc. (TRGT) currently look better positioned with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Burger King Expands Delivery Program - Analyst Blog

Salt Lake City, Utah residents can now have the Whopper sandwich and hot crispy fries delivered to their chosen addresses as Burger King Worldwide Inc. (BKW) recently announced the expansion of its home delivery services to two participating restaurants in the city.

Last year, the company initiated this new sales initiative, BK Delivers, to counter sluggish same-store sales performance in a highly competitive environment. This initiative was intended to take Burger King beyond its outlets and deliver to its customers in their homes, schools and offices and further enhance the company's presence.

The service allows people to select from a wide range of popular items as well as recent introductions, with a minimum food order of $10. A well-defined loyalty program is also in place.

Initially rolled out at a few Washington, D.C. locations, this program has now been expanded into a number of markets like Boston, New York, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, Sacramento, greater Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Denver. The expansion trail confirms that the program is gaining considerable customer acceptance.

With the latest delivery restaurants in Salt Lake City, the total number of delivery units in the U.S. now stand at 75 while several more are in the offing. Basically, management intends to capitalize on Burger King's high repute by offering an off-premise service.

Of late, home delivery and catering programs have become a trend in the U.S. restaurant industry. While the delivery system is doing the trick for pizza chains like Domino's Pizza Inc. (DPZ), companies like Panera Bread Co. (PNRA) and Jack in the Box Inc.'s (JACK) Qdoba Mexican Grill chain are benefiting largely from catering initiatives.

We believe that the delivery system will prove to be a strong growth driver for Burger King in the years to come. Burger King currently retains a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Joy Global Remains Neutral - Analyst Blog

On Jun 11, we reiterated our Neutral recommendation on Joy Global Inc. (JOY), the manufacturer of mining equipment used in various types of mining. Joy Global currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Why the Reiteration?

Joy Global's fiscal second quarter earnings exceeded our expectation but lagged year over year. The year-over-year decline was primarily due to lower contribution from Underground Mining Machinery (down 23.1%). The softness in demand from U.S. markets and lower shipments in China and Eurasia led to the decline in the segment.

Despite the earnings beat, we remain cautious about the decline in backlog as well as order booking. Since the commodities mined are presently in supply surplus, the miners are taking a cautious approach towards developing and expanding their mining projects. Unless demand recovers to cover up the excess capacity the mining equipment makers will find it difficult to accelerate profits.

A report from World Steel Association projects a nearly 3% increase in global steel demand in 2013 and 2014. The revival of demand in the steel market could act as a positive catalyst for the company. In the U.S. the demand for thermal coal is expected to rise due to a recovery in natural gas prices. This could act as another catalyst for the mining equipment company.

Over the next five years electricity generation is expected to increase globally by 300 gigawatts. This will require higher production of coal over the said period and in turn lead to more demand for mining equipment.

However, in a commodities supply surplus market miners are presently taking a very cautious step in developing new mines. They are also lowering the prices of mining equipment to stay competitive, which in turn puts downward pressure on margins. Moreover, Joy Global is exposed to foreign exchange risk given its substantial revenue exposure to international markets.

Intense competition in the mining industry, consistent expenditure in research &am! p; development to match its peers in the technology game and inherent risk of failing to meet customer demand are added headwinds.

Other Stocks to Consider

Joy Global's present dividend yield of 1.42% compares unfavorably with the industry major Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) with a yield of 2.82%. Nonetheless, the company compares favorably with Astec Industries, Inc. (ASTE) with a dividend yield of 1.09% and The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (MTW) with a yield of 0.41%.

Can Sanofi Investors Just Blame It On Rio?

Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) was supposed to be a relatively solid Big Pharma company in 2013. True, the company is going through some pressures from patent expirations and internal drug development issues have created a soft spot for growth, but Sanofi's strong emerging market exposure was supposed to help, as was the fact that about one-third of the company's revenue comes from non-branded drug businesses.

Instead, Sanofi delivered a surprisingly large miss for the second quarter, a miss that means a little more in the typically more predictable Big Pharma space. While it may be true that problems in Brazil were a large part of the reported miss, worse than expected results in ex-Brazil emerging markets, vaccines, and animal health, coupled with higher than expected SG&A spending to support new launches, has reset expectations to a lower level. Although Sanofi shares are not overvalued today and the company could demonstrate fairly quickly that Q2 results were just an aberration, it's harder to make a forceful pro-Sanofi argument today.

SEE: Evaluating Pharmaceutical Companies

A Lot Of Ugly In Q2
Sanofi's second quarter report makes for pretty ugly reading. Revenue fell 10% as reported (and 6% in constant currency), leading to a 5% miss relative to expectations – likely to be the biggest deviation (good or bad) from the average for the sector this quarter. Pharmaceutical sales (net of Genzyme) were down about 12% this quarter, though Genzyme products were up a strong 21%. Everything else was down as well – Consumer was down 1%, Generics were down 36% and 35% below expectations (though up 10% net of Brazil), Vaccines were down 3% (missing by 6%), and Animal Health was down 9% (also missing by 6%).

There wasn't much good news down the line either. Gross margin fell four and a half points, missing the average expectation by two and a half points. Operating income plunged 28% (with operating margin falling more than six points), missing estimates by more than 20%, as the company needed heavier SG&A spending to support the diabetes business and upcoming product launches.

All told, EPS ended up 15% below expectations, as a lower tax rate helped gain back some of the poor operating performance. Now it's true that a large charge in Brazil tied to channel-stuffing had a major impact on the quarter, but it doesn't explain all of the miss – emerging market growth was still only 5% excluding the Brazil problem, and that was below the double-digit target.

SEE: How To Evaluate The Quality Of EPS

A Few Bright Spots Stand Out
Assuming that the issue in Brazil really was just due to local management mistakes and perhaps a lack of observation/supervision from HQ, there were some good points to highlight in Sanofi's report.

For starters, even with serious competition from Lilly (NYSE:LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) in the insulin space, Lantus remains a star – growing 18% in constant currency and contributing more than 17% of the company's revenue. Secondly, Genzyme continues to perform quite well – revenue was up 21% this quarter, and it looks as though Sanofi/Genzyme is taking some share from Shire (Nasdaq:SHPG) in rare diseases.

