Russia fallout pushes Europe to develop shale gas

LONDON (CNNMoney) Europe, seeking to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas, is encouraging political leaders to step up efforts to tap the region's shale gas deposits.

Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, the EU's executive body, said growing tension with Russia over its actions in Ukraine serve as a "very strong wake-up call for Europe" about energy issues.

"Europe is working very decisively to reduce its energy dependency," he said last week at an EU-U.S. summit in Brussels.

Europe can pursue many long-term options such as ramping up renewable energy production and importing liquefied natural gas, both expensive propositions. But shale gas continues to be front of mind among energy ministers and policymakers.

Accessing nearby shale gas resources would be cheaper than other options and could create up to one million jobs in the coming years, according to research commissioned by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers.

"The outlook [for shale] is undoubtedly brighter now than it was a year ago," said energy analysts at Eurasia Group.

According to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, European countries are sitting on roughly 470 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale gas resources -- a huge amount considering gas demand in Europe is roughly 18 trillion cubic feet per year.

But it's not going to be an easy process: Europe's shale gas production is essentially zero right now, and it will take a coordinated effort to get moving.

Pavel Molchanov, an energy analyst at Raymond James, says the whole process will take years.

"Over the next five years, [European] countries will have to identify where their resources are and build out the infrastructure for this industry to develop -- that can include developing pipelines and training workers," he said. "This also means getting the required rigs to drill for shale gas, which are in the U.S. and Canada, but don't really exist in Europe."

On top of that, a web of regulations is slowing progress, and environmental concerns about the process of extracting shale gas have led some European countries to ban the practice altogether.

The controversial extraction process -- called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking -- involves injecting water, sand and chemicals deep into the ground at high pres! sure to crack shale rock, allowing oil and gas to flow.

This practice has spurred America's energy boom, but opponents argue fracking can contaminate local water, create earth tremors and wreak havoc on the environment.

Despite the obstacles, the United Kingdom and Poland are making the biggest strides in pursuit of shale gas production.

"Poland is the furthest along. It's conceivable that in the next five years we could see meaningful production," said Will Pearson, director of global energy and natural resources at Eurasia Group.

Lithuania, Romania and Ukraine are also keen to pursue shale, he said.

Meanwhile, other countries are less enthusiastic. Germany, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands have informal fracking bans, requiring so much onerous documentation and pre-drilling research that energy companies are hesitant. Bulgaria and France have outright fracking bans.

"It will take awhile before France and Germany change their policies toward shale," said Pearson, but "hostility toward the sector is going to dissipate" as Europe tries to decrease its dependence on Russian energy.

There's debate over when European shale gas production might start making a dent in the gas market, but experts aren't expecting anything significant until 2020 at the earliest.

"Shale gas production in Europe is effectively zero. Twelve months from now it will still be zero. Five years from now, it will be more than zero," said Raymond James analyst Molchanov.

  Fracking fight hits England

Over the medium term, Europe is working on building more interconnected links and storage facilities to give nations more flexibility with their natural gas supplies.

The process "is not very glamorous," says Pearson, but it wi! ll help E! urope reach its goal of greater energy independence.

Short Interest In SolarCity Spikes, First Solar Falls (AEIS, FSLR, SCTY)

Among the leading U.S. solar-related stocks, Advanced Energy Industries (NASDAQ: AEIS), First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) and SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY) saw the largest swings in the number of shares sold short in the first two weeks of March.

Short interest in GT Advanced Technologies, SunEdison and SunPower Holdings increased modestly between the Feb. 28 and March 14 settlement dates. Short sellers shied away from RGS Energy, formerly Real Goods Solar, during the period.

Furthermore, the number of U.S.-listed shares (or ADRs) sold short of foreign-based company Canadian Solar increased by a double-digit percentage, while in China Sunergy, Trina Solar and Yingli Green Energy they grew somewhat. But short interest in Hanwha SolarOne, JA Solar Holdings, JinkoSolar, LDK Solar and ReneSola shrank in the period.

Related: Short Interest In Social Media On The Rise

Here is a quick look at how Advanced Energy Industries, First Solar and Solar City have fared, and what analysts expect from them.

Advanced Energy Industries

After this maker of power conversion products saw short interest retreat more than 11 percent in the previous period, it happened again: down about five percent to around 1.12 million shares by mid-March. That was about three percent of the float. The days to cover was more than two.

One of the company's co-founders announced his retirement from the board of directors in early March. The Colorado-based company has a market capitalization near $1 billion. Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is higher than the industry average, and its return on equity is less than eight percent.

Four of the seven analysts who follow the stock and were surveyed by Thomson/First Call recommend buying shares. Their mean price target, where the analysts expect the share price to go, suggests there is more than 10 percent potential upside. But shares traded higher than that in early March.

The share price has fallen more than six percent over the past month, falling below the 50-day moving average. It is still up more than 16 percent year to date. The stock has outperformed competitor MKS Instruments and the broader markets over the past six months.

First Solar

Short interest in this Tempe, Arizona-based company dropped more than 18 percent from a year-to-date peak in the previous period, to around 10.60 million. The number of shares sold short represented more than 14 percent of the float. It would take less than three days to sell out all short positions.

First Solar recently announced the completion of a solar photovoltaic power plant in Japan. The company has a market cap of almost $7 billion. It offers no dividend. While the P/E ratio is less than the industry average, the operating margin is greater than the industry average.

The consensus recommendation of the analysts surveyed is to hold First Solar shares, and it has been for at least three months. The current share price is higher than the analysts' mean price target, meaning they see no upside potential at this time. One analyst sees 21 percent upside, however.

The share price is more than 36 percent higher than a month ago, most of that gain coming on release of optimistic guidance. Shares reached a new 52-week high this week. The stock has outperformed the likes of Linear Technology and Sharp, as well as the Nasdaq, over the past six months.

Related: Celgene, Pharmacyclics Lead Biotech Short Interest Trend

SolarCity

Short interest in this provider of solar energy systems to residential and commercial customers jumped more than 16 percent to more than 11.33 million shares. That was more than four times the number of shares short a year ago and represents almost 35 percent of the float. Days to cover was about two.

In March this San Mateo, California-based company announced plans to sell its wares in some Best Buy stores. SolarCity now has a market cap of more than $5 billion, but it does not offer a dividend. Note that both the return on equity and the operating margin are still in the red.

Only four of the 10 polled analysts recommend buying shares, with five of them rating the stock at Hold. A move to the analysts' mean price target would represent a gain of about 20 percent for investors. However, that consensus target is less than the 52-week high reached back in February.

The share price has pulled back more than 25 percent in the past month, falling below the 50-day moving average. But it is still almost 83 percent higher than six months ago. The stock has outperformed the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 in that time, but underperformed smaller competitor RGS Energy.

At the time of this writing, the author had no position in the mentioned equities.

Posted-In: Advanced Energy Industries Alternative Energy canadian solar China Sun Energy First Solar GT Advanced Technologies JA Solar Holdings ldk solar linear technology MKS Instruments Real Goods Solar ReneSola RGS Energy Sharp Solar Power SolarCity SunEdison SunPower Holdings Suntech Power Holdings Trina Solar yingli green energyNews Emerging Markets Guidance Short Ideas Global Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

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

  Most Popular Advanced Cannabis Solutions Temporarily Gets CANN-ed Five Star Stock Watch: Netflix, Inc. Summer Street Reports Concerns Over Afrezza Affinity 1 Studies Biotech ETFs Come Back Down To Earth Earnings Scheduled For March 27, 2014 Morgan Stanley's Top Biotech Pick is Biogen Related Articles (AEIS + FSLR) Short Interest In SolarCity Spikes, First Solar Falls (AEIS, FSLR, SCTY) Axiom Capital's Gordon Johnson Discusses Solar Stocks, U.S. Steel Bull of the Day: Canadian Solar (CSIQ) - Bull of the Day Stocks To Watch For March 24, 2014 GE, First Solar Collaborate for PV Power Plant - Analyst Blog Market Wrap For March 20: Investors Showing No Post-Fed Decision Hangover Around the Web, We're Loving...

TNI Biotech Widens Its Net (TNIB, CVM, AMGN)

Little TNI Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:TNIB) just gave bigger immunology players like Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) or CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSEMKT:CVM) a new reason to worry. Though CVM and AMGN aren't exactly sweating bullets yet, TNIB has taken not a big step forward in terms biotechnological progress, but rather, has widened its net with a lateral expansion.

For those not familiar with it, TNI Biotech is a biotechnology developer with two core drugs in the works. One of them is low-dose naltrexone (or LDN), and the other is methionine-enkephalin (or MENK). Both are immunotherapies, designed to induce a strong, disease fighting response from a patient's own immune system rather than fight the disease directly. The idea isn't exactly new - that's what most vaccines do too. What's different about MENK and naltrexone is that they can create an immune response that's strong enough to fight diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, and even some autoimmune diseases.

If the idea sounds too radical to be true, it isn't. The idea is being employed by several biotechnology developers, including the aforementioned CEL-SCI and Amgen; they each have such immunotherapies in the works. In fact, there's already one major cancer-fighting immunotherapy on the market.... Provenge, from Dendreon (NASDAQ:DNDN). Although Provenge has been something of a disappointment in terms of sales - possibly due to modest efficacy relative to a huge price tag - and DNDN shares have struggled for a while, the fact that there's such a drug on the market validates the entire premise; the fact that other key players like Amgen and CEL-SCI are working on their own cancer-immunology drugs is just icing on the cake.

Fast forward to today... well, yesterday, actually. That's when TNI Biotech Inc. announced it was partnering with a drug company in China to plant a seed in that huge market.

Specifically, TNIB is going to be working with Chinese drugmaker Hubei Qianjiang Pharmaceutical to begin trials of MENK in China, as a therapy for pancreatic cancer. Trials of MENK in that capacity are already underway in the United States, currently in Phase 2. But, some countries are picky about such testing, and require tests to be done in that particular country, especially if the drug is to be manufactured there. And, that's how it would be in the case of MENK - Hubei Qianjiang would be a licensee, making MENK in a facility in China. Regardless, TNIB will be able to help Hubei Qianjiang hit the ground running, by sharing everything it knows about MENK as a treatment for pancreatic cancer up until this point.

The reason TNI Biotech is going the partner route? It's simple.... it's easier to have a native (to that country) partner when overseas markets are eyed. TNIB is similarly partnering with a distributor in Africa to market naltrexone there, though regulators there weren't quite as stringent about the approval of LDN in that market.

