Will They Be Too Big to Fail Next Crisis?

The following video is from Monday's installment of Where the Money Is, in which Fool analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson highlight for investors the most important stock news from the financial sector.

In this segment, Matt discusses an article from The Wall Street Journal, which addressed the conflicting motivations between banking regulators and the big banks. As the spread between the interest rate at which banks can borrow money and the interest rate they are able to get for lending, or the net interest margin, continues to compress, many banks have been reducing the amount of long-term debt they have been carrying, as that often has a higher interest rate. Matt tells investors what it would mean for the big banks if regulations are imposed that require a higher amount of long-term debt to be maintained on these banks' balance sheets in preparation for the next banking crisis.

Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, Financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

The relevant video segment can be found between 3:00 and 4:24 .

For the full video of today's Where the Money Is, click here.

Sony Throws GameStop a Bone -- but Will It Be Enough?

GameStop (NYSE: GME  ) appears initially to have caught a break with Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) .

Unlike Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) restrictive Xbox One, where publishers will have more say in the way that their games are or are not able to be transferred between players, Sony made it a point on Monday night to emphasize that PS4 buyers will be able to trade in, sell, or lend their disc-based games.

It may not be enough, as longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz points out in this video.

Gaming is also about mobile these days
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Blame Steel, Coal, and Gold for the S&P's Biggest 2013 Losers

Investors in the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) have to be pleased about the index's strong performance so far in 2013, with gains of about 13% marking the benchmark's best performance this millennium. But as a broadly diversified index, the S&P 500 has its share of losers as well as winners, and so far this year, the blame for the losing contingent of S&P stocks falls squarely on the shoulders of commodities-related companies. Let's take a close look at the three stocks in the S&P 500 that have lost at least a third of their value so far in 2013, and find out whether they have a realistic chance at recovering some of their lost ground during the remainder of the year.

S&P Total Return Price data by YCharts.

Sinking like steel
The worst performer so far this year is Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) , which plunged 57% in the first six months of 2013. The producer of iron ore and metallurgical coal has suffered from the big drop in demand for steel production, as key users like China and other emerging markets have seen their economies slow and the pace of their construction and infrastructure projects decelerate recently. Recent news of summer layoffs and the need for it to temporarily idle its Wabush Scully mine in Labrador because of forest fires are just the latest in a series of shutdowns and other measures that Cliffs has taken to try to stem the bleeding that required the company to slash its dividend by more than 75% earlier this year.

Cold like coal
Similar trends pushed coal producer Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  ) down 45%. Coal producers have faced a number of challenges lately. Low natural-gas prices have made coal less desirable as a fuel for power production and other bulk needs, and an adverse regulatory environment in the U.S. has pushed most coal producers to turn to the export markets as their best source of potential demand. Yet as China's economy has slowed, Peabody in particular reaps less benefit from its strategically located reserves in Western Australia. Unless natural gas recovers all of its losses and makes coal more attractive, Peabody could continue to see pressure.

Tarnished gold
Finally, Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM  ) has fallen 34% in 2013. The explanation is pretty simple: gold bullion prices have dropped by nearly that amount, as the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) is down more than 26% so far this year.

A substantial part of gold demand has come from investors who are skeptical that the efforts of the Federal Reserve and other central banks will produce the intended economic growth without creating inflation and jeopardizing the viability of fiat currencies. Yet as economic conditions do in fact improve in the U.S. and the Fed starts to contemplate pulling back on its dramatic interventions, gold investors fear that rising interest rates and less systemic danger could make gold look a lot less attractive.

Can these stocks recover?
Of these three stocks, I'd give Newmont the best prospects for a recovery in the future. Newmont doesn't need a full economic recovery to start moving higher again; it only needs investors to recognize the value of gold and other precious metals after their huge declines. Moreover, weakness among Newmont's rivals could give it strategic opportunities to pick up lucrative mine assets on the cheap, producing better long-term prospects. Given the continued headwinds for steel and coal, the prospects for gold look the best out of these three areas.

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Best Semiconductor Companies To Own For 2014

TriQuint Semiconductor (Nasdaq: TQNT  ) reported earnings on April 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 30 (Q1), TriQuint Semiconductor met expectations on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue dropped significantly. GAAP earnings per share dropped to a loss.

Margins dropped across the board.

Revenue details
TriQuint Semiconductor booked revenue of $184.2 million. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected net sales of $185.7 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 15% lower than the prior-year quarter's $216.7 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Best Semiconductor Companies To Own For 2014: Micron Technology Inc.(MU)

Micron Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of semiconductor devices worldwide. Its products include dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products that provide data storage and retrieval, which include DDR2 and DDR3; and other specialty DRAM memory products, including DDR, SDRAM, DDR and DDR2 mobile low power DRAM, pseudo-static RAM, and reduced latency DRAM. The company also offers NAND flash memory products, which are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor devices that retain content when power is turned off. In addition, it provides NOR flash memory products that are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor memory devices; phase change memory products; and image sensor products. Micron Technology?s products are used in a range of electronic applications, including personal computers, workstations, network servers, mobile phones, flash memory cards, USB storage devices, digital still c ameras, MP3/4 players, and in automotive applications. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and retailers through internal sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors, as well as through a Web-based customer direct sales channel. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Nearest Support: $10
  
  Catalyst: Technical Setup

   

  Micron Technology (MU) is unlike most of the high-volume names on our list today because it's not an earnings mover. Instead, this large-cap semiconductor stock is seeing huge trading activity thanks to a technical breakout in shares.

  Micron has spent the last few months consolidating sideways in a rectangle pattern with resistance at $10 and support at $9. That well-formed rectangle was providing investors with a chance for the stock to bleed off some overbought momentum after rallying more than 100% since the end of November. The breakout above $10 is a buy signal at this point.

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

   We're seeing another bottoming pattern forming in shares of Micron Technology (MU). Like Microsoft, Micron has underperformed the broad market this year, barely breaking even between the first trading day of January and today. But a long-term double bottom formation in shares is a sign that shareholders could be getting a reprieve from selling very soon.

  A double bottom is a price pattern that's formed by two swing lows that bottom out at approximately the same price level. The two bottoms are separated by a peak that marks that resistance level for the setup -- a breakout above that price (right around $7 for MU) is the buy signal for shares. It's worth noting that resistance in Micron is actually tougher than just a single peak: that $7 barrier has been acting like strong resistance on the last five attempts higher. Believe it or not, that's actually a good thing because it means that a breakout above resistance carries more technical significance for MU.

  Remember that this is a long-term pattern -- it's been forming since all the way back in April, so its trading implications are bigger too. The breakout above $7 is likely to come with a long-term shift towards buyers being in control of this stock…

• [By Fitz Gerald]  

  The company's management has indicated a positive and more-balanced DRAM and NAND flash demand/supply outlook for 2011. The company also indicated a more-resilient near-term business model with low exposure to the weak PC DRAM segment (25 percent of revenues).

  Micron also indicated strong demand for NAND flash and price reductions consistent with learning curve cost reductions. With many smartphone and iPad/new Web tablets ramping, Micron management expects the benign pricing environment for NAND flash to continue in 2012.

Best Semiconductor Companies To Own For 2014: Intel Corporation(INTC)

Intel Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of integrated circuits for computing and communications industries worldwide. It offers microprocessor products used in notebooks, netbooks, desktops, servers, workstations, storage products, embedded applications, communications products, consumer electronics devices, and handhelds. The company also provides system on chip products that integrate its core processing functionalities with other system components, such as graphics, audio, and video, onto a single chip. In addition, it offers chipset products that send data between the microprocessor and input, display, and storage devices, including keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard drive, and CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives; motherboards designed for desktop, server, and workstation platforms, and that has connectors for attaching devices to the bus; and wired and wireless connectivity products consisting of network adapters and embedded wireless cards used to translate and transmit data across networks. Further, the company provides NAND flash memory products primarily used in portable memory storage devices, digital camera memory cards, and solid-state drives; software products comprising operating systems, middleware, and tools used to develop, run, and manage various enterprise, consumer, embedded, and handheld devices; and software development tools that enable the creation of applications. Additionally, it develops computing platforms, which are integrated hardware and software computing technologies designed to offer an optimized solution. The company sells its products principally to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, PC components and other products users, and other manufacturers of industrial and communications equipment. It has a strategic alliance with Scientific Conservation Inc. Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  InvestorPlace.com Editor Jeff Reeves hasn’t had quite the track record he hoped for so far in these annual stock-picking contests, so this year, he decided to keep things simple with blue-chip tech company Intel (NASDAQ:INTC).

