Falling Crude Prices Drag Down Oil Stocks

Energy stocks fell Wednesday as crude oil prices tumbled, with refiners going the opposite direction on strength from Marathon Petroleum (MPC) gaining 3.6%, and Tesoro (TSO) up 3.7%.

"It would appear investors are sensing the Iran deal will go through, freeing up billions of dollars of additional crude supply," wrote Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank, in an email to Barrons.com.

Also, a government survey showed domestic crude supplies rose for a 10th straight week, sending futures prices for the U.S. crude benchmark down $1.58, or 1.7%, to $92.10 per barrel.

Natural-gas futures, meanwhile, climbed 1% on the back of a fall in U.S. stockpiles that was a bit more than expected.

Major oil companies declined with Exxon Mobil (XOM) down 0.6% to $93.68 and Chevron (CVX), off 0.6% to $122.02.  ConocoPhillips (COP) shares fell 0.37% to $72.66.

Top decliners included Newfield Exploration (NFX), off 4.8% to $28, and Noble Energy (NBL), down 5% to $69.53.

Be charitable, but be smart about your giving

We spend much of our days feeling uncharitable: Towards the guy who won't let you merge, for example, or your cousin Bill, who, if his bosses had known about how much he smoked, wouldn't have given him that job at the fireworks factory.

Sometime around late November, however, people start to feel charitable, and even give money to favorite causes: The Red Cross, The Lemur Conservation Foundation, Aid to Relatives in Low-Earth Orbit.

Giving is a good thing. But when you give to charity, it pays to be careful. You need to make sure your charitable donation does more good for the cause than it does for the fundraisers, for example. You need to maximize the tax impact of your gift, because everyone can use a deduction. And you need to make a plan for next year.

Let's start at the beginning: Not all charitable organizations are efficient, and some are actively criminal. The Internal Revenue Service, for example, recently warned that some charities collecting for Philippine typhoon donations are simply scams preying on the unwary.

One hint: Web sites whose names are close to – but slightly different from – legitimate charities. Farmaid.org? Charity. Farmade.org? Nope. You can check whether a charity is legitimate via the IRS's Exempt Organizations Select Check at IRS.gov. You can also get a good idea of how well-run your charity is at guidestar.org and charitynavigator.org.

Once you've chosen a charity and feel assured it's legitimate, it's time to figure out how to donate. The fastest way, of course, is to write a check. But donating appreciated stock can often be a better way to contribute, says Carol Kroch, managing director of wealth and philanthropic planning at Wilmington Trust.

Suppose, for example, you have 100 shares of Tesla that you bought on Jan. 1 of this year. The shares were worth $33.87, for an initial investment of $3,387. They're worth $122.33 now, or $12,387, and you're sitting on a $8,850 gain.

The stock hasn't exactly been on fire lately, howev! er, and it's well off its record high of $193.37. If you were to sell your shares, you'd owe short-term capital gains taxes on your gain. Short-term gains are taxed at your regular income tax rate, which could be as high as at up to 39.6% -- meaning you could be on the hook for $3,504.60.

If you gave your shares to charity, however, you'd get to deduct the full value of the stock from your income as of the day you donated it. As a bonus, you'd also sidestep the $3,504 in short-term capital gains taxes. "You get more money for the charity and more money for you," Kroch says.

If you're going to donate appreciated stock for the 2013 tax year, you'd better get cracking. "Sooner is better," Kroch says. One reason: While many large charities are adept at taking appreciated stocks, others are not. The window for donating appreciated stock slams shut at midnight on Dec. 31.

The process of donating takes longer if you have paper shares or more complex investments you want to donate, says Greg Jordan, national philanthropic investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank. "You want to leave time measured in weeks, not days," Jordan says.

You might also consider giving to a donor advised fund, which allows you to make a charitable donation this year, and dole out your money to your favorite charities in future years. In most cases, you can also contribute appreciated stock. "I think donor advised funds can be very effective for those who are ready to make a gift, but are not able to figure where it should all go," Kroch says.

Fidelity Investment's donor-advised fund, for example, allows you to make a 2013 donation to the fund, which you can deduct from your 2013 taxes. Your donation can be invested in several different types of funds, from asset allocation funds to stock, bond and money market funds. Minimum initial contribution is $5,000.

As with all donor-advised funds, your grants from the fund have to be legitimate charities recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. The "! Send My K! id to Harvard Fund" won't fly.

You have plenty of donor-advised funds to choose from: Charles Schwab & Co. and Vanguard, for example, also offer donor-advised funds.

Finally, if you'd really like to donate more to charity but find yourself strapped this holiday season, then make a resolution to have a giving plan next year. It's a lot easier to budget $50 a month than $600 in December. Most major charities will be glad to tap your bank account on a regular basis, and have staff on hand to help you set it up. Or you could arrange to have a check sent every paycheck to the charity of your choice.

And, says Jordan, consider giving your time if you don't have the money. You won't get a tax deduction, but you get that same good feeling. "More and more, I see people being thoughtful about their expertise," he says. "They look at what they are good at, and apply that to charity." You don't have to swing a hammer or feed orange slices to marsupials. You can read to children, help audit a local church's books or play music at a charitable event. It's all good.

JPMorgan, Justice Dept. reach $13B settlement

Banking giant JPMorgan Chase Tuesday finalized a record $13 billion settlement of multiple investigations over toxic mortgage investments like those that helped spark the 2008 financial crisis.

The agreement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice and state officials in New York includes a statement of facts in which the nation's largest bank admitted it knew that residential mortgage-backed securities it marketed did not comply with underwriting guidelines and weren't appropriate for sale.

The settlement does not absolve the bank or its officials from potential criminal charges, the Justice Department said.

The penalties total more than half the $21.3 billion the bank reported in 2012 net income — and mark the largest government settlement ever paid by a single U.S. company. The agreement also ends civil, mortgage-related probes that dealt another embarrassing black eye to the strongest bank survivor of the financial crisis, and to its CEO, Jamie Dimon.

Under the deal, JPMorgan agreed to pay $9 billion to settle federal and state civil claims by various entities related to the mortgage securities. That includes a $2 billion penalty to settle Justice Department claims.

The bank will pay the remaining $4 billion in the form of relief to aid consumers harmed by the unlawful mortgage actions of JPMorgan and two subsidiaries it acquired during the crisis: investment bank Bear Stearns and failed bank Washington Mutual. The relief will come via principal forgiveness, loan modification and efforts to reduce blight.

Included in that portion of the settlement is a nearly $300 million payment to California for misleading mortgage securities information JPMorgan gave to the state's public employee and teacher pension funds between 2004 and 2008.

An independent monitor will be appointed to oversee JPMorgan's compliance with the deal.

JPMorgan shares closed up 41 cents at $56.15 in Tuesday trading.

"Without a doubt, the conduct uncovered in this investigatio! n helped sow the seeds of the mortgage meltdown," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "JPMorgan was not the only financial institution during this period to knowingly bundle toxic loans and sell them to unsuspecting investors, but that is no excuse for the firm's behavior."

The deal "will bring long-overdue relief to homeowners around the country," said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman,who led a federal-state consortium on the case.

JPMorgan, which last month disclosed it had set aside $23 billion in litigation reserves for this settlement and other litigation, pledged complete delivery of promised mortgage forgiveness and other relief to injured borrowers before the end of 2017.

"We are pleased to have concluded this extensive agreement ... and to have resolved the civil claims of the Department of Justice and others," said Dimon, whose bank planned a conference call later Tuesday to discuss the settlement and related issues.

John Coffee, a securities regulation expert at Columbia Law School in New York, said the financial penalties appeared to signal "a new toughness" at the Department of Justice since a 2012 case involving HSBC. Prosecutors drew criticism for not seeking a criminal indictment of the London-based global bank over charges it ignored possible money laundering. Instead, HSBC paid $1.9 billion under a deferred prosecution deal later approved by a judge.

"I think there has been a remarkable shift at the Department of Justice in the last several months," said Coffee.

The agreement could serve as a template for federal prosecutors' future actions with other banks, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law school professor.

The deal follows billions of dollars in other settlements reached by JPMorgan in recent months. That includes a tentative $4.5 billion settlement announced Friday with 21 major institutional investors over mortgage-backed securities sold to them before the financial crisis.

That agreement covered mortgage-back! ed securi! ties trusts issued between 2005 and 2008 by JPMorgan and Bear Stearns, the investment bank and brokerage it acquired during the financial crisis. Similar securities sold by Washington Mutual were not included, however.

JPMorgan also admitted wrongdoing and was fined more than $1 billion to settle investigations by five oversight agencies of the bank's "London whale" trading debacle. The bank initially asserted the trades, which racked up $6.2 billion in losses, had been a hedge against risk. But the strategy instead became proprietary trading for JPMorgan's benefit that was partly funded with federally insured deposits.

A securities class-action lawsuit filed by shareholders over the London whale case is among several pending legal actions faced by the bank. The public employee pension funds serving as lead plaintiffs in that case allege they lost as much as $52 million based on JPMorgan's conduct.

Beware of Typhoon Disaster-Relief Scams

If you're considering donating to relief efforts for victims of the Philippines typhoon disaster, watch out for con artists trying to prey on your generosity. The Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau are warning consumers to beware of scams related to Typhoon Haiyan and to make sure their donations are going to reputable organizations.

SEE ALSO: How to Avoid Obamacare Scams

Here are tips to help you recognize scams and to make sure your money goes toward legitimate causes:

-- Give to an established charity. The FTC warns against giving to charities that have sprung up just to deal with the recent typhoon. Instead, look for charities with a track record of dealing with this sort of disaster or working in the Philippines. You can find a list of charities providing relief in the Philippines and links to their sites on CharityNavigator.org.

-- Don't click on links to charities in texts or e-mails because they may take you to fraudulent sites or download malware onto your computer. Although legitimate charities can receive donations by text message, they usually do not send out unsolicited requests by text message or e-mail, according to Scambook, a complaint resolution site.

-- Beware bogus charity sites. Criminals often set up Web sites using legitimate charities' names in an attempt to steal money or personal information from donors, according to Charity Navigator. You can find links to charities' authorized sites on CharityNavigator.org.

-- Watch out for social media appeals. Don't assume charity recommendations on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites have been vetted, the BBB warns. Do your own research before giving to make sure a charity is legitimate and will use funds wisely. About 40 of the 50 states require charities to register with a state government agency -- usually the state attorney general's office. Or you can check out a charity at BBB.org.

