Should You Shop on Thanksgiving?

A lot has been made about the fact that several major retailers will be opening their doors on Thanksgiving to holiday shoppers. Many have complained that this special day should be reserved for family -- not shopping. Facebook pages have popped up encouraging people to boycott Thanksgiving Day sales. And petitions have been started on Change.org to stop stores from opening on Thursday.

SEE ALSO: How to Save Money on Your Thanksgiving Meal

Yet, more than one-third of consumers said they are certain that they will shop at Thanksgiving sales, according to a Georgetown Institute for Consumer Research survey. And a RetailMeNot.com survey found that about 20% of consumers said that Thanksgiving sales will give people a fun family activity to do on that day and will give shoppers who have to work on Black Friday the opportunity to get great deals.

So, clearly, there are differences of opinion. If you're on the fence, though, here are several things you should consider:

You can find Thanksgiving/Black Friday-caliber deals now. Several major retailers, such as Walmart, Toys R Us and Lowe's, are already selling select items at Black Friday prices (Lowe's sale is online only). And Amazon will launch its Black Friday Deals Week Sale that features new deals every 10 minutes on Sunday, November 24. BFAds.net is posting information about these early sales as they occur. Michael Brim, founder of BFAds.net, says that if you take advantage of these deals now, you probably can get the majority of your shopping done before Thanksgiving.

You can do your shopping from home. If you don't want to miss the sales on Thanksgiving but also don't want to leave the table halfway through your meal, you'll be able to find plenty of deals online -- even doorbuster deals that people line up outside stores to get. Brim says that most retailers offer their doorbusters both in stores and online. And if a major retailer isn't offering its biggest deals online, there's a good chance that Amazon will be selling those items or similar ones online at the same low prices. See Why You Should Do Your Holiday Shopping Online.

You might have to head to a store if there's a deal you really want. Even though many retailers offer their doorbuster deals online, they typically don't announce which deals will be available in both their stores and on their Web sites before the sales begin. So if there's an item you really want at a deeply discounted price, you might not want to wait at home to see if it's available online. That means heading to the stores on Thanksgiving because Brim says the retailers that will be open Thursday will be offering their best deals of the holiday weekend on that day (we'll be sharing those deals with you next week, so check back). If you wait until Friday to do your shopping at those stores, the items you want might already be gone. Just make sure the sale item you want truly is a good bargain that's worth leaving home to buy (see Some Black Friday Deals Aren't Bargains).

Chrysler IPO Filed, but Will It Actually Happen?

The smallest of the Detroit Three automakers is gearing up to file for an initial public offering. But this is no ordinary IPO. Chrysler's past few years have been met with reorganization, government bailouts, and a takeover by Italian automaker Fiat (NASDAQOTH: FIATY  ) . Just as the past has been unique, the present is filled with uncertainty. Even as underwriters are being signed up, some analysts are questioning whether the IPO will ever happen.

Reorganization
When Chrysler fell on hard times, there were a lot of stakeholders that took sacrifices. Bondholders were burned, dealerships were closed, and Chrysler's owners took losses. However, shrewd maneuvering allowed Cerberus Capital Management to escape with more than 90% of its investment by selling off Chrysler Financial to Toronto Dominion Bank  (NYSE: TD  ) , which used its comparatively healthy position in banking to make a move on the U.S. auto market.

The Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association, or VEBA, also saw modifications. The VEBA was set up as a health-care trust for the UAW and was originally set to receive cash payments from Chrysler. However, Chrysler wasn't exactly swimming in cash, so a new plan was developed.

While Chrysler couldn't pay the VEBA in cash, it could pay in common stock. As a result, the VEBA is currently a 41.5% owner of Chrysler, with Fiat holding the remaining 58.5%.

A similar plan was developed for fellow bailed-out automaker General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) . Under GM's plan, the VEBA received common stock, preferred stock, and warrants to buy additional GM shares at $42.41 until Dec. 31, 2015. The warrants were sold by the VEBA onto the public markets and are now known as GM Class C warrants.

The Fiat plan
When Fiat took its stake in Chrysler, the plan was to eventually use Fiat platforms to replace much of Chrysler's aging lineup. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has been enthusiastic about buying the VEBA's Chrysler stake and fully merging Chrysler and Fiat, and the VEBA is even looking to sell.

The conflict
Fiat and the UAW would both like to execute a sale of the 41.5% stake to Fiat, but the problem is agreeing on a price. As the UAW pushes Chrysler toward an IPO, the union is able to turn up the heat on Fiat as it tries to squeeze out a better price.

As it is, Fiat is expected to need to borrow nearly $2 billion if it is to buy the Chrysler stake at the UAW's $5 billion valuation. So it's not a simple as just coughing up the cash. Taking on this amount of debt would quite likely worsen Fiat's already junk rating and drive up future borrowing costs.

Bizarre situation
Marchionne's grand plan was to turn Fiat into a world-class automaker by integrating it fully with Chrysler and entering the U.S. market in full force. But the price the UAW is asking threatens this integration, since Fiat and Chrysler can't be integrated to the same extent if Chrysler is only 58.5% Fiat-owned. And if the IPO does go forward, the process of having Fiat buy the shares from the public market (presumably Fiat would be healthier in the future) would be messy and take more resources.

So Fiat's in a no-win situation because it needs all of Chrysler (which it can't afford to buy) to complete its integration. For now, Marchionne is in the odd position of leading the IPO drive but being against having the IPO actually happen.

Not giving up
There is a possibility that a deal could be reached before the Chrysler IPO, but the two sides are more than $1 billion apart on their valuations of the Chrysler stake. If a deal is reached, it would probably involve some sort of other financial tactic such as issuing additional Fiat shares to the VEBA, making for a part stock/part cash purchase. That would allow Fiat and Chrysler to begin integrating and the VEBA to get the full value for its stake (it could sell the Fiat shares later or hold the shares and use the cash to fund health-care obligations).

If some sort of alternative financing deal can't be reached, then Chrysler will probably see an IPO, as it wouldn't be financially responsible for Fiat to borrow the full amount to buy the stake and the VEBA can probably get a better price in an IPO (UBS valued the stake at $5.6 billion). If Chrysler does become a publicly traded company again, investors should consider both company fundamentals and the condition of Fiat's health. After all, once Fiat is healthy enough, it may well want to finish its plan and make an offer for the publicly traded Chrysler shares.

Will Chrysler win big in China?
U.S. automakers boomed after World War II, but the coming boom in the Chinese auto market will put that surge to shame! As Chinese consumers grow richer, savvy investors can take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the help from this brand-new Motley Fool report that identifies two automakers to buy for a surging Chinese market. It's completely free -- just click here to gain access.

Bill Ackman bets big on Fannie and Freddie

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been hot stocks this year. They just got hotter after Bill Ackman took a stake. Click the chart to track shares of Fannie Mae.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Bailed-out mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are apparently all the rage. Activist investor Bill Ackman disclosed Friday that his firm Pershing Square has taken just under a 10% stake in each of the government-sponsored mortgage giants.

Pershing Square owns more than 115 million common shares of Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA, Fortune 500) and over 63 million common shares of Federal Home Loan Mortgage (FMCC, Fortune 500) Corp, according to government filings.

The stocks surged on the news and based on where they were trading Friday, his investment in Fannie Mae is worth more than $380 million, while his bet on Freddie Mac is worth about $200 million.

Fannie and Freddie have been overseen by the Federal Housing Finance Agency since their $187 billion bailout in 2008, prompted by massive losses on mortgage securities. They have since returned to profitability, paying substantial dividends to the Treasury Department, and have caught the eye of investors, particularly hedge funds including Bruce Berkowitz's Fairholme Capital.

Both stocks were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in 2010 and their shares were moved to what's known as the over-the-counter bulletin board, or pink sheets. The two stocks each trade for a little more than $3 apiece. But shares of both companies are up more than 1,000% so far this year, and gained almost 10% Friday on the news of Ackman's stake.

During an interview on CNBC Thursday, Berkowitz, who is also the biggest shareholder of bailed-out insurer AIG (AIG, Fortune 500), said he wants to buy the insurance components of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae from the government. Berkowitz said "there are no other group of assets that can perform the job necessary for American housing."

"We have the infrastructure. We could have the money. We can make a reasonable return. We don't have to be greedy. We don't need federal support," he added.

  Is there a housing bubble in California?

In the SEC filings, Ackman said the shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are undervalued and attractive, and he also cited Fairholme's proposal as a reason for his purchase.

Ackman is well-known on Wall Street for investing in companies with the hope! s of convincing management to make big changes. This year, his bet on struggling retailer J.C. Penney (JCP, Fortune 500) flopped. Ackman sold his stake at a loss after CEO Ron Johnson -- who Ackman helped lure from Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) -- was fired.

Ackman also is sitting on a huge loss on paper with his short against nutritional supplement maker Herbalife (HLF). Shares of Herbalife have more than doubled this year even though Ackman has claimed on numerous occasions that he thinks the company is a pyramid scheme that has no value.

