AdviceIQ: Springtime financial cleanup

The weather is finally warm again, and here comes spring cleaning. Clean up your finances, too, before the hectic activity and recreation of summer.

Start with these pointers:

Discuss main financial goals with your spouse or significant other– and write them down. Whether saving for a downpayment on a house, paying off outstanding debt or creating a rainy day fund, everyone has a financial goal or two for the year. Writing down your goals helps you think through the details and outline a plan to meet those goals.

Important aspects of your financial life together include credit scores, future big outlays of cash and potential future income. Make sure, too, that you and your significant other are on the same page concerning these goals.

Track your money. On the left side of a piece of paper write down all your sources of income. Look at your tax forms, such as your W-2 wage statement or Internal Revenue Service form 1040, to accurately assess your income.

On the right side of the same paper, write all your financial obligations. Your paystub quickly tells you how much you shell out for health insurance, put toward your 401(k) retirement plan and set aside for taxes.

Don't forget to include the expense of your other insurance policies, mortgage, car payments, student-loan debt and your other financial obligations throughout the year.

Compare the two sides.

Plan for taxes, savings and life. When looking at your gross income, remember that approximately 30% comes right off the top for taxes (federal and state combined), 20% ideally needs to go toward such savings as an emergency fund and retirement assets and half goes to living expenses.

Your healthy financial plan – and future – hinges on this formula. Further, spending just 30% to 40% of your income during your working years on food, shelter, transportation, insurance, kid-related costs, entertainment and the like allows you to maintain your lifestyle in retirement.

Does your inflow exceed y! our outflow? If not, right the ship.

Insure what's important. Make sure you cover all your important financial assets with insurance, including your house, car and health. You also might want to investigate disability insurance and umbrella policies for further coverage. Disability furnishes you income if you can't work, and umbrella coverage protects you against lawsuits connected with your property.

Do you have enough life insurance? For many families, the most cost-effective life option islevel-term with a 10- to 30-year term. If your life insurance needs recently increased – due perhaps to more children or other change in your lifestyle – revisit your coverage amounts.

Many online calculators can help you determine your needed coverage. If you don't work with an insurance agent, it's fine to shop for term life policies online at such sites as matrixdirect, accuQuote and QuickQuote.

Remember to budget for fun. Include a budget for warm-weather fun, from a trip to a local theatre to a vacation to Florida. In researching my latest book, You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think, I learned that happy retirees take nearly twice as many vacations a year as unhappy retirees. Consumer advocate Clark Howard offers great suggestions for traveling on a budget.

Winter's over. Take this moment to give your finances new life, too.

MORE: David John Marotta on tax brackets and capital gains

MORE: Sterling Raskie on the high price of waiting

MORE: Matthew Illian on the rise of mutual fund power

Wes Moss, CFP, is the chief investment strategist for Capital Investment Advisors and a partner at Wela Strategies, both in Atlanta, and is a member of the AdviceIQ Financial Advisors Network, which is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Microsoft Raises Dividend by 22%; Authorizes a New $40B Share Buyback Program (MSFT)

Early on Tuesday, software giant Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) announced that its board of directors has approved a 22% dividend increase and a new $40 billion share buyback program.

Microsoft will now pay out a quarterly dividend of 28 cents per share, up from the previous quarterly payout of 22 cents per share. This dividend will be paid on December 12 to shareholders of record on November 21, with an ex-dividend date of November 19.

Furthermore, the board of directors approved the new share repurchase program to replace the previous $40 billion share repurchase program that was set to expire on September 30. The new share buyback plan has no expiration date.

“These actions reflect a continued commitment to returning cash to our shareholders,” said Amy Hood, chief financial officer of Microsoft.

Microsoft shares were up 53 cents, or 1.61%, during pre-market trading on Tuesday. The stock is up 22.8% year-to-date.

Pick Up Your Own French Villa For $25 Million -- In Beijing

Chinese billionaire real estate developer Ni Zhaoxing is a man with a long view of the market.  When I asked during a recent interview in his headquarters atop one of his towers in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district about current trends in China's property market, he started out with historical context that went much further back than I expected. "For 10,000 years," he noted, the construction of dwellings has been important.  "And in the days to come, if there are people (here),  the development of real estate will still be extremely important."

Yet that long view flows from a passion for history in his daily life. He collects Chinese antiques such as porcelain jars and bowls, and owns French paintings by artists such as David Teniers and Simon Vouet.  A sense of history also affects how invests in real estate. In London, he is in talks with the city government about an ambitious project to rebuild Crystal Palace, which burned down in 1936.

Back at home in China, Ni is nearly finished with a project inspired by French culture and history: Chang An Palace. The site consists of 78 villas located in a western Beijing hilly area famed for its history and green scenery. The hills remain, though with nearby intrusions like power lines and farmers' markets. The location is about 30 minutes by car from Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing.

The French character comes in part from architect Dominique Hertenberger, interior design firm XY Architecture, and landscape designers Christine and Michel Pena. Ni's hope is to turn the project into a cultural and arts hub that's also suitable for conferences and exhibitions. It's expected to include a jewel, art, diamond and gold trading center.

The price for one of those stately French villas set in Beijing?  About 150 million yuan, or $25 million. Have a look below at the environs.

Snap Up Your Own French Villa for $25 Million, In Beijing

 

– Follow me on Twitter Twitter @rflannerychina

 

 

 

Wine collector apologizes for bogus bottle scam

NEW YORK (AP) — A wine collector convicted of fraud for manufacturing fake vintage wine in his California kitchen has asked a judge for leniency Thursday, saying his actions were foolish.

Rudy Kurniawan told the judge in a letter that he "never meant to hurt or embarrass anyone" and asked that he be allowed to return to his ailing 67-year-old mother.

Kurniawan's letter to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman was filed the same day his sentencing was postponed to July 17.

A jury convicted Kurniawan in December of mail and wire fraud charges that could bring up to 40 years in prison. Prosecutors say federal sentencing guidelines call for him to serve at least 11 years in prison while defense lawyers say the two years he has spent in prison already is sufficient punishment.

Prosecutors say Kurniawan, 37, made between $8 million and $20 million from 2004 to 2012 by selling bogus bottles of wine he manufactured in his Arcadia, Calif., kitchen. The government said the profits enabled him to live affluently in suburban Los Angeles, mingling with wealthy and influential people interested in vintage wine as he bought luxury cars, designer clothing and dined at the best restaurants.

The trial featured testimony from billionaire yachtsman, entrepreneur and wine investor William Koch, who said Kurniawan conned him into paying $2.1 million for 219 fake bottles of wine.

Kurniawan, whose family became wealthy operating a beer distributorship in Indonesia, said his own obsession with fine wines led him to actions that were wrong, both morally and socially, and he will return to Indonesia after he serves his sentence.

"Wine became my life and I lost myself in it," he wrote. "What originally started out as buying a few bottles of wine at a local store over the course of years turned into buying millions of dollars worth of wine."

He said his obsession attracted attention from successful and intelligent people whose acceptance he craved.

"I now realize that all this ! was false and pretentious and that my priorities were completely out of order. The things I did to maintain this illusion were so foolish. The end was inevitable," he added.

Drug maker wants to sell Cialis over the counter

INDIANAPOLIS — The maker of erectile dysfunction drug Cialis wants its pill sold to men without a prescription.

Under a licensing deal between Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) and French drugmaker Sanofi (SAN), Cialis could become the first prescription drug for male impotence to be sold over the counter. The plan still needs approval from regulators, who would weigh the risks of allowing the drug to be sold without a doctor's visit.

The two companies hope for a 2018 launch of what they're calling Cialis OTC. That's the same year patents for Cialis are expected to expire in the United States and Europe, allowing cheaper generics to take over and effectively dry up Lilly's considerable profits from the drug.

Cialis generated $2.16 billion in sales last year and was Lilly's fourth best-selling drug.

2014: Erectile drug may help boys with muscular dystrophy
2013: Cialis receives EU approval for new use

A plan to sell Cialis over the counter would allow the Indianapolis drugmaker to continue to profit from the drug as an impotence treatment.

Lilly didn't reveal financial details of the deal with Sanofi. Under the deal, Sanofi will be responsible for commercializing nonprescription Cialis wherever it receives approval while Lilly will manufacture Cialis for Sanofi. The drug, sold in tablet form, is made by Lilly in Puerto Rico.

Men don't want to go through the hassle and sometimes discussions with doctors. There is a need to self-diagnose.

Dave Ricks, Eli Lilly and Co.

Cialis has been prescribed to more than 45 million men since its launch in Europe in 2002 and in the United States a year later. The drug has been widely used and proven to be safe and effective, so it's a good candidate to sell over the counter, said Dave Ricks, a senior vice president at Lilly.

In addition, over-the-counter sales would be a safer option for men than buying illicit forms of Cialis online without a prescription, Ricks said. He said many of the Cialis tablets advertised online! are fake or adulterated.

A large unmet demand exists for over-the-counter Cialis because many men suffering from impotence don't feel comfortable talking to a doctor about the problem, Ricks said.

"Half of (American) men over 40 suffer ED," Ricks said. "But the current market (for prescription ED drugs) only represents a fraction (of potential patients). Men don't want to go through the hassle and sometimes discussions with doctors. There is a need to self-diagnose. We think that (over-the-counter) availability is key to helping guys" with impotence.

The first prescription erectile dysfunction drug to market was Pfizer's Viagra, introduced in the late 1990s. Pfizer applied in Europe several years ago to sell Viagra over the counter but later withdrew its request.

Eli Lilly's Cialis orange tablet was the second erectile dysfunction the FDA approved.(Photo: Eli Lilly and Co.)

Lilly said Sanofi will take the lead in pursuing regulatory approval to sell Cialis over the counter. One concern for regulators will be that Cialis isn't supposed to be taken with medicines called nitrates often prescribed for chest pain. The combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Regulators also might be concerned that impotence is sometimes a sign of other medical problems, which won't be discovered if men are allowed to buy Cialis without a checkup.