The Pipeline – Underwhelming, Or Underappreciated?
Sanofi definitely needs to add some oxen to its wagon team. Although Lantus and the rare disease/Genzyme platform are growing well, the oncology business is withering away into nothing (down 49%), and it's largest drugs (Plavix, Lovenox, and Avapro) are off-patent and declining at double-digit rates.

The new MS franchise should help, as Lemtrada is expected to get FDA approval in the fourth quarter of this year and could be a $1B+ drug even with competition from Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB). Investors can also look forward to Phase III data on Sanofi's PCSK9 cholesterol drug in the third quarter (a potential multi-billion dollar drug, though facing competition from the likes of Amgen (Nasdaq:AMGN) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)), Phase III data on sarilumab in rheumatoid arthritis in the first half of 2013, and FDA approval of Lxymia later in 2013.

Lemtrada and '553 (the PCSK9 drug) look like solid winners, but beyond that it gets fuzzier. Sanofi does not have the same quality of pipeline as many of its Big Pharma peers (though it may well be underrated), and it hasn't been as aggressive in addressing it as, say, AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN). With that, any disruption to the Lemtrada or cholesterol businesses could have an outsized impact, and I would imagine Sanofi would be considering partnerships or M&A if biotech valuations ease off a bit.

The Bottom Line
I've been pretty bullish on Sanofi, but the issues in Brazil and potential fraud problems in China are frankly embarrassing and run counter to the notion that Sanofi's management team has cleaned up the mistakes of the past. Although I think management has gotten a great deal more prudent and realistic about pipeline management, the reality is that Sanofi needs more depth and breadth in its branded drugs, as well as consistent solid performance from its emerging markets businesses.

I still expect Sanofi to produce long-term free cash flow growth well above average (more than 6%), but that's worth about $52 per share today. While there aren't many bargains in Big Pharma, and Sanofi is undervalued, investors considering the shares need to be patient and understand that the next couple of quarters could still be a little shaky.

At the time of writing, the author did not own shares of any company mentioned in this article.

Will Time Warner Cable’s Stock See Rising Prices?

With shares of Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) trading around $116, is TWC an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Time Warner Cable is a provider of video, high-speed data, and voice services in the United States, with systems located in five geographic areas: New York state, the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California, and Texas. The company offers its residential and business services customers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems. With such a large and growing user base, look for Time Warner Cable to continue to see rising profits from its media, entertainment, and communications offerings.

In recent news, Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) is teaming up with Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to try and buy Time Warner Cable. John Malone's Liberty Media (NASDAQ:LMCA) owns nearly a third of Charter Communications, and it has been speculated that the move is in part an attempt rebuild a former cable empire. However, Time Warner Cable turned down a merger with Charter Communications earlier this year. On the other hand, Time Warner Cable is reportedly still in negotiations to acquire a 25 percent take in Hulu, even after Hulu's owners, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Disney (NYSE:DIS), and 21st Century Fox (NYSE:FOXA), announced the site was not for sale.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

Time Warner Cable stock has seen a beautiful uptrend over the last few years. The company is now trading near all-time high prices, where it has not seen significant selling pressure. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages.

What are the key moving averages? They are the 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Time Warner Cable is trading above its rising key averages, which signals neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

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

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Time Warner Cable Options	34.26%	53%	50%

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

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
August Options	Flat	Average
September Options	Flat	Average

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

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates, and what that means for Time Warner Cable’s stock.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

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

	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3	2012 Q2
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	11.67%	-3.74%	140.70%	15.32%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	6.64%	9.85%	9.20%	9.30%
Earnings Reaction	-0.58%	-11.28%	-6.35%	2.73%

Time Warner Cable has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, it seems the markets have grown to expect more from Time Warner Cable’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Time Warner Cable stock done relative to its peers, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH), DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV), and the overall sector?

	Time Warner Cable	Comcast	Dish Network	DirecTV	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	19.98%	18.76%	25.47%	29.59%	20.82%

Time Warner Cable has been an average relative performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Time Warner Cable provides entertainment, voice, and high-speed data services to a growing customer base in the United States. The company is looking to acquire a stake in Hulu in order to increase the firm’s competitiveness, however, other companies are looking to acquire Time Warner Cable. The stock has been on a strong move higher, and is now trading near all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, investors in the company have expected a little more from recent earnings reports, though earnings and revenue figures have been steadily rising. Relative to its peers and sector, Time Warner Cable has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Time Warner Cable to OUTPERFORM.

Commodities Today: Oil & Natural Gas E&P Names About To Break Out

We are seeing an interesting phenomenon right now with both India and Brazil facing serious economic problems due to their currencies falling versus many of the world's key currencies. Brazil has announced a new program to try to halt this fall and the inflation which is now running rampant across the country but India is faced with tougher decisions based on their fiscal situation which is much more dire than anything Brazil is facing right now.

We would point out that both of these countries have large socialist programs and large, inefficient state-owned corporations that carry out activities that would be best suited for corporations with shareholders demanding returns on capital rather than a country looting the profits for programs which they cannot afford based on tax revenues.

We have received quite a few inquiries regarding our view on Petrobras (PBR) and the bottom line is that we find it quite hard to get excited in the short-term over the company's prospects. Long-term it should be a viable play, but right now we see little reason to subject our portfolio to that volatility and sideways movement when there are so many great domestic opportunities here in the US which offer tremendous upside. Stick with that which is working and try not to get too cute by being a contrarian. There is a time for that, but right now is not that time.

Chart of the Day:

It appears that copper may have reached an interim high unless we can see a move higher that takes us through the $3.40/lb level. The market might require a reset or consolidation here before we get that move as we have seen a huge move over the past month. If China continues to report bullish economic news look to copper to confirm whether the numbers are bullish or not. This is a 'China Trade' for sure, and investors should recognize that before becoming involved.

Source: Kitco

Commodity prices this morning are as follows:

Gold: $1375.30/ounce, up by $4.50/ounceSilver: $23.14/ounce, up by $0.105/ounceOil: $105.22/barrel, up by $0.19/barrelRBOB Gas: $2.9744/gallon, up by $0.0096/gallonNatural Gas: $3.53/MMbtu, down by $0.015/MMbtuCopper: $3.347/pound, up by $0.017/poundPlatinum: $1541.30/ounce, up by $1.20/ounce

Oil & Natural Gas

It has been a while since we last discussed one of our leading indicators, Cheniere Energy (LNG). The stock came back to life yesterday with a $1.09 (3.95%) move to the upside with the shares finishing the session at $28.67/share as 1.7 million shares were traded. We do not want to get too excited about this move as the chart indicates that we need a move above $30/share to get excited, but we are within striking distance and the fact that one of our leading indicators is trying to break out of a period of sideways movement at the same time some of our other names are attempting to do the same thing speaks volumes to us. This is a name readers need to watch if heavily invested in the oil and natural gas E&P names.