Making matter worse, rival activist investor Carl Icahn has a big stake in Herbalife and has profited handsomely from the stock's rise. The two even exchanged testy words about Herbalife in a CNBC appearance earlier this year.

But Ackman has had one notable win this year. His stake in Procter & Gamble (PG, Fortune 500) has been a winning investment. CEO Bob McDonald resigned earlier this year, a move that was largely attributed to pressure from Ackman. P&G shares are up 25% this year and the stock is at an all-time high.

False alarm over Social Security rules for divorced spouses

I received a panicked e-mail from a reader recently, asking if Social Security had changed the claiming rules for ex-spouses.

"A good friend of mine was just told by her local Social Security office that she cannot file for her ex-spouse's benefit when she turns 66," Joanne Busso wrote, explaining that her friend wanted to hold off filing for her own benefit until she is older, thereby allowing her individual benefit to increase for a few years.

"The Social Security representative told her that this is no longer allowed because 'things have changed,'" Ms. Busso wrote.

"But the [Social Security Administration] website still states that this is allowed," she wrote. "Are you aware of new laws that have eliminated the option of filing on an ex-spouse's earnings record at 66 to allow our own benefit to grow?"

I wasn't aware of any changes, but I said I would check with the SSA.

Nope. No changes.

"I'm not sure what happened at the local office, but we have not made any changes to this,” said SSA spokeswoman Kia Anderson.

She sent me a link on the ssa.gov website confirming that ex-spouses who were married for at least 10 years and who are unmarried can restrict their claim to spousal benefits if they wait until full retirement age to claim benefits. That allows their own retirement benefits to accrue delayed retirement credits up to 70.

Although the reader was relieved that no rules had been changed, the situation prompts a bigger question: What do you do when you get a wrong answer from an SSA representative?

Ms. Anderson suggests that you ask to speak to a supervisor.

You can also consult the SSA.gov website, which includes a treasure trove of information, including this page on benefits for divorced spouses (socialsecurity.gov/retire2/divspouse.htm).

The questions about rights of divorced spouses didn't stop there.

Tom, a financial adviser in Virginia, asked: "Can an ex who has remarried file for Social Security benefits on an ex-spouse's earning record?"

No, I replied. To collect on an ex-spouse you must be currently unmarried.

But, I added, if you are a surviving divorced spouse, you are still entitled to collect survivor benefits on your deceased former spouse's earnings record, as long as you wait until 60 or later to remarry.

Another reader asked what happens if you were married twice but are currently unmarried?

"Can you claim on either ex-spouse's Social Security or do you lose the ability to draw off the first spouse because you remarried, even though you divorced again?" Jeff asked.

You can use the earnings record of eith! er ex-spouse as long as each marriage lasted at least 10 years and you are currently unmarried, I responded.

When it comes to claiming Social Security benefits, divorced spouses not only have all the rights of currently married couples, they have an additional benefit. You can claim benefits based on your ex-spouse's earning record even if he or she hasn't yet claimed benefits.

As long as you and your ex are at least 62, you can claim retirement benefits on the other's earnings record. But if you want to restrict your claim to spousal benefits only, you must wai

Facebook playing with fire by policing beheading videos

Rather than set a bright-line policy on violent images, Facebook must now decide what is the right context for clips of people being decapitated.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Facebook has enacted a murky, case-by-case policy on violent content, setting the company on a precarious path.

Facebook (FB, Fortune 500)temporarily banned graphic, violent content from its site back in May, when clips including a particular video of a woman being beheaded were spreading across the site. That video resurfaced recently after Facebook quietly lifted the ban on graphic videos, and it once again caused a stir.

Facebook defended its decision on Monday after a BBC article publicized the lifting of the ban, but just 24 hours later, Facebook once again decided to take the video down.

But rather than set a bright-line policy on violent images, Facebook instead backed itself into a gray area. The site removed the specific beheading video that caused the flap -- but going forward, the site said it will make a determination about each post individually.

Facebook said it will allow the videos to stay up as long as posters "condemn" the violence and warn viewers of the graphic nature of the content. But the content will be removed if it is deemed to be shared for "sadistic pleasure or to celebrate violence."

Related story: Facebook kills search privacy setting

In doing so, Facebook has created yet another murky policy -- and thrust itself into making difficult decisions around controversial content on a case-by-case basis.

Instead of determining whether or not this content is allowed on Facebook, the site will now play the jury for each violent post that makes the rounds. If context is truly the key, why did Facebook remove this specific beheading post from the site entirely? Surely some of the users posting it were condemning the horrific act.

In explaining the new policy, Facebook said its philosophy is that people use the site to raise awareness of important issues -- and that sometimes involves violent images.

That may be true, but by getting into the context game, Facebook is making itself an easy target for the ongoing debate over what is censored on the site. Facebook has already gotten flak over controversial policy decisions involving issues like images of breastfeeding mothers -- which are sometimes banned and sometimes not.

With over 1.1 billion Facebook users, it's only a matter of time before another shocking bit of violence goes viral on the site. And now Facebook has put itself in the position of moral compass for all of those s! candals going forward.

Nitrogen Sparks Growth at CF Industries

For value investors, we continue to like the industry environment for nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products, suggests Charles Mizrahi, editor of Hidden Values Alert.

CF Industries, Inc. (CF) is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products in the world.

Global nitrogen prices have been under pressure as a result of increased exports, in large part, from China. Foreign competition is a short-term concern resulting in weaker earnings.

But management remains optimistic about the company's long-term prospects (given the cyclical nature of the industry). Ultimately, increased demand from a growing population, will result in strong earnings going forward.

CF's distribution network gives the company a competitive edge over domestic producers. Its efficient shipping network is well-positioned to move its nutrients at low costs.

The company's relationship with customers will be a tough task to replicate by foreign exporters. It also serves as a barrier to entry to potential competitors.

In a major transaction, CF Industries agreed to sell its phosphate division to Mosaic for $1.6 billion. This allows the company to focus on its core nitrogen business and use the additional cash for its expansion projects.

As part of the deal, CF agreed to supply Mosaic with 600-800 thousand tonnes of ammonia a year, which helps stabilize demand for the nutrient.

CF's free cash flow has more than quadrupled since 2009 (from about $450 million to $1.8 billion this past year).

The company also has more than $3.2 billion in cash and investments on its balance sheet, with no short-term debt. Its ability to print money allows management to engage in shareholder-friendly policies.

Since 2011, CF has allocated $2.8 billion to its stock repurchase program, reducing shares outstanding by about 12%. The company has an additional $1.7 billion remaining on its authorized buyback program.

Management recognizes the company is undervalued and is committed to continued buybacks until the market prices its stock correctly. It also distributes a $4 quarterly dividend, providing a 1.7% yield.

The company also reinvests its profits to generate internal growth. CAPEX, over the past eight quarters, has exceeded $1.2 billion. Its expansion projects allow CF to increase nitrogen production at its facilities by around 40%, since 2011.

Subscribe to Hidden Values Alert here…

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Gold Miners: Cost Cuts, CapEx and the Price of Gold

January is nearing an end, and that means one thing: Gold miners will start announcing earnings. New Gold (NGD) will get things started on Feb 6, followed by Kinross Gold (KGC) on Feb. 12 and Goldcorp (GG) and Barrick Gold (ABX) on Feb. 13.

Reuters

The big question as earnings approach: Can miners cut costs fast enough to satisfy investors? JPMorgan’s John Bridges isn’t so sure. He writes:

A feature of the upcoming results will be the extent to which cost cuts have protected margins and thus reserves, even as gold prices fall. Cuts to operating and capital costs have become essential as new shareholder funds become expensive. An indirect benefit of these initiatives could be to limit cuts to reported reserves. It will also be interesting to see how investors react to reserve cuts. Reserves and resources were an engine of growth for gold equities in recent years but now, with near-term profitability the key, we expect projections for near-term free cashflow to be more market moving than changes to reserves…

Miners are working hard to cut costs and defer sustaining capex and consequently we estimate average [all-in sustaining cost] to fall by about $100/oz in 2014 for companies in our coverage. [Goldcorp] introduced its 2014 AISC guidance recently at $975 (midpoint), which is $90/oz lower compared to 2013. While some of the savings are sustainable, miners can't perpetually defer buying of new trucks and equipment. [Kinross Gold] announced a steep ~40% reduction in capex for this year, however, suggested that reinvestment would be required at some point…

In our view, market reaction to the upcoming results is likely to be tempered by the current performance of gold, which has been encouraging.

Shares of New Gold have gained 1.8% to $5.82 at 1:05 p.m., while Kinross has risen 0.7% to $4.52, Barrick has advanced 0.5% to $18.62, and Goldcorp has jumped 1.5% to $23.63. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) is up 1.1% to $23.14 today.

Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets Green Despite Disappointing Apple Report

Toward the end of trading Tuesday, the Dow traded up 0.59 percent to 15,928.49 while the NASDAQ gained 0.22 percent to 4,092.53. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.58 percent to 1,791.91.