-- Be wary of appeals that are long on emotion and vague on details because a legitimate charity will tell you how funds will be used to address the tragedies.

-- Don't give cash. The FTC recommends that you pay by check (made out to the charity, not the person raising funds) or by credit card for security and tax-record purposes.

-- Ask for a receipt showing the amount of your donation and stating that it is tax-deductible.

Weekly 3-Year Low Highlight: EXC, RVBD, IRWD, SHOS

According to GuruFocus list of 3-year lows, Exelon Corp, Riverbed Technology Inc, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and SEARS HOMETOWN have all recently reached their three year lows.

Exelon Corp (EXC) Reached the 3-year Low of $27.96

The prices of Exelon Corp (EXC) shares have declined to close to the 3-year low of $27.96, which is 39.3% off the 3-year high of $45.45.

Exelon Corp has a market cap of $23.95 billion; its shares were traded at around $27.96 with a P/E ratio of 21.00 and P/S ratio of 0.96. The dividend yield of Exelon Corp stocks is 5.97%. Exelon Corp had an annual average earnings growth of 4.30% over the past 10 years.

Exelon Corp has released its second quarter 2013 results. The company reported GAAP net income of $490 million compared to income of $286 million in the second quarter of 2012.

1 Guru Increased Positions: HOTCHKIS & WILEY owns 14,208,753 shares as of 06/30/2013, an increase of 23.43% from the previous quarter. This position accounts for 2.2% of the $20.06 billion portfolio of Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC.

Riverbed Technology, Inc. (RVBD) Reached the 3-year Low of $13.89

The prices of Riverbed Technology, Inc. (RVBD) shares have declined to close to the 3-year low of $13.89, which is 70.2% off the 3-year high of $44.70.

Riverbed Technology, Inc. has a market cap of $2.28 billion; its shares were traded at around $13.89 with a P/E ratio of 479.10 and P/S ratio of 2.38. Riverbed Technology, Inc. had an annual average earnings growth of 126.20% over the past 5 years.

Riverbed Technology has reported second quarter 2013 results ended June 30, 2013. GAAP revenue for the quarter was $250 million, compared to $198 million prior year quarter. GAAP net loss was $16.5 million compared to income of $18.1 million last year. Non-GAAP income was $36.6 million compared to $37.3 million in the same quarter of 2012.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IRWD) Reached the 3-year Low of $10.02

The prices of Ironwood Pharmac! euticals, Inc. (IRWD) shares have declined to close to the 3-year low of $10.02, which is 51.0% off the 3-year high of $19.67.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a market cap of $1.21 billion; its shares were traded at around $10.02 with and P/S ratio of 8.03.

In its third quarter of 2013, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals generated revenues of $4.9 million, and reported a net loss of $61.8 million ($0.51 per share).

1 Guru Increased Positions: Vanguard Health Care Fund owns 3,238,136 shares as of 06/30/2013, an increase of 48.42% from the previous quarter.

SEARS HOMETOWN (SHOS) Reached the 3-year Low of $28.84

The prices of SEARS HOMETOWN (SHOS) shares have declined to close to the 3-year low of $28.84, which is 51.3% off the 3-year high of $57.44.

Sears Hometown has a market cap of $425.100 million; its shares were traded at around $28.84 with a P/E ratio of 15.60 and P/S ratio of 0.20.

Sears Hometown reported second quarter 2013 net income decrease of 57% to $9.1 million from $21.1 million in the same quarter of last year. Comparable store sales decreased 1.8% year-over-year.

1 Guru Increased Positions: Whitney Tilson owns 47,059 shares as of 06/30/2013, an increase of 14.8% from the previous quarter.

1 Guru Reduced Positions: Edward Lampert owns 5,786,416 shares as of 06/30/2013, a decrease of 36.32% of from the previous quarter.

Go here for the complete list of 3-year lows.

Related links:GuruFocus list of 3-year lowsVanguard Health Care Fund

Three Small Cap Stocks Going for Highs or Withdrawals: AEGY, REFG & PGSY

On Monday, small cap marijuana stocks Alternative Energy Partners Inc (OTCBB: AEGY) and Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTCMKTS: REFG) surged 117.86% and 17.95%, respectively, while tech stock Portlogic Systems Inc (OTCMKTS: PGSY) sank 20%. However, it appears that only one of these small cap stocks has been the subject of disclosed paid promotions or investor relation activities. So what will these three small caps do today and the rest of the week? Here is a quick look to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:

Alternative Energy Partners Inc (OTCBB: AEGY) Surged 117.86% and Has Plans Focused on Medical Marijuana

Despite the name, small cap Alternative Energy Partners is apparently in control of PharmaJanes which allows individuals to purchase medical marijuana through a website and smart phone application anywhere such a transaction is legal in the United States. On Monday, Alternative Energy Partners surged 117.86% to $0.0061 for a market cap of $13.21 million plus AEGY is up 662.5% over the past year and down 97.1% since April 2011 according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Alternative Energy Partners Inc? According to various disclosures, no transactions have occurred to mention Alternative Energy Partners in various investment newsletters and there is no recent news from the company. In fact, the most recent press release from Alternative Energy Partners dates from September to announce the launch of the beta version of http://www.pharmajanes.com – its website for delivery of medical marijuana products. As of September, the PharmaJanes beta platform was only available online with the mobile application set to follow after the official launch of the online platform. Otherwise and according to the latest Form 10-Q filed on December 23rd, the company agreed to acquire the PharmaJanesTM marketing operation from iEquity Corp. back in May 2013 and will be changing its business model to focus purely in the medical marijuana marketing space. In addition, AEGY will be changing its name to PharmaJanes, Inc. Otherwise, someone by the name of Mario Barrera currently serves as Chairman, President and CEO and sole officer and the company has no paid employees – relying instead on paid consultants to provide necessary services. A look at Alternative Energy Partners' financials reveals revenues of zero (most recent reported quarter), –$3k, $1k and $1k for the past four quarters along not income of $230k (most recent reported quarter) and net losses of $2,954k, $51k and $452k. At the end of October, Alternative Energy Partners had $2,031k in current liabilities and $237k in long term debt. So while investors or traders got a high on Monday (and last Friday as well), it does not look like a sustainable high.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTCMKTS: REFG) Wants to Provide Bank and Payment Accessibility to Marijuana Dispensaries

Small cap Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions' mission is to provide end-to-end management, across multiple management systems, for medicinal marijuana operations. On Monday, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions rose 17.95% to $0.230 for a market cap of $75.23 million plus REFG is down 89.1% over the past year and down 99.96% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions? According to various disclosures, transactions of $2k, $5k and $15k have or will occur to mention Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions in various investment newsletters. Last Wednesday, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions announced that New York Times best-selling author Dr. Wess Roberts, who has also been an executive with Fortune 500 companies, member of various boards, professor, author and retired Army officer, has accepted a position on the Advisory Board of Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions. In addition, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions announced it had initiated their project to provide bank and payment accessibility to dispensaries and care providers. Apparently, Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions is pushing its legal and professional advisers to identify new structures that have the potential to allow medical cannabis industry participants to alleviate concerns about federal money-laundering restrictions. Otherwise, the last important news from Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions came in October when the company announced new additions to its sales force. A quick look at Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions' financials reveals no revenues; net losses of $22k (most recent reported quarter), $5k and $51k for the first three quarters of 2013; and $35k in cash to cover $36k in current liabilities at the end of last September. So investors should probably wait for more financials to appear to see if the company has made any progress.

Portlogic Systems Inc (OTCMKTS: PGSY) Has Recently Announced New Offerings

Small cap Portlogic Systems is a telecom solutions provider, and mobile and Internet software developer and solutions provider for electronic payments, ticketing and marketing delivery and community communication systems. On Monday, Portlogic Systems sank 20% to $0.0160 for a market cap of $3.30 million plus PGSY is down 40.7% over the past year and down 97.3% since March 2010 according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Portlogic Systems? According to various disclosures, no transactions have occurred to mention Portlogic Systems in various investment newsletters. Portlogic Systems has also been quiet since November when it announced its mobile cloud CRM offering in collaboration with JBBMobile. However, its not clear just what Portlogic Systems' role is beyond working with "JBBMobile's dedicated team to provide on-going support and training to increase customer satisfaction, improve response times and productivity, resulting in sales." In September, Portlogic Systems announced Beta testing had concluded for FAMILIES, a privatized customizable social media family network site that was ready to launch with the CEO commenting: "We are proud and excited to offer FAMILIES which we believe may be one of the best sites currently on the market for organizing family memories and sharing special moments." A quick look at Portlogic Systems' financials reveals revenues of $41k, $563k, $482k and $117k for the past four reported quarters along with net losses of $51k (most recent reported quarter), $45k, $55k and $61k. At the end of November, Portlogic Systems had no cash and $64k in receivables to cover $401k in payables and $1,022k in total current liabilities. So investors might want to wait for more news and financials.

Why You Should Start Your Holiday Shopping Now

You might be making a costly mistake if you plan to wait until Black Friday -- the day after Thanksgiving -- or even December to start your holiday shopping. Sure, plenty of retailers offer great discounts on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the weeks leading up to Christmas. But consumer-spending experts say that there are several reasons to start your holiday shopping now.

SEE ALSO: 15 Web Sites for Finding Deals Online

You can spread out your gift-shopping budget. Rather than deal a major blow to your budget by cramming all of your holiday shopping into one month, you can lessen the impact by spreading out your purchases over several weeks, says Trae Bodge, senior editor of coupon site RetailMeNot.com. Crafting a gift list now with dollar limits for each purchase also can help you figure out whether you need to cut back on other expenses over the coming weeks to avoid going into debt to fund your holiday shopping. See How to Save $1,000 by Black Friday for ways to trim your spending or earn extra cash.

You have more time to locate deals. Three in five consumers plan to shop on Black Friday, according to the Valpak 2013 Holiday Research survey, when many retailers have big sales. But you often can find great deals on many items before the long Thanksgiving weekend, says Lynette Rice, founder of CleverlySimple.com.

A lot of stores already are releasing Black Friday ads with sale prices or lists of items that will be on sale. Rice says that she checks the Black Friday sale prices for items on her list, then looks online for coupon codes or deals to get as close to those prices as possible in October or early November. You can find Black Friday ads at sites such as BFAds.net. Compare prices at PriceGrabber.com and Google Product Search. Find coupon codes at CouponCabin.com, RetailMeNot.com and Savings.com. And you can sign up to receive e-mails from retailers to be alerted when they have sales or download their mobile apps to be notified when you're in a store if discounts are available.

