Half of Near-Retirees Don’t Have an Advisor

A new study by the Spectrem Group’s Millionaire Corner found that half of 401(k) plan participants between 50 and 64 aren’t using a financial advisor as they prepare for retirement. Among those who do, just 40% say they rely on their advisor’s guidance for the majority of their financial needs.

The report, “Advisor Usage Among DC Plan Participants,” found a third of respondents were referred to their advisor by a friend or family member. Referrals from people they knew were far and away the most popular way investors learned about an advisor.

Just 9% of respondents said they found their advisor on a website, and 7% said they were introduced at a seminar or special event. Only 6% said they were contacted by an advisor first.

While both men and women were more likely to rely on a referral, men were more likely than women to say they found their advisor online. Thirteen percent of men went online to find an advisor, compared with 5% of women. Nearly half of women said they chose their advisor based on a referral, compared with 27% of men.

“Despite research showing that the majority of Americans are insufficiently prepared for retirement in terms of their savings and investments, the majority of defined contribution plan participants continue to view their 401(k) accounts as a savings plan,” George Walper, president of Spectrem Group, said in a statement. “Nearly all, however, could benefit from having access to regular financial advice on how to make the most of their portfolio.”

Retirement plan participants are generally satisfied with their advisors’ services, according to the report. Although only half of respondents are using an advisor, two-thirds of those said they were satisfied with their services. Seventy percent said they liked how responsive their advisor was to their requests.

Almost 60% of plan participants have a written plan from their advisor, and 96% of them say they’re at least somewhat satisfied. Fifty-two percent said they were very satisfied.

Among participants with the highest account balances, those with at least $100,000, 27% say they have a financial plan and 35% say they will have one soon.

Omnivision Technologies, Inc. (OVTI) Q2 Earnings Preview: Picturing A Solid Quarter

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (OVTI) plans to release its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 on Tuesday, December 03, 2013, shortly after the market closes.  The Company plans to host a conference call to review the results and management's outlook for future periods at 5 p.m. (ET) that day.

Wall Street anticipates that the tech company will earn $0.43 per share for the quarter. iStock expects OVTI to beat Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $0.47; although, more could be possible.

OmniVision engages in designing, developing, and marketing semiconductor image-sensor devices worldwide. It offers CameraChip image sensors, which are single-chip solutions that integrate various functions, such as image capture, image processing, color processing, signal conversion, and output of a processed image or video stream for use in various consumer and commercial mass-market applications; and CameraCube imaging devices that are image sensors with integrated wafer-level optics.

[Related -Stocks End Sharply Lower Amid Data; Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD) Surges]

In addition, it designs and develops software drivers for Linux, Mac OSX, and Microsoft Windows, as well as for embedded operating systems, such as Android, Blackberry OS, Symbian, Windows CE, Windows Embedded, and Windows Mobile.

The specialized semiconductor company has a strong record of outperforming Wall Street's expectations. Management has put more on the bottom line than analysts projected 13 of the last 16 quarter. The range of bullish surprises was $0.01 to $0.25.

[Related -Futures Point To Lower Open; Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Drops]

Meanwhile, Omni missed the consensus mark twice, both by $0.04. And, for those keeping track, that leaves one result that hit the street's bull's-eye.

While EPS surprises are heavily tilted to the positive side, OVTI's earnings-driven price-performance has split the last 16 quarters with eight green and eight red reactions. The sto! ck averaged a gain of 9.2% in the three-days surrounding the "good" profit announcements and lost -9.07% for the "bad" announcements.

Fortunately, the November checkup has a little better track-record in the last four-years with the OVTI gaining 0.70%, 4.50%, and 6.6% with one loss of 9.10%.

iStock believes OmniVision is well positioned to make the most of the quarter bases on our review of the company's financial statements according to the most recent 10-Q.

Inventory fell, both as a percentage of sales and in real terms while costs of goods (COGS) sold plus total operating costs fell as a percentage of revenue; however, COGS did increase at 47.73% versus revenue growth of 44.80%. It's not an alarming difference, but means the company has to cut back on investments like selling & marketing and research & development to keep costs in-line.

Overall: The iEstimate and OmniVision Technologies, Inc.'s (OVTI) second quarter history suggests OVTI is a reasonable earnings trade candidate. 

Men’s Wearhouse Goes From Prey to Predator

They say what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Does that same logic apply to mergers and acquisitions?

In the case of Men's Wearhouse (MW) and Jos. A. Bank Clothier (JOSB), it would seem so.

Today, Men's Warehouse launched a surprise offer to buy the smaller rival for $55 a share, or $1.2 billion. The bid comes just two weeks after Jos. A. Bank abandoned its own unsolicited bid for Men's Warehouse.

On Oct. 8, Jos. A. Bank offered to pay $2.3 billion for its larger rival. Arguing that a merger would produce cost savings and the new combined company would benefit from scale. But Men's Warehouse rejected the offer as too low. And two weeks ago, Jos. A. Bank announces it was giving up the chase.

But apparently, Men's Warehouse sees value in a merger. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Richard A. Jaffe writes:

Given that JOSB has previously stated that they would be willing to be acquired by MW, we anticipate that JOSB will give MW's offer considerable consideration. Previously, we did not believe that MW was interested in buying JOSB; that they had numerous initiatives in place and did not believe that MW management valued the JOSB promotional model highly. The situation has changed. The MW board, facing what we believe was pressure from a large shareholder, took a closer look at the opportunity and chose to bid for JOSB.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the maneuver is known as the “Pac Man defense," in which a deal's target turns the tables and gives chase. The newspaper reports:

The move makes clear that there is near unanimity, among shareholders and the boards of both companies, that it makes sense to put the two retailers together. But whether the combination happens, at what price, and who would be in charge, remains far from clear.

That uncertainty hasn't stopped either stock from rising. Men's Wearhouse has climbed 8.9% to $51.28, while Jos. A. Bank has climbed 11.2% to $56.28.

The cities where consumers chat most about brands

If you're a car brand, you're the talk of the town in Houston.

If you're a financial service brand, Jacksonville is where folks are likely to chat you up.

And if you're some sort of travel services company, Miami is the hub for brand chatter.

Talk creates sales. Marketers are just beginning to discover that consumers in some cities are far more talkative about their brands than folks living in other cities.

For that matter, residents of these same three cities — Houston, Jacksonville and Miami — are more likely than residents of any other major U.S. cities to have verbal or online conversations about brands of any kind.

"Marketers recognize that consumers trust each other more than anyone else," says Ed Keller, CEO of Keller Fay Group, the market research specialist behind the new study to be released Monday, America's Most Talkative Cities. "Every brand wants to be a brand that people are talking about."

Now, marketers are starting to recognize that they may be able to regionally target their brands to those cities and towns where folks are more receptive to talking about brands in general, and, more specifically, the very kinds of products that they specifically market or sell. This is no small matter.

Some 2.1 billion brand impressions are made daily on consumers from word of mouth marketing, says Keller.

The TalkTrack study is based on 75,000 consumer interviews conducted over the past two years in the nation's 50 largest cities.

It also tracked the most talkative — and least talkative — cities. The average consumer nationally has 79 conversations about one brand or another every week. But in Houston, where brand talk is king, the typical consumer has 95 brand conversations a week. Jacksonville and Miami ranked two and three, in that arena, with 94 and 93 brand conversations, respectively.

The seven others, in order: Salt Lake City, Atlanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, Norfolk, Va.; and West Palm Beach, Fla. Seven of th! e 10 cities ranked as America's "most talkative" were in the South, notes Keller.

Nationally, the most talked about brand topics are media, entertainment, food and dining, says Keller. The study did not track specific brands by name.

Among the study's other findings:

• Car talk. If you live in Houston, you're 37% more likely to talk about auto brands than other consumers.

• Money talk. If you live in Jacksonville, you're 56% more likely to chat about financial service brands than others.

• Trip talk. If you live in Miami, you're 75% more likely to discuss travel services than other folks.

Despite the explosive growth of social media, more than 90% of brand-related conversations still take place off-line, says Keller.

AlphaSimplex's tactical fund has timely launch with shutdown

It might not have been designed to coincide with last week's federal government shutdown, but the Oct. 1 launch of the ASG Tactical U.S. Market Fund (USMAX) couldn't have been timelier.

The fund is the latest and first non-alternative fund from AlphaSimplex Group LLC, a $3 billion asset management firm headed by noted quantitative strategist Andrew Lo.

The basic strategy of the fund, which is managed by Jerry Chafkin, is to use futures contracts to hedge or leverage the exposure to an underlying stock portfolio that acts as a proxy for the domestic-equity market.

“Our objective was to create an equity fund that allowed investors to stay invested for the long term and not suffer through the extreme downturns that sometimes take investors out of the market,” Mr. Chafkin said.

Last week when Washington political infighting forced a partial government shutdown, it turned out to be Exhibit A in terms of a case for such a strategy.

A selling pattern that started Sept. 30 ahead of the scheduled midnight shutdown triggered enough volatility throughout the week to push the Dow Jones Industrial Average to close below the 15,000 mark for the first time in a month.

Even as most financial advisers and professional market analysts were either sitting tight or looking at the sell-off as a buying opportunity, the market panic continued as investors fled out of fear for the worst.

“We know that individual investors tend to underperform the indexes because they tend to bail out at the extremes, or they divest because they see something more attractive elsewhere and they chase performance,” Mr. Chafkin said.

The fund, which is designed as a core equity allocation, applies the same type of quant investing techniques for which AlphaSimplex has become known.

“When it comes to risk, investors are primarily concerned with the risk of loss, so we focus on downside risk as the key risk measure,” Mr. Chafkin said. “The greater the risk of loss, the less exposure we want to the market, and the lower the risk of loss, the more exposure we want to the market.”

When risk is high, the strategy employs the use of futures to take an offsetting position, which essentially sells futures as a way of hedging the equity exposure.

If the analysis suggests that the risk of loss is low, the fund has the ability to use futures to leverage the underlying portfolio for a total market exposure of up to 130%.