Potentially, regulators could approve over-the-counter sales of Cialis only at certain doses and for some indications, Ricks said.

Lilly said it struck a deal with Sanofi to take the lead in Cialis OTC because Sanofi has experience in conducting consumer studies and gaining approval for over-the-counter formulations of other brand dr! ugs, incl! uding allergy medications Nasacort and Allegra.

Valeant vs Allergan: Street Unimpressed by Bigger Offer

 Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) has revised its offer to buy Botox-maker Allergan (AGN), upping the size of the overall deal, as well as the cash component. Wall Street, however, isn’t rejoicing.

Shares of Allergan fell 4.2% in morning market action to $158 a share, while Valeant fell 3.3% to $125.65 a share. That's quite a changeover pace from the kick both stocks received last month when Valeant and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman unveiled their alliance to purchase Allergan in a stock and cash deal worth $46 billion.

Today's bid is worth $49.5 billion, an increase of 8.5% over its previous offer. But at roughly $166.16 per share, it's below the $185 to $200 per share expected by Stern Agee's Shibani Malhotra in a note published yesterday.

Valeant's; new offer includes $58.30 per share in cash. Still, the deal still has a very large stock component. Allergan's board said it "would carefully review and consider" the bid.

In a report published this morning, Credit Suisse writes that Valeant's offer "is better, but may not be compelling enough given AGN’s strong standalone outlook…Given that the majority of the offer would still be in VRX stock, how one values VRX stock goes a long way to determining the true value of the deal."

In a nod to investors' worry that Valeant would gut Allergan's R&D pipeline, the drug maker is proposing a contingent-value right potentially worth up to $25 a share for the vision-loss drug DARPin, and the company pledged to continue investing to develop the product.

Still, many analysts still argue that Allergan can go it alone. Buckingham Research Group's David Buck writes:

Given the still high stock component of proposed transaction, effectively a bet on a rising Valeant share price, it is unclear that this proposed transaction can match Allergan standalone's options.

Credit Suisse's Vamil Divan writes:

We still believe that AGN has several ways that they can boost standalone value of the firm, if not possibly fending off VRX completely. Strong base business and balance sheet leave AGN many options and we see them being more proactive in the face of VRX’s bid.

And Aaron Gal at Bernstein Research writes:

Not impressive…The offer continues to under-estimate Allergan value as stand-alone entity. As we noted previously, Allergan has recently increased its earnings expectations for 2014 (mid-point 5.69). It projects 2015 YoY EPS growth to 20-25% and 20% EPS CAGR for the following four years. As the putative Valeant deal will close after 1/1/2015, most investors will compare the Valeant deal to AGN value on a 2016 basis. This suggests value range of $167 to $184 as a stand-alone company (20x-22x ’16 EPS of $8.36). Thus, at the current VRX stock price, the current offer is inferior to AGN on a standalone basis. Further, even if the Valeant multiple was to expand to 12.5x its guidance for 2015 post-deal EPS of $12.74, the value of the offer is $190, not have much in the way of a control premium. Σ We think Valeant is expecting Allergan shareholders will continue to believe the stock will decline to its pre offer range ($120-$130) if the offer was not to materialize. This is, in our view, unlikely. Given the new guidance, the stock may decline to $140 (20x 2015) but is then likely to rebound immediately afterwards. We hoped for something more imaginative, like substantially altering the share of cash and stock Valeant will use or a more substantial increase in the value offer ($30) or $9B, which is one year’s worth of the combined company EBITDA.

This Metric Says Kinder Morgan Energy Partners Is Cheap Right Now

Master limited partnerships are not like other stocks, and the metrics we use to compare an MLP to its peers differ from the metrics we use to compare regular companies. For example, instead of the traditional P/E ratio, we emphasize MLP-specific metrics like distribution coverage ratio and today's focus: price to distributable cash flow (P/DCF). I'll use Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD  ) , Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP  ) , and Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL  ) to illustrate the concept.

Why this metric?
Price to distributable cash flow is the MLP metric that comes closest to the P/E ratio most investors know and love. Like any good ratio, it allows you to compare MLPs on a relative basis, regardless of size.

Distributable cash flow per unit replaces earnings per unit in these relative valuations because MLPs pass almost all of their cash to unit holders. Distributable cash flow drives distribution growth, which in turn drives unit prices. That's really what investors care about the most with MLPs, and that's why analysts and management never discuss earnings per share for their MLPs; it's all about distributable cash flow.

How the metric works
To calculate P/DCF, you take the market cap of your MLP and divide it by a full year of distributable cash flow.

Let's use Enterprise Products Partners as our first example. We'll use distributable cash flow numbers from the four most recent quarters. The numbers shake out like this:

Q1 2014

Q4 2013

Q3 2013

Q2 2013

Total

$1,069	$1,021	$908	$925	$3,922

Source: MLPData.com, Yahoo! Finance. Dollar figures are in millions.

Now we'll divide the partnership's market cap by its distributable cash flow total of $3.9 billion to derive our P/DCF multiple:

Market Cap

DCF

P/DCF

$68.1	$3.9	17.4x

Source: MLPData.com, Yahoo! Finance. Dollar figures are in billions

A multiple of 17.4 is a tad high, but we'll get to that in a minute. The whole point of this exercise is relative valuation, so let's see how Enterprise's multiple compares to that of some of its peers.

The DCF numbers for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners and Buckeye Partners come from the same four quarters that we used for Enterprise.

MLP

Market Cap

DCF

P/DCF

EPD	$68.10	$3.9	17.4x
KMP	$34.45	$2.4	14.4x
BPL	$9.04	$0.5	20.0x

 Source: Company releases, Google Finance. Dollar figures are in billions.

Enterprise falls right in the middle here. Given its recent trading history, it's not that big of a surprise to see Kinder Morgan posting the best multiple of the group. Its shares have vastly underperformed its two peers over the past year. Kinder Morgan is down more than 13%, while Enterprise and Buckeye Partners are up 19% and 16%, respectively.

But what is the benchmark for this cash flow multiple anyway? Most investors have heard that a P/E ratio greater than 15 is high, and the further it floats above that magic number the more overvalued the stock is. According to analysts at Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, the average multiple for large cap MLPs like today's group has been between 15 and 16 times price to distributable cash flow.

By this standard, Kinder Morgan is the only MLP here that is "cheap." But again, the P/DCF ratio is useful for relative valuations, but by no means would you want to base your entire investing thesis on this one metric -- or any one metric -- alone. Rather, it serves as a starting point for further research.

3 stock picks to ride America's energy bonanza
Record oil and natural gas production is revolutionizing the United States' energy position. Finding the right plays while historic amounts of capital expenditures are flooding the industry will pad your investment nest egg. For this reason, the Motley Fool is offering a look at three energy companies using a small IRS "loophole" to help line investor pockets. Learn this strategy, and the energy companies taking advantage, in our special report "The IRS Is Daring You To Make This Energy Investment." Don't miss out on this timely opportunity; click here to access your report -- it's absolutely free. 

 

Best Stocks to Buy Now: A Money Morning Weekly Roundup

A possible military attack on Syria and the August jobs report - the last major read on the economy before September's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting - kept investors pegged to the sidelines last week - but we still delivered a handful of new stocks to buy for Money Morning readers...

Indeed, for the first time in three months, investors pulled some $226 million from U.S. equity funds, a reversal from inflows of $1 billion in the prior week.

And after a three-decade bull market run, bond holders were reminded that even these "less risky" investment vehicles aren't immune to a bear market. The 10-year Treasury note hit 3% intraday Thursday for the first time since 2011. Money is seeping from bond mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ($45.7 billion through the end of August), with the bulk sitting in near-zero interest-baring money market instruments.

Money Morning knows that savvy investors make money in all market scenarios. With that in mind, following is a recap of some of the best stocks to buy now that Money Morning featured last week.

Best Stocks to Buy Now The political unrest in Syria has caused an oil-price spike. Fears are growing that a prolonged conflict could spread to neighboring oil-rich countries, disrupt supplies, and send oil prices soaring some $10 to $20 a barrel. Money Morning Global Energy Strategist Dr. Kent Moors details how investors can play oil's "Syrian Premium."
September is historically the worst month for stocks, and this September could be especially rocky as we approach the U.S. Federal Reserve's crucial Sept. 17-18 FOMC meeting. Money Morning Global Investing and Income Strategist Robert Hsu says he expects stocks to remain range bound heading into the central bank gathering. But, he tells readers how to make money from this tight trading range with one simple trade that lasts 10 days and gives investors the perfect blend of low risk and high probability. The key to a successful business can be summed up simply as having high profit margins. While revenue growth for U.S. businesses has been strong so far in 2013, with steady growth expected going forward, profit margins have only showed slight improvement. In How Investors Can Unlock the Power of Profit Margins, we explain how readers can find companies with the best sustainable profit margins and share three fantastic finds. Investors on the prowl for the best stocks to buy now frequently hunt among those involved in the shale oil boom. North America is undergoing an energy revolution. One formation in the western United States was certified by the United States Geological Service (USGS) as having 3 trillion barrels of oil. New supplies of oil and gas are being discovered daily away from historical suppliers, with North Dakota now the third-largest oil-producing state and bigger than some OPEC nations. Money Morning highlighted how investors can benefit from this boom that shows no signs of slowing down and featured some of the best industry plays to buy now. Read more here. This next tech stock to buy now saw its outlook brighten this summer - Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL). The iPhone maker is set to debut two new models this week: an updated iPhone 5S and a budget model. Expectations are running high that the low-cost device will be a big hit in emerging markets like China. In Giving China What It Wants Will Spice Up Apple Stock, Money Morning enlightens readers on why the low-priced device presents a huge opportunity for Apple. Additionally, we highlight a few likely new launches that are apt to put the shine back in Apple's shares.
For stocks to buy in a fascinating niche market, we featured a piece on tidal energy - one of the oldest forms of energy. It involves using the sun and moon's gravitational forces on tides to produce electricity and other forms of power by harnessing these forces through the use of water. Money Morning Global Energy Strategist Dr. Kent Moors says several recent tidal pilot projects indicate significant potential for this kind of power generation. To be sure, the U.S. Department of Energy is providing $16 million in new funding for tidal power. Moors also shared a micro-cap stock in this niche market that has huge prospects. Get the full story. Finally, here's one of the most important outlooks on Syria that you'll read today: There's Only One Thing About Syria That Matters to Americans

Broadband Service at All-Time U.S. High

U.S. adoption of high-speed broadband connections in homes has reached an all-time high of 70% according to the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. The survey was taken in May and is 4% higher than the previous survey in April 2012.