Bodge says you'll find plenty of deals on apparel, small appliances and toys now. Although many electronics will be deeply discounted around Black Friday, you'll find equally good deals the first two weeks of November, according to an analysis by Savings.com.

You won't get caught up in the hype. By shopping on Black Friday, consumers often get swept up in the excitement and buy things that aren't even on their holiday shopping lists just because they think they're getting a deal, Rice says. Consumers also assume that they're getting the best price on everything on Black Friday, Bodge says, but that's not always the case. The big draw of Black Friday sales are door-buster items that are limited in number and priced incredibly low. Consumers who aren't the first in the door to snag those deals often will continue shopping even though they weren't able to buy the item they really wanted, Bodge says. They'll end up buying things that aren't on sale or marked down much.

You avoid the last-minute rush. A RetailMeNot.com survey found that more than 90% of respondents reported overspending by waiting until the last minute to do their holiday shopping, Bodge says. That's because as the holidays get closer, the priority for consumers becomes crossing items off their shopping lists and not getting the best price, Rice says. With six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas than last year, she says that it's especially important to plan ahead this holiday season.

Do you mainly depend on past performance before you invest?

While investing in stocks, bonds and mutual funds, past performance becomes a strong input in making investment decisions. Question is should you keep on relying on it excessively or are there other indicators available to investors, on which they can rely on to make investment decisions.

While looking at past performance look at the future too...

However, for a lay investor, it will not be easy, as the famous economist, John Keynes had said, in the long run we are dead. As investment in stocks and mutual funds are normally long term, investors may use this indicator too to support their past performance data.

Past Performance is one of the factors to be considered before taking the investment decision and past performance is not the only factor to be considered. Are you relying mainly or only on the past performance?  It is like looking at the rear view mirror and driving. You are headed towards a fatal accident.

What are all the other factors to be considered before looking at the past performance?

Diversify your portfolio...

There is an old saying. Never put all your eggs in one basket. In today's risk management language it is called concentration risk. In fact in banks, concentration risk is considered one of the most important credit risk factors for the bank.

Reserve Bank of India , as a policy measure, have recommended banks to strictly follow exposure norms, i.e., not to lend a borrower or a group of borrower or in a particular industry or business or financial instrument or geographical location beyond a certain percentage of the capital of the bank.

Investors may take an important lesson from this guidance of the Reserve Bank while deciding on the composition of their investment portfolio. To spread the investment in to different segments of business, industry, types of instruments, and then may invest.

Have a judicious mix of equity, debt and precious metal in your portfolio...

If you are less than 40 years, you may have a mix of portfolio, where equity would be say 50 percent, Debt 30 percent precious metals and other investment 20 percent. As you advance in age the equity portion will reduce and others should increase.

In India, the returns on equities in the last 40 years have outstripped far higher compared to all other investment options. But, please remember, return on equity should be always expected in the long run.

Factor in time diversification... 

Market or business cycles vary from industry to industry, business to business. Also business cycles should be also factored in to for long term.. Longer the time period we take and more businesses or industries we diversify, the peaks and lows of business cycle even out.

Investors would definitely argue, if we only invest in the long run, what about short term fund requirements. For short term investment bank FDs, and income funds are the best instruments. For income funds you may check the duration of the income funds, and match the duration of the income fund with your investment time horizon.

Say if your investment time horizon is 1 year you may choose an income fund with duration of approximately 1 year.

You need to diversify your investments across different time horizons like long term, medium term, short term, and ultra short term. So that your portfolio will participate in different stock market cycles and interest rate cycles and generate better return by reducing the overall risk.

To neutralise the over dependence on past performance of your stocks/ bonds/ mutual funds, the above options will be helpful to give a good return on your investments while minimsing the associated risks.

The author is Ramalingam K, CFP CM is the Chief Financial Planner at holisticinvestment.in, a leading Financial Planning and Wealth Management company

Old Navy To Give Away $1 Million On Black Friday

Forget about opening early on Thanksgiving as a way to draw holiday shoppers. Gap (NYSE: GPS) division Old Navy will give one shopper $1 million on Black Friday. Clothing retailers with stores near Old Navy ones may as well shutter their doors that day. In detail:

Old Navy announced today it will give away $1 million to one lucky shopper this year on Black Friday. The first 500 shoppers at every Old Navy store in North America when it opens for Black Friday shopping will be given a chance to win the $1 million jackpot in the "Overnight Millionaire" sweepstakes during the brand's biggest sale of the year.

The plan raises the ante in what is already a remarkably high stakes game to draw shoppers over the Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend. Tactics already announced by large retailers Walmart (NYSE: WMT), J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP), and KMart are to open doors for most of Thanksgiving. The KMart plan has drawn public protests over concerns that employees will not be with their families. Those workers, might, however, make time and a half or double time.

The Old Navy decision is not a direct threat to full service retailers, but for niche clothiers, particularly targeting young people, the sweepstakes could trigger problems. Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) have already been bludgeoned due to a forecast of falling sales and a plan to close stores. Its shares trade at $33, near the 52-week low and well off the 52-week high of just above $55.  And, smaller rival American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) recently revised its earnings forecasts higher for the current quarter due to better margins. Its shares, however, remain near one year lows.

The Old Navy plan may cause enough interest that its rivals have to offer similar programs. Like the “open early on Thanksgiving” ploy, once one retailer tries to use it as an advantage, its rivals often believe they must follow.

For those planning to win the money, read the fine print

For “Overnight Millionaire,” the first 500 people to line up at each store when it opens for Black Friday shopping will receive a game card giving them a chance to win the sweepstakes. More than 700 stores will open at 7 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving, November 28 (store hours may vary, check local store for details). The winner will be randomly selected on November 29 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET. Full rules can be found at https://oldnavy.promo.eprize.com/million/.

Now the Venaxis Spring is De-Coiling, & That's Good News (APPY)

To tell the truth, I'm not the least bit surprised that I'm chiming in on Venaxis Inc. (NASDAQ:APPY) today. It was a stock I dissected just two days ago (on Tuesday - here's that chat), pointing out how all the telltale signs of bullishness were brewing. Sure enough, APPY popped on Wednesday, and as a result has gone from a mere potential big mover to an actual mover.

Just to get everyone up to speed, APPY had been getting squeezed into a narrower and narrower trading range. In fact, that range had been whittled down to a mere ten cents, which just isn't enough room for a $1.40 stock like Venaxis Inc. to comfortably move around in. Something had to give soon, and given that the market had been squeezing in on shares for a little over a month, there's was a lot of pent-up energy to unleash.

Well, as of yesterday, Venaxis has broken out of that narrowing range - bullishly - and at the same time has broken above the 100-day moving average line (gray), which had been a nagging resistance area since late July.

That 'unleashing' action alone was enough for me to go ahead and fall in love with APPY, but today's action seals the deal. Today, shares are following through, up five cents (+3.0%) so far, telling us yesterday's surge wasn't just a little volatility. Take a look.

Bolstering the bullish argument is the fact that volume poured into Venaxis Inc. shares on Wednesday. The 1.8 million shares that traded hands - most of it buying volume - yesterday was the most interest we'd seen in the stock in weeks, and in light of the multi-week buildup we've seen [APPY has been moving higher for months, in fits and starts] since June, it's the culmination of a lot of bullish undertows that have been working hard to finally converge at this point. Now that they're all converged, Venaxis is ready to go from good to great.

As for a target, well, this isn't necessarily a long-term call on APPY. Though we should get some good traction now that the taut slingshot has been released, the rally's apt to slow down, if not stop, around $2.25. That was a turbulent area earlier in the year. The $3.00 mark was a firm ceiling in the last half of last year if shares do manage to break past $2.25. Still, that's a pretty good move, and worth a shot.

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Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now

NEW YORK (AP) ��Edgar M. Bronfman Sr., the billionaire businessman and longtime president of the World Jewish Congress, which lobbied the Soviets to allow Jews to emigrate and helped spearhead the search for hidden Nazi loot, died Saturday. He was 84.

The Canadian-born Bronfman died at his New York home surrounded by family, according to the family charity he led, The Samuel Bronfman Foundation.

Bronfman made his fortune with his family's Seagram's liquor empire, taking over as chairman and CEO in 1971 and continuing the work of his father, Samuel. Under Bronfman's leadership, Seagram expanded its offerings and was eventually acquired by French media and telecom group Vivendi Universal in 2000.

But Bronfman's wealth, combined with his role in the World Jewish Congress, an umbrella group of Jewish organizations in some 80 countries that he led for more than a quarter century, allowed him to be a tireless advocate for his fellow Jews.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(RCL)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

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

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: EMCOR Group Inc. (EME)

EMCOR Group, Inc. provides electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services primarily to commercial, industrial, utility, and institutional customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers various electrical and mechanical systems, including electric power transmission and distribution systems, such as power cables, conduits, distribution panels, transformers, generators, uninterruptible power supply systems, and related switch gear and controls; premises electrical and lighting systems, including fixtures and controls; low-voltage systems comprising fire alarms, and security and process control systems; voice and data communications systems, including fiber-optic and low-voltage cabling systems; and roadway and transit lighting and fiber-optic lines. It also provides heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection systems; plumbing, processing, and piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; cranes and rigging; millwrighting; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding systems. In addition, the company offers facilities services comprising industrial maintenance and services; outage services to utilities and industrial plants; commercial and government site-based operations and maintenance; military base operations support; mobile mechanical maintenance and services; floor care and janitorial; landscaping, lot sweeping, and snow removal; facilities and vendor management; call center; building systems installation and support; and technical consulting and diagnostic services. Further, it provides small modification and retrofit projects; retrofit projects; and program development, management, and maintenance services for energy systems. EMCOR Group, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  EMCOR Group (NYSE: EME  ) is growing the old-fashioned way -- with the purchase of outside assets. The company announced�that it will acquire the privately held RepconStrickland, a Texas-based firm it describes as "a leading provider of recurring turnaround and specialty services to the North American refinery and petrochemical markets."

• [By Seth Jayson]

  When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to EMCOR Group (NYSE: EME  ) .