Regardless of the details of how the company's products are marketed overseas, one thing is clear... TNI Biotech has had no problem at all finding foreign entities to partner with. That speaks volumes about the strength of its programs and pipeline.

You can visit the corporate website here.

Microsoft announces Office for iPad

  See Microsoft's new Office for iPad NEW YORK (CNNMoney) After years of speculation, Microsoft Office is finally on the iPad.

In his first public appearance since being named Microsoft's (MSFT, Fortune 500) new CEO, Satya Nadella unveiled the next evolution of Office. The ubiquitous productivity suite, which includes apps such as Office and Excel, has been optimized for use with touch screens and fingers.

Microsoft had done some work on Office 2013 to make it more finger friendly, but with Office for iPad, it's a full-fledged step forward. The look of Office isn't radically changed, but many features have been subtly streamlined to make things less painful.

The biggest difference is that Microsoft isn't trying to push every formatting option in front of your face, instead identifying the most essential features, and using that screen space to make those icons bigger.

Microsoft Word, for example, closely resembles Word 2013, but the interface has been simplified to highlight just the most important formatting options. Text and images can easily be highlighted and manipulated with the finger--as is the case most iPad word processors.

Microsoft Excel is able to interpret what type of data you're working with and automatically suggest formatting options to save time digging through menus for a specific type of graph.

Powerpoint has been the most straightforward and tablet-ready product of the bunch, but on the iPad its as touch-optimized as you'd expect, allowing users to build presentations with a few taps and swipes.

Also notable is the more pronounced integration of Microsoft OneDrive into Office. All documents are automatically backed up and synced to Microsoft's Cloud, with an easy-to-use interface. Multi-user collaboration has also been integrated deeper into the experience.

That the tablet-optimized version of Office launched on Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPad first, and not a Windows or Android tablet, is a testament to the influence of the iPad in the tablet space.

But while all of what Microsoft showed off looks and sounds fine, it doesn't seem to solve the problem of productivity apps on touch devices as much as it just makes them more tolerable to use.

Of course, the larger question is whether it matters that Office is now available for the iPad. For years, there have been scores of productivity apps available! in the app store, including Google (GOOAV) Drive and Apple's own iWork suite, both of which are free. There have also been third-party apps, such as the word processor Writer Pro and the spreadsheet app Grid, which are helping to evolve or even reinvent the entire concept of what productivity software.

But do enough people care that much about productivity and file compatibility on a tablet to make the leap to Office for iPad? That's a big, unanswered question.

Office for iPad will be available in the iTunes App Store on Thursday afternoon for free. But only reading documents will be free. Those wanting to create and edit content will have to purchase an Office 365 subscription, starting at $70 a year.

Stocks to Watch: American Apparel, Exelixis, Francesca's Holdings

Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are American Apparel Inc.(APP), Exelixis Inc.(EXEL) and Francesca's Holdings Corp.(FRAN)

American Apparel unveiled the terms for its planned heavily dilutive stock sale, as it seeks to raise money for purposes including a debt payment next month. At least 61 million shares will be sold for 50 cents each, a sharp discount to Tuesday’s close. Shares dropped 16% premarket, matching the sale price.

Shares of Exelixis dropped 29% to $4.58 premarket as the biotech company said its COMET-1 prostate cancer trial would proceed to final analysis expected later this year, disappointing some analysts who where hoping for an early end to the trial should it prove sufficient survival benefits. Stifel lowered its price target to $9 from $11 as it pushed back expectations for Cometriq to launch as a prostate cancer treatment in 2016 rather than 2015.

Five Below Inc.(FIVE) fiscal fourth-quarter profit grew 31% as the discount retailer’s sales were boosted by new store openings and a modest increase at existing locations. Shares surged 17% to $44.60 premarket.

Francesca’s said its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell 29% as the clothing and accessories retailer’s sales missed reduced expectations while markdowns and promotions contributed to lower margins. Chief Executive Neill P. Davis said the sales miss was driven by boutique closures during January due to extreme weather conditions.” He added the negative trends have continued into the current quarter, sending shares down 7% to $19.40 premarket.

Shares of Global Cash Access Holdings Inc.(GCA) traded 9% lower to $7.22 premarket after the company disclosed it would no longer be providing payment services for casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp.(CZR)

Insmed Inc.(INSM) said its lead product candidate–an inhaled antibiotic to treat serious lung infections–missed its primary goals in a Phase II study of patients with hard-to-treat cases of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections. The product candidate, called Arikayce, didn’t produce statistically significant improvement in the levels of mycobacterial density. Shares dropped 10% to $16.39 premarket.

PVH Corp.(PVH) swung to a loss in the fiscal fourth quarter as the clothing company faced charges tied to its acquisition of Warnaco Group Inc., a deal that helped boost revenue. Adjusted earnings topped the company’s own forecast. Shares edged up 2.8% to $120.50 premarket.

ReneSola Ltd.(SOL) said it is being probed as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s antidumping investigation of solar products imports. The Chinese solar-products company said it has temporarily stopped shipping products to the U.S. that fall within the scope of the probe and it intends to fully cooperate with the investigation proceedings. Shares dropped 3.6% to $3.78 premarket.

Steelcase Inc.(SCS) swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter profit amid growth in the company’s Americas business. The year-earlier period included big asset write-downs and restructuring-related charges. Shares climbed 9.5% to $15.96 premarket.

Corvex Management LP and Related Fund Management LLC called for an earlier special meeting to replace CommonWealth REIT's(CWH) entire board, with the activist investors criticizing the company’s former board for leaving without engaging in a transition process.

Activist investor Barington Capital Group LP on Wednesday called for the Darden Restaurants Inc.(DRI) to consider seeking out a new chief executive, saying it has “lost confidence” in current chief Clarence Otis’ ability to run the company.

Facebook Inc.(FB) made its second blockbuster acquisition of the year, agreeing Tuesday to acquire Oculus VR Inc., a maker of virtual-reality goggles, for $2 billion in cash and stock.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P(KMP). said it plans to invest $1 billion to grow its carbon dioxide network, including drilling new wells and a new pipeline.

Landec Corp.(LNDC) said its fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 34% as its food business reported higher revenue.

Lindsay Corp.(LNN) said fiscal second-quarter revenue and earnings fell as the company’s irrigation business remains mired in a sales slump. The company’s results underperformed Wall Street expectations.

Memorial Production Partners LP(MEMP) said it acquired properties in the Eagle Ford trend from privately held Alta Mesa Holdings LP for $173 million.

New York Times Co.(NYT) unveiled Wednesday two new tiers for digital subscriptions, offering both new low-price and premium models to be introduced next week.

Pfizer Inc.(PFE) said its injectable drug for small-for-gestational-age children showed statistically significant increases in height after 24 months in a phase 3B study. The study was intended to generate additional data regarding the safety and efficacy of Genotropin in children born small-for-gestational-age who fail to achieve catch-up growth by two years of age.

5 Best Sectors to Watch This Week

Popular Posts: 7 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now9 Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy Now4 Aerospace and Defense Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 5 Best Sectors to Watch This Week 5 Stocks With Great Sales Growth — HTH INSY CREG TTWO GV 6 Capital Markets Stocks to Buy Now View All Posts

The commercial banking, aerospace and defense, biotechnology, life science and auto parts sectors are having a strong week, according to Portfolio Grader.

The commercial banking sector’s track record is proving one of the best with 100% of its stocks (5 out of 5) rating a “buy”. Near the top of their sector, Pacific Capital Bancorp () and StellarOne Corporation () have A ratings. Citizens Republic Bancorp () also gets a B.

Aerospace and defense stands out with 74% of the sector’s stocks (31 out of 42) rating a “buy”. Alliant Techsystem (), Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. () and TASER International, Inc. () are paving the way for the sector with A grades. Over the last 12 months, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. is the best performer in this sector, with a 216.2% increase.

Biotechnology is excelling, with 71% of stocks in the sector (60 out of 84) rating a “buy”. Gentium S.p.A. Sponsored ADR (), Repligen Corporation () and Insys Therapeutics, Inc. () are lifting the sector overall, each earning a high grade of A. Insys Therapeutics, Inc. is the best performer in this sector, with a 630.8% increase in the last 12 months.

The life science sector is thriving on Portfolio Grader this week, with 70% of its stocks (16 out of 23) currently rating a “buy”. Wuxi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. Sponsored ADR (), Covance () and Illumina, Inc. () are all currently earning A’s. Wuxi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. Sponsored ADR beats the other stocks in its sector, with a 244.6% increase from a year ago.

Auto parts is thriving this week with 68% of stocks in the sector (17 out of 25) currently rating a “buy”. Out of the auto parts stocks, Magna International (), Dorman Products, Inc. () and Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. () are out front with A’s. Showing the most overall growth in its sector in the last 12 months, Magna International is the top stock, with a 201.6% increase.

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

Stock futures rise as Russia oil fears ease

U.S. stock futures were mostly staying in positive territory ahead of Tuesday's opening bell as Asia markets also advanced.

Dow Jones industrial average index futures rose 0.1%, Standard & Poor's 500 index futures added 0.3% and Nasdaq index futures were down 0.2%.

On Wall Street Monday, the Dow added 181.55 points, or 1.1% percent, to 16,247.22. The S&P 500 rose 17.70 points, or 1%, to 1,858.83 and the Nasdaq composite rose 34.55 points, or 0.8%, to 4,279.95.

In Asia, the regional heavyweight, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index, rose 0.9% to 14,411.27 and China's Shanghai composite index added 0.1% to 2,025.95. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.4% to 21,551.82.

European shares moved broadly lower. Britain's FTSE 100 index declined 0.3%.

MONDAY: What Crimean crisis? Dow ends up 1.1%

"While yesterday's strong rally in stock markets was a welcome development after the strong losses over the last few days, the prospect for unpleasant surprises still remains high with the potential for further flash points on Ukraine's eastern border," Michael Hewson of CMC Markets wrote in a blog post.

"Markets largely shrugged off the sanctions announced yesterday by the EU on 21 Russian and Ukrainian individuals with travel bans and asset freezes; while President Obama went on to supplement these sanctions with some of his own on close advisers to Russian President (Vladimir) Putin."

Oil fell to below $98 per barrel after the threat of disruption to Russian supplies eased.

Benchmark U.S. crude for April delivery declined 14 cents to $97.94 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract shed 81 cents to $98.08 on Monday as concern about possible disruption of supplies from Russia, the biggest exporter, eased.