Moving towards a breakout at the same time that other names are trending higher indicates to us that we might see many names within the sector test all-time and 52-week highs over the next few weeks.

(click to enlarge)

Source: Yahoo Finance

One of the other names which seems to be confirming this is Gulfport Energy (GPOR), which happens to be our largest position in our various portfolios. The company looked poised to make this move before their latest quarterly conference call but disappointed with the announcement that their exit rate would meet previous guidance but full year production would not because of some internal moves the company made. The stock pulled back, consolidated and now we once again find ourselves with a stock ! whose mom! entum wants to carry it higher. In Gulfport's case the table appears to be set perfectly as we are due some drilling results and if history is any guide all the analysts who are bullish will reiterate their bullish opinions on the shares with new reports when figures are released. It is important for readers to remember that many of these analysts now have price targets around the $70/share level so many believe that this name has a good bit further to rise.

The Gulfport chart resembles the Cheniere chart and with both moving higher now it does appear that something is up. We think it is the beginning of the next leg up in the sector.

(click to enlarge)

Source: Yahoo Finance

Diversified Miners

Our bullishness of oil is well documented. The fact that we also like the NGL play in the shales should be no surprise either. These two facts are part of the reason we warmed up to Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) long-term when we did. Admittedly it was not a 'conviction buy' type of call, but we laid out the case for why we liked this diversified miner over other names and ironically the roadmap we laid out for the stock to follow is taking place. Yes, it is taking place much quicker than we anticipated but the fact of the matter is that oil and natural gas prices have remained steady as a whole and the next leg of copper and then gold seems to be taking place. The strength in copper prices has surprised us as we have watched the move over the past few weeks, but the economic data out of China has improved dramatically.

We still are not sold on the entire turnaround story coming out of China, which is why we are not as of yet bullish of a name like Vale (VALE). The day will come when that will be prudent, but right now Brazil is facing some serious inflation caused in part by capital fleeing the country and ending up in what appear safer assets. It would ta! ke a bull! ish China story with strong iron ore sales to help the economy back in Brazil and until that currency can find stability we would be worried to use Vale as trading tool as they have a lot of exposure to Brazil. Yes, their cost to mine is decreasing but as we have learned that will only increase the probability of a strike as inflation squeezes workers and wages will have to increase while all of the company's sales within Brazil face inflation pressures and the company's holdings in Real terms see purchasing power whittled away by that rising inflation.

Source: Commodities Today: Oil & Natural Gas E&P Names About To Break Out

Disclosure: I am long GPOR. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Location Based Technologies & EE Sign a SIM Purchase Agreement (OTCBB:LBAS, OTCMKTS:EQLB)

Location Based Technologies, Inc (LBAS)

Today, LBAS surged (+10.27%) up +0.015 at $.160 with 39,780 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:41AM EDT July 5, 2013).

Location Based Technologies, Inc. and EE, Ltd., the U.K.'s most advanced communications company, have previously entered into a purchase agreement which will allow LBT to embed EE SIM technology into LBT's world's best GPS products for immediate purchase throughout Europe and in additional areas around the world.

EE's relationship with LBT continues to grow. The companies began their relationship earlier this year when EE launched PocketFinder Personal GPS Locators in their London flagship stores (https://explore.ee.co.uk/pocket-finder). With this latest agreement, LBT now has the capability to sell devices into Europe using a local SIM, thereby greatly reducing the monthly service fee charged to customers.

Location Based Technologies, Inc (LBAS) 5 day chart:

EQ Labs, Inc. (EQLB)

Today (July 5), EQ Labs, Inc. (OTCMKTS:EQLB) (www.drinkeq.com) had surged (+15.00%) up +0.0006at $.0046 with 90,000 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:   1:51PM EDT July 5, 2013). Now at the current price of $.0046, EQLB would be considered to have experienced a (+666.66%) gain if compared to the 52 week low of $.0006.

EQ Labs, Inc. manufactures and markets energy drink products in the United States and Latin America. The company offers EQ Smart Energy Drink, in an effervescent tablet form that provides an instant energy drink once added to a beverage of choice. EQ Labs, Inc. distributes its products through national and regional distributors.

To view EQ Labs, Inc. video click link http://crwetube.com/media/eq-labs-inc-and-its-revolutionary-eq-smart-energy-.

EQ Labs, Inc. (EQLB) 5d chart:

Former SEC Compliance Chief Tells White: Stop Suing Compliance Officers

Former Securities and Exchange Commission Compliance Chief John Walsh recently offered new SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White some blunt advice: stop suing compliance officers “or the future of the profession may be at risk”; don’t set enforcement records; and “separate examinations and enforcement” so that legal and compliance professionals know with whom they are dealing.

In a June 7 blog post on Corporate Counsel, Walsh, who held various posts during his two decades at the SEC—most notably as chief counsel for the SEC’s Office of Compliance, Inspections and Examinations—told White that after a couple months with the commission, “you may be wondering why you agreed to serve.” He then told White: “Trust me: after your first few months in office, it gets worse.”

But Walsh—who lived through the Bernie Madoff days at the SEC, and was one of the SEC officials to testify before Congress about why the agency missed his Ponzi scheme for so long—encouraged White “to take the commission in a new direction,” and offered her some advice to consider on her journey.

First, Walsh told White that compliance professionals are “dedicated to the same mission as the SEC: a fully compliant securities business,” yet, in recent years, many of them believe “they have been under assault,” because the SEC seems to have “developed an appetite for suing them” for failures to supervise, to establish adequate procedures, to consider a risk during the annual compliance review.

Walsh, who's now a partner at the law firm Sutherland in Washington, told White that he understands why compliance pros are worried: “In many of these cases there was no suggestion that the compliance professional engaged in misconduct," he said. "The liability was collateral and the conduct negligent, at worst.”

When the SEC brings an enforcement recommendation against a compliance professional, Walsh counseled White to first ask: “’Did he or she engage in affirmative misconduct?’” If the answer is no, he said, “then you should ask, ‘What’s wrong with an examination letter?’”