Top Consumer Stocks For 2015: Higher One Holdings Inc.(ONE)

Higher One Holdings, Inc. provides technology and payment services in the United States. It offers a suite of disbursement and payment solutions for higher education institutions and their students. The company provides OneDisburse Refund Management product that offers higher education institutional clients with a technology service for streamlining the student refund disbursement process. It also offers CASHNet Payment suite that includes software-as-a-service products and services, such as ePayment to securely accept online payments for tuition, charges, and fees from students through credit card, pinless debit, and ACH; eBill to automate payer billing and processing functions; MyPaymentPlan to personalize students? payment plans; eMarket that allows academic, athletic, and other departments to take alumni donations, sell event tickets and other merchandise, and accept payments of event and conference registration fees; and Cashiering to operate and manage cashiering fu nctions, back office payments, and campus-wide departmental deposits. In addition, the company provides OneDisburse ID, which offers an option to combine the company?s debit card with the institution?s ID cards; OneDisburse Payroll to distribute payroll and other employee-related payments; OneDisburse PLUS product to distribute Parent PLUS loan refunds to parents on behalf of the school; and Financial Intelligence to students with an online class. Further, it provides student-oriented banking services to campus communities. Additionally, the company offers OneAccount product for students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni, with an FDIC-insured online checking account and a debit MasterCard ATM card. Higher One Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 business services player that looks poised for a run higher is Higher One (ONE), which provides technology-based refund disbursement, payment processing and data analytics services to higher education institutions and students. It also provides banking services to campus communities. This stock has been hit hard by the bears so far in 2013, with shares down by 26%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Higher One, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last three months, with shares plunging from its high of $11.93 to its recent low of $6.97 a share. During that downtrend, shares of ONE were consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of ONE have recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $7.05 to $6.97 a share. This stock has now started to rebound sharply off that double bottom and move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ONE if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $7.85 a share and then once it clears its 50-day moving average at $8.11 a 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 action of 196,360 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ONE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9 to its 200-day moving average of $9.77 a share. This stock could even tag $11 a share if that 200-day gets taken out with volume.

  Traders can look to buy ONE off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $7.39 a share, or below $7 a share. One can also buy ONE off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [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 Higher One Holdings (NYSE: ONE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [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 Higher One Holdings (NYSE: ONE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Silvercorp Metals Inc(SVM)

Silvercorp Metals Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of silver mineral properties in China and Canada. The company holds interests in four silver, lead, and zinc mines, including the Ying Project, the HPG Project, the TLP Project, and the LM Project at the Ying Mining Camp in the Henan Province of China. It also holds interests in the GC Project, a silver, lead, and zinc mine in the Guangdong Province; and the BYP gold, lead, and zinc mine project in Hunan province, as well as the Silvertip silver, lead, and zinc mine project in northern British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as SKN Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Silvercorp Metals Inc. in May 2005. Silvercorp Metals Inc. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Silvercorp Metals (NYSE: SVM) shares fell 1.30% to touch a new 52-week low of $2.19. Silvercorp's PEG ratio is 5.18.

  Bancolombia SA (NYSE: CIB) shares touched a new 52-week low of $47.94. Bancolombia's trailing-twelve-month ROA is 1.45%.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership, operation, management, development, acquisition, and redevelopment of properties for the life sciences industry. Its properties consist of buildings containing scientific research and development laboratories, and other improvements. The company offers its properties for lease primarily to universities and independent not-for-profit institutions; and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, life science product, service, biodefense, and translational research entities, as well as governmental agencies. As of December 31, 2006, it had 159 properties, including 156 properties located in 9 states in the United States and 3 properties located in Canada. As a REIT, the company is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes 100% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Pasadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (ARE) announced on Tuesday that its board has approved a 4.6% increase to its quarterly dividend.

  The firm has raised its dividend from 65 cents to 68 cents per share, or $2.72 annually. The dividend will be paid on October 15 to shareholders of record on September 30. The stock will go ex-dividend on September 26.

  Alexandria Real Estate Equities shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Tuesday. The stock is down 9% YTD.

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Owens Realty Mortgage's competitors include American Assets Trust (AAT), Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) and Boston Properties (BXP). American Assets Trust has seen five insider buy transactions and four insider sell transactions this year. American Assets Trust has a dividend yield of 2.78%. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has seen 14 insider sell transactions this year. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a dividend yield of 4.10%. Boston Properties has seen one insider buy transaction and four insider sell transactions this year. Boston Properties has a dividend yield of 2.43%.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Enbridge Inc(ENB)

Enbridge Inc. engages in the transportation and distribution of crude oil and natural gas primarily in Canada and the United States. Its Liquids Pipelines segment operates common carrier and contract crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and refined products pipelines and terminals. The company?s Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers primarily in central and eastern Ontario, northern New York State, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Enbridge?s Gas Pipelines, Processing and Energy Services segment invests in natural gas pipelines, processing and green energy projects, and commodity marketing businesses, as well as performs commodity storage, transport, and supply management services. Its Sponsored Investments segment transports crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons through common carrier and feeder pipelines, as well as transports, gathers, processes, and markets natural gas and NGLs; operates a crude oil and liqui ds pipeline and gathering system; and owns a 50% interest in the Canadian portion of Alliance Pipeline and partial interests in various green energy investments. The company was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The need for more energy infrastructure in the U.S. has become much greater in recent years, given booms in production in areas across the country. Through its Seaway pipeline joint venture with Enbridge (NYSE: ENB  ) , Enterprise controls a key link between the Gulf Coast's major refining hub and the pipeline-network hub in Cushing, a small town between Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Today, many newly discovered unconventional sources are very light, sweet, and easy to refine. Since our Gulf Coast refineries are still geared toward heavy, sour crudes, we will continue to import that grade to use in these facilities. In fact, one type of crude oil that is strikingly similar to�Venezuelan�and Mexican crudes is Canadian oil sands. Canadian oil sands are in�desperate�need of refineries capable of treating this heavy mix, and Gulf of Mexico refineries are just the type of refinery these crudes need. This is the driving force for Canadian pipeline companies TransCanada (NYSE: TRP  ) and Enbridge (NYSE: ENB  ) expanding their takeaway capacity to the Gulf through the Keystone XL and the Trunkline conversion, respectively.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  Enbridge Inc. (ENB) operates as an energy transportation and distribution company in the United States and Canada. Dec. 4, the company increased its quarterly dividend 16.7% to $0.35 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to shareholders of record on Feb. 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.4%.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Weatherford International Ltd(WFT)

Weatherford International Ltd. provides equipment and services used in the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. It offers artificial lift systems, which include reciprocating rod lift systems, progressing cavity pumps, gas lift systems, hydraulic lift systems, plunger lift systems, hybrid lift systems, wellhead systems, and multiphase metering systems. The company also provides drilling services, including directional drilling, ?Secure Drilling? services, well testing, drilling-with-casing and drilling-with-liner systems, and surface logging systems; and well construction services, such as tubular running services, cementing products, liner systems, swellable products, solid tubular expandable technologies, and inflatable products and accessories. In addition, it designs and manufactures drilling jars, underreamers, rotating control devices, and other pressure-control equipment used in drilling oil and nat ural gas wells; and offers a selection of in-house or third-party manufactured equipment for the drilling, completion, and work over of oil and natural gas wells for operators and drilling contractors, as well as a line of completion tools and sand screens. Further, the company provides wireline and evaluation services; and re-entry, fishing, and thru-tubing services, as well as well abandonment and wellbore cleaning services; stimulation and chemicals, including fracturing and coiled tubing technologies, cement services, chemical systems, and drilling fluids; integrated drilling services; and pipeline and specialty services. It serves independent oil and natural gas producing companies. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dr. Kent Moors]

  That's why some of the biggest OFS providers - like Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) and Weatherford International (NYSE: WFT) - have been buying up oil and gas equipment companies.

• [By Taylor Muckerman]

  Improperly hunting for tax havens
  While in the midst of reconciling tax-accounting issues, Weatherford International� (NYSE: WFT  ) came under SEC investigation for potentially selling goods to sanctioned Iran and Syria back in March 2012. The stock has yet to recover and has traded down 20.6% since March 16, 2012, while the S&P 500 is up 15% and rival Halliburton is up 23.9% over the same time frame.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: The shares of Weatherford International (NYSE: WFT  ) were getting a lift today, climbing as much as 10% after posting first-quarter results last night.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Prestige Brand Holdings Inc.(PBH)

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in marketing, selling, and distributing over-the-counter healthcare and household cleaning products primarily in North America. The company?s Over-The-Counter Healthcare segment offers a portfolio of OTC products under nine core OTC brands, including Chloraseptic sore throat remedies, Clear Eyes eye drops, Compound W wart removers, Dramamine motion sickness products, Efferdent and Effergrip denture products, Little Remedies pediatric healthcare products, Luden's cough drops, PediaCare pediatric healthcare products, and The Doctor?s brand of oral care products. This segment also provides other significant brands that include Dermoplast first-aid products, Murine eye and ear care products, NasalCrom allergy relief product, New-Skin liquid bandage, and Wartner wart removers. Its Household Cleaning segment markets household cleaning products, such as abrasive and non-abrasive tub and tile cleaner, scrubb ing pads and sponges, dilutables, anti-bacterial hard surface spray for counter tops, and glass cleaners under the Comet, Chore Boy, and Spic and Span brands. Prestige Brands Holdings distributes its products through various retail channels, including drug, food, dollar, and club stores, as well as supermarkets and mass merchandisers. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Irvington, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Castor believes the cash has disappeared into working capital, which has grown from 23% to more than 50% since 2008. Comparable company Prestige�Brand (PBH) uses 11%; Unilever�(UL) and Colgate-Palmolive�(CL) far less.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: (AUQ)

AuRico Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of gold and silver projects and properties in Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Its principal property includes the Ocampo mine covering approximately 15,000 hectares located in Chihuahua State. The company was formerly known as Gammon Gold Inc. and changed its name to AuRico Gold Inc. in June 2011. AuRico Gold Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Gold miner�AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ  ) announced today�its second-quarter dividend of $0.04 per share, the second dividend payment it's made since initiating the program earlier this year.�The board of directors said the quarterly dividend is payable on July 29 to the holders of record at the close of business on July 15.�

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Brookfield Office Properties Inc. (BPO)

Brookfield Properties Corporation is a publicly owned real estate investment firm. The firm engages in the ownership, development, and management of premier commercial properties. It also provides ancillary real estate service businesses, such as tenant service and amenities. The firm invests in the real estate markets of the United States with a focus on North American cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Calgary, Denver, and Minneapolis. It primarily invests in properties and development sites predominantly office buildings. The firm operates as a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. It was formerly known as Carena-Bancorp Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Le Holding Carena-Bancorp Inc. in 1978. The company further changed its name to Carena-Bancorp, Inc. in 1985; to Carena Developments Limited in 1989; and to Brookfield Properties Corporation in 1996. Brookfield Properties was founded in 1923 and is based in New York, New York wi th an additional office in Toronto, Canada

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Brookfield Office Properties (NYSE: BPO) got a boost, closing up 13.71 percent to $19.07 after Brookfield Property Partners (NYSE: BPY) proposed to acquire Brookfield Office Properties for $19.34 per share.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Brookfield Office Properties (NYSE: BPO) got a boost, shooting up 13.45 percent to $19.02 after Brookfield Property Partners (NYSE: BPY) proposed to acquire Brookfield Office Properties for $19.34 per share.