The Federal Reserve begins a two-day meeting that will end Wednesday with a policy statement from chair Janet Yellen.

The 4 Stocks That Dominated the Market on Wednesday

March 12, 2014: Markets opened lower on Wednesday following a so-so trading day in Europe. Crude oil pulled back 2% after the EIA's inventory report indicated a larger inventory gain than expected. In the final minutes of trading the DJIA was down 0.19%, the S&P 500 was down 0.09%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.23%.

Today's big loser among the Dow stocks was The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD). The company's CEO is begging for Spring weather in what is typically the home improvement center's biggest selling season of the year. The company's shares traded down 1.01% at $80.47 in a 52-week range of $68.42 to $83.20 just ahead of the closing bell. Volume is on track to be slightly below the daily average of some 6.7 million shares traded.

The most heavily traded and wildly swinging Nasdaq stock today is Geron Corp. (NASDAQ: GERN). Shares are down 61.70% at $1.69 in a 52-week range of $0.98 to $7.79. The company has been ordered to put a hold on an investigational new drug application. Geron's share volume was more than 11-times the daily average of around 4.5 million shares traded.

Among actively traded stocks on the NYSE today, Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) is getting something of a beating, down 7.65%. The stock was halted this afternoon before the company announced that it had received an investigation letter from the FTC. The stock will close at around $60.53 in a 52-week range of $34.72 to $83.51. Volume was more than 4-times the daily average of around around 3.5 million shares traded.

After falling nearly 1.2% yesterday after announcing that production would be falling and capex spending would be lower, Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) trades up 0.96% today at $115.61 in its 52-week range of $109.27 to $127.83 shortly before the closing bell. Trading volume for Chevron's shares was about 12% below the daily average of around 6.5 million shares.

Of the Dow 30 stocks 15 are set to close higher today while 15 are on their way to a lower close.

Rieder: Team Obama needs to let the sunshine in

This is Sunshine Week, a time to celebrate the importance of openness in government and freedom of information.

An event that grew out of a protest by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors in 2002 against efforts to weaken the Sunshine State's sunshine law, the week of conferences, meetups and panel discussions is now sponsored by the American Society of News Editors and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

It's a terrific cause, but one with a daunting challenge because the forecast at the national level is not so much sunny as stormy.

A number of recent studies and surveys give the Obama administration low marks when it comes to open government, a painful irony given that the president once promised that his would be the most transparent administration ever. Instead, we've almost got a total eclipse of the heart.

The Associated Press recently published the results of its examination of how well the administration is complying with the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, under which the government is supposed to release information unless there are compelling reasons not to, such as national security. The results weren't heartening.

In fact, the AP reported that Team Obama, whose affinity for sunshine has never been impressive, was going backwards. It found that the administration last year had either censored documents or simply denied access more often than it ever had in the past.

"In category after category — except for reducing numbers of old requests and a slight increase in how often it waived copying fees — the government's efforts to be more open about its activities last year were their worst since President Barack Obama took office," the wire service said.

President Obama.(Photo: Saul Loeb, A! FP/Getty Images)

REM RIEDER: Obama avoids press, goes between the ferns

And in a year when national security issues came to the fore with disclosures of widespread surveillance by the National Security Agency, the Obama administration used that as a reason for withholding information a whopping 8,496 times, twice as often as it did in the president's first year of office, according to the AP.

Of course, there are times when there are valid reasons to keep things secret. That's why there are exemptions under FOIA. But, as study after study has found, the government slaps a "classified" designation on far more information than it needs to.

So why is this a big deal? Because frequently the government buries information that might put it in a bad light. The press needs this information so it can play its watchdog role on behalf of the public. This is ultimately a democracy issue, not a journalism issue.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, summed up the issue succinctly -- and perfectly.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy.(Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

"I'm concerned the growing trend toward relying upon FOIA exemptions to withhold large swaths of government information is hindering the public's right to know," the senator told the AP. "It becomes too much of a temptation. If you screw up in government, just mark it top secret."

The news wasn't any better in the National Security Archive's FOIA Audit, released in conjunction with Sunshine Week. The audit found that 50 out of 101 federal agencies haven't updated their regulations to comply with Congress's 2007 FOIA amendments, and 55 have FOIA regulations that "predate and ignore President O! bama's an! d Attorney General (Eric) Holder's 2009 guidance for a 'presumption of disclosure.'"

To complete the trifecta, the Center for Effective Government on Monday gave failing grades to seven of the 15 federal agencies it reviewed in its annual assessment of government transparency.

REM RIEDER: Obama should widen access to media

The relationship between Obama and the media has long been puzzling. For one thing, liberals are generally considered to be friendlier to the press than conservatives, although that's not always the case. And Obama's rapid rise to prominence -- not to mention the White House -- was fueled by no shortage of positive if not gushing coverage.

But since he has been in office, the relationship has cooled considerably. Journalists have complained about lack of access. And the administration's zealous and unprecedented pursuit of leakers has raised fears about the dreaded chilling effect on whistleblowers. Unless the U.S. Supreme Court rides to his rescue, New York Times reporter James Risen faces jail time unless he testifies against a source, something the journalist vows he won't do. The dispute centers on passages on a CIA effort to disrupt Iran's nuclear program in Risen's 2006 book, State of War.

It's great that Sunshine Week is focusing attention on the need for open government. But I wouldn't expect a change in the weather anytime soon.

How to Know if You Are Diversified?

In this edition of The Motley Fool's "Ask a Fool" series, Motley Fool analysts Jason Moser and Brendan Mathews take a question from a reader who asks, "How can we truly know if we are diversified?"

Jason and Brendan both see diversity as a somewhat subjective measure as it depends on where the investor is in his or her investing life, along with the person's tolerance for risk. Investors who are trying to grow their wealth, for example, may want more exposure to stocks. One of the simplest vehicles for diversity in this case can be an index fund pegged to the S&P 500 which will give an investor outstanding diversity with low costs. Investors who are closer to retirement, though, are more focused on protecting their wealth; they will want to add more fixed-income investments into their portfolio to minimize risk while still aiming for a reasonable rate of return. Either way, diversity is in the eye of the beholder and will require some self-examination in any situation.

So what's the best investing strategy?
It's no secret that investors tend to be impatient with the market, but the best investment strategy is to buy shares in solid businesses and keep them for the long term. In the special free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich," The Motley Fool shares investment ideas and strategies that could help you build wealth for years to come. Click here to grab your free copy today.

Get a Grip: 10 Steps To Controlling Your 401k Investments

At Investing Daily, we have grown increasingly concerned with the national trend toward underfunded retirement plans. As a service to our readers, for the next few weeks we'll send you a complimentary series of focused briefs to get you thinking about new ways to maximize performance both inside and outside of a structured 401k or similar plan. 

This is the third installment in a five-part series.

"Ask People's Advice, but Decide For Yourself." – Old Ukrainian Proverb

I heard the refrain all the time in my trading days on Wall Street.

The client, a little nervous and apprehensive, would say, "I don't trust my instincts with my portfolio – you guys do everything for me."

My job was to trade, but I had enough contact with clients to know they really didn't trust their instincts, and were only too happy to turn 100 percent control of their financial fortunes to fund managers, stockbrokers, and investment bankers.

Yes, you want to go with a professional, but it's never a good idea to relinquish 100 percent control of your investment portfolio, and that goes double for your 401k plan.

The sad fact is, some people just don't want to take control over their investment portfolio.

That's a big mistake.

Nobody is impacted by investment decisions as much as the person whose name is on the portfolio. And nobody is going to step in for you and make good on a lousy asset allocation strategy or a misguided risk assessment that leads to massive portfolio losses.

No, taking control of your investment portfolio is all on you – as it should be.

Fortunately, getting a grip on your 401k investments is easier than you think. In fact, you can get the job done in these 10 easy steps:

Step #1: Know your net worth

In a global economy where information is as much a commodity as widgets or weed whackers, it pays to know what you�! �re worth.

That's where knowing your net worth comes in handy.

Your net worth, also known as a personal balance sheet, gives you a blueprint for your financial life, one that you can work from again and again as you make lifetime financial decisions. It's a fluid document that you'll need to revisit every six months or (at the outer limits) every year, but you'll be glad you have it.

Quantifying your financial goals is critical in the investment process and your personal balance forms the yardstick by which you can measure the success of your financial plan. As time marches on, you can tweak the strategy for your financial plan along the way to achieve your defined goals.

Step #2: Know your objectives

Any good marksman will tell you the key to hitting a target is having a target. Having something to aim at, to work towards, gives you the framework for a successful personal portfolio plan.

Step #3: Know your risk factor

Risk assessment is easy, although investment advisors try their hardest to make it complicated. Always know going in what you can afford to lose and, going forward, manage your portfolio correspondingly.

Knowing your risk tolerance will help you decide which investment strategy is right for you. For example, if you have a low risk tolerance, you may want to invest in a more conservative portfolio even though your time horizon indicates you could be more aggressive. Evaluating your timeframe can be critical, particularly when building a portfolio based upon a projected retirement date.

Step #4: Diversify your assets

The best way to have avoided being caught up in market volatility is to have your money spread around among different investments.

When your investments are diversified, or spread across different asset classes or types of securities, they work together to help reduce risk. So go ahead and enjoy the benefits of slow and steady blue chip stocks along with potentially higher-flying growth stocks.! Mix in s! ome US Treasury Notes with those international bonds. Spread the wealth and secure portfolio performance in the process.

Step #5: Allocate your assets

In Wall Street terms, asset allocation is more like investment diversification on steroids.

One Wall Street trader compares asset allocation to earning two quarters and then putting the coins not only in different pockets, but in different pants. That's as good a definition as any.

In more formal terms, asset allocation means investing across a variety of asset classes, with the objective of determining the optimal mix of assets for your portfolio to properly withstand – and adjust to – changing market conditions. Usually that means branching out among the four main asset classes – stocks, bonds, cash and metals. The difference between diversification and asset allocation is that the former is the "macro" big picture theme and the latter is the "micro" nuts-and-bolts theme to building your mutual fund.

So yes, you should diversify your portfolio. But how you do that is what's known as asset allocation.

Step #6: Find a "comfort zone" with a financial advisor

Having a professional shoulder to lean on once in a while can be a source of comfort to an independent-minded investor, especially one without significant portfolio management experience. Hire a good advisor but continue to do your own homework and pick your own stocks. Run those picks by your advisor to see if they pass the smell test.