Education and income levels are the two factors that provide the greatest influence on broadband adoption. Some 89% of Americans with at least a college education have a broadband connection as do 88% of those with annual incomes of $75,000 or more.

Age is also a factor, with those 18 through 29 having a broadband connection rate of 80% while those 65 or older have adopted broadband at just more than half that rate, 43%. The rural adoption rate is 62%, compared with urban and suburban rates of 70% and 73%, respectively.

Broadband penetration is higher than smartphone penetration, which now stands at 56%. But including the 10% of Americans who own a smartphone but no broadband connection to those who do have broadband means that 80% of Americans have one or the other or both. Nearly half — 46% — have both, while 24% have broadband and no smartphone and 10% have only a smartphone.

Among ethnic groups white, non-Hispanic Americans have a 74% broadband adoption rate, while black, non-Hispanics have a 64% rate and Hispanics a 53% rate. When smartphone-only adoption is factored in, however, the gaps close. Whites with either broadband or a smartphone total 80%, blacks total 79% and Hispanics total 75%.

The main impediment to wider U.S. adoption of broadband in the home is cost. When Pew Research asked adults in 2009 what it would take for them to switch to broadband, 35% said the cost would have to drop and another 17% said it would have to become available where they live. Amazingly, perhaps, 20% said nothing would get them to adopt broadband.

The U.S. may be near its limit of broadband adoption, if we include smartphone adoption into the broadband numbers. Only 3% of Americans still use modems with speeds lower than 256 Kbits per second and that number has not changed in three years. The leaves just 17% of Americans who don't have broadband and that number is within the 20% that said they'd never change.

Netflix: Still A Buy

Netflix (NFLX) gained 2.25 million domestic subscribers in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. This brings its total to 35.7 million. The company provides Internet television network service that enables subscribers to stream TV shows and movies directly on devices in the United States and internationally. Netflix operates in the domestic streaming, international streaming, and domestic DVD segments. The company also offers standard definition DVDs and Blue-ray discs to its subscribers in the United States. It is headquartered in Los Gatos, California and was founded in 1997.

Numbers at a Glance Netflix has been working to improve its quality of service from a technical point of view. In its first quarter financial results, the company reported earnings of 86 cents per share on revenues of $1.27 billion. Netflix's earnings were above analyst expectations of 83 cents a share, while the company's revenue was in line with the $1.27 billion Wall Street analysts forecast for the quarter. In the first quarter of 2013, Netflix earned 5 cents a share on $1 billion in revenue.

Positive Outlook Netflix's management says it ultimately expects non-U.S. subscribers to surpass those in its home market at some point. It also expects to achieve profitability in its international business going forward. To achieve the objective, Netflix is going to get into a broad set of markets.

Future Initiatives In the next three months, Netflix plans to raise prices $1 or $2 for new members globally. Existing member monthly fees would remain at current pricing. The initiative is to keep the company's revenue numbers up and pay for the company's original programming.

Also, Netflix added 4K video streams for some titles. To improve the quality of its production, it struck a deal with Comcast that enables a direct connection between the two at the transit area. These initiatives will help Netflix to boost its earnings in the coming quarters.

Head to Head Netflix competes with Amazon (AMZN), Time Warner (TWX), and the privately owned Redbox Automated Retail. Compared to its peers, Netflix has a first-mover advantage of improving its programs through its original content. Netflix is rapidly expanding its original productions by having several running around the world.

Wings Across the World Netflix engages in the streaming services primarily in Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. It has seen a tremendous progress in its international operations.

A look at Europe Netflix has announced plans to launch its streaming-video service in France and Germany. Countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg will also enjoy the company's streaming service. Netflix is seeking to capitalize on the rapid growth in markets outside the U.S.

Latin America On the Latin American front, Netflix has had successes in Argentina and Mexico. The company is stepping up its international expansion and pushing ahead market-by-market.

On a Concluding Note Netflix's strategy is evolving toward a more emotive experience. It is well-positioned to meet the changes in the sector through its innovative approach to its business. Its international operations are on the pace to achieve profitability. The company has continued to invest in value-added sectors. This should bring more gains to its shareholders in the future. Overall, Netflix is in a good position and has prospects for its growth in the international segment. Netflix will continue to provide returns to investors in the near future.

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NFLX STOCK PRICE CHART 402.35 (1y: +88%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='NFLX',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1369717200000,214.19],[1369803600000,215.34],[1369890000000,222.66],[1369976400000,226.25],[1370235600000,221.97],[1370322000000,225.31],[1370408400000,223.46],[1370494800000,217.74],[1370581200000,220.22],[1370840400000,220.93],[1370926800000,214.46],[1371013200000,207.64],[1371099600000,215.39],[1371186000000,213.99],[1371445200000,229.23],[1371531600000,228.83],[1371618000000,232.31],[1371704400000,223.52],[1371790800000,216.9],[1372050000000,215.6],[1372136400000,212.9],[1372222800000,212.1],[1372309200000,214.97],[1372395600000,211.09],[1372654800000,224.28],[1372741200000,221.46],[1372827600000,220.91],[1373000400000,225.1],[1373259600000,233.1],[1373346000000,247.382],[1373432400000,243.82],[1373518800000,244.17],[1373605200000,257.261],[1373864400000,257.98],[1373950800000,260.48],[1374037200000,267.92],[1374123600000,266.41],[1374210000000,264.576],[1374469200000,261.96],[1374555600000,250.26],[1374642000000,241.3],[1374728400000,246.74],[1374814800000,246.31],[1375074000000,244.96],[1375160400000,243.76],[1375246800000,244.484],[1375333200000,249.12],[1375419600000,246.18],[1375678800000,253.84],[1375765200000,255.9],[1375851600000,249.21],[1375938000000,250.4],[1376024400000,252.75],[1376283600000,256.6],[1376370000000,259.19],[1376456400000,261.81],[1376542800000,253.41],[1376629200000,258.87],[1376888400000,259.78],[1376974800000,273.29],[1377061200000,270.37],[1377147600000,269.75],[1377234000000,278.36],[1377493200000,282.72],[1377579600000,276.04],[1377666000000,283.36],[1377752400000,287.85],[1377838800000,283.91],[1378184400000,289],[1378270800000,292.43],[1378357200000,295.11],[1378443600000,291.54],[1378702800000,294.15],[1378789200000,313.06],[1378875600000,308.3],[1378962000000,301.406],[1379048400000,305.65],[1379307600000,302.16],[1379394000000,299.55],[1379480400000,306.92],[1379566800000,305.498],[1379653200000,313.83],[1379912400000,302.04],[1379998! 800000,306.49],[1380085200000,307.14],[1380171600000,313.51],[1380258000000,312.4],[1380517200000,309.21],[1380603600000,324.62],[1380690000000,330.73],[1380776400000,321.72],[1380862800000,327.26],[1381122000000,318.16],[1381208400000,302.32],[1381294800000,288.43],[1381381200000,303.994],[1381467600000,300.848],[1381726800000,324.36],[1381813200000,321.69],[1381899600000,322.878],[1381986000000,330.1],[1382072400000,333.5],[1382331600000,354.99],[1382418000000,322.524],[1382504400000,330.24],[1382590800000,331.22],[1382677200000,328.031],[1382936400000,314],[1383022800000,327.3],[1383109200000,318.14],[1383195600000,322.48],[1383282000000,329.265],[1383544800000,337.6],[1383631200000,341.5],[1383717600000,335.63],[1383804000000,326.86],[1383890400000,334.9],[1384149600000,337.91],[1384236000000,333.73],[1384322400000,335.284],[1384408800000,342.57],[1384495200000,349.76],[1384754400000,341.77],[1384840800000,337.29],[1384927200000,339.52],[138501360000

Car deals abound on big holiday sales weekend

This is a great weekend to be a car dealer.

Strong Memorial Day sales are expected at dealers across the country, a reflection of a stronger economy and pent-up demand from a dreadful winter when consumers put off buying new cars until the snow finally melted.

So what are the best deals?

If cash back is your goal, look at the Chrysler 300, with $3,250 off its list price of $31,890; Ford Expedition with $5,000 off its $43,170 list and Fiat 500 with $2,000 off its $18,300 list, according to Kelley Blue Book.

If you plan to lease, KBB says take a look at the Nissan Altima or Ford Flex at $189 a month; Ram 1500 Quad Cab at $229 a month or Infiniti Q60 at $299 a month.

New-car sales this month are expected to come in at 1.3 million this month, up 4% from a year ago, according to J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. Dealers are helped by a quirk in the calendar: this May has five weekends, instead of the usual four.

J.D. Power estimates that consumers will spend more than $37 billion on new cars this month. That would beat the previous May high of $34.3 billion set in 2004. Power says May is the eighth consecutive month that consumer spending on new vehicles has increased compared to last year.

One reason: Consumers want more options and are spending more on the cars they buy. Power expects them to pay an average of $29,600 for a new vehicle, up about $800 from last year.

Who Is Buying Gold At $1,290 And Why?

Related GLD 3 Reasons Small Caps Are The Best Plays For Consolidation In The Precious Metals Sector 3 Ways To Benefit From Deals In Precious Metals

During the last six trading sessions (including Tuesday), gold futures have one familiar theme: A buyer or group of buyers around the $1,290.00 level.

It is not difficult to identify that buyers have targeted the area to either bring in shorts or to build a large long position.

