Stocks, boosted by earnings, shoot higher

Stocks shot higher Tuesday as investors continue to watch over quarterly profit reports, including an earnings beat from Dow component Merck.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 86.63 points, or 0.5%, to 16,535.37, led by a 3.6% gain by Merck.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 8.90 points, or 0.5%, to 1,878.33 and the Nasdaq composite index rose 29.14 points, or 0.7%, to 4,103.54.

Investors were also reacting to a slightly softer-than-expected reading on April consumer confidence. The latest reading from The Conference Board came in at 82.3, a tad below the 83.2 economists expected and below March, which was revised up to 83.9.

CONFIDENCE: Dips in April

The S&P Case-Shiller home price index also showed a continued trend toward rising prices, with the 20-city index rising 0.76% in February, just below the 0.8% forecast. Home prices are up 12.9% in the past year, just shy of forecasts of 13.1%.

HOUSING: Case-Shiller shows price growth slows

"The U.S. stock market remains in an upward trend but at a more modest pace this year compared to last year," says Gary Thayer, chief macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors. "Recent market behavior shows investors are cautious and occasional bad news prompts selling causing the market to give back some of its previous gains. Fortunately, investors are still putting money into stocks and bonds, providing underlying support to both markets despite frequent price swings."

Markets were mainly focused Tuesday on corporate earnings, as this is another big week, with 135 companies in the S&P 500 reporting, according to Wells Fargo Securities.

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Merck topped earnings-per-share forecasts by 9 cents, providing a 3.6% lift to the pharmaceutical giant's shares. High-end retailer Coach shares tumbled 9.3% to $45.71 after it sales dipped slightly despite topping pr! ofit forecasts.

Overall, the earnings season has been better-than-expected, as the bulk of U.S. companies are topping expectations, which were lowered by analysts and CEOs heading into the reporting season. With 273 of the companies in the S&P 500 having reported, 68% have topped analyst expectations, above the long-term average of 63%, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Currently, year-over-year first-quarter growth is tracking at at 3.7%, which is up from a 2.2% forecast on April 1 but below the 6.5% expected at the start of the year.

In addition to the flood of earnings reports, Wall Street will also have a lot to digest later this week. The Federal Reserve ends its two-day meeting Wednesday with the release of its closely watched policy statement. In addition, the U.S. government on Friday will release its April jobs report.

Asia markets traded with little enthusiasm. Russian shares rose, a day after a new round of sanctions were imposed by the West on Russian companies and individuals. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1% to 14,288.23.

In European corporate news, Nokia said it would return $3.1. billion to shareholders. The Finnish firm reported better than expected quarterly earnings. Nokia also named a new CEO, Rajeev Suri.

Europe's major bourses staged broad-based advances. Germany's DAX index added 1.5% to 9,584.12, while the FSTE in Britain ended up 1% to 6,769.91. France's CAC 40 finished the day up 0.8% to 4,497.68.

In economic news in Europe, Spain's National Statistics Institute said the unemployment rate edged up to 25.9% in the first three months of the year. The U.K. economy grew 0.8% in the first quarter of 2014.

Matt Krantz explains how wipeouts in mega-cap tech stocks like Amazon.com, Twitter and LinkedIn might be getting the attention, but it's the small tech stocks that are plummeting the most amid the ongoing downturn. (America's Markets, USA TODAY)

What a Dizzying Day in the Markets

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- What a volatile trading day it was on Monday -- all the indexes roared out of the box, making huge gains, only to see those gains all wiped out before regaining their footing at the close.

The DJIA was up 138 points in early trading at 16500.37 before losing all those gains and hitting an intraday low of 16312. The DJIA closed at 16448.74, up 87.28 points. The S&P 500 closed at 1869.43, up 6.03 points.

The Nasdaq and Russell 2000 indexes, both in Trend Bearish territory as I have mentioned on many occasions, closed in the red today. The Nasdaq closed down 1.16 points at 4074.40. This was on the heels of Apple (AAPL) soaring 22.34 points to close at 594.28. One can only imagine what the Nasdaq would have looked like without the huge AAPL gains. The Russell 2000 closed down 5.97 points to finish at 1117.06.

Once again, we have two different markets. The DJIA and the S&P 500 vs. the Nasdaq and the Russell 2000. This is not a healthy stock market environment. The volume on Monday, which is always a concern of mine, finally showed some nice upward movement on a green day. The S&P 500 Trust Series ETF (SPY) traded well over 110 million shares on Monday. This was the first time since April 15 of this year. I would like to make a comment about my algorithm process that I utilize at www.strategicstocktrades.com. When I observe volume in relation to price movement, I like to look at the weekly trend, which is a three-month or longer time frame. The volume indicator, which I term the SST Volume Trend, has been showing a bearish divergence with all the index price movements since the week ended Dec. 20, 2013. As the price of the indexes has continued to rise, the volume has been steadily falling.

There is not a lot of buying force behind this upward trend in index prices. This is known as a negative divergence. It is just a matter of time before the market indexes will start to roll over. As a matter of fact, we may be seeing that take place at the present time. That is why the Nasdaq and the Russell 2000 indexes have been diverging from the DJIA and the S&P 500. What this all means from a trading standpoint is be cautious. The perceived strength behind this market is not as strong as it appears. This market has no memory from day to day, let alone week to week. Apple, the big winner again today, is now well into overbought territory, according to my algorithm process. It will be approaching the extreme overbought signal Tuesday on green. Watch for AAPL profit-taking to kick in within the next day or two. Chasing AAPL at these levels is not a good idea. I did purchase two new positions today. I started a long in Lululemon Athletics, (LULU), a large-cap stock with a market cap of over $4 billion. I also started a small-cap long position in Oculus Innovative Sciences, (OCLS). Both are for short-term trades based on my extreme oversold indicator according to my algorithm process. At the time of publication, the author was long LULU and Oculus Innovative Sciences. This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.

Stock quotes in this article: AAPL, LULU, OCLS 

Will Bank of America Surpass The Competition?

With shares of Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) trading around $13, is BAC an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Bank of America is a financial institution, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses, corporations, and governments with a range of banking, investing, asset management, and other financial and risk management products and services. Through its banking and various nonbanking subsidiaries throughout the United States and in international markets, the company provides a range of banking and nonbanking financial services and products through five business segments: Consumer and Business Banking, Consumer Real Estate Services, Global Banking, Global Markets and Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Other.

Bank of America is a giant in the financial industry that is the backbone of most economies worldwide. The industry suffered in recent years but is now recovering and looks poised to provide the products and services consumers and companies need in order to see progress. A recent settlement scuffle with American International Group (NYSE:AIG) regarding a Countrywide matter may cause some distress to investors.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Mixed

Bank of America stock has flown higher the last couple of years after rebounding from a huge sell-off in 2011. The stock is now trading sideways as it digest gains from this powerful run. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Bank of America is trading slightly above its rising key averages which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Bank of America options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Bank of America Options	32.80%	53%	52%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a significant amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
July Options	Flat	Average
August Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Bank of America’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Bank of America look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3	2012 Q2
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	233.33%	-77.17%	-100.00%	121.11%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	4.13%	-25.02%	-28.20%	65.97%
Earnings Reaction	-4.72%	-4.24%	-0.21%	-4.92%

Bank of America has seen mixed earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have not been excited about Bank of America’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Weak Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Bank of America stock done relative to its peers, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), Citigroup (NYSE:C), and sector?