  Why? Well, quite simply, it’s the largest semiconductor manufacturer on the planet and comes with an eye-popping dividend yielding over 4.4%.

  Jeff acknowledges that the post-PC era is a challenge for Intel, but he remains convinced that the company will figure out mobile.

  And he isn’t just talk. He writes:

  “For the record, I have skin in the game on this. At the end of October, I added the semiconductor giant to my personal portfolio at $21.50. And when it fell to $20.50 recently I doubled down. I plan on hanging on to this company for a long time because of that attractive yield, and the hopes of big growth and continued increases in the payout.”

  Hopefully, the pick pays off — both for Jeff’s portfolio and for his contest pride.

Best High Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: NVIDIA Corp (NVD)

NVIDIA Corporation (NVIDIA), incorporated on February 24, 1998, is engaged in creating the graphics chips used in personal computers (PCs). The Company operates in three segments: graphics processing unit (GPU) Business, professional solutions business (PSB) and consumer products business (CPB). Its mobile processors are used in cell phones, tablets and auto infotainment systems. Designers use GPUs to create visual effects in movies and create everything from golf clubs to jumbo jets. NVIDIA solutions are based on two technologies: the GPU and the mobile processor. GPUs are the engines of visual computing, the science and art of using computers to understand, create and enhance images. It has three GPU product brands: GeForce, which creates visual experiences for gamers; Quadro, which is engaged in visual computing for designers and digital artists, and Tesla, which accelerates applications for scientists and researchers. Tegra is its mobile processor and is built for applications ranging from smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs to televisions and cars. During the fiscal year ended January 29, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it acquired Icera Inc.In fiscal 2012, it launched Project Maximus, which uses the compute power of Tesla with the visualization power of Quadro to merge the design and simulation stages into one workstation. In May 2012, the Company and Intellectual Ventures announced that they jointly acquired a set of patents developed and owned by IPWireless. The portfolio comprises approximately 500 patents granted and pending in the wireless communications area, including concepts in LTE, LTE-Advanced and 3G/4G technologies.

GPU Business

The Company�� GPU business revenue includes primarily sales of its GeForce discrete and chipset products that support desktop and notebook PCs plus license fees from Intel and sales of memory products. It also accelerates video editing and high definition (HD), content creation by consumers. GeForce GPUs power PCs made by or distributed by ! PC original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in the world. Its media and communications processor (MCP) chipsets primarily comprised of its ION motherboard GPUs, a product reaching the end of its life cycle.

Professional Solutions Business

The Company�� PSB consists of its Quadro professional workstation products and its Tesla computing products. Its Quadro products are designed to deliver the graphics performance and application compatibility for professionals. Tesla applies the processing power of its GPUs to general-purpose computing problems. Quadro products add functionality, such as photorealistic rendering, to computer-aided design workstations, and are used in professional video editing applications and for generating special effects in movies. Tesla is used in supercomputing centers and in oil exploration; other applications include accelerating drug discovery, weather simulations and derivative price modeling.

Consumer Products Business

The Company�� CPB includes its Tegra system-on-chip products for smartphones, tablets, automotive infotainment systems, and other similar devices, and Icera baseband processors. The Tegra revenues are generated by sales in smart phones and tablets. CPB also includes license, royalty, other revenue and associated costs related to video game consoles and other digital consumer electronics devices. NVIDIA Tegra mobile products implement design techniques, both inside the chips and at the system level. These technologies enhance visual display capabilities, connectivity and minimize chip and system-level power consumption. During fiscal 2012, it launched Tegra 3, quad-core mobile computing chip, bringing PC levels of performance within the power envelope of a cellular phone chip. It also launched DirectTouch.

The Company competes with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Intel, Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd., VIA Technologies, Inc., ARM Holdings plc, Broadcom Corporation, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., ! Fujitsu L! imited, Imagination Technologies Ltd., Intel, Marvell Technology Group Ltd., NEC Corporation, Qualcomm Incorporated, Renesas Technology Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Seiko Epson Corporation, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., Imagination Technologies Group plc., HiSilicon Technologies Co., Ltd., Mediatek, Qualcomm Incorporated, Spreadtrum Communications Co., Ltd and ST-Ericsson.

Best Semiconductor Companies To Own For 2014: Applied Materials Inc.(AMAT)

Applied Materials, Inc. provides manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, flat panel display, solar photovoltaic (PV), and related industries worldwide. The company?s Silicon Systems Group segment offers a range of manufacturing equipment used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits. This segment provides systems that perform primary processes used in chip fabrication, including atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, electrochemical deposition, rapid thermal processing, chemical mechanical planarization, wet cleaning, and wafer metrology and inspection, as well as systems that etch or inspect circuit patterns on masks used in the photolithography process. Its Applied Global Services segment offers products and services designed to enhance the performance and productivity, and reduce the environmental impact of the fab operations of semiconductor, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and solar P V manufacturers. The company?s Display segment provides products for manufacturing thin film transistor LCDs for televisions, personal computers (PCs), tablet PCs, smartphones, and other consumer-oriented electronic applications. Its Energy and Environmental Solutions segment offers manufacturing systems for the generation and conservation of energy, as well as manufacturing solutions for wafer-based crystalline silicon applications. This segment also provides roll-to-roll vacuum Web coating systems for deposition of a range of films on flexible substrates for functional, aesthetic, or optical properties; and roll-to-roll machine for depositing ultra-thin aluminum films for flexible packaging applications. The company serves manufacturers of semiconductor wafers and chips, flat panel LCDs, solar PV cells and modules, and other electronic devices. Applied Materials, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin1977]

  Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT): Up 2.22% to $10.59. Applied Materials, Inc. develops, manufactures, markets, and services semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment and related spare parts for the worldwide semiconductor industry. The Company’s customers include semiconductor wafer and integrated circuit manufacturers, flat panel liquid crystal displays, solar photovoltaic cells and modules and other electronic devices manufacturers.

Best Semiconductor Companies To Own For 2014: Analog Devices Inc (ADI.O)

Analog Devices, Inc. (Analog Devices), incorporated on January 18, 1965, is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of a range of analog, mixed-signal and digital signal processing integrated circuits (ICs). The Company produces a range of products, including data converters, amplifiers and linear products, radio frequency (RF) ICs, power management products, sensors based on micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and other sensors, and processing products, including DSP and other processors, which are designed to meet the needs of a base of customers. The Company's products are embedded inside many different types of electronic equipment, including industrial process control systems; instrumentation and measurement systems; wireless infrastructure equipment, and aerospace and defense electronics. The Company designs , manufactures and markets a range of ICs, which incorporate analog, mixed-signal and digital signal processing technologies. The Comp any's product portfolio includes both general-purpose products used by a range of customers and applications, as well as application-specific products. On March 30, 2012, the Company acquired Multigig, Inc.