“We think this is a very timely product, but we also think it's important to understand it is not just designed to be a short-t! erm nirvana,” Mr. Chafkin said. “We recognize that equity returns are going to be inherently bumpy, and we're not going to be able to avoid every market where stocks lose money, but we're trying to use a risk-based discipline to limit the most extreme declines that tend to be the times when investors lose resolve.”

Wind energy firm pleads guilty to eagle deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government for the first time has enforced environmental laws protecting birds against wind energy facilities, winning a $1 million settlement from a power company that pleaded guilty to killing 14 eagles and 149 other birds at two Wyoming wind farms.

The Obama administration has championed pollution-free wind power and used the same law against oil companies and power companies for drowning and electrocuting birds. The case against Duke Energy and its renewable energy arm was the first prosecuted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act against a wind energy company.

"In this plea agreement, Duke Energy Renewables acknowledges that it constructed these wind projects in a manner it knew beforehand would likely result in avian deaths," Robert G. Dreher, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement Friday.

An investigation by The Associated Press in May revealed dozens of eagle deaths from wind energy facilities, including at Duke's Top of the World farm outside Casper, Wyo., the deadliest for eagles of 15 such facilities that Duke operates nationwide. The other wind farm included in the settlement, Campbell Hill, is northwest of Casper.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke has a market capitalization of nearly $50 billion.

"We deeply regret the impacts of golden eagles at two of our wind facilities," said Greg Wolf, president of Duke Energy Renewables, in a statement. "Our goal is to provide the benefits of wind energy in the most environmentally responsible way possible."

A study in September by federal biologists found that wind turbines had killed at least 67 bald and golden eagles since 2008. That did not include deaths at Altamont Pass, an area in northern California where wind farms kill an estimated 60 eagles a year.

Until Friday's announcement, not a single wind energy company had been prosecuted for a death of an eagle or other protected bird — even though eac! h death is a violation of federal law.

In 2009, Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty and paid $600,000 for killing 85 birds in five states. The BP oil company was fined $100 million for killing and harming migratory birds during the 2010 Gulf oil spill. And PacifiCorp, which operates coal plants, paid more than $10.5 million in 2009 for electrocuting 232 eagles along power lines and at its substations.

Wind farms are clusters of turbines as tall as 30-story buildings, with spinning rotors as wide as a passenger jet's wingspan. Though the blades appear to move slowly, they can reach speeds up to 170 mph at the tips, creating tornado-like vortexes.

Flying eagles behave like drivers texting on their cellphones; they don't look up. As they scan for food, they don't notice the industrial turbine blades until it's too late.

The wind farms in Friday's settlement came on line before the Obama administration drafted voluntary guidelines encouraging wind energy companies to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service to avoid locations that would impact wildlife. Companies that choose to cooperate get rewarded, because prosecutors take it into consideration before pursuing prosecution.

Once a wind farm is built, there is little a company can do to stop the deaths. Some firms have tried using radar to detect birds and to shut down the turbines when they get too close. Others have used human spotters to warn when birds are flying too close to the blades. Another tactic has been to remove vegetation to reduce the prey the birds like to eat.

As part of the agreement, Duke will continue to use field biologists to identify eagles and shut down turbines when they get too close. It will install new radar technology, similar to what is used in Afghanistan to track missiles. And it will continue to voluntarily report all eagle and bird deaths to the government.

While the settlement with Duke is a first, there could be more enforcement. The Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating 18 bird-death! cases in! volving wind-power facilities, and about a half dozen have been referred to the Justice Department.

Australian Dollar Falls Sharply Amid RBA Intervention Risk

The Australian dollar fell to its lowest levels in over two months on Thursday, as a variety of fundamental data pressured the currency.

Fed Minutes

The minutes the Federal Reserve's latest meeting released yesterday suggested that a tapering of $85 billion in monthly bond purchases could begin in the "coming months", bolstering the US dollar and triggering weakness in the Australian dollar.

The news comes in contrast to the dovish remarks made by Janet Yellen, President Obama's nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, in her testimony before the Senate Banking Committee last week.

Related: Euro Falls on Negative Deposit Rate Chatter

China PMI

On Thursday the Aussie saw continued selling after the release of disappointing Chinese manufacturing data.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released yesterday by HSBC Holdings PLC and Markit Economics showed that China's manufacturing expanded at a slower pace, adding pressure to Australia's commodity exports. China is Australia's biggest trading partner and largest export market.

RBA Intervention Risk

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens, speaking to the Australian Business Economists annual dinner in Sydney on Thursday, said he was "open minded" on intervening to weaken the Australian dollar.

"Overall, in this episode so far, the Bank has not been convinced that large-scale intervention clearly passed the test of effectiveness versus cost. But that doesn't mean we will always eschew intervention."

He added, "Our position has long been, and remains that foreign exchange intervention can, judiciously used in the right circumstances, be effective and useful."

IMF Comments

In a preliminary statement on Wednesday the IMF recommended accommodative monetary policy, stating "With growth currently on the soft side, the real exchange rate still overvalued and weighing on the non-mining sector, and inflation within the target range, monetary policy should remain accommodative."

Related: Iran Deal Looking Less Likely, Brent Gets a Boost

In an interview on Thursday, Min Zhu, deputy managing director of the IMF said "The Australian dollar is overvalued by around 10 per cent from a medium-term point of view."

AUD/USD Daily Chart

Looking at the AUD/USD daily chart we can see that price has fallen through major support at 0.9277. Potential support lies below at 0.9114.

Posted-In: Australia Barack Obama Glenn Stevens HSBC Holdings Janet Yellen Markit Senate Banking CommitteeForex Economics Federal Reserve Markets Best of Benzinga

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Around the Web, We're Loving... Come Learn 6 Proven Trading Strategies at Our Holliday Trading Summit Lightspeed Trading Presents: Intra-day and Swing Trading the First Two Hours of the Market Rumsfeld: Denial of Benefits to Fallen Soldiers' Families 'Inexcusable' Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Facebook, Baidu Lead Big Caps Beating Shutdown What Should You Know About AMZN? Most Popular Home Depot Versus Lowe's: What Three Analysts Are Saying Five Star Stock Watch: Tesla Motors, Inc. Voxeljet Shares Respond After Sour Citron Research Report Sony's $399 PlayStation 4 Costs $381 To Produce Apple Trapped in Narrow Range Five Star Stock Watch: Groupon, Inc. Related Articles () NCAA Sues Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Over Breached Duties Natural Gas Futures Off High of the Day Why RR Donnelley Was The Long Trade Of The Day Crude Futures Post Strong Gains Attend Marketfy's Inaugural Holiday Trading Summit And Help A Child In Need Tesla Owners Give Car "Highest Owner Satisfaction Rating in Years" View the discussion thread.

How to cultivate right mindset to be a successful investor

The investor and his mind

Sigmund Freud made a name for himself by interpreting dreams through the use of his knowledge of psychoanalysis. He succeeded in deciphering the various quirks inside the human brain which influenced their behavior. Had Freud tried to interpret the dreams of investors, perhaps a new dimension could have been added to the subject of investor behavior.

Freud did not entirely dishearten though, he had indeed dwelt on the subject.  People, over the years, have used his studies for various reasons like the exploration of the causes behind the global economic collapse and the general understanding of the subtleties of behavioral finance.

Investment consultants and financial pundits have not only tried to understand the vagaries of the money market, they have also devoted considerable time and attention to investor behavior study. Both have been equally volatile and predictably unpredictable.

This article seeks to take a peek into the investor's mind and also strives to make readers aware about those behavioral patterns which can be detrimental to their financial health. Emotions are an integral part of our behavior and it is no different for investors.

The commotion caused by emotion

Emotions often lead to a situation where the investor deviates from the pragmatic route and acts contrary to their natural self. Their mood swings are influenced by greed and headstrong decisions. When things look rosy, investors' rush in to encash the bonanzas, on the flip side, when the markets are glum, they withdraw into their shell.

Another common investor behavior pattern, commonly referred to as the 'herd behavior', is about trying to emulate others who have made more money in the market.

However, the prudent investor is one who follows the dictum of Rabindrnath Tagore 'ekla chalo re' which means that '… at times people have to traverse the path alone..'. These investors move ahead due to their single minded determination and aversion to being swayed by emotions.

Investors who come up winners against odds tend to study the market carefully, they gather a fair idea from the signs in the market- whether investment at a particular point of time is conducive or not, if the lenders and general investors are showing eagerness and other factors like ease of entry of new funds and widths of credit spreads.

'Too much of anything is bad'- it is said, and this perception holds for investors too. The height of both optimism and pessimism can lead to situations which can lead to monetary loss in one hand and loss of opportunities on the other hand.

The Science of Prudence

Financial prudence is something which cannot be quantified, it has to be observed and assessed. The economic crisis of 2008 was preceded by activities indulged in by investors which reflected high levels of risk propensity and low levels of prudence.

In this context, Warren Buffet's words reflect his wisdom "The less prudence with which others conduct their affairs, the greater the prudence with which we must conduct our own affairs". It is not without reason that Buffet is considered to be  one of the most successful investors of our times.

Risk aversion is a behavioral phenomena which is not constant. It is linked to a lot of extraneous factors and investors need to carefully weigh all the options before arriving at a decision, be it a buy or sell decision. High risk aversion could result in a lot of good 'buy' opportunities go untouched and low risk aversion could lead to purchases which turn out to be catastrophic.

The mystery of history

"Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?", lamented noted poet T S Eliot. This is indeed true, even Albert Einstein stated that "The only source of knowledge is experience" and "Information is not knowledge".

We often tend to miss the greater picture by directing our attention towards bits of information, which can be utterly misleading. The totality of an event can only be known by becoming aware of its history.

"Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat them"- is an axiomatic statement which has been endorsed in history. The sequence of events leading to a major economic downturn can slowly fade from memory as the gap between such events sometimes span over decades.

However, for a serious investor, it is imperative to remember such instances and draw from its experience and knowledge. However, the moot point remains that even though investors possess the necessary knowledge they tend to act more out of their faith and belief. What they know to be true in most cases turn out to be untrue.