	Bank of America	JPMorgan Chase	Wells Fargo	Citigroup	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	11.20%	20.11%	21.26%	21.56%	18.98%

Bank of America has been a weak relative performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Bank of America is a bank and financial services giant that operates in a recovering financial industry, the backbone of the United States economy. The stock has been on a powerful move to higher prices, over the last couple of years, and is now trading sideways as it digests these gains. Over the last four quarters, investors in the company have not been too happy as earnings and revenue figures have been mixed. Relative to its peers and sector, Bank of America has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Bank of America does in coming quarters.

Google Stock Is on a Roll. Is It Still Worth Buying?

"Buy low, sell high." So goes the old adage for how to make money in the stock market. But what if there were another way? What if we could "buy high, and buy higher"?

I know that sounds ridiculous, but this past week, Fool user aryan89 posted a brilliant message on the Fool's premium boards. In it, he said:

History tells us that rather than trying to time the market and buy low, sell high, it is better to stick to your investing philosophies. If the reasons you invested into a company are still intact, rather than asking "Should I sell and take profits?" the correct question would be to ask, "Should I buy more?" 

With this in mind, as I look for five potential stocks to invest my real money in during August, I'm looking for companies and stocks that are firing on all cylinders, and unabashedly buying in even though a stock has had strong price appreciation.

Today, I'm investigating Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) , a stalwart that is beating the S&P 500 by 20 percentage points over the past year.

GOOG Total Return Price data by YCharts

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

Why such a good year?
To understand why Google is having such a good year, it's important to understand the challenges the company is facing, and why they worry investors.

The biggest of those challenges is a shift toward mobile computing. Though Google has its hand in many different businesses, advertising still makes up almost all of the company's revenue. And what people are seeing is that Google gets paid less for each advertising click on a smartphone or tablet than it would on a desktop.

That's an understandable concern for investors, but it's one the company is slowly dealing with. For starters, both Google and Chinese search giant Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) have reported that mobile searches are occurring largely in addition to already-established desktop searches. As fellow Fool Joe Tenebruso pointed out: "This is a key insight because many investors mistakenly believe that mobile search is cannibalizing the much more profitable desktop search business of these two Internet giants. However, both Baidu and Google said that this is not the case." 

The other part of the equation is that while the average cost per click has gone down over the past year -- though it is now stabilizing -- the total number of clicks has grown substantially. For instance, in the most recently reported quarter, the average cost per click was down 6%, but the total number of paid clicks was up 23%. An increase in volume like that is more than enough to offset lower price points, and investors are starting to catch on.

Why Google is still worth owning
Despite the recent price appreciation, I think Google has a lot going for it. The company has a milewide moat surrounding its core search business, and there are lots of other products the company is working on to make sure it's relevant in the future.

CEO Larry Page, in the most recent conference call, said the company will be investing capital to exploit the trend of users who are accessing the Internet through multiple screens. Obviously, the core search engine is the centerpiece, but Google has lots of other platforms to develop.

Android, for instance, is approaching 1 billion users worldwide. YouTube is now a profitable division of Google, and it's the third most popular website in the world. And the company's Chrome Web browser, according to Softpedia, now has a commanding 41% market share, far ahead of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Apple's Safari.

Source: Softpedia. 

At today's prices, Google shares trade hands for about 22 times earnings and about 25 times free cash flow. That's not exactly cheap, but then again, the strength of Google's business is pretty well known. I don't expect it to ever trade hands for too cheap.

Indeed, out of all the big players in technology, I think Google -- along with Amazon.com -- has the most sustainable competitive advantages to keep the company relevant for decades to come. If you'd like to see how the future of technology will play out, and who we think will win, check out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" The free report details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

One Marijuana Stock Earns Some Legitimacy Plus Other Pot News (GWPH, ERBB & PHOT)

Its been a rather eventful week for news from the marijuana sector and small cap marijuana stocks like GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: GWPH), Tranzbyte Corp (OTCMKTS: ERBB) and Growlife Inc (OTCMKTS: PHOT) as one of these stocks gets endorsed by Morgan Stanley while another appears on CNBC – more signs of legitimacy for an investment sector that's full of pumps, dumps and other unsavory types of activities. Just consider the following small cap marijuana stock or pot industry news:

GW Pharmaceuticals PLC Soars on Morgan Stanley Coverage. UK based GW Pharmaceuticals PLC, which is developing a product portfolio of cannabinoid prescription medicines, soared more than 32% on Tuesday after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of the stock with an Overweight rating and $103 price target. Morgan Stanley also predicted that US sales of GW Pharmaceuticals PLC's Sativex, a treatment for MS spasticity and cancer pain, should grow over time. GW Pharmaceuticals PLC is up 47% since the start of the week, up 68.1% since the start of the year and up 656.1% since last May. 

Cramer Endorses GW Pharmaceuticals PLC. For what his opinion might be worth, CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer called Morgan Stanley's recommendation "timely" and "bold," predicting the stock will quickly reach the target because:

"It's not a medical marijuana stock. They have a novel platform. It is an epilepsy company."

However, he still warned investors to stay away from other marijuana-related penny stocks, saying:

"Forget it! If you like cannabis, and I'm not necessarily speaking about 'liking' cannabis, it's GW Pharma."

Marijuana: A New Frontier for Silicon Valley. Mat Honan, senior writer at WIRED, has written a story entitled "High Tech: How Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are rushing to cash in on cannabis." Honan was then interviewed by The Daily Ticker where he talked about Stanley Brothers' Charlotte's Web marijuana strain that has therapeutic benefits without a big high for patients who have seizures. He also commented that there's been talk about pot businesses using bitcoin and other virtual currencies in their banking relations, but so far there haven't been any "large-scale solutions" to address the problem of banks continuing to avoid the sector.

Tranzbyte Gets CNBC's Attention. Stephen Shearin, the COO of Tranzbyte, recently appeared on CNBC to discuss his company's age verification marijuana vending machine for medicinal users that, by law, must sit inside a dispensary. When asked why someone would want to buy pot from a vending machine, Shearin commented:

Well, you know, at this point, it's very new, it's news, right? We're talking about this and people getting their cards and they're going in, experimenting, maybe they did it in the '60s and '70s, coming back to it, being treated for an ailment and they have a lot of questions and they should have those questions answered and take the time and be educated about it. If you know what you want, you don't want to stand behind somebody who is asking. Should i eat it? Should i dab? Should i infuse? Should i have a blend? There's a thousand questions they have. Somebody might know they love the dispensary. It's temperature controlled, 58 degrees and the thing right behind, they can bypass the whole conversation and be in and out in a few minutes. Most dispensary conversations and sales take 15 minutes. People stand in line for 45 minutes. We can speed that up so they can get in and back out. 

Tranzbyte is up 2,000% since the start of the year, up 577.4% over the past year and down 53.3% over the past five years.

Growlife, Inc Trading Suspension is Scheduled to End as the Company Scrambles to Limit the Fallout. Growlife, which is focused on the specialty hydroponics industry (pretty much code for supplying what is needed to grow pot), was hit be an SEC temporary suspension lasting from at 9:30 am EDT on April 10 until 11:59 pm EDT on April 24. Yesterday, Growlife issued a press release to announce a new shareholder hotline and email communication system to address anticipated increases in shareholder questions over the next several days plus the company posted an open letter to shareholders from its Chairman and CEO, Sterling C. Scott, which stated:

The SEC has informed GrowLife through counsel that it is not the subject of an informal or formal investigation.  The SEC has not requested any documents from the company or its Board.  Nor have they issued GrowLife any subpoenas or broad requests for information.  