Top Headline
Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) reported a rise in its fourth-quarter profit. Ford's quarterly profit surged to $3.04 billion, or $0.74 per share, from a year-ago profit of $1.60 billion, or $0.40 per share. Its adjusted earnings came in at $0.31 per share. Its revenue surged to $37.6 billion versus $36.3 billion. However, analysts were expecting a profit of $0.28 per share on revenue of $34.96 billion. For 2014, Ford projects a pretax profit of $7 billion to $8 billion.

Equities Trading UP
AK Steel Holding (NYSE: AKS) gained 17.86 percent to $7.06 after the company crushed analyst estimates on the bottom line while narrowly beating on the top line in its fourth quarter report.

Shares of Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK) got a boost, shooting up 7.96 percent to $55.55 after the companyposted upbeat fiscal first-quarter earnings and lifted its full-year forecast.

Silicon Motion Technology (NASDAQ: SIMO) was also up, gaining 14.72 percent to $17.07 after the company reported upbeat Q4 results and issued strong FY14 revenue forecast.

Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ: RCII) were down 21.51 percent to $24.51 on Q4 results.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares tumbled 7.80 percent to $507.55 after the company issued weak sales forecast for the second quarter and reported downbeat holiday iPhone sales.

Analysts at BGC Partners downgraded Apple from Buy to Hold.

Corning (NYSE: GLW) was down, falling 6.06 percent to $17.12 after the company reported Q4 results.

Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded up 1.80 percent to $97.44, while gold traded down 0.92 percent to $1,251.80.

Silver traded down 1.26 percent Tuesday to $19.52, while copper fell 0.65 percent to $3.25.

Eurozone
European shares were higher today.

The Spanish Ibex Index surged 1.21 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index gained 0.96 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX climbed 0.55 percent and the French CAC 40 surged 0.98 percent while U.K. shares rose 0.34 percent.

Economics
The ICSC-Goldman same-store sales index rose 0.2% in the week ended Saturday versus the earlier week.

The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index declined 0.1% in the first three weeks of January versus December.

Orders for durable goods dropped 4.3% in December, versus economists' expectations for a 1.8% gain.

U.S. home prices declined 0.1% in November, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. However, the index gained 0.9% after seasonal adjustments. Home prices surged 13.7% y/y in November.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 80.70 in January, versus a prior reading of 78.10. However, economists were expecting a reading of 78.00.

The Richmond Fed manufacturing index fell to 12.00 in January, from a previous reading of 13.00. However, economists were expecting a reading of 13.00.

The FOMC begins its two-day policy meeting today.

The Treasury is set to auction 2-year notes.

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

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

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The Nobel Prize for Market Timing Goes to… Cliff?

According to the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH), the best - and perhaps only - way to outperform the market over time is simple:

First, claim that beating the market over time is virtually impossible. Then, take home $1.2 million for "proving" it.

That was Professor Eugene Fama's approach, anyway, after co-winning the Nobel Prize in economics.

Don't get me wrong. As a professional investor and portfolio manager, I believe Professor Fama's EMH has many valid ideas. But fundamentally, people like us (and Buffett, and Soros, and Rogers, and Lynch, and Einhorn, and Paulson, and Icahn, and Ackman) never swallow EMH whole.

Ironically, neither does Clifford Asness.

Why would one of Fama's brightest students decide to ditch EMH, and pick stocks and time the market instead?

Proving EMH "right" may be worth millions (to Fama). But proving it "wrong" is worth billions...

The First Step to Beating the Market

As you'll recall, the big news in finance academia last week was the awarding of the Nobel Prize in economics to University of Chicago professor Eugene Fama. The prestigious award was given to Fama for his work in so-called Efficient Market Hypothesis, or EMH. This is the concept that market participants rationally discount new information, nearly instantly, and that this makes it virtually impossible to "time the market" and/or outperform the broad stock market consistently over time.

We believe that the market is only partly efficient. That means you can time the market - and beat the market-if you know what to look for.

That was, in part, Cliff's conclusion, too...

Cliff was a colleague of mine at Goldman Sachs. And he was one of Professor Fama's brightest students and research assistants at the University of Chicago. While still a graduate student, he wrote a paper on the Efficient Market Hypothesis.

But, unlike Professor Fama, Cliff's research, done while writing the paper, brought him to the conclusion that it is, in fact, possible to outperform the market by a combination of superior stock picking and market timing.

And he was willing to put his money where his mouth was.

Cliff left academia and joined Goldman in its fast-growing hedge fund division. And he didn't disappoint.

He and his team consistently produced market-beating returns. In fact, Cliff was already a star at the company when I began working at Goldman's hedge fund division during the mid-1990s.

In 1998, Cliff left Goldman and launched his own hedge fund firm, AQR Capital Management, which continued to consistently outperform the market. Today, AQR is one of the most successful companies in the hedge fund industry, and Cliff has become a billionaire.

So, how did Cliff do it? How has he beaten the market - significantly - over time?

You Can Do It, Too...

The first step is to realize that markets are not always efficient.

One of the most obvious market inefficiencies is the fact that investors do not always behave rationally. This is especially true when the extremes of fear or greed dominate the market milieu.

For example, during times of panic dominated by fear, investors often engage in irrational selling. This is precisely what happened during Black Monday - the market crash of October 19, 1987 - when U.S. stocks sold off 23% without any meaningful change in market fundamentals.

Conversely, when greed dominates markets, investors often engage in irrational buying.

In 2000, during the height of the tech bubble, 3Com Corp. spun off its wholly owned Personal Digital Assistant (remember those?) division, Palm, via an IPO. Palm only accounted for 15% of 3Com's earnings at the time.

But, by the close of trading on its IPO date, Palm was worth nearly twice as much as 3Com - which still owned 95% of Palm - simply because Palm was in the white-hot telcotech sector.

These examples of irrational behavior are just two of many such decisions driven by extreme fear and extreme greed.

When the emotional pendulum swings toward either end of the fear and greed spectrum, when investors behave irrationally, is precisely when markets are inefficient.

The way to make money during these extreme times is to avoid getting caught up by the prevailing emotion, to act rationally, and go straight in the opposite direction.

Now that you know that market timing can be done, I'll return next week to tell you exactly how it's done. We'll look at details of how I personally time the markets, and exactly what we should be looking at to get the most accurate reading of market sentiments. And, most importantly, we'll look at some fantastic opportunities to test these new skills - and make a killing in the process.

In the meantime, here are some of the investable ideas we've looked at together over the last few weeks - all of which are worth considering at current levels...

These Income Stocks Are High Growth in Disguise
Classifying MLPs as "income" stocks is a big mistake. It's a costly one too...especially if it's growth you're after. Yes, the partnerships toss off tons of cash. The high-net-worth folks I work with can achieve, for example, $350,000 in cash payouts from investing $5 million in an MLP yielding 7%. But they're more like growth stocks in disguise...

A Safe "Specialty Fund" that Pays Up to $850 a Month
The long-term growth potential alone makes these shares worthwhile. But you'll also get a ton of cash - up to $850 a month, depending on how much you invest. That's what makes these "specialty funds" so special. They do the work, you get the money...

How to Give Yourself a 10% Pay Raise in 10 Minutes Flat
There's only one reliable way to make 10% or more a year... especially now, in a rising interest rate environment. Growth and income are inseparable. The three companies you'll see today are perfect examples of this. And "total return" has never been more important to seek. These shares will pay you 5% to 10% in cash.

Airlines mishandle wheelchairs, leave disabled …

Imagine the next time you take a flight, you are asked to turn over your electronic devices. That's right, your laptop, tablet and smart phone. And when you arrive at your destination they are given back to you broken into pieces. You wouldn't tolerate this, would you?

This is exactly what people traveling with motorized wheelchairs deal with every day. The only difference is that their wheelchairs are electronic devices that provide their mobility. Without them, they are stuck.

That's what happened in March 2012 to Yomi Wrong, executive director of the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, Calif., when she flew from California to Florida for a conference. After landing, she was left on the plane for an hour while the airline tried to locate her motorized wheelchair. When it finally was brought to her, the headrest and backrest were broken off and lying on the seat. No one from the airport or the airline would help Wrong try to fix her chair, citing liability concerns.

"It goes to a lack of awareness and effective training. Ultimately this amounts to discrimination to one group of passengers, people with disabilities." says Wrong.

Like most such wheelchairs, Wrong's is made to meet her specific needs and not interchangeable with other wheelchairs. Without any tools, Wrong tried to screw the pieces back in place and used bungee cords to help hold the chair together. Delayed by several hours, she missed several conference events. After her return to California, the airline finally repaired her damaged chair.

"This chair costs $26,000 -- more than some people pay for a vehicle. When you hand your keys over to a valet you don't expect that they're going to crash your car and not take responsibility for it and that's what happens to us," says Wrong.

Beyond breakage, many times there is damage undetectable by the human eye that may cause the electrical systems to malfunction and even cause physical harm.