Analog Products

The Company's product portfolio includes several thousand analog ICs. The Company's analog IC customers include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and customers who build electronic subsystems for integration into larger systems. The Company is a supplier of data converter products. Data converters translate real-world analog signals into digital data and also translate digital data into analog signals. The Company is also a supplier of amplifiers. Amplifiers are used to condition analog signals. The Company provides precision, instrumentation, intermediate frequency/radio frequency (RF), broadband, and other amplifiers. The Company also offers a range of precision voltage references, which are used in a range of application s. The Company's analog product line also includes a range! p! ortfolio of RF ICs covering the RF signal chain, from RF function blocks, such as phase locked loops, frequency synthesizers, mixers, modulators, demodulators, and power detectors, to broadband and short-range single chip transceiver solutions.

The Company's RF ICs support the requirements of cellular infrastructure and a range of applications in the Company's target markets. Also within the Company's analog technology portfolio are products, which are based on MEMS technology. This technology enables the Company to build small sensors, which incorporate an electromechanical structure and the supporting analog circuitry for conditioning signals obtained from the sensing element. The Company's MEMS product portfolio includes accelerometers used to sense acceleration, gyroscopes used to sense rotation, inertial measurement units used to sense multiple degrees of freedom combining multiple sensing types along multiple axis, and MEMS microphones used to sense audio . The Company's current revenue from MEMS products is derived from the automotive end market. In addition to the Company's MEMS products, its other analog product category includes isolators. The Company's isolators have been designed for applications, such as universal serial bus isolation in patient monitors, where it allows hospitals and physicians to adopt the advances in computer technology to supervise patient health and wirelessly transmit medical records. In smart metering applications, the Company's isolators provide electrostatic discharge performance. In satellites, where any malfunction can be catastrophic, the Company's isolators help protect the power system while enabling designers to achieve small form factors. Power management & reference products make up the balance of the Company's analog sales. Those products, which include functions such as power conversion, driver monitoring, sequencing and energy management, are developed to complement analog signal ch ain components across core market segments from micro ! power,! e! nergy-s! ensitive battery applications to power systems in infrastructure and industrial applications.

Digital Signal Processing Products

Digital Signal Processing products (DSPs) complete the Company's product portfolio. DSPs are optimized for numeric calculations, which are essential for instantaneous, or real-time, processing of digital data generated, from analog to digital signal conversion. The Company's DSPs are designed to be fully programmable and to execute specialized software programs, or algorithms, associated with processing digitized real-time, real-world data. Programmable DSPs are designed to provide the flexibility to modify the device's function using software. The Company's DSP IC customers write their own algorithms using software development tools provided by the Company and third-party suppliers. The Company's DSPs are designed in families of products, which share common architectures and therefore can execute the same software across a range of products. The Company's customers use the Company's products to solve a range of signal processing challenges across its core market and segment focus areas within the industrial, automotive, consumer and communications end markets. As an integrated part of the Company's customers' signal chain, there are other Analog Devices products connected to its processors, including converters, audio and video codecs and power management solutions.

The Company competes with Broadcom Corporation, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., Cirrus Logic, Inc., Microchip Technology, Inc., Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, ST Microelectronics, Intersil Corporation, Silicon Laboratories, Inc., Knowles Electronics, Texas Instruments, Inc. and Linear Technology Corporation.

Best Semiconductor Companies To Own For 2014: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a Taiwan-based company principally engaged in the research, development, manufacture and distribution of integrated circuit (IC) related products. The Company operates its businesses through wafer manufacture, mask production, wafer testing and packaging components. The Company also involves in the provision of production management, customer services and design services. Its products and services are applied in the manufacture of personal computers and peripheral products, information related products, wire and wireless communication systems, automobile and industrial equipment, as well as consumer electronic products, such as digital disk players, digital televisions (TVs), game consoles, digital cameras, among others. Its customers include Altera, AMD, Broadcom, Marvell, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Analog Devices, Freescale, NXP and Texas Instruments, among others. In July 2010, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. acquired mechanical and engineering equipment from ASML HONG KONG LTD. In September 2010, the Company acquired a set of equipments from ASML HONG KONG LTD. In December 2010, the Company acquired a set of equipment from TOKYO ELECTRON LTD., KLA-TENCOR CORP. and NOVELLUS SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL,B.V. In January 2011, the Company announced that it had acquired a set of equipment from KLA-TENCOR CORP., a set of equipment and facility, and another set of equipment from VARIAN SEMI. EQUIP. ASSOCIATES GmbH. In March 2011, the Company acquired a set of equipments from Rudolph Technologies, Inc.In March 2011, the Company acquired a set of equipments from Rudolph Technologies, Inc. In May 2011, it acquired a set of equipments form APPLIED MATERIALS SOUTH EAST ASIA PACIFIC LTD., Hamatech APE Gmbh and CO. KG, TOKYO ELECTRON LTD., DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD., and VARIAN SEMI. EQUIP. ASSOCIATES GMBH.

TSMC's customers include semiconductor companies, ranging from fabless semiconductor and systems companies, such as Advanced Micro Devices, In! c., Altera Corporation, Broadcom Corporation, Marvell Semiconductor Inc., MediaTek Inc., nVidia Corporation and Qualcomm Incorporated, to integrated device manufacturers, such as LSI Corporation, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments Inc. Fabless semiconductor and system companies accounted for approximately 80%, and integrated device manufacturers accounted for approximately 20% of its net sales as of December 31, 2009.

The Company manufactures semiconductors using CMOS and BiCMOS processes. The BiCMOS process combines the speed of the bipolar circuitry and the power consumption and density of the CMOS circuitry. It uses the CMOS process to manufacture logic semiconductors, memory semiconductors, including static random access memory (SRAM), flash memory, mixed-signal/ radio frequency (RF) semiconductors, which combine analog and digital circuitry in a single semiconductor, micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS), which combines micrometer featured mechanical parts, analog and digital circuitry in a single semiconductor, and embedded memory semiconductors, which combine logic and memory in a single semiconductor. The BiCMOS process is used to make high-end mixed-signal and other types of semiconductors.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now

The market got a helping hand from Europe -- of all places -- today, while positive news on the domestic front combined to send stocks higher. The European Central Bank's decision to cut rates to historic lows in just a few days put equities on firmer ground, coupled with rising consumer spending and a jump in real estate sales. When all was said and done, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) ended up 106 points, or 0.7%, at 14,818.

But as much as those macroeconomic developments were responsible for the rise of the blue chips, it was tech stocks that really lifted the index. Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) was one notable beneficiary of tech's popularity surge Monday, adding 2.6%. Since HP has seen its stock slip at the expense of a move to tablets from PCs, today's report showing an uptick in consumer spending doesn't hurt things.�

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ed Carson]

  The holiday season was hit or miss for many retailers, but indicators are that consumers were using plastic. Visa shares have risen steadily for the past seven months, with a strong 6% gain so far in 2013. Even in America, consumers continue to shift more from cash and checks to credit and debit cards. Overseas, consumers are adopting plastic, while some are bypassing cards and going straight to mobile payments. Visa wants to make sure it's part of that mobile solution.

  Visa earnings growth has decelerated for the past two quarters from 30% to 24% to 21%. Revenue growth in the latest quarter picked up to 15%, matching the best gains of the past two years.

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  One of the “big picture” economic themes that I expect to play out over 2011 and beyond is the secular shift to a global cashless society.?Though the process is well on its way in the U.S. and Europe, roughly 40% of all transactions are still made with cash and paper checks according to Barron’s.

  This means that even in “boring” developed markets, there is ample room for growth in electronic payments. And there is no better company to benefit from this trend than credit card giant Visa (NYSE: V).

• [By Robert Holmes]

  Company Profile: Visa is the global credit card company.

  Share Price: $95.69 (Dec. 6)

  2011 Return: 36%

  Investment Thesis: "Visa is well-positioned to continue to capitalize on the electronic payments secular growth trend," William Blair analysts write of Visa, noting that secular growth of electronic payments is expected to average 10% to 12% globally over the next several years.

  The analysts also say that Visa also enjoys very high incremental margins, which contributes to the company's attractive margin profile (59% in fiscal 2011) and strong free cash flow.