It appears, from counsel's discussions with the SEC's staff, that the SEC suspension was prompted by concerns that some 3rd party holder(s) of GrowLife stock may have been planning to engage in some form of manipulative promotional activity. GrowLife does not have any more specific information regarding this matter.

5 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now

The letter went on to state that the Board of Directors of GrowLife has been actively working with management to establish even higher levels of oversight and checks/balances in place throughout the company. GrowLife is up 253.5% since the start of the year, up 1,109.6% over the past year and down 44.8% over the past five years.

Nine Reasons Sanjay Sanjay Gupta Changed His Mind About Marijuana. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, has nine reasons and one BIG unstated one for changing his views on pot. The nine stated reasons include: 1) Marijuana laws are not based on science; 2) Marijuana doesn't have a "high potential for abuse"; 3) In some medical cases, marijuana is "the only thing that works," 4) It's safer than a lot of prescription drugs; 5) Seventy-six percent of physicians surveyed would prescribe marijuana to ease the pain of women suffering from breast cancer; 6) It is still nowhere near as bad at drugs like heroin or cocaine, or even booze; 7) The medical and scientific communities have been studying medical marijuana since the 19th Century; 8) Only 6% of research on marijuana published in the last year analyzed benefits; and 9) The system is biased against research into pot. And unstated reason number 10? He or his bosses at CNN have read the polls about marijuana – and then looked at their ratings verses those of Fox and MSNBC…

5 Best Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now

5 Best Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: AMC Networks Inc (AMCX)

AMC Networks Inc. (AMC Networks), incorporated on March 9, 2011, is a holding company and conducts substantially all of its operations through its subsidiaries. AMC Networks owns and operates several of cable television's brands delivering content to audiences. AMC Networks operates in two segments: National Networks, which includes AMC, WE tv, IFC and Sundance Channel, and International and Other, which includes AMC/Sundance Channel Global, its international programming business; IFC Films, its independent film distribution business, and AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology, its network technical services business. The Company's National Networks are distributed throughout the United States through cable and other multichannel video programming distribution platforms, including direct broadcast satellite (DBS) and platforms operated by telecommunications providers. In addition to the Company's the United States distribution, AMC, IFC and Sundance Channel are available i n Canada and Sundance Channel and WE tv are available in other countries throughout Europe and Asia.

National Networks

AMC Networks owns four nationally distributed entertainment programming networks: AMC, WE tv, IFC and Sundance Channel, which are available to its distributors in high-definition (HD) and/or standard-definition formats. The Company's programming networks principally generate their revenues from the distribution of programming and the sale of advertising. Affiliation fees paid by multichannel video programming distributors represent the largest component of distribution revenue, which also includes the licensing of original programming for digital, foreign and home video distribution. As of December 31, 2012, AMC, WE tv and IFC had 98.9 million, 81.5 million and 69.6 million Nielsen subscribers, respectively, and Sundance Channel had! 50.2 million viewing subscribers.

AMC is a television network dedicated to the storytel ling, whether commemorating favorite films or creating origi! nal programming. In addition to presenting feature films from its movie library, AMC features original programming that includes dramatic series, such as Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Killing, Hell on Wheels and The Walking Dead. In addition, the network has introduced unscripted programming, including Talking Dead, Comic Book Men, The Pitch and Small Town Security. AMC's film library consists of films that are licensed from studios, such as Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., Sony, MGM, NBC Universal, Paramount and Buena Vista under long-term contracts. AMC generally structures its contracts for the cable television rights to air the films during identified window periods. As of December 31, 2012, AMC had affiliation agreements with the United States multichannel video programming distributors and reached approximately 99 million Nielsen subscribers.

WE tv is a women's network that features original stories for and about modern women who are taking charge of thei r life, their family and their household. WE tv's original series include Braxton Family Values, Tamar & Vince, Mary, Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best? and My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, among others. In addition, WE tv's programming includes series, such as Charmed, Ghost Whisperer and Roseanne, as well as feature films, with license rights to certain films from studios, such as Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. As of December 31, 2012, WE tv had affiliation agreements with the United States multichannel video distributors and reached approximately 82 million Nielsen subscribers. IFC creates original comedies that are in keeping with the network's Always On. Slightly Off brand and which air alongside a collection of films and comedic cult television shows.

The network's original content includes the comedy series Portlandia, created by and starring Fr! ed Armise! n and Carrie Brownstein, and executive produced by Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels. Other IFC originals include Comedy Bang! Bang!, R. Kelly's Trapped in ! the Close! t and Out There, an animated series created by the long time animation director of South Park. IFC's programming also includes series, such as Arrested Development, Freaks and Geeks and Malcolm in the Middle, along with films from independent film distributors including Fox, Miramax, Sony, IFC Films, Lionsgate, Universal, Paramount and Warner Bros. As of December 31, 2012, IFC had affiliation agreements with the United States multichannel video distributors and reached approximately 70 million Nielsen subscribers.

Sundance Channel also has a slate of original unscripted series. Sundance Channel original unscripted programming includes the docu -series Push Girls, and celebrity vehicles The Mortified Sessions and Iconoclasts. In addition, the network benefits from its relationship with Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, where each year the network gives festival attendees and viewers access to the festival on-site and through dedicated programming on-air and online. As of December 31, 2012, Sundance Channel had affiliation agreements with the United States multichannel video programming distributors and reached approximately 50 million viewing subscribers. As of December 31, 2012, Sundance Channel generated advertising revenue from sponsorship arrangements and promotional breaks, rather than traditional advertising spots.

International and Other

In addition to the Company's National Networks, AMC Networks also operates AMC/Sundance Channel Global, which is its international programming business; IFC Films, its independent film distribution business; and AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology, its network technical services business. The Company's International and Other segment also includes VOOM HD Holdings LLC (VOOM HD). AMC/Sundance Channel Global's business principally c! onsists o! f seven channels in 13 languages spread across 24 countries, focusing primarily on AMC in Canada and globally on versions of the Sundance Channel and WE tv brands. Princ! ipally ge! nerating revenues from affiliation fees, AMC/Sundance Channel Global reached approximately 15.9 million viewing subscribers in Canada, Europe and Asia as of December 31, 2012.

Sundance Channel provides independent film and also features certain content from AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and IFC Films, as well as serves as a pipeline of international content, in an effort to provide distinctive programming to an upscale audience. AMC Networks provides programming to the Canadian market through its AMC and Sundance Channel brands. Providing programming in the Korean and Mandarin languages, WE tv Asia provides a selection of the domestic programming from the WE tv the United States network with programs like Bridezillas and My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, and some of the programming from networks in the United States, such as Tabatha's Salon Takeover and Tori & Dean. With the same broad satellite footprint as Sundance Channel-International, WE tv Asia is available in South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. IFC Films, the Company's independent film distribution business, makes independent films available to a worldwide audience. IFC Films operates three distribution labels: Sundance Selects, IFC Films and IFC Midnight. IFC Films has a film library consists of more than 500 titles.