• [By Mike Arnold]

  Brookfield's public assets include a 21% stake (and potentially more given certain warrants held by Brookfield) in General Growth Properties (GGP), a 51% stake in Brookfield Office Properties (BPO), a 36% stake (again, more if certain warrants are exercised) in Rouse Properties (RSE) and 21% stake in Canary Wharf Group Plc, which is majority owned by Songbird Estates Plc (SBEPF.PK).

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

New Gold Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of mineral properties. The company primarily explore for gold, silver, and copper deposits. Its operating properties include the Mesquite gold mine in the United States; the Cerro San Pedro gold-silver mine in Mexico; and the Peak gold-copper mine in Australia. The company also has development projects, including the New Afton gold, silver, and copper project in Canada; and a 30% interest in the El Morro copper-gold project in Chile. The company was formerly known as DRC Resources Corporation and changed its name to New Gold Inc. in June 2005. New Gold Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Even bad news has failed to dent the rise in gold stocks today. NewGold (NGD), for instance, has gained 1.8% to $7.49 despite the fact that the wall of one of its mines collapsed. The Wall Street Journal has the details:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Hamed singles out Goldcorp (GG) and Yamana Gold (AUY) as two companies that have strong production growth, falling costs, declining capital obligations and less debt than competitors. New Gold (NGD), meanwhile, should have the lowest all-on costs in the group at $731 an ounce, but its capital spending is likely to notes, Hamed says. Hamed rates Goldcorp and Yamana Overweight, while New Gold is rated Equal Weight.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

  Note, however, that these recommendations are all qualified in one way or another. Investors should keep that in mind before going all in on the gold miners.

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

Goldcorp Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of precious metal properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. It produces and sells gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. The company was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Many in the investment community have been sounding the warning bells over the future direction of gold, given all that's occurring in the global macroeconomic landscape. Using the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) as a proxy, the yellow metal is down more than 17% this year, and the 12-year rally for the commodity looks to be in real jeopardy. While industry insiders, like Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) President and Chief Executive Office Chuck Jeannes, believe the rally will continue, there are some grim signs.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  This past quarter was terrible for gold. In fact, it was the once-shiny metal's worst quarter in almost 50 years, and its price plunged 23%. That made for a rough quarter for gold miners, including Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , which reports its latest quarterly results on July 25. Does this mean investors are in for a dull quarter?

• [By Hebba Investments]

  Either way we believe that despite the gold rise, the COMEX inventory situation is still very bullish for investors in physical gold and the gold ETFs (GLD, CEF, and PHYS). They may also consider buying gold-focused miners such as Randgold (GOLD), Goldcorp (GG), and Barrick Gold (ABX).

Top Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hudbay Minerals Inc (HBM)

HudBay Minerals Inc., an integrated mining company, engages in the exploration and development of copper, zinc, and precious metals mines in North and South America. It primarily produces copper concentrates containing copper, gold, and silver; and zinc metal. The company principally owns underground 777 mine that covers an area of 4,400 hectares and is located in Flin Flon, Manitoba. It also owns ore concentrators and a zinc production facility in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Dan, however, does believe CEO Randy Smallwood has the experience necessary to deal with these challenges. Strategies may include obtaining better terms from existing partners such as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) , Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , and Hudbay Minerals (NYSE: HBM  ) on future contracts.

• [By Sean Williams]

  In August, Silver Wheaton reached its most recent deal with HudBay Minerals (NYSE: HBM  ) , securing the rights to its silver production at a low fixed-cost of $5.90 per ounce and 100% of its gold production at its 777 mine through at least 2016 for $400 an ounce In return, Silver Wheaton will fork over up to $750 million in cash for the buildout of HudBay's Constancia mine. Even with the tumble metal prices took this week, Silver Wheaton's margins will continue to remain fat with gold hovering near $1,400 an ounce and silver near $23 an ounce, and its dividend could still head even higher.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now

If you are looking to play for strength in the auto market, Gentex (GNTX), Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) may be your ride. R.L. Polk recently reported that the average age of a vehicle on U.S. roads is a record 11.4 years. The average age has increased eleven consecutive years. Although auto manufactures have improved the quality and longevity of vehicles and fuel prices are historically high, replacement needs should be a supportive factor for auto parts manufactures. The need to replace an aging vehicle fleet played out in July vehicle sales which rose 10.9% year over year to a 16.1 mlu rate. Before the Great Recession, U.S. vehicle sales were able to touch an 18.0 mlu rate.

Background on Gentex:

Simply put Gentex manufactures rear view and side view mirrors which enhance the safety of driving. Furthermore, it recently purchased Homelink to enable drivers to communicate with their home security systems, lightening, door locks, and other radio frequency products. Gentex also has operations which manufacture dimming windows for the aerospace industry and fire protection products. These operations are very small sources of revenue at 2%, but they have shown extremely fast growth over the last year.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Sara Lee Corporation(SLE)

Sara Lee Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of a range of branded packaged meat, bakery, and beverage products worldwide. Its packaged meat products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, sandwiches and bowls, smoked and dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, bacon, beef, turkey, and cooked ham. It also offers frozen baked products, which comprise frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, and other desserts. In addition, Sara Lee provides roast, ground, and liquid coffee; cappuccinos; lattes; and hot and iced teas, as well as refrigerated dough products. The company sells its products under Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, State Fair, Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Maison du Caf

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Plenty of companies operate behind a business moat, which makes it hard for competitors to steal their thunder. Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) made its moat a mile wide, filled it with boiling acid, and populated it with mutant alligators.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

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

Best Casino Stocks To Watch For 2015: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

TrueBlue, Inc. provides temporary blue-collar staffing services in the United States. It supplies on demand general labor to various industries under the Labor Ready brand; skilled labor to manufacturing and logistics industries under the Spartan Staffing brand; and trades people for commercial, industrial, and residential construction, and building and plant maintenance industries under the CLP Resources brand. The company also provides mechanics and technicians to the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerospace manufacturing, and assembly industries, as well as to other transportation industries under the Plane Techs brand; and temporary drivers to the transportation and distribution industries under the Centerline brand. It primarily serves small and medium-size businesses. The company was formerly known as Labor Ready, Inc. and changed its name to TrueBlue, Inc. in December 2007. TrueBlue, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  When looking at small cap stocks, it is useful to compare the company with others that have expanded in both share price and size. For those considering investing in the $100 billion staffing industry, the growth of TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) shows what could be the potential path for Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), as both operate in the $29 billion demand labor sector. Other firms have done well in the staffing industry include Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and ManPower Group (NYSE: MAN).

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI)

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides workers compensation insurance and reinsurance products in the United States. The company?s Workers Compensation Insurance segment provides traditional workers compensation insurance coverage products, including guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies, and alternative market products to employers. This segment distributes its workers? compensation products and services through its independent insurance agents primarily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and Virginia. Its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment offers alternative market workers compensation solutions comprising program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, segregated portfolio cell rental, asset management, and segregated portfolio management services to individual companies, groups, and associations. Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  ProAssurance Corp.(PRA) agreed to acquire Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI) for about $205 million, expanding the insurance company’s casualty insurance offerings. Eastern Insurance is a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation products and services, among other things. ProAssurance plans to pay $24.50 in cash for each outstanding Eastern share, a 16% premium over Monday’s closing price.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Checkpoint Systms Inc.(CKP)

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. manufactures and markets identification, tracking, security, and merchandising solutions for the retail and apparel industry worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Shrink Management Solutions, Apparel Labeling Solutions, and Retail Merchandising Solutions. The Shrink Management Solutions segment provides shrink management and merchandise visibility solutions. It offers electronic article surveillance systems, such as EVOLVE, a suite of RF and RFID-enabled products that act as a deterrent to prevent merchandise theft in retail stores; and electronic article surveillance consumables, including EAS-RF and EAS-EM labels that work in combination with EAS systems to reduce merchandise theft in retail stores. This segment also provides keepers, spider wraps, bottle security, and hard tags, as well as Showsafe, a line alarm system for protecting display merchandise. In addition, it offers physical and electronic store monitoring solutions, incl uding fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and digital video recording systems for retail environments; and RFID tags and labels. The Apparel Labeling Solutions segment provides apparel labeling solutions to apparel retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers. It has Web-enabled apparel labeling solutions platform and network of 28 service bureaus located in 22 countries that supplies customers with customized apparel tags and labels. The Retail Merchandising Solutions segment offers hand-held label applicators and tags, promotional displays, and queuing systems. The company serves retailers in the supermarket, drug store, hypermarket, and mass merchandiser markets through direct distribution and reseller channels. Checkpoint Systems was founded in 1969 and is based in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap Checkpoint Systems, Inc (NYSE: CKP) fights shoplifting or retail theft and other forms of�"shrink��that costs retailers over $112 billion worldwide last year (according to a study funded by the company), meaning it might be an interesting stock to take a closer look at and to compare its performance with that of SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT) and PowerShares Dynamic Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: PMR). Just how bad can shoplifting or shrink be for a retailer? Troubled retailer J.C. Penney Company, Inc (NYSE: JCP) has just reported that shoplifting took a full percentage point off the department store chain's profit margins during the quarter. Moreover and given that tens of millions of Americans are now facing higher health insurance costs thanks to Obamacare (which will likely impact consumer discretionary spending),�retailers�will need to find ways to shore up their margins and bottom lines by preventing�retail theft with solutions from company�� like Checkpoint Systems.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Three months after settling upon a new chief executive officer, it looks like Thorofare, N. J.-based Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP  ) will soon have itself a new CFO as well.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  The payout ratio is an excellent tool for dividend investors. Without it, it's tough to judge how sustainable a company's dividend is. Though a lower payout ratio is always better than a high payout ratio, some companies can easily cope with higher ratios than others. In the video below, Fool contributor Daniel Sparks looks at�Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , and Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) , illustrating how the ratio deserves careful attention during analysis.