Last March, Robert Plaze, the former deputy director of the SEC's Division of Investment Management, warned chief compliance officers that the newly created Asset Management Unit that’s housed within the SEC’s Division of Enforcement “is dedicated to suing you.”

If the current trend of jumping to sue compliance pros continues, Walsh added, and they “become regulatory guarantors of their firms, the future of the profession may be at risk.”

Second, the agency should separate its examinations and enforcement so that legal and compliance professionals “will know with whom they are dealing,” Walsh said. While in recent years the agency has been publicly promoting the fact that its enforcement and exam divisions having “locked arms” to coordinate before, during and after exams, this has caused the differences between exams and enforcement to “steadily disappear.”

BNY Mellon Posts Strong Q2 Earnings, Record Revenue, 10% Rise in AUM

Bank of New York Mellon (BK) announced Wednesday net income to shareholders of $833 million, or $0.71 per common share, on record revenue (GAAP) of $4.009 billion in its second quarter, ended June 30.

Net income, which was up from a loss of $237 million in Q1 of this year and net income $465 million in 2012’s second quarter, was aided by an after-tax gain of $109 million related to the firm’s equity investment in Convergex (CVGX), a global brokerage and trading service, during the quarter.

GAAP revenue rose 11% compared to 2012’s second quarter, and 11% over Q1 of 2013.

In BNY Mellon’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, Hassell noted the bank’s “strong revenue growth across all our businesses, without exception,” along with highlighting increased collaboration among different divisions of the company. Specifically, he mentioned a new separately managed account product coming out of Hong Kong, led by John Brett, and noted “we’ve started making private banking loans to Pershing customers,” to which “we’re already seeing a nice level of receptivity.” (Pershing Advisor Solutions’ CEO Mark Tibergien spoke of the private banking loan initiative and other internal collaborations benefiting Pershing customers in a June interview with ThinkAdvisor at the annual Pershing Insite conference.)

Chairman and CEO Gerald Hassell said in a prepared statement that during the second quarter, BNY Mellon “generated nearly $900 million of capital, approximately $500 million of which we used to step up share buybacks by more than 50% and increase our quarterly dividend by 15%.”

During the quarter, BNY repurchased 11.9 million shares of its stock for $330 million, and on July 17 it announced a dividend of $0.15 per common share payable Aug. 6. Assets under management increased 6% over 2012’s second quarter, to $1.43 trillion, and were up slightly from 2013’s first quarter. Assets under custody or administration (ACUA) increased 4% to $26.2 trillion compared to the prior year, but were down slightly from 2013’s first quarter.

Clearing services revenue increased 4% to $321 million in the quarter, which the company attributed to “higher mutual fund fees” and a 21% year-over-year increase in daily average revenue trades (DARTs) to 227,500.

---

Check out ThinkAdvisor's 2013 Q2 Earnings Calendar for the Finance Sector.

Shorter the time target, less must be your equity exposure

Below is the edited transcript of his answers. Also watch the accompanying video.

Caller: I can invest Rs 20,000 per month. I want to earn around Rs 20 lakh in a time period of seven to eight years. I have investments in LIC, fixed deposits and NSC, and I have two dependents. How should I allocate the money?

A: Basically you already have a lot fixed deposits. So for Rs 20 lakh, that is, if you want to invest around Rs 20000 for a period of 10 years, I would suggest that you invest in diversified equity or even in top-capital equity. Essentially, you already have lots of debt schemes. I would recommend you do one of these two or three funds - Franklin India Bluechip, HDFC Top 200, Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity. You can pick and choose. This Rs 20000 could grow depending on the returns it could grow in 10 years to anywhere between Rs 40-53 lakh at an assumed return of around 14%.

Caller: I can invest Rs 10,000 per month and am looking at investment through an SIP. My goal is Rs 10 lakh in five years, and I have no dependents. How should I allocate the money?

A: You don�t have any dependents then possibly you don�t really need life insurance. You may need other kinds of insurance in terms of health or possibly disability insurance that you should seek. Separate advice but in terms of getting Rs 10 lakh for five years, when your period of investment is five years, a pure equity investment is not something that we would suggest. I would tend to suggest a balanced fund where about 70-75% is in equity and about 25-30% would be in fairly highly rated debt. This Rs 10000 per month will roughly give you, assuming a return of around 12.9% for five years, about Rs 8.5 lakh. If you want to get Rs 10 lakh, you should do Rs 12000.

Recommended funds are HDFC Prudence, you can do Reliance Regular Saving Fund � the balanced option or Birla Sun Life 95. The Rs 10000 or Rs 12000 that you decide to put in, I would suggest you spread it only over two funds and do not take all the three. You can pick and choose the two or three that you want.

Q: Would it be a safe assumption that if I am able to save Rs 10000 per month now its quiet possible that three or four years from now it will naturally scale up to maybe Rs 12000-13000� sheer inflation and perhaps the natural progress of things. Should one assume that when one has a goal of Rs 10 lakh five years down the line?

A: The point there is when he wants to increase his investment by Rs 2000 at that time, the period is only two or three years. And that time to invest in a balance fund would be a little more risky. As your goal comes nearer, you want more debt and much less equity. In fact, for a two-year horizon, it would be difficult to recommend equity. It will have to be pure debt instrument. If it is next year, he can still consider balanced fund but if it is after that then he should look at debt.

Diversified asset allocation best ploy, says expert

The event organized at the Big Umbrella Preschool and Apple Seeds India activity centre in Mumbai brings together two of the foremost financial advisors - Ajay Bodke of Prabhudas Lilladher and Hemant Rustagi of Wiseinvest Advisors.

A young mother perhaps is at the best stage in life to begin investing because she has such a long time horizon in hand. And it is also a very critical phase because this is when the responsibilities have gone up many fold and they are never coming down.

Below is the edited transcript of the interview with Sumaira Abidi on CNBC-TV18.
 
Abidi: Before we open the floor to our young mothers I want to begin by asking you Ajay that through the series we have met with a lot of communities and we have spoken a lot about how they should be doing things, what are the products they should be choosing. I want to ask you what is it that someone with this risk profile should not be doing?

Bodke: I think someone with your risk profile certainly should look at an asset allocation plan and not put all your eggs in one basket. There is a tendency of being too risk averse at a very young age. As one ages the asset allocation plan also changes. I would suggest having a well rounded diversified asset allocation plan with some money going into a house, followed by some asset allocation towards equities, fixed income securities for a regular source of income and some gold.