IFC Films also operates IFC Center, DOC NYC and SundanceNow. IFC Center is a independent movie theater located in the heart of New York City's Greenwich Village. DOC NYC is an annual festival also located in New York City celebrating documentary storytelling in film, photography, prose and other media. AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology is a full-service network programming feed origination and distribution company, which primarily services the programming networks of AMC Networks. AMC Networks Broad! casting &! Technology's operations are located in Bethpage, New York, where AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology consolidates o rigination and satellite communications functions in a 60,00! 0 square-! foot facility designed to keep AMC Networks at the forefront of network origination and distribution technology.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bloomberg]

  To spark a bidding contest for World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE), all Vince McMahon needs to do is wave a "for sale" sign. McMahon, 68, controls the voting power of the $2.3 billion company that's been entertaining spectators with staged fights for decades. The stock is at a record after WWE launched its own subscription streaming network and became the subject of takeover speculation. Should McMahon ever decide he's ready to sell, companies from Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) to Madison Square Garden Co. (MSG) may line up with offers, Albert Fried & Co. and National Alliance Capital Markets said. "What is McMahon's succession plan and who will he pass the keys of the kingdom to?" Robert Routh, an analyst at National Alliance, said in a phone interview. "WWE would be very attractive to many different types of buyers. What they've built can't be recreated. But without McMahon's blessing, it doesn't matter how much somebody is willing to pay for the company." The franchise that thrust Hulk Hogan and The Rock into stardom owns the television shows "Raw" and "Smackdown," which have a dedicated following and command high cable-TV ratings, Vertical Group said. The company, which is hosting its annual WrestleMania event in three weeks, will post its best revenue and profit growth in more than a decade next year, according to analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Stock Surge The stock has climbed 35 percent this month, in part because of takeover speculation, to close at $30.94 last week. WWE isn't in merger talks, Chief Financial Officer George Barrios said in an interview March 6. A representative for the Stamford, Connecticut-b! ased comp! any, declined to comment last week beyond Barrios' earlier statement. WWE's programs, which air on Comcast's USA and SyFy cable networks, may find a new home by the end of April, Barrios said. He said the company is in discussions on future domestic TV distribution with "multiple parties." It has held distribution tal

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  Analyst Robert G. Routh says to "Buy" AMC Networks Inc (NASDAQ:AMCX). AMC is a holding company and conducts substantially all of its operations through its subsidiaries. AMC Networks owns and operates several of cable television's brands delivering content to audiences. AMC Networks operates in two segments: National Networks, which includes AMC, WE tv, IFC and Sundance Channel, and International and Other, which includes AMC/Sundance Channel Global, its international programming business; IFC Films, its independent film distribution business, and AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology, its network technical services business.

• [By Will Ashworth]

  The cable network with the highest number of total viewers in 2013 was USA Network with 2.7 billion. It's owned by NBCUniversal which in turn is owned by Comcast. In fact, the top nine cable networks are all owned by big players such as Time Warner (TWX), Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA), Disney, Hearst and Comcast. In the 10th spot is AMC Networks (AMCX), with 1.8 billion total viewers. It's an attractive network with shows like Mad Men and The Walking Dead keeping viewers glued to their TVs.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Better Call Saul
  Episodes ordered: Full season
  Starring: Bob Odenkirk
  Networks: AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX  ) , Sony, and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  )

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-safest-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

BAE Systems Protests Raytheon's "Jammer" Contract Win

So much for Raytheon's (NYSE: RTN  ) big contract win.

Eleven days ago, the Pentagon gave Raytheon investors a big shot in the arm, announcing it had awarded a $279 million contract to replace Exelis's aging ALQ-99 "tactical jamming" (electronic warfare) equipment aboard EA-18G Growler and EA-6B Prowler aircraft with a new system of Raytheon's devising. But now, the company that Raytheon beat out to win this contract is making waves.

On Thursday, British defense contractor BAE Systems (NASDAQOTH: BAESY  ) announced that it has filed a protest of the Pentagon's awarding the Next Generation Jammer contract to Raytheon. Says BAE:

The solution we put forward would provide the U.S. Navy with an affordable and effective way to significantly enhance current capabilities and protect our aircraft, ships, and armed forces. We protested the award based on concerns with the Navy's evaluation of our offering.

BAE's protest, filed with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, has started a clock ticking. GAO now has 30 days to review the company's protest and issue a report on its findings. After that, BAE will have 10 days to comment on the report. After that ... the process gets more complicated. Hearings, additional requests for information, or even an alternative dispute resolution procedure could commence.

Who will ultimately prevail remains uncertain. What is certain is that for now, Exelis's ALQ-99 remains the only Navy jammer in town.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ: MCRI  ) were cooling off today, falling as much as 20% after the company's earnings report failed to impress.

So what: The owner of the Atlantis Casino in Reno and the Monarch Casino Black Hawk in Colorado said earnings per share were in line with estimates at $0.32, and that revenue of $48.9 million was slightly below estimates of $49.3 million. Monarch's Colorado casino was affected by flooding in the state, forcing the property to be closed for four days and disrupting key feeder markets for the location. Because of the flooding, EBITDA growth at the Monarch casino was flat, while it improved 8.9% for Atlantis. Monarch also received a downgrade from Brean Capital, from buy to hold, based on valuation. �

Now what: Brean analyst Justin Sebastiano seemed to echo the market's sentiment, saying, "Our positive FY 14 outlook appears to already be in the stock." Monarch shares had gained 131% since April before today's drop thanks to huge earnings beats, so investors may have been expecting more of the same. With only modest growth expected next year, the stock seems fully priced at a P/E of 18.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: MGM Resorts International(MGM)

MGM Resorts International, through its subsidiaries, primarily owns and operates casino resorts in the United States. The company?s resorts offer gaming, hotel, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. It also owns and operates golf courses and a golf club. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned and operated 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan; and has 50% investments in 4 other casino resorts in Nevada, Illinois, and Macau. In addition, MGM Resorts International has an agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates a casino resort in Connecticut, to carry the ?MGM Grand? brand name. The company was formerly known as MGM MIRAGE and changed its name to MGM Resorts International in June 2010. MGM Resorts International was founded in 1986 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  The steady economic recovery in the U.S. has helped MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM  ) , Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS  ) , and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN  ) turn Las Vegas from a drag to a positive line on the income statement. But for each, Macau continues to be the most important.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Cotai continues to be the growth engine of Macau. The Macau Peninsula, where Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN  ) and MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM  ) are located, have been holding steady but the growth is on Cotai, and that's why investors are willing to pay a premium for Melco Crown and Las Vegas Sands.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Scientific Games Corp (SGMS)

Scientific Games Corporation (Scientific Games), incorporated on July 2, 1984, is a global supplier of solutions to lottery and gaming organizations worldwide. The Company�� products and services include instant lottery games, lottery gaming systems, terminals and services, and Internet applications, as well as server-based interactive gaming machines and associated gaming control systems. The Company reports its operations in three segments: Printed Products Group, Lottery Systems Group and Diversified Gaming Group. Printed Products Group is a provider of instant lottery tickets in the world. The Company�� Lottery Systems Group is a provider of customized computer software, software support, equipment and data communication services to lotteries. Its Diversified Gaming Group provides services and systems to private and public operators in the wide area gaming industry, including server-based gaming machines and sports betting systems and services. On September 23, 2011, the Company acquired Barcrest Group Limited. During 2011, the Company launched MDI Interactive, a content services powerhouse dedicated to delivering gaming solutions for the Internet, mobile and all digital things. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of WMS Industries Inc.