It is more about that fact that people believe what they want to believe and that could be anything but the truth. The devil in the mind raises its head and overshadows logic and prudence, greed takes over and leads the investor astray.

'Safety' to 'growth', a poorly traversed road

Elasticity and volatility have much in common. It can stretch either way. Market volatility can reach for the stars and head towards the pit depending on the economic situation.

Equities and investments in equities are a fairly recent phenomenon and has been around for about 65 years or so. After a sluggish take off, equities gained momentum between 1960 and 1972, and then again between 1982 to 1999.

After its initial popularity, the inevitable happened, a plethora of equity in the market led to a saturation. Equity performances nose dived, prices reverse spiraled rapidly and the investor's spirit took a beating leading to a loss of interest in equities. This was triggered in 2000.

The situation hardly improved during the next three year period and people began to abandon equities for more secure investment options. There was a paradigm shift from the previous drive for 'growth' to a more sedate "safety and income" stance.

Investors ignored equities between 2000 to 2003. During 2003 stock market started recovering slowly. Any thing which slowly grows will not capture the attention. Investors continue to ignore this slow growth in 2003 and 2004. Only in 2005 when stock market rised sizably, investors started noticing it and started investing in it. They have missed the initial rally in the market.

Instead of swinging between safety and growth, investors need to determine an asset allocation ratio based on their risk appetite and required rate of return. They need to stick to this asset allocation ratio regardless of the crash or rise in the stock market. This will reduce their overall risk and build their wealth.

If you could practice the above steps that will help you cultivate the right mindset to be a successful investor.

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

5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for September Gains

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Investors didn't see it coming last Wednesday, when Bernanke and company at the Fed announced that the taper talk was being, well, tapered. And markets have been playing catch-up ever since.

>>How to Win With the Twitter IPO

With the winding down of QE postponed (at least for a little while longer) investors can turn their attention to more pressing matters: like yet another debt ceiling gun to Uncle Sam's head. Left unsettled, the government shutdown would kick off on Oct. 1.

I'll make a bold prediction: Politicians on both sides will prolong the drama until the last possible second, and then they'll resolve things by deciding to figure it out later on. The key difference between now and the last go-around is that at least the markets are getting used to the conspicuous dysfunction on Capitol Hill. In fact, some names are well positioned to rally into the end of September.

To get the most bang for our buck this week, we're turning to a new set of Rocket Stocks.

>>5 Stocks Ready to Break Out

For the uninitiated, "Rocket Stocks" are our list of companies with short-term gain catalysts and longer-term growth potential. To find them, I run a weekly quantitative screen that seeks out stocks with a combination of analyst upgrades and positive earnings surprises to identify rising analyst expectations, a bullish signal for stocks in any market. After all, where analysts' expectations are increasing, institutional cash often follows. In the last 215 weeks, our weekly list of five plays has outperformed the S&P 500 by 90.7%.

Without further ado, here's a look at this week's Rocket Stocks.

Visa

2013 is panning out to be a stellar year for payment network giant Visa (V): Shares of the $128 billion firm have rallied more than 31% since the calendar flipped over to January. As consumers continue to show signs of strength, Visa should continue to show its shareholders the same.

>>5 Big Trades to Take as the Fed Hits the Gas

Visa is the biggest name in payments. The firm's logo is printed on more than 60% of the world's credit and debit cards, a share of the market that's more than double that of its closest rival. In a lot of ways, payment card acceptance is a positive feedback loop: consumers see Visa's network accepted everywhere they shop, so they're more likely to get a Visa-braded card, and merchants see more customers use Visa than any other brand, so they're more willing to keep accepting Visa. That makes the firm's network extremely hard to replicate for new networks unless they're willing to take a huge haircut on the fees they charge.

Because Visa is the network, not the card issuer, it doesn't carry credit risk on its balance sheet from consumer borrowers. Visa facilitates the transaction, but it doesn't lend the money. As consumers shift continue their payments from predominantly cash and checks to predominantly electronic credit or debit card payments, the market should get bigger quickly enough for all of the participants to benefit. Visa's massive scale just means that it'll get to benefit more.

Goldman Sachs

Let's face it, people love to hate Goldman Sachs (GS). In a lot of ways, Goldman was the posterboy for the problems of Wall Street that led to the financial crisis of 2008. But none of that changes how well GS has been executing in 2013.

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

Goldman Sachs is a diversified investment bank whose businesses include investment management, prime brokerage, and research on top of its traditional book-running. Think what you will of the regulations enacted since 2008, the smaller pool of large investment banks after the Great Recession means that GS automatically claims a bigger share of the market. Beyond that, the firm's reputation as a well-connected industry name holds a lot of cachet with many clients, particularly in the investment management side of the business, where wealthy retail clients want the Goldman Sachs name on their statements.

The firm's decision to become a bank holding company is likely to continue to constrain the level of risk that the firm is able to take on. The increased scrutiny isn't necessarily a bad thing -- it helps to prevent Goldman from conspicuously over-leveraging itself in chase of returns. The financial performance that GS has turned out in 2013 isn't likely to change much in the foreseeable future.

Blackstone Group

Another financial sector giant on our list of Rocket Stocks this week is Blackstone Group (BX). Best known as a private equity firm, Blackstone actually offers its clients exposure to a wide array of alternative investments, ranging from those well-known private equity funds to real estate and hedge funds. As skittish high-net worth investors chase low-correlation investments in a market that's seen its share of scares, BX should continue to attract capital.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

Blackstone's expertise in the private equity world gives it some big advantages. Unlike managers of public equity, PE firms take a more hands-on role with management of their portfolio firms, providing a mix of advice and outright orders. Blackstone's scale also means that it's able to pursue big deals that its smaller peers would need partners for.

The more conventional asset management business at BX is worth paying attention to as well. The firm runs one of the biggest real estate funds on earth as well as a colossal fund of funds, giving it major economies of scale that provide the flexibility to keep costs lower, greatly reducing what can often be one of the biggest barriers to meaningful returns for these types of investments.

As this equity rally continues to propel stock prices, Blackstone's unique menu of alternative investments should become increasingly important for investors.

Cognizant Technology Solutions

Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH) helps companies outsource high-cost IT services that range from software development to computer network maintenance. The firm has a pretty simple sales pitch: The company has a workforce with advanced technology expertise who work for less money than their Western counterparts. But it's how CTSH executes on that plan that makes it a unique name in the space.

>>4 Tech Stocks Triggering Breakout Trades

Cognizant isn't the only Indian IT outsourcer out there. But it was one of the first Indian IT outsourcers to plant its base of operations here in the U.S. with a management team that's able to flatten cultural barriers to doing business from the onset. It combines outsourced low-level services (with huge labor cost savings) with localized consulting efforts. That gives Cognizant the flexibility to market multiple services to each client it serves, and the firm earns hefty profit margins for its trouble.

CTSH has a mature customer base in North America, but a less mature base in the Eurozone, where it's still got ample growth opportunities. Global IT needs have far exceeded global IT budgets for the last decade, and that trend is accelerating, not abating. As long as Cognizant helps to stretch those IT dollars, it should continue to perform well.

Delphi Automotive

Another industry with huge tailwinds right now is automotive -- new-car sales continue to drive record numbers at automakers, spurred on by a combination of a record-aged auto fleet and record low interest rates. And auto parts supplier Delphi Automotive (DLPH) is one of the best ways to capitalize on that trend.

Delphi is one of the biggest auto parts suppliers for original equipment manufacturers, supplying everything from electrical components to safety products to powertrain modules to car factories around the world. Delphi got its start as a unit of General Motors (GM), and the Detroit giant still makes up around 20% of the firm's total sales. That means that the resurgence in the U.S. car industry specifically benefits Delphi in a big way.

Since Delphi provides car systems, not just simple parts, switching costs are high for its customers. Automakers can't go to another supplier without re-engineering its vehicles, and because of that, DLPH has a nice economic moat around its business. That, and the scale advantages of Delphi's size, provide a one-two punch that should keep its business performing at a high level for the rest of the year. Delphi has certainly had some missteps in the last decade, but it's healthier than ever before in 2013. With rising analyst sentiment in this Rocket Stock, we're betting on shares.

To see all of this week's Rocket Stocks in action, check out the Rocket Stocks portfolio at Stockpickr.

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Biotech Stocks Under $10 on the Move

>>5 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

>>Beat the S&P With These 5 Shareholder Yield Champs

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Crowdfunding's Evolving: The Next Big 'Profitable' Thing

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It seems like ages ago that nascent start-ups like Facebook (FB) and LinkedIn (LNKD) were reinventing how billions of people around the globe would stay both socially and professionally connected.

Fast forward to today and we're witnessing the progressive unfolding of one of the most democratic ways for individuals and start-ups to fund their ideas and enterprises. This is a revolutionary movement with remarkable possibilities.

It's called "crowdfunding" and it now includes a company that has taken the concept to a new level. GATE Impact Investing is reaching out to socially conscious investors who want to participate in the financial success of companies that benefit humanity and the well-being of the world around us.

I spoke with GATE CEO Vince Molinari, before his two-day summit at the United Nations in New York (more on that later), and learned that this is no typical crowdfunding venture. GATE has created both a system and a trading platform for "investors who want their investments to make a positive difference" as the CEO described it. Molinari says GATE Global Impact "is an impact-investing focused, electronic, regulatory-compliant marketplace that provides market infrastructure and related services for the emerging impact-investment industry." It's all about making a positive financial "impact" in the world's many markets. This new industry, he says, involves "public and private investments with a sustainable social and/or environmental component that also may generate a healthy rate of financial return. All securities are offered through GATE US LLC," a New York-based broker dealer. Having cut his teeth in the world of financial services and capital formation, Vince Molinari and his partners wanted to create a technology-based trading platform, that as he described it, "enables access to new funding sources from across society and enterprises that offer innovative solutions to global challenges, will be able to connect capital to social impact and environment-related projects." Molinari and GATE's approach to raising funds is "based on a new ecosystem and financial integrity. I asked him what he meant by "financial integrity."