Of course, for every buyer there is a seller, so investors could easily take the converse side of the argument that short-sellers are defending the psychologically important $1,300.00 resistance level, limiting the bullion to only one close over that level during the last 10 trading sessions.

However, for the sake of argument, this article will approach the issue from the bullish side and attempt to determine who the mystery buyers are and why.

Is it Warren Buffett?

No. The 'Oracle of Omaha' despises gold as an investment vehicle and is not afraid to share this opinion. Being that Buffett is one of the world's richest investors, it is hard to ignore his opinion. Buffett's premise is that gold is a non-productive asset because it does not produce anything of value.

Simply stated, Buffett prefers productive assets like farmland or companies that create wealth for shareholders. For example, Exxon Mobil or Coca-Cola produces goods that people want or need and have profits to prove it. "People will forever exchange what they produce for what others produce," says Buffett.

Is it the 'little guy'?

No. Most investors do not dabble in the commodities markets. In fact, many investors exposure to commodities comes from the movie Trading Places (starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd), who team up to seek revenge on the Duke brothers for their attempt to alter the course of their lives.

See also: What To Do With Apple Stock Ahead Of Split

Also, the "public" tends to get invested at the end of moves and since gold it still way off its September 2011 high ($1,949.90), the average investor pays little or no attention to it.

Finally, the margin requirements and volatility of the contract are a strong deterrent to many investors.

Commercial Investors?

Yes. Investopedia describes the term as a classification used by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to describe traders that use the futures markets primarily to hedge their business activities.

It goes on to explain that this includes futures commission merchants, foreign brokers, clearing members or investment banks that buy futures to speculate or as a hedging vehicle. An increase in commercial traders' long positions in a particular commodity may mean these traders believe the price of the commodity will increase, in which case they would not want to be adversely affected by missing out on a price increase.

Steve Briese's Commitment of Traders newsletter is by far the most followed source and often predicts big moves in the commodities well in advance. Traders anxiously await the next report to observe whether or not there has been a significant increase in the open interest by the "big boys."

So now we have speculated who may be buying, what are the potential catalysts they have identified that will ignite a rally.

At the top of the list has to be the Ukraine-Russia predicament. Although Russia has not revealed how far it is willing to go to defend its stance, the US has clearly stated that he will not tolerate Russian aggression in the region.

An extended decline in the U.S. stock market?

Many investors have been anticipating this for quite some time and the market has ratcheted higher. If the market has a "Black Swan" occurrence, there could be a flight to quality in assets such as gold.

Finally, Tyler Durden of Zero Hedge has taken note of the deal between the Bank of China and Russia's largest bank VTB that will mandate payments in each other currencies. Durden added, this agreement "bypasses the need for US Dollars for investment banking, inter-bank lending, trade finance and capital-markets transactions."

As tensions between US and Russia escalate on the economic front ahead of any military confrontation, Russian-Chinese relations are moving in the other direction.

Gold did not immediately react, but caught a bid within an hour of the article being published and has not revisited the $1290.00 in the remainder of Tuesday's session.

So how can an investor participate with the "big boys," if it does explode to the upside?

Since it is likely the move will take place during premarket or after-hours trading, investors will need to be properly positioned over night in order to capitalize.

Investors may want to stay away from the miners, since all the charts of them appear unattractive. Instead, an investor can purchase shares of SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD). A similar technical pattern is taking place in the ETF and the corresponding level of support resides at $124.00.

Of course, gold could just as easily gap down as well, so options on the GLD may allow investors to participate on the upside with defined risk on the downside. Keep in mind, timing is a component in options trading and it may take a few attempts to finally catch the move if it comes to fruition.

Finally, gold is in the midst of its longest consolidation period since the beginning of the year. In January, gold meandered between $1,212.00 and $1,255.00, before resolving itself to the upside.

Over the last twenty-four trading sessions, gold has been range bound between $1,268.40 and $1,315.80, with it recently holding up in the upper-end of the range.

If trying to pick a bottom is not your cup of tea and break-out trading is, a clean break out over $1,315.80 could indicate a rally back to the high of the year at $1,392.60.

Posted-In: Commodity Futures Trading Commission Investopedia Warren BuffettFutures Technicals Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Vodafone, M&S drag FTSE 100 lower for second day

LONDON (MarketWatch) — Shares of Vodafone and Marks & Spencer led the U.K. benchmark index lower on Tuesday after both companies reported full-year earnings, while oil giant BP declined after a legal setback related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The FTSE 100 index (UK:UKX)  dropped 0.5% to 6,813.44, on track for a second straight day of losses.

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Vodafone Group PLC (UK:VOD)   (VOD)  posted the biggest drop in the index, sliding 4.3% after the company said full-year adjusted operating profit fell 37% and revenue slipped 1.9%.

Also among top decliners, Marks & Spencer Group PLC (UK:MKS)  dropped 2.7% after the U.K. retailer said pretax profit fell for the full year.

Shares of BP PLC (UK:BP)   (BP)  gave up 0.9% after an appeals court in New Orleans rejected the oil major's request for a review of the settlement case for victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster. BP spokesman Geoff Morrell said in a statement that the company was "disappointed" with the decision and that it is "considering its legal options".

Click to Play Private group sought to arm Syrian rebels

Dion Nissenbaum takes a look at the strange tale of an effort by private U.S. citizens, including some with ties to private security contractors, to arm Syrian rebels on their own. Photo: AP.

In data news in the U.K., April inflation rose to 1.8% from 1.6% in March, coming in higher than the consensus estimates of 1.7%. The Office for National Statistics said increased fares for air and sea travel helped lift consumer prices last month, suggesting the higher-than-expected inflation partly was due to the timing of Easter.

"Inflation is stabilizing close to the Bank of England's 2% target, giving little reason to keep interest rates at rock-bottom levels," Rob Wood, chief U.K. economist at Berenberg, said in a note.

The pound (GBPUSD)  advanced after the data, trading at $1.6829, up from around $1.6822 late Monday.

The main U.K. interest rate currently stands at a record low of 0.5%, and a rate hike would be supportive for the pound.

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Cyprus says fourth bailout review is positive

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus' finance minister said Saturday that international creditors have given a fourth straight positive review to the country's financial rescue program and are projecting that its economy will shrink this year slightly less than earlier forecasts.

But the European Union and the International Monetary Fund said high unemployment and a continuing credit crunch means that a return to growth in 2015 will be weaker than anticipated.

Harris Georgiades said the economy will contract 4.2% of gross domestic product in 2014, 0.6% better than an earlier projection. The Cypriot economy also performed better than expected in 2013, despite a 10 billion-euro ($13.7 billion) rescue in March that mandated a seizure of uninsured deposits in the country's two biggest banks and shut down its second-largest lender.

Almost all capital controls imposed in the wake of the rescue have been lifted, but controls on transferring money abroad remain in place; authorities hope to lift those by year's end.

"The Cyprus economy has proven to be more resilient than many had expected and that's mainly due to its main sectors of tourism, services and shipping," Georgiades told reporters.

Georgiades said Cyprus' strict adherence to the terms of the rescue from other eurozone countries and the IMF is working. He said the country remains on track to get its economy growing again in 2015 with help from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development.

But difficulties remain, including a weakened banking sector that is still struggling with a significant number of bad loans.

Creditors said the banks' bad-loan burden is hindering them from supplying credit to businesses that's essential to spurring growth. As a result, growth projections for next year have been revised from 1 to 0.4% of GDP.

The finance minister said authorities are working on a legal framework that would empower banks to collect from "uncooperative" borrowers while h! elping those having trouble paying back home loans.

Creditors also urged the government to push ahead with privatizations of state-owned companies and to continue to fully comply with the terms of the rescue "given still high risks."

Georgiades said the Cyprus expects the next bailout tranche of over 600 million euros ($821.8 million) that will boost public finances and refinance debt by the end of June.

Avoiding Hidden Threats to Your Security

Some of the most serious threats to financial independence are often overlooked. Yet, a few simple actions can avoid large losses from these risks. In addition, you can reduce substantially your out-of-pocket expenses when you pay attention to these neglected issues.

The sad fact is that the insurance coverage for most people is wrong. People are paying too much for too little coverage or for coverage they don't need. Significant portions of their net worth are at-risk from events or lawsuits. The insurance decisions during and near retirement are some of the most important and complicated in your lifetime. It doesn't take much to turn a financially secure retirement into something far less appealing. Most people obtain insurance coverage fairly early in their adult years and don't update it much after that. Take a fresh look at insurance as you near or are in retirement. You'll see opportunities such as these to close gaps and reduce your cost.

Consider increasing your deductibles. You aren't a struggling young adult with a family. You don't need a low deductible to prevent a loss from depleting your savings. When you have a healthy income and net worth, consider increasing deductibles on your home and auto policies. This will reduce premiums, usually by enough that about three years of lower premiums will make up for the higher deductible if you should incur a covered loss.

Check discounts. You might not know all the discounts the insurer offers, and the insurer might not know all the qualities that qualify you for discounts. Often-overlooked sources of discounts in home insurance are the installation of a security system and upgrading basic systems such as electrical, plumbing, and heating. The insurer or agent should be able to give you a full list of potential discounts, or you can talk with them about discounts.

Save by bundling. There's no doubt that bundling more than one typ! e of insurance with one company saves money. Even when an insurer doesn't offer the lowest premiums on each policy, bundling can shrink the gap. Don't let premiums alone drive your decision. You want good claims service, good coverage, and a financially stable insurer. After that, look for opportunities to reduce premiums.

Ensure full coverage for the home. Many of my readers lived in the same homes for a long time. Often, that leads to significant insurance coverage gaps. Most likely is that the coverage limit isn't high enough to cover a catastrophic loss. That's because the cost of rebuilding all or most of the home exceeds the market value. Be sure your policy covers full replacement cost, not market value.

A related gap is building code updates. Localities regularly update building codes, increasing the requirements and costs for new homes. But if you have work done on an older home, because of either an upgrade or repairs after a catastrophe, large portions of the home might have to be upgraded to meet current code requirements. This can be a significant cost to fix a home after a catastrophe, especially if you have older electric and plumbing systems. Your homeowner's policy needs to cover any changes required to meet current building codes, or you'll have to pay the extra cost.