"It's an outrage that we have been fighting for de! cades," says Marilyn Golden, a senior policy analyst for the Disability Rights, Education and Defense Fund in Berkeley. "We fought to get a law which was passed in 1986, the Air Carrier Access Act (which prohibits discrimination against disabled persons). We fought to get regulations issued that were strong. And we have fought to get those regulations implemented and enforced."

Golden says it's the responsibility of the Department of Transportation to oversee and enforce this law. "Every law, particularly civil rights laws need strong enforcement to be effective. This law has weak enforcement and that's one big reason why we don't see a resolution."

DOT regulations cover airlines' obligations in the handling of various types of wheelchairs. In 2011 The Department of Transportation proposed a new rule requiring airlines to report more information specific to mishandled wheelchairs. According to the DOT this filing still is under review. Under current regulations, airlines do have to file an annual report with the DOT on all disability-related complaints they receive. The DOT offers a monthly Air Travel Consumer Report summarizing disability-related complaints against airlines filed with the DOT by passengers.

Most airlines do pay for any repairs needed, but the process isn't an easy one and not always speedy. Many times there is a wait for repair appointments, sometimes several weeks. If a chair is an older model, the airlines may not cover the full amount. And in some cases, consumers face the financial strain of having to pay for repairs and wait to be reimbursed.

Meanwhile, without their mobility, their lives can be halted. They may not be able to get to work or to medical appointments.

Advocates for the disabled say airlines should install systems to properly lift and stow wheelchairs with cargo, as opposed to sending them up the conveyor belt like luggage. Wrong says that employees and ground crews also need training on the proper handling of wheelchairs.

"I! t's beyon! d inconvenience, it's completely disabling," says Wrong. "If my chair is in pieces, if it doesn't work, if the electronics malfunction and they give it to me in pieces, that's more than inconvenient, I think it's criminal."

Is Sotheby's Worth Bidding On? Citigroup Says So

While Fools should generally take the opinion of Wall Street with a grain of salt, it's not a bad idea to take a closer look at particularly stock-shaking upgrades and downgrades -- just in case their reasoning behind the call makes sense.

What: Shares of Sotheby's (NYSE: BID  ) climbed 2% in early trading after Citigroup upgraded the auction house to "buy" from "neutral."

So what: Along with the upgrade, analyst Oliver Chen boosted his price target on the stock to $55 per share (from $45), representing about 16% worth of upside to yesterday's close. Chen cited several potential catalysts for the call, including the potential sale of its headquarters, a return of capital to shareholders, and even a possible leveraged buyout.

Now what: At the very minimum, I expect management to make some strategic tweaks and start focusing on less expensive goods. "Sotheby's current focus on high-end property may leave the company vulnerable to competition on commission margins and sellers of high-end property could be more likely to leave the market during pullbacks which exposes Sotheby's to greater volatility," Chen said. So while the stock is hitting a new 52-week high today, Citigroup's price target doesn't seem all that unreasonable given the many number of potential catalysts working in Sotheby's favor. 

Stocks for the long term
Dividend stocks can make you rich. It's as simple as that. While they don't garner the notoriety of high-flying growth stocks, they're also less likely to crash and burn. And over the long term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine. With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list in this free report of nine that fit the bill. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.

iPhone Slowdown. What iPhone Slowdown?

Updated from 8:41 A.M. to include data about iPhone 5c sales in the sixth paragraph.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." -- Mark Twain

While Twain's famous quote can be applied to almost anything, applying it to Apple (AAPL)and most notably the iPhone, is particularly appropriate on a day when the iPhone maker's numbers are better than some observers might assume.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, who is perhaps the most-respected Apple analyst on Wall Street and who is always the first to ask a question on the company's quarterly earnings calls, noted that iPhone sales for the September quarter may be as high as 34.5 million units, well above the average analyst projection, and putting to bed any concerns investors might have about slowing growth at the best-known company in Cupertino, Calif.

"Our analysis indicates iPhone demand of 34.5M units in C3Q13," Huberty wrote in a note. "This is better than our forecast of 31M and consensus expectations in the low 30Ms. It is also 2.5M higher than our smartphone tracker at the end of August, representing early demand for the new iPhone 5s and 5c."

Investors were concerned Monday that Apple didn't issue a press release announcing pre-order figures for the the iPhone 5c, a notion that Huberty rightly called "overblown." The concern over the lack of a press release sent shares tumbling on Sept. 16 as Apple dropped 3.2%.

Huberty noted that pre-orders this year aren't comparable to years past given that the iPhone 5s is still not available for pre-order in the U.S.; it goes on sale online on Friday at 12:01 a.m. Both phones are available in stores (while supplies last, of course) at 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday. Both phones will be available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the U.K.

A look on Apple's website indicates the iPhone 5c is already sold out on its initial launch.  Available to ship dates moved from Sept. 20, when the phone will go on sale, to now being available to ship in 3 to 5 business days.

Huberty's AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker shows a 15% quarter-over-quarter increase in iPhone shipments, about the same as last year, when the tracker saw 16% growth ahead of the iPhone 5 launch. That would indicate 25% year-over-year growth, ahead of what Huberty had previously been modeling. She rates Apple shares "overweight."

For the full quarter, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Apple to earn $7.66 a share on $36.06 billion in revenue. <story_page_break>

The lack of a press release about the 5c pre-orders is less concerning now than it will be if Apple doesn't issue a pre-release with initial weekend sales figures this weekend. By then, both the 5c and 5s will be available, marking the first time Apple has released two phones simultaneously.

The initial reviews for both phones are out, with glowing recommendations for the 5s, in particular, and its fingerprint scanning, known as TouchID. Perhaps the most respected gadget reviewer of our day, The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, said the "fingerprint recognition's a game changer."

Likewise, other respected reviewers, including The New York Times David Pogue, Daring Fireball's John Gruber, as well as a host of others were incredibly positive.

Demand for the gold iPhone 5s in China and Hong Kong is exceptional, as the reservation system shows all models, especially the gold iPhone 5s, are already sold out. According to sources close to the situation, this is more to do with the process about selling a product in China, and isn't specific to Apple.

While some on Wall Street are concerned that Apple's chief revenue driver, the iPhone, is seeing slowing growth, and is no longer the innovative product it once was, consumers and tracking data are telling a very different story. Now let's see what Apple has to say.

--Written by Chris Ciaccia in New York

>Contact by Email.

Follow @Chris_Ciaccia

Mid-Day Market Update: Microsoft Rises On Upbeat Results; Kansas City Southern Shares Decline

Midway through trading Friday, the Dow traded down 1.18 percent to 16,006.33 while the NASDAQ tumbled 1.61 percent to 4,150.91. The S&P also fell, dropping 1.37 percent to 1,803.51.

Top Headline
Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE: PG) reported a better-than-expected second-quarter net profit.

Procter & Gamble's quarterly profit declined to $3.43 billion, or $1.18 per share, from a year-ago profit of $4.06 billion, or $1.39 per share. Its core earnings fell to $1.21 per share.

Its sales came in at $22.28 billion versus $22.18 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $1.20 per share on sales of $22.36 billion.

Equities Trading UP
Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) shot up 7.77 percent to $28.03 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Barclays upgraded the stock from Equalweight to Overweight and lifted the price target from $29.00 to $34.00.

Shares of Open Text (NASDAQ: OTEX) got a boost, shooting up 11.95 percent to $101.45 after the company reported upbeat Q2 results and announced a 2-for-1 stock split.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) was also up, gaining 3.70 percent to $37.39 after the company reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results. Credit Suisse raised the price target on the stock from $40.00 to $42.50.

Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) were down 13.29 percent to $101.69 after the company reported downbeat Q4 earnings.

International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) shares tumbled 12.63 percent to $15.42 after the company reported weaker-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results. Sterne Agee downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral and cut the price target from $21.50 to $18.00.

First Niagara Financial Group (NASDAQ: FNFG) was down, falling 9.86 percent to $9.32 on Q4 results. The company issued weak FY14 earnings outlook.

Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded down 0.70 percent to $96.64, while gold traded up 0.23 percent to $1,265.20.

Silver traded down 0.15 percent Friday to $19.98, while copper fell 0.29 percent to $3.28.

Eurozone
European shares were lower today. The Spanish Ibex Index declined 3.88 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index tumbled 2.30 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX fell 2.61 percent and the French CAC 40 slipped 2.79 percent while U.K. shares declined 1.71 percent.

Economics
On the economics calendar Friday, there is no important data due out.

Posted-In: Earnings News Guidance Eurozone Futures Forex Global Economics Intraday Update Markets

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

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Don't stop SIP; gold good for asset allocation: Anand Rathi

Below is the edited transcript of his interview to CNBC-TV18.

Caller Q: Is it the right time to withdraw money from systematic investment plan (SIP)?

A: In terms of withdrawals, there are a lot of SIPs which are being discontinued with large AMCs. It is a reflection of how dissatisfied the customer would be when we have not made too much money over three-four years. One will get jittery saying that let me discontinue because it is not giving me the fruits which I envisaged when I got in.