Printed Products

Printed Products segment is primarily consists of instant ticket lottery business. The Company generates revenue from the manufacturing and sale of instant tickets, as well as the provision of value-added services, such as game design, sales and marketing support, specialty games and promotions, inventory management and warehousing and fulfillment services. It also provides lotteries with cooperative service programs (CSPs), to help them manage and support their operations. The Company also provides licensed games, promotional entertainment and Internet-based services to the lottery industry. It operates six instant ticket printing facilities across five continents.

!

The Company provides lotteries with access to some entertainment brands on lottery products through its subsidiary MDI Entertainment LLC (MDI). The Company�� licensed entertainment brands include Harley-Davidson, Major League Baseball, Monopoly, National Basketball Association, The Price is Right, Wheel-of-Fortune and World Poker Tour. It also provides branded merchandise prizes, advertising, promotional support, turnkey drawing management services and prize fulfillment programs. In addition, it offers lotteries a Web-based platform called Properties Plus, which features players clubs, reward programs, second chance promotional websites, interactive games and, subject to applicable law, a subscription system that enables players to purchase lottery games securely over the Internet. The Company owns 20% interests in LNS ad Northstar, and 49% in CSG.

Lottery Systems

The Company is a provider of customized computer software, software support, equipment and data communication services to lotteries. In the United States, the Company typically provides the necessary equipment, software and maintenance services pursuant to long-term facilities. Internationally, it typically sells terminals and/or computer software to lottery authorities and may provide ongoing fee-based systems and software support services. The Company�� lottery systems business includes the supply of transaction-processing software, draw lottery games, keno, point-of-sale terminals, central site computers and communication platforms as well as ongoing operational support and maintenance services. The Company is the instant ticket validation network provider to the China Sports Lottery.

The Company has lottery systems operating in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition, it provides video lottery central monitoring, and control systems and networks primarily to lotteries an! d gaming ! regulators. It also provides software, hardware and support for sports wagering systems. The Company has 50% interest in Guard Libang, a provider of instant ticket activation and validation and inventory management systems and services.

Gaming

The Company is a provider of server-based gaming machines and systems and other products and services to operators in the gaming industry. The Company�� Gaming segment includes The Global Draw Limited (Global Draw), a supplier of server-based gaming machines and systems, and game content primarily to bookmakers that operate licensed betting offices (LBOs) in the United Kingdom, and to gaming operators outside the United Kingdom. The Gaming segment also includes Barcrest Group Limited (Barcrest) and Games Media Limited (Games Media), suppliers of gaming machines, systems and game content to pubs, bingo halls and arcades in the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

The Company provides its Gaming customers with gaming machines, remote management of game content and management information, central computer systems, secure data communication and field support services. It develops its own game content, and supplements its offering with content from third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company installed approximately 23,100 LBO gaming machines in the United Kingdom, which included approximately 8,000 LBO gaming. As of December 31, 2011, it had an installed base of approximately 6,100 gaming machines in its United Kingdom pub, bingo hall and arcade business, and installed approximately 6,500 gaming machines outside of the United Kingdom. During 2011, the Company owned a 50% interest in Sciplay, a joint venture with Playtech Services (Cyprus) Limited. It also owns 29.4% interests in RCN, and 20% in Sportech.

The Compnay competes with Pollard Banknote Limited, GTECH, BI Worldwide Ltd., Alchemy3, LLC, ePrize, LLC, GTECH, Pollard, Intralot Technologies, Inc., International Lottery and Totalizator Systems, Inc.! , Inspire! d Gaming Group Limited, Danoptra Ltd, Sceptre Leisure plc, Games Warehouse Limited, International Game Technology, Lottomatica, Bally Technologies, Inc., Inspired, Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, Novomatic AG, Multimedia Games, Inc., WMS Industries Inc., Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., Amaya Gaming Group, Inc., Cryptologic Ltd., IGT, Microgaming Software Systems Ltd., Net Entertainment NE AB, NYX Gaming Group, OpenBet Technology Ltd. and Playtech Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stock Maelstrom]

  We are likely approaching the last time I will be reporting on WMS Industries (WMS), the former Williams Electronics. It has agreed to be acquired by Scientific Games (SGMS) for $26 per share, plus the assumption of WMS' modest debt. The deal is scheduled to close by the end of this year. On its own, WMS is having a dismal fiscal year, which ends June 30. For this year, the company, no doubt with distracted management, earnings are likely to end at about $0.90 per share, compared with fiscal 2012's $1.31 per share. Helping drive earnings lower are additional measures the company is taking to drive up revenues, which remain well below last decade's peak. WMS' stock has flat lined the past few months at within three percent of the $26 price. There is virtually no upside, though there is downside if the deal collapses. I see no reason to get invested in WMS.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Scientific Games (NASDAQ: SGMS  ) jumped 10% in late trading today after signing an important customer.

  So what: The company announced that it has signed a contract extension to provide lottery gaming and instant ticket services for the Oklahoma Lottery. This was actually disclosed earlier this year,�but investors bid up shares leading up to the announcement and nearly five times the three-month average volume of shares traded hands today. �

Hot European Companies To Invest In Right Now: Wynn Macau Ltd (WYNMF)

Wynn Macau, Limited is a holding company. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is a developer, owner and operator of destination casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities in Macau. Its operating subsidiary, Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. (WRM), owns and operates destination casino resort Wynn Macau in Macau. As of December 31, 2011, it had 265,000 square feet of casino space, offering 24-hour gaming with a range of games, and two luxury hotel towers with 1,008 spacious rooms and suites. It also offers eight casual and fine dining restaurants, 54200 square feet of stores and boutiques, such as Bvlgari, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Hermes, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Piaget, Prada, Rolex, Tiffany, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Versace, Vertu and others, two health clubs and spas, a salon, a pool, and lounges and meeting facilities. As of December 31, 2011, its subsidiaries included Wynn Resorts International, Ltd., Wynn Resorts (Macau) Holdings, Ltd. and others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks sold off early Thursday after the Federal Reserve decided to further taper stimulus, and after a final reading of China's manufacturing PMI contracted. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) sank 1.5% to 21,815.04 in holiday-shortened trading. Tech stocks retreated, as Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group Ltd. (HK:992) (LNVGF) dropped 5.3%, failing to get a lift from news that it plans to acquire the Motorola handset business from Google Inc. (GOOG) for $2.91 billion as Lenovo aims for a bigger presence in the U.S. market. Software developer Kingsoft Corp. (HK:3888) (KSFTF) fell 1.9% and Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. (HK:700) (TCTZF) dropped 1.5%. Casino stocks also declined. Sands China Ltds. (HK:1928) (SCHYF) , the Hong Kong-listed unit of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) , slipped 0.2%, despite financial results that showed Sands China's net income increased 40% year-on-year to $467 million in the fourth quarter. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (HK:6883) (MPEL) slumped 3.2%, and both Wynn Macau Ltd. (HK:1128) (WYNMF) and MGM China Holdings Ltd. (HK:2282)

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Caribbean International Holdings Inc (CIHN)

Caribbean International Holdings Inc., formerly Caribbean Casino and Gaming Corporation, incorporated on February 12, 2009, is focused in the gaming and entertainment company. The Company has a gaming casino, located in the city of Sousa, in the Dominican Republic. In April 2012, it acquired exclusive rights to distribute Bionic Products' Energy Drinks throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America.