When you belong to a homeowner's association, you might want significant assessments from the HOA covered. When the HOA isn't covered for a major loss to community property, loses a lawsuit, or has to upgrade a facility because the law has changed, the HOA will assess homeowners for the costs. The potential for this is especially high in condominium communities but it possible for all HOAs. At times, special assessments are thousands of dollars.

Protect personal assets. Homes owned by older people are likely to have inadequate insurance for their contents. The standard insurance policy assumes contents are a certain percentage of the home's value. But older owners tend to have mor! e things ! than the average and more valuable things, because the average includes a lot of younger people. Your best move is to take an inventory of your home's contents and compare that to what the insurance would pay if it were destroyed. When the gap is substantial, talk with your insurance agent about your options.

Of course, there are many personal items that are excluded from the contents coverage. These include antiques, jewelry, collectibles, furs, antiques, and a lot of electronics. Make a list, obtain an appraisal of their values when necessary, and buy a rider to your policy that covers them.

Some assets require special coverage. For example, if a few years ago you bought that car you drove or envied in high school, that's now a classic car and could require a special policy instead of a standard auto policy.

Be sure titles are correct. As part of your estate plan, you might have shifted some of your assets to a living trust or limited liability company. Be sure these items are covered by your insurance. You don't want to suffer a loss and discover it isn't covered because legally you no longer owned the car or home.

Do you have a new business? Some people turn their hobbies into businesses during retirement. That could create a new list of potential liability claims. You might be able to cover these under the personal umbrella liability policy, or you might require separate insurance. Be sure you're covered.

Check directors and officers liability. One of your activities might be to serve on the board of some organization. It might seem harmless and good community service to serve on the board of, say, a local youth sports league. But what if one of the coaches made sexual advances to some players, and the parents sue the league, including the directors? Being on the board of any organization opens up the potential for personal liability suits. Even if the suit is frivolous, you need to pay a lawyer. Be sure the organization has sufficient insurance to protect it! s officer! s and directors. If it doesn't, buy your own policy.

Cover it all with an umbrella. Anyone with significant assets should have a personal liability umbrella policy. Your homeowner's insurance covers you for liabilities from a range of actions by you, your family members, and even your pets. But there's a ceiling to the coverage, and it likely isn't enough to protect you in today's litigious world. A personal umbrella liability policy is very inexpensive. You probably should have at least $5 million of liability coverage.

The insurance coverage discussed above is in addition to the medical expense and long-term care coverage that should be basic parts of a retirement plan.

Now that most of your earnings years are past, one of the greatest obstacles to lifetime financial security is having a significant portion of your nest egg taken by a catastrophe or liability suit. Combine the cost-saving measures with the strategies for boosting coverage. The combination likely will provide you greater protection than you have for premiums that are similar to or less than what you're paying now.

Tainted beef might have gone to stores

DETROIT — The recall of 1.8 million pounds of ground beef possibly tainted with E. coli O157:H7 and shipped from Detroit has become a national concern, with the focus expanding toward retailers and what may be in consumers' freezers.

So far, 11 people in four states — Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio — have been sickened in connection with the Class 1 recall, a classification denoting a high risk, with the "reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The initial probe began with consumers who reported being sickened after eating at restaurants between April 22 to May 2.

Investigators now worry that the same beef from Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. might have been sent to grocers and other retail outlets, a spokesman for USDA's inspection service said Tuesday.

STORY: 1.8 million pounds of beef recalled, linked to E. coli

The USDA will issue a public list of retailers that have, or have had, the tainted products. That usually happens within days of the recall, as they are able to trace the information.

So far, the USDA lists numbers and types of meat; it does not include retailers that may have sold it.

At least a half-dozen of the 11 who were sickened were hospitalized, though there have been no deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is assisting in the investigation.

It is serious. Especially if you're a consumer with a young child at home, it would be good to check (any frozen meat) against any lists.

Shannon Manning, Michigan State University assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics

Seattle lawyer Bill Marler, who represented clients sickened in the deadly Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in 1993, said those cases undoubtedly will climb.

He said he spent part of the day talking to a Michigan woman who had! classic symptoms of food poisoning after eating a burger at a restaurant and is awaiting lab results. She told him that local public health officials said they would forward her case to the state and to the CDC.

"Will the number double? Probably. Will the meat recall expand? Absolutely," he said.

Wolverine executives issued a statement Monday saying, in part, that "while none of the Wolverine Packing product has tested positive for the pathogen implicated in this outbreak, the company felt it was prudent to take this voluntary recall action in response to the illnesses and initial outbreak investigation findings."

A spokesman, Chuck Sanger, noted the recall amount — 1.8 million pounds — hasn't changed, and the company remains focused on tracking down any unused meat.

The long-term damage to Wolverine's business won't be clear until the investigation closes, said Kaitlin Wowak, a management professor at University of Notre Dame, whose research has focused on food safety and recall.

"It has to do with the scope of the recall and the impact it can have on consumers," she said. "In Jack in the Box, children died from that recall. That is devastating."

The problem with this particular strain of E. coli is that it takes only a few bacteria cells to attach to the intestine and begin producing the toxins that can travel into a person's bloodstream and attack the kidneys, said Shannon Manning, a Michigan State University assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics.

"It is serious. Especially if you're a consumer with a young child at home, it would be good to check (any frozen meat) against any lists" produced by USDA, she said.

Rieder: Sulzberger fires back in Abramson…

Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has taken off the gloves.

After taking a public relations drubbing for days over his handling of the firing of New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson, the Times publisher has given his first interview on the imbroglio that has engulfed the nation's top news organization.

Declaring "I'm not going to let lies like this lie," Sulzberger outlined for Vanity Fair's Sarah Ellison the chain of events that led to his decision to fire Abramson. And he portrayed Abramson's managerial deficiencies as so profound that despite her journalism strengths, retaining her was not an option.

Sulzberger was emphatic in rejecting the meme that has been most damaging to him and the paper, one that emerged shortly after Abramson's beheading last Wednesday: that she learned that she was being paid less than her male predecessor, Bill Keller, and that her decision to lawyer up over the issue was a key factor in her ouster. Moments after that proposition was asserted by New Yorker media writer Ken Auletta late Wednesday afternoon, Abramson's image rapidly morphed from rough, cold leader to sex-discrimination victim.

"There is no truth to the charge" that Abramson, the first woman to serve as the Times' executive editor, was paid less than Keller, Sulzberger, who is also chairman of the New York Times Co., said in the interview. He added that after she joined the Times Co. executive committee in 2013, her total compensation package – salary, bonus, stock – was 10% higher than Keller's had been in 2010, his last year as the Times' executive editor.

REM RIEDER: A bravura performance by Jill Abramson

In the interview, conducted Sunday and posted early Tuesday morning, Sulzberger made clear he was suffering from an acute case of buyer's remorse. In 2011, after Keller resigned, Sulzberger chose Abramson over Dean Baquet, the man he named to succeed her last week in the Times newsroom's top job. If he could do it over again, "Of course I would have done it differently,! " Sulzberger said.

Sulzberger conceded the obvious, that the Times had published excellent work under Abramson, who is highly regarded for her journalistic chops. But he portrayed her managerial shortcomings as a severe problem, so severe that in January 2014 he gave her what Vanity Fair characterizes as a "stark" performance review, and the paper's human resources department helped her find an executive coach.

Sulzberger said Abramson was often absent from the newsroom and had a tendency to make decisions without informing colleagues. Tellingly, he said, her relationship with managing editor Baquet, her top deputy, and other key newsroom editors had become "very frayed."

It has been widely reported, based on anonymous sources, that Abramson's demise stemmed directly from her efforts to woo The Guardian's Janine Gibson to become the Times' co-managing editor for digital. In the interview, Sulzberger discussed in detail how that played out.

The key problem was that Abramson never told Baquet that she planned to give Gibson a rank equal to his. When he learned from Gibson over lunch May 5 that that was the case, he wasn't happy. "When Janine told Dean that she'd been offered the job of co-managing editor, he didn't have a clue," Sulzberger said.

Two days later, the two men had dinner, and Sulzberger said he learned "the severity of his feelings."

"At that point, we risked losing Dean, and we risked losing more than Dean," Sulzberger told Ellison. "It would have been a flood, and a flood of some of our best digital people."

Baquet, who has the people skills Abramson lacks, is a popular figure in the Times newsroom. Sulzberger said a number of people in the newsroom had told him, "The one person we cannot lose is Dean Baquet."

On Friday, May 9, Sulzberger told Abramson it was time for a change. Five days later, with Abramson nowhere to be seen, the publisher announced the leadership change.

On Monday, Abramson gave a well-received commencement address at! Wake For! est University in which she described the Times as an "important and irreplaceable institution" and said there was "not a chance" that she would have the tattoo of the New York Times "T" on her back removed.

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now

The Intelligent REIT Investor's Brad Thomas discusses his outlook for real estate and the new class of data REITs.

SPEAKER:  Hi, I'm talking with Brad Thomas today about REITs.  Thank you for joining me, Brad. 

BRAD THOMAS:  Oh, glad to be here, thanks so much. 

SPEAKER:  You're welcome.  You know, we talked a couple of months ago and you were saying to me that there were a couple of things that investors really need to think about when they're investing in REITs, and one was what is the dividend yield, obviously, and second is the safety of that dividend.  So can you expand a little bit on that? 

BRAD THOMAS:  Sure.  Well, you know, REITs today are very attractive for investors because investors are looking for dividends and dividend safety.  You must remember that REITs are unlike any other public company in that they pay out dividends, forced dividends, and what I mean by that is by law, which is a law created in 1960 in the Eisenhower administration, so this is a law that was created over five decades ago, just point that out, that REITs are required to pay out 90% of their taxable income in the form of dividends, so that's created a very sustainable model for investors today.  That's what's attracted investors to this real estate secured industry because of the sustainability of the dividend model.  So we're seeing a lot of high dividends today, again because companies are forced to pay out at least 90%.  In most cases they pay out almost 100% of their taxable income in the form of dividends. 

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Sandridge Energy Inc.(SD)

SandRidge Energy, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent natural gas and oil company in the United States. The company engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties. Its Exploration and Production segment explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and oil reserves with focus on the Mid-Continent and Permian Basin. This segment also operates leasehold positions in the West Texas Overthrust (WTO), Gulf Coast, and Gulf of Mexico. The company?s Drilling and Oil Field Services segment is involved in the contract drilling of oil and natural gas wells primarily in the west Texas region. This segment also offers oil field services, including providing pulling units, trucking, rental tools, location, and road construction and roustabout services. Its Midstream Gas Services segment engages in purchasing, gathering, treating, and selling natural gas in west Texas. As of December 31, 2011, its estimated proved reserv es were 470.6 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which approximately 52% were oil. The company also had interests in 5,043 gross producing wells, as well as in approximately 2,695,000 gross acres under lease. In addition, it had 21 rigs drilling in the Mid-Continent and 15 rigs drilling in the Permian Basin. SandRidge Energy, Inc. is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Graham Capital Management reduced its stake in lots of companies, including SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD  ) . Focused on the Mississippi Lime and Gulf of Mexico regions, the company has been improving its performance on many counts, such as declining well costs. Some are waiting to find out, by the end of the month, whether the company's CEO will remain or depart, with a departure possibly leading to a breakup of the company or other strategies recommended by activists.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Who's doing it the best?
  It can be pretty handy to evaluate the entire industry on how efficiently it's replacing reserves, but reserve replacement costs can be more effective in evaluating individual companies. The lower the costs, the better it is. According to Ernst & Young, the most effective company at controlling reserve replacement costs is private company�Antero Resources, with a three-year average reserve replacement cost of about $2.88 per barrel of oil equivalent. Antero, and four of the other top five companies on Ernst & Young's list, are almost pure natural gas plays. If we've learned one thing over the past couple of years, it's that oil reserves and natural gas reserves are two totally different things when it comes to value. The five following companies have more than 50% liquids on�their�reserves and had the lowest reserve replacement costs for 2012.

  Company % Liquids in�Portfolio Oil Production Replacement Rate (3 Years) Reserve Replacement Costs (3-Year Average) Per boe Rosetta Resources� (NASDAQ: ROSE  ) 57% 846% $6.99 Continental Resources� (NYSE: CLR  ) 72% 827% $12.61 Laredo Petroleum� (NYSE: LPI  ) 52% 1,042% $13.51 SM Energy� (NYSE: SM  ) 53% 392% $14.67 SandRidge Energy� (NYSE: SD  ) 58% 704% $14.85

  Sources: Ernst & Young and S&P Capital IQ; author's calculations.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Topping the list of companies I'd like to buy cheaper is SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD  ) . The oil and gas producer has come under intense pressure from activist investors who don't like the way management has led the company. Further, its share price had been pressured by the debt it took on as it shifted from natural gas to oil; it's focused its attention on becoming the dominant player in the Mississippi Lime. Those past missteps have the company trading at a compelling value ��the company currently pegs its net asset value at $32 per share, while those same shares now trade at just over $5 apiece.

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: The AES Corporation(AES)

The AES Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a power company in Latin America, Africa, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company owns and operates two businesses, Generation and Utilities. The Generation business owns and/or operates power plants to generate and sell power to wholesale customers, such as utilities and other intermediaries. It generates electricity through various sources, including coal, gas, fuel oil, biomass, hydroelectric, wind, and solar. The Utilities business owns and/or operates utilities to distribute, transmit, and sell electricity to end-user customers in the residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental sectors. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned electricity generation and distribution facilities with a total capacity of approximately 40,500 megawatts and distribution networks serving approximately 12 million people in 28 countries. The AES Corporation was founded in 1981 and is based in Arlingto n, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Heading home
  Shares of AES� (NYSE: AES  ) hit 52-week highs last week in anticipation of its May 9 Q1 earnings report. A glance at its investments shows a massive 27-country spread, offering unheard of geographic diversity.

• [By David Dittman]

  Question: AES Corp (NYSE: AES) has been in a bit of downtrend. Any comments on what’s going on?

  Answer: AES Corp has a lot of exposure to Brazil, which I think is a long-term positive but has been a short- and medium-term headwind. Emerging markets are “out” right now, if you think of the stock market as a short-term popularity contest. The long-term weighing machine, I think, will have a positive view on this exposure.
  
  Management did reaffirm its earnings growth guidance for 2014 and 2015.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Corporate musical chairs
  AES (NYSE: AES  ) announced Friday that it has added former PPL (NYSE: PPL  ) CEO and Chairman James Miller to its board of directors. "Jim brings to AES' Board substantial experience in the energy industry, both in the U.S. and internationally, including in regulated utilities and competitive power markets," said AES Chairman Charles Rossotti in a statement.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  AES (NYSE: AES  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on May 9. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict AES's revenues will wither -2.4% and EPS will shrink -18.9%.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Powershares Etf Fund Trusts Ii (PGX)

The PowerShares Preferred Portfolio (Fund) is based on The BofA Merrill Lynch Core Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index (Index). The Fund normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Index. The Index is designed to replicate the total return of a diversified group of investment-grade preferred securities. The Index is rebalanced on a monthly basis. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before fees and expenses) of a securities index. The Fund invests in sectors, such as basic materials, financial, utilities and unclassified. Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. is the investment adviser. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  Public Storage has 10 different series of preferred stock, but I like the Series T because it trades at $21.83, which is more than 12% below par. I don�� see any reason for this discount, and it also boosts the 5.75% dividend (at par) to 6.58% at the current price.

  Preferred Stocks to Buy: PowerShares Preferred Portfolio (PGX)
  

  Dividend Yield: 6.6%

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Athabasca Oil Corp (ATHOF.PK)

Athabasca Oil Corporation, formerly Athabasca Oil Sands Corp., is focused on the exploration and development of unconventional oil resource plays in Alberta, Canada. The Company is organized into two divisions: thermal oil and light oil. Thermal oil includes the Company�� assets, liabilities and operating results for the exploration, development and production of bitumen from sand and carbonate rock formations located in the Athabasca region of Northern Alberta. Light oil includes the Company�� assets, liabilities and operating results for the exploration, development and production of unconventional oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids located in various regions in the province of Alberta. Athabasca has accumulated more than 1.5 million (net) acres of oil sands leases in the Athabasca area of northern Alberta. The Company�� oil sands projects are Hangingstone (100%), Dover West Sands (100%), Dover West Carbonates (100%), Dover (40%), Birch (100%) and Grosmont (50%). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

  Suncor Energy (SU) (Part 1), see article here.Suncor Energy (Part 2), see article here.Athabasca Oil (ATHOF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources, see article here.Imperial Oil, see article here.Cenovus Energy (CVE), see article here.MEG Energy (MEGEF.PK), see article here.Devon Energy, see article here.Royal Dutch Shell, see article here.Ivanhoe Energy (IVAN), see article here.Nexen (CNOOC) (CEO), see article here.

  An analysis of the current operations of the company will be examined with the objective to provide the most complete information available to potential investors before deciding to seize the opportunity that the 54,132 square miles of the Carbonate Triangle has to offer. Let's start by introducing Athabasca, a famous and most prolific region in the Canadian oil sands as well as one of the largest reserve in the world.

Top 5 High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: HyperSolar Inc (HYSR)

Hypersolar, Inc., incorporated on February 18, 2009, is developing renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, including seawater and wastewater. Unlike hydrocarbon fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas, where carbon dioxide and other contaminants are released into the atmosphere when used, hydrogen fuel usage produces pure water as the only byproduct. The Company�� technology includes HyperSolar H2Generator. Its nano-size particle is designed to mimic photosynthesis and contains a solar absorber that generates electrons from sunlight, as well as integrated cathode and anode areas to readily split water and transfer those electrons to the molecular bonds of hydrogen.

The HyperSolar H2Generator consists of the following primary stages: Reactor Vessels, Hydrogen Compressor and Hydrogen Storage. The reactor vessels resemble transparent rectangular boxes containing water and billions of nanoparticles suspended in solution. When exposed to sunlight, hydrogen gas will bubble up into an air gap on top for separation and collection. Produced hydrogen gas will be compressed for space efficient storage. Hydrogen can be stored in compressed gas tanks or chemical canisters depending on the application. The HyperSolar H2Generator will be a self-contained renewable hydrogen production system that requires only sunlight and any source of water.

The Company competes with Air Products and Chemicals Inc. and Air Liquide.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap hydrogen fuel stocks Hydrogenics Corporation (NASDAQ: HYGS), FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ: FCEL), HyperSolar Inc (OTCMKTS: HYSR) and HydroPhi Technologies Group, Inc (OTCMKTS: HPTG) are some of the lesser known small caps that are�working with hydrogen fuel or hydrogen fuel cell related technology. I should say that small cap hydrogen stocks are not for risk adverse investors as there are considerable unanswered questions about hydrogen fuel related technology and whether it can be a viable green technology given the fueling infrastructure needed along with the�energy and expense involved in creating hydrogen�(Note: None of these small cap�stocks are profitable at ). But any new technology will pose the same types of risks for early stage investors���especially if its so-called green technology.�

Teekay Offshore: 6.1% Dividend Yield with Robust Growth

Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. (TOO) is the largest owner in the shuttle tanker market with 33 shuttle tankers and one newbuilds on order. Through this, the company owns more than 50% of the world's shuttle tanker fleet based on total tonnage.

Besides the shuttle tankers, Teekay also has 5 FPSOs, 6 FSOs and 4 conventional tankers. This article looks into the reasons for believing why the high dividend yield will sustain and why the company's outlook is bright for the long-term.

Strong Revenue Visibility

As at December 31, 2013, minimum scheduled future revenues under time charters and bareboat charters was $3.6 billion. This provides Teekay Offshore with four year revenue visibility based on FY2013 revenue of $931 million.

As the cash inflow remains steady and grows through the acquisition of new vessels, the dividend is expected to remain robust. For the first quarter of 2014, Teekay Offshore generated a distributable cash flow of $51.1 million, which translates into a cash distribution of $0.5384 per unit of the LP.

In other words, the annual dividend, based on a steady cash inflow, comes to $2.1536 and this translates into a dividend yield of 6.1% based on the current stock price of $35.3. I believe that the dividend payout will only increase with new vessels coming in operation over the next few years.

LOI to Acquire Logitel Offshore

In May 2014, Teekay Offshore signed a LOI to acquire Logitel Offshore, an offshore floating accommodation company carved out of Sevan Marine ASA. Logitel owns two floating accommodation units, which are currently under construction at the COSCO shipyard in China.

The first unit has secured a 3-year charter contract with an extension option with Petrobras. This vessel is scheduled for delivery in 1Q15. For 2015, the addition of this vessel will positively impact the revenue, cash inflow and the dividend payout.

The second unit is scheduled for delivery in 4Q15 and is yet to secure a charter contract. However, a contract is likely soon in a relatively attractive offshore floating accommodation market. While the second unit will not have a significant impact on revenue in 2015, both the units will contribute to revenue bump-up in 2016. This is positive for Teekay Offshore unit holders.

Acquisition Of ALP Maritime Services

Underscoring the company's aggressive growth plan, Teekay Offshore also completed the acquisition of ALP Maritime Services in the first quarter of 2014 for $260 million.

Subsequent to this acquisition, Teekay Offshore and ALP have entered into an agreement with Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair of Japan for the construction of four ultra-long distance towing and anchor handling vessel new vessels. The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2016 and provide an additional source of revenue and cash inflow upside.

Both the points on recent acquisition are reflective of the company's intent to expand its fleet size further and increase the per unit payout. With these acquisitions and the expected date of delivery of new vessels, I do expect that per unit payout will increase in 2015 and 2016. Investors can therefore expect the dividend yield to remain robust.

Strong Financial Position

Aggressive growth can be a boon or bane depending on the company's existing financial position. For Teekay Offshore, strong fundamentals back the company's growth plans.

As of March 2014, Teekay Offshore had a total cash position of $348.5 million, which includes $223 million in cash and $125.5 million in credit facilities. A strong cash position ensures that Teekay Offshore has funds for the current acquisition even through internal accruals.

In terms of debt, Teekay Offshore had a total debt of $2479 million as of March 2014. This translates into a debt to capitalization of 77% as of 1Q14 giving Teekay Offshore some financial flexibility.

Further, the debt to EBITDA and net debt to EBITDA as of 1Q14 was 5.6 and 5.1 respectively. With a cash interest of $146 million as of December 2013, the EBITDA interest coverage ratio translates to 3.1. Therefore, debt servicing is not a concern at this point of time.

Conclusion

Teekay Offshore is evidently more aggressive in its expansion in the recent past. As the new vessels are delivered, there will be an incremental impact on revenue, EBITDA and the cash payout.

With the outlook on the offshore market remaining positive, Teekay Offshore should continue to do well in the long-term. The stock can be considered for long-term as a dividend stock in one's portfolio.

About the author:Kashafa Investment ResearchSenior Research Analyst with experience in the field of equity research, credit research, financial modelling and economic research

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Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015

LinkedIn Corp. (NYSE: LNKD) has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a secondary offering of $1 billion in the company�� Class A common stock. The underwriters have a 30-day option on an additional 15% of the number of shares in the offering. No per share price nor number of shares was specified.

According to the filing, LinkedIn plans to use the proceeds:

[T]o increase our financial flexibility and to further strengthen our balance sheet. We intend to use the net proceeds from the shares we are offering primarily for general corporate purposes, including working capital, further expansion of our product development and field sales organizations, international expansion, general administrative matters and for capital expenditures, including infrastructure. In addition, we may use a portion of the proceeds from this offering for strategic acquisitions of, or investments in, complementary businesses, technologies or other assets.

Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: Stone Energy Corporation(SGY)

Stone Energy Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico and the Appalachia region. As of December 31, 2010, it had estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves of approximately 473.9 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana with additional offices in New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; and Morgantown, West Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Caiman Valores]

  But its reserves are lower than U.S. domiciled small-cap Stone Energy (SGY) and mid-cap Whiting Petroleum (WLL). However, in the case of Stone Energy a larger portion of its proved and probable reserves are lower margin and less profitable natural gas, with natural gas making up 51% of its reserves and oil and NGLs the remaining 49%.

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap Energy XXI (Bermuda) Limited (NASDAQ: EXXI)�announced a deal to acquire�EPL Oil & Gas Inc (NYSE: EPL) to create the largest publicly held independent oil producer on the Gulf of Mexico shelf, meaning it might be a good idea to look at other small cap Gulf oil stocks like W&T Offshore, Inc (NYSE: WTI), Stone Energy Corporation (NYSE: SGY) and Contango Oil & Gas Company (NYSEMKT: MCF). Energy XXI�� CEO John Schiller has talked about the details of the acquisition�with Jim Cramer on CNBC's "Mad Money" and he noted that��EPL Oil & Gas offers areas of expertise that EXXI currently lacks. However, investors who missed out on�yesterday�� 29% surge for EPL Oil & Gas�may want to check out these other small cap Gulf Oil stocks:

Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: InSite Vision Inc (INSV)

InSite Vision Incorporated (InSite), incorporated in 1986, is an ophthalmic product development company advancing ophthalmic pharmaceutical products to address unmet eye care needs. The Company's current portfolio of products is based on the Company's DuraSite sustained drug delivery technology. Its DuraSite sustained drug delivery technology is a synthetic polymer-based formulation designed to extend the residence time of a drug relative to conventional topical therapies. It enables topical delivery of a drug as a solution, gel or suspension and can be customized for delivering a wide variety of drug candidates. The Company is focused its research and development and commercial support efforts on the topical products formulated with its DuraSite drug delivery technology. It may also utilize its DuraSite technology platform for the formulation of new ocular product candidates using either non drugs or compounds developed by others for non-ophthalmic indications.

AzaSite (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1% is a DuraSite formulation of azithromycin developed as a spectrum ocular antibiotic and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye). Azithromycin has a spectrum of antibiotic activity and is used to treat respiratory and other infections in its oral and parenteral forms.

Besivance (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension) 0.6% is a DuraSite formulation of besifloxacin, a spectrum ocular antibiotic approved by the FDA to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye). Besivance is the fluoroquinolone specifically developed for ophthalmic use. AzaSite Plus (ISV-502) is a fixed combination of azithromycin and dexamethasone in DuraSite for the treatment of ocular inflammation and infection (blepharitis and/or blepharoconjunctivitis).

DexaSite (ISV-305) is a DuraSite formulation of dexamethasone in development for the treatment of ocular inflammation. DexaSite is included in the Phase 3 clinical trial SPA for ! AzaSite Plus. The Company developed a topical formulation of the corticosteroid dexamethasone to treat eye inflammation caused by infections, injury, surgery or other conditions.

BromSite (ISV-303) is a DuraSite formulation of bromfenac in development for the treatment of post-operative inflammation and eye pain. ISV-101 is a DuraSite formulation with a low concentration of bromfenac for the treatment of dry eye disease.

The Company competes with Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Allergan, Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Novartis Ophthalmics, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Pfizer.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, INSV has shed (-2.74%) down -0.009 at $.320 with 15,483 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:59AM EDT June 28, 2013), but don�� let this get you down.

  InSite Vision Incorporated previously reported the company has regained North American development rights to azithromycin ophthalmic solution 2%, trademarked as AzaSite Xtra�� from Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. AzaSite Xtra, formulated in InSite�� DuraSite庐 topical drug delivery system, is a product candidate intended for the topical treatment of ocular infections.

• [By CRWE]

  Today, INSV surged (+7.53%) up +0.014 at $.200 with 96,500 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:12PM EDT August 15, 2013).

  InSite Vision Incorporated previously reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2013. Revenues for the second quarter of 2013 were $19.2 million compared to $1.8 million for the same period in 2012. Included in the second quarter of 2013 were revenues of $15 million for the sale of the Besivance庐 royalty rights. Net income for the second quarter of 2013 was $12.1 million, or $0.09 per share, compared to a net loss of $6.8 million, or $0.05 per share, in the second quarter of 2012.

• [By CRWE]

  Today, INSV surged (+2.77%) up +0.009 at $.334 with 24,100 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:27AM EDT July 8, 2013).

  InSite Vision Incorporated previously reported it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on its DuraSite庐 2 next-generation enhanced drug delivery system. DuraSite 2 provides a broad platform for developing topically delivered ocular drugs with enhanced tissue penetration in order to improve efficacy and dosing convenience. The patent is expected to provide protection to 2029 for both the delivery system and the drugs that are formulated with DuraSite 2.

5 Best Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sasol Ltd.(SSL)

Sasol Limited operates as an integrated energy and chemicals company worldwide. It mines saleable coal; distributes and markets natural gas and methane-rich gas; owns, operates, and maintains cross-border natural gas pipeline; produces coal-based synfuels; and markets oil products, such as petrol, diesel, jet fuel, illuminating paraffin, naphtha, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), fuel oils, bitumen, motor and industrial lubricants, and sulphur to the industrial and licensed wholesalers customers in South Africa. The company also supplies ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, chlor-alkali chemicals, and mining reagents; solvents, co-monomers, acrylates, and associated products; surfactants, linear alkylbenzene, surfactant intermediates, n-paraffins, n-olefins, C6-C22 alcohols, ethylene, oleochemicals, and other organic intermediates, as well as provides specialty aluminas, silica aluminas, and hydrotalcites. In addition, it produces and markets var ious chemical products comprising waxes, fertilizers, and mining explosive products; converts natural gas into synthesis gas for use as petrochemical feedstock; and involves in the research and development, alternative energy, and financial activities. Further, the company produces natural gas and condensate from the onshore Pande and Temane fields in Mozambique; oil in Gabon from the offshore Etame, Avouma, and Ebouri oilfield cluster; and shale gas from the Farrell Creek and Cypress A assets in Canada. It operates in South Africa, the other parts of Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Australasia, the Middle East, India, and the Far East. Sasol Limited was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Newman]

  Profitable opportunity
  Some may guess that doing business with developing countries wouldn't allow for a very profitable business. However, when South African companies like�Sasol� (NYSE: SSL  ) �-- which estimated 18% of its workforce carried HIV in 2007�-- must dedicate departmental budgets to HIV/AIDS, there are plenty of opportunities for Female Health to cover costs and earn a return. A healthier workforce for Sasol would simply cost less for the company, and Female Health can help companies like Sasol achieve a healthier workforce.

Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: USANA Health Sciences Inc.(USNA)

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells nutritional and personal care products worldwide. It offers the USANA Nutritionals product line, which consists of essentials, which include vitamin and mineral supplements that provide a foundation of nutrition for various age groups; optimizers that are targeted supplements supporting needs, such as cardiovascular health, skeletal/structural health, and digestive health; and foods comprising low-glycemic meal replacement shakes, snack bars, and other related products that offer optimal macro-nutrition. Its Sense product line comprises personal care products that support healthy skin and hair. The company also offers materials and online tools, such as associate starter kit and product brochures that are designed to assist associates in building their businesses and in marketing our products. USANA Health Sciences, Inc. primarily distributes its products through a network marketing system of indepe ndent distributors. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Herbalife have dropped 0.8% to $71.07 at 2:34 p.m., while Nu Skin has dropped 9.1% to $77.09. Fellow multi-level seller USANA Health (USNA) has dropped 0.1% to $59.02 today, bringing its three-day decline to 14%.

• [By John Reese]

  USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (USNA)

  This strategy's well-rounded approach helped it get through one of the worst periods for the broader market in history and stay far, far ahead of the market over the long haul—All while the PSR has been a well-known investing tool. I expect this solid approach will continue to pay dividends over the long haul.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The FTC’s decision to investigate Herbalife (HLF) came with collateral damage for all multi-level marketers, including Nu Skin (NUS) and Usana Health Sciences (USNA).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Nu Skin has plunged 20% to $92.52 today at 10:51 a.m., and has dragged down other multi-level marketers with it. Herbalife (HLF) has dropped 5.9% to $74.74, while Usana Health Sciences (USNA) has fallen 9.1% to $59.77.

Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: Sky Deutschland AG (SKYD)

Sky Deutschland AG is a Germany-based holding company, which operates a subscription television network in Germany and Austria. The Company manages television brands, including Sky Welt and Sky Welt Extra, as well as offers packages Film, Sport, Fussball Bundesliga (Germany football league), and HD (High Definition television), as well as pay-per-view service Sky Select and Sky Go. Furthermore, the Company offers Sky Hotel & Bars service, which provides the Company's services in public houses and bars. The Company offers approximately 70 television channels of various genres. Sky Select package enables watching selected movies at the specific time. Sky Go offers content on mobile devices, Internet and simultaneously on different television sets. The Company is also engaged in the purchase, sale and distribution of rights to film, series and television productions, the acquisition, sale and distribution of broadcasting rights for public events, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Sky Deutschland AG (SKYD) surged 5 percent to 7.55 euros, the highest price since September 2008. The pay-television said third-quarter ebitda climbed 19 percent to 29.2 million euros. Revenue jumped 19 percent from a year earlier to 392.7 million, topping analysts��estimates.

Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc (NSM)

Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. is a non-bank residential mortgage servicer with a range of services across the residential mortgage product spectrum. As of December 31, 2011, the Company serviced over 645,000 residential mortgage loans. The Company�� clients include national and regional banks, government organizations, securitization trusts, private investment funds and other owners of residential mortgage loans and securities. It is a partner of financial organizations, including government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and other regulated institutions. The Company is a licensed servicer in all 50 states. In addition to its core servicing business, the Company has a fully integrated loan originations platform and suite of adjacent businesses.

Nationstar offers clients a range of services. The Company combines its mortgage servicing with a fully integrated loan originations platform. Nationstar offers clients a diversified array of residential mortgage services: Servicing, Originations and Other Related Services.

Servicing

The Company offers mortgage investors two primary ways to partner. A portion of its portfolio consists of owned mortgage servicing rights (MSRs). In this arrangement, the Company owns the right to collect the principal and interest due from a mortgage borrower, as well as manage the title and property insurance escrow of the collateral on behalf of mortgage investors in exchange for a monthly fee proportional to the unpaid principle balance (UPB) of the mortgage. The Company acquires MSRs either through its own origination of mortgages or by acquiring these rights from other MSR owners or the mortgage investor. It subservices multiple portfolios for federal agencies, Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and large banks. For its subservicing clients, the Company is organized to serve its clients with an Investor Collections Professional and Senior Portfolio Manager(s) assigned to each portfolio.

Originations

The! Company offers a fully integrated loan origination platform. It also operates a wholesale origination channel capable of purchasing loans primarily from Financial Institutions operating as a broker.

Other Related Services

The Company offers a full suite of additional residential mortgage services to complement its servicing business and supporting originations platform. These businesses offer a range of ancillary services, including providing services for delinquent loans, managing loans in the foreclosure/real estate owned (REO) process and providing title insurance agency, loan settlement and valuation services on newly originated and re-originated loans. Nationstar is a part owner in NREIS, which is a provider of residential and commercial mortgage and real estate solutions in the United States. Their services include title insurance and property reports; real estate appraisals and alternative valuation products; settlement and closing services; commercial real estate services; default and property preservation services, and flood and tax certifications.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Tempur Sealy International completed its acquisition of Sealy in March 2013. The company reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013, highlighting a total net sales increase of 100.5% to $660.6 million in the second quarter of 2013 from $329.5 million in the second quarter of 2012. GAAP earnings per diluted share in the second quarter of 2013 were $(0.03). Adjusted EPS were $0.36 in the second quarter of 2013 as compared to GAAP EPS of $0.45 in the second quarter of 2012. GAAP net loss in the second quarter of 2013 was $1.6 million. The company reported adjusted net income of $22.3 million for the second quarter of 2013 as compared to GAAP net income of $29.1 million in the second quarter of 2012. Gross profit margin was 38.6% as compared to 50.7% in the second quarter of 2012.
  Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM): Sold Out

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  The following information is a highlight of the real-time guru activity we saw this week. To view more information on these gurus, check out their guru portfolios. The ��eal Time Picks��reports the stock purchases and sells that Gurus have made within the prior two weeks. If a Guru makes a purchase or sell of a company in which they own a greater-than 5% stake, SEC regulations require them to report their transaction within two days. This week we saw notable increases and buys in Real Time activity from Kyle Bass (Trades, Portfolio) and Paul Singer (Trades, Portfolio).Kyle Bass (Trades, Portfolio) Over the past week Kyle Bass (Trades, Portfolio) made a notable increase in to Nationstar Mortgage Holdings (NSM). The guru added a total of 3,673,972 shares of the company�� stock. He bought these shares at an average price of $31.27 per share, and since then the price per share has gone up about 5% to $32.80 per share.Bass now holds on to 4,759,610 shares of Nationstar Mortgage holdings, representing 5.26% of the company�� shares outstanding.Bass�� historical holding history as of the close of the fourth quarter 2013:Nationstar Mortgage provides residential mortgage loan services. It services residential mortgage loans throughout the United States. Nationstar is one of the largest servicers in the US, with a residential mortgage servicing portfolio of over $391 billion in unpaid principal balance as of Dec. 31, 2013.Nationstar Mortgage�� historical revenue and net income:The company recently released its fourth quarter and full year financial results which highlighted:- 2013 GAAP EPS of $2.40 on net income of $217 million.- Ending servicing portfolio UPB of $391 billion.- 2013 servicing portfolio growth of 88%.- 2013 return on equity of 25%.- Funded volume of $24 billion in 2013.The company also recently announced that they had received a letter from Benjamin Lawsky, Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, which inquires about Nat

• [By Christina Rexrode]

  Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM) was down nearly 2%. The mortgage servicer had jumped 5% Wednesday. It told investors then that it expected a fourth-quarter loss from one-time charges, but reaffirmed its full-year earnings predictions, said Jefferies analyst Daniel Furtado.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  New Residential Investment Corp.(NRZ) and other investors agreed to buy about $3.2 billion of servicing advances from Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc.(NSM), part of Nationstar’s plan to reconfigure its acquisition structure. The advances relate to nonagency residential mortgage loans with an unpaid principal balance of about $58 billion. Nationstar shares rose 4.1% to $42.50 in light premarket trading.

Top Managed Healthcare Companies For 2015: Julius Baer Gruppe AG (BAER)

Julius Baer Gruppe AG (the Group) is a Switzerland-based private banking group, with an exclusive focus on servicing and advising private clients and independent asset managers. The Group has a global presence with approximately 50 locations in more than 25 countries and jurisdictions. Julius Baer Gruppe AG was established through spin off from Julius Baer Holding AG�� businesses into two independent entities, namely the Company, together with its subsidiaries, comprising Bank Julius Baer & Co Ltd as its principal operating entity, and GAM Holding, together with its subsidiaries, comprising GAM and the Julius Baer-branded asset management business, which includes the private label funds business that formerly was part of Julius Baer Holding Ltd�� Bank Julius Baer segment. The Group diversifies its operations into geographical segments, including Switzerland, rest of Europe, Americas, and Asia and Other Countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Julius Baer Group Ltd. (BAER) rallied 5.7 percent to 42.04 francs. Switzerland�� third-biggest wealth manager said increased client trading boosted margins as it integrated Merrill Lynch businesses acquired from Bank of America Corp. last year. The gross margin, which reflects how much the bank makes in revenue on managed client assets, rose to 102 basis points in the first half, from 98 basis points in the year-earlier period.