One should not discontinue it. Like you said, you want some inflows and you want to redeem. Look at the fund. It has top three-four banks like HDFC, ICICI that form a part of the portfolio. You should wait out for a little more while till the month end.

There is some positive news which is expected. Since you have accumulated over three year period, you must be speaking about Rs 2,000 a month so you have something greater than Rs 50,000.

You can also explore one territory which has been unutilised. Try to create an overdraft on your SIPs. That is one of the best forms of dipping into your savings without tampering with goals. We always suggest a client when he has accumulated assets in the SIP format to take an overdraft from a bank which will almost be 50 percent of the market value.

Since it is an overdraft, when you put the money back in, you are not getting charged on the interest and then whenever you need the money you can utilise it and still not tamper with your goals.

That is a better method than trying to withdraw the accumulated money. In that phase, when you use that money if the market run up or especially you have taken a banking sector fund, you might miss out and lose out patience you have reflected over three years. So, that is my suggestion.

So, you can definitely explore and overdraft facility because these come at cheap prices. They secure against mutual fund units. If you have to redeem it then wait it out, till the month end you should be able to get better prices.

Caller Q: I want to invest Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh into gold. Is this the right time to do so?

A: One should be certain whether it is an asset allocation or it's more of a trading investment, standalone product. If you are investing as an asset allocation then you should consider investing at this stage.

But if it is more of understanding and trying to have a standalone product, you should wait out a little as there could be some appreciation on the rupee, which could be there in a month or two.

That will definitely bring down the MCX gold or the Indian gold prices because there is a very strong correlation between the rupee depreciation or appreciation vis-à-vis the gold price.

So, net-net if it is asset allocation game, I do not think you should wait. If it is less than 15 percent of your total assets, then you should go in and not wait it out.

If it is standalone investment or a trading which you are looking at, you should wait out till rupee settles down at lower level or rupee appreciates a little. There could be some appreciation on the rupee over couple of months to come.

The Markets Were Getting Crushed This Morning -- What Do the Charts Say?

The markets were beat up Thursday and if Friday morning's pre-market numbers hold through the trading day, it's going to be another day of selling in the major U.S. indices.

The S&P 500 lost 0.9 percent to close at 1,828.46 Thursday. The Dow lost more than one percent or 175 points to close at 16,197.35 and the Nasdaq finished at 4,218.87—a loss of 0.6 percent. But one day doesn't mean much of anything unless we put it in the context of a larger chart.

Thursday's down day did no technical damage. The S&P closed well off of its intraday low after bouncing off the 1,820 low set back on January 13. Volume was high meaning that the selling came with conviction but looking at just Thursday's price action, there was little to be concerned about.

Related: #PreMarket Primer: Friday, January 24: Growth Fears Drag Down Emerging Markets

Overall, 2014 has seen volatility but the overall market can be characterized as sideways. The year started around 1,850, dipped to the 1,830 range, regained the 1,850 level and is now back to the 1,830 area. The markets are in a range with the occasional dip below only to quickly rebound as investors buy on the dips.

This morning, the markets are set for another big drop. Dow futures are indicated more than 80 points lower and S&P futures are down about 12 points.

Key levels to watch in the S&P today are the January 13 intra-day low of 1,815.52 and the 50-day moving average at 1,812.15. The January 13 level wouldn't indicate a catastrophic technical breakdown but closing below the 50 day would be cause for concern. The S&P hasn't dipped below its 50 day since October and any breakdown would likely trigger larger selling pressure.

A breakdown of the 50 day could set the S&P up for a challenge of 1,780—it's close from mid December.

But to be fair, investors are still in buy on the dip mode. Just looking at this year, they've clearly sat on the sidelines waiting for a buy point. When they find it, in the form of dips like one we're currently experiencing, they swoop in and buy en masse.

Before investors get alarmed, they'll have to see a period of sustained selling. That's something this market has seen in a long time.

Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Tim Parker was net long U.S. equities.

Posted-In: Dow Jones NASDAQ S&P 500Technicals Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

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

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Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015

On this day in economic and business history...

April 23, 1985 was one of the most infamous days in marketing history. Children who were not yet born remember it. Retirees reminisce about it. Comedians harvest jokes from it to this day. That day, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) introduced the world to "new Coke."

Coke was losing ground in the 1980s. By 1983, its flagship fizzy brown drink was outsold in supermarkets by the upstart Pepsi (NYSE: PEP  ) and its brilliant "Pepsi Challenge" campaign. Coke CEO Roberto Goizueta was ready to take a chainsaw to the company's core business if it meant winning over the youthful Boomer generation, and he had come into the corner office with experience tweaking Coke's iconic formula for regional tastes. A massive but highly secretive project began under the name "Project Kansas," with initially positive results. However, a small but highly vocal minority of Coke's top-secret taste-testers remained adamantly opposed to the notion of a different Coke. These complaints would come back to haunt Coke when it went ahead with the launch despite objections.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (KS)

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation engages in the production and sale of unbleached kraft, linerboard, saturating kraft, and unbleached folding carton boards primarily in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It offers kraft paper to converters, who produce multiwall bags for agricultural products, pet food, cement, chemicals, and grocery bags, as well as specialty conversion products, such as wrapping paper products and roll wrap; and linerboards to converters in the corrugated box industry and to other converters for various end uses, including laminated tier sheets and wrapping material. The company offers its saturating kraft products to various industries, such as construction, electronics manufacturing, and furniture manufacturing; and unbleached folding carton board products to the general folding carton segment of paperboard packaging. KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation offers its kraft paper, linerboard, and saturating kraft products under the DuraSorb brand name; and folding carton board under the Kraftpak brand name. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on KapStone Paper and Packaging (NYSE: KS  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Wabash National Corporation(WNC)

Wabash National Corporation engages in designing, manufacturing, and marketing standard and customized truck trailers, intermodal equipment, and transportation related products in North America. It operates in three segments: Commercial Trailer Products, Diversified Products, and Retail. The Commercial Trailer Products segment manufactures truck trailers; proprietary composite products; dry van trailers; standardized sheet and post, and refrigerated trailer products; and steel and aluminum flatbed, and dropdeck trailers. This segment markets its transportation equipment under the Wabash, DuraPlate, DuraPlateHD, DuraPlate XD-35, FreightPro, ArcticLite, RoadRailer, Transcraft, Eagle, Eagle II, D-Eagle, and Benson trademarks directly to customers, as well as through independent dealers and company-owned retail branch network. The Diversified Products segment focuses on diversifying its product offerings using intellectual technology. It offers complementary products to compan y?s truck trailers and transportation equipment; AeroSkirt, an aerodynamic solution for over-the-road trailers; and customer-specific solutions to original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket customers. This segment also manufactures laminated hard wood oak floor products for the van trailer industry. The Retail segment operates 12 retail branch locations, which sell new and used trailers, aftermarket parts, and services throughout the United States. Wabash National Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana.

Hot Value Stocks To Buy For 2015: Patient Home Monitoring Corp (PHM.V)

Patient Home Monitoring Corp. provides home-based monitoring services and supplies for cardiology patients in the United States. The company offers its products and services to patients that take prescription blood thinners, such as Coumadin. Its in-home testing services enable to monitor PT/INR from home. The company is based in San Francisco, California.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Ballard Power Systems Inc.(BLDP)

Ballard Power Systems Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, sale, and service of fuel cell products for motive and stationary power applications worldwide. It offers clean energy PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell stacks, modules, and complete systems. The company provides fuel cell products and services for material handling and bus, back-up power, and distributed generation applications; and fuel cell engineering solutions for various fuel cell applications. It also offers carbon-based engineered material products in the form of roll goods as woven carbon fiber textile fabrics or carbon fiber papers primarily for automotive transmissions and gas diffusion layers. Ballard Power Systems Inc., through its interests in Dantherm Power A/S develops clean energy backup power through utilization of hydrogen fuel cell technology; and Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation Corp. develops fuel cell products for the automotive fuel cell market. The company was founde d in 1979 and is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Canada-based fuel cell developer Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP) is getting a jolt on Friday after yesterday�� announcement that it had signed a non-bind agreement to develop zero-emissions, fuel cell vehicles with Netherlands-based Van Hool NV, Europe�� fourth-largest bus maker. According to the announcement there will be 27 Van Hool fuel cell buses operating in Europe next year, all powered by Ballard fuel cell systems.