Always feel free to drop me a line here at the 401k Millionaire – I'm happy to take a look at your portfolio and offer any help and guidance on getting you where you need to be, investment-wise.

Step #7: Properly research investments

This one's a no-brainer – you've got to do your homework.

Read prospectuses, check company financial statements, watch CNBC, and check out the 401k Millionaire on a regular basis. In short, do anything you can to bone up on the fin! ancial ma! rkets and the companies that trade on them.

Also, take advantage of on-demand investment tutorial web casts and webinars and use any real-time information offered by your investment firm. Join and participate in online trading communities and swap investment strategies with like-minded investors. In the investment world, understand that knowledge really is power.

Step #8:  Be the boss

Never give a financial advisor the right to buy or sell without your prior approval. That way you won't have any surprises and you'll have control over what enters and leaves your personal portfolio. Remember that you're the one who has to live with the decisions made on your personal portfolio – it's your investment "brand" and nobody else's.

Step #9: Check your ego/emotions at the door

One of the biggest errors average investors make is investing with their emotions.

When stocks rise, they buy; when they fall, they sell. That's exactly the opposite of what a successful investor should do. If you can't trust your emotions then by all means run your portfolio selections by a professional advisor – or even trusted family member, friend, or spouse.

Step #10: Lastly, have fun

You're your own boss now and the 401k investment brand you create will have your personal stamp on it. So enjoy all the benefits and all the power that genuine financial independence provides.

As you do so, consider how far you've come in taking control of your financial life. After all, nobody has as much invested in your financial future as you do.

Brian O'Connell is an investment analyst at Investing Daily, and the chief investment strategist of the 401K Millionaire. An ex-Wall Street bond trader, he has appeared as an expert financial commentator on CNN, NPR, Fox News, Bloomberg, CNBC, C-Span, CBS Radio, and many other media broadcast outlets, and is the author of two best-selling books on retirement investing.

Stock Talk

We encourage you ! to engage! with our analysts and your fellow subscribers on our website. To ask a question or post a comment related to a particular article, please do so in the Stock Talk field at the bottom of that article.

Or to ask a general question, please go to the main Stock Talk page found under the Resources menu for each publication.

Ask Matt: Nothing Goofy about Disney park moves

USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com.

Q: Are Disney's massive theme park investments paying off?

A: Disney had the courage and gumption to invest in its theme park properties during the recession of 2008 and 2009. Other companies were pulling back investment and retrenching. But Disney took the softness in the economy as a chance to upgrade its parks. And now the company is reaping benefits that would make Scrooge McDuck proud.

Disney plowed a record billions into its global network of theme parks. It built a new Fantasyland in Walt Disney World and a Cars Land in the Disney California Adventure park. Just in 2012 alone, Disney invested roughly $3 billion improving, upgrading and enhancing its themeparks.

Having the guts to invest while others were scared has turbocharged Disney's growth now, especially in the theme parks unit. Revenue at the Parks and Resorts unit of Disney rose 6% in the quarter ended Dec. 28, 2013, which outstripped the 4% growth of Disney's largest unit, Media Networks. But where the investment's payoff really shows is in the 16% increase in operating profit at the theme park unit. That profit rise was the result of increased guest spending and higher ticket prices, largely the result of bold investments made in the properties.

These gains aren't being missed by investors. Shares of Disney have skyrocketed 64% since the start of 2013. Shares trade for 22.5 its trailing earnings, more than 30% above the market. Disney is again showing why it's a company that knows how to invest for the future.

TRACK YOUR STOCKS: Get real-time quotes with our free Portfolio Tracker

Follow Matt Krantz on Twitter: @mattkrantz.

US Stock Futures Edge Lower Ahead Of CPI, Housing Starts

Related VNET Mid-Day Market Update: Foot Locker Jumps On Upbeat Results; Analogic Shares Slip Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Mixed; Big Lots Earnings Beat Street View Related KTOS Weakness Seen in Kratos Defense & Security (KTOS): Stock Falls 5.3% - Tale of the Tape Earnings Scheduled For March 11, 2014

Pre-open movers

US stock futures slipped in early pre-market trading, ahead of economic data. The Federal Open Market Committee will begin its 2-day policy meeting today. The Consumer Price Index and housing starts data for February will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 12 points to 16,154.00, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 2.40 points to 1,848.30. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index declined 6 points to 3,645.50.

A Peek Into Global Markets

European markets were lower today, with the Spanish Ibex Index falling 0.16%, London's FTSE 100 index dropping 0.14% and STOXX Europe 600 Index slipping 0.15%. German DAX 30 index declined 0.42% and French CAC 40 Index fell 0.11%.

Asian markets ended higher today. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average surged 0.94%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.51% and China's Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.08% and India's BSE Sensex gained 0.1%.

Broker Recommendation

Analysts at Credit Suisse upgraded 21Vianet Group (NASDAQ: VNET) from "neutral" to "outperform." The target price for 21Vianet Group has been raised from $27 to $36.

21Vianet's shares closed at $27.80 yesterday.

Breaking news

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) announced today that its Public Safety & Security (PSS) Division recently received an initial $4.5 million contract award for the deployment of specialized security and surveillance related products, equipment, and system integration services across a large public school district located in the eastern United States. To read the full news, click here. Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) upcoming unconventional stock split will enable Co-founder Sergey Brin and Larry Page to maintain close control over the company. The stock split will diminish shareholders voices and modify how the company is represented in the S&P 500 index. To read the full news, click here. Veeva Systems (NYSE: VEEV) today announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed public offering of shares of its Class A common stock. To read the full news, click here. The Hertz (NYSE: HTZ) today announced that its board of directors has approved plans to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies. To read the full news, click here.

Posted-In: Credit Suisse US Stock FuturesNews Eurozone Futures Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets

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

  Most Popular A Joint Venture: Two Marijuana Industry Leaders Plan to Produce Pharmaceutical Extractions Earnings Expectations For The Week Of March 17: FedEx, Nike, Oracle And More General Electric Take Steps To Appease Investors Following Exectives Meeting With Activist Nelson Peltz FDIC Sues Big Banks For Rigging Interest Rates Barron's Recap: Detroit Will Rise Again Keurig, Office Depot And Others Insiders Have Been Buying Related Articles (GOOG + HTZ) US Stock Futures Edge Lower Ahead Of CPI, Housing Starts Digitimes Reports Google to Release Two Nexus Tablets in 2014 Earnings Scheduled For March 18, 2014 Stocks To Watch For March 18, 2014 Raven Outlines Segment Growth Strategies - Analyst Blog Market Wrap For March 17: Investors Focused On Economic Data Instead Of Crimea Concerns

Top 5 Japanese Stocks For 2014

Takeshi Fujimaki, a former adviser to billionaire George Soros and now a member of Japan's upper house of parliament, said a fiscal crisis in Asia's second- biggest economy is inevitable and neither a higher sales tax nor the 2020 Olympics will be able to stop it.

“I decided to become a politician because I think financial crisis will come sooner or later,” Fujimaki said in a Sept. 24 interview in Tokyo. “This total debt will continue to increase. I don't think Japan can survive until 2020.”

Yields on 10-year Japanese government bonds may jump to 70% based on what happened in Russia when it defaulted in 1998, Fujimaki said. The benchmark yield is now the lowest in the world at 0.68% and the cost to protect the sovereign debt from default is near a four-month low at 62 basis points.

Top 5 Japanese Stocks For 2014: NeoPhotonics Corp (NPTN)

NeoPhotonics Corporation, incorporated on October 31, 1996, is a designer and manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based modules and subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high-speed communications networks. The Company has a portfolio of over 300 products, including products that enable data transmission at 10 gigabytes per second, 40 gigabytes per second and 100 gigabytes per second, agility products, such as reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) that allocate bandwidth to adjust for volatile traffic patterns, and access products that provide high-bandwidth connections to more devices and people over fixed and wireless networks. In October 2011, the Company acquired Santur Corporation. In June 2013, it announced first shipments of optical transceiver modules out of its new, high capacity factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China.

The Company�� products are categorized in 34 product families. The Company sells its products to the network equipment vendors globally, including ADVA AG Optical Networking Ltd., Alcatel-Lucent SA, Ciena Corporation (including its recent acquisition of Nortel�� Metro Ethernet Networks business), Cisco Systems, Inc., FiberHome Technologies Group, ECI Telecom Ltd., Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Fujitsu Limited, Harmonic, Inc., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, NEC Corporation, Nokia Siemens Networks B.V. and ZTE Corporation.

The Company competes with Finisar Corporation, JDS Uniphase Corporation, MRV Communications, Inc., NTT Electronics Corporation and Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Close competitor NeoPhotonics (NYSE: NPTN  ) soared 15% higher. Larger rival JDS Uniphase (NASDAQ: JDSU  ) jumped 7.9% to become the fastest gainer on the S&P 500. If Ciena can beat its own expectations in selling Internet backbone equipment to a bevy of major telecoms, its chief rivals must eventually follow suit. JDS is only one month removed from its latest quarterly report, which sent shares diving 7% overnight (but all was forgiven a week later). NeoPhotonics also reported in early May, but didn't make any waves then.

Top 5 Japanese Stocks For 2014: Independent Bank Group Inc (IBTX)

Independent Bank Group, Inc., incorporated on September 20, 2002, is bank holding company. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Independent Bank (Bank), a state chartered bank, the Company provides a range of commercial banking products and services for businesses, professionals and individuals. Commercial lending products includes owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, interim construction loans, commercial loans (such as Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans, business term loans, equipment financing and lines of credit) to a diversified mix of small and midsized businesses, and loans to professionals, particularly medical practices. Retail lending products include residential first and second mortgage loans, and consumer installment loans such as loans to purchase cars, boats and other recreational vehicles. On April 1, 2012, it acquired I Bank Holding Company and its bank subsidiary, and on October 1, 2012, it acquired The Community Group and its bank subsidiary. As of March 18, 2013, it operated 30 banking offices in 26 communities in two market regions located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and in the greater Austin area. Independent Bank operates 30 banking offices throughout North and Central Texas. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Collin Bank, Plano, Texas. In January 2014, Independent Bank Group, Inc. acquired Live Oak Financial Corp. and its subsidiary, Live Oak State Bank.

Lending Activities

Its loans are primarily real estate secured loans spread among a variety of types of borrowers, including owner occupied offices for small businesses, medical practices and offices, retail operations, and multi-family properties. Its loans are diversified geographically throughout its Dallas/North Texas region (approximately 55%) and its Austin/Central Texas region (approximately 45%). As of December 31, 2012, it had total loans of approximately $1.4 billion

The Company is primarily a real es! tate secured lender. It originates real estate loans to finance commercial property that is owner-occupied, as well as commercial property owned by real estate investors. The total amount of owner-occupied commercial real estate loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012, was $353.5 million, or 25.6% of its loan portfolio. The total amount of commercial real estate loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012, excluding owner-occupied properties, was $295 million, or 21.4% of its loan portfolio. The real estate securing its existing commercial real estate loans includes a variety of property types, such as owner-occupied offices/warehouses/production facilities, office buildings, healthcare facilities, hotels, mixed-use residential/commercial, retail centers, multifamily properties, restaurants, churches and assisted living facilities.

The Company�� construction portfolio includes loans to small and midsized businesses to construct owner-user properties, and, to a much lesser extent, loans to developers of commercial real estate investment properties and residential developments. These loans are typically disbursed as construction progresses and carry interest rates that vary with the prime rate. As of December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance of its construction loans was $97.3 million, or 7.1% of its total loan portfolio. It offers first and second mortgage loans to its individual customers primarily for the purchase of primary and secondary residences. As of December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance of one-to four-family real estate secured loans, including home equity loans, represented $315.3 million, or 22.9%, of its total loan portfolio. Residential real estate loans held for sale of $9.2 million at December 31, 2012, were also included in this category.

The Company makes single-family interim construction loans to home builders and individuals to fund the construction of single family residences. Such loans are secured by the real property being built and are made based! on its a! ssessment of the value of the property on an as-completed basis. As of December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance of its single-family interim construction loans was $67.9 million, or 4.9% of its total loan portfolio. The Company originates commercial loans to small businesses and professionals, in particular, medical practices, located in its market areas. These loans are primarily term loans to purchase capital equipment and small loans for working capital and operational purposes. As of December 31, 2012, it had outstanding commercial loans, of $169.9 million, or 12.3% of its total loan portfolio.

The Company�� agricultural loan portfolio primarily includes loans secured by real property used for agricultural purposes. It provides loans for the acquisition of farm and ranch land, as well as the construction of buildings upon agricultural real estate. On a more limited basis, it offers agricultural equipment financing and crop production loans which are secured by crops, equipment, and crop insurance. The total amount of agricultural loans outstanding at December 31, 2012, was $40.1 million, or 2.9% of its total loan portfolio. The Company offers a variety of consumer loans, such as installment loans to purchase cars, boats and other recreational vehicles. Its consumer loans typically are part of an overall customer relationship designed to support the individual consumer borrowing needs of its commercial loan and deposit customers. As of December 31, 2012, it had outstanding $39.5 million of consumer loans, or 2.9% of its total loan portfolio. The Company also engages in the origination of residential loans sold into the secondary market. Its mortgage originations were $177.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2012. It sells all of the originated mortgages to institutional purchasers shortly after closing.

Investment Activities

The types and maturities of securities purchased are primarily based on its liquidity and interest rate sensitivity position! s. As of ! December 31, 2012, investment securities held were United States Treasury securities, government agency securities, obligations of state and municipal subdivisions, Residential mortgage backed securities, and corporate bonds.

Sources of Funds

Deposits are the Company�� principal source of funds for use in lending and other general banking purposes. The Company provides a range of deposit products and services, including a variety of checking and savings accounts, debit cards, online banking, mobile banking, eStatements and bank-by-mail and direct deposit services. It also offers business accounts and management services, including analyzed business checking, business savings, and treasury management services. As of December 31, 2012, it had total deposits of approximately $1.4 billion. In addition to deposits, it utilizes Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) advances either as a short-term funding source or a longer-term funding source and to manage its interest rate risks on its loan portfolio. The maximum amount of short-term FHLB advances it had outstanding at any month end during the year ended December 31, 2012, was $16.0 million. The Company�� FHLB borrowings totaled $164.6 million as of December 31, 2012. Its FHLB advances are collateralized by assets, including a blanket pledge of certain loans with a carrying value of $524.8 million and FHLB stock. As of December 31, 2012, it had $92.7 million in undisbursed advance commitments (letters of credit) with the FHLB.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  2. Independent Bank Group (IBTX) operates as a bank holding company for Independent Bank that provides commercial banking products and services for small to medium size businesses, professionals, and individuals in North and Central Texas.

5 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Own Right Now: ARC Document Solutions Inc (ARC)

ARC Document Solutions, Inc., formerly American Reprographics Company, provides specialized document solutions to businesses of all types, with a focus on the non-residential segment of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The Company offers reprographic services, as well as managed print services, digital color printing, and document management technology products and services. It also has operations in Canada, China, India and the United Kingdom. It is a document solutions company serving the AEC industry that provides document management services through a combination of local service facilities in more than 40 states, 12 digital color service centers, online channels, including Web-based applications, and software. The Company conducts its operations through a wholly owned subsidiary, American Reprographics Company, L.L.C. and its subsidiaries.

The Company offers three general categories of service: Reprographics Services, Facilities Management, and Equipment and Supplies. Reprographics Services sales include operational activities, such as document management services, document logistics, large- and small-format print-on-demand services in color and black and white, and digital document management services. Facilities Management sales are primarily composed of onsite services, where it provides document production equipment, technology solutions and sometimes staff to its customers in their offices. These services include both traditional reprographics services focused on large-format printing, as well as managed print services (MPS). Under an MPS contract, it supplies, maintains and manages a customer�� entire print networks, including office printing equipment, on an outsourced basis. Equipment and Supplies sales involve the resale of printing and imaging equipment and supplies from a variety of suppliers.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 220 reprographics service centers, of which 199 were in the United States, seven were in ! Canada, 11 were in China, two were in India and one in London, England. It also occupied a technology center in Silicon Valley, California, a software programming facility in Kolkata, India, as well as other facilities, including its offices located in Walnut Creek, California. The Company�� products and services are available from any of ARC�� 220 service centers worldwide. The Company supplies reprographics services to project architects, engineers, general contractors and others. In addition to the AEC industry, ARS also provides document management and printing services to the retail, aerospace, technology, entertainment, and healthcare industries, among others.

The Company competes with Oce, Xerox, Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh and Sharp.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top 5 Japanese Stocks For 2014: ManpowerGroup(MAN)

ManpowerGroup provides workforce solutions and services worldwide. The company offers permanent, temporary, and contract recruitment services; assessment and selection services; training and development services; outsourcing services; and workforce consulting services. It also provides professional resourcing and project-based workforce solutions in the information technology, finance, and engineering fields; talent and career management workforce solutions; and talent based outsourcing services, managed services, recruitment process outsourcing services, borderless talent solutions, and strategic workforce consulting services. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By idahansen]

  The more I read about how companies are responding to Obamacare, the more bullish I become for stocks in the demand labor market such as Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), and ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN).

Top 5 Japanese Stocks For 2014: Revlon Inc.(REV)

Revlon, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in manufacturing, marketing, and selling cosmetics, women?s hair color, beauty tools, anti-perspirant deodorants, fragrances, skincare, and other beauty care products worldwide. The company?s cosmetics include face makeup products, including foundation, powder, blush, concealers, bronzers, and finishers; lip makeup products comprising lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip liners; eye makeup products consisting of mascaras, eyeliners, eye shadows, and brow products; nail color and nail care products, such as enamels, treatments, and cuticle preparations; and face and eye makeup removers. Its beauty tools comprise nail, eye, and pedicure grooming tools, such as clippers, scissors, files, tweezers, eye lash curlers, and makeup brushes; and fragrances consist of perfumes, eau de toilettes, colognes, and body sprays. The company markets its products primarily under Revlon, Revlon ColorStay, Revlon Super Lustrous, Revlon Age Defying, A lmay Intense i-Color, Almay Smart Shade, Revlon ColorSilk, Mitchum, Charlie, Jean Nate, Ultima II, and Gatineau names. Revlon, Inc. sells its products through sales representatives and independent distributors to mass volume retailers, chain drug stores, chemist shops, hypermarkets, general merchandise stores, department stores; other specialty stores, such as perfumeries; and to the United States military exchanges and commissaries. It also licenses its brand names to third parties for the manufacture and sale of beauty-related products and accessories. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in New York, New York. Revlon, Inc. is a subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Revlon (NYSE: REV  ) will need to have a serious discussion with its headhunters. The company revealed in an SEC filing that Executive Vice President and CFO Steven Berns has tendered his resignation. He has done so in order to take up the same positions at privately held media conglomerate Tribune Company.�

Be Cautious – Avoid These 4 Stocks

Popular Posts: 2 Safe, Cheap Stocks You Need to Buy NowCheap Stocks to Buy From Around the World2 Hero-or-Zero Stocks With Big Payoff Potential Recent Posts: Be Cautious – Avoid These 4 Stocks 2 Sturdy European Stocks to Buy 2 Safe, Cheap Stocks You Need to Buy Now View All Posts

We have heard a lot of smart people talk about the market lately, and they are all pointing to the need for caution.

Howard Marks of Oaktree is the latest to add his voice to the chorus, although he is a bit more positive than other. He believes stocks are on the high side of fairly valued, but also that there are more than enough bystanders to still jump on the bandwagon and push the market a bit higher.

In a recent conference call with investors, Marks’ main message was to move forward … cautiously. He also said in a recent interview: "Let's think about a pendulum: It swings from too rich to too cheap, but it never swings halfway and stops. And it never swings halfway and goes back to where it came from."

So what does caution look like for the individual investor? To me, it means stick with stocks that are safe and cheap and carry little risk of a permanent impairment of capital.

The safe and cheap undervalued stocks will go right up, but your chances of being destroyed when the party is over are diminished. Stocks like Richardson Electronics (RELL) and Transworld Entertainment (TWMC) have the ability to go up as the market bubbles higher but their asset value will act as sort of a floor in a decline.

That's not the case with other high-flying stocks. There is no floor under stocks that trade at triple-digit multiples of profits and several times the value of the corporate assets. As an example, I’m a huge fan of Amazon (AMZN) … as a consumer. Thanks to them, I never have to go to the dreaded shopping mall again. I’ve had two Amazon deliveries today alone and I’m a big Kindle fan as well.

For consumers, Amazon is a great company. However, AMZN stock trades for 600 times trailing earnings and 17 times its asset value. When the market does roll over (whenever that will be), there is no floor for AMZN stock.