Also one needs to rigorously monitor how the asset allocation plan is performing at regular intervals. One of the common pitfalls that many investors tend to have is they don't have an asset allocation and even if they have an asset allocation plan they do not monitor it at all.

These issues need to be kept in mind when one is looking at investing and at a young age one can afford to take slightly higher risks than at an age group which is on the verge of retirement. Hence, an asset allocation plan of a young housewife will differ from a lady who is on the verge of retirement. From that perspective, one should look at asset allocation.

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Top High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

When it comes to investing in energy, oil ETF shares haven't delivered very good returns historically. But more recently, a somewhat unusual phenomenon in the oil futures markets could make oil ETF prices deliver better returns than the spot price of crude.

Why futures matter for oil ETFs
The name of that phenomenon is backwardation, and the reason it's important has to do with the strategy that the typical oil ETF uses to track crude prices. Many commodity ETFs, such as iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) and SPDR Gold (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) , actually buy the underlying physical commodity, storing it in a vault for safekeeping and thereby connecting the value of the ETF share to an actual portion of the ETF's commodity holdings.

For oil ETFs, however, holding actual crude would be expensive and impractical. Therefore, most ETFs buy oil futures contracts to track changing prices.

Top High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Tawana Resources NL(TAW.AX)

Tawana Resources NL engages in the exploration and evaluation of diamondiferous kimberlites and alluvials primarily in South Africa, Australia, and Botswana. The company also explores for gold and base metals in Liberia. It has interests in Daniel project, Kareevlei Wes, St Augustines, Lexshell, and Perdevlei properties in South Africa; Flinders Island and Eyre Peninsula properties in Australia; and Orapa property in Botswana. The company has a strategic alliance with Gryphon Minerals Ltd. Tawana Resources NL was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Top High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Molex Incorporated(MOLX)

Molex Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of electronic components worldwide. It offers micro-miniature connectors, B-to-B connectors, SIM and SD card sockets, keypads, electromechanical subassemblies, internal and on-ground antennas, standard antennas, magnetic jacks, and subsystems for the telecommunications market; and power, optical, and signal connectors and cables for end-to-end data transfer, linking disk drives, controllers, servers, switches, and storage enclosures for the info-tech market. The company also designs and manufactures connectors for home and portable audio, digital still and video cameras, DVD players, and recorders, as well as devices that combine multiple functions in the consumer market, earphones, jumpers, and components for gaming machines. In addition, it provides network interface cards, software for industrial networks, cord sets, electrical solutions, and I/O connectors for industrial pr oduction equipment, as well as portable lighting to power distribution solutions for commercial construction, utility, petrochemical, and food and beverage industries; and cable assemblies, sealed and panel mount connectors, and other products for use in the infotainment and navigation, powertrain, safety and chassis, and body electronics in the automotive market. Further, the company offers connectors and custom integrated systems for diagnostic and therapeutic equipment used in hospitals, including x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, and dialysis machines; and solid-state lighting products. Additionally, it provides manufacturing services to integrate specific components into a customer?s product. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and distributors. It markets its products through direct sales force and a network of distributors. Molex Incorporated was founded in 1938 and is based in Lisle, Illinois.

Hot High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: Cdn Nat Res Com Npv (CNQ.TO)

Canadian Natural Resources Limited engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, marketing, and sale of crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. Its products include natural gas, light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and NGLs. The company operates primarily in North America; the United Kingdom portion of the North Sea; and C么te d�Ivoire, Gabon, and South Africa in offshore Africa. Its midstream assets comprise three crude oil pipelines and an electricity co-generation facility. As of December 31, 2011 the company�s gross proved crude oil and NGLs reserves were 4,090 million barrels (MMbbl), and gross proved plus probable crude oil and NGLs reserves were 6,521 MMbbl. It also had gross proved natural gas reserves of approximately 4,447 billion cubic feet (Bcf), and gross proved plus probable natural gas reserves of approximately 6,101 Bcf. Canadian Natural Resources Limited was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Best Financial Companies To Buy Right Now

What's more powerful than a speeding locomotive? The answer is the stock market -- when the Federal Reserve promises to keep pumping free money into the economy!

On top of calming commentary by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, better-than-expected earnings reports continued to fuel the broad-based S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) higher. Financials have been the big driving force thus far in earnings season, with Bank of America�crushing estimates yesterday, and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS  ) following suit today. The No. 2 investment bank in the U.S., Morgan Stanley, delivered a 42% increase in total profits fueled by a ridiculous 83% surge in wealth management income. As long as the backbone of our economy (i.e., the financial sector) remains strong, this rally could have legs.

Best Financial Companies To Buy Right Now: Digital Realty Trust Inc.(DLR)

Digital Realty Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), through its controlling interest in Digital Realty Trust, L.P., engages in the ownership, acquisition, development, redevelopment, and management of technology-related real estate. It focuses on strategically located properties containing applications and operations critical to the day-to-day operations of technology industry tenants and corporate enterprise datacenter users, including the information technology departments of Fortune 1000 companies, and financial services companies. The company?s property portfolio consists of Internet gateway properties, corporate datacenter properties, technology manufacturing properties, and regional or national offices of technology companies. As of December 31, 2008, Digital Realty?s portfolio consisted of 75 properties, including 62 located in North America and 13 located in Europe. Digital Realty Trust has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purpo ses and would not be subject to income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Virginia, and Phoenix, as well as in Dublin, London, and Paris.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Squeeze Ideas]

  REIT. Market cap of $5.26B. Short float at 21.8% (equivalent to 13.46 days of average volume).

  Net Income grew by 44.4% ($35.22M vs. $24.39M y/y), while Operating Cash Flow grew by 44.54% ($147.78M vs. $102.24M y/y) (comparing 3 months ending 2010-12-31 vs. 3 months ending 2009-12-31).

  Other Highlights: The company has a track record of outperforming its competitors. Over the last five years, EPS grew by 22.16%, higher than the industry average at 3.11%, while revenues grew by 33.07%, outperforming the industry average at 7.41%.

  Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Best Financial Companies To Buy Right Now: Harleysville Savings Bank(HARL)

Harleysville Savings Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Harleysville Savings Bank that provides various banking products and services primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania. The company accepts various deposit products that include passbook and club savings accounts, NOW and regular checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, retirement accounts, certificates of deposit, and jumbo certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises loans secured by first mortgages on single-family residential properties; loans on residential properties, including loans on multi-family residential properties, construction loans, and lot loans on such properties; commercial real estate and commercial business loans; home equity lines, including installment home equity loans and home equity lines of credit; and consumer loans, such as automobile loans, loans on savings accounts, and education loans. Harleysville also provides remote ATM locations, the Internet, and telephone banking services. It operates six full-service offices located in Montgomery County and one office located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1915 and is headquartered in Harleysville, Pennsylvania.

Best Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Gulf & Pacific Equities Corp. (GUF.V)

Gulf & Pacific Equities Corp. invests in commercial real estate properties in western Canada. It primarily focuses on the acquisition, management, and development of grocery-anchored shopping centers. The company owns grocery-anchored shopping centers located in Whitecourt, Alberta, and St. Paul, Alberta. Gulf & Pacific Equities was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Best Financial Companies To Buy Right Now: Glen Burnie Bancorp(GLBZ)

Glen Burnie Bancorp operates as the holding company for The Bank of Glen Burnie that provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals, associations, partnerships, and corporations. The company?s deposit products include regular savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, demand deposit accounts, NOW checking accounts, individual retirement accounts, simplified employee pension accounts, Christmas Club accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises residential and commercial real estate loans, construction loans, land acquisition and development loans, commercial loans, and overdraft protection lines of credit, as well as consumer installment lending, including indirect automobile lending. The company also offers various ancillary products and services, which include safe deposit boxes, money orders and travelers checks, night depositories, automated clearinghouse transactions, wire transfers, automated teller machines, telephone ban king, and customer call center services. It serves customers in northern Anne Arundel County and surrounding areas through eight branch offices in Glen Burnie, Odenton, Riviera Beach, Crownsville, Severn, Linthicum, and Severna Park, Maryland. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

Best Financial Companies To Buy Right Now: Mucklow(a&j)

A & J Mucklow Group plc, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the investment and development of industrial and commercial properties in the United Kingdom. The company?s investment property portfolio includes industrial, offices, and retail properties; and development land holdings. It is also involved in the sale of investment properties and trading of properties. A & J Mucklow Group plc was founded in 1933 and is based in Halesowen, the United Kingdom.

Move On Gold's 'Buy' Signal If This Happens

Traders have been buying everything this month, and that could continue to push prices higher in stocks while fueling a turnaround in bonds and gold.

Headlines Hide the Good News in Earnings
Despite some headline grabbing disappointments, earnings season is actually off to a good start. About one-fifth of the companies in the S&P 500 index have reported earnings, and 66.4% have beaten estimates. Over the past four quarters, 64.6% of companies have beaten estimates on average. We are still weeks away from knowing what the number will ultimately be for this quarter, but it is a promising start.

Headlines have been focused on the companies that have come in below expectations. That list includes Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). INTC fell 3.6% for the week, MSFT was down 12%, and GOOG was off 2.9%. These losses weighed down PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ), which lost 0.9% last week.

Other than tech stocks, the broad market did well as SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) gained 1% last week. Investors have been buying about $1 billion worth of SPY a day so far this month. They have actually been buying almost all equity ETFs, with money flowing into funds four times faster than average.

The effect of this buying can be seen in the Dow Theory buy signal that was confirmed last week.

Dow Theory identifies the direction of the major trend in the stock market. In the late 1800s, Charles Dow developed the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Dow Jones Transportation Average to track trends in the economy.

Dow understood that the economy grows when manufacturers are producing as much as possible. Economic growth translates to profits for the companies, and this can be seen in the performance of their stocks.

Getting manufactured goods to market requires that the transportation industry also be growing! , and that would drive the stocks of the transport companies higher. When both the industrial and transportation indexes are moving in the same direction, a confirmed trend is in place and traders can become more aggressive.

Both the industrial average and the transportation average are at new highs, and that is the definition of a bull market according to Dow Theory.

Gold Gives A Buy Signal
SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) added 0.8% last week after jumping 5.1% the week before. Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ) gained 3.3% as speculators returned to the market. Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX) did even better, gaining 6.1%.

The Traders Dynamic Index (TDI) signaled a buy in GDX at the end of last week.

TDI combines the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Bollinger bands. A buy signal is given when RSI crosses above the midpoint of the Bollinger bands. In the past, GDX has gained an average of 1.9% after this signal. This trade has only been a winner 56% of the time, but the gains have been significant. For comparison, in an average two-week period, GDX has gained only 0.1%.

Action to Take --> One way to trade this signal would be to buy only if GDX confirms its strength and trades at a price above last week's high ($25.99). That entry improves the percentage of winning trades slightly, to 58.8%, and the average gain increases to 3.2%.

This article originally appeared on ProfitableTrading.com:
Market Outlook: Move on Gold's Buy Signal If This Happens

Bull of the Day: Jack in the Box (JACK) - Bull of the Day

Bull JACK 071713 rev1

Jackin the Box JACK wasa momentum play last year and today it returnsas the Bull of the Day, albeit a unique story that may have slightlyhigherrisk due to some reorganization within the company after noticing acontinuousdecline in traffic due to macro concerns and conservative spending incertain arearestaurants.

After an extensive operational reviewand financial analysisof its Qdoba Mexican restaurants, Jack in the Box has made the decisionto close67 (10% of total) underperforming restaurants under its Qdoba MexicanGrillbrand by the end of fiscal 2013 (ending Sept 29, 2013).

There are currently 647 Qdobarestaurants worldwide, which includes340 company-owned units. When all is said and done, the company expectstoincur about $28 million as impairment charges related to the closingsandapproximately $12 million in lease-related costs during fiscal 2013.

Management believes that since therestaurants were notdoing well, closing them would improve the company's future profit andenhancethe cash flow position.

Even with the closures, Jack in theBox is still looking toopen 70-75 new Jack in the Box restaurants in 2013, 40 of which will becompany-ownedrestaurants. They will also be replacing those closed Qdoba locationswith nearly60-70 new Qdoba restaurants in 2014.

EarningsTrends
As a Zacks Rank #1, Jack in the Box is probably doingsomething right. At almost 25 timesforward earnings, they don't appear to be that cheap, but when you lookcloser,it's about the turn around that analysts are expecting in the future.

Jack is expected to deliver 18% yearover year growth on adecline in revenue (I suspect from restructuring, closures, etc).