• [By John Udovich]

  Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) has a growing�battery fire mess on its hand but should investors in small cap fuel cell stock Plug Power Inc (NASDAQ: PLUG) be more worried than investors in fuel cell peers like FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ: FCEL) and Ballard Power Systems Inc (NASDAQ: BLDP)? After all, Tesla Motors Inc�� battery fire problems seem to result from drivers running over debris that damage�or pierce the undercarriage rather than with the batteries�themselves (as in Boeing�� case). Nevertheless, any news about batteries or fuel cells and the like catching on fire could spill over�and impact peers - unless there are other concerns for investors. ��

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Franklin Financial Corporation(FRNK)

Franklin Financial Corporation operates as a holding company for Franklin Federal Savings Bank that offers financial services to consumers and businesses. Its deposit products include passbook savings, money market savings, and money market checking, as well as certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises nonresidential real estate loans, multi-family real estate loans, one-to four-family residential loans, construction loans, land and land development loans, non-real estate loans, and second mortgages. It also offers a range of financial services, including mutual funds; debt, equity, and government securities; retirement accounts; insurance products; and fixed and variable annuities. Franklin Financial Corporation operates eight full-service retail banking offices in the Greater Richmond area of central Virginia. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

The Bank of Nova Scotia (the Bank) is a diversified financial institution. As of October 31, 2011, the Bank offered a range of products and services, including retail, commercial, corporate and investment banking to more than 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. The Bank has four business lines: Canadian Banking, International Banking, Scotia Capital and Global Wealth Management. In January 2012, the Company closed its acquisition of 51% of Banco Colpatria. In April 2012, the Company through Scotia Capital Inc. acquired Howard Weil Incorporated. In April 2013, Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a 50% interest in Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Horizonte SA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  TD Rating: 7.5

  Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

  Dividend Yield: 3.9%

  The last of the major Canadian banks is Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS). Not known for its Canadian retail banking, its biggest calling cards are its businesses outside of Canada in Latin America and Asia. Analysts expect it to deliver a 9.1% increase in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter to C$1.6 billion, 47% of which will come from outside of Canada.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Iamgold Corp Com Npv (IMG.TO)

IAMGOLD Corporation, a mid-tier gold mining company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties. It primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, copper, niobium, diamonds, and other metals. The company holds interests in five operating gold mines, a niobium mine, a diamond royalty, and exploration and development projects located in Africa and the Americas. Its development projects include the Westwood project located in the Abitibi region, Qu茅bec, Canada; and the Camp Caiman project located in northeastern French Guiana, South America. The company was formerly known as IAMGOLD International African Mining Gold Corporation and changed its name to IAMGOLD Corporation in June 1997. IAMGOLD Corporation was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Africo Resources L Com Npv (ARL.TO)

Africo Resources Ltd. engages in acquiring, exploring, developing, and mining precious and base metal mineral properties in Africa. The company�s principal mineral property is the Kalukundi copper and cobalt property, which consists of 23 carres or blocks covering an area of 19.5 square kilometers and is located in the Kolwezi District of Katanga Province in the Southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Africo Resources Ltd. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Discovery Minerals Ltd (DSCR)

Discovery Minerals Ltd., formerly Dhanoa Minerals Ltd., incorporated on July 11, 2005, is an exploration-stage company. The Company�� principal business is the acquisition and exploration of menial resources located in the United States, Central and South America. The Company operates in only one business segment, namely natural resource exploration, mining and recovery.

The Company does not own any properties that contain mineral reserves that are economically recoverable. The Company's projects include Turquoise Mountain Project and Yukon Mining Project.

Best Supermarket Companies To Watch For 2015: Commerce Resources Corp. (CCE.V)

Commerce Resources Corp. engages in the exploration and development of rare metals and rare earth elements in British Columbia and Quebec, Canada. It explores for tantalum, niobium, and rare metal deposits. The company primarily focuses on the development of the Upper Fir tantalum and niobium deposit located in the Blue River region of the Kamloops Mining District of British Columbia; and the Eldor rare earth project located in the Labrador Trough area of Quebec. Commerce Resources Corp. was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Now

Popular Posts: 9 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now4 Pharmaceutical Stocks to Buy Now3 Communications Equipment Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 3 Semiconductor Stocks to Sell Now 10 Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Now 3 Insurance Stocks to Buy Now View All Posts

This week, 10 semiconductor stocks are improving their overall rating on Portfolio Grader. Each of these rates an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”).

This week, Mattson Technology, Inc. () is showing significant improvement as the company’s rating hops from a C (“hold”) to a B (“buy”). Mattson Technology designs, manufactures, and markets advanced fabrication equipment. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategories of Earnings Revisions and Sales Growth, MTSN also gets A’s. Shares of the stock have been changing hands at an unusually rapid pace, three times the rate of the week prior. .

This week, FSI International () is showing good progress as the company’s rating jumps from a B (“buy”) last week to an A (“strong buy”). FSI International is a supplier of processing equipment used at key production steps to manufacture microelectronics, including semiconductor devices and thin film heads. .

QuickLogic Corporation () improves from a C to a B rating this week. QuickLogic is the inventor and provider of customizable semiconductor solutions for mobile and portable electronics. .

PDF Solutions, Inc. () earns a B this week, jumping up from last week’s grade of C. PDF Solutions provides infrastructure technologies and services to optimize performance and improve yield of manufactured integrated circuits. .

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. () shows solid improvement this week as the company’s rating rises from a C to a B. Skyworks Solutions is an innovator of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. Shares of SWKS have increased 10.3% over the past month, better than the 1.3% decrease the Nasdaq has seen over the same period of time. Shares of the stock have been trading at an exceptionally rapid pace, up twofold from the week prior. .

This week, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation’s () ratings are up from a C last week to a B. Lattice Semiconductor designs, develops, and markets high speed programmable logic devices. At $5.87, the stock is above the 50-day moving average of $5.52. .

Microchip Technology Incorporated () is seeing ratings go up from a C last week to a B this week. Microchip Technology makes specialized semiconductor products used in a variety of embedded control applications. With a price of $46.25, it is above the 50-day moving average of $43.67. .

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. Sponsored ADR’s () ratings are looking better this week, moving up to a B from last week’s C. Semiconductor Manufacturing International manufactures, trades, packages, tests, and provides computer-aided design integrated circuits. The stock’s price of $4.92 is above the 50-day moving average of $3.87. Shares of the stock have been changing hands at an unusually rapid pace, twice the rate of the week prior. .

Inphi Corporation () boosts its rating from a C to a B this week. Inphi provides high-speed analog and mixed signal semiconductor solutions for the communications, datacenter, and computing markets worldwide. At $12.93, the stock is above the 50-day moving average of $12.44. .

This week, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. Sponsored ADR () pushes up from a C to a B rating. Advanced Semiconductor Engineering is an independent provider of semiconductor packaging and testing services. The stock’s price has been relatively flat over the past week. .

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

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now

This energy firm has transformed itself into more of a large-scale independent exploration and production (E&P) company, by spinning off its refining and marketing, midstream, and chemicals businesses, observes Geoffrey Seiler, editor of BullMarket.com.

Where ConocoPhillips (COP) remains similar to its former super-major peers is that its portfolio of assets is very diversified, consisting of onshore and offshore positions, along with LNG operations, a presence in the Canadian oil sands, and it operates worldwide.

Its smaller E&P rivals tend to have more concentrated positions, which, some would argue, gives them an advantage, because they have more focus. As of the end of 2012, ConocoPhillips' reserves totaled 8.6 billion BOE, more than half of which is liquids and 65% of which is developed.

ConocoPhillips has large acreage positions in the Eagle Ford, Permian Basin, and Bakken regions of the United States. It also has its oil sands properties in Canada. Its US shale plays are expected to provide about 60% of the company's production growth through 2017.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: SAP AG(SAP)

SAP AG provides business software primarily in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific Japan region. The company?s products includes SAP Business Suite software, which supports large organizations in their core business operations, such as supplier relationship, production, warehouse management, sales, administration, and customer relationship; SAP Business All-in-One, a business management software that assists midsize companies in managing various business functions, including financials, human resources, procurement, inventory, manufacturing, logistics, product development, sales, and marketing; SAP Business One, a business management application for small businesses; and SAP Business ByDesign, an on-demand solution for integrated business management applications. Its products also comprises SAP BusinessObjects Edge business intelligence and enterprise performance management solutions; Xcelsius, a data visualization software; Crystal Reports, which helps users design interactive reports; Sybase IQ, an optimized analytics server designed to deliver results for business intelligence, analytics, data warehousing, and reporting solutions; SAP solutions for sustainability; and SAP NetWeaver technology platform, which integrates information and business processes across various technologies and organizational structures. In addition, the company offers industry and solution-focused, business transformation, information technology transformation, custom development, and support services; and program, project management, quality assurance, and education and certification services. It sells its products through its subsidiaries and resellers. SAP AG has a strategic relationship with Cap Gemini S.A. to develop and deploy enterprise mobility solutions. The company was formerly known as SAP Aktiengesellschaft Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung. SAP AG was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Walldorf , Germany.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: McDonald�� Corp. (NYSE: MCD) is down 0.6% at $94.59 after a so-so report and a downbeat forecast. Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) is down 3.4% at $50.67 on added caution for the current quarter. V.F. Corp. (NYSE: VFC) is up 3.4% at $211.24. SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) is up 3.6% at $76.38. NVR Corp. (NYSE: NVR) is down 4.1% at $893.40.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  MBIAcommon stock is The Allocation Fund�� largest position. Recent legal settlements paid and reserves taken by defendants are convincing skeptics of the company�� ability to more than just survive. Following GAAP, the company reports a book value of about $12 per share. Following Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP) utilized by insurance regulators, book adjusts to $16. Assuming an orderly run-off, the company calculates an adjusted book value of $35. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses and does not include a value for new business.