  "Visa has a strong balance sheet and generates strong cash flow," the analysts write. "Visa had about $4.1 billion of cash and investments, $2.9 billion of litigation reserves, and no debt on its balance sheet as of Sept. 30, 2011. Guidance calls for more than $4 billion of free cash flow in fiscal 2012."

• [By Rebecca Lipman]

   Operates retail electronic payments network worldwide. Market cap of $82.48B. EPS growth (5-year CAGR) at 15%. According to Morgan Stanley: "Global penetration of electronic payments remains low with 85% of the world's transactions still cash-based, leaving ample runway to support healthy growth prospects through (at least) 2015."

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) is a staple of consumer products, selling its oral, personal, home care and pet nutrition products in over 200 countries. A nice year-to-date return of 16% has helped keep Colgate stock holders happy all year.

• [By ChuckCarlson]

  Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. The company has raised distributions for 48 years in a row. The 10 year annual dividend growth rate is 12.40%/year. The last dividend increase was 9.40% to 58 cents/share. Analysts are expecting that Colgate Palmolive will earn $5.52/share in 2012. I expect that the quarterly dividend will be raised to 64 cents/share in 2012. Yield: 2.60%

Top Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By JON C. OGG]

  McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is at $85.08 and analysts have a consensus price target objective of $97.68.  It carries a 2.9% dividend yield and the stock is down 5% from its 52-week high.  McDonald’s trades at close to 6-times book value, but its return on equity is 37%.  S&P carries an “A” local long-term rating on the Golden Arches.  In the “you gotta eat somewhere” theory, McDonald’s seems to keep winning over and over and its shares and same-store sales keep rising handily.

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) isn’t quite as dramatic as Apple when it comes to stock performance. The company has “only” doubled since 2007 and “only” tripled since 2005 — compared with 330% gains since 2007 and 900% gains since 2005 for Apple.

  But you have to admit, those gains still are incredibly impressive — especially for a mammoth blue chip like McDonald’s that is dominant worldwide.

  Also worth consideration is the fact that, since 2007, McDonald’s has paid dividends totaling $9.26 per share. Since McDonald’s stock was trading around $45 four years ago, that means on top of doubling your money via the share appreciation, you would have gotten back about 20% of your initial investment via dividends alone. Or if you reinvested those funds, you really could have supercharged your returns even more.

  Looking forward, McDonald’s shows no signs of slowing down. It has surpassed analysts’ expectations in?four of its past five earnings reports, most recently with second-quarter numbers boasting a 15% increase in profits. While its revenue has risen at a modest 3.6% annual rate during the past five years, net income has surged at a 14.6% annual rate — proving MCD can maintain margins and grow profits even if sales don’t soar.

  McDonald’s, like Apple, knows how to deliver small-cap gains despite its blue-chip size. That makes this pick a keeper.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fitz Gerald]

  Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM), through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. The company has raised dividends every year since it was spun-off from Altria (MO) in 2008 and yields 3.70%.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carlson]

  Chevron provides administrative, financial, management and technology support to the United States and international subsidiaries that engage in petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining operations, power generation and energy services. Cramer holds 500 shares of CVX stocks. CVX has a dividend yield of 3.21% and returned 10.91% since the beginning of this year. It has a market cap of $195.53B and a P/E ratio of 8.52. Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson invested over $300 million in CVX.

Is American Energy Independence a Myth?

America's energy boom is creating a lot of hype around the possibility of energy independence. Unfortunately, reality may not live up to the hype. The chances that we will be able to cut ties with the global oil market are very slim, so we will continue to do business with foreign countries to import oil for the foreseeable future. 

Crude oil is a very intricate global commodity, and the type of we're finding doesn't meet the optimal range for refineries in the United States. Ultimately, this means that even if we're able to produce more oil than we're able to consume, we will still need certain types of oil to make our operations run smoothly. Besides, if we can buy oil from another country for less than what it costs to make it, then why not?

Tune into the following video for the conversation with Fool analysts Joel South and Michael Olson as well as Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe, as they discuss the myth of energy independence and why the complexities of the oil market will hamper any chances that it will happen.

If you're on the lookout for some currently intriguing energy plays, check out The Motley Fool's "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." For free access to this special report, simply click here now.

The Dividends Just Keep Coming

The real-money Inflation-Protected Income Growth portfolio rose in value by a bit more than $245 since last week's update to end the week at $34,593.13. In spite of an ugly middle to the week, the market rose a bit as well over that same period, providing the framework for much of that increase.

The rest of the increase came from the IPIG portfolio's primary strategy -- collecting dividends. Three different companies held by the IPIG portfolio paid their owners cash last week, adding to the portfolio's cash balance. While the cash was nice, perhaps the best part was the reminder that the dividends would have been paid no matter what the market did, because they're based on the companies' operations, not market price swings.

Who showed us the money?
On Monday, supplemental insurance giant AFLAC (NYSE: AFL  ) paid $9.45 in dividends to the IPIG portfolio. This was the company's third consecutive dividend at $0.35 per share. If it follows its previous trends, we can expect another payment at that level before it gets reviewed for potential increase.

Also on Monday, peanut butter and jelly purveyor J.M. Smucker (NYSE: SJM  ) handed the IPIG portfolio $8.84, enough to buy a reasonably priced lunch. Importantly, that was the company's fourth consecutive quarter paying out $0.52 per share in dividends. While nothing has been announced for this year, the company's last increase came in July 2012, and we'll be eagerly watching next month to see whether the company keeps its trend of annual increases alive.

Then on Tuesday, generic-pharmaceutical titan Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: TEVA  ) handed the IPIG portfolio $11.99, with the Israeli government taking $1.80 of that amount as a tax withholding. Favorable currency fluctuations meant that the IPIG portfolio picked up slightly more from this dividend than before, though the company's base dividend rate remained 1.15 Israeli shekels per share. As this marks the company's second payment at that level, we anticipate two more consistent payments before a potential increase.

Next up? Even more cash
This week, the IPIG portfolio expects the dividends to keep rolling in. On Monday, safety-equipment provider Mine Safety Appliances (NYSE: MSA  ) is expected to pay $0.30 per share to the portfolio for the 36 shares it owns. That's a decent increase from the $0.28 per share the company had been paying in previous quarters.

Similarly, on Friday railroad tycoon CSX (NYSE: CSX  ) is expected to hand the IPIG portfolio $0.15 per share in cash for the 24 shares it owns. That's a decent raise from the $0.14 per share it had paid in previous quarters.

On top of those raises, regular, consistent dividends are expected from a few other IPIG picks this upcoming week. The fact that those dividends will get paid no matter what the market does serves as a great reminder that dividends get paid based on the performance of the company, rather than its stock.

That consistency and operational focus provide a huge part of what makes the IPIG strategy one with the potential to stand the test of time.

IPIG portfolio snapshot as of June 7, 2013

Company Name

Purchase Date

No. of Shares

Total Investment (Including Commissions)

Current Value

United Technologies	12/10/12	18	$1,464.82	$1,701.00
Teva Pharmaceutical	12/12/12	38	$1,519.40	$1,500.62
J.M. Smucker	12/13/12	17	$1,483.45	$1,723.63
Genuine Parts	12/21/12	23	$1,476.47	$1,781.81
Mine Safety Appliances	12/21/12	36	$1,504.96	$1,662.48
Microsoft	12/26/12	55	$1,499.15	$1,961.85
Hasbro	12/28/12	43	$1,520.60	$1,935.00
NV Energy	12/31/12	84	$1,504.72	$1,982.40
United Parcel Service	1/2/13	20	$1,524.00	$1,727.40
Walgreen	1/4/13	40	$1,501.80	$1,976.80
Texas Instruments	1/7/13	47	$1,515.70	$1,700.46
Union Pacific	1/22/13	6	$805.42	$948.78
CSX	1/22/13	34	$712.50	$850.68
McDonald's	1/24/13	16	$1,499.64	$1,572.48
Becton, Dickinson	1/31/13	18	$1,518.64	$1,776.42
AFLAC	2/5/13	27	$1,466.35	$1,539.81
Air Products & Chemicals	2/11/13	17	$1,510.99	$1,616.53
Raytheon	2/22/13	27	$1,473.91	$1,820.07
Emerson Electric	4/3/13	28	$1,548.12	$1,613.64
Wells Fargo	5/30/13	37	$1,525.48	$1,526.25
Cash				$1,675.02
Total Portfolio				$34,593.13

Data from the IPIG portfolio brokerage account, as of 6/7/13.