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  Scouring the market for excellent dividend stocks isn't as easy as finding the stocks with the highest yields. In fact, dividend yield is just one of many factors investors should consider when they are looking for the best dividend stocks. To illustrate, I'll analyze two companies whose stocks have meaningful dividend yields: Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) and Ford (NYSE: F  ) .

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Some of the companies most dependent on government for revenue are Harris Corp. (HRS) �with 80% of revenue government-derived; Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) �with 58%; Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) �with 54%; and Waste Management Inc. (WM) � and Republic Services Inc. (RSG) �both with 50%, according to Goldman Sachs.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Today, I plan to introduce the first of 10 selections to the Basic Needs Portfolio: Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) .

  How it fits in with our theme
  Waste Management fits the theme of the portfolio in actually more ways than one. Obviously, trash collection is a basic necessity that's needed regardless of whether the economy is booming or in a recession. The amount of trash we generate may fluctuate slightly based on the health of the economy, but hauling it away remains a basic need that creates consistent cash flow for Waste Management.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: CNO Financial Group Inc. (CNO)

CNO Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, marketing, and administration of health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, and other insurance products for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. The company markets and distributes Medicare supplement insurance, interest-sensitive and traditional life insurance, fixed annuities, and long-term care insurance products; Medicare advantage plans through a distribution arrangement with Humana Inc.; and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans through a distribution and reinsurance arrangement with Coventry Health Care. It also markets and distributes supplemental health, including specified disease, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance products; and life insurance to middle-income consumers at home and the worksite through independent marketing organizations and insurance agencies. In addition, the company markets primarily graded benefit and simplified issue life insurance products directly to customers through television advertising, direct mail, Internet, and telemarketing. It sells its products through career agents, independent producers, direct marketing, and sales managers. CNO Financial Group, Inc. has strategic alliances with Coventry and Humana. The company was formerly known as Conseco, Inc. and changed its name to CNO Financial Group, Inc. in May 2010. CNO Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanin Aegea]

  I have heard many people comment about the insurance policies for cars, houses, life, assets, etc. The arguments always revolve around the same issue: Is it really necessary? What are the chances to be hit by a Hurricane, or to meet a sudden death? Well, nobody really knows. Some individuals however, sleep better when they know a policy backs their life investments. Here, I will look into three insurance companies that concentrate on different policies, or geographies. These are: China Life (LFC), and Conseco (CNO).

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Up first is CNO Financial Group (CNO), a mid-cap financial stock that's rocketed close to 60% higher since the calendar flipped over to January. Yup, it's been a great year for the market, but it's been a far better one for investors who own CNO. But that strong performance isn't showing any signs of slowing yet. In fact, CNO looks primed for even more upside in the fourth quarter.

  That's because CNO is currently forming a bullish pattern called an ascending triangle. The ascending triangle pattern is formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares -- in this case at $14.75 -- and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as CNO bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $14.75 resistance level. When that breakout happens, it's time to become a buyer.

  ACCO's price action isn't exactly textbook. After all, the pattern is coming in at the bottom of a downtrend, not after an uptrend. But ultimately, that doesn't change the trading implications of a move through that $7.50 level.

  Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of those buyers and sellers. Ascending triangles and other pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

  That $7.50 resistance level is a price where there has been an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to step in and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a breakout above it so significant. The move means that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

  Don't be early on this trade.

• [By David Fried, Editor, The Buyback Letter]

  Insurance holding company CNO Financial Group (CNO) and its insurance subsidiaries��rincipally Bankers Life and Casualty Company, Washington National, and Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company��erve pre-retiree and retired Americans.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Thoratec Corporation(THOR)

Thoratec Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of proprietary medical devices used for circulatory support. The company?s primary product lines include ventricular assist devices, such as HeartMate II, an implantable left ventricular assist device consisting of a rotary blood pump to provide intermediate and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS); and HeartMate XVE, an implantable and pulsatile left ventricular assist device for intermediate and longer-term MCS. Its ventricular assist devices also comprise Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device, an external pulsatile ventricular assist device, which provides left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for bridge-to-transplantation (BTT), including home discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery; and Implantable Ventricular Assist Device, an implantable and pulsatile ventricular assist device designed to provide left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for BTT comprising hom e discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery. The company also provides CentriMag, an extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platform that offers support up to 30 days for cardiac and respiratory failure. In addition, it offers PediMag and PediVAS extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platforms designed to provide acute surgical support to pediatric patients. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States, as well as through a network of distributors internationally. Thoratec Corporation was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Competing for heart pump market share
  Abiomed's products provide circulatory support for up to six hours and are designed for use in cardiac cath labs or during heart surgery, but competitors Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR  ) and Heartware (NASDAQ: HTWR  ) target the intermediate- and long-term-use market instead.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of medical device company Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR  ) sank 12% today after its quarterly results missed Wall Street expectations. �

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for women, men, and children in the United States. It offers a selection of brand name and private label merchandise. The company sells its products through various channels, including Nordstrom full-line stores, off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, Jeffrey? boutiques, treasure & bond, and Last Chance clearance stores; and its online store, nordstrom.com, as well as through catalog. Nordstrom also provides a private label card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards, and a debit card for Nordstrom purchases. The company?s credit and debit cards feature a shopping-based loyalty program. As of September 30, 2011, it operated 222 stores, including 117 full-line stores, 101 Nordstrom Racks, 2 Jeffrey boutiques, 1 treasure & bond store, and 1 clearance store in 30 states. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Other department stores, such as Nordstrom (JWN) and Kohl’s (KSS) are also dedicating more space to active wear, the analysts say.

  As a result, Boss and McCormick upgraded Under Armour to Neutral from Underweight. They write:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Not that the actual service Kmart is providing is unique, mind you. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) offers a free ship-to-store feature, as do J.C. Penney,�Radio Shack, Toys R Us,�Nordstrom� (NYSE: JWN  ) , and a number of other retailers. Actually, so committed to customer service is Nordstrom that it's even had employees drive items to a customer's house at no charge to ensure they get it.�

• [By Mani]

  [Related -Nordstrom, Inc. (JWN): Fundamental Stock Research Analysis]

  Nordstrom EPS results have managed to top the street's view twice in the preceding four quarters while missing in the remaining two periods. Analysts have become bearish on earnings prospects of Nordstrom as the consensus estimate dropped by 8 cents (11 percent) in the past three months. However, one analyst raised the profit estimate in the last month.

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. engages in the ownership, operation, and franchise of restaurants in the United States. The company provides quick casual and casual dining services, as well as serves bottled beers, wines, and liquor. As of July 26, 2011, it had 773 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in 45 states in the United States, as well as in Canada. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anh HOANG]

  PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) have been in a cola war for many years. While PepsiCo targets younger generations of soda drinkers, Coca-Cola's tends to control the older demographics. Coca-Cola has always stayed ahead in the soft drink battle, and it now has more than 40% market share in the carbonated soft drink market. PepsiCo ranks second with only 28% market share. However, PepsiCo has fought�back aggressively, especially in the restaurant chain market. For instance, PepsiCo has recently�replaced Coca-Cola as the beverage supplier of fast-growing restaurant chain�Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD  ) .

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now

With shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) trading around $31, is PFE an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Pfizer is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells medicines for people and animals worldwide. The company manages its operations through five segments: Primary Care, Specialty Care and Oncology, Established Products and Emerging Markets, Animal Health and Consumer Healthcare, and Nutrition. Pfizer�� main products include human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines, as well as vaccines, nutritional products, consumer healthcare products, and products for the prevention and treatment of diseases in livestock and companion animals.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Pfizer, leaving in place a $142 million settlement the pharmaceutical company must pay to the Kaiser Foundation on the grounds that Pfizer falsely marketed an epilepsy drug called Neurontin.�The Supreme Court is also allowing two other lawsuits on the same issue to continue forward, according to a report from Bloomberg. Pfizer allegedly marketed the drug as a treatment for migraines, manic-depressive issues, and neuropathic pain when it was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for those uses.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: City Developments Limited (C09.SI)

City Developments Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the development and investment of real estate properties, and ownership and management of hotels, as well as the provision of hospitality solutions. It develops various types of residential properties; develops and leases commercial properties, such as office, industrial, and retail properties; owns and operates 110 hotels in 18 countries; and provides technology solutions for the global hospitality industry. The company also operates and owns clubs; offers property management, project management, and consultancy services; and provides information technology and procurement services. City Developments Limited has operations in Asia, Europe, North America, New Zealand, and Australia. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kinross Gold Corporation(KGC)

Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing gold ores. It also involves in the exploration and acquisition of gold bearing properties. The company?s gold production and exploration activities are carried out principally in the Americas, Africa, and the Russian Federation. As of December 31, 2010, its proven and probable mineral reserves were 62.4 million ounces of gold, 90.9 million ounces of silver, and 1.4 billion pounds of copper. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Clash of the titans
  When bears are raging on the gold bullion market, it's not surprising to see gold stocks getting mauled as well. Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  ) was the biggest loser in the sector, losing a quarter of its market cap on no company-specific news, though a report last Friday indicated that a large number of hedge funds had recently dumped their positions in the mid-tier miner. Yet it wasn't all that much better among the majors, either, as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) fell almost 13% and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) was down 14%.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  In the video below, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the pros and cons of four specific miners. Where Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX  ) and Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) each offer a different type of investment opportunity, they share a solid dividend yield. Likewise, both Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM  ) and Kinross (NYSE: KGC  ) have different overall profiles, but still are worth considering from an income perspective. Ultimately, finding investment opportunities that combine yield and a solid risk-return profile is critical, and these four stocks may fit your needs.