Going into their report on the 14thof August,the stock seems to be getting some favorable upgrades from analysts,both inthe current and next quarter, but more importantly in FY2013 and FY2014.

Analyst estimates for FY2013 are up 3cents to ! $1.64 and up8 cents for FY2014 over the last 90 days.

ESP for the current quarter is alsopositive at 2.63%, whencombined with the Zacks Rank of 1 gives a good indication for a beat.

Some argue the lack of a catalyst forgrowth, but I thinkthat with their diverse offerings and proactive management approach,cuttingweak stores and clever advertizing make this stock worth your time andmoneyfor a longer term trade.

TheCharts
JACK has been a slow and steady wins the race typestock. Interestingly enough, the shareshave whether market volatility quite well, which is why I tend to favorthem.

Shares remain in a bullish channeland have strong supportaround the $39.00 level. Below that the50 and 200 day moving averages will also provide support at the $38.27and$30.68 areas as well.

Frankly, I would be concerned if JACKfell below its 50 daymoving average and remained below it for more than 3 days, as it hasn'tbeenthere since November of last year.

Shares are slightly overbought at themoment with much ofthe market, so wait for a pullback before entering. Shares tend to movebetween1 and 1.5% daily, so they are slightly less volatile than theS&P 500.

Look for the stock to break out ofits current channel to the upside andinto the $50 range over the coming months at which point I'd look totake profits.

I'd look to JACK versus theircompetition like Wendy's WEN,Burger King BKW and even McDonald's MCD.

JaredA Levy is one of the most highly sought after traders in the world anda formermember of three major stock exchanges. That is why you will frequentlysee him appearon Fox Business, CNBC and Bloomberg providing his timely insights tootherinvestors. He has written and published two tomes, "YourOptions Handbook" and "TheBloomberg Visual Guide to Options". You candisc! over more! of hisinsights and recommendations through his two portfolio recommendationservices:

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Hot Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2014

We live in a yield-obsessed era.

Whether it's dividend yields, junk bond yields or lowly government bond yields, investors seek yields in every corner of the market.

But many overlook the most important type: free cash flow yield. It's a simple yet powerful measure that points to the market's top bargains. And you should measure each stock in your portfolio against this underappreciated metric.

You can figure out this yield by identifying a company's annual free cash flow (which is its operating cash flow minus its capital spending) and dividing it by the company's market value. For example, a company with $50 million in free cash flow and a $1 billion market value has a 5% free cash flow (FCF) yield ($50 million/$1 billion).

Most companies in the S&P 400 (a mid-cap index), S&P 500 and S&P 600 (small caps) have FCF yields below that 5% threshold, yet any time you see a figure that's higher, it's a certifiable value. In recent years, I've cited Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) as an example of a compelling FCF yield. The giant retailer has stumbled during the past half-decade, but whenever its stock falls out of favor, value investors have swooped in and purchased, thanks to that solid FCF yield.

Hot Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2014: Sify Technologies Limited(SIFY)

Sify Technologies Limited provides enterprise and consumer Internet services primarily in India. The company offers various corporate network/data services comprising e-commerce and network connectivity solutions, such as end-to-end services network, application, and security services; voice origination and termination services; co-location and managed hosting services; and system integration services for data centre build, hardware distribution, security solutions, and turnkey projects. It also provides application services, including SLEMS and Microsoft Exchange messaging platforms; I-test for online assessment and LiveWire, which enable management of training processes across the organization; document management system for the management of documents electronically; and Forum, a forward supply chain solution. In addition, the company operates e-Ports that offer browsing, chat, email, gaming, utility bill payment, travel ticketing, hotel booking, mobile recharge, Intern et telephony, and online share trading services; and portals, which provide news, views, reviews, interactions, and services in the areas of movies, sports, finance, food, videos, astrology, online games, shopping, and travel, as well as offers content offerings and broadband services. Further, it provides infrastructure management services, such as network management, datacenter and helpdesk outsourcing, desktop and storage outsourcing, IT security outsourcing, LAN and WAN outsourcing, database and telecom outsourcing, and application monitoring and management services to automotive, chemical, media, and financial enterprises; and virtualization design, integration, and deployment services for servers, storage, networks, and end user clients. Sify has approximately 1,278 e-Ports in 200 towns and cities; and serves 1,06,000 broadband subscribers through 1500 cable TV Operators. The company, formerly known as Sify Limited, was founded in 1995 and is based in Chennai, India. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research Staff]

  Shares of SIFY skyrocketed last week after the company announced a new partnership with Saudi telecom. SIFY will provide ICT services to the Middle East's largest telecom carrier.

  Shares of the Indian-based internet and network services have doubled over the past four months.

Hot Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2014: Sky-mobi Limited(MOBI)

Sky-mobi Limited engages in the operation of a mobile application store in the People?s Republic of China. It works with handset companies to pre-install its Maopao mobile application store on handsets and with content developers to provide users with applications and content titles. The users of its Maopao store could browse, download, and purchase a range of applications and content, such as single-player games, mobile music, and books. The company?s Maopao store enables mobile applications and content to be downloaded and run on various mobile handsets with hardware and operating system configurations. It also operates a mobile social network community, the Maopao Community, where it offers localized mobile social games, as well as applications and content with social network functions to its registered members. The company owns proprietary mobile application technology in the cloud computing, the MRP format, and SDK development environment. As of March 31, 2011, it had entered into cooperation agreements with approximately 523 handset companies to pre-install Maopao. The company was formerly known as Profit Star Limited and changed its name to Sky-Mobi Limited in October 2010. Sky-mobi Limited was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research Staff]

  MOBI hit another 52-week high of $12.15 late last week. The stock continues to surge on increasing volume. The latest advance in share price came after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to "Outperform".

  Last week, the China-based internet portal and gaming provider giant Sohu.com (Nasdaq: SOHU), announced an advertising agreement with MOBI.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks To Invest In Right Now: OCZ Technology Group Inc(OCZ)

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes computer components for computing devices and systems worldwide. It primarily offers solid state drives, flash memory storage, memory modules, thermal management solutions, AC/DC switching power supply units, and computer gaming solutions. The company?s products are used in industrial equipment and computer systems; computer and computer gaming solutions; mission critical servers and high end workstations; personal computer (PC) upgrades to extend the useable life of existing PCs; high performance computing and scientific computing; video and music editing; home theatre PCs and digital home convergence products; and digital photography and digital image manipulation computers. OCZ Technology Group, Inc. offers its products to retailers, on-line retailers, original equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, and distributors. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Jose, Califo rnia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research]

  The maker of solid state drives for computers reported revenue more than doubled and posted adjusted net income of 1 cent per share. It predicted a full-year revenue rise of at least 65 percent. The share price has jumped 210 percent in the past year.