To follow the IPIG portfolio as buy and sell decisions are made, watch portfolio manager Chuck Saletta's article feed by clicking here. To join The Motley Fool's free discussion board dedicated to the IPIG portfolio, simply click here.

Will Apple's Mac and iOS Finally Pass Windows in 2014?

Here's What This $17 Billion Money Manager Has Been Buying

Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold, via "13F" filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.

Today, let's look at Fred Alger Management, founded in 1964, and managing mutual funds, pension funds, and more. The company explains, "We have remained steadfast to our philosophy and proprietary, bottom-up, fundamental research process, which we believe is the blueprint for our long-standing success." It was devastated on Sept. 11, 2001, when the majority of its employees who worked at One World Trade Center were killed, but it remains in business, having regrouped.

The company's reportable stock portfolio totaled $17.3 billion in value as of March 31, 2013.

Interesting developments
So, what does Fred Alger Management's latest quarterly 13F filing tell us? Here are a few interesting details:

The biggest new holdings are pharmaceutical company Actavis and fertilizer specialist Mosaic. Other new holdings of interest include Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS  ) . If you haven't heard of Zoetis, that may be because it was just spun off by Pfizer earlier this year. It's a major enterprise, though – the world's largest animal-health company, and a new addition to the S&P 500. Its dividend is on the puny side at the moment, but with a low payout ratio, it has much room to grow.

Among holdings in which Fred Alger Management increased its stake were Two Harbors Investment (NYSE: TWO  ) and National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV  ) . The company reduced its stake in lots of companies, including Questcor and Weatherford. Two Harbors is a mortgage REIT, or "mREIT," recently yielding a gargantuan 11.4%. It's a "hybrid" mREIT, though, investing in both government agency-backed mortgages and ones that are not so backed. Thus, it has more flexibility than some of its peers. Some worry about rising interest rates and prepayments on loans, but Two Harbors has apparently hedged against some of that. Insiders and institutions have been buying shares in recent months.

National Oilwell Varco, a top maker of oil and gas drilling and oilfield services equipment, has been a strong performer, averaging stock growth of 20.5% annually over the past decade, and up 9% over the past year. There's much to like about the company, such as its record backlog of nearly $13 billion, its operations in productive shale fields, and its 60% market share as a supplier of rig equipment. Those who passed up its previously unimpressive dividend might want to know that it doubled its payout recently, and now yields about 1.5%, with more room to grow. The drilling specialist has even been providing thousands of pumping stations to areas where people are living without sufficient access to clean water. The stock doesn't seem too expensive, either.

Finally, Fred Alger Management's biggest closed positions included QLIK Technologies and Triumph Group. Other closed positions of interest include 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD  ) and American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC  ) . Many have high hopes for 3D Systems, but it hasn't been growing organically as quickly as some might like. The company's last earnings report was a bit mixed, with revenue up 31%, and net income dropping. But 3-D printing is still in its infancy, with much promise. Some see the shares as a bit rich now, though, and there has been insider selling. Another concern is that fellow 3D specialist Stratasys is buying MakerBot -- though there's a case to be made that the real future of 3D printing is in the commercial arena, not retail. Meanwhile, 3D Systems has been making some acquisitions of its own.

American Capital Agency is a mortgage REIT with a tantalizing dividend yield recently above 17% -- though that reflects a recent 16% dividend cut. The company's CEO is well respected, but some worry about rising interest rates, and mortgage REITs losing a valuable tax advantage. Analysts at Barclays recently downgraded the stock, which is down about 19% over the past year, despite racking up average annual gains of roughly 27% over the past five years.

We should never blindly copy any investor's moves, no matter how talented the investor. But it can be useful to keep an eye on what smart folks are doing. Therefore, 13-F forms can be great places to find intriguing candidates for our portfolios.

3D Systems is at the leading edge of a disruptive technological revolution, with the broadest portfolio of 3-D printers in the industry. However, despite years of earnings growth, 3D Systems' share price has risen even faster, and today the company sports a dizzying valuation. To help investors decide whether the future of additive manufacturing is bright enough to justify the lofty price tag on the company's shares, The Motley Fool has compiled a premium research report on whether 3D Systems is a buy right now. In our report, we take a close look at 3D Systems' opportunities, risks, and critical factors for growth. You'll also find reasons to buy or sell the stock today. To start reading, simply click here now for instant access.

Hot Defense Stocks To Own Right Now

The Department of Defense awarded a total of five contracts worth in excess of $680 million Tuesday -- but only one contract went to a traditional "defense contractor."

Amidst a series of mundane Pentagon orders for commercial forklifts, safety goggles, and milk and dairy products, the only publicly traded defense company to land a contract of significant size was Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT  ) , recipient of a $19.3 option exercise, instructing the firm to perform Aegis Platform Systems Engineering Agent activities and Aegis Modernization Advanced Capability Build engineering for the Navy.

DoD clarified that Lockheed's role under this contract will be to configure Navy combat systems aboard warships already in service and also to integrate and upgrade Aegis air defense capability aboard Ticonderoga-class (CG 47) guided missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) class guided missile destroyers. This work should be completed by September.

Hot Defense Stocks To Own Right Now: Sultan Minerals Inc. (SUL.V)

Sultan Minerals Inc. engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily focuses on the exploration of gold, silver, zinc, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, and other base metals. It holds 100% interests in the Kena gold property, a gold-copper-silver prospect covering approximately 8,173 hectare located near the town of Nelson in southeastern British Columbia; and the Jersey-Emerald property located southeast of the mining community of Salmo property located near Salmo, British Columbia. The company was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Defense Stocks To Own Right Now: Seneca Foods Corp. (SENEA)

Seneca Foods Corporation produces and distributes processed fruits and vegetables. It offers canned, frozen, and bottled produce and snack chips, including canned fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, and other food products under private label, as well as national and regional brands that the it owns or licenses, including Seneca, Libby�s, Aunt Nellie�s Farm Kitchen, Stokely�s, Read, Taste of the West, Cimarron, Tendersweet, Blue Boy, Festa, and Seneca Farms. The company also packs Green Giant, Le Sueur, and other brands of canned vegetables, as well as select Green Giant frozen vegetables for General Mills Operations, LLC under a long-term alliance agreement. Seneca Foods sells its products to grocery outlets, including supermarkets, mass merchandisers, limited assortment stores, club stores, and dollar stores; and food service distributors, industrial markets, other food processors, and export customers in 80 countries, as well as to federal, state, and local gov ernments for school and other feeding programs. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Marion, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Portfolio Grader]

  Seneca Foods (NASDAQ:SENEA) shows solid improvement this week. The company’s rating rises from a C to a B. Seneca Foods produces and distributes processed fruits and vegetables. The stock currently has a trailing PE Ratio of 9.30. 