• [By Rex Moore]

  Bad news for Ebix (NASDAQ: EBIX  ) shareholders today, as the stock drops 44% on a criminal investigation. Two 3-D players print up a merger.�Kroger (NYSE: KR  ) reported earnings that were up about 10%, and raised guidance for the year. And Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC  ) was down 8% today. In this installment of Investor Beat, Motley Fool analysts Jason Moser and Matt Koppenheffer discuss four stocks making big moves.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Of course, not all of Barrick's problems are of its own making. Other major miners, such as Vale� (NYSE: VALE  ) , Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) , and BHP Billiton, are selling mines or considering doing so to shore up finances and concentrate on core operations. And gold has been in a rut that's caused some of the best miners from�Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY  ) to Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) to lose 25% or more of their value in the past month. A week ago, gold suffered its largest one-day drop in three decades.

Best Casino Stocks To Watch For 2015: Man Group(EMG.L)

Man Group plc provides alternative investment products and solutions to institutional and private investors worldwide. The company offers a range of products from diversified fund of hedge fund portfolios to single manager hedge funds, and other alternative investments in various formats, including open-ended funds and capital guaranteed products. It distributes its products and solutions to private investors through a network of intermediaries, and directly to institutions. The company was formerly known as E D & F Man Group plc and changed its name to Man Group plc in September 2000. Man Group plc was founded in 1783 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: PTB Group Ltd(PTB.AX)

PTB Group Limited provides turbine engine repair and overhaul services in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The company specializes in the repair and overhaul of two engine types, the Pratt & Whitney PT6A and Honeywell TPE331. It also trades in aircraft airframes, turbine engines, and related parts; provides finance for aircraft and turbine engines sold to customers; and leases, rents, or hires aviation parts, including whole airframes and engines. The company was formerly known as Pacific Turbine Brisbane Limited and changed its name to PTB Group Limited in December 2006. PTB Group Limited was founded in 2001 and is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: IRIS International Inc.(IRIS)

IRIS International, Inc. manufactures in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products for urinalysis and body fluids. The company?s IVD segment offers iQ analyzer, an automated urine microscopy and body fluids analyzer; iQ Body Fluids Module; Optional iWare Software; iChem VELOCITY and iRICELL, an automated urine chemistry analyzer; 3GEMS Urinalysis and Body Fluids; and 3GEMS Hematology, a blood count analyzer. This segment also provides consumables for microscopy systems, test strips, calibrators, controls, and urine chemistry analyzers. Its Sample Processing segment offers benchtop centrifuges, small instruments, and supplies used for applications in coagulation, cytology, hematology, urinalysis, and DNA processing. This segment provides Express centrifuge line for clinical diagnostic market; ThermoBrite, a DNA workstation for FISH procedures; Cytofuge 2, a centrifuge for layer cell preparation; Cytofuge 12, a 12 placement centrifuge used for thin layer cell preparation; IDEXX Drive and IDEXX whole blood separator for use in IDEXX chemistry analyzers; and OvaTube, an ova and parasite testing for veterinarian market. The company?s Personalized Medicine segment offers oncology and molecular diagnostics services. This segment?s products include Arista Molecular Tests for the diagnosis and prognostication of pathologic entities; Flow cytometry, a cell analysis platform; FISH for the detection of DNA on chromosomes; NADiA ProsVue used in prognostication of patients; NADiA HIV to monitor HIV viral load; and NADiA CECs for the detection of circulating epithelial cells. It serves medical institutions, commercial laboratories, clinics, doctors? offices, veterinary laboratories, and research facilities. IRIS International sells its products through a direct sales and service force in the United States, as well as through distributors internationally. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Chatsworth, California.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Yelp Inc (YELP)

Yelp Inc., incorporated on September 03, 2004, connects people with great local businesses. Its users have contributed a total of approximately 36.0 million cumulative reviews of almost every type of local business, from restaurants, boutiques and salons to dentists, mechanics and plumbers. Its platform provides local businesses with a range of free and paid services, which help them to engage with consumers at moment when they are deciding where to spend their money. The Company generates revenue from local advertising, brand advertising and other services. As of December 31, 2012, the Company was active in 53 Yelp markets in the United States and 44 Yelp markets internationally. Effective July 18, 2013, Yelp Inc acquired SeatMe Inc, which is a developer of restaurant and nightlife categories reservation applications.

Local Business

The Company enables businesses to create a free online business account and claim the page for each of their business locations. Business representatives can verify their affiliation with the business through an automated telephone verification process, which requires that they be reachable at the phone number, which is publicly displayed for their business listing on its platform. With their free business accounts, businesses can view business trends, message customers, update information and offer Yelp Deals. Its listing solution eliminates search advertising from the businesses��profile pages and allows them to incorporate a video clip or photo slide show on the pages. It allows local businesses to promote themselves as a sponsored search result on its platform or on related business pages.

The Company�� Yelp Deals product allows local business owners to create promotional discounted deals for their products and services, which are marketed to consumers through its platform. Yelp Deals have a fee structure based solely on transaction volume with no upfront costs, and it earns a fee based on the discounted price of each deal so! ld. It processes all customer payments and remits to the business the revenue share of any Yelp Deal purchased. It offers both e-mail deals, which are focused on demand generation and deals on its platform that are focused on demand fulfillment where businesses can target intent-driven consumers who are specifically searching for a product or service on its platform.

The Company�� Gift Certificates product allows local business owners to sell full price gift certificates directly to customers through their business profile page. The business chooses the price points to offer, and the buyer may purchase a Gift Certificate in one of those amounts. The Company earns a fee based on the amount of the Gift Certificate sold. The Company processes all consumer payments and remit to the business the revenue share of any Gift Certificate purchased.

National/Brand Advertisers

The Company offers its advertising solution for national brands that want to improve their local presence. These solutions consist of search and display ads (both graphic and text) on its Website, which are typically sold to advertisers on a per-impression basis. Its national advertisers include brands in the automobile, financial services, logistics, consumer goods and health and fitness industries.

Transaction Partners

The Company�� partnership, through a written agreement, with OpenTable provides consumers the ability to reserve seats directly on the business listing pages of restaurants, which participate in OpenTable�� network. Its partnership, through a written agreement, with Orbitz allows consumers to book rooms directly on the business listing pages of hotels, which affiliate with Orbitz.

The Company competes with Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Taulli]

  So why is he still a bit dour on Google stock? The reason is simple: About 60% of the spike in GOOG stock has been due to a jump in the multiple, not underlying growth in earnings. This should actually be no surprise, since Wall Street has been pouring money into top Internet plays, such as Twitter (TWTR), Facebook (FB), Yelp (YELP) and Pandora (P).

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of consumer-review website Yelp (NYSE: YELP  ) soared 24% today after the company's quarterly results and guidance topped Wall Street expectations.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  3. Winners can be losers
  There have been a lot of surprising winners this year, and dozens of unlikely companies that have more than doubled so far in 2013. Angie's List (NASDAQ: ANGI  ) and Yelp (NYSE: YELP  ) are seeing their share prices worth twice as much, even though Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) rolled out Graph Search earlier this year.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  The 24/7 Wall St. list of public companies expected to double sales in the next few years includes the following: Kona Grill Inc. (NASDAQ: KONA), LinkedIn Corp. (NYSE: LNKD),�Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ: NDLS),�Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX),�Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS),�Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOR),�Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA),�Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA),�Workday Inc. (NYSE: WDAY) and Yelp Inc.�(NYSE: YELP). Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB)�might as well be considered a runner-up here, but it was a direct competitor of LinkedIn in the selections.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Independent Bank Corporation(IBCP)

Independent Bank Corporation operates as a holding company for the Independent Bank that provides various retail and commercial banking services in Michigan. The company offers various deposit products, including non-interest bearing demand deposits, time deposits, checking and savings accounts, and NOW accounts. It also provides commercial lending, direct and indirect consumer financing, mortgage lending, and safe deposit box services. The company, through its other subsidiaries, offers payment plans used by consumers to purchase vehicle service contracts and title insurance services, as well as provides investment and insurance services. As of May 2, 2011, it operated approximately 100 offices across Michigan?s Lower Peninsula. The company was founded in 1864 and is based in Ionia, Michigan.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: MBL GROUP PLC ORD GBP0.75(MUBL.L)

MBL Group plc distributes audio, visual, and other entertainment products in the United Kingdom. The company?s Music Box Leisure division offers various supply services, including bespoke category management, labeling, point of sale, promotional offers, and merchandising support services. Its MBL Direct division provides a range of products comprising compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), music DVDs, Blu-Ray, and games products to independent and Internet based music and film retailers. The company?s Windsong division offers various CD and DVD products to export and Internet customers. It is also involved in the digital distribution of home entertainment titles, as well as offers its products through bee.com, an ecommerce platform, and through retail stores. The company was formerly known as Air Music and Media Group plc and changed its name to MBL Group Plc in October 2008. MBL Group Plc was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Leyland, the United King dom.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: (NBOH.OB)

National Bancshares Corporation operates as the holding company for First National Bank that provides financial services in Ohio. The company accepts various deposits, which include regular and money market savings accounts, NOW accounts, and fixed-maturity and fixed-rate certificates. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, residential mortgage and home equity loans, and secured and unsecured consumer installment loans. In addition, the company provides debit cards, gift cards, travel cards, travelers` checks, official checks, money orders, ATM services, and individual retirement accounts. It operates 14 offices in Wayne, Medina, Stark, and Summit counties, as well as a loan production office in the Columbiana county. Further, the company, through its subsidiary, NBOH Properties, LLC, owns a multi-tenant commercial building in Fairlawn, Ohio. National Bancshares Corporation was founded in 1881 and is based in Orrvil le, Ohio.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Avon Rubber(AVON.L)

Avon Rubber p.l.c. engages in the design, test, and manufacture of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear respiratory protection products and solutions for military, homeland security, law enforcement, first responder, emergency services, fire, and industrial markets primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company?s products include respirators or gas masks with various spares and accessories; emergency hood and self contained breathing apparatus; consumable filters; thermal imaging camera equipment; hovercraft skirts; industrial coated fabric solutions; and flexible storage tanks and fittings for military, industrial, and agricultural markets. It is also involved in the manufacture and sale of dairy products, primarily rubberware, such as liners and tubing used in the automated milking process under the Milk-Rite brand. Avon Rubber p.l.c. sells its respiratory protection products through a distribution network in the United States; and diary p roducts to original equipment manufacturers, as well as through distributors. The company was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Melksham, the United Kingdom.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: E-Energy Ventures Inc. (EEV.V)

E-Energy Ventures Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. It primarily explores for molybdenum, tungsten, and gold. The company holds 100% interest in the Stormy Mountain Molybdenum property that consists of 20 staked quartz claims covering an area of approximately 1,000 hectares in the Yukon Territory. It also holds 100% interest in the Rivard gold property comprising 6 leased mining claims covering an area of 90 hectares in the Red Lake district of Northwest Ontario. E-Energy Ventures Inc. is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Unity Energy Corp.(UTY.V)

Unity Energy Corp. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral resource properties in Canada. It primarily explores for uranium in its various properties located in the Athabasca Basin; and for gold in the province of Saskatchewan. The company was formerly known as Gold Key Capital Corp. and changed its name to Unity Energy Corp. in December 2009. Unity Energy Corp. was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: MusclePharm Corp (MSLP)

MusclePharm Corporation (MusclePharm), incorporated on August 4, 2006, is engaged in the business of providing personal fitness training using isometric techniques (Tone in Twenty). Muscle Pharm offers 12 products: Assault, Battle Fuel, Bullet Proof, Combat Powder, MuscleGel, Shred Matrix, Re-con, Armor-V, BCAA 3:1:2, ZMA Max, Glutamine and Creatine. MusclePharm is an expanding healthy life-style company that develops and distributes a full line of National Sanitation Foundation International and scientifically approved, nutritional supplements that are 100% free of any banned substances. MusclePharm products are sold in over 120 countries and available in over 5,000 United States retail outlets, including GNC, Vitamin Shoppe and Vitamin World. The Company also sells its products in over 100 online stores, including bodybuilding.com, amazon.com and vitacost.com.

Assault

Assault helps fight fatigue, boost performance, build muscle, increase intensity, hydrate muscles and feed muscles valuable, clinically-proven nutrients, such as ConCrete, Beta Alanine, BCAAs and Cinnulin. Assault is a safe pre-workout formula that increases strength, aerobic and anaerobic performance, reduces stomach fat and meets NFS and informed choice product standards for being free of banned substances.

Battle Fuel

Battle Fuel helps to increase lean mass and strength, improve endurance and energy levels, naturally detoxify and enhance aggressive mental focus. The herbal formula enhances and supports all things masculine to drive strength, power and lean muscle mass development. Battle Fuel also assists with recovery through an intense combination of cleansing agents and natural elements that reduce fatigue and improve cellular immunity.

Bullet Proof

Bullet Proof helps increase recovery effectiveness and hormonal up-regulation. It also improves lean muscle tissue growth and helps relieve some forms of pain.

Combat Powder

Combat! helps the body receive 25 grams of high quality protein, fuel fat loss, support healthy body composition, nourish lean muscle and speed up recovery. Combat is designed to help fill the gap in nutrition that athletes and super-active people may experience, to ensure their bodies are growing and recovering.

MuscleGel

MuscleGel helps in receiving more of the nutrients that body needs every day. Packed full of different proteins like building block amino acids, MuscleGel�� patented Pro-Fusion Technology gel format yields a fast-absorbing, highly bio-available source of next generation fitness food. For protein, carbohydrates and vitamins, MuscleGel delivers. It works on-the-go, fills athletes up and streams right to those parts of an athletes��body where nutrients are needed most.

SHRED Matrix

SHRED Matrix is superior for burning fat naturally, counteracting mood swings and helping athletes stay focused on weight loss and quick results. This 8-Stage Weight Loss System was specifically made for athletes and people who exercise regularly. As a total body diet, it sheds pounds, burns fat cells and attacks fat loss from every angle. While natural fat burners are at work, proven ingredients like Sugar Stop and the enzyme aid matrix keep athletes��appetites in check. Additionally, the formula is tuned so users won�� experience jitters or a crash.

Re-con

Re-con helps athletes recover quicker and more effectively, repair muscle cells, feed the body nutrients and grow stronger with ingredients, such as BCAAs, EAAs, cellular detoxifiers, muscle-loading carbohydrates and stress hormone regulators. This maximizes an athlete�� anabolic window, the post-workout phase where the body repairs and rebuilds tissue. Re-con promotes growth from every angle, delivering proteins and nutritious elements in their ideal forms.

Armor-V

Armor-V helps athletes receive a full dose of important vitamins and minerals, keeps v! ital orga! ns, such as the liver clean of toxins, recover faster and keep the body�� hormones balanced. This system was designed to meet the standards of high-performance athletes, who need a dedicated source of vitamins and minerals. Loaded with anti-oxidants and system optimizers derived from fruits and vegetables, Armor-V brings together organic, herbal and natural ingredients into a multi-nutrient complex that benefits active bodies.

BCAA 3:1:2

BCAA helps athletes receive ideal amounts of the Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine, from this patented ratio of 3:1:2, promote muscle development and maintenance, increase lean body mass and spur weight loss. BCAAs are part of the group of essential amino acids a body needs. Its patented 3:1:2 ratio is designed to release the ideal amounts of each amino acid both before and after a workout. This prevents muscle breakdown and leads to gains in body mass without losing weight.

ZMA Max

MusclePharm ZMA Max supports muscle growth and recovery, promotes deeper and more efficient sleep to maximize healing, tissue repair, anabolic hormone production and testosterone levels. It delivers the benefits of precise dosages and ZMA ingredient ratios and adds the synergistic effects of clinically-proven Fenugreek to support the balance of cholesterol levels, as well as increase of healthy libido function in women and men.

MP Glutamine

MusclePharm Core Series MP Glutamine supplement increases whole body glutamine status by enhancing an athlete�� uptake, bioavailability and digestion. Feeding the body a dedicated source of glutamine ultimately provides optimal muscle-tissue saturation through an range of three pure yet diverse nutritional glutamine complexes that delivers a substantial range of benefits.

Creatine

MusclePharm MP Core Series Creatine increases creatine status by enhancing uptake and bioavailability while fueling stamina, strength and le! an muscle! growth. Many athletes who engage in high-intensity/short duration exercises like weightlifting use creatine. The clinically-proven ingredient Cinnulin heightens absorption, which assists its five pure and diverse creatine complexes, delivering a range of benefits will launch directly into muscles. MP Creatine increases explosive energy, ATP energy and overall power.

The Company competes with Optimum Nutrition, Inc. (Optimum), Iovate Health Sciences, Inc. (IHS), Bio-Engineered Supplements and Nutrition, Inc. (BSN).

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Grizzly Diamonds Ltd. (GZD.V)

Grizzly Discoveries Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for potash, gold and base metal deposits, and diamonds. It holds an interest in metallic and industrial mineral permits for potash totaling approximately 2.34 million acres along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border; has 4 precious-base metal properties in British Columbia totaling approximately 235,000 acres; and holds approximately 600,000 acres in diamond properties that host diamondiferous kimberlites in the Buffalo Head Hills and Birch Mountains of Alberta. The company was formerly known as Grizzly Diamonds Ltd. and changed its name to Grizzly Discoveries Inc. in January 2010. Grizzly Discoveries Inc. is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy Right Now: Gafisa SA (GFA)

Gafisa S.A. (Gafisa), incorporated on November 12, 1996, is a diversified national homebuilder serving all demographic segments of the Brazilian market. The Company�� brands include Tenda, which serves the affordable entry-level housing segments, Gafisa, which offers a variety of residential options to the mid to higher income segments and Alphaville, which focuses on the identification, development and sale of residential communities. In addition, it provides construction services to third parties. Gafisa�� core business is the development of residential units in attractive locations. During the year ended December 31, 2009, approximately 55% of the value of its launches was derived from high and mid high-level residential developments under the Gafisa brand. It is also engaged in the development of land subdivisions, also known as residential communities, representing approximately 18% of the value of its launches under the Alphaville brand, and affordable entry-level housing, which represents approximately 27% of the value of its launches under the Tenda brand. In addition, it provides construction services to third parties. Gafisa operates in more than 120 cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Natal, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Porto Alegre and Belem, across 21 states and the Federal District.

Real Estate Activities

The Company�� real estate business includes developments for sale of residential units; land subdivisions (also known as residential communities); commercial buildings; construction services to third parties, and sale of units through its brokerage subsidiaries, Gafisa Vendas and Gafisa Vendas Rio, jointly referred to as Gafisa Vendas. In the residential buildings product category, Gafisa develops three main types of products: luxury buildings targeted at upper-income customers, buildings targeted at middle-income customers; and affordable entry-level housing targeted at lower-income customers. Quality residential buildi! ngs for middle- and upper-income customers are its core products. Luxury buildings units usually have over 180 square meters of private area, at least four bedrooms and three parking spaces. The development includes swimming pools, gyms, visitor parking, and other amenities.

Buildings targeted at middle-income customers have accounted for the majority of its sales. Units usually have between 90 and 180 square meters of private area, three or four bedrooms and two to three underground parking spaces. Buildings are usually developed in large tracts of land as part of multi-building developments and, to a lesser extent, in smaller lots in attractive neighborhoods. Affordable entry-level housing consists of building and house units. Units usually have between 42 to 60 square meters of indoor private area and two to three bedrooms.

Commercial Buildings

During 2009, the Company launched four commercial buildings. These buildings include Centro Empresarial Madureira, Paulista Corporate, Reserva Eco Office Life and Global Offices.

Construction Service

Gafisa provide construction services to third parties, building residential and commercial projects for developers in Brazil. The Company�� principal construction services clients are large companies, many of them developers that do not build their own projects. As of December 31, 2009, its principal construction services clients were Fibra Empreendimentos Imobiliarios S.A., Sisan-Grupo Silvio Santos, Camargo Correa Desenvolvimento Imobiliario S.A., Helbor Empreendimentos Imobiliarios Ltda., InCons S.A., SDI Desenvolvimento Imobiliario Ltda. and Abyara. It also provides construction services on certain developments where it retains an equity interest.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Gafisa (GFA) is a homebuilder in Brazil. This stock closed up 5% to $3.13 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $2.97-$3.15
  
  52-Week Range: $2.22-$5.24
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 1.70 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 1.77 million

  From a technical perspective, GFA ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $2.80 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $2.27 to its intraday high of $3.15. During that move, shares of GFA have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GFA within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if GFA manages to take out Tuesday's high of $3.15 to some past resistance at $3.30 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GFA as long as it's trending above support at $2.80 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.77 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then GFA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $3.68 to more resistance at $4.20 to $4.70.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Brazilian construction firm Gafisa (NYSE: GFA  ) is not only selling houses these days. The company has signed an agreement to sell a 70% stake in residential community developer Alphaville Urbanismo to funds managed by Blackstone (NYSE: BX  ) and the American company's Brazilian partner firm Patria Investimentos.