The Sosua Bay Grand Casino provides the gaming and entertainment experience to the Domincan Republic. It is equipped with a state of the art lighting and sound system.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Caribbean International Holdings (OTCMKTS: CIHN), Blue Water Global Group Inc (OTCBB: BLUU) and Metrospaces Inc (OTCMKTS: MSPC) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and all three have focused their activities in the Caribbean or South America. However, all three have been the subject of paid promotions which have helped to get them mentions in various investment newsletters. With that in mind, will bets on the Caribbean or South America pay off big for these three small cap stocks and their investors? Here is a quick reality check:

  Caribbean International Holdings (OTCMKTS: CIHN) is All About Wings, Mechanical Bulls and Stem Cells

  Formerly known as Caribbean Casino & Gaming Corp, small cap Caribbean International Holdings operates as a holding company. On Friday, Caribbean International Holdings rose 8.39% to $0.0369 for a market cap of $315,400 plus CIHN is up 985.3% over the past year and up 7,280% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Caesars Entertainment Corp (CZR)

Caesars Entertainment Corporation, incorporated on November 2, 1989, is a diversified casino-entertainment provider. The Company�� business is primarily conducted through a wholly owned subsidiary, Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc. (CEOC), although certain material properties are not owned by CEOC. As of December 31, 2012, it owned, operated, or managed, through various subsidiaries, 52 casinos in 13 United States states and seven countries. The majority of these casinos operate in the United States, primarily under the Caesars, Harrah��, and Horseshoe brand names, and in England. In November 2012, the Company sold its Harrah's St. Louis casino to Penn National Gaming, Inc. In December 2012, the Company purchased all of the net assets of Buffalo Studios, LLC, a social and mobile games developer and owner of Bingo Blitz.

The Company�� casino entertainment facilities include 33 land-based casinos, 11 riverboat or dockside casinos, three managed casinos on Indian lands in the United States, one managed casino in Cleveland, Ohio, one managed casino in Canada, one casino combined with a greyhound racetrack, one casino combined with a thoroughbred racetrack, and one casino combined with a harness racetrack. The Company�� land-based casinos include nine in England, two in Egypt, one in Scotland, one in South Africa and one in Uruguay. As of December 31, 2012, its facilities had an aggregate of approximately three million square feet of gaming space and approximately 43,000 hotel rooms. In southern Nevada, Caesars Palace, Harrah�� Las Vegas, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Bally�� Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, The Quad Resort & Casino (formerly the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino), Bill�� Gamblin��Hall & Saloon, and Hot Spot Oasis are located in Las Vegas and draw customers from throughout the United States. Harrah�� Laughlin is located near both the Arizona and California borders and draws customers primarily from! the southern California and Phoenix metropolitan areas and, to a lesser extent, from throughout the United States through charter aircraft. In northern Nevada, Harrah�� Lake Tahoe and Harveys Resort & Casino are located near Lake Tahoe and Harrah�� Reno is located in downtown Reno. These facilities draw customers primarily from northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada.

The Company�� Atlantic City casinos, Harrah�� Resort Atlantic City, Showboat Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, and Bally�� Atlantic City, draw customers primarily from the Philadelphia metropolitan area, New York, and New Jersey. Harrah�� Philadelphia (formerly Harrah's Chester) is a combination harness racetrack and casino located approximately six miles south of Philadelphia International Airport and draws customers primarily from the Philadelphia metropolitan area and Delaware. The Company�� Chicagoland dockside casinos, Harrah�� Joliet in Joliet, Illinois, and Horseshoe Hammond in Hammond, Indiana, draw customers primarily from the greater Chicago metropolitan area. In southern Indiana, it owns Horseshoe Southern Indiana, a dockside casino complex located in Elizabeth, Indiana, which draws customers primarily from northern Kentucky, including the Louisville metropolitan area, and southern Indiana, including Indianapolis. In Louisiana, the Company owns Harrah�� New Orleans, a land-based casino located in downtown New Orleans, which attracts customers primarily from the New Orleans metropolitan area. In northwest Louisiana, Horseshoe Bossier City, a dockside casino, and Harrah�� Louisiana Downs, a thoroughbred racetrack with slot machines, both located in Bossier City, cater to customers in northwestern Louisiana.

The Company owns the Grand Casino Biloxi, located in Biloxi, Mississippi, which caters to customers in southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and northern Florida. Harrah�� North Kansas City dockside casino draws customers from the Kansas City metropolitan ar! ea. Harra! h�� Metropolis is a dockside casino located in Metropolis, Illinois, on the Ohio River, drawing customers from southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and central Tennessee. Horseshoe Tunica, Harrah�� Tunica, and Tunica Roadhouse Hotel & Casino, dockside casino complexes located in Tunica, Mississippi, are approximately 30 miles from Memphis, Tennessee and draw customers primarily from the Memphis area and, to a lesser extent, from throughout the United States through charter aircraft. Horseshoe Casino and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park, a land-based casino and pari-mutuel facility, and Harrah�� Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel, a dockside casino facility, are located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. At Horseshoe Casino and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park, the Company owns the assets other than gaming equipment, and leases these assets to the Iowa West Racing Association (IWRA), a nonprofit corporation, and it manages the facility for the IWRA under a management agreement expiring in October 2024. The license to operate Harrah�� Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel is held jointly with IWRA, the qualified sponsoring organization.

The Conrad Resort & Casino located in Punta Del Este, Uruguay (the Conrad), draws customers primarily from Argentina and Uruguay. In November 2012, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Enjoy S.A. (Enjoy) to form a strategic relationship in Latin America. Under the terms of the agreement, Enjoy will acquire 45% of Baluma S.A., its subsidiary, which owns and operates the Conrad, and the Company will become a 10% shareholder in Enjoy upon consummation of the agreement. Upon the closing of the transaction, which is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of all regulatory and governmental approvals, Enjoy will assume primary responsibility for management of the Conrad. Enjoy will have the option to acquire the remaining stake in Baluma S.A. between years three and five following closing. The cl! osing of ! the transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including regulatory and governmental approvals in both Uruguay and Chile.

The Company owns four casinos in London: the Sportsman, the Golden Nugget, The Playboy Club London, and The Casino at the Empire. Its casinos in London draw customers primarily from the London metropolitan area, as well as international visitors. The Company also owns Alea Nottingham, Alea Glasgow, Alea Leeds, Manchester 235, Rendezvous Brighton, and Rendezvous Southend-on-Sea in the provinces of the United Kingdom, which primarily draw customers from their local areas. Pursuant to a concession agreement, it also operates two casinos in Cairo, Egypt, The London Club Cairo (which is located at the Ramses Hilton) and Caesars Cairo (which is located at the Four Seasons Cairo), which draw customers primarily from other countries in the Middle East. Emerald Safari, located in the province of Gauteng in South Africa, draws customers primarily from South Africa. It owsn and operates Bluegrass Downs, a harness racetrack located in Paducah, Kentucky.

The Company owns three casinos for Indian tribes: Harrah�� Phoenix Ak-Chin, located near Phoenix, Arizona, Harrah�� Cherokee Casino and Hotel, and Harrah�� Rincon Casino and Resort, located near San Diego, California. The Company manages Caesars Windsor, located in Windsor, Ontario, which draws customers primarily from the Detroit metropolitan area, Horseshoe Cleveland casino in Ohio, which it manages for Rock Ohio Caesars LLC (ROC), a venture with Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC (Rock Gaming), in which it has a 20% equity interest, and the Horseshoe Cincinnati casino in Ohio for ROC for a fee under a management agreement that will expire in March 2033. It also has a minority interest in Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, LLC (Suffolk Downs), which owns a horse-racing track in Boston, Massachusetts, and the right to manage a future gaming facility. The Company also owns ans operates a golf course on 175 acres of prime real! estate t! hrough a land concession on the Cotai strip in Macau.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  At its core,�Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) is an extremely flawed company. It has a huge presence in the struggling regional gaming market, it has no exposure to gaming's biggest market, Macau, and it has $21.3 billion of debt strangling it. So how has it gained 130% this year, easily outpacing more profitable rivals? �

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Gaming stocks have had a fabulous start to 2013, with each of the top five publicly traded U.S. companies beating the S&P 500. Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) is leading the pack after announcing the spinoff of its "growth assets," and the four companies with operations in Macau have made slow and steady gains.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings released on Tuesday included:

  Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) reported a fourth quarter loss of $1.49 on revenue of $2.08 billion, compared to last year�� loss of $3.75 on revenue of $2.02 billion. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc (NYSE: AEO) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.27 on revenue of $1.04 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.55 on revenue of $1.12 billion. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.�(NASDAQ: BONT) reported fourth quarter EPS of $3.04 on revenue of $914.90 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $3.73 on revenue of $1.03 billion.

  Pre-Market Movers

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) jumped 15% today after saying it was continuing a plan to offer shares in a spinoff.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Boyd Gaming Corporation(BYD)

Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 1,042,787 square feet of casino space, containing approximately 25,973 slot machines, 655 table games, and 11,418 hotel rooms. It also owned and operated 16 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and New Jersey. In addition, the company owns and operates a pari-mutuel jai-alai facility located in Dania Beach, Florida, as well as a travel agency in Hawaii. Further, it holds a 50% controlling interest in the limited liability company that operates Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Boyd Gaming Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Earnings from Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD  ) surprised investors last week, but there's still a lot of fundamental weakness for the company. Revenue is declining across the country as more supply is added to the market, and the only way to grow is through acquisitions. The Fool's Erin Miller sat down with Travis Hoium to see how to play the gaming market now.�

• [By M. Joy, Hayes]

  Industry trends
  Other businesses in the industry also have copious related-party transactions. In particular, founder-led businesses Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN  ) and Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD  ) �reported a large number of such transactions in their 2013 proxies, including employment of relatives, employee use of company services, and employee use of company-owned property. MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM  ) , on the other hand, didn't have to report any related-party transactions in its 2013 proxy.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One gaming player that's rapidly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Boyd Gaming (BYD), which owns and operates gaming entertainment facilities located in Nevada, Mississippi, Illinois, Louisiana and Indiana. This stock has been blazing a trail to the upside so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 115%.

  If you look at the chart for Boyd Gaming, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong over the last month and change, with shares moving sharply higher from its low of $11.27 to its intraday high of $14.38 a share. During that move, shares of BYD have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of BYD into breakout territory above resistance at $13.79 a share, and it's quickly pushing the stock within range of another big breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BYD if it manages to break out above its 52-week high at $14.50 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.34 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then BYD will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $18 to $20 a share.

  Traders can look to buy BYD off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support at $13 a share. One can also buy BYD off strength once it takes out $14.50 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD  ) jumped 10% today after the company got an analyst upgrade.

  So what: Morgan Stanley upgraded shares to overweight today, and gave the stock a $12 price target. The analyst cited the potential for online gaming as the driver of the stock, potentially bringing as much revenue to the industry as Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined. �

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Sands China Ltd (SCHYF)

Sands China Ltd. (Sands China) is an investment holding company. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the development and operation of integrated resorts in Macao, which contain not only gaming areas, but also meeting space, convention and exhibition halls, retail and dining areas and entertainment venues. The Company operates in five segments: The Venetian Macao, Sands Macao, The Plaza Macao, Sands Cotai Central and ferry and other operations. The Venetian Macao, the Plaza Macao and Other developments derive their revenue primarily from casino, hotel, food and beverage, mall, convention, retail and others sources. Ferry and other operations derive their revenue from the sale of ferry tickets for transportation between Hong Kong and Macau. As of December 31, 2011, its properties included 3,554 hotel rooms and suites, 74 restaurants, 1.2 million square feet of retail, 1.2 million square feet of meeting space, two permanent theaters, a 15,000-seat arena and the casino. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks rose early Wednesday, with the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) up 0.2% at 22,587.72. Hong Kong properties advanced, as the city's major developer Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. (HK:16) (SUHJY) rose 0.7%, after the company launched new luxury Riva project and saw the first batch of 64 flats sold out on the first day of sale. Sino Land Co. (HK:83) (SNLAF) rose 1.1%, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd. gained 0.9%, and Henderson Land Development Co. (HK:12) (BACHY) edged up 0.2%. Chinese auto maker Dongfeng Motor Group Co. (HK:489) resumed trading and fell 0.9%, after the company said it signed an agreement with French joint-venture partner PSA Peugeot Citroen to invest 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) for a stake in the company. Most Casino stocks were lower, after reports said Macau planned to cut the duration of operators' licenses to 5 years. Shares of MGM China Holdings Ltd. (HK:2282) (MCHVF) declined 1.6%, SJM Holdings Ltd. (HK:880) lost 1%, and Sands China Ltds. (HK:1928) (SCHYF) dropped 0.8%. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) traded flat at 2,119.77.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK)

NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (NanoTech), formerly Aldar Group, Inc., is a provider of gaming technology for the coin-op arcade, casino gaming and consumer gaming markets. The Company operates as a manufacturer, developing technology and games, and then licensing them to third parties for manufacturing and distribution. As of June 30, 2009, the Company�� products included MultiPin, Xtreme Rally Racing, NanoNET Online System, Pinball Wizard, Mot-Ion Adapter, Opti-Gun Adapter and Retr-IO Adapter. In April 2009, the Company acquired NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. In July 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc completed the acquisition of Clear Memories, Inc. of Napa California. Effective August 9, 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc acquired Worldwide Global Entertainment, a developer of prepackaged software.

The Company�� physics engine and motion sensors allow MultiPin to accurately recreate the experience of a mechanical pinball machine, while providing players with a variety of classic and modern pinball games to choose from. Xtreme Rally Racing is a driving machine that features three modes of game play: Xtreme Off-Road-Race Head to Head against other players and the computer to checkpoints while driving anywhere on the map with no preset course; Timed Rally Stages-Classic Rally Racing on real world courses. Players will be able to race in five different countries on real world rally courses, and Xtreme Stadium Racing-Custom Stadiums designed for Xtreme racing, including a figure eight multi-lap course with huge jumps. NanoNET Online System is remote operator control of machines, including diagnostics, accounting reports, and automatic software updates and enhancements downloaded over the net.

The Company has created the input device designed to give the pinball players a way to experience real pinball controls on their personal computer. Based on the technology developed for the MultiPin product it has built a controller that lets people play pinball using traditional controls and! the ability to shake and nudge the table. The Mot-Ion adapter is a universal serial bus (USB) adapter that allows do it yourself Pinball enthusiasts to build their own cabinet using real pinball controls providing analog inputs for nudging and bumping. The OptiGun adapter is a USB adapter that allows players to connect Arcade Light Guns to any USB based system. The Retr-IO adapters provide a standard JAMMA interface for USB based systems.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Nyxio Technologies Corp (OTCMKTS: NYXO), COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc (OTCMKTS: NTEK) are three small cap stocks in some very diverse industries. In fact, one of these stocks just bought a 3D ice sculpture business. So will investors see their investment melt with that small cap stock�along with the other two? Here is a closer look to help you decide for yourself:��

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Call them hunches (because that's all they are), but now would be a great time to get out of a NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTEK) position and/or get into an ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACAD). NTEK looks like its reached its maximum potential - for the time being - while ACAD looks like it's ready to start rolling higher again.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: PhilWeb Corp (WEB)

PhilWeb Corporation is a Philippines-based Internet gaming company. The Company focused its activities on building its Internet-based products and services. The Company is engaged in providing products and services within a particular economic environment. It operates in two geographical segments: domestic operations and foreign operations. Its subsidiaries include BigGame, Inc., operates Internet casino station operations; Premayo sa Resibo, Inc., develops and markets computer systems, applications, programs and operates gaming platforms; PhilWeb Casino Corporation, develops, engages and maintains gaming systems and applications for all types of casino operations; e-Magine Gaming Corporation, develops technology, and PhilWeb Leisure & Tourism Corporation, establishes, operates and maintains leisure and tourism-oriented activities. Effective December 13, 2013, ePLDT Inc, a wholly owned unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co acquired a 27.283% interest in Philweb Corp. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  Always touchable money is cash. For individuals, there's little reason for it not to be a simple bank account, money market fund, etc. For most investors, you can just let this stock sit in your brokerage account. Many brokers will sweep unused cash into a money market account ��or other form of savings ��where it can earn a tiny amount of interest for you while staying totally liquid. One advantage of keeping cash in this form is that you can look at your cash and stock positions on the same (web)page any time you want. So, for example, if you know you want to keep 10% of your portfolio in cash ��you can see that you have $12,000 in cash as part of your $120,000 brokerage account and that means you are right on target with your liquidity goal.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PLC (BPTY)

bwin.party digital entertainment plc (bwin.party) is a holding company. The Company is an online gaming company. It operates in five segments: sports betting, casino & games, poker, bingo; and other (including network services, World Poker Tour, InterTrader.com, WIN.com, software services and the payment services business). Its sport betting segment includes bwin, betoto, Gamebookers, Gioco Digitale and PartyBets. It�� Casino & games segment includes PartyCasino, bwin and GD Casino. Its poker segment includes PartyPoker, bwin and GD Casino. Its Bingo segment includes Foxy Bingo, Cheeky Bingo, Gioco Digitale and Binguez. The Company�� subsidiaries include BES SAS, bwin Argentina SA, bwin Italia S.r.l., bwin.party Games AB and Cashcade Limited. Its subsidiaries are engaged in management and information technology (IT) services, marketing services, online gaming, transaction services, customer support services, marketing support services and Land-based poker events. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc (BPTY) plunged 14 percent to 110 pence, the biggest drop since April 2011, after the online gaming company said 2013 sales will be 14 percent to 17 percent lower than last year�� figures. Analysts on average had forecast a sales drop of 9.2 percent.

Today’s Pre-Market Earnings: Travelers Companies Inc, United Technologies Corporation, Xerox Corp, More (TRV, UTX, XRX, More)

Before the opening bell on Tuesday, a number of big name, dividend paying companies announced their quarterly earnings. Below, we look at these earnings reports and break down the important points for investors.

United Technologies Posts Higher Q1 Revenue; Beats Estimates

United Technologies (UTX) reported Q1 revenues of $14.75 billion, which were up from last year’s Q1 figure of $14.4 billion. The company’s net income came in at $1.21 billion, or $1.32 per diluted share, marking a decrease from last year’s net income of $1.27 billion, or $1.39 per diluted share. Analysts were expecting EPS of $1.27 on revenues of $14.74 billion. Looking ahead to FY2014, UTX sees EPS in the range of $6.65-$6.85, compared to analysts’ estimates of $6.83.

Travelers Beats Estimates; Raises Dividend

Travelers Co. (TRV

Bull vs. Bear debate: Is pullback over?

The stock market has taken investors on a roller-coaster ride the past two weeks.

First came the plunge: the Nasdaq composite's worst weekly drop since June 2012.

Then came the rebound: the broad U.S. market's best week since last July.

Now comes the face-off between bulls and bears centering around the key question: Is the pullback over?

The bulls say the worst days are behind us.

They cite the Nasdaq composite's ability to rebound after teetering last Tuesday on the brink of its first 10% correction since late 2012. They say the pullback, while severe, was confined mainly to the frothy parts of the market -- and never truly put the "blue chip" part of the market at risk. And they note that market indexes were able to stay above key long-term levels deemed critical to market stability.

The bears are not so sure the selling is done.

They say hard-hit growth stocks in the Internet and biotech space still need to come down more after big run-ups caused them to get overly pricey. They warn of more volatile days ahead, with wild swings causing fear levels and stock prices to rise and fall sharply. They also point to possible flashpoints, or shocks, such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis, or concerns about Federal Reserve policy, or a sharp rise in interest rates, that could also derail the bull market.

WHY THE BULLS SAY THE WORST IS OVER

* It's not about the economy

The scary pullback, which dragged down the Nasdaq 8.2% on a closing basis, wasn't caused by fears of a recession, the normal trigger for a major decline. It was centered on just a handful of sectors that went up too far, too fast, says Nicholas Sargen, chief investment officer at Fort Washington Investment Advisors.

"This isn't about the economy, it isn't about corporate profits," Sargen says. "It is more about the fact that valuations in tech and biotech have gotten excessive. We're in the midst of a correction but not necessarily for the entire market, (just) the segment where! valuations got stretched. I don't think the broad market is unduly expensive." (Many high-flying stocks had price-to-earnings ratios north of 100, v. a P-E of around 16 for the broad market based on 2014 profit estimates, according to Thomson Reuters.)

* Key price levels held

At the low point of its decline, during a midday 2% swoon last Tuesday, the Nasdaq was down more than 9% from its March 5 high. But thanks to a massive reversal, dubbed "Turnaround Tuesday," that occurred right at its key 200-day price average, the Nasdaq was able to wipe out those daily losses and finish the week up 2.4% and just 6% off its 2014 high.

Walter Zimmerman, chief market technician at United-ICAP, says the Nasdaq's ability to avoid falling below that key level and into official correction territory, suggests the decline is history.

"I think the stock market correction is over," he says.

* Nasdaq pullback normal, healthy

Given the decent shape of the economy, the broad market doesn't look like it will get dragged down by the loss of momentum in pricey growth stocks, says Rod Smyth, chief investment strategist at Riverfront Investment Group.

"I would be more inclined to look at this as correction in an ongoing bull market," says Smyth. "Given the size of the Nasdaq's move higher since its last correction in November 2012 (a gain of 54%), correcting 8% or 9% doesn't seem like something to get alarmed about."

WHY THE BEARS SAY THE SELLING MAY NOT BE OVER

* Still-pricey valuations

Those momentum stocks that took a beating are still not cheap, which means they will likely be subject to further bouts of selling as Wall Street looