Best Black Friday deals with biggest markdowns

Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, looms, and once again retailers are offering holiday deals in an attempt to get more shoppers into their stores. Several of the biggest retailers are extending their opening hours even more than in previous years to try to one-up their competition.

The deals listed by retailers are as big as ever. Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy, among others, are selling popular items at discounts of 30% or more off their regular price. Retailers plan to sell laptops, HDTVs, and other products at several hundred dollars off. Consulting with several groups that compile Black Friday deals, 24/7 Wall St. identified some of the products with the biggest markdowns.

MORE: Thanksgiving opening hours for eight big retailers

Retailers usually offer the best deals on already established products. For example, several big box stores offer considerable rollbacks on the 50" HDTVs because they have been on the market for several years. Fatwallet.com's Brent Shelton explained, "A couple of years ago, the bigger screens with the lighter technology were still new. But last year, prices really came down as they became less of a novel item."

Many other products offered with significant markdowns are either being phased out and replaced with a new product type or improved versions of the same model. This is the case with laptops, for example. "With laptops, particularly the medium-level laptops, retailers discount them because people are turning to tablets as their general surf-communication device," Shelton said. Laptops can therefore be very good deals for students who don't care about having a tablet, he added.

Despite the many holiday deals, it's probably not the best time to buy some products. Holiday decorations and winter clothing tend to be more expensive now than any time of year because most stores have just put them in stock. There are also products that tend to have better deals during other holidays. For example, the biggest deals for ! tools tend to be during Father's Day. That being said, during Black Friday you can find products at considerable markdowns in nearly every area.

24/7 Wall St. consulted shopping experts at Fatwallet.com, GottaDeal.com, and BFAD.com to identify the Black Friday deals with the biggest discounts compared to the product's MSRP or pre-sale price.

These are the nine best deals on Black Friday:

1. Element 50" 1080p LED HDTV

> Pct. discount: 61.8%

> Retailer: Target

> Black friday price: $229.00

> Was: $599.99

Target plans to offer the Element 50-inch flat-screen TV at a more than 60% discount, which constitutes savings of nearly $400. According to Gottadeal.com, 50-inches is the new "sweet spot" for TV display size. The same TV is available at Wal-mart, which also offers a smaller-sized 40-inch Element for considerably less, $178.

2. Nikon L320 Digital Camera

> Pct. discount: 56.8%

> Retailer: Target

> Black friday price: $99.00

> Was: $229.00

With smartphone users taking pictures with their device at an increasing rate, demand for digital cameras has waned. On Black Friday this year, however, Target will tempt consumers with the Nikon L320 16-megapixel 26x optical zoom digital camera, which is capable of 720p HD movies, as well as a variety of automatic features. Target will offer the camera for less than $100, or $130 off its normal value.

3. Kindle Fire 7" HD 16GB Tablet

> Pct. discount: 53.3%

> Retailer: Staples

> Black friday price: $79.00

> Was: $169.00

The new Kindle Fire HD is lighter than the original model. Other upgrades include a longer battery life, a faster processor, and a sharper display. The market for 7-inch tablets is competitive, with the Nexus 7 and iPad mini both offering similar features. Staples' Black Friday discount of more than 50% on the new Kindle Fire, however, will be difficult to beat.

4. Sony Wifi Blu-ray Player

! > Pct.! discount: 47.6%

> Retailer: Target

> Black friday price: $55.00

> Was: $105.00

On Thanksgiving, Target will cut the price of Sony's WiFi Blu-ray player by nearly half, from $105.00 to $55.00. Since Blu-ray technology has become available, its popularity has risen, especially as old movies, previously unavailable in such high quality, have been enhanced.

MORE: See the rest of the top Black Friday deals with the biggest markdowns

Financial news and commentary website 24/7 Wall St. is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Fiery Tesla crash torpedoes stock price

Skittish investors in high-flying Tesla, maker of expensive electric cars, bid down the company's stock price 4% Monday after reports that a Tesla model S burned after slamming into a concrete barrier and a tree in Mexico.

Tesla noted that the driver was unhurt in the Oct. 18 wreck near Merida, Mexico, which the automaker says should be viewed as a demonstration of the car's high level of crashworthiness rather than any inclination to catch fire.

It was the second high-profile Tesla fire.

An accident Oct. 1 in Washington state caused a Tesla Model S to catch fire after debris punched into the car's lithium-ion battery pack.

That driver was unhurt. The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration has said it found no evidence of a defect or violation of safety regulations in that incident.

Tesla says both drivers have told the company they want to buy replacement Model S cars.

As well as being vulnerable to crash damage -- just as many ordinary auto components would be -- the lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars are especially sensitive to temperature. If improperly cooled, they could ignite.

Non-crash fires have been reported in two Mitsubishi electrics. Chevrolet's Volt caught fire after being stored following a government crash test. Chevrolet says the vehicle was improperly stored and handled, and that the crash itself didn't directly result in the fire.

Recent, infamous cases involve Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which use lithium-ion packs. Those planes were grounded in January after fires. The battery systems were modified and the planes are flying again.

A 2006 recall of millions of Sony laptop computer batteries because of fire risk triggered modern concern about lithium-ion battery fires. The car and airliner events have kept the nervousness bubbling.

The Tesla Model S earned 99 out of a possible 100 points in Consumer Reports tests,prompting the publication to say, "The Tesla Model S...is not only the best electric car we've te! sted, it's now our top-rated model overall."

The Tesla fire reports, published Monday, could have been the last straw for some Tesla investors. The stock closed at $162.86, down $6,80, or 4%.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a Bloomberg TV interview last week in London, where he opened a showroom, "The stock price that we have is more than we have any right to deserve." He had issued a similar warning in a summer TV interview.

The stock trades at around 100 times projected 2014 earnings, a huge ratio that means investors expect fat, fast growth. More typical would be a forward P.E. of 10 to 20 times projected earnings, though the ratio varies considerably depending on industry.

Why Caution Is Prevailing in Biotechs Into and After Earnings

Biotechnology stocks struggled on Wednesday after Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) surprised investors with weaker-than-expected guidance for 2014 earnings.

The struggles also may be due to simple profit-taking. Stocks in the group had huge gains in 2013; the Amex Biotechnology Index jumped 50%. The index is up 8% in January, despite the soft market overall.

Biogen Idec earned $2.34 a share after one-time charges in the fourth quarter, six cents better than expected and up from $1.40 a year ago. The profit jump was due to strong sales of its new multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera. Revenue jumped 39% to $1.97 billion, ahead of the consensus estimate of 1.93 billion.

The stock slumped after Biogen offered 2014 earnings guidance of $11.00 to $11.20 a share, less than the Street estimate of $11.63. The company sees revenue growing 22% to 25%, better than the Street estimate of 20% growth.

In late-morning trading, the shares were down 58 cents, or 0.2%, to $305.08, after falling to as low as $292.82. Biogen shares soared 91% in 2013.

Biogen’s results came after Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) also beat estimates late Tuesday. Profit was up some 30% in the quarter to $1.81 a share, helped in part by a lower tax rate. That beat the Street estimate of $1.64. Revenue was up 13% to $5.01 billion. The company expects 2014 earnings of $7.90 to $8.20. The Street consensus is $8.18. The guidance disappointed investors who wanted more.

Amgen shares were down 33 cents to $120.37. The shares are up about 5.5% this month after a 32.3% gain in 2013.

Two more important biotech companies will report in the few days.

First up is Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG), which reports before Thursday’s open. The company is expected to earn $1.54 a share, up from $1.32 a year ago. Revenue is forecast at $1.72 billion, 19.1% higher than a year ago.

Shares were up two cents Wednesday to $160, after falling to as low as $156.28. The shares had gained 115.3% in 2013, but they are down 5.2% this month.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) reports after Tuesday’s close. Analysts expect $0.50 per share in earnings, unchanged from a year ago. The consensus revenue estimate is $2.85 billion, up 10.3% year over year.

Shares were down 37 cents, or 0.5%, to $80.37. They are still up about 7% for the month, after a 104.4% gain in 2013.

5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Short-sellers hate being caught short a stock that reports a blowout quarter. When this happens, we often see a tradable short squeeze develop as the bears rush to cover their positions to avoid big losses. Even the best short-sellers know that it's never a great idea to stay short once a bullish earnings report sparks a big short-covering rally.

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This is why I scan the market for heavily shorted stocks that are about to report earnings. You only need to find a few of these stocks in a year to help enhance your portfolio returns -- the gains become so outsized in such a short time frame that your profits add up quickly.

That said, let's not forget that stocks are heavily shorted for a reason, so you have to use trading discipline and sound money management when playing earnings short-squeeze candidates. It's important that you don't go betting the farm on these plays and that you manage your risk accordingly. Sometimes the best play is to wait for the stock to break out following the report before you jump in to profit off a short squeeze. This way, you're letting the trend emerge after the market has digested all of the news.

Of course, sometimes the stock is going to be in such high demand that you risk missing a lot of the move by waiting. That's why it can be worth betting prior to the report -- but only if the stock is acting technically very bullish and you have a very strong conviction that it is going to rip higher. Just remember that even when you have that conviction and have done your due diligence, the stock can still get hammered if The Street doesn't like the numbers or guidance.

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If you do decide to bet ahead of a quarter, then you might want to use options to limit your capital exposure. Heavily shorted stocks are usually the names that make the biggest post-earnings moves and have the most volatility. I personally prefer to wait until all the earnings-related news is out for a heavily shorted stock and then jump in and trade the prevailing trend.

With that in mind, here's a look at several stocks that could experience big short squeezes when they report earnings this week.

Usana Health Sciences

My first earnings short-squeeze play is nutritional and personal care products maker Usana Health Sciences (USNA), which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect USANA Health Sciences to report revenue of $172.40 million on earnings of $1.14 per share.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float USANA Health Sciences is extremely high at 29%. That means that out of the 6.67 million shares in the tradable float, 1.95 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a stock with a huge short interest and a very low tradable float. Any bullish earnings news could easily spark a monster short squeeze for shares of USNA post-earnings.

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From a technical perspective, USNA is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending for the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $78.94 to its intraday high of $88.73 a share. During that uptrend, shares of USNA have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of USNA within range of triggering a big breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're bullish on USNA, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 52-week high at $89.72 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 128,383 shares. If that breakout triggers, then USNA will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $105 to $115 a share.

I would simply avoid USNA or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some near-term support at $85 a share to its 50-day moving average at $82.64 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then USNA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $78.94 to $76 a share, or even $73 a share.

Unisys

Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade idea is worldwide information technology player Unisys (UIS), which is set to release its numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Unisys to report revenue $854.13 million on earnings of 40 cents per share.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Unisys is pretty high at 15.3%. That means that out of the 43.14 million shares in the tradable float, 6.57 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 8.9%, or by about 539,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a strong quarter, then shares of UIS could easily spike sharply higher post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, UIS is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last two months, with shares moving between $24.11 on the downside and $27.08 on the upside. Shares of UIS are now starting to move within range of triggering a breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways chart pattern post-earnings.

If you're in the bull camp on UIS, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $26.51 to $27.08 a share, and then once it clears its 52-week high at $28.25 a share high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 427,802 shares. If that breakout hits, then UIS will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $32.50 to $35 a share.

I would simply avoid UIS or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below its 50-day at $25.39 a share and then below more key near-term support levels at $24.66 to $24.11 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then UIS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at its 200-day moving average of $22.61 to $20 a share.

Cree

One potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is semiconductor player Cree (CREE) which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Cree to report revenue of $392.21 million on earnings of 39 cents per share.

Just recently, Canaccord Genuity upgraded shares of CREE to buy from hold and lifted its price target to $80 from $65 on better bulb costs and ongoing momentum in the industry. The firm said even though there are fierce competitors, CREE is clearly leading the pack worldwide in the solid-state lighting revolution.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Cree stands at 8.9%. That means that out of the 116.73 million shares in the tradable float, 10.49 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 6.2%, or by about 608,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of CREE could easily surge sharply higher post-earnings as the bears jump to cover some of their short positions.

From a technical perspective, CREE is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares moving higher from its low of $53.80 a share to its intraday high of $75.98 a share. During that uptrend, shares of CREE have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of CREE within range of triggering a big breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're bullish on CREE, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance level at $75.98 to its 52-week high at $76 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.57 million shares. If that breakout hits, then CREE will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $85 to $90 a share, or even $95 a share.

I would avoid CREE or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops back below some near-term support levels at $72 to $70 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then CREE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $67.23 to its 50-day moving average of $62.71 a share.

Cabela's

Another earnings short-squeeze prospect is Cabela's (CAB), a specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and outdoor merchandise, which is set to release numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Cabela's to report revenue of $854.07 million on earnings of 71 cents per share.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Cabela's is very high at 15.6%. That means that out of the 50.70 million shares in the tradable float, 7.70 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 12.3%, or by about 845,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of CAB could easily experience a big short-squeeze post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, CAB is currently trending above its 200-day moving average and below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months and change, with shares moving lower from its high of $71.80 to its recent low of $60.43 a share. During that move, shares of CAB have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of CAB have now started to rebound off that $60.43 low, and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're bullish on CAB, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $65.16 to $67 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 674,169 shares. If that breakout hits, then CAB will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $72 to its 52-week high at $72.54 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give CAB a chance to tag $75 a share.

I would simply avoid CAB or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $63 to its 200-day moving average at $61.73 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then CAB will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $60.43 to $58 a share.

Mellanox Technologies

My final earnings short-squeeze play is fables semiconductor player Mellanox Technologies (MLNX), which is set to release numbers on Wednesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Mellanox Technologies to report revenue of $107.63 million on earnings of 32 cents per share.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Mellanox Technologies is pretty high at 12.2%. That means that out of the 37.47 million shares in the tradable float, 3.95 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a decent short interest on a stock with a relatively low tradable float. Any bullish earnings news could easily set off a solid short-squeeze for shares of MLNX post-earnings.

From a technical perspective, MLNX is currently trending just above its 50-day moving average and well below its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last three months and change, with shares moving lower from its high of $54.89 to its recent low of $33.69 a share. During that move, shares of MLNX have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of MLNX have recently started to trend back above its 50-day at $38.72 and well off its recent low of $33.69 a share. That move has pushed shares of MLNX within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're in the bull camp on MLNX, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $42.45 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 798,645 shares. If that breakout hits, then MLNX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $47 to its 200-day at $48.80 a share.

I would avoid MLNX or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops back below its 50-day at $38.72 a share and then below more near-term support at $37.57 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then MLNX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support level at $33.69 to $30 a share.

To see more potential earnings short squeeze plays, check out the Earnings Short Squeeze Plays portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>The Pros Hate These 5 Stocks -- Should You?

>>5 Stocks Poised to Pop on Bullish Earnings

>>Do You Own These Blue-Chips? Sell Them!

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies For 2015

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Five Media stocks are moving up in their overall rating this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these is graded an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”).

This week, Knology (NASDAQ:) is making solid headway. The company’s rating improves to an A (“strong buy”) from last week’s B (“buy”) rating. Knology is a fully integrated provider of video, voice and advanced communications services to residential customers in the southeastern United States. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategories of Equity and Margin Growth, KNOL also gets A’s. .

Top 5 Construction Material Companies For 2015: Cimpor Cimentos de Portugal SGPS SA (CPR.LS)

Cimpor Cimentos de Portugal SGPS SA is a Portugal-based holding company engaged in the construction materials sector. The Company is primarily active in the production and sale of cement and clinker. It also involved in the manufacturing and marketing of ready-mix concrete, dry mortars and aggregates. As of December 20, 2012, the Company operated in Portugal, Egypt, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The Company�� investments are held essentially through two subsidiaries: Cimpor Portugal SGPS SA, which holds the investments in companies dedicated to the production of cement, concrete, aggregates and mortar in Portugal, and Cimpor Inversiones SA, which holds the investments in companies operating abroad.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies For 2015: Cimpor Cimentos de Portugal SGPS SA (CPR)

Cimpor Cimentos de Portugal SGPS SA is a Portugal-based holding company engaged in the construction materials sector. The Company is primarily active in the production and sale of cement and clinker. It also involved in the manufacturing and marketing of ready-mix concrete, dry mortars and aggregates. As of December 20, 2012, the Company operated in Portugal, Egypt, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The Company�� investments are held essentially through two subsidiaries: Cimpor Portugal SGPS SA, which holds the investments in companies dedicated to the production of cement, concrete, aggregates and mortar in Portugal, and Cimpor Inversiones SA, which holds the investments in companies operating abroad.

Top Communications Equipment Stocks To Buy Right Now: Amcol International Corp (ACO)

AMCOL International Corporation (AMCOL), incorporated on December 3, 1959, is focused on the development and application of minerals and technology products and services to various industrial and consumer markets. It operates in five segments: performance materials, construction technologies, energy services, transportation and corporate. Its performance materials segment previously referred to as its minerals and materials segment is a supplier of bentonite related products. Its construction technologies segment previously referred to as its environmental segment provides products for non-residential construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. Its energy services segment previously referred to as its oilfield services segment offers a range of patented technologies, products and services for both upstream and downstream oil and gas production. Its transportation segment serves domestic subsidiaries, as well as third parties, is a dry van and flatbed carrier and freight brokerage service provider.

Performance Materials Segment

The Company supplies chromite and leonardite, and operates more than 25 mining or production facilities worldwide. It mines chromite, an iron chromium oxide, from open cast mines in South Africa and transport it to our nearby processing facility. Its primary uses include metalcasting, drilling fluid additive, and agricultural applications. Its performance materials segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and investments in affiliates and joint ventures throughout the world. It consists of four product lines: metalcasting; specialty materials; basic minerals, and pet products. Its principal products are marketed under various registered trade names, including VOLCLAY, PANTHER CREEK, PREMIUM GEL, ADDITROL, ENERSOL, and Hevi-Sand.

The Company�� metalcasting products include blended mineral binders containing sodium and calcium bentonite and organic additives sold under the trade name ADDITROL. I! n the ferrous casting market, the Company specializes in blending bentonite of various grades by themselves or with mineral binders containing sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, seacoal and other ingredients. It also has a line of formulated additives that introduce silicon and carbon in the melt phase of the casting process. In the steel alloy casting market, it sells a chromite product with a particle size distribution specific to a customer�� needs.

The Company�� specialty materials products contain bentonite and synthetic additives offering solutions for consumer and industrial applications. It also offers products for bio-agricultural applications. The markets and applications of its specialty materials products include fabric care, personal care, basic materials and pet products. It supply high-grade, agglomerated bentonite and other mineral additives used in fabric care products. It manufactures adsorbent polymers and purified grades of bentonite for sale to manufacturers of personal skin care products. The adsorbent polymers are used to deliver high-value actives in skin-care products. Microsponge and Poly-Pore are the principal trade names under which these products are sold. Its basic minerals product line supplies minerals to a variety of markets and industrial applications, including drilling fluid additives, ferro alloys and other industrial.

The Company�� pet products include sodium bentonite-based scoopable (clumping), traditional and alternative cat litters, as well as specialty pet products sold to grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and pet specialty stores throughout the United States. It is primarily a private-label producer of cat litter, and its products are marketed under various trade names. These products are sold solely in the United States from three principal sites from which it package and distribute finished goods. Its transportation segment provides logistics services and is a component of its capability in supplyi! ng custom! ers on a national basis.

Construction Technologies Segment

The Company�� construction technologies segment serves customers engaged in a range of construction projects, including site remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well and horizontal drilling. Its construction technologies segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout the world. This segment consists of four product lines: building materials; contracting services; drilling products, and lining technologies.

The Company sells lining and other products for a variety of applications, most of which are directed to preserving or remediating environmental issues. It helps customers protect ground water and soil through the sale of geosynthetic clay liner products containing bentonite. It market these products under the BENTOMAT and CLAYMAX trade names principally for lining and capping landfills, mine waste disposal sites, water and wastewater lagoons, secondary containments in tank farms, and other contaminated sites. It also provides associated geosynthetic materials for these applications, including geotextiles and drainage geocomposites.

The Company�� lining technologies product line also includes specialized technologies to mitigate vapor intrusion in new building construction. It also provides reactive capping technologies and solutions to contain residual contamination, reduce costs associated with ex-situ remedies, and aid in environmental protection. Products offered include Liquid Boot, a liquid applied vapor barrier system; REACTIVE CORE-MAT, an in-situ sediment capping material; ORGANOCLAY, which absorbs organic containments, and QUIK-SOLID, a super absorbent media.

The Company offer a variety of active and passive waterproofing and greenroof technolog! ies for u! se in protecting the building envelope of non-residential constructions, including buildings, subways, and parkway systems. Its products include VOLTEX, a waterproofing composite comprised of two polypropylene geotextiles filled with sodium bentonite; ULTRASEAL, an advanced membrane using a active polymer core, and COREFLEX, featuring heat-welded seams for protection of critical infrastructure. In addition to these membrane materials, it also provides roofing products and a variety of sealants and other accessories required to create a functional waterproofing system.

The Company drilling products are used in environmental and geotechnical drilling applications, horizontal directional drilling, mineral exploration and foundation construction. The products are used to install monitoring wells, facilitate horizontal and water well drilling, and seal abandoned exploration drill holes. VOLCLAY GROUT, HYDRAUL-EZ, BENTOGROUT and VOLCLAY TABLETS are among the trade names for products used in these applications. It also offer a range of drilling products used in the excavation of foundations for large buildings, bridges and dams; these products include SHORE PAC and PREMIUM GEL. Contracting services, which involve installation of products, are occasionally offered to customers for select projects.

Energy Services Segment

The Company�� energy services segment provides services to improve the production, costs, compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in the oil and gas industry. Operating as CETCO Energy Services, it offer a range of patented technologies, products and services for all phases of oil and gas production, transportation, refining, and storage throughout the world. It provide both land-based and offshore water treatment, well testing, pipeline separation, nitrogen, coil tubing and other services to the oil and gas industry. The Company provides its services through subsidiaries located in Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Ki! ngdom, an! d the United States, principally in the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding on-shore area. Its principal services include water treatment, coil tubing, well testing, nitrogen services and pipeline. The Company helps customers comply with regulatory requirements by providing equipment, technologies, personnel and filtration media to treat waste water generated during oil production.

The Company's coil tubing services utilize metal piping, which comes spooled on a large reel. It provide both equipment and operating personnel to perform services ranging from acid stimulation, reverse circulation, cementing, pressure control, nitrogen injection, and other operations that involve pumping fluids into a well. Horizontal wells and shale completions are a large component of its operations. It provide equipment and personnel to help customers control well production, as well as to clean up, unload, separate, measure component flow, and dispose of fluids from oil and gas wells. Nitrogen services are provided in jetting wells that are loaded with fluid; stimulating wells, including fracturizing and acidizing; displacing completion fluids prior to perforating; inflating flotation devices for offshore installations, and pressure testing and other maintenance activities.

Transportation Segment

The Company operates a long-haul trucking business through Ameri-Co Carriers, Inc., and a freight brokerage business through Ameri-Co Logistics, Inc. primarily for delivery of finished products throughout the continental United States. These services are provided to its subsidiaries, as well as third-party customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO  ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 26. 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 AMCOL International's revenues will grow 1.6% and EPS will wither -16.9%.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies For 2015: CEMEX SAB de CV (CX)

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (CEMEX), incorporated on January 20, 1931, is a global cement manufacturer with operations in North America, Europe, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Company is a holding company engaged through the operating subsidiaries in the production, distribution, marketing and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and clinker. As of December 31, 2009, the Company�� cement production facilities were located in Mexico, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Egypt, the Philippines and Thailand.

The Company manufactures cement through a closely controlled chemical process, which begins with the mining and crushing of limestone and clay, and, in some instances, other raw materials. The clay and limestone are then pre-homogenized, a process which consists of combining different types of clay and limestone. The mix is typically dried, then fed into a grinder, which grinds the various materials in preparation for the kiln. The raw materials are calcined, or processed, at a very high temperature in a kiln, to produce clinker. Clinker is the intermediate product used in the manufacture of cement.

Ready-mix concrete is a combination of cement, fine and coarse aggregates, admixtures (which control properties of the concrete including plasticity, pumpability, freeze-thaw resistance, strength and setting time), and water. The Company is a supplier of aggregates primarily the crushed stone, sand and gravel, used in virtually all forms of construction.

Mexican Operations

During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Mexican operations represented approximately 21% of the Company�� net sales. CEMEX Mexico is a direct subsidiary of CEMEX and is both a holding company for some of the operating companies in Mexico and an operating company involved in the manufacturing and ma! rketing of cement, plaster, gypsum, groundstone and other construction materials and cement by-products in Mexico. CEMEX Mexico, indirectly, is also the holding company for the international operations. The Company owns Tolteca, Monterrey, Maya, Anahuac, Campana, Gallo, and Centenario brands in Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, the Company owned 100% of CEMEX Mexico.

The Company competes with Holcim Ltd., Sociedad Cooperativa Cruz Azul, Cementos Moctezuma, Grupo Cementos Chihuahua and Lafarge Cementos in Mexico.

U.S. Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company�� operations in the United States represented approximately 19% of the Company�� net sales. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX, Inc. As of December 31, 2009, CEMEX had a cement manufacturing capacity of approximately 17.9 million tons per year in the United States operations. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 14 cement plants located in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. As of December 31, 2009, it also had 48 rails or water served active cement distribution terminals in the United States. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had 336 ready-mix concrete plants located in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington and aggregates facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

Spanish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the operations in Spain represented approximately 5% of the Company�� net sales. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held approximately 99.8% of CEMEX Espana, the main operating subsidiary in Spain. The cement activities in Spain are conducted by CEMEX Espana. The ready-mix concrete activities in Spain are conducted by Hormicemex, S.A., a subsidiary of CEMEX Espana, and the aggregates activities in Spain ar! e conduct! ed by Aricemex S.A., also a subsidiary of CEMEX Espana.

U.K. Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company�� operations in the United Kingdom represented approximately 8% of the Company�� net sales. As of December 31, 2009, it held 100% of CEMEX Investments Limited, the holding subsidiary in the United Kingdom. The Company is a provider of building materials in the United Kingdom with vertically integrated cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and asphalt operations. It is also a provider of concrete and precast materials solutions, such as concrete blocks, concrete block paving, roof tiles, flooring systems and sleepers for rail infrastructure.

The Company competes with Lafarge, Heidelberg, Tarmac, and Aggregate Industries in the United Kingdom.

German Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the operations in the Rest of Europe consisted of the operations in Germany, France, Ireland, Poland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria and Hungary, as well as the other European assets. The Company is a provider of building materials in Germany, with vertically integrated cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and concrete products operations (consisting mainly of prefabricated concrete ceilings and walls). It maintains a network for ready-mix concrete and aggregates in Germany. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Deutschland AG, the holding subsidiary in Germany.

The Company competes with Heidelberg, Dyckerhoff, Lafarge, Holcim and Schwenk in Germany.

French Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX France Gestion (S.A.S.), the holding subsidiary in France. It is a ready-mix concrete producer and aggregate producer in France. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 239 ready-mix concrete plants in France, one maritime cement terminal located in LeHavre, on the northern coast of France, 20 land distribution centers and 42 aggregates quarries.

The Company competes with Lafarge, Holcim, Italcementi, Vicat, Lafarge, Italcementi, Colas (Bouygues) and Eurovia (Vinci) in France.

Irish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held approximately 61.2% of Readymix Plc, the operating subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland. The operations in Ireland produce and supply sand, stone and gravel, as well as ready-mix concrete, mortar and concrete blocks. As of December 31, 2009, we operated 43 ready-mix concrete plants, 27 aggregates quarries and 15 block plants located in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. The Company imports and distributes cement in the Isle of Man.

The Company competes with CRH, the Lagan Group and Kilsaran in the Republic of Ireland.

Polish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Polska Sp. z.o.o. (CEMEX Polska), the holding subsidiary in Poland. It is a provider of building materials in Poland serving the cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates markets. As of December 31, 2009, CEMEX operated two cement plants and one grinding mill in Poland, with a total installed cement capacity of three million tons per year. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated 39 ready-mix concrete plants and nine aggregates quarries in Poland. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated 10 land distribution centers and two maritime terminals in Poland.

The Company competes with Heidelberg, Lafarge, CRH and Dyckerhoff in Poland.

Southeast European Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Hrvatska d.d. (Hrvatska), the operating subsidiary in Croatia. As of December 31, 2009, it operated three cement plants in Croatia, with an installed capacity of 2.4 million tons per year. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated ten land distribution centers, three maritime cement terminals, eight ready-mix concrete facilities and one aggregates quarry! in Croat! ia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Cemex SAB de CV (CX)

  As of the close of the third quarter there were nine guru owners of Cemex. These gurus held a combined weighting of 5.30%. During the third quarter, there were three gurus making buys and nine making sells of their stake in CX.

Analyst Team Sees Strong Biotech Buyout Market in 2014

Mergers and acquisitions hit a very rapid pace in 2013, valued at close to $34 billion. The team at Bank of America Merrill Lynch sees 2014 being a promising year for biotech mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The firm even noted that M&A is a fundamental growth driver for many specialty pharmaceutical companies.

The $34 billion or so in the space was larger in 2013 than it was in 2012 and 2011 combined. Driving forces for continued M&A in the sector are easy access to capital and those companies with new management and/or tax structures become more acquisitive.

Merrill Lynch also cited that investors have rewarded acquiring companies, and these companies were able to raise more than $31 billion in debt capital in 2013. The Merrill Lynch analyst team issuing the report includes research from the firm’s Gregg Gilbert, Sumant Kulkarnia and Gregory Fraser. Stock prices are also at or challenging all-time highs in many cases in the sector. Where this is also interesting is that Merrill Lynch believes that tax-advantaged companies could become targets themselves.

Merrill Lynch did not exactly go out and name biotech and specialty pharma stock candidates that would be bought, but it did show which companies it believes will make acquisitions or which will be interested in them.

Endo Health Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ENDP) is executing on its own plan in the report. Merrill Lynch noted that it is agnostic to the therapeutic area, but will focus on specialty areas outside of the U.S. and look in emerging markets. They believe it will do deals in the $250 to $500 million range. Endo’s market cap is $7.4 billion and is listed as having made 5 acquisitions over the last ten years.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: JAZZ) was shown to have a good balance sheet and in the middle of trying to close the Gentium acquisition for close to $1 billion. Merrill Lynch thinks that it will remain active after closing the deal and will focus on differentiated products that are on market or close to market. Those would likely need to have high margins and a targeted audience that can be handled with a relatively small sales force. Jazz has an $8 billion market cap and has made 4 acquisitions in the last decade.

Forest Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: FRX) is already closing on one deal, and was shown as having 3 deals under its belt in the last ten years. The Merrill Lynch report here shows that its focus is on primary care products within its current five therapeutic areas: GI, cardiovascular, CNS, respiratory, and infectious disease. They show that Forest is open to deals to replenish the drug pipeline with a high probability of success. Forest is worth more than $17 billion.

Allergan Inc. (NYSE: AGN) is featured as having a strong balance sheet. It believes that Allergan is constantly looking at various deals, also including licenses and collaborations, to put its balance sheet to work. The perceived focus here is on franchises that have growth potential. Allergan is worth some $34 billion and was shown to have completed 4 deals over the last decade.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) was listed as another acquirer. The generic and branded company has been somewhat lost despite a strong balance sheet. The company is called as being committed to expanding in emerging markets by making acquisitions of local companies in markets where the company does not have the right presence or critical mass. For generics, Merrill Lynch thinks it will seek opportunities to expand its global footprint in emerging markets — including Brazil and China – but these deals could also include licensing transactions. Teva was shown to have closed some 18 deals in the past 10 years worth some $32 billion. Teva’s market cap is now only almost $37 billion, but this stock has lost one-third of its value from its peak in 2010.

Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) is also in generics and projected to be a considering a broad range of assets and deals. The note here is that a transaction needs to have a strategic rationale, and not solely for tax or cost synergy reasons. The company wants to make sure that it must maintain its investment grade credit rating and that any deal needs to be accretive to earnings. Potential transactions are benchmarked against repurchasing securities here. Mylan was shown to have done four deals in the past decade worth almost $10 billion, and its current market cap is almost $17 billion.

If you are looking for a list of potential biotech buyouts, several fresh lists have been put out there for review from competing calls. UBS recently issued nine biotech buyout candidates. We also have big upside projections from Piper Jaffray as well as big biotech upside candidates from Cowen & Co. Not all are buyout candidates of course, but these should give handy examples of what to look for.

'Mad Money' Lightning Round: Gogo Has Momentum

Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Here's what Jim Cramer had to say about some of the stocks callers offered up during the "Mad Money Lightning Round" Tuesday evening:

Motorola Solutions (MSI): "No. No. I like Cisco (CSCO). Cisco's down and out but shouldn't be."

Pacific Coast Oil Trust (ROYT): "I don't like these anymore because they're depleting assets." Gogo (GOGO): "This was a mistake that I didn't recommend this thing when it became public. It's a good situation. It's got real momentum." Brunswick (BC): "Brunswick is the boat company ... But be careful. The stock has had a monster run and if I recommend it up here I'm violating all my discipline." HD Supply (HDS): "No! You can't come out and disappoint from day one and have me on the team." Uni-Pixel (UNXL): "I don't want to be there with the crowded shorts. And I don't recommend shorts on this show." Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): "Last quarter was nasty, but they do have some gaming revenue coming in. I think under $4 you want to buy the stock." To read a full recap of "Mad Money" on CNBC, click here. To sign up for Jim Cramer's free Booyah! newsletter with all of his latest articles and videos please click here. To watch replays of Cramer's video segments, visit the Mad Money page on CNBC. -- Written by Chris Sahl in Boston.

Boeing Announces Plans to Expand Montana Facility (BA)

Boeing Co. (BA) announced on Tuesday its plans to expand its manufacturing site in Helena, Montana by nearly 50%.

The company cited increased demand for commercial airplanes and new work for the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner as the primary reason for the expansion. The expansion will cost approximately $35 million, adding more than 55,000 square feet to the facility. Boeing plans to begin construction this fall and estimates completion by the end of 2014.

Commenting on the expansion, President and CEO Jim McNerney noted “Our further investment  in Montana is testament to our Helena team’s ability to deliver on their commitments and establish themselves as a reliable, globally competitive supplier to our commercial airplane programs.”

Boeing shares gained 1.23% during Tuesday’s session. Year-to-date, the stock is up 50.08%.

Morning Movers: Weatherford Falls 6% on CFO’s Departure; lululemon Drops 9% on Lower Guidance

Yesterday, the New York Yankee’s rallied late in the game–again–to beat the Orioles 5-4 and keep their playoff hopes alive. And like the Yankee’s, the S&P 500 will have to overcome a weaker open if it wants to keep its September unbeaten streak alive.

Associated Press

S&P 500 futures have edged down 1.4 points, while Dow Jones Industrial futures are off 8 points. The Nasdaq 100 has ticked up 1.25 points.

Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid takes the market’s temperature on tapering and Syria:

The probability of some kind of tapering next week has probably been getting ever higher since September started due to the rebound in markets. The S&P 500 (+0.31%) climbed for the 7th successive day yesterday as markets continue to welcome the back-down in Syrian tension and hopes are also being raised that last Friday's weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls will deliver nothing more than a "mini-taper" at next week's FOMC. On the Syrian situation, Russian President Vladimir Putinpenned an interesting Op-Ed in the NY Times which was published overnight. In the Op-Ed, Putin challenges the arguments put forward by Obama, writing that "No one doubts that poison gas was used in Syria. But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons". So while military action seems more distant at the moment, the global political debate looks likely to rumble on in the background for a while.

Initial jobless claims, meanwhile, came in at 292,000, well below forecasts for 330,000. Investors shouldn’t get too excited by the numbers, which might not give an accurate representation of what’s happening in the labor market. The Lindsey Group’s Peter Boockvar explains:

…DJ is reporting that the main reason was "because two states failed to report all of their claims as they transitioned to a new computer system and the applications either weren't received or didn't get processed" according to the Labor Dept. The analyst at the Labor Dept also said "most of the drop was not necessarily indicative of an improving labor market, and that revised estimates in coming weeks would 'reasonably' correct the data." The Labor Day holiday may also had an impact. Therefore, ignore the headline number.

With that as the backdrop, it will be interesting to see if the S&P 500 can rise for an eight straight day, though a rise above 1,700 seems unlikely.

Linn Energy (LINE) has gained 2.6% to $28.62 in pre-open trading a day after said it would buy some properties in the Permian Basin for $525 million. That comes on the heels of its 13% rise yesterday following reports that it had received a response from the SEC regarding its takeover of Berry Petroleum requesting additional paperwork. Perhaps I was a little, well, premature when I wrote this.

lululemon (LULU) has dropped 8.9% to $62.91 before the open of trading after it reported a profit of 39 cents a share, beating analyst forecasts by four cents, but cut its 2013 forecast.

Cardinal Financial (CFNL) has gained 5.8% to $17.47 after it was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform by Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

Weatherford International (WFT) has dropped 6.3% to $14.75 before the open of trading after it announced the departure of its CFO in an 8-K filing. Wells Fargo and Raymond James both cut Weatherford’s shares as a result of the change.

Anheuser Busch InBev (BUD) has fallen 1.5% to $96.19 after being downgraded to Reduce from Neutral at Nomura.

The General Motors Dividend: How To Invest

General Motors General Motors reinstated its dividend last week, a move that was widely anticipated but nonetheless very welcome for long-suffering shareholders.

General Motors—which suspended its dividend in 2008 before eventually going through a bankruptcy reorganization—will pay 30 cents per share to shareholders of record as of March 28.  At today's price that works out to an annual dividend yield of about 3%, which makes GM a relatively high-yielding large cap stock by today's standards.

The GM dividend is the final plank in the company's efforts to become a "normal" company again.  GM was snidely called "Government Motors" after years of controversial government bailouts and direct ownership, but as I wrote late last year, the government sold off its remaining shares and GM is officially free of government ownership.

I'm bullish on GM, and I expect it—along with most of the auto sector—to outperform the market in 2014.  Shares trade hands for just 9 times expected 2014 earnings and 0.35 times sales.  Furthermore, while certain secular demographic trends—such as the aging of the Baby Boomers and the reluctance of Generation Y to spend on autos at the rate their parents did—are long-term negatives, there remains a lot of pent-up demand after five years of lackluster demand.

The average age of cars on American roads hit an all-time high of 11.4 years in 2013, and while some of aging is due to higher-quality manufacturing that allows cars to last longer, we should remember that these numbers are averages.  That means that half of all cars on the road are more than 11 years old, and I'm willing to bet that more than a few of those could stand to be replaced.

But while I love General Motors as a short-to-medium-term speculative play, I do not consider it a good dividend investment.  Let me tell you why.

An ideal dividend investment should have the following characteristics:

Revenues and cash flows should be highly predictable, ideally outside of cyclical industries. The company should be financially strong with no realistic possibility of financial distress. The company should have a long, reliable history of paying its dividend. The dividend should be easily covered by current earnings (i.e. the company should have a low dividend payout ratio).

So, how does General Motors stack up?

On item #4, I would say GM qualifies.  The GM dividend of $1.20 per share represents about half of its most recent earnings per share, and I expect earnings to be significantly higher in the years ahead.  But on the other three counts, GM doesn't make the cut.

All companies see their revenues and profits affected by the health of the economy, but the auto business is one of the most cyclical of any industry.  It is very much feast or famine, the very opposite of, say, a Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble or Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson. [Sizemore Capital is long PG and JNJ]

This alone is not a deal breaker.  After all, some of my favorite dividend payers—such as Microsoft Microsoft and Intel Intel—are in volatile sectors that are highly-dependent on business spending. [Sizemore Capital is long MSFT and INTC] But it's certainly a negative.

After its bankruptcy reorganization—which wiped out a large chunk of its debts—General Motors has a relatively healthy-looking balance sheet.  At $32 billion, GM's debt is not too much bigger than its $27 billion in cash.  Yet GM still has one massive liability that bankruptcy did not sweep away—the $71 billion in pension liabilities for its unionized workforce.  GM's inability to control the demands of its workers was a major contributing factor to its loss of competitiveness and ultimately its bankruptcy…and I can't credibly say that history won't repeat itself here.

And as for longevity, GM is obviously lacking on that front.  It's new dividend is a reinstatement…coming a few years after an elimination and bankruptcy.

Should you buy GM?  Absolutely.  But buy it with the portion of your portfolio set aside for speculative growth plays, and don't plan your retirement around GM's quarterly dividend check.

Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA, is the editor of Macro Trend Investor and chief investment officer of the investment firm Sizemore Capital Management. Click here to receive his FREE weekly e-letter covering market insights, global trends, and the best stocks and ETFs to profit from today's exciting megatrends.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now

Mutual fund investors will be talking about 2013 the way wine aficionados talk about a great vintage.

The average U.S. stock mutual fund gained 31.8% through Dec. 20, including reinvested dividends and gains, just edging out the Standard and Poor's 500-stock index, which rose 30.2% the same period. It's the best year for stock funds since 2009, according to Lipper, which tracks the funds.

Leading the way:

��Small-company stocks beat their larger brethren. The average small-company core fund jumped 34.5% this year, vs. 29% for large-cap core funds. Investors should note that large-cap core funds most closely track the S&P 500, and that they lagged the index mainly because of expenses.

��Growth beat value. Growth managers look for stocks of companies that are expected to grow earnings rapidly, while value managers pick up battered bargains. Large-company growth funds rose 31.9% this year, vs. 29.9% for large-company value funds.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hanmi Financial Corporation(HAFC)

Hanmi Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Hanmi Bank that provides general business banking products and services in the United States. Its deposit product line comprises business and personal checking accounts, savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio includes real estate loans, such as commercial property, construction, and residential property loans; commercial and industrial loans comprising commercial term loans, commercial lines of credit, small business administration loans, and international trade finance; and consumer loans consisting of automobile loans, secured and unsecured personal loans, home improvement loans, home equity lines of credit, overdraft protection loans, and unsecured lines of credit and credit cards. It also offers various insurance products, such as life, commercial, automobile, health, and property and casualty. The company serves the Korean-American community, as well as other communities in the multi-ethnic populations of Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Silicon Valley area in Santa Clara County. As of December 31, 2010, it operates a branch network of 27 full-service branch offices in California and one loan production office in Washington. Hanmi Financial Corporation was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  Hanmi Financial Corporation (HAFC): President and CEO Chong Guk Kum Bought 1,821 Shares
  
  President and CEO of Hanmi Financial Corporation (HAFC) Chong Guk Kum bought 1,821 shares on 09/20/2013 at an average price of $16.27. Hanmi Financial Corporation has a market cap of $513.615 million; its shares were traded at around $16.27 with a P/E ratio of 10.95 and P/S ratio of 3.82. The dividend yield of Hanmi Financial Corporation stocks is 0.43%.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: EDGAR Online Inc.(EDGR)

EDGAR Online, Inc. creates and distributes financial data and public filings for equities, mutual funds, and other publicly traded assets worldwide. The company?s data products include access to SEC filings in various formats, standardized and as-reported fundamental financial data, annual and quarterly financial statements, insider trades, institutional holdings, initial and secondary public offerings, Form 8-K disclosures, electronic prospectuses, and other investment instrument disclosure information. Its data solutions comprise the configuration of its data products; conversion of data from unstructured content into XML, extensible business reporting language (XBRL), and PDF formats; and storage and delivery of data and custom feeds, and tools to access information. The company delivers its data and analysis products through online subscriptions, embedded in other Web sites, and through redistributors. It also provides various end-user subscription services, including I-Metrix, which delivers a Web only service; I-Metrix Professional that allows a user to do in-depth analysis through the Web and a Microsoft Excel add-in; EDGAR Pro, which offers financial data, stock ownership, public offering data sets, and advanced search tools; and EDGAR Access, a retail product, which is available through single-seat credit card purchase. In addition, the company provides a mechanism that helps customers in converting financial statements into XBRL for filing with the SEC and other regulators. It serves generally financial, corporate, and advisory professionals who work in investment funds, asset management firms, insurance companies and banks, stock exchanges, and government agencies; and accounting firms, law firms, corporations, or individual investors. The company was formerly known as Cybernet Data Systems, Inc. and changed its name to EDGAR Online, Inc. in January 1999. EDGAR Online, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Rockville, Ma ryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bill Smith]

  FDS operates in a highly competitive industry, some with more resources. Their competitors include:
  Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI)BloombergInteractive (IDC)MSCI Inc. (MXB)Morningstar Inc. (MORN)Track Data Corp. (TRAC)Edgar Online (EDGR)McGraw-Hill (MHP )

Best Biotech Companies To Buy Right Now: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets da Vinci surgical systems for various surgical procedures, including urologic, gynecologic, cardiothoracic, general, and head and neck surgeries. Its da Vinci surgical system consists of a surgeon?s console or consoles, a patient-side cart, a 3-D vision system, and proprietary ?wristed? instruments. The company?s da Vinci surgical system translates the surgeon?s natural hand movements on instrument controls at the console into corresponding micro-movements of instruments positioned inside the patient through small puncture incisions, or ports. It also manufactures a range of EndoWrist instruments, which incorporate wrist joints for natural dexterity for various surgical procedures. Its EndoWrist instruments consist of forceps, scissors, electrocautery, scalpels, and other surgical tools. In addition, it sells various vision and accessory products for use in conjunction with the da Vinci Surgical System as surgical procedures are performed. The company?s accessory products include sterile drapes used to ensure a sterile field during surgery; vision products, such as replacement 3-D stereo endoscopes, camera heads, light guides, and other items. It markets its products through sales representatives in the United States, and through sales representatives and distributors in international markets. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon] tive Surgical is the maker of the da Vinci Surgical System, a breakthrough in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. It provides technology and procedural innovation across cardiac, thoracic, urology, gynecologic, colorectal, pediatric and general surgical disciplines and allows patients to recover in record time.

  In the last year, this fast-growing company�� stock has surged 66% to $529.54. Its revenue over the last ten years has grown at a rate of 38%, and it grew 24.5% last year with 72.5% gross profit and 39.5% operating margin. The company expects fiscal 2012 revenue growth of 17-19%.

  The da Vinci System is new technology first introduced to market in July 2000 after the US FDA approved it for laparoscopic surgery. Its new S model was released in April 2009. Already there are more than 1,933 systems installed in over 1,560 hospitals worldwide.

  Apple Inc. (AAPL)

  Apple Inc. is the maker of popular consumer products such as the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Its stock has famously increased 569% over the past five years to hit a record of $600 per share last week. Apple has split its stock 2 for 1 three times in the past on June 15, 1987, June 21, 2000 and February 28, 2005. CEO Tim Cook said as recently as this morning that the company saw little reason to that a split would help the stock but if it was in the best interest of shareholder the company would have one. The company also announced this morning that it would initiate a $2.65 per share quarterly dividend and buy back up to $10 billion of its common stock.

  In the last ten years, Apple�� annual growth rate for revenue was 34.5%, EBITDA 112.4% and book value 36.3%. Free cash flow increased 11% in the last five years and 58% in the last year. The rapidly growing company still has a relatively low P/E ratio of 16.68.

  Google Inc. Cl A (GOOG)

  Google Inc. is the search engine company founded in 1998 that has expanded to offer dozens of advertising and web ser

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, surgical-robot specialist Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) posted a 14% drop in its Q3 net income. Its revenue fell 7% year-over-year. Intuitive Surgical shares tumbled 7.77% to $368.13 in the after-hours trading session.

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) �shares gained 2.4%. Analysts at J.P. Morgan said they remain ��onstructive��on longer-term potential for Intuitive Surgical�� da Vinci surgical system despite headwinds in the past few months. Da Vinci ��as evolved from being a tool with limited uptake in the surgical suite to a diversified platform, with increasingly broad applicability in areas such as colorectal, bariatric, thoracic and vascular surgery,��Tycho Peterson, an analyst at J.P. Morgan wrote in his note.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: Cogeco Inc (CGO.TO)

COGECO Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides cable television, high speed Internet (HSI), telephony, managed information technology and infrastructure, and other telecommunications services to residential and commercial customers. It also provides data networking, e-business applications, video conferencing, hosting services, Ethernet, private line, voice over Internet protocol, data storage, data security, co-location services, cloud services, virtualization, firewall services, and data backup with end-to-end monitoring and reporting, and other communication solutions. As of August 31, 2012, the company provided television service to 863,115 customers; digital television service to 771,503 customers; HSI service to 634,534 customers; and telephony service to 471,484 customers. In addition, it owns and operates 13 radio stations; Cogeco News, a news agency in Quebec; and M茅trom茅dia, an advertising representation house focusing on billboard and poster advertising in th e public transit sector. The company was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. COGECO Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Gestion Audem Inc.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: Duke Realty Corporation (DRE)

Duke Realty Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. It offers leasing, property and asset management, development, construction, build-to-suit, and other tenant-related services. As of December 31, 2006, Duke Realty owned approximately 721 industrial, office, and retail properties comprising 113.8 million rentable square feet, as well as owned 6,400 acres of unencumbered land for development. The company has elected to be taxed as REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax purposes, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with regional offices in Alexandria, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Raleigh, North Carolina; St. Louis, Missouri; and Tampa and Weston, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brad Thomas]

  Other REITs mentioned: (O), (NNN), (STAG), (DCT), (EGP), (PDM), (DRE), (LRY)

  Source: Chambers Street: More Liquidity Magic On The Way In REIT-Dom

  Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: Guardian Cap Group Com Npv(GCG.TO)

Guardian Capital Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified financial services company in Canada. The company provides various institutional investment management services to pension plan sponsors, open and closed-end funds and mutual funds, operating and endowment funds, and wrap programs; and investment and asset management services to high net worth clients, foundations, and endowment funds. It also offers a horizontally integrated financial advisory platform, which includes mutual fund dealer, securities dealer, and insurance managing general agency businesses; and banking, trust, and corporate administration, as well as investment management services to international clients. The company was founded in 1962 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: Premier Financial Bancorp Inc (PFBI)

Premier Financial Bancorp, Inc. (Premier), incorporated in 1991, is a multi-bank holding company. As March 15, 2012, the Company operated eight banking offices in Kentucky, five banking offices in Ohio, 14 banking offices in West Virginia, five banking offices in Washington, DC, one banking office in Maryland and two banking offices in Virginia. At December 31, 2011, Premier had total consolidated assets of $1,124.1 million and total consolidated deposits of $925.1 million. The banking subsidiaries (the Banks) consist of Citizens Deposit Bank & Trust, Vanceburg, Kentucky; Farmers Deposit Bank, Eminence, Kentucky; Ohio River Bank, Ironton, Ohio, and Premier Bank, Inc., Huntington, West Virginia. On April 9, 2011, Premier merged five of its subsidiary banks, Adams National Bank (Adams National), Consolidated Bank and Trust Company (CB&T), First Central Bank and Traders Bank, Inc., to form Premier Bank, Inc. On May 16, 2011, Abigail Adams National Bancorp, Inc. (AANBI) was merged into Premier. During the year ended December 31, 3011, Farmers Deposit Bank sold its drive through branch in Eminence, Kentucky.

Lending Activities

The Banks residential mortgage lending activities consist primarily of loans for purchasing personal residences or loans for commercial or consumer purposes secured by residential mortgages. The Banks also originate residential mortgage loans that are sold in the secondary mortgage market. Consumer lending activities consist of financing for automobile and personal loans, including unsecured lines of credit. Commercial lending activities include loans to small businesses located primarily in the communities, in which the Banks are located and surrounding areas. Commercial loans are secured by business assets, including real estate, equipment, inventory, and accounts receivable. Some commercial loans are unsecured.

Investment Activities

The Company classifies its securities portfolio as either securities available for sale or securi! ties held to maturity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� available-for-sale securities included mortgage-backed securities of government-sponsored agencies, the United States Treasury securities, the United States government-sponsored agency securities, obligations of states and political subdivisions, and other securities.

Sources of Funds

The Banks' range of deposit services includes checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, club accounts, individual retirement accounts, certificates of deposit and overdraft protection. Customers can access their accounts via traditional bank branch locations, as well as automated teller machines (ATMs) and the Internet. The Banks also offer bill payment and telephone banking services. Other funding sources for Premier include short and long-term borrowings. Premier's short-term borrowings primarily consist of securities sold under agreements to repurchase with commercial, public entity and tax exempt organization customers. Also included in short-term borrowings are federal funds purchased from other banks and overnight borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) or the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) discount window. Long-term borrowings consist of FHLB borrowings by Premier�� Banks and other borrowings by the parent holding company.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: USG Corporation(USG)

USG Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and distribution of building materials worldwide. The company offers gypsum and related products, including gypsum wallboard, joint compounds used for finishing wallboard joints, cement boards, glass mat sheathing, gypsum fiber panels, poured gypsum underlayments, ultra light panels, and various construction plaster products. Its gypsum products are used in various building applications to finish the interior walls, ceilings, and floors in residential, commercial, and institutional constructions, and repair and remodel constructions. The company also produces gypsum-based products for agricultural and industrial customers to use in various applications, including soil conditioning, road repair, fireproofing, and ceramics. In addition, it manufactures ceiling grid and acoustical ceiling tile for electrical and mechanical systems, and air distribution and maintenance applications. USG Corporation distribut es its gypsum products through specialty wallboard distributors, building materials dealers, home improvement centers and other retailers, contractors, and a network of distributors. Further, it distributes other manufacturers? gypsum wallboard, joint compound and other gypsum products, as well as drywall metal, insulation, and roofing products and accessories. The company sells its products under SHEETROCK, DUROCK, FIBEROCK, SECUROCK, LEVELROCK, RED TOP, IMPERIAL, DIAMOND, SUPREMO, AURATONE, ACOUSTONE, DONN, DX, FINELINE, CENTRICITEE, CURVATURA, and COMPASSO brands. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  USG (NYSE: USG  ) reported earnings on April 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), USG missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Pimco managing director Mark Kiesel mentions Whirlpool (WHR), Weyerhaeuser (WY), USG (USG), Toll Brothers (TOLL) and KB Home (KBH) as good plays on housing:�

• [By Eric Volkman]

  She also serves as chairman of the United States Steel and Carnegie Pension Fund, and on that organization's investment committee. Outside of U.S. Steel, she sits on the board of directors of USG (NYSE: USG  ) and the Pennsylvania Business Council, among other entities.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: Spartech Corporation(SEH)

Spartech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an intermediary processor of engineered thermoplastics, polymeric compounds, and concentrates. The company operates in three segments: Custom Sheet and Rollstock, Packaging Technologies, and Color and Specialty Compounds. The Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment primarily manufactures plastic sheets, custom rollstock, calendered films, laminates, and acrylic products. This segment?s custom sheet and rollstock is used in various markets, including material handling, transportation, building and construction, recreation and leisure, electronics and appliances, sign and advertising, and aerospace. The Packaging Technologies segment manufactures custom-designed plastic packages and custom rollstock primarily used in the food and consumer product markets. This segment?s packaging technologies products are principally used in the food, medical, and consumer packaging, as well as in graphic arts markets. The Color and Specialty Compounds segment manufactures custom-designed plastic alloys, compounds, and color concentrates for use by manufacturing customers servicing the transportation, building and construction, packaging, agriculture, lawn and garden, and electronics and appliances end markets. The company sells its products through its sales force, as well as through independent sales representatives and wholesale distributors. It serves customers primarily in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Spartech Corporation was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Clayton, Missouri.

Top 10 Companies To Invest In Right Now: PURICORE PLC ORD GBP0.01(PURI.L)

PuriCore plc, a water-based clean technology company, engages in developing and commercializing proprietary products that kill pathogens. It offers Sterilox food safety systems that are used by retail supermarkets to keep produce, cut fruit, floral, and seafood fresh, as well as to address cross-contamination; and FloraFresh Systems to keep flowers fresher for leading supermarket and floral chains. The company also provides Vashe wound therapy, an FDA-cleared medical device used for moistening, irrigating, cleaning, and debriding acute and chronic wounds, including stage I through IV pressure ulcers, stasis ulcers, diabetic ulcers, post-surgical wounds, first- and second-degree burns, abrasions, and minor irritations of the skin. In addition, it offers Aqualox water treatment systems that produce hypochlorous acid for water and wastewater disinfection, as well as for killing E.coli, Legionella, and other harmful micro-organisms; Sterilox Biosafety system that rapidly disin fects surfaces to protect against the spread of infectious pathogens; and Sterilox dental systems that generate solutions to decontaminate and disinfect hard surfaces and inside dental unit water lines ensuring a clean environment for dental professionals, patients, and staff. Further, the company?s products address various public health threats of MRSA, M.tuberculosis, Legionella, E.coli, HIV, poliovirus, Helicobacter pylori, norovirus, Salmonella, and animal and human influenza virus. PuriCore plc is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now

As we've learned over the past few years, getting a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration is just half the battle in the biotech sector. Too many biotech companies have relied on the past to dictate the present and have simply assumed that a drug approval would equal success. As we've witnessed firsthand, that's not been the case.

Yesterday I pointed out the failure of KV Pharmaceuticals, whose pre-term-birth drug Makena was priced nearly 100 times higher than the previous combination of drugs given to treat pre-term birth. Just a year later, KV Pharmaceuticals was forced to declare bankruptcy.