• [By Vanin Aegea]

  Innovation and friendliness are two stewards that software developers value highly in order to retain and attract customers. Applications that are easy to navigate and to use have proved to be highly valued by users. Some companies were able to meet the challenge and deliver tailor made products, among them are: Sap Aktiengesellschaft (SAP) and Adobe Systems (ADBE). But, does catering to customer preferences generate profits?

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Aercap Holdings N.V. (AER)

AerCap Holdings N.V., through its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated aviation company worldwide. It engages in leasing and trading aircraft and engines; and selling parts. The company also provides aircraft management services, as well as aircraft and limited engine MRO services, and aircraft disassembly services through its repair stations. In addition, it offers aircraft services, including remarketing aircraft; collecting rental and maintenance payments, monitoring aircraft maintenance, monitoring and enforcing contract compliance, and accepting delivery and redelivery of aircraft; conducting ongoing lessee financial performance reviews; inspecting the leased aircraft; coordinating technical modifications to aircraft to meet new lessee requirements; conducting restructurings negotiations in connection with lease defaults; repossessing aircraft; arranging and monitoring insurance coverage; registering and de-registering aircraft; arranging for aircraft and aircraft engine valuations; and providing market research. The company?s management services include leasing and remarketing, cash management and treasury, technical advisory, and accounting and administrative services. As of March 31, 2011, it owned 272 aircraft and 95 engines, which it leased under operating leases to 118 lessees in 53 countries. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Schiphol, the Netherlands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  More than two years ago, American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO) in its aircraft leasing group, International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC). That filing came to nothing, and AIG found little interest from buyers for ILFC, until Monday morning when it announced that AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE: AER) will buy the leasing operation for $3 billion in cash and 97.56 million shares of new AerCap stock. The total value of the deal is approximately $5.4 billion.

• [By Shahida Humayun]

  Air Lease's fleet has a weighted average age of 3.5 years, compared to 10.7 years for Aircastle (NYSE: AYR  ) and 5.1 years for AerCap Holdings (NYSE: AER  ) . As a result of this advantage, Air Lease is currently trading at a price-to-book value (P/BV) of 1.17, compared to 0.8 and 0.95 for Aircastle and AerCap Holdings, respectively.

• [By Tess Stynes]

  AIG confirmed it will sell its stake in International Lease Finance Corp to aircraft-leasing company AerCap Holdings N.V(AER). for $5.4 billion in cash and stock.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Buy For 2014: Transdigm Group Incorporated(TDG)

TransDigm Group Incorporated designs, produces, and supplies engineered aircraft components for use on commercial and military aircraft principally in the United States. The company?s products include mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems and engine technology, pumps and valves, power conditioning devices, AC/DC electric motors and generators, NiCad batteries and chargers, engineered latching and locking devices, rods and locking devices, engineered connectors and elastomers, cockpit security components and systems, cockpit displays, aircraft audio systems, lavatory components, engineered interior surfaces, and lighting and control technology. Its customers comprise distributors of aerospace components; commercial airlines, including national and regional airlines; commercial transport and regional and business aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); various armed forces of the United States and foreign governments; defense OEMs; system suppliers; and various other industrial customers. TransDigm Group Incorporated was founded in 1993 and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on TransDigm Group (NYSE: TDG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Grupo TMM S.A.(TMM)

Grupo TMM, S.A.B., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated logistics and transportation company in Mexico. The company offers maritime transportation services, including offshore vessels, which offer transportation and other services to the Mexican offshore oil industry; tankers that transport petroleum products in Mexican waters; parcel tankers, which transport liquid chemical and vegetable oil cargos from and to the United States and Mexico; and tugboats that provide towing services at the port of Manzanillo, Mexico. It operates a fleet of 46 vessels, which comprise product and chemical tankers, harbor tugs, and various offshore supply vessels. The company also operates two Mexican port facilities, Tuxpan and Acapulco, as well as provides port agent services to vessel owners and operators in the Mexican ports. Its logistics business provides trucking services to manufacturers consisting of automobile plants, and retailers, as well as offers logistical f acilities in industrial cities and railroad hubs in Aguascalientes, Toluca, Puebla, Veracruz, Nuevo Laredo, Cuernavaca, Mexico City, Monterrey, Manzanillo, Ensenada, and Altamira. The company's logistics services include consulting, analytical, and logistics outsourcing; logistics network analysis; logistics information process design; trucking, intermodal transport, and auto haulage services; warehousing and bonded warehousing facility management; supply chain and logistics management; product handling and repackaging; local pre-assembly; maintaining and repairing containers; and inbound and outbound distribution using truck transport. Grupo TMM was founded in 1955 and in headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(RCL)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates in the cruise vacation industry worldwide. It owns five cruise brands, which comprise Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises, and CDF Croisi�es de France. The Royal Caribbean International brand provides various itineraries and cruise lengths with options for onboard dining, entertainment, and other onboard activities primarily for the contemporary segment. It offers surf simulators, water parks, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, and shore excursions at each port of call, as well as boulevards with shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. The Celebrity Cruises brand operates onboard upscale ships that offer luxurious accommodations, fine dining, personalized services, spa facilities, venue featuring live grass, and glass blowing studio for the premium segment, as well as resells computers and other media devices. The Pullmantur brand provides an array of onboard activities and serv ices to guests, including exercise facilities, swimming pools, beauty salons, gaming facilities, shopping, dining, complimentary beverages, and entertainment venues serving the contemporary segment of the Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cruise markets. The Azamara Club Cruises brand offers various onboard services, amenities, gaming facilities, fine dining, spa and wellness, butler service for suites, and interactive entertainment venues for the up-market segment of the North American, United Kingdom, German, and Australian markets. The CDF Croisieres de France brand offers seasonal itineraries to the Mediterranean; and various onboard services, amenities, entertainment venues, exercise and spa facilities, fine dining, and gaming facilities for the contemporary segment of the French cruise market. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 39 ships with a total capacity of approximately 92,650 berths. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was founded in 1968 and is headqua rtered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  And what’s good for Carnival should also be good for Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), which also got an upgrade, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings�(NCLH), which Farley and Kocharyan label their top pick. They explain:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Carnival�(CCL) has fallen 7.6% to $34.56 in early trading this morning after the company reported a profit of $1.38, above forecasts for $1.32, but issued disappointing guidance. It’s also dragging down shares of�Royal�Caribbean�Cruises (RCL), which have fallen 3.1% to $38.18.

• [By Christopher Palmeri]

  Norwegian Cruise Line, the third-largest U.S. cruise operator after Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), has advanced 57 percent since the sale of 27.1 million shares at $19 each in the IPO, giving it a market value of $6.07 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The stock fell 1.7 percent to $29.76 at the close in New York yesterday.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Ever since Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL  ) introduced outdoor rock walls for daring climbers, cruise lines have tried to raise the stakes in attracting young passengers who can't be wooed by mere spa treatments or midnight buffets. Carnival (NYSE: CCL  ) , Royal Caribbean, and the recently public Norwegian Cruise Lines (NASDAQ: NCLH  ) have added zip lines, indoor bowling alleys, and even bumper cars to make sea life more appealing to young families with toddlers and young adults.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Research in Motion Limited(RIMM)

Research In Motion Limited (RIM) designs, manufactures, and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. The company, through the development of integrated hardware, software, and services, provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information, including email, phone, short messaging service, and Internet and Intranet-based applications and browsing. Its products and services principally comprise the BlackBerry wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld product line, software development tools, and other software and hardware. The company?s BlackBerry smartphones use wireless, push-based technology that delivers data to mobile users? business and consumer applications. Its BlackBerry smartphone portfolio includes BlackBerry Bold series, the BlackBerry Torch, BlackBerry Curve series, the BlackBerry Style, BlackBerry Storm series, the BlackBerry Tour, BlackBerry Pearl series, and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. T he company?s BlackBerry enterprise solutions comprise BlackBerry enterprise server, BlackBerry enterprise server express, BlackBerry mobile voice system, and hosted BlackBerry services. Its technology also enables third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services through software development kits, wireless connectivity to data, and third-party support programs. In addition, the company offers BlackBerry technical support services, non-warranty repairs, and nonrecurring engineering services. Further, it provides BlackBerry App World that offers BlackBerry smartphone users an electronic catalogue that aids in the discovery and download/purchase of applications directly from their BlackBerry smartphone. The company markets and sells its BlackBerry wireless solutions primarily through global wireless communications carriers, and third party distribution channels. Research In Motion Limited was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Waterloo, Canad a.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  In the fourth quarter, Yacktman�� biggest additions to his holdings were Research In Motion (RIMM) and Avon Products (AVP). He also surprised followers by venturing into financials, with new positions in Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC), State Street Corp. (STT) and Northern Trust Corp. (NTRS).