The same case can be made for avoiding shares of Netflix (NFLX). I love House of Cards, and my wife has several shows she likes to watch on the service. However, I struggle to understand how any company that has not cured cancer and perfected the solar-power flying car could possibly be worth 200 times earnings and 20 times book value.

More importantly, it is impossible to pinpoint at which NFLX stock is undervalued in a market correction. There is no margin of safety in the stock at all.

I am a social media user, but I still have not figured out how social media companies expect to make all these billions of dollars that are predicated. I have never clicked an ad on Facebook (FB) or Twitter (TWTR) and if did they started charging a fee I would probably stop using them.

When the market rolls over, whenever that happens, there is no margin of safety in social media stocks at the current price levels. Facebook trades at 100 times trailing earnings and Twitter shares fetch more than 250 times the profits analyst hope to fetch next year. These is simply no way to justify those multiples.

Being cautious means favoring those stocks with a floor and a margin of safety and avoiding those that are ridiculously priced in relation to earnings and assets. Everyone thinks they will be the one to get out before it all collapses.

But trust me: No one ever does.

As of this writing, Tim Melvin was long TWMC, RELL.

Wave Systems is Almost Where it Needs to Be (WAVX)

Looking for a quick trade? Don't put Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ:WAVX) in your portfolio just yet, but do put WAVX on your watchlist. It's on the verge of becoming a breakout monster.

For those not familiar with it (which is likely most people), Wave Systems is an IT-security company. It's become something of a hot button for investors of late, with hackers stealing bitcoins, with Target losing credit card data for tens of thousands of customers, and even with First Lady Michelle Obama's credit card information being nabbed by digital thieves. If there was ever a need and opportunity for the services of a company like WAVX, this is it.

There's a specific catalyst waiting for Wave Systems Corp. to tap this year, however, that could really set WAVX off. It's called TPM, which is an acronym for Trusted Platform Module. In simplest terms, TPM security offers a holistic approach to securing entire digital ecosystems rather than just one aspect of the way a smartphone or laptop connects to the internet. It's not exactly a new idea, but it's relatively new to users who need higher-level solutions. The market is quickly coming around, however. A week and a half ago, Wave Systems shopped its first software with the necessary TPM security chips to make the software work with the platforms it's installed on.

It's not the reason one would want to step into a WAVX position in the foreseeable future, however.... at least not directly. No, the reason a trader might want to be willing to take a shot soon has to do with the shape of the Wave Systems Corp. chart.

The daily chart of WAVX below speaks for itself. The stock's fought its way above most of its key moving average lines over the past few days, and rehurdled the 100-day moving average line (gray) again today. The move puts the finishing touches on the best bullish effort we've seen from Wave Systems in many, many months.

It's not quite ready for prime-time just yet, however. There are a couple of things the stock needs to do - lines it needs to cross - before WAVX is trade-worthy. The first of those lines is the ceiling around $1.15. The second is a cross above 200-day moving average line (green) at $1.24. If Wave Systems Corp. can move above that key line, that should seal the deal on the budding uptrend. In the meantime, it's earned a spot on your watchlist.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter. You'll get stock picks, market calls, and more, every day. Here's what you've missed recently.

M&A Mania Comes to Tobacco as Reynolds American Said to Target Lorillard

Merger activity has been good news for both acquirer and acquired, so why shouldn’t tobacco get in the game? It might be, as reports suggest that Reynolds American (RAI) could be making a play for Lorillard (LO).

Reuters

Wells Fargo’s Bonnie Herzog and team consider the possibilities:

Given the size of a potential acquisition of Lorillard would be quite large, we question how a bid from [Reynolds American] would be financed. Therefore, we think a more likely deal could be a merger between [Lorillard] and [Reynolds American] rather than an acquisition. Also, there has been speculation that British American Tobacco (BTI), which currently owns ~42% of [Reynolds American's] stock, could take a majority stake in [Reynolds American] after the standstill ends in July 2014. While we believe the most likely scenario is that [British American Tobacco] and [Reynolds American] could reach a strategic partnership to market/sell e-cigs globally, we wouldn't rule out [British American Tobacco] taking a majority stake in [Reynolds American]. Furthermore, if this occurs, [British American Tobacco] could help finance a potential acquisition of [Lorillard].

Herzog considers Lorillard her top pick, with or without a deal.

Shares of Lorillard have jumped 4.6% to $51.29 at 1:32 p.m. today, while Reynolds American has gained 2.5% to $52.12 and British American Tobacco has dropped 1.1% to $107.62. Altria Group (MO), meanwhile, has risen 0.4% to $36.43 and Philip Morris International (PM) has declined 0.9% to $80.21.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015

When Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) parted ways with former CEO Mark Hurd, the scandal-tinged affair left a bad taste in many an investor's mouth. The company and its shareholders took a broom to the boardroom, sweeping out many of the people responsible for HP's strategy in the Hurd era. Only two of HP's directors from that time still serve on the board.

One year later, HP unceremoniously dumped another chief executive who dared to try a bold new strategy -- built on feet of financial clay. Leo Apotheker wanted to take HP in a strongly software-based direction, acquiring British data-management specialist Autonomy in a blockbuster $11 billion deal. The people who hired and fired him, not to mention allowed Apotheker to strike that unfortunate deal, still make up the majority of HP's board. An $8.8 billion writedown of the $11 billion acquisition wasn't enough to bring in another cleaning squad.

So-called "queen of corporate governance" Nell Minow used HP as a prime example of bad governance, and Foolish star analyst Morgan Housel named names while asking for change. New CEO Meg Whitman isn't changing the troubled company much, leaving HP investors adrift in the rudderless aftermath of the cost-cutting Hurd era. What will it take for investors to grow weary of HP's bumbling strategic advisors?

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Tri-Continental Corp (TY)

Tri-Continental Corporation (the Fund) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� portfolio consists primarily of large-capitalization stocks representing a range of industry sectors.

Tri-Continental Corporation invests to produce future growth of both capital and income, while providing reasonable current income. The Fund�� investment manager is J. & W Seligman & Co. Incorporated.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy What if there was a way to buy Apple (AAPL) -- recently trading near $568 a share -- for just $500? It's not an outlandish scenario. That's essentially what investors buying into Tri-Continental (TY) are doing. Like many closed-end stock funds, Tri-Continental trades for less than the value of its underlying assets. In Tri-Continental's case, its close on Dec. 24 of $20.18 is a 12 percent discount to its net asset value of $22.95 a share. Tri-Continental invests in some of the country's largest companies across various different industries. Apple just happens to be its largest holding at nearly 3 percent of the portfolio, but it's one of the many stocks in Tri-Continental that investors are buying into for pennies on the dollar. If this sounds too good to be true, you would be right. There's a catch -- and a big catch, at that. But let's first explore the largely ignored universe of closed-end funds. Fun with Funds When investors think about mutual funds they are probably referring to the wide universe of open-ended funds. Led by iconic fund families including Vanguard, Fidelity and T. Rowe Price (TROW), these conventional funds sell an unlimited number of shares. They typically are priced just once at the end of every trading day. Buyers invest and sellers cash out at that day's net asset value, or the closing value of all of the stocks and investments in the funds after subtracting any liabilities that is then divided by the number of shares outstanding. Closed-end funds don't play that way. They trade throughout the day on public exchanges. Tri-Continental, for example, trades on the New York Stock Exchange. A closed-end fund doesn't create new shares when investors want to buy or subtract them when those shares are redeemed. There's a set number of shares, and the free markets of supply and demand dictate their price. Tri-Continental isn't new. The fund has been around since 1929, the same year of a historic market crash. It's one of the hund

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation (MX)

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation designs and manufactures analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products for high-volume consumer applications. It operates in three segments: Display Solutions, Power Solutions, and Semiconductor Manufacturing Services. The Display Solutions segment offers source and gate drivers, and timing controllers that cover a range of flat panel displays used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), 3D and organic light emitting diode televisions and displays, notebooks, and mobile communications and entertainment devices. The Power Solutions segment develop, manufactures, and markets power management solutions, including metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors, power modules, analog switches, LED drivers, DC-DC converters, voice coil motor drivers, and linear regulators. This segment offers its products for a range of devices, including LCD, LED, 3D televisions, smartphones, mobile phones, desktop PCs, notebooks , tablet PCs, and other consumer electronics, as well as for industrial applications, such as power suppliers, LED lighting, and home appliances. The Semiconductor Manufacturing Services segment manufactures various products comprising display drivers, LED drivers, audio encoding and decoding devices, microcontrollers, touch screen controllers, RF switches, park distance control sensors for automotives, electronic tag memories, and power management semiconductors. This segment offers semiconductor manufacturing services to fabless analog and mixed-signal semiconductor companies. MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation provides its products and services to consumer electronics OEMs, subsystem designers, and contract manufacturers through a direct sales force, as well as through a network of authorized agents and distributors in the United States, Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Macau. The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, consumer gadget chip maker MagnaChip Semiconductor (NYSE: MX  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Top 10 High Tech Companies To Buy Right Now: ITT Educational Services Inc (ESI)

ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT/ESI), incorporated in 1946, is a provider of postsecondary degree programs in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the Company offered master, bachelor and associate degree programs to approximately 73,000 students. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 144 locations (including 141 campuses and three learning sites) in 39 states. In addition, ITT/ESI offered one or more of its online programs to students who were located in 48 states. The Company designs its education programs, after consultation with employers and other constituents, to help graduates prepare for careers in various fields involving their areas of study. The Company provides career-oriented education programs under the Daniel Webster College (DWC) name. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it began operations at 11 new ITT Technical Institute campuses and discontinued operations at one learning site. As of December 31, 2011, the ITT Technical Institutes offered 55 degree programs in various fields of study across the schools of study, such as information technology (IT); electronics technology; drafting and design; business; criminal justice, and breckinridge school of nursing and health sciences. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 144 locations (including 141 campuses and three learning sites) in 39 states, which provided postsecondary education to approximately 73,000 students. In 2011, the Company derived approximately 98% of its revenue from tuition and approximately 2% from the sale of tool kits and fees, charged to and paid by, or on behalf of, its students. On August 1, 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired Cable Holdings, LLC.

At most of its campuses, ITT/ESI organizes the academic schedule for programs of study on the basis of four 12-week academic quarters in a calendar year, with new students beginning at the start of each academic quarter. At these campuses, students taking a full-time course load can complete its associate degree programs in ! eight academic quarters, bachelor degree programs in 14 or 15 academic quarters and a master degree program in six or seven academic quarters. ITT/ESI offers classes in residence programs in 3.5- to 5.5-hour sessions three days a week, Monday through Saturday, with all program courses taught entirely or partially in residence; or sessions that are scheduled two to three days a week, Monday through Saturday, with certain program courses taught entirely or partially online over the Internet academic quarters. Depending on student enrollment, class sessions at the most of its campuses are available in the morning, afternoon and evening. The courses that are taught online over the Internet are delivered through an asynchronous learning network and have a prescribed schedule for completion of the coursework. In addition to courses directly related to a student�� program of study, its programs also include general education courses in the humanities, composition, mathematics, the sciences and the social sciences.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Outside the Dow, stocks generally rose somewhat more strongly. ITT Educational Services (NYSE: ESI  ) soared 30% despite reporting decreasing new-student and total enrollment figures in its quarterly report. Net income dropped by nearly half on a 16% decline in revenue, but expectations were so low for the for-profit education company that those results managed to drive the stock higher. The episode is a good reminder that the beaten-down sector has plenty of room for growth if the worst-case scenarios for the industry don't play out.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap NYSE stocks Blyth, Inc (NYSE: BTH), ITT Educational Services, Inc (NYSE: ESI) and U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE: SLCA) had the highest short interest as of late September according to HighShortInterest.com with short interest of 56.80%, 55.73% and 40.22%, respectively. However, shorting a stock can be a dangerous business as the bears can and do sometimes get mauled by the bulls. With that in mind, let�� take a look at why the bulls or the bears may be right or wrong about these three shorted small cap NYSE stocks:�

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Last week, ITT Educational Services (ESI) filed an 8-K disclosing that it was being investigated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to determine whether it broke any rules in how it marketed loans.

  Reuters

  The filing, however, hasn’t had much of an impact. Shares of ITT Educational Services have dropped just 3.4% this week but have gained 95% so far in 2013. Corinthian Colleges (COCO), on the other hand, has dropped 27% this year, while DeVry Education (DV) has gained 50% and Apollo Education (APOL) has advanced 30%.

  So why don’t investors care about the announcement? First of all, investors have known this was coming. Second, no one believes it will result in a damaging fine. William Blair’s Timo Connor explains:

  We view as unlikely a severely punitive settlement against ITT Education from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) related to its continuing investigation of marketing practices on third-party student lending programs, and we believe the risk is a manageable one for ITT. We continue to like the company�� competitive positioning in capacity-constrained, growing educational markets like drafting, electronics, IT, and nursing, and believe the stock will distance itself from legacy student loan issues in the coming years…

  Connor‘s optimism also stems from previous penalties assessed by the CFPB: The median fine has been $3.9 million, or just 0.4% of ITT Educational Services market cap, Connor says.

  Shares of ITT Educational Services have gained 1.8% to $33.87 today at 1:09 p.m., while Corinthian Colleges has risen 1.7% to $1.79, DeVry Education advanced 0.6% to $35.48 and Apollo Education has ticked down 0.1% to $27.17.

• [By Bill Smith]

  ITT Educational Services (ESI) is a company in the for-profit education services industry, and appears on GuruFocus��Buffett-Munger screener. This screener can be used to find companies with high quality businesses at undervalued, or fairly-valued, prices. Businesses on this screener are able to consistently grow revenue and earnings, maintain and expand profit margins while growing, and incur little debt during growth.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Adelaide Resources Ltd (ADN)

Adelaide Resources Limited is an Australia-based company engaged in the exploration for gold, copper, uranium, and other economic mineral deposits. As on June 30, 2012, the Company has interests in 22 exploration licenses, covering over 7,800 square kilometers within South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. The Company holds 100% of the majority of the Moonta Project on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia and a program of aircore and diamond drilling was completed in early 2012 to test a number of targets. The Company�� projects include Rover, Eyre Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula Basement, Yalanda Hill JV, Corrobinnie Palaeochannel Project, Cleve, Anabama, Moonta and Glenroy. The Company subsidiaries include Adelaide Exploration Pty Ltd and Peninsula Resources Limited (formerly Eyre Energy Pty Ltd) Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Aberdeen Asset Management Plc (ADN), Scotland�� largest money manager, lost 7.9 percent to 368.5 pence as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. downgraded the stock to neutral from buy.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Aberdeen Asset Management Plc (ADN) dropped 1.7 percent to 415.7 pence, the lowest price in six weeks. Bank of America Corp.�� Merrill Lynch unit cut its rating on Scotland�� largest money manager to underperform, similar to a sell recommendation, from neutral, saying the stock�� price is unjustified given slowing earnings growth.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: PowerShares S&P SmallCap Information Technology Portfolio (PSCT)

PowerShares S&P SmallCap Information Technology Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index called the S&P SmallCap 600 Capped Information Technology Index (the Index). The Index consists of common stocks of the United States information technology companies. These are companies that are principally engaged in the business of providing information technology-related products and services, including computer hardware and software, Internet, electronics and semiconductors, and communication technologies. The Index is compiled, maintained and calculated by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of small-capitalization information technology companies. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Fund�� investment adviser is Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Leeb]

  The PowerShares S&P 500 Small-Cap Technology (PSCT) is geared towards smaller, more agile, but also less-established firms, while iShares S&P North American Technology ETF (IGM) offers broad, blue-chip technology industry exposure.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NAVB)

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Navidea), formerly Neoprobe Corporation, incorporated in 1983, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of precision diagnostic agents. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� radiopharmaceutical development programs included Lymphoseek (Lymphoseek, Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection), a radiopharmaceutical agent for lymph node mapping; AZD4694, an imaging agent, and RIGScan, a tumor antigen-specific targeting agent. In January 2012, the Company executed an option agreement with Alseres Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alseres) to license [123I]-E-IACFT Injection, also called Altropane, an Iodine-123 radiolabeled imaging agent, being developed as an aid in the diagnosis of Parkinson�� disease, movement disorders and dementia. In August 2011, the Company sold its gamma detection device line of business (the GDS Business) to Devicor Medical Products, Inc.

Lymphoseek

Navidea�� pipeline includes clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical agents used to identify the presence and status of disease. Lymphoseek (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection) is a lymph node targeting agent intended for use in intraoperative lymphatic mapping (ILM) procedures and lymphoscintigraphy employed in the overall diagnostic assessment of certain solid tumor cancers. The lymph system is a component of the body�� immune system. The key components of the lymph system are lymph nodes-small anatomic structures that contain disease-fighting lymphocytes, filter lymph of bacteria and cancer cells, and signal infection in response to heightened levels of pathogens. In Navidea�� Phase III clinical studies of Lymphoseek, it detected over 99% of positive nodes identified by vital blue dye (VBD). As of December 31, 2011, Navidea, in co-operation with UC, San Diego affiliate (UCSD), completed or initiated five Phase I clinical trials, one multi-center Phase II trial and three multi-center Phase II trials inv! olving Lymphoseek. Two Phase III studies were completed in subjects with breast cancer and melanoma. During the year ended December 31, 2011, data from NEO3-09 were released, which indicated that all primary and secondary endpoints for the study were met. As of December 31, 2011, third Phase III clinical trial for Lymphoseek in subjects with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (NEO3-06) was in progress.

AZD4694

AZD4694 is a Fluorine-18 labeled precision radiopharmaceutical candidate for use in the imaging and evaluation of patients with signs or symptoms of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). It binds to beta-amyloid deposits in the brain that can then be imaged in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Amyloid plaque pathology is a required feature of AD and the presence of amyloid pathology is a supportive feature for diagnosis of probable AD. Patients who are negative for amyloid pathology do not have AD. AZD4694 has been studied in several clinical trials. Clinical studies through Phase IIa have included more than 80 patients to date, both suspected AD patients and healthy volunteers. No significant adverse events have been observed. Results suggest that AZD4694 has the ability to image patients quickly and safely with high sensitivity.

RadioImmunoGuided Surgery

As of December 31, 2011, RIGScan had been studied in a number of clinical trials, including Phase III studies. Navidea has conducted two Phase III studies, NEO2-13 and NEO2-14, of RIGScan in patients with primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, respectively. Both studies were multi-institutional involving cancer treatment institutions in the United States, Israel, and the European Union.

The Company competes with Pharmalucence, Eli Lilly, Bayer Schering, General Electric and GE Healthcare.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc.(NAVB) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a priority review for an expanded use of its Lymphoseek drug for some patients with head and neck cancer. Shares dropped 5.4% to $1.97 premarket.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Diagnostics can also play an important role in early and late-stage breast cancer diagnoses. Navidea Biopharmaceuticals (NYSEMKT: NAVB  ) had Lymphoseek, its external lymph-node imaging and intra-operative lymphatic mapping diagnostic device, approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year to help doctors stage cancer. Discovering whether breast cancer has invaded adjacent lymph nodes has never been easier or safer thanks to Lymphoseek, and it can dramatically aid physicians in determining the best course of action for breast cancer patients.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Tuesday’s session are Toll Brothers Inc.(TOL) and Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc.(NAVB)

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Castle Brands Inc. (ROX)

Castle Brands Inc. develops and markets beverage alcohol products. The company provides rum, whiskey, liqueurs, vodka, tequila, and wine. It offers its products under various brands, including Gosling�s Rum, Gosling�s Dark �n Stormy, Jefferson�s, Jefferson�s Reserve and Jefferson's Presidential Select, Jefferson�s Rye, Clontarf, Pallini, Boru, Knappogue Castle Whiskey, Tierras, Celtic Honey, Brady's Irish Cream, Travis Hasse�s Original Pie, Gozio, A. de Fussigny, and CC. The company offers its products through a network of wholesale distributors and state-operated agencies in the United States, Ireland, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Germany, Canada, South Africa, Bulgaria, France, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and China, as well as in continental Europe and Latin America. Castle Brands Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that's rapidly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Castle Brands (ROX), which develops and markets premium and super-premium brands in the beverage alcohol categories: rum, whiskey, liqueurs, vodka, tequila and fine wine. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up huge by 234%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Castle Brands, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending very strong for the last three months, with shares soaring higher from its low of 30 cents per share to its recent high of 99 cents per share. During that uptrend, shares of ROX have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ROX within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in ROX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at 93 cents per share to its 52-week high at 99 cents per share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 501,958 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ROX will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $1.50 to $2 a share.