This is why, over a three-day period, I'm looking at biotech companies that could really use a helping hand to get their lead drug off the ground. Yesterday, I examined VIVUS, looking at how its chronic weight-management drug Qsymia has failed to take off, and why now is the time to find a marketing partner.

Today, I'd like to add a familiar name to the list and discuss why Dendreon (NASDAQ: DNDN  ) should be raising the white flag and looking for marketing assistance.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AMAG)

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Its principal product includes Feraheme (ferumoxytol) injection for intravenous (IV) use, which was approved for marketing in the United States in June 2009 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for use as an IV iron replacement therapy for the treatment of IDA in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The company is pursuing marketing applications in the European Union, Canada, and Switzerland for Feraheme for the treatment of IDA in CKD patients. AMAG Pharmaceuticals was founded in 1981 and is based in Lexington, Massachusetts.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Telik Inc (TELK)

Telik, Inc. (Telik), incorporated in 1988, is a clinical-stage drug development company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat cancer. The Company discovers its product candidates using the Company�� drug discovery technology, Target-Related Affinity Profiling (TRAP). TELINTRA, its principal drug product candidate in clinical development, is a small molecule glutathione analog inhibitor of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GST P1-1). TELCYTA, its other product candidate, is a small molecule cancer drug product candidate designed to be activated in cancer cells.

Clinical Product Development

TELINTRA is the Company�� lead small molecule product candidate in clinical development for the treatment of blood disorders, including cancer. It has a mechanism of action and acts by inhibiting GST P1-1, an enzyme that is involved in the control of cellular growth and differentiation. Inhibition of GST P1-1 results in the activation of the signaling molecule Jun kinase, a regulator of the function of blood precursor cells. Preclinical tests show that TELINTRA is capable of causing the death or apoptosis of leukemic or malignant blood cells, while stimulating the growth and development of normal blood precursor cells. TELINTRA has been studied in Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) using two formulations. A liposomal formulation was developed for intravenous administration of TELINTRA and was used in Phase I and Phase II studies in MDS patients. The results from the Phase II intravenous liposomal TELINTRA clinical trials demonstrated that TELINTRA treatment was associated with improvement in all three types of blood cell levels in patients with all types of MDS, including those in intermediate and high-risk groups. An oral dosage formulation (tablet) was subsequently developed and results from a Phase I study with TELINTRA tablets showed clinical activity and the formulation to be well tolerated. In June 2011, the Company initiated a Phase II clinical ! trial to evaluate TELINTRA tablets. In October 2011, the Company initiated an additional Phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate TELINTRA tablets. '

The activity and safety profile of tablet formulation allowed the Company to complete a Phase II trial of TELINTRA tablets in MDS. The primary objective of the Phase II TELINTRA tablet study was to determine the efficacy of TELINTRA. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify MDS disease prognostic factors associated with erythroid improvement response rates, including prior MDS treatment, age, gender, the international prognostic scoring system (IPSS), risk, Eastern Cooperative Group performance status, years from MDS diagnosis, MDS World Health Organization subtypes, anemia only versus anemia plus other cytopenias, dose schedule and starting dose. Results from this study show that TELINTRA is the first GSTP1-1 enzyme inhibitor shown to cause clinically reductions in red blood cell transfusions, including transfusion independence in low to intermediate-1 risk MDS patients, as well as improvement in platelet count and white blood cell levels in certain patients. TELINTRA, administered orally twice daily, appeared to be convenient and flexible for chronic treatment administration.

TELCYTA is a small molecule drug product candidate that the Company is developed for the treatment of cancer. TELCYTA binds to GST. TELCYTA has been evaluated in multiple Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, including trials using TELCYTA as monotherapy and in combination regimens in ovarian, non-small cell lung, breast and colorectal cancer. Results from these clinical trials indicate that TELCYTA monotherapy was generally well-tolerated, with mostly mild to moderate side effects, particularly when compared to the side effects and toxicities of standard chemotherapeutic drugs. When TELCYTA was evaluated in combination with standard chemotherapeutic drugs, the tolerability of the combinations was similar to that expected of each! drug alo! ne.

Clinical activity including objective tumor responses and/or disease stabilization was reported in the TELCYTA Phase II trials; however, TELCYTA did not meet its primary endpoints in the Phase III studies. Positive results from a Phase I-IIa multicenter, dose-ranging study of TELCYTA in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line therapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, were published in a peer reviewed publication. Clinical data demonstrated positive results of TELCYTA in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in the treatment of first-line lung cancer followed by TELCYTA maintenance therapy. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had an on-going investigator-led study at a single site of TELCYTA in patients with refractory or relapsed mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse B cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

Preclinical Drug Product Development

The Company has a small molecule compound, TLK60404, in preclinical development that inhibits both Aurora kinase and VEGFR kinase. Aurora kinase is a signaling enzyme whose function is required for cancer cell division, while VEGF plays a key role in tumor blood vessel formation, ensuring an adequate supply of nutrients to support tumor growth. These lead compounds prevented tumor growth in preclinical models of human colon cancer and human leukemia by inhibiting both Aurora kinase and VEGFR kinase. A development drug product candidate, TLK60404, has been selected.

The Company, using its TRAP technology has discovered TLK60357, a novel, potent small molecule inhibitor of cell division. TLK60357 inhibits the formation of microtubules that are necessary for cancer cell growth leading to persistent G2/M cancer cell cycle block and subsequent cell death. This compound demonstrates potent broad-spectrum anticancer activity against a number of human cancer cells. This compound also displays oral efficacy in multiple, standard preclinical models of cancer. TLK60596, a potent VG! FR kinase! inhibitor, blocks the formation of new blood vessels in tumors. Oral administration of TLK60596 to animal models of human colon cancer reduced tumor growth.

Top Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)

Amgen Inc., a biotechnology medicines company, discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets human therapeutics based on advances in cellular and molecular biology for grievous illnesses primarily in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company markets recombinant protein therapeutics in supportive cancer care, nephrology, and inflammation. Its principal products include Aranesp and EPOGEN erythropoietic-stimulating agents that stimulate the production of red blood cells; Neulasta and NEUPOGEN to stimulate the production of neutrophils, which is a type of white blood cell that helps the body to fight infections; and Enbrel, an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor that plays a role in the body?s response to inflammatory diseases. The company also markets other products comprising Sensipar/Mimpara, a small molecule calcimimetic that lowers serum calcium levels; Vectibix, a monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to the epidermal growth factor receptor; and Nplate, a thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonist that mimics endogenous TPO, the primary driver of platelet production. In addition, it provides Denosumab, a human monoclonal antibody that targets RANKL, an essential regulator of osteoclasts. Further, the company offers product candidates in mid-to-late stage development in a variety of therapeutic areas, including oncology, hematology, inflammation, bone, nephrology, cardiovascular, and general medicine consisting of neurology. It markets its products to healthcare providers, including physicians or their clinics, dialysis centers, hospitals, and pharmacies; consumers; and wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products. The company has various collaborative arrangements with Pfizer Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline plc; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited; Array BioPharma Inc.; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd.; and Cytokinetics, Inc. Amgen Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Robey]

  Another option emerges
  In last week's edition, I teased that one addition to the stalwart section of our virtual portfolio was a glaring omission from the big biotech segment. That company, Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) , isn't traditionally considered a stalwart, but with a valuation more reminiscent of big pharma than big biotech, a 1.6% dividend yield, and acquisition clout, Amgen could provide stability to any portfolio. But then Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT  ) reported its quarterly earnings and its post-restructuring narrative presented a more clear companion to Johnson & Johnson.

• [By Keith Speights]

  A double-digit drop for Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) stock over the past couple of months has likely left a bad taste in the mouths of shareholders. Is this venerable biotech ready to mount a comeback?�

• [By Keith Speights]

  Currently, the top 10 stocks in which the ETF is invested comprise more than 55% of total assets. Sure, there are some speculative names included in the full list of holdings. However, the largest stakes are in big biotechs with long track records, like Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD  ) , Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG  ) , Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) , and Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB  ) . These top four holdings make up almost one-third of the ETF's total assets.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Inergetics Inc (NRTI)

Inergetics, Inc., formerly Millennium Biotechnologies Group, Inc., incorporated on November 9, 2000, is a holding company for its sole operating subsidiary, Millennium Biotechnologies, Inc. (Millennium). The Company through its subsidiary Millennium, engages in the research, development, and marketing of specialized nutritional supplements as an adjunct to medical treatments for select medical conditions, as well as for athletes seeking improved recovery and advanced performance. The Company markets products, which are targeted toward immuno-compromised individuals undergoing medical treatment for diseases, such as cancer, as well as wound healing and post-surgical healing and geriatric patients in long-term care facilities among other conditions. In January 2013, the Company acquired Bikini Ready and SlimTrim brands from Whole Products Group.

The Company�� product portfolio include, Resurgex Select, Ready-To Drink Resurgex Essential and Ready-To-Drink Resurgex Essential Plus. Resurgex Select is a whole foods-based, calorically dense, high-protein powdered nutritional formula developed for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Resurgex Essential and Resurgex Essential Plus represent Millennium�� Ready-to-Drink product line and are being sold into the Long-Term Care geriatric markets.

Resurgex Select

Resurgex Select is a whole foods-based nutritional product that is designed to be used throughout the course of cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.), as many times patients lose weight and cannot consume adequate nutrition. This product combines dietary fiber (3 g), low sugar (5 g), and high protein (15 g) with no added antioxidants to be a high-calorie (350 calorie) supplement. It is available in three flavors (Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Fudge, and Fruit Smoothie) and each can be mixed with water, milk, juices, or in soft cold foods, such as yogurt, apple sauce or pudding.

Surgex

Surgex (www.surgexspor! ts.com), is a nutritional support formula that aims to address the concerns of many elite athletes who suffer from symptoms, such as fatigue, lean muscle loss, lactic acid buildup, oxidative stress, and stressed immune systems. This formula is designed to improve recovery parameters in efforts to enhance the performance of professional and collegiate athletes.

Resurgex Essential

The Essential line is a ready-to-drink alternative to Ensure and Boost designed to be marketed into the long-term care channel. Resurgex Essential has 250 whole food calories containing no corn syrup or corn oil. The product also contains fruit and vegetable extracts, and FOS Fiber to provide calories and taste.

The Company competes with Nestle and Abbott Laboratories Inc.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Johnson & Johnson(JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. The Consumer segment provides products used in baby care, skin care, oral care, wound care, and women?s health care fields, as well as nutritional, over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and wellness and prevention platforms under the brands of JOHNSON?S, AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, JOHNSON?S Adult, NEUTROGENA, RoC, LUBRIDERM, DABAO, LISTERINE, REACH, BAND-AID, CAREFREE, STAYFREE, SPLENDA, TYLENOL, SUDAFED, ZYRTEC, MOTRIN IB, and PEPCID AC. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, antipsychotic, contraceptive, dermatology, gastrointestinal, hematology, immunology, neurology, oncology, pain management, and virology. Its principal products include REMICADE for the treatment of immune me diated inflammatory diseases; STELARA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis; SIMPONI, a treatment for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; VELCADE for the treatment of multiple myeloma; PREZISTA and INTELENCE for treating HIV/AIDS patients; NUCYNTA for moderate to severe acute pain; INVEGA SUSTENNAtm for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults; RISPERDAL CONSTA for the management of bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia; and PROCRIT to stimulate red blood cell production. The Medical Devices and Diagnostics segment primarily offers circulatory disease management products; orthopaedic joint reconstruction, spinal care, and sports medicine products; surgical care, aesthetics, and women?s health products; blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery products; professional diagnostic products; and disposable contact lenses. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Ne w Brunswick, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Well]

  Pfizer (PFE) is one of the biopharmaceutical companies hardest hit by drugs losing patent exclusivity. Other big pharmaceutical companies affected by loss of patent protection include Merck (MRK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Novartis (NVS) and Sanofi (SNY). Apart from battling with the loss of revenue due to loss of marketing exclusivity of their drugs, these companies are also packing drug pipelines to offset imminent patent expirations.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Axial spondyloarthritis is a precursor to ankylosing spondylitis, which all four TNF inhibitors --�Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) and Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE  ) Enbrel, Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ  ) Remicade and Simponi, and AbbVie's Humira -- are all approved for. But none of them are approved for axial spondyloarthritis, and it doesn't look like Humira will get the nod on this go with the FDA.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  The FDA generally requires at least two successful phase 3 trials, but will accept a single trial in certain instances when there's an unmet need. There aren't any drugs approved to treat Parkinson's disease psychosis, although atypical antipsychotics such as Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ  ) Risperdal, Eli Lilly's (NYSE: LLY  ) Zyprexa, Bristol-Myers Squibb's (NYSE: BMY  ) Abilify, and Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE  ) Geodon are used off label to treat Parkinson's patients experiencing psychotic symptoms, which affects up to 60% of Parkinson's patients.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Autoimmune Inc (AIMM)

AutoImmune Inc., incorporated in September 1988, is a healthcare company. The Company�� products are based on the principles of mucosal tolerance. The Company�� product is sold by Colloral LLC, the Company�� joint venture with Deseret, under the brand name Colloral, The Collagen Solution and Vital 3, and by Futurebiotics LLC under the brand name Vital 3. The other products which are in the development stage include MBP8298 (dirucotide), Oral Copaxone and AI 401.

The Company completed ten human clinical trials involving over 1,900 patients to investigate the use of Colloral as a pharmaceutical for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The Company holds a joint venture with Deseret by forming Colloral LLC to manufacture market and sell Colloral as a dietary supplement. Colloral LLC holds a distributing agreement with Futurebiotics LLC for Colloral. Futurebiotics LLC markets the product under the brand name Vital 3. Colloral LLC also markets the product under the Vital 3 brand through The Shopping Channel of Canada via on air segments and their Website.

The Company�� other products in the development stage include MBP8298 (dirucotide) for multiple sclerosis, which is in Phase III trials for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis; Oral Copaxone is in the research stage for multiple sclerosis, and AI 401 is in Phase III trials for Type 1 diabetes. The development of MBP8298 (dirucotide) is conducted by BioMS Medical Corporation (BioMS). In August 2000, BioMS tested patients in a Phase II/III (MAESTRO-01) clinical trial of its MBP8298 treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. It was conducted at 47 sites across Canada and Europe. In November 2006, BioMS enrolled in a Phase II clinical trial (MINDSET-01) of MBP8298 for treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. It enrolled 218 patients at 24 sites in six countries for a 15 month trial.

The Company collaborated with Eli Lilly, which supports clinical testing of orally administered a! utoimmune-mediated (Type 1) diabetes product, AI 401. Eli Lilly completed three different Phase II clinical trials to demonstrate human proof of principle for AI 401. The United States study was a one-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with more than 200 patients, designed to measure immunological changes, preservation of pancreatic function and time to insulin dependence. Its second Phase II trial, involving approximately 150 patients, was conducted in France. The third trial was conducted in Italy with approximately 80 patients. In addition, Eli Lilly provided AI 401 for the Diabetes Prevention Trial (DPT-1) conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During the year ended December 31, 2008, the clinical trial of intranasal insulin to delay or prevent the clinical onset of Type I diabetes, called the Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Project was conducted in Finland. As of January 1, 2009, 115 had been enrolled in this trial.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Dendreon Corporation(DNDN)

Dendreon Corporation, a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutics to enhance cancer treatment options for patients. The company offers active cellular immunotherapy and small molecule product candidates to treat various cancers. Its product candidates comprise Provenge (sipuleucel-T), an active cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer; DN24-02, an investigational active immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with bladder, breast, ovarian, and other solid tumors expressing HER2/neu; and TRPM8, a small molecule agonist to transient receptor potential ion channel, for multiple cancers. The company also has a range of products in preclinical studies, which include Carcinoembryonic antigen for the treatment of lung, colon, and breast cancer; and Carbonic AnhydraseIX for the treatment of kidney cancer. Dendreon Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in S eattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

  Dendreon is suffering from lower product sales, which is due to increased competition. Costs are too high, and the company culture is awful. On the other hand, Dendreon narrowed its loss in Q1 on a year-over-year basis, and it expects conditions to improve. While that�� an expected statement from any company that�� performing poorly, and while Dendreon currently relies heavily on Provenge,�Dendreon isn�� a one-trick pony.�It still has several other drugs in the pipeline. It should also be noted that Dendreon has been on the brink of disaster many times throughout its history. It has clawed its way back to life in every instance. Perhaps it has nine lives. If that�� the case, it has used up four of them so far.

• [By Debra Fiakas]

  Earlier this month biotech Dendreon (DNDN) announced the approval in the European Union of its only commercial product Provenge. Aimed at prostate cancer, Provenge is a novel therapeutic based on Dendreon's proprietary cellular immunotherapy technology. The good news could not have come at a better time. Dendreon has had Provenge on the market in the U.S. since spring 2010. While sales have ramped impressively to $304.3 million in the most recently reported twelve months, the top-line has failed to cover costs and expenses.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Scancell Holdings PLC (SCLP)

Scancell Holdings PLC is a United Kingdom-based company. The Company�� principal activity of the consists of the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies and vaccines for the treatment of cancer. In April 2012, the Company completed recruitment to the Phase 1 clinical trial of SCIBI. In May 2012, the Company commenced recruitment and treatment of the first patient in the second part of it Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SCIBI. The Phase 2 part of the trial is conducted in five United Kingdom centers in Nottingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, and Southampton. On August 15, 2012, the Company announced the development of a platform technology, Moditope.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Neoprobe Corporation(NEOP)

Neoprobe Corporation, a biomedical company, engages in the development and commercialization of precision diagnostics that enhance patient care and improve patient benefit. The company is developing and commercializing targeted agents aimed at the identification of occult (undetected) disease. Neoprobe?s two lead radiopharmaceutical agent platforms, Lymphoseek and RIGScan are intended to help surgeons better identify and treat certain types of cancer. Lymphoseek is a diagnostic imaging agent intended for radiolabeling and administration in radiodetection and visualization of the lymphatic system draining the region of injection for delineation of the lymphatic tissue; and RIGScan is an intraoperative biologic targeting agent consisting of a radiolabeled murine monoclonal antibody. The company has a biopharmaceutical development and supply agreement with Laureate Biopharmaceutical Services, Inc. to support the initial evaluation of the viability of the CC49 master working c ell bank, as well as the initial steps in re-validating the commercial production process for the biologic agent used in RIGScan CR. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Dublin, Ohio.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Prima BioMed Ltd (PBMD.W)

Prima BioMed Ltd is a biotechnology company is engaged in the development and commercialization of medical therapies with a focus on oncology. Its product candidates in development include Cvac, an autologous dendritic cell vaccine for ovarian cancer, monoclonal antibodies for multiple tumour types, and an oral formulation for the human papilloma virus (HPV), vaccine. Its product candidate Cvac is a dendritic cell therapy, for which it is conducting a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Cvac is designed to target the tumour antigen mucin-1, which is expressed at high levels on different tumour types. It also has two preclinical product development programs. In May 2011, Prima BioMed GmbH, a 100 % owned subsidiary of Prima BioMed Ltd, was incorporated in Germany. In May 2011, Prima BioMed Middle East FZLLC, a 100 % owned subsidiary of Prima BioMed Ltd, was incorporated in the United Arab Emirates.