Hot Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: NewStar Financial Inc.(NEWS)

NewStar Financial, Inc. operates as a commercial finance company in the United States. It focuses on meeting the financing needs of companies and private investors in the middle market. The company originates, structures, and underwrites senior and secured cash flow loans, as well as second lien, subordinated debt, and equity or other equity-linked products; and senior debt financing options, including revolving credit facilities, term loans, and other debt products secured by various business assets. It also offers first mortgage debt and asset-based debt primarily to finance the acquisition of commercial real estate properties. In addition, the company?s commercial real estate loans provide capital for various purposes comprising acquisition, lease-up, repositioning and build-out, and refinancing and recapitalization. Further, it offers senior and secured asset-based loans that provide capital for purposes, such as working capital, acquisition, dividend recapitalization s, refinancing and restructuring, corporate growth, and management buyouts. Additionally, the company provides various direct finance leases for equipment types, including manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and telecom equipment. It serves various companies operating in healthcare, manufacturing and industrial, financial services, energy/chemical services, printing/publishing, consumer, retail, restaurants, telecommunications, education, auto/transportation, marketing, wholesale distribution, and business and technology services industries. NewStar Financial, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now

I'm not ashamed to admit that denim retailer The Buckle (NYSE: BKE  ) is one of my favorite stocks. The company has an excellent brand, fantastic management, and a solid balance sheet. That's why it was so surprising to me that it missed earnings expectations yesterday. The company had turned in two years of hitting or exceeding market expectations before yesterday's miss.

Overall, it wasn't a horrible quarter. The company posted a small increase in comparable sales, but earnings per share fell slightly from the same time last year. Management admitted taking a bit too long to get some styles to stores, missing out on some spring fashion due to production issues. Aside from that small misstep, Buckle actually looks very healthy.

The first quarter at Buckle
Comparable sales inched up 1.2% from last year. That's a minor increase, but it's better than a lot of apparel retailers did at the beginning of the year, with many citing the long winter as a drag on sales. The slow growth in sales didn't hurt margins, though, with gross margin rising slightly and operating margin holding firm at 22%.

Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Staples Inc.(SPLS)

Staples, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an office products company. The company offers various office supplies and services, office machines and related products, computers and related products, and office furniture under Staples, Quill, and other proprietary brands. It also provides copy and print services to retail and delivery customers, as well as technology services through its EasyTech business. The company sells and delivers office products and services directly to businesses and consumers through Internet retail, including Staples.com and Quill.com, as well as through contract sales force, direct mail catalog business, and retail stores. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 2,295 retail stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the United States; and 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada, as well as in Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, and Australia. The company also operated 124 distribution and fulfillment centers in 29 states in the United States; 7 provinces in Canada; and in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. Staples, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Gamestop Corporation (GME)

GameStop Corp. operates as a retailer of video game products and personal computer (PC) entertainment software. It sells new and used video game hardware; video game software; used video game products; and video game accessories, which primarily consist of controllers, memory cards, and other add-ons, as well as strategy guides and trading cards. The company also offers PC entertainment and other software across various genres, including sports, action, strategy, adventure/role playing, and simulation, as well as products that relate to the digital category comprising network point cards, prepaid digital and online timecards, and digitally downloadable software. GameStop Corp. sells its products through stores, as well as through its electronic commerce Web sites, including gamestop.com, ebgames.com.au, gamestop.ca, gamestop.it, gamestop.es, gamestop.ie, gamestop.de, and micromania.fr. As of July 12, 2011, its retail network and family of brands included 6,573 company-oper ated stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also publishes Game Informer, a video game magazine in the United States; and operates the online video gaming Web sites kongregate.com and joltonline.com. GameStop Corp. was founded in 1994 and is based in Grapevine, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  Rising Star Jim Mueller has built his portfolio around companies with stock prices that show the market's unreasonable distaste for them.

  Sometimes it takes awhile for his bets to pay off, but when they do, he's handsomely rewarded. Just consider his double-dipping buys of Dendreon (Nasdaq: DNDN  ) , a pharmaceutical company that's recently seen its fortunes improve on the basis of its prostate drug Provenge. Though the stock didn't do too much for Jim in 2011, it's up 94% for him in 2012!

  He thinks the same could happen with GameStop, a company that analysts have written off as a dying bricks-and-mortar retailer. But Jim says the company is refusing to die, taking three solid steps to solidify its future.

• GameStop's PowerUp Rewards program is catching on with customers, growing from 4.5 million members to 15.5 million in just a year's time.
• The company is strengthening its digital business with Impulse (a downloading site), Kongregate (a casual gaming site), and Spawn Labs (a cloud gaming subsidiary).
• It is working with content providers and console providers to strengthen these digital channels.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sonic Automotive Inc.(SAH)

Sonic Automotive, Inc. operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It engages in the sale of new and used cars, light trucks, and replacement parts; provision of vehicle maintenance, warranty repair, paint, and collision repair services; and arrangement of extended service contracts, financing, insurance, and other aftermarket products. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 119 dealerships representing 30 brands of cars and light trucks, and 23 collision repair centers in 15 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Penske Automotive Group Inc.(PAG)

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. operates as an automotive retailer. It sells new and used vehicles of approximately 40 vehicle brands; offers vehicle maintenance and repair services; and engages in the sale and placement of third-party finance and insurance products, third-party extended service contracts, and replacement and aftermarket automotive products. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 320 retail automotive franchises, of which 166 franchises were located in the United States and 154 franchises are located outside of the United States primarily in the United Kingdom. It also has operations in Puerto Rico and Germany. Penske Automotive Group, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Macy’s Inc (M)

Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend Stocks Online]

  Rating: 95/100. Mattel has a dividend yield of 3.1% and a 5 year dividend growth rate of 10.2%. It has raised its dividend for the last 3 years and has a payout ratio of 46%. Mattel has a 3 year net income growth rate of 26.5% and the stock is up 31% over the last 12 months. We would like to see a higher dividend yield and consistent annual dividend increases from Mattel before we can rate the stock higher.

Best Retail Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Viad Corp(VVI)

Viad Corp, together with its subsidiaries, operates in exhibition and events, and travel and recreation industries primarily in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. The company?s Marketing & Events Group segment designs, plans, and produces face-to-face events for show organizers, corporate brand marketers, and retail shopping centers. It offers general event management, planning and consultation, concept design, exhibition layout and design, graphics and design, show traffic analysis, carpeting and flooring, decorating products and accessories, custom graphics, overhead rigging, and cleaning services, as well as temporary electrical, lighting, and plumbing services. This segment also provides custom exhibit design and construction; portable and modular exhibits and design; integrated marketing, including pre- and post-event communications and customer relationship management; multimedia services; event surveys; return on investment an alysis; attendee and exhibit booth traffic analysis; staff training; online management tools; logistics and freight-forwarding, storage, and refurbishment of exhibits; booth furnishings, carpeting, and signage; in-house installation and dismantling; and various other show services. In addition, the segment offers various entertaining attractions and brand-based experiences, sponsored events, mobile marketing and other branded entertainment, and face-to-face marketing solutions for clients and venues, including movie studios, leading consumer brand marketers, shopping malls, museums, and casinos. Its Travel & Recreation Group segment provides tourism products, including attractions, transportation services, inbound package tour operations, hotel operations, and corporate and event management; operates five lodges, three motor inns, and one resort hotel; and engages in food and beverages, and retail and concession businesses. Viad Corp was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hesler]

  Viad Corp is engaged in providing exhibition, event and retail marketing services in North America, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, as well as travel and recreation services in the United States and Canada. Its EPS forecast for the current year is 0.6 and next year is 1. According to consensus estimates, its topline is expected to grow 6.3% current year and 5% next year. It is trading at a forward P/E of 25.18. One analyst covers the company and has a hold rating.

Hot Transportation Companies To Invest In Right Now

I've been following the remarkable rise of the railroads as the preferred shipment option for our increased crude oil production. Last year, crude oil and petroleum products delivered by rail rose by over 30%. This was driven primarily by the rise in production coming out of North Dakota's Bakken region.

Bakken producers like Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR  ) seem to have a sweet spot for this age-old mode of transportation. The company and its peers had been producing more oil than the current pipeline infrastructure could handle. That created a huge differential between the price of Bakken crude and that of U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate. However, thanks to the rails, that differential has come down significantly.