  Traders can look to buy ROX off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at 80 cents to 77 cents per share, or around its 50-day at 70 cents per share. One can also buy ROX off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: LTC Properties Inc (LTC)

LTC Properties, Inc., incorporated on May 12, 1992, a health care real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company invests primarily in senior housing and long term care properties through property lease transactions, mortgage loans and other investments. Its primary senior housing and long term healthcare property types include skilled nursing properties (SNF), assisted living properties (ALF), independent living properties (ILF) and combinations thereof. During 2011, it leased a private school property to a non-for-profit corporation providing therapeutic support and intensive home, school and center-based behavioral therapy for children, youth and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Company, during 2011, acquired a 196-bed skilled nursing property. It purchased a 140-bed skilled nursing property located in Texas during 2011. During December 31, 2011, it acquired a vacant parcel of land in Texas. The Company, on March 26, 2012, acquired a skilled nursing property with 144 licensed beds. In May 2012, the Company acquired a 3.16 acre vacant parcel of land in Colorado. In July 2012, the Company acquired a skilled nursing property with 90 licensed beds. In August 2012, it acquired two skilled nursing facilities with a total of 288 licensed beds. In January 2013, the Company purchased two parcels of land.

As of 2011, it has investments in 12 states that include mortgages to 14 different operators. Skilled nursing facilities provide restorative, rehabilitative and nursing care for people not requiring the more extensive and sophisticated treatment available at acute care hospitals. Many skilled nursing facilities provide ancillary services that include occupational, speech, physical, respiratory and IV therapies, as well as sub-acute care services which are paid either by the patient, the patient's family, private health insurance, or through the federal Medicare or state Medicaid programs.

Assisted living facilities serve elderly persons who require assistance w! ith activities of daily living, but do not require the constant supervision skilled nursing facilities provide. Services are usually available 24 hours a day and include personal supervision and assistance with eating, bathing, grooming and administering medication. The facilities provide a combination of housing, supportive services, personalized assistance and health care designed to respond to individual needs.

Independent living facilities, also known as retirement communities or senior apartments, offer a sense of community and numerous levels of service, such as laundry, housekeeping, dining options/meal plans, exercise and wellness programs, transportation, social, cultural and recreational activities, on-site security and emergency response programs. Many offer on-site conveniences like beauty/barber shops, fitness facilities, game rooms, libraries and activity centers.

One of the properties in the Company�� real estate investment portfolio is a charter school. Charter schools provide an alternative to the traditional public school. Charter schools are autonomous entities authorized by the state or locality to conduct operations independent from the surrounding public school district. Laws vary by state, but generally charters are granted by state boards of education either directly or in conjunction with local school districts or public universities. Operators are granted charters to establish and operate schools based on the goals and objectives set forth in the charter. Upon receipt of a charter, schools receive an annuity from the state for each student enrolled. The other school in the Company�� investment portfolio is a private school and is closed and classified as held-for-sale.

As of 2011, the Company had investments in 25 states leased to 30 different operators. The Company�� owned properties are leased pursuant to non-cancelable operating leases generally with an initial term of 10 to 15 years. Many of the leases contain renewal options and! one cont! ains limited period options that permit the operator to purchase the property. The leases provide for fixed minimum base rent during the initial and renewal periods. The majority of the Company�� leases contain provisions for specified annual increases over the rents.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC  ) is tapping the markets for more capital with an underwritten public stock issue. The firm will offer 3.5 million shares of its common stock for $44.50 per share. Additionally, its underwriters have been granted a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 525,000 shares to cover overallotments, if any.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Roper Industries Inc.(ROP)

Roper Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes radio frequency (RF) products and services, industrial technology products, energy systems and controls, and medical and scientific imaging products and software. Its Medical and Scientific Imaging segment offers patient positioning devices, 3-D measurement technology, diagnostic and therapeutic disposable products, ultrasound bladder volume measurement instruments, and video laryngoscopes; digital imaging products and software; and handheld and vehicle mount computers and software. The company?s Energy Systems and Controls segment produces control systems, fluid properties testing equipment, industrial valves and controls, sensors and controls, and non-destructive inspection and measurement products and solutions. Its Industrial Technology segment produces water and fluid handling pumps, equipment and consumables, leak testing equipment, flow measurement and metering equipment, water meter, and automatic meter reading products and systems. The company?s RF Technology segment provides radio frequency identification communication technology and software solutions that are used in toll and traffic systems and processing; security and access control; campus card systems; software-as-a-service in the freight matching and food industries; and metering and remote monitoring applications. It markets its products to RF applications, medical, water, energy, research, education, software-as-a-service-based information networks, and security markets. The company distributes its products through direct sales personnel, manufacturers? representatives, value added resellers, original equipment manufacturers, and distributors. It principally operates in the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Roper Industries, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is based in Sarasota, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP  ) reported earnings on April 29. Here are the numbers you need to know.

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

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Unione di Banche Italiane ScpA (BPD)

Unione di Banche Italiane Scpa is an Italy-based holding company engaged in the governance, control, coordination and support of Unione di Banche Italiane Group. The Company�� activities are divided into three business segments. The Banking sector comprises of nine network banks of the Group, including IW Bank SpA, Banque de Depots et de Gestione SA and UBI International SA. The Non-banking financial sector includes Centrobanca SpA, Ubi Leasing SpA, Ubi Factor SpA, Ubi Pramerica SGR SpA, Banca 24-7 SpA, Silf SpA, Prestitalia SpA, Ubi Fiduciaria SpA and UBI Gestioni Fiduciarie SIM SpA. The Corporate Centre segment comprises UBI Banca Scpa and Ubi Sistemi e Servizi Scpa, among others. The Company is engaged in the corporate banking, consumer credit, asset management, factoring, leasing, life and non-life bancassurance sectors, among others. On May 6, 2013, it completed merger of Centrobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario e Mobiliare SpA into the Company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  US oil production has risen from 5 million barrels per day (BPD) in 2008 to 7.3 million BPD in the most recent quarter. The US is now the fastest-growing oil producing region in the world.

• [By April Yee]

  In its annual outlook, released this month, Opec said demand for its crude would dip to between 28 million and 29.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2018, from 30.3 million bpd today.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Lifetime Brands Inc.(LCUT)

Lifetime Brands Inc. designs, sources, and sells branded kitchenware, tabletop, and other products primarily in the United States. It offers kitchenware products, including kitchen tools and gadgets, cutlery, cutting boards, bakeware, and cookware; and tabletop products, such as dinnerware, flatware, and glassware. The company also provides home solutions that comprise products, such as food storage, pantry ware, spices, and home d�or products. In addition, it manufactures sterling silver products. The company owns or licenses various brands, including Farberware, Mikasa, KitchenAid, Pfaltzgraff, Cuisinart, Elements, Melannco, Wallace Silversmiths, Kamenstein, Pedrini, Towle, V&A, and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Lifetime Brands Inc. serves mass merchants, specialty stores, national chains, department stores, warehouse clubs, supermarkets, off-price retailers, and Internet retailers, as well as direct consumers through its Pfaltzgraff, Mikasa, Housewares Deals, and Lifetim e Sterling Internet Websites. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Garden City, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Everyone is familiar with�the Tupperware brand from�consumer products stock Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) and you are probably familiar with the brands�of mid cap stock Jarden Corp (NYSE: JAH) along with small cap stocks Libbey Inc (NYSEMKT: LBY) and Lifetime Brands Inc (NASDAQ: LCUT); but what about the stocks themselves? Chances are, their brands or products are right under your nose at home and you probably don�� know anything about the mid cap or small cap stock behind them.

10 Best Forestry Stocks To Own For 2015: Compuware Corporation(CPWR)

Compuware Corporation provides software and Web performance solutions, professional services, and application services in the United States, Europe, and Africa. The company?s software products consist of Mainframe, Vantage, Changepoint, and Uniface product lines. Its Mainframe product line includes File-AID, Xpediter, Hiperstation, Abend-AID, and Strobe used for application analysis, testing, defect detection and remediation, fault management, file and data management, data compliance, and application performance management in the IBM z/OS environment. The company?s Vantage products provide an end-to-end approach for managing application performance by combining end user experience monitoring, business service management, and application performance monitoring; Changepoint products are management and professional services automation solutions that address the needs of executives in technology companies, enterprise IT, and professional service organizations; and Uniface i s an application development environment for building, renewing, and integrating the enterprise applications. It also offers Web application performance management services, which are marketed under the Gomez brand name, are used by enterprises to test and monitor their Web and mobile applications while in development and after deployment. In addition, the company provides professional services, such as implementation, consulting, and training services, as well as various IT services for mainframe, distributed, and mobile environments; and application services, which are marketed under the Covisint brand name that offers SaaS platform providing industry-specific solutions for organizations in the automotive, healthcare, and energy markets, as well as provides support services. The company serves IT departments of various commercial and government organizations. Compuware Corporation was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By DAILYFINANCE]

  Karen Bleier, AFP/Getty Images WASHINGTON -- It looks as though President Barack Obama's fickle health insurance website is finally starting to put up some respectable sign-up numbers, but its job only seems to have gotten harder. Two months in and out of the repair shop have left significantly less time to fulfill the White House goal of enrolling 7 million people by the end of open enrollment on March 31. Signups were just over 100,000 nationally as of the end of October. The 36 states served by the federal government's website accounted for a paltry one-fourth of that, fewer than 27,000 people. But officials now say an additional 29,000 people enrolled through the revamped HealthCare.gov in just two days at the start of this week, despite heavy volume that not long ago would have caused the system to lock up. HealthCare.gov is the online portal to subsidized private health insurance for people who don't have job-based coverage. Though it's too early to say whether the corner is being turned, Obama is inviting consumers to give the website a second chance. Here's a look at the changes you can expect: Speed and Availability Independent testers question the blazing Internet speeds claimed by techies at the Health and Human Services Department but say there's been noticeable progress. "The trend is in the right direction ... but there are still things they can do to make the user experience better," said Michael Smith, a vice president of engineering at Compuware Corp. (CPWR), which helps companies monitor the technical performance of their websites. As of Thursday morning, the number of states where consumers are experiencing unacceptably long wait times had been cut in half, down to 13 from 26 states in late October. Compuware defines "unacceptable" as more than 8 seconds average response time to load the home page. The government claims a response time of less than 1 second. But Smith says that is likely being measured from computers with fast Inte

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Ben Eisen and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Shares of Compuware Corp. (CPWR) �climbed 1.9%. The Financial Times reported that private equity investors were considering making a bid for the software company, citing anonymous sources.