Hot Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2014: OmniVision Technologies Inc.(OVTI)

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets semiconductor image-sensor devices. The company offers CameraChip image sensors, which are single-chip solutions that integrate various functions, such as image capture, image processing, color processing, signal conversion, and output of a processed image or video stream for use in various consumer and commercial mass-market applications; and CameraCube imaging devices that are image sensors with integrated wafer-level optics. It also provides companion chips used to connect its image sensors to various interfaces, including the universal serial bus and other industry standard interfaces; and companion digital signal processors that perform compression in standardized still photo and digital video formats. In addition, the company designs and develops software drivers for Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows, as well as for embedded operating systems, such as Blackberry OS, Palm OS, Symbian, Windows CE, Windows Embedded, and Windows Mobile. Its products are used in mobile phones, notebooks, Webcams, digital still and video cameras, commercial and security and surveillance, and automotive and medical applications, as well as in entertainment devices. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers and value added resellers, as well as indirectly through distributors worldwide. OmniVision Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Karim]  

  They make the 5-megapixel sensors in the camera of every iPhone. Along with this they carry a strong balance sheet and upbeat earnings expectations boding well for future growth.

Hot Safest Companies To Buy For 2014

Blue-chip stocks are broadly higher this afternoon after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released better-than-expected jobs figures for the month of May. With roughly an hour left in the trading session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is up by 156 points, or 1.05%.

According to the BLS, the U.S. economy created a net 175,000 jobs last month. For what it's worth -- which generally isn't much -- economists surveyed by MarketWatch predicted an increase of 164,000 jobs. Yet the expectation-beating job-creation wasn't enough to push the official unemployment rate down: The latter increased to 7.6% from 7.5% the preceding month as a net 420,000 people entered the labor force.

A Yahoo! Finance blog post captured the market's reaction appropriately, noting that the report was "good, but not too good." On one hand, great news on the jobs front could induce the Federal Reserve to ease off of its support for the economy, which, in turn, would likely cause equity prices to deflate. But on the other hand, bad news would incite fear of a potential double-dip recession. Just like Goldilocks' porridge, a slight beat was just right as far as the market was concerned.

Hot Safest Companies To Buy For 2014: First Defiance Financial Corp.(FDEF)

First Defiance Financial Corp. operates as the holding company for First Federal Bank of the Midwest that provides financial services to communities based in northwest Ohio, northeast Indiana, and southeastern Michigan. The company offers various deposit products, such as checking accounts, money market accounts, regular savings accounts, term certificate accounts, non-interest-bearing demand deposits, interest bearing demand deposits, time deposits, and certificates of deposit. It also provides residential real estate, non-residential real estate, construction, commercial, home equity and improvement, mobile home, and consumer loans. In addition, the company offers depository, trust, and wealth management services, as well as online banking services. Additionally, First Defiance Financial Corp., through its other subsidiary, First Insurance & Investments, Inc., operates as an insurance agency that offers property and casualty insurance, life insurance, and group health in surance products in the Defiance, Archbold, Bryan, and Bowling Green areas in Ohio. It operates 33 full service branches in northwest Ohio; southeast Michigan; and northeast Indiana. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Defiance, Ohio.

Hot Safest Companies To Buy For 2014: J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.(JBHT)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a surface transportation, delivery, and logistics company in North America. It operates in four segments: Intermodal (JBI), Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), Full-Load Dry-Van (JBT), and Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS). The JBI segment provides intermodal freight solutions, including origin and destination pickup and delivery services in the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico. This segment operates 45,666 pieces of company-controlled trailing equipment; and manages a fleet of 2,592 company-owned tractors. The DCS segment involves in the design, development, and execution of supply chain solutions, which support various transportation networks. This segment offers final mile delivery, replenishment, and specialized services supporting private fleet conversion, fleet creation, and transportation system augmentation. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 4,259 company-owned trucks, 357 customer-owned trucks, and 23 independent contractor trucks. The JBT segment provides full-load, dry-van freight services by utilizing tractors operating over roads and highways. It operated 1,697 company-owned tractors. The ICS segment provides non-asset, asset-light, and transportation logistics solutions. It offers flatbed, refrigerated, expedited, and less-than-truckload, as well as various dry-van and intermodal solutions. The company transports a range of freight, including general merchandise, specialty consumer items, appliances, forest and paper products, building materials, soaps and cosmetics, automotive parts, electronics, and chemicals. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas.

Best Safest Companies To Buy For 2014: (FSM)

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. engages in the mining and production silver and base metal in Latin America. Its primary assets consist of the Caylloma zinc/lead/silver mine, which is located to the northwest of Arequipa, Peru; and the San Jose silver/gold project that is located south of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. The company was formerly known as Fortuna Ventures Inc. and changed its name to Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. in June 2005. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. The company was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Lima, Peru.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Christopher Barker]

  After visiting the brand new San Jose silver and gold mine that forms the strategic nucleus of Fortuna's growing fortune, I am convinced 2012 will prove a very profitable year for this miner and its shareholders. Of all the silver producers I surveyed for consideration within this list, Fortuna offers one of the clearest roadmaps to steady, incremental output expansion over the next several years as San Jose's mine output progresses from 2.6 million SEOs in 2012 to nearly 5.2 million SEOs by 2017, according to the current mine plan. Combined with polymetallic output (rich in lead and zinc) from Fortuna's Caylloma mine in Peru, Fortuna expects consolidated production to approach 7.4 million silver-equivalent ounces (with more than 80% derived from silver and gold) by 2014. That would represent about a 76% production surge in three years from Fortuna's output in 2011.

  Moreover, after discussing the exploration upside potential at San Jose at length with the mine's geological team, I perceive strong potential for extension of the mine life at San Jose as substantial inferred resources are converted to reserves. Indeed, I would not overlook the district-scale opportunities that may reside in exploration targets within Fortuna's massive 58,000-hectare concession package. I have much more to share from my recent mine tour, so please stay tuned to my ongoing coverage for further insight into San Jose as a springboard for Fortuna's exciting growth spurt.