In one of the best quotes from earlier this year, Continental President and COO Rick Bott told investors: "We've recently seen a significant improvement in Bakken oil price differentials, reflecting higher volumes being shipped by rail to the coasts and the anticipation of increased pipeline capacity ... We now have excess transportation capacity in both pipe and rail, and, with additional infrastructure projects in the planning and construction stages, capacity should remain ahead of Bakken production growth."

Hot Transportation Companies To Invest In Right Now: South American Iron & Steel Corporation Ltd (SAY.AX)

South American Iron & Steel Corporation Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties for iron sands in South America. The company primarily holds interest in three iron sands projects, including Put煤, Maullin, and Aguas Claras projects located in Chile. It also has interests of gold, copper, lead/zinc, and antimony concessions in Yunnan Province, China. South American Iron & Steel Corporation Limited is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Hot Transportation Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ebix Inc(EBIX)

Ebix, Inc. provides on-demand software and e-commerce solutions to the insurance industry. The company operates data exchanges, which connects multiple entities within the insurance markets and enables the participant to carry and process data from one end to another in the areas of life insurance, annuities, employee health benefits, risk management, workers compensation, and property and casualty (P&C) insurance. It is also involved in designing and deploying broker systems comprising three back-end systems consisting of eGlobal for multinational P&C insurance brokers; WinBeat for P&C brokers in the Australian and New Zealand markets; and EbixASP for the P&C insurance brokers in the United States. In addition, the company offers business process outsourcing services, which include certificate origination, certificate tracking, claims adjudication call center, and back office support. Further, it focuses on designing and deploying on-demand and back-end carrier systems, s uch as Ebix Advantage and Ebix Advantageweb targeted at small, medium, and large P&C carriers in the United States and internationally that operate in the personal, commercial, and specialty line areas of insurance. Additionally, Ebix, Inc. provides software development, customization, and consulting services to various companies in the insurance industry, such as carriers, brokers, exchanges, and standard making bodies. The company was formerly known as Delphi Systems, Inc. and changed its name to Ebix, Inc. in December 2003. Ebix, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hot Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Universal Display Corporation(PANL)

Universal Display Corporation engages in the research, development, and commercialization of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technologies and materials for use in flat panel display, solid-state lighting, and other product applications. It owns exclusively license or has the sole right to sublicense approximately 1,400 patents issued and pending worldwide. The company licenses and supplies its proprietary UniversalPHOLED phosphorescent OLED technologies and materials to display manufacturers and others. It is also involved in the research, development, and commercialization of other OLED device and manufacturing technologies, including TOLED, which are transparent OLEDs for the fabrication of OLEDs that have transparent cathodes; FOLED that are flexible OLEDs for the fabrication of OLEDs on flexible substrates; OVPD, an organic vapor phase deposition process to deposit the layers of organic material in an OLED; UniversalP2OLED, which are printable phosphorescent OLEDs; OVJP that is an organic vapor jet printing technology; and encapsulation technology for the packaging of flexible OLEDs and other thin-film devices, as well as for use as a barrier film for plastic substrates. In addition, the company provides technology development and support services to third parties for the commercialization of their OLED products. It has strategic relationships with Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.; LG Display Co., Ltd.; AU Optronics Corporation; Sony Corporation; Pioneer Corporation; Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting Co., Ltd.; Tohoku Pioneer Corporation; Moser Baer Technologies, Inc.; Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.; Denko K.K.; LG Chem, Ltd.; Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.; NEC Lighting, Ltd.; Seiko Epson Corporation; and DuPont Displays, Inc. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in Ewing, New Jersey.

Top Oil Stocks To Own Right Now

LONDON -- There are things to love and loathe about most companies. Today, I'm going to tell you about three things to love about�BP� (LSE: BP  ) (NYSE: BP  ) .

I'll also be asking whether these positive factors make the FTSE 100 oil supermajor a good investment today.

Uncertainty
Uncertainty can mean�potential�opportunity for investors. And uncertainty continues to surround BP more than three years after its Gulf of Mexico oil spill. While the company has already settled a lot of claims against it, there are more to come and the final cost is as yet unknown. BP says it is simply not possible to come up with�"a reliable estimate"�at this stage.

Another uncertainty hanging over the company -- and other big oil groups, including�Shell�and Statoil�-- is an investigation into allegations that firms colluded in fixing oil prices. Again, there is the possibility of BP taking a damaging financial hit.

Top Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: Camco Financial Corporation(CAFI)

Camco Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Advantage Bank that provides various financial products and services in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The company offers a range of deposit products, including interest-bearing and non-interest bearing checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, regular savings accounts, health savings accounts, term certificate accounts, and retirement savings plans. It also provides commercial real estate and business loans; consumer loans; conventional fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans for the construction, acquisition, or refinancing of single-family residential homes; and construction and permanent mortgage loans on condominiums, multi-family, and nonresidential properties. As of May 4, 2011, the company operated 22 offices. Camco Financial Corporation was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Ohio.

Top Oil Stocks To Own Right Now: LivePerson Inc.(LPSN)

LivePerson, Inc. provides online engagement solutions that facilitate real-time assistance and expert advice in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company facilitates real-time online interactions, such as chat, voice/click-to-call, email, and self-service/knowledgebase for corporations of various sizes; and connects businesses and independent service providers with individual consumers seeking help on its hosted software platform. Its products and services comprise LP Chat that creates real-time connections for businesses to connect with consumers through Websites, social media, and mobile devices; LP Voice, which provides customers a connection between a Website and the voice channel to engage prospects and consumers online; and LivePerson Expert Platform, a marketplace platform that allows users to chat live with independent experts in various categories. The company?s products and services also include LP Marketer that o ffers a real-time data-driven targeting solution that delivers personalized digital user experiences; and LP Insights, which provide customers with a text analytics tool that enables them to data mine for ?Voice of the Customer? and ?Voice of the Agent? content. In addition, it offers provides professional services and value-added business consulting services. The company sells its products through direct and indirect sales channels to small and mid-sized businesses, Internet businesses, online merchants, universities, libraries, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as to financial, retail, telecommunications, technology, and travel/hospitality industries. LivePerson, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

10 Best Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Transeuro Energy Corp. (TSU.V)

Transeuro Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties. It owns 100% interests in the Beaver River project in Beaver River, Canada, as well as has interests in the Karlavskoye and Krasnapolianskoye oil and gas fields in Ukraine. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Is Apple Stock a Buy at $400?

Oil Price Highest Since January on Syria Concerns

NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil rose to the highest level since January amid concerns about a possible escalation in Syria's civil war.

Benchmark oil for July delivery rose $1.16 to close at $97.85 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil finished the week with a gain of $1.82 a barrel, or 1.9 percent.

President Barack Obama's decision, revealed Thursday, to provide some weapons to rebels fighting the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad came after the White House said it had convincing evidence that Assad's regime -- which has been supported by Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah -- had used chemical weapons against the opposition.

The Middle East is a key source of crude oil and important transit routes cross the region, so conflicts which threaten disruptions in crude production or supply usually push oil prices higher.

"The possibility of unrest spreading into larger oil-producing regions such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq" induced some buying Friday, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates. However, he said, "the current large amount of unused OPEC productive capacity provides a sizable cushion against any temporary loss of supply from countries other than Saudi Arabia."

Oil's closing price was the highest since Jan. 30. But U.S. stock markets fell following lackluster reports on consumer confidence and industrial production. Among other commodities, gold and silver rose, while the prices for industrial metals dropped.

Drivers head into the weekend paying around the same for gas as they did a week ago. The national average of $3.625 is about 9 cents higher than at this time last year.

Meanwhile Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, rose 98 cents to end at $105.93 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on the Nymex:

Wholesale gasoline rose 4 cents to finish at $2.90 a gallon. Heating oil added 2 cents to end at $2.96 per gallon. Natural gas fell 8 cents to finish at $3.73 per 1,000 cubic feet.