"Integrity is tied to transparency," he responded without hesitation. "Transparency and sustainable investment capital based on a humanitarian model" is what separates GATE Impact Investing from the other players in the crowdfunding genre. Crowdfunding the United Nations Way Integrity and transparency are part of the reason why CEO Molinari was able to form a collaborative partnership with the United Nations' Global Compact to feature select projects from the newly launched Social Enterprise Action Hub on its own Gateway Platform.

In a press release dated Thursday, we learned that the partnership between the UN Global Compact and GATE is "to be officially launched following the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit," which concludes Friday.

CEO Molinari explains, "The ability to integrate standards and metrics through the Gateway Platform will greatly increase cost efficiency and the enhanced visibility will create education and awareness of this emerging asset class. The objective of the partnership between GATE and Global Compact is to drive capital to those projects that need it most."

"With this collaboration, we are pleased to embark on a new, high-tech approach to development-project financing that is at the core of how modern financial capital will be delivered," said Molinari. "Together, the UN Global Compact's Social Enterprise Action Hub and GATE Global Impact's Gateway Platform will enable funding sources to find the global projects that are in need of capital and, for the first time, execute transactions on social enterprise. This represents a global paradigm shift in development economics" he went on to explain. Molinari said in our interview, the UN Global Compact provides a framework for businesses to align their strategies and operations with the universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. This launch is providing an unparalleled online platform for businesses to connect with potential partners to scale up projects on key global issues. It will provide not only a new trading platform but also greater connectivity to potential investors in order to increase exposure, resulting in accelerated and broader funding of worthwhile enterprises.

The Gateway Platform is a robust, end-to-end solution that supports evolving financial regulatory frameworks and provides information and data levels to facilitate strategic decision-making, regarding capital deployment.

"We call this 'actionable knowledge' for buyers and sellers of Impact Investments -- investments that have the ability to generate a measurable social and/or environmental benefit alongside a potential for financial return," Molinari added.

"A key advantage of the Gateway Platform lies in its technology suite, which is able to provide investors and project owners with the information and metrics they need to transact, settle and clear assets, while delivering exceptionally high standards of market transparency and security. All securities are offered through GATE US, a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)."

This not only adds credence to the crowdfunding process, but it allows investors to both invest in good causes and experience the possibility of a positive return on their investment. It brings a new layer of meaning to that famous financial metric "Return on Investment," or ROI. In the weeks and months ahead, I intend to explore this promising new genre GATE is pioneering. Being an advocate for accountability and the velocity of money, I envision the birth of a new asset class that allows investors to invest in "securities" that benefit their consciences and their wallets. The UN Global Compact and GATE are highlighting their new partnership at the UN Global Compact Leadership Summit: Architects of a Better World" into Friday. Click here to read the press release and learn more of the exciting details. By the way, GATE has worked with publicly traded industry leaders such as Dow 30 company Microsoft (MSFT) and one of the mavens of the insurance and financial industries Prudential Financial (PRU), which have been supportive of GATE's mission and uniqueness. This may suggest that someday GATE Impact Investing may succeed in its mission to the point that it may become an investment security, just like the big social networking companies are today. Time will tell. In the meantime, I'll be investigating the potential. At the time of publication Courtenay was long MSFT. Follow @m8a2r1 This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.

Marc Courtenay is the founder and owner of Advanced Investor Technologies, LLC, as well as the publisher and editor of www.ChecktheMarkets.com. Courtenay holds a Master's of Science degree in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University, and is a former senior vice-president of Investments for two major brokerage firms. He's been a fiercely independent investment "investigator" and a consulting contributor to the investment publishing world for over 30 years. In addition to his role as an investment publisher and analyst, he serves as a marketing consultant to the investment media industries. In his role as a financial editor, he specializes in unique investment strategies, overlooked stock investments, energy and resource companies, precious metals, emerging growth companies, the prudent use of option strategies,real estate related opportunities,wealth preservation, money-saving offers, risk management, tax issues, as well as "the psychology of investing". Because of his training and background in Clinical Counseling and Psychology, he enjoys writing about investor behavior, the �herd mentality, how to turn investment mistakes into investment breakthroughs and the stock market's behavioral trends and patterns. Follow @m8a2r1

Tesla Plant Accident Not a Fire

What was first reported as a fire on Wednesday afternoon at the Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) has now been explained by the company as a failure in a low-pressure aluminum casting press. Three Tesla employees were injured by hot metal from that press and the company said that it is making sure that they receive the "best possible care."

The report of a fire was apparently confirmed by the Fremont, California, fire department and was tweeted at 1:46 p.m. PT. Fire department equipment was dispatched to Tesla's factory.

Fire has got to be a pretty touchy subject around Tesla these days following three fires in the company's Model S sedans in the past six weeks. Three car fires may not be enough for an in-depth government investigation or a recall, however it would not take many more similar fires, or an actual injury, to force CEO Elon Musk to change his mind, or have it changed for him.

Not only does the public expect the cars to be flawless, but the hype surrounding the company leads us to believe that the company itself is without blemish. And just as a car with thousands of parts can never be flawless, neither can an automaker with thousands of employees.

Tesla stock did not move much in after-hours trading following the incident. The stock is up about 0.3% at $139.05 after closing at $138.70 in a 52-week range of $30.50 to $194.50.

3 Tech Stocks Rising on Big Volume


DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

GT Advanced Technologies

GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) is a technology company with innovative crystal growth equipment and solutions for solar, LED and electronics industries. This stock closed up 8.1% at $10.24 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 8.78 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 5.12 million

Volume % Change: 195%

>>5 Breakout Trades Under $10

From a technical perspective, GTAT spiked sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $9.14 with heavy upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last four months, with shares skyrocketing higher from its low of $3.44 to its recent high of $10.60. During that uptrend, shares of GTAT have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GTAT within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if GTAT manages to take out Monday's high of $10.35 to its 52-week high at $10.60 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GTAT as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $9.14 or above its 50-day at $8.15 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 5.12 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GTAT will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $13 to $16.

Opentable

Opentable (OPEN) provides solutions that form an online network connecting reservation-taking restaurants and people who dine at those restaurants. This stock closed up 3.8% at $80.69 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 1.21 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 561,985

Volume % Change: 118%

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy in November

From a technical perspective, OPEN trended higher here right above some near-term support at $75.14 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of OPEN within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if OPEN manages to take out Monday's high of $80.82 to its 52-week high at $82.87 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in OPEN as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $76.26 or above more support at $75.14, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 561,985 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then OPEN will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are it next major overhead resistance levels at $90 to $95.

JA Solar

JA Solar (JASO) designs, manufactures and markets high-performance solar cells, which are made from specially processed silicon wafers. This stock closed up 9.9% at $12.07 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 7.10 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 2.77 million

Volume % Change: 295%

From a technical perspective, JASO ripped sharply higher here into new 52-week-high territory, with monster upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months, with shares moving higher from its low of $7 to its intraday high of $12.45. During that uptrend, shares of JASO have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term for JASO if this stock can make a new 52-week high soon.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in JASO as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $11.05 or above $10.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's high of $12.45 to some past resistance at $12.85 with volume that's near or above 2.77 million shares. If we get that move soon, then JASO will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $16 to $17.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

>>5 Stocks Under $10 in Breakout Territory

>>Buy These 5 REITs to Cash In This Year

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2014

European stocks rose for a fourth day, extending a seven-week high, as companies from UBS AG to Royal Philips (PHIA) Electronics NV reported increased profit.

UBS, Switzerland�� largest bank, rallied to a two-year high. Philips, the Dutch maker of light bulbs and electric toothbrushes, gained for an eighth day. Portugal�� PSI-20 Index (PSI20) advanced 2.3 percent as President Anibal Cavaco Silva affirmed that he doesn�� want to call early elections. Mobistar (MOBB) SA slumped the most on record after the Belgian mobile-phone company cut profit forecasts and suspended its dividend.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.2 percent to 300.3 at the close of trading, having swung between gains and losses at least 20 times. The gauge increased 1.2 percent last week on economic-growth data from China and assurances from the U.S. Federal Reserve that its stimulus program remains flexible.

��he Fed was able to calm markets, which has led to some strong gains,��said Andreas Nigg, head of equity and commodity strategy at Vontobel Asset Management in Zurich. ��arnings out of Europe so far look good at first glance, but it�� also important to remember that markets aren�� dirt cheap anymore.��

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2014: Horace Mann Educators Corporation(HMN)

Horace Mann Educators Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a multiline insurance company in the United States. The company underwrites and markets personal lines of property and casualty insurance, retirement annuity, and life insurance products. Its products include private passenger automobile and homeowner?s insurance coverage; tax-qualified individual and group annuities in fixed account and combination contracts; and individual and joint whole and term life insurance products. The company offers its products primarily to K-12 teachers, school administrators, education support personnel, and other employees of public schools and their families. It markets its products through its sales force, as well as through independent agents. Horace Mann Educators Corporation was founded in 1945 and is based in Springfield, Illinois.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2014: Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc.(FCX)

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, mining, and production of mineral resources. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and cobalt. It holds interests in various properties, located in North and South America; the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; and the Tenke Fungurume minerals district in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s consolidated recoverable proven and probable reserves totaled 120.5 billion pounds of copper, 35.5 million ounces of gold, 3.39 billion pounds of molybdenum, 325.0 million ounces of silver, and 0.75 billion pounds of cobalt. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  That doesn�� mean that the world�� largest copper producers are in immediate danger. Even with the production increase, Rio Tinto plc (NYSE: RIO) and BHP Billiton Ltd. (NYSE: BHP) currently receive about 50% more for their copper production than they spend to mine it according to Macquarie. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE: FCX) gets nearly 80% of its annual revenue from copper and its shares are down more than 15% in the past 12 months.

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines include new buy ratings for a pair of specialty retailers, Coach (NYSE: COH  ) and Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO  ) . Meanwhile in mining, Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX  ) suffers a downgrade. Let's dive right in, beginning with why...

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX  )
  Copper and gold miner Freeport McMoRan has endured a difficult year. It had to work hard to close its massive oil and gas acquisitions while also dealing with falling gold and copper prices. The only real solace for investors has been the company's 4.05% dividend. The good thing here for Freeport investors is that the oil and gas acquisitions take some risk out of its business as it reduces the company's exposure to mining from 100% down to 74%. The company believes it has the assets in place to maintain a strong balance sheet and continue its current dividend while also growing its business. �

Top Performing Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Sirius XM Radio Inc. provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It broadcasts a programming lineup of approximately 135 channels of commercial-free music, sports, news and information, talk and entertainment, traffic, and weather on subscription fee basis through two satellite radio systems in the United States; and holds an interest in the satellite radio services offered in Canada. The company also simulcasts music and selected non-music channels over the Internet; and offers applications to allow consumers to access its Internet services on mobile devices. As of December 31, 2010, it had 20,190,964 subscribers. In addition, the company designs, establishes specifications, sources or specifies parts and components, and manages various aspects of the logistics and production of satellite radios; licenses its technology to various electronics manufacturers to develop, manufacture, and distribute radios under various brands; and imports radios distri buted through its Websites. The company?s satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers, retailers, and its Websites. Further, it provides music services for commercial establishments; a satellite television service to offer music channels as part of certain programming packages on the DISH Network satellite television service; music and comedy channels to mobile phone users through mobile phone carriers; Backseat TV, a service offering television content designed primarily for children in the backseat of vehicles; Travel Link, a suite of data services that include graphical weather, fuel prices, sports schedules and scores, and movie listings; and real-time traffic and weather services. The company was formerly known as Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and changed its name to Sirius XM Radio Inc. in August 2008. Sirius XM Radio Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Among holdings in which Fisher increased its stake was Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) . The heavily shorted�Sirius has faced threats from automakers offering their own entertainment products, but they're still offering Sirius radio as well. Growing sales of vehicles is also a plus for Sirius, as is Pandora's�recent decision to start charging its heaviest users. Meanwhile, Sirius has just taken on Pandora more directly, launching MySXM, which permits subscribers to customize radio stations. It has also won a major legal battle�against Howard Stern.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Things never get dull for the country's lone satellite-radio provider. Shares of Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) moved slightly higher on the week, climbing 0.9% to hit $3.38. The media darling's gain wasn't as strong as the 2.2% Nasdaq pop, but there's no point in complaining about a positive run.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2014: Uranium Resources Inc.(URRE)

Uranium Resources, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and mining of uranium properties, using the in situ recovery or solution mining process. It owns developed and undeveloped uranium properties in South Texas; and undeveloped uranium properties in New Mexico. The company?s primary customers include utilities who utilize nuclear power to generate electricity. Uranium Resources, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Lewisville, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Since the start of the week, small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) more than doubled for investors, something that has not happened for investors in uranium stocks like Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ). To recap: USEC Inc closed at the $6 level on Friday, but then it surged to the $15 level on Monday only to open at the $10 level on Tuesday when it ultimately closed at $12.46. So what in the world is going on with USEC Inc and is it time to revisit nuclear fuel and uranium stocks?

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2014: USG Corporation(USG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

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

• [By Eric Volkman]

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

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2014: MetroPCS Communications Inc.(PCS)

MetroPCS Communications, Inc., a wireless telecommunications carrier, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless broadband mobile services in the United States. Its services include voice services, such as local, domestic long distance, and international call services; and data services, including domestic and international text messaging, multimedia messaging, mobile Internet access, mobile instant messaging, location based services, social networking services, push e-mail, and multimedia streaming and downloads, as well as services provided through the binary runtime environment for wireless (BREW), Blackberry, Windows, and the Android platforms, including ringtones, ring back tones, games, and content applications. The company also offers custom calling features consisting of caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, and voicemail services. In addition, it sells mobile handsets. The company offers its products and services under the MetroPCS brand name, directl y through the company-operated retail stores and indirectly through independent retail outlets, as well as through Internet. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 8.1 million subscribers, as well as operated 159 retail stores primarily in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando/Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Tampa/Sarasota. The company is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.

Asian Stocks Fall After Fisher Speech on Fed Policy

Asian stocks fell after Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard Fisher said the U.S. central bank should end its record stimulus as soon as possible.

South Korean financial companies including Shinhan Financial Group Co., Mirae Asset Securities Co. and Hana Financial Group Inc. dropped more than 2.4 percent. Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. (CCL), Australia's largest listed drinks company, slumped 4.7 percent after forecasting 2013 earnings will decline. China Resources Enterprise Ltd., a brewer and retailer with businesses in Hong Kong and mainland China, gained 1.5 percent.

The MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index fell 0.2 percent to 478.38 as of 1:42 p.m. in Hong Kong, after rising as much as 0.2 percent. More than three stocks fell for every two that gained on index. Japanese markets are closed today.

"It's all about the Fisher speech," Chris Weston, chief market strategist at brokerage IG Ltd. in Melbourne, said by phone. "We're starting to see a slight change in rhetoric from the Fed, more and more people are highlighting the cost of quantitative easing. The Fed rhetoric in the last few weeks has certainly been more hawkish than the markets were expecting."

Fisher, speaking in Sydney, said: "At the earliest possible moment we need to focus on transitioning back to having an interest-rate-driven monetary policy."

Last week's advance on the MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index pushed valuations on the measure to 13.2 times estimated earnings, up from a multiple of 12.2 at the end of August, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

China Manufacturing

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index (AS51) slipped 0.4 percent. Singapore's Straits Times Index gained 0.2 percent and Taiwan's Taiex Index retreated 0.4 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HSI) slipped 0.1 percent after rising as much as 0.4 percent and China's Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent.

China's Communist Party leaders will enter a policy-making summit this week, with services and manufacturing surveys showing the economy is strengthening.

A non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to the highest level this year in October, a government report showed yesterday. The increase follows faster-than-estimated growth in two manufacturing indexes last week.

New Zealand's NZX 50 Index fell 0.1 percent. South Korea's Kospi index dropped 0.6 percent.

"The Kospi is being driven down by foreigners who are net selling South Korean stocks after the opening of the market today," Heo Pil Seok, chief executive officer at Midas International Asset Management Ltd., which oversees about $6.4 billion, said by phone in Seoul today. "The lower-than-estimated third-quarter profits at Korean companies is impacting the market."

U.S. Futures

Futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 0.2 percent today. The equities benchmark rose 0.1 percent last week after completing its second straight monthly gain, adding 4.5 percent in October. Of the index members that have reported earnings this season, 75 percent have posted higher profit than analysts estimated, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Shunfeng Photovoltaic International Ltd., a maker of solar cells, surged 14 percent to HK$6.08 in Hong Kong, heading toward a record close, after announcing it would acquire Wuxi Suntech Power Co.

MStar Semiconductor Inc., an electronics component maker, gained 7 percent to NT$329 in Taipei, set to close at an all-time high after reporting its third-quarter profit increased 67 percent from a year earlier.

David Jones Ltd. (DJS) climbed 4.5 percent to A$3.03 in Sydney after brokers from Credit Suisse Group AG to Deutsche Bank AG upgraded recommendations on the retailer's shares.

Brands to host mega bashes during Super Bowl 2014

NEW YORK — The countdown is on to corporate party time.

It's less than 100 days to Super Bowl XLVIII, and marketers are beginning to share their pre-game party playbooks. On tap: unique, swanky event venues, celebrity performances, top-shelf liquor and gourmet fare.

The events leading up to the Feb. 2 game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., are expected to be so extravagant — and so numerous — that even the most avid party animal might have a tough time keeping up.

On Tuesday, Anheuser-Busch InBev will announce that it's transforming a docked Norwegian Cruise Line ship into a massive "Bud Light Hotel" lodging space and entertainment venue.

Since 2010, A-B has taken over a hotel in the Super Bowl host city, but this year, the beer behemoth "decided to go bigger than we've gone before," says Rob McCarthy, vice president of Bud Light.

The Bud Light Hotel — which will encompass the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum next door — will have space for about 4,000 people in 1,900 staterooms. There will be 22 bars and restaurants. Lodging will be available Thursday before the game through Monday morning.

A-B will plaster the Bud Light moniker on thousands of pillows, hand towels, shampoo bottles and other shipboard items, and will host concerts, business meetings and other gatherings in its event area. That space will include the Getaway, the deck of the retired military ship the Intrepid, its pier and the surrounding area.

"We're able to handle 10 times as many people as we have had in the past" by securing a cruise ship instead of taking over a traditional hotel, McCarthy says. Guests will be a mixture of consumers, retailers, business partners and others.

A-B joins a bevy of other firms that are planning over-the-top Super Bowl fetes.

American Media brands Shape Magazineand Men's Fitnessmagazine will co-host a Jan. 31 shindig with big-name performers including Mary J. Blige, John Legend and Marc An! thony.

DirecTV is planning two super-sized Super Bowl soirees: a beach-themed bash the afternoon of Feb. 1 and a more sophisticated event that evening.

Some party throwers, such as Shape and Men's Fitness, are organizing their first-ever Super Bowl bashes. Others, such as DirecTV and men's publication Maxim, are perennial partiers, annually having parties in Big Game host cities.

EXPENDITURES PAY OFF IN PUBLICITY

The party buzz is already building for this year's game, which will be played just outside New York City.

The Big Apple is not only headquarters to myriad media, marketing and event-planning companies who want to show off their party-planning capabilities, but it's also home to a smorgasbord of A-list celebrities, fashion models and big-name CEOs who can dramatically up the cool quotient at these already hip Super Bowl shindigs.

"Nothing is bigger than New York," Maxim president Ben Madden told Crain's New York Business in discussing his firm's 2014 Super Bowl party plans. "We'll have to take it up to another level in terms of the kind of party we throw."

There are big opportunities in a city known for its top-rated restaurants, flashy nightclubs and unique party venues. But there are also challenges.

"It's New York – everyone's standards are so much higher," says Jon Gieselman, senior vice president for marketing at DirecTV. "We're not only competing with other companies that are putting on events, but we're also competing with everything the city of New York has to offer."

He wouldn't disclose DirecTV's budget, only saying it was a "sizable investment" and that some costs are offset by sponsors who underwrite the events.

He says DirecTV's expenditures pay off in publicity and enabling employees to network with business contacts in a unique setting.

"We're able to entertain 6,000 of our closest friends in the business that work with us day in and day out throughout the year," Gieselman says. "That provides us with a lot of goo! dwill."

Patrón Tequila is one of the many brands helping Super Bowl party hosts to cut costs. For the 2014 game, it will provide mixed cocktails and entertainment ideas for the Maxim party and events put on by GQ magazine and movie director Michael Bay.

Super Bowl parties are the ideal venue to sample their liquor, says Patrón national events director Pam Dzierzanowski, noting that most guests are "movers and shakers" who can afford to buy a bottle of tequila that costs around $45.

SOME EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Many of the events are invite-only, but some brands will offer access to the general public.

Sports and culinary agent Lonny Sweet is working with the New York Jetsto set up a hospitality area, deemed the Jets House, within a larger 50 Yard Lounge food and entertainment area he will create in Manhattan.

"By day, (it will be) for the Jets fan and Jets season ticketholder, and by night, it's for corporate hospitality," says Seth Rabinowitz, Jets senior vice president for marketing and fan engagement.

The daytime events "will be a blend of no-cost and perhaps pay," he says. The Jets House will provide patrons with food and drinks and will have Jets cheerleaders and former players there.

Some consumers will win access to the Bud Light Hotel through national and local promotions.

The public can attend DirecTV's Feb. 1 afternoon Celebrity Beach Bowl — where TV stars, singers and former National Football League stars play flag football — free on a first-come, first-serve basis.

DirecTV expects to have about 4,500 people at that daytime event, which will take place in an 80,000-square-foot tent filled with a million pounds of sand. That night, they'll make the scene over for a "Super Saturday Night"-themed party with 6,000 invitation-only guests.

The Feb. 2014 game will be the eighth year that DirecTV has allowed the public access to its beach party.

"We decided early on, 'Why not open it up to the public of the host city and give th! em a chan! ce to participate in some of the events," he says. "(Those who) get up early and get online can get a seat free of charge."

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014

The price-to-earnings ratio has its supporters and detractors, but this simple statistic can be an easy way for investors to gauge how cheap an average stock is on the fly. For some stocks, however, the P/E ratio is a misleading statistic -- particularly when earnings betray a poor business model. With stocks' rise this year and earnings on the upswing, however, is the P/E ratio a suitable fit in the medical device industry, particularly as many device stocks have soared in 2013?

Using data compiled by stock screening site Finviz.com, here are three of the cheapest medical device stocks in the industry as sorted by the P/E ratio. Are these picks worth your investment -- or is this simple statistic hiding lagging financials and flailing companies? Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll tells you what you need to know about the device industry's cheapest pickings below.

While you can certainly make huge gains in biotech and pharmaceuticals, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Merck & Company Inc.(MRK)

Merck & Co., Inc. provides various health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. The company?s Pharmaceutical segment provides human health pharmaceutical products, such as therapeutic and preventive agents for the treatment of human disorders in the areas of bone, respiratory, immunology, dermatology, cardiovascular, diabetes and obesity, infectious diseases, neurosciences and ophthalmology, oncology, vaccines, and women's health and endocrine. This segment also offers human health vaccines, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. Its Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets animal health products. This segment offers antibiotics, anti-inflammatory products, vaccines, products for the treatment of fertility disorders, and parasiticides for cattle, swine, horses, poultry, dogs, cats, salmons, and fish. The Consumer Care segment develops, manufac tures, and markets over-the-counter, foot care, and sun care products. Its over-the-counter product line includes non-drowsy antihistamines; treatment for occasional constipation; decongestant-free cold/flu medicine for people with high blood pressure; nasal decongestant spray; and treatment for frequent heartburn. This segment?s foot care products comprise topical antifungal, and foot and sneaker odor/wetness products; and sun care products include sun care lotions, sprays and dry oils; and sunburn relief products. The company serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, government agencies, physicians, physician distributors, veterinarians, animal producers, and managed health care providers, as well as food chain and mass merchandiser outlets in the United States and Canada. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  Newly approved diabetes drug Invokana is another drug that investors need to keep an eye on. The drug has already been favorably compared to Merck's (NYSE: MRK  ) diabetes behemoth Januvia -- a drug that, along with similar diabetes treatment Janumet, posted a whopping $5.7 billion in sales in 2012. If Invokana landed even half of that, it'd provide a major boost to J&J's future pharmaceutical sales.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Shares of Merck (NYSE: MRK  ) are down 2.6% after the company announced earnings that beat expectations on earnings but missed on revenue. Additionally, investors didn't like that the company reduced its full-year 2013 guidance by $0.15 per share. Merck is facing tough competition from generic-drug makers, and whether or not the company can overcome the patent cliff remains to be seen.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Merck (NYSE: MRK  ) ended the week as the Dow's biggest loser, after falling 2.81% during. As with Chevron, Merck reported disappointing earnings, as revenue dropped 4% compared with the same quarter last year and missed Wall Street's expectations. Although earnings per share hit $0.92, which beat estimates, they also were down against last year -- to the tune of 35%. The company also gave lackluster guidance and reported that one of its best-selling drugs, Januvia, saw sales drop 5% during the quarter. That in itself certainly rattled a number of investors. Merck has already lost a number of patents in recent years, and to see a protected drug begin to stumble is not a good thing. Shareholders should certainly keep an eye on this development in the coming quarters. �

• [By Max Macaluso, Ph.D.]

  More than 10 million people around the world suffer from Parkinson's disease, according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical company Merck (NYSE: MRK  ) announced last week that it will halt the development of an experimental drug for this indication because of disappointing clinical data. Does Merck have other drugs in development for this disease? Are smaller biotechs making progress in this space? Health-care analyst Max Macaluso discusses these questions in the following video.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Applied Nanotech Holdings Inc (APNT)

Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc., incorporated on May 22, 1989, is engaged in nanotechnology research and development business. The Company's nanotechnology research involves performing contract research and development services for others to develop products and materials for new applications, and then leveraging this research by applying it to other similar applications in other industries. The Company also develops intellectual property (IP) around its products and technologies. The Company develops five technology platforms: nanosensor technology; nanocomposites, based on carbon nanotube composites; thermal management materials; nanoelectronics applications, and electron emission activities, primarily in the display area. The Company's electron emission IP is divided into display activities and non-display activities. Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc. is the parent company. Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI) is a subsidiary of ANHI. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company formed EZDiagnostix, Inc., (EZDX).

Sensors

The Company develops sensors based on ion mobility sensor technology and differential mobility spectroscopy. The Company is involved in projects to develop Mercaptan and Methane sensors for uses in the natural gas industry. The Company is also applying this technology to other applications, including agricultural pathology, wound care, and breath analysis. The Company develops hydrogen sensor for use in the measurement of hydrogen in power transformer products. The Company develops carbon monoxide sensor that can last for 10,000 hours on a single battery. The Company's carbon nanotube technology is for use in biosensors. Sensors based on carbon nanotubes or other nanomaterials can be used to detect chemical, organic, or biological warfare agents, as well as explosives, hydrogen, ammonia and numerous other chemicals.

Nanocomposites

The Company is in the advanced stages of development of nanomaterials using carbon nanotube (CNT) and! other composites. Epoxies are used in industries with worldwide markets, with applications, including adhesives, paints, coatings, and composites. In addition to epoxy resins, the Company develops other types of resins, including polyesters and vinyl esters. Vinyl esters are used in a variety of industrial applications, including storage tanks, piping, and construction. The Company develops a process for coating nylon pellets with CNTs to improves electrical conductivity. Nylon 6 with improved electrical conductivity can be used for its anti-static qualities, electrostatic discharge, and electromagnetic/RF shielding.

Thermal Management

The Company markets thermal management material called CarbAl. CarbAl provides a passive thermal management solution for temperature control issues that plague electronics manufacturers. CarbAl is a carbon based metal nanocomposite comprised of 80% carbonaceous matrix and a dispersed metal component of 20% aluminum. The Company also develops a simplified version of CarbAl based on graphite.

Conductive Inks

The Company develops aluminum and silver inks and pastes that is ideal for use in the production of solar cells. The Company also develops aluminum paste that can be used in current solar cell production.

The Company competes with Zyvex Performance Materials, GSI Creos, Amroy Europe, Ltd., DuPont and Ferro

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anuchit Nguyen]

  India�� S&P BSE Sensex rose, holding at a three-year high, amid better-than-estimated corporate earnings. Engineering company Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (LT) rallied to a three-month high and Asian Paints Ltd. (APNT) surged about 6 percent after reporting profit that beat forecasts.

5 Best Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.(REGN)

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes pharmaceutical products for the treatment of serious medical conditions in the United States. The company?s commercial product includes ARCALYST (rilonacept) injection for subcutaneous use for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, including familial cold auto-inflammatory syndrome and muckle-wells syndrome in adults and children. Its products under Phase III clinical development stage consist of VEGF Trap-Eye, an aflibercept ophthalmic solution developed using intraocular delivery for the treatment of serious eye diseases; ARCALYST for the prevention of gout flares in patients initiating uric acid-lowering treatment; and Aflibercept (VEGF Trap), which is developed in oncology. The company?s earlier stage clinical programs include various human antibodies, such as REGN727 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction, REGN88 for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis; REGN668 for atopic dermatitis and asthma; REGN421 and REGN910 for oncology; REGN475 for the treatment of pain; and REGN728 and REGN846. It also conducts preclinical research programs in the areas of oncology and angiogenesis, ophthalmology, metabolic and related diseases, muscle diseases and disorders, inflammation and immune diseases, bone and cartilage, pain, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. The company distributes its products through third party service providers. It has strategic collaboration with sanofi-aventis Group to discover, develop, and commercialize human monoclonal antibodies; and Bayer HealthCare LLC to develop and commercialize VEGF Trap. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in Tarrytown, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Vertex has dropped 6.1% to $66.97 today at 2:24 p.m. but it’s fall doesn’t seem to be having an impact on other biotech companies. Incyte (INCY) gained 2% to $39.77, Acorda Therapeutics (ACOR) has gained 0.7% to $30.83 and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) has dropped 0.6% to $285.96.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Organovo Holdings Inc (ONVO.PK)

Organovo Holdings, Inc. (Organovo), formerly Real Estate Restoration & Rental, Inc., incorporated in 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company has developed and is commercializing a platform technology for the generation of three-dimensional (3D) human tissues that can be employed in drug discovery and development, biological research, and as therapeutic implants for the treatment of damaged or degenerating tissues and organs. On December 28, 2011, Real Estate Restoration and Rental, Inc.�� (RERR) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, pursuant to which RERR merged with its, wholly owned subsidiary, Organovo (Merger Sub). On February 8, 2012, the Company merged with and into Organovo Acquisition Corp. (Acquisition Corp.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo, with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo Holdings (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, Organovo acquired the business of Organovo, Inc.

The C ompany has collaborative research agreements with Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer) and United Therapeutic Corporation (Unither). As of March 31, 2012, it has five federal grants, including Small Business Innovation Research grants and developed the NovoGen MMX Bioprinter (its first-generation 3D bioprinter). The Company is engaged in the development of specific 3D human tissues to aid Pfizer in discovery of therapies in two areas of interest. In addition, in October 2011, it entered into a research agreement with Unither to establish and conduct a research program to discover treatments for pulmonary hypertension using its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter technology. Additionally, under the research agreement with Unither, the Company granted Unither an option to acquire from the Company a worldwide, royalty-bearing license in certain intellectual property created under the research agreement solely for use in the treatment or prevention of pulmonary hypertension and all other lung diseases.

The Company�� NovoGen MMX Bioprinter is an aut! om! ated device that enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) living tissues comprised of mammalian cells. A custom graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates the 3D design and execution of scripts that direct precision movement of the dispensing heads to deposit cellular building blocks (bio-ink) or supporting hydrogel. The Company is using a third party manufacturer, Invetech Pty., of Melbourne, Australia, to manufacture its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter. Its bioprinting technology and surrounding intellectual property and commercial rights serve as a platform for product generation across multiple markets that employ cell- and tissue-based products and services.

The Company competes with Organogenesis, Advanced BioHealing, Tengion, Genzyme, HumaCyte and Cytograft Tissue Engineering.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated(VRTX)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated engages in discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing small molecule drugs for the treatment of serious diseases worldwide. Its products include telaprevir, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; and Ivacaftor, a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The company markets its products under the INCIVEK brand name in the United States and Canada; INCIVO brand in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and Norway; KALYDECO brand in the United States; and TELAVIC brand in Japan. Its drug candidates comprise VX-222, a Phase II clinical trial drug candidate, and ALS-2200 and ALS-2158, a Phase I clinical trial drug candidates that are designed to inhibit the replication of HCV; VX-809 and VX-661, a Phase II clinical trial drug candidates that improve the function of defective cystic fibro sis; VX-509, a Phase II clinical trial drug candidate for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases; VX-765, a Phase II clinical trial drug for the treatment of epilepsy; and VX-787, an investigational drug candidate for the treatment of influenza A. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX  ) jumped 48%, as it looks to expand the application of its promising cystic fibrosis drug, Kalydeco. Vertex recently entered into a deal�with Bristol-Myers Squibb�to pursue a treatment for Hepatitis C.�

• [By John Udovich]

  Last week, it was reported that S&P MidCap 400 constituents Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASD: VRTX) and Ametek Inc (NYSE: AME) would be replacing Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) and SAIC Inc (NYSE: SAI) in the S&P 500, and Advanced Micro Devices and SAIC will replace Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Ametek in the S&P Mid Cap 400. I should mention that both Advanced Micro Devices and SAIC Inc are�in our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio and as of today, we are down 1.29% and up 19.77%, respectively, in both stocks. In the case of�Advanced Micro Devices, we feel the company�� transition into mobility and gaming consoles makes it a compelling value while defense contractor SAIC Inc is interesting as its well positioned to address�cyber security issues. Moreover, SAIC Inc is splitting into 2 companies in a transaction that�� expected to be completed before the end of the month.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX  ) focuses largely on cystic fibrosis. Shares have skyrocketed more than 130% since the biotech gained approval for Kalydeco from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2012.The good news for investors is that Vertex has two other experimental drugs targeting cystic fibrosis that could eventually drive annual sales to $3 billion or more.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: CEL-SCI Corp (CVM)

CEL-SCI Corporation (CEL-SCI), incorporated on March 22, 1983, is engaged in the business of Multikine cancer therapy; New cold fill manufacturing service to the pharmaceutical industry, and ligand epitope antigen presentation System (LEAPS) technology, with two products, hemagglutinin type 1 and neuraminidase type 1 (H1N1) swine flu treatment for H1N1 hospitalized patients and CEL-2000, a rheumatoid arthritis treatment vaccine.

Multikine

CEL-SCI's Multikine, is being developed for the treatment of cancer. It is a cancer immunotherapy drugs called Combination Immunotherapy because it combines active and passive immunity in one product. It is the only cancer immunotherapy that both kills cancer cells and activates the general immune system to destroy the cancer. Multikine target the tumor micro-metastases for treatment failure. Multikine is also applicable in many other solid tumors.

New Manufacturing Facility

CEL-SCI's facility manufactures Multikine for CEL-SCI's Phase III clinical trial. CEL-SCI offers the use of the facility as a service to pharmaceutical companies and others, particularly those that need to fill and finish their drugs in a cold environment. Fill and finish is the process of filling injectable drugs in a sterile manner.

LEAPS

CEL-SCI's patented T-cell Modulation Process uses heteroconjugates to direct the body to choose a specific immune response. The heteroconjugate technology, referred to as LEAPS, is intended to stimulate the human immune system to fight bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, as well as autoimmune, allergies, transplantation rejection and cancer. Administered like vaccines, LEAPS combines T-cell binding ligands with small, disease associated and peptide antigens.

Using the LEAPS technology, CEL-SCI has created a peptide treatment for H1N1 (swine flu) hospitalized patients. This LEAPS flu treatment is designed to focus on the conserved, non-changing epitopes of the di! fferent strains of Type A Influenza viruses, including swine, avian or bird, and Spanish Influenza. CEL-SCI's LEAPS flu treatment contains epitopes.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (INO)

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on June 29, 1983, is engaged in the development of a new generation of vaccines, called synthetic vaccines, focused on cancers and infectious diseases. The Company's SynCon technology enables the design of universal vaccines capable of providing cross-protection against existing or changing strains of pathogens, such as influenza and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Company's electroporation delivery technology uses brief, controlled electrical pulses to increase cellular uptake of the vaccine. Its clinical programs include cervical dysplasia (therapeutic), avian influenza (preventive), prostate cancer (therapeutic), leukemia (therapeutic), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV vaccines. It is advancing preclinical research and clinical development for a universal seasonal/pandemic influenza vaccine, as well as preclinical work for other products, including malaria and prostate cancer vaccines. Its partners and collaborators include University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health/Malaria Vaccine Initiative (PATH/MVI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Merck, ChronTech, University of Southampton, United States Military HIV Research Program (USMHRP), the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and HIV Vaccines Trial Network (HVTN). As of December 31, 2011 it owned 16.1% interest in VGX Int��.

Inovio�� Solution

The Company�� synthetic vaccine platform consists of its SynCon vaccine design process and electroporation delivery technology. It has developed a preclinical and clinical stage pipeline of vaccines. The Company�� synthetic vaccines are designed to prevent a disease (prophylactic vaccines) or treat an existing disease (therapeutic vaccines). Its synthetic vaccine consists of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) plasmid encoding a selected antigen! (s), which is introduced into cells of humans or animals with the purpose of evoking an immune response to the encoded antigen. The Company�� synthetic vaccines are designed to generate specific antibody and/or T-cell responses.

The Company�� SynCon technology provides processes that employ bioinformatics, which combine extensive genetic data and sophisticated algorithms. Its design process uses the genetic make-up of a common antigen(s) from multiple strains of a virus within a viral sub-type or taxonomic group (family) of pathogens, such as HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and other diseases to synthetically create a new antigen for the desired pathogen target that does not exist in nature. Its synthetic vaccine candidates are being delivered into cells of the body using its electroporation (EP) DNA delivery technology.

Cancer Synthetic Vaccines

The Company has two broad types of cancer vaccines: preventive (or prophylactic) vaccines, which are intended to prevent cancer from developing in healthy people, and treatment (or therapeutic) vaccines, which are intended to treat an existing cancer by strengthening the body�� natural defenses against the cancer. Two types of cancer preventive vaccines are available in the United States. The United States Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) has approved two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix that protect against infection by the two types of HPV-types 16 and 18-that cause approximately 70% of all cases of cervical cancer worldwide. In addition, Gardasil protects against infection by two additional HPV types, 6 and 11, which are responsible for about 90% of all cases of genital warts in males and females but do not cause cervical cancer.

Cervarix manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is composed of virus-like particles (VLPs) made with proteins from HPV types 16 and 18. Cervarix is approved for use in females��ages 10 to 25 for the prevention of cervical cancer caused by! HPV type! s 16 and 18. Gardasil manufactured by Merck, is approved for use in females for the prevention of cervical cancer, and some vulvar and vaginal cancers, caused by HPV types 16 and 18 and for use in males and females for the prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11. The vaccine is approved for these uses in females and males ages 9 to 26. The FDA has also approved a cancer preventive vaccine that protects against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Inovio�� VGX-3100 is designed to raise immune responses against the E6 and E7 genes of HPV types 16 and 18 that are present in both pre-cancerous and cancerous cells transformed by these HPV types. E6 and E7 are oncogenes that play an integral role in transforming HPV-infected cells into cancerous cells. In March 2011, it initiated a randomized, double-blind Phase II study of VGX-3100 delivered using the CELLECTRA intramuscular electroporation device in women with HPV Type 16 or 18 and diagnosed with, but not yet treated for, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3. The study is designed to enroll 148 subjects. In January 2011, it announced the publication of a scientific paper in the journal Human Vaccines detailing potent immune responses in a preclinical study of its SynCon vaccine for prostate cancer targeting two antigens, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA).

In January 2011, the Company announced the regulatory approval of a Phase II clinical trial (WIN Trial) to treat leukemia utilizing its new ELGEN 1000 automated vaccine delivery device. The single dose level, Phase II study, called WT1 immunity via DNA fusion gene vaccination in haematological malignancies by intramuscular injection followed by intramuscular electroporation. Cancer Vaccines encodes for hTERT, an antigen related to non-small cell lung, breast and prostate cancers. The vaccine is delivered using its electroporation delivery technology.

Infectious Disease Synthetic Vaccines

In Marc! h 2011, the Company announced the initiation of a follow-on open label, single dose Phase II clinical study in collaboration with ChronTech of the ChronVac-C HCV DNA vaccine delivered using its electroporation technology in treatment naive HCV infected individuals. Its HIV vaccines consist of candidates for HIV prevention, as well as therapy or treatment. PENNVAX-B is designed to target HIV clade B (most commonly found in the United States, North America, Australia and the European Union (EU). PENNVAX-G is designed to target HIV clades A, C and D, which are more commonly found in Asia, Africa, Russia and South America. This Phase I clinical study of PENNVAX-B (HVTN-080) vaccinated 48 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers to assess safety and levels of immune responses generated by Inovio�� PENNVAX-B vaccine delivered with its CELLECTRA electroporation device. PENNVAX-B is a SynCon vaccine that targets HIV gag, pol, and env proteins.

The Company�� VGX-3400X targets H5N1. The vaccine consists of three distinct DNA plasmids coded for a consensus hemagglutinin (HA) antigen derived from different H5N1 virus strains; a consensus neuraminidase (NA) antigen derived from different N1 sequences; and a consensus nucleoprotein (NP) fused to a small portion of the m2 protein (m2E) based on a broader cross-section of influenza viruses in addition to H5N1 and H1N1. Conventional vaccines are strain-specific and have limited ability to protect against genetic shifts in the influenza strains they target. They are therefore modified annually in anticipation of the next flu season�� new strain(s). It is focused on developing DNA-based influenza vaccines able to provide broad protection against known as well as newly emerging, unknown seasonal and pandemic influenza strains.

Animal Health/Veterinary

VGX Animal Health, Inc. (VGX AH), a majority-owned subsidiary, has licensed LifeTide, a plasmid-based growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) technology for swine. LifeTide is one of onl! y four DN! A-based treatments approved for use in animals and is the only DNA-based agent delivered using electroporation that has been granted marketing approval (Australia). VGX AH is also developing a GHRH-based treatment for cancer and anemia in dogs and cats. It is developing a synthetic vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) administered by its vaccine delivery technology. The FMD virus is one of the most infectious diseases affecting farm animals, including cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and is a serious threat to global food safety.

The Company competes with Crucell N.V, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Inc., Novartis, Inc., MedImmune and CSL.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  On the clinical data front, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY  ) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEMKT: INO  ) both put investors in their happy place.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Hemispherx Biopharma Inc (HEB)

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (Hemispherx) is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the clinical development of new drugs therapies based on natural immune system enhancing technologies for the treatment of viral and immune based chronic disorders. Hemispherx focuses on two core pharmaceutical technology platforms Ampligen and Alferon N Injection.The commercial focus for Ampligen includes application as a treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and as an influenza vaccine enhancer (adjuvant) for both therapeutic and preventative vaccine development. Alferon N Injection is a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved product with an indication for refractory or recurring genital warts. Alferon LDO (Low Dose Oral) is a formulation under development targeting influenza. It has three subsidiaries BioPro Corp., BioAegean Corp., and Core BioTech Corp. The Company's foreign subsidiary is Hemispherx Biopharma Europe N.V./S.A.

Ampligen

Ampligen is an experimental drug, which is undergoing clinical development for the treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Over 1,000 patients have participated in the Ampligen clinical trials representing the administration of more than 90,000 doses of this drug. The Company is also engaged in ongoing, experimental studies assessing the efficacy of Ampligen against influenza viruses.

Alferon N Injection

Alferon N Injection is the registered trademark for the Company's injectable formulation of natural alpha interferon. Interferons are a group of proteins produced and secreted by cells to combat diseases. The Company's natural alpha interferon is produced from human white blood cells. Alferon N Injection [Interferon alfa-n3 (human leukocyte derived)] is a highly purified, natural-source, glycosylated, multi-species alpha interferon product.

Alferon LDO (Low Dose Oral)

Alferon LDO [Low Dose Oral Interferon Alfa-n3 (Human Leukocyte Derived)]! is an experimental low-dose, oral liquid formulation of Natural Alpha Interferon and like Alferon N Injection should not cause antibody formation, which is a problem with recombinant interferon. It is an experimental immunotherapeutic that works by stimulating an immune cascade response in the cells of the mouth and throat, enabling it to bolster systemic immune response through the entire body by absorption through the oral mucosa.

The Company competes with Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, AstraZeneca, Baxter International, Fletcher/CSI, AVANT Immunotherapeutics, AVI BioPharma and Genta.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Organovo Holdings Inc (ONVO)

Organovo Holdings, Inc. (Organovo), formerly Real Estate Restoration & Rental, Inc., incorporated in 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company has developed and is commercializing a platform technology for the generation of three-dimensional (3D) human tissues that can be employed in drug discovery and development, biological research, and as therapeutic implants for the treatment of damaged or degenerating tissues and organs. On December 28, 2011, Real Estate Restoration and Rental, Inc.�� (RERR) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, pursuant to which RERR merged with its, wholly owned subsidiary, Organovo (Merger Sub). On February 8, 2012, the Company merged with and into Organovo Acquisition Corp. (Acquisition Corp.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo, with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo Holdings (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, Organovo acquired the business of Organovo, Inc.

The Company has collaborative research agreements with Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer) and United Therapeutic Corporation (Unither). As of March 31, 2012, it has five federal grants, including Small Business Innovation Research grants and developed the NovoGen MMX Bioprinter (its first-generation 3D bioprinter). The Company is engaged in the development of specific 3D human tissues to aid Pfizer in discovery of therapies in two areas of interest. In addition, in October 2011, it entered into a research agreement with Unither to establish and conduct a research program to discover treatments for pulmonary hypertension using its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter technology. Additionally, under the research agreement with Unither, the Company granted Unither an option to acquire from the Company a worldwide, royalty-bearing license in certain intellectual property created under the research agreement solely for use in the treatment or prevention of pulmonary hypertension and all other lung diseases.

The Company�� NovoGen MMX Bioprinter is an automate! d device that enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) living tissues comprised of mammalian cells. A custom graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates the 3D design and execution of scripts that direct precision movement of the dispensing heads to deposit cellular building blocks (bio-ink) or supporting hydrogel. The Company is using a third party manufacturer, Invetech Pty., of Melbourne, Australia, to manufacture its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter. Its bioprinting technology and surrounding intellectual property and commercial rights serve as a platform for product generation across multiple markets that employ cell- and tissue-based products and services.

The Company competes with Organogenesis, Advanced BioHealing, Tengion, Genzyme, HumaCyte and Cytograft Tissue Engineering.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Fitz-Gerald]

  In the 4D medical world, Organovo Holdings Inc. (NYSE MKT: ONVO) appears to be off to a good start. They've got a number of bioprinting projects centered around functional human tissue, including a liver product that's planned for 2014. I believe the company will quickly branch into tumor modeling, transplantation, and pharma research.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Organovo Holdings (NYSEMKT: ONVO  ) was one of last week's biggest winners, soaring 55% after making the leap to the more prolific NYSE MKT exchange.

Top 10 Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.(NBIX)

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders in the United States. It develops drugs for endometriosis, stress-related disorders, pain, tardive dyskinesia, uterine fibroids, diabetes, insomnia, and other neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders. The company?s products in clinical development include Elagolix, a Phase II drug for endometriosis; Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitor (VMAT2), a Phase II drug for movement disorders; CRF2 Peptide Agonist, a Phase II drug for cardiovascular diseases; CRF1 Antagonist, a Phase II drug for stress-related disorders; and Elagolix, a Phase II drug for uterine fibroids. Its research programs comprise G Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) for type II diabetes; VMAT2 for schizophrenia; GnRH Antagonists for men?s and women?s health, and oncology; Antiepileptic Drugs for epilepsy, essential tremor, and pain; and G Protein-Coupled Receptors for other conditions. The company has collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline to develop and commercialize CRF antagonists for psychiatric, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases; Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd. to develop and commercialize Indiplon in Japan; Abbott International Luxembourg S.�r.l. to develop and commercialize elagolix and GnRH antagonists for women?s and men?s health indications; and Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule GPR119 agonists for the treatment of type II diabetes and other indications. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX), which discovers, develops and commercializes drugs for the treatment of neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders. This stock has been a hot name with bulls so far in 2013, with shares up 57%.

  If you look at the chart for Neurocrine Biosciences, you'll notice that this stock recently gapped down sharply from $16.74 to below $11.50 a share with heavy downside volume flows. Following that gap down, shares of NBIX went on to continue its trend lower and the stock hit a new low of $10.42 a share. Shares of NBIX have started to rebound off that $10.42 low and it's now moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NBIX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $11.92 a share and above its gap down day high of $12.17 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 894,145 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then NBIX will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from September that started at $16.74 a share. Some possible upside targets for NBIX if it gets into that gap with volume are $14 to $15 a share.

  Traders can look to buy NBIX off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below support at $11 a share, or below that recent low of $10.42 a share. One can also buy NBIX off strength once it takes out that breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.