• [By Geoff Gannon] east loved of these is ��of course ��RIMM. Einhorn already has a paper loss in that stock. His average cost was $18.88 a share. Today�� price is $15.05. That�� a 20% loss. And Einhorn only started buying Research In Motion in the last three months of 2011.

  But Research In Motion is a pretty small position ��0.81% of Einhorn�� total portfolio ��compared to one of his other new buys: Dell.

  Einhorn already owns $255 million of Dell shares. He paid $15.36 a share. The stock is now at $18.08 a share. That�� an 18% gain. And Dell will mean a lot more to Einhorn�� performance than Research In Motion. Dell is a 3.9% position for Einhorn. That�� almost five times the size of his investment in Research In Motion. So ��for now at least ��Einhorn�� paper gain on Dell will more than make up for his paper loss on RIMM.

  Finally, there�� Yahoo.

  This is a quasi-new buy for Einhorn. He actually bought a 8.5 million shares of Yahoo in the first quarter of 2011 only to sell them for a 2% loss the next quarter. Einhorn was out of Yahoo completely for the third quarter of 2011. And now he�� back in with about 3 million shares bought in the fourth quarter of 2011. Einhorn�� average price is a wee bit lower this time. His original purchase price ��back in first quarter 2011 ��was $16.64 a share. He got his Yahoo shares about 6% cheaper this time around. Einhorn paid $15.66 a share for his 3 million shares of Yahoo. The stock is down a smidge from there. Around $15.25 a share.

  There have been reports of a breakdown in Yahoo�� buyout talks. But that�� par for the course in a situation like this where a company is shopping itself around. There will be lots of people leaking stories for lots of different reasons. Don�� believe everything you read about Yahoo. And certainly don�� try to trade on everything you read about Yahoo.

  Why is Einhorn buying Yahoo?

  Probably on a sum of the parts basis. As everybod

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  This isn�� really true. A stock that is expected to have constant losses in the future ��but has earnings today ��should see no relationship between its current price and its past 12 months of earnings. In reality, there will always be some relationship. Some people buy things like Research in Motion (RIMM) as part of a regular habit of betting that the market gets overly pessimistic when it knocks a company�� P/E down deep into the single digits. They may be right. There are always some value investors like this who buy things purely because they are statistically cheap.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Mistras Group Inc (MG)

Mistras Group, Inc. provides technology-enabled asset protection solutions to evaluate the structural integrity and reliability of critical energy, industrial, and public infrastructure worldwide. It provides traditional non-destructive testing (NDT) services; advanced NDT services; and mechanical integrity services. The company also offers software solutions, including Plant Condition Monitoring Software and Systems, an enterprise software that allows its customers for the warehousing and analysis of data. In addition, it provides Advanced Data Analysis Pattern Recognition and Neural Networks software, which enables acoustic emission (AE) experts to develop automated remote monitoring systems; AE Software Platform, a windows based real time application software; Loose Parts Monitoring Software program for monitoring, detecting, and evaluating metallic loose parts in nuclear reactor coolant systems; and Automated UT and Imaging Analysis Software for analyzing ultrasonic in spection data, and visualizing and identifying the location and size of flaws. Further, the company�s technology packages include TANKPAC for tank inspections; POWERPAC for monitoring discharges in critical power grid transformers; and Acoustic Combustion Turbine Monitoring System, an on-line system to detect stator blade cracks in gas turbines. Additionally, it offers digital radiographic systems to solve specific industrial problems; AE sensors, instruments, and turn-key systems, as well as leak monitoring and detection systems; ultrasonic equipment; vibration sensing products; and on-line monitoring services. Mistras Group, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Princeton Junction, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Stock in Mistras Group Inc. (MG) �rose 6.9% to $23.99 on light volume after the company raised its revenue outlook for the year to a range of $590 million to $615 million. Analysts expected $592.1 million.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Mistras Group (NYSE: MG) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.12 per share on revenue of $130.10 million.

  Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: OM Group Inc.(OMG)

OM Group, Inc. develops, produces, and markets specialty chemicals, advanced materials, and electrochemical energy storage products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Advanced Materials, Specialty Chemicals, and Battery Technologies. The Advanced Materials segment manufactures inorganic products using unrefined cobalt and other metals and serves the battery materials, powder metallurgy, ceramics, and chemical end markets. It offers cobalt powders, precursors, chemicals, pigments and ceramics, and various raw materials. These products enhance the electrical conduction of rechargeable batteries, as well as strengthen and add durability to diamond and machine cutting tools and drilling equipment. The Specialty Chemicals segment offers electronic chemicals for the printed circuit board, memory disk, general metal finishing, electronic packaging and finishing, and photovoltaic markets. This segment also provides advanced organics comprising additives and driers for paints, and printing inks; rubber adhesion promoters for tires; composite and other catalysts for chemicals; and fuel oil additives, lubricants, and grease additives. In addition, it offers ultra pure chemicals used in the manufacture of electronic and computer components, such as semiconductors, wafers, and liquid crystal displays; and photo-imaging masks, including high-purity quartz or glass plates containing precision, microscopic images of integrated circuits; and reticles for the semiconductor, optoelectronics, and microelectronics industries under the Compugraphics brand name. The Battery Technologies segment provides battery products, primary and secondary batteries, battery management systems, battery chargers, and energetic devices for defense applications; primary and secondary batteries for satellites, aircraft, and the packaging of cells; and miniature batteries to power implantable medical devices. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Cle veland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of specialty chemical company OM Group (NYSE: OMG  ) climbed 14% today after its quarterly results easily topped Wall Street expectations.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Friday

  Earnings Expected From: Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX), OM Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMG), Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) Economic Releases Expected: �US ISM manufacturing index, Canadian manufacturing PMI, British manufacturing PMI, Norwegian unemployment rate

  Posted-In: Bank Of England Federal ReserveNews Eurozone Commodities Previews Global Economics Federal Reserve After-Hours Center Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: DCP Midstream Partners LP (DPM)

DCP Midstream Partners, LP, together with its subsidiaries, engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting, storing, and selling natural gas in the United States. It also transports, stores, and sells propane in wholesale markets; and produces, fractionates, transports, stores, and sells natural gas liquids (NGLs) and condensate. The company operates in three segments: Natural Gas Services, Wholesale Propane Logistics, and NGL Logistics. The Natural Gas Services segment operates Northern Louisiana system that gathers, process, and transports natural gas; Southern Oklahoma system; Colorado system; Wyoming system that covers 1,300 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines that cover approximately 4,000 square miles in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming; and Michigan system. It also operates Discovery system, East Texas system, and Southeast Texas system. The Wholesale Propane Logistics segment owns and operates a propane marine import terminal; a leased propane marine terminal; a propane pipeline terminal; and six propane rail terminals, as well as access to several open access pipeline terminals. This segment sells its propane to retail propane distributors. The NGL Logistics segment operates Seabreeze and Wilbreeze NGL transportation pipelines, the Wattenberg NGL transportation pipeline, the Black Lake interstate NGL pipeline, and the NGL storage facility in Marysville, Michigan. DCP Midstream Partners, LP was founded in 2005 and is based in Denver, Colorado.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Credit Suisse Group(CS)

Credit Suisse Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a financial services company. The company operates in three segments: Private Banking, Investment Banking, and Asset Management. The Private Banking segment offers advisory services and a range of wealth management solutions, including pension planning, life insurance products, tax planning, and wealth and inheritance advice for the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. This segment also supplies banking products and services to affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, and corporates and institutions. The Investment Banking segment provides investment banking and securities products and services to corporations, governments, pension funds, and institutions. Its products and services include debt and equity underwriting, sales and trading, mergers and acquisitions advice, divestitures, corporate sales, restructuring, and investment research. The Asset Management segment offe rs integrated investment solutions and services to institutions, governments, foundations and endowments, corporations, and individuals. It provides access to a range of investment classes across alternative investment, asset allocation, and traditional investment strategies. The company operates in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. Credit Suisse Group AG was founded in 1856 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Nearly a year into a much-ballyhooed program to right its ship and save its business, the company's still losing money and burning cash like mad. Four months after negotiating a financial lifeline from Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS  ) and Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS  ) -- bankers who, if you ask me, would be just as happy to see Alcatel fail and forfeit its patent portfolio -- the company's just piling more debt atop an already top-heavy debt load.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  The partnership was brought to market by book-running managers JPMorgan Chase unit J.P. Morgan, Bank of America's (NYSE: BAC  ) Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS  ) ,�Citigroup (NYSE: JPM  ) , Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada's (NYSE: RY  ) RBC Capital Markets, and the securities arm of Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB  ) .

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Axa SA (CS) climbed 1.6 percent to 13.93 euros after the Paris- based insurer agreed to sell a U.S. unit to Protective Life Corp. for $1.06 billion. Axa is selling Mony Life Insurance Co. and transferring some obligations to Birmingham, Alabama-based Protective, the companies said today in separate statements.