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The 3 Deadliest Diseases Caused by Smoking

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you're probably well aware of the dangers associated with smoking tobacco and have witnessed the increasing efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to step up its educational efforts over the past two decades.

The good news is that the number of smokers in the United States is on the decline, with just 19% of U.S. adults listed as current smokers by the CDC.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Targeted advertising that's graphic, educational, and focused on America's youth has instilled the dangers of smoking into much of the younger generation. The CDC, for example, kicked off its first-ever anti-smoking television campaign last year, spending $54 million over the course of three months with the express purpose of causing at least 50,000 people to quit.

Source: Linus Bohman, Flickr.

The reason to encourage smokers to quit is much more than "it's just bad for you"; scientifically and economically it's been shown that smoking can affect our friends and family and harm productivity in the workplace. Secondhand smoke, for instance, has been shown to increase the probability that our friends and family will develop a disease directly caused by cigarette smoke inhalation. In addition, U.S. businesses lose about $97 billion in productivity each year because of disease-related complications caused by cigarette smoking. Keep mind this figure is just based on productive work-lives shortened by cigarette smoking and doesn't include lost production because of disability and sick days.

However, nothing stands out as more glaring than the deaths that are directly attributable to cigarette smoking -- an average of 443,000 annually between 2000 and 2004, according to the CDC. Today I propose to examine the three most deadly diseases caused by cigarette smoking and analyze what medications are available to help treat those diseases.

Cancer
This is something of a no-brainer, but cancer was responsible for 164,200, or 37%, of the total deaths attributable to cigarette smoking. If you recall, smoking was practically a universal risk factor across the board when I examined the 12 most commonly diagnosed cancers in the Tackling Cancer series earlier this year.

Of the attributed smoking deaths associated with cancer, none is more virulent than lung cancer which singlehandedly claimed an average of 128,900 lives annually between 2000 and 2004. Based on the CDC's statistics, the risk of developing lung cancer by smoking cigarettes increases by a factor of 23 for men and 13 for women relative to non-smokers, while five-year survival rates for lung cancer sit at just a dismal 12%.

Perhaps no drug is more widely used in lung cancer treatment than Roche's Avastin. Roche's wonder drug is an angiogenesis inhibitor, simply meaning that it inhibits the growth of blood vessels to tumors in the hope of starving a solid tumor of the oxygen needed for it to grow. When Avastin was approved in 2006, it improved median overall survival in patients to 12.3 months from 10.3 for the control arm. Relatively speaking, though, we need to do a lot better than just 12.3 months! 

The next step in lung cancer care treatment may come from the likes of Bristol-Myers Squibb's nivolumab or Merck's (NYSE: MRK  ) lambrolizumab. Both of these drugs are known as PD-1 inhibitors which have shown reasonably high overall response rates in clinical trials – 40% for nivolumab and 38% for lambrolizumab – and could represent the next treatment pathway for lung cancer patients. Nivolumab is currently in six in late-stage trials, including the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer, while Merck's lambrolizumab has received the rare breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA, which could help streamline its approval if it continues to provide a huge statistical benefit in trials over existing treatments. 

Ischemic heart disease
Closely trailing cancer as the most deadly smoking-related cause of death is ischemic heart disease, which was responsible for 126,000, or 28%, of all deaths. Ischemic heart disease is a condition in which the heart doesn't receive enough blood flow, which can be caused by a number of factors, including high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, and diabetes. Once again, and as no surprise, smoking is a major risk factor for developing all three diseases!

Unlike a cancer diagnosis, which pretty specifically cued in on lung cancer relative to all other cancer diagnoses combined by a margin of greater than 3-to-1, ischemic heart disease can develop as a result of any one, or a combination of, the aforementioned diseases. This means that in addition to quitting smoking, and living an active life with a proper diet, certain medications may be called upon to help regulate a person's cardiovascular system.

Novartis' Diovan, for example, is a widely prescribed treatment for helping patients with high blood pressure. Diovan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker, meaning that it prevents angiotensin from affecting blood vessels, ultimately relaxing them and allowing blood to flow more easily. Although Diovan lost its patent protection last year, no biosimilar version of the drug has made it to market as of yet. 

The new kid on the block in treating LDL-cholesterol (the bad type) is Liptruzet, a combination therapy of Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE  ) generic Lipitor and Merck's cholesterol absorption inhibitor, Zetia. Separately, these two drugs were effective at reducing LDL-cholesterol levels by 37% to 54%, and 20%, respectively. However, when combined the combination, known as Liptruzet, boosted the LDL-reducing effect to 53%-61%. It looks like the legend of Lipitor, the best-selling drug in history, will live on!

With regard to diabetes, it really just depends whether you're dealing with the genetic and rarer form of the disease, type 1 diabetes, or the much more common type 2 diabetes, whose onset is based on a number of factors that includes diet, activity level, and genetics. For the sake of argument -- and to take nothing away from type 1 diabetes patients, who recently had an encouraging discovery of their own -- Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ  ) new SGLT-2 inhibitor, Invokana, looks to be the next big thing in type 2 diabetes treatment. Working in the kidneys instead of the liver or pancreas, Invokana allows the body to excrete excess glucose through the urine. Better yet, Invokana has also been shown to induce weight loss (which can be a good thing since a majority of diabetics are overweight) and reduce hypertension.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Not to be forgotten is chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, better known as COPD, which was responsible for 92,900, or 21%, of all cigarette smoking-related deaths from 2000 to 2004. COPD is already the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., slightly ahead of stroke, and comes in two primary forms: chronic bronchitis, which is exhibited by a long-term cough with mucus production, and emphysema, an irreversible and progressive degradation of the lungs over time.

Perhaps the most exciting new treatment to hit the market in years was recently approved by the FDA. Developed by GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK  ) and Theravance (NASDAQ: THRX  ) , Breo Ellipta is a dry powder drug delivered by inhaler and meant to provide long-term relief of air-flow obstruction and reduce COPD exacerbations. The two companies are collaborating on a handful of potentially revolutionary new COPD treatments that combine Theravance's long-acting beta-2 agonists with Glaxo's long-acting muscarinic antagonists. Its next treatment, Breo Anoro, is currently under review by the FDA.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The butt of the problem
The negative effects of cigarette smoking on our bodies is quite clear no matter where we look for our evidence. If you choose to smoke, your likelihood of developing one of these three deadly diseases, which were responsible for 86.5% of all smoking-related deaths, is greatly increased.

If we've learned anything here today, it's that quitting smoking could be one of the healthiest and smartest moves you ever make as it could drastically reduce your chances of developing a serious illness, and that tobacco is quite addictive -- otherwise, most people would have stopped smoking a long time ago. This means that while we are seeing a minimal reduction in the percentage of U.S. smokers, the need for medications to treat lung cancer, COPD, and various forms of ischemic heart disease aren't likely to slow anytime soon.

Obamacare will undoubtedly have far-reaching effects. The Motley Fool's new free report "Everything You Need to Know About Obamacare" lets you know how your health insurance, your taxes, and your portfolio could be affected. Click here to read more. 

4 Stocks Making Big Moves

The following video is from Wednesday's Investor Beat, in which host Chris Hill and analysts Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger dissect the hardest-hitting investing stories of the day.

Synaptics (NASDAQ: SYNA  ) raises guidance for the fourth quarter. Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT  ) benefits from falling natural gas prices. Five Below (NASDAQ: FIVE  ) makes a secondary stock offering. Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN  ) benefits from an analyst report on China's economy and Macau gaming. In this installment of Investor Beat, Jason and Matt discuss four stocks making big moves today.

China is already the world's largest auto market -- and it's set to grow even bigger in coming years. A recent Motley Fool report, "2 Automakers to Buy for a Surging Chinese Market," names two global giants poised to reap big gains that could drive big rewards for investors. You can read this report right now for free -- just click here for instant access.

The relevant video segment can be found between 2:42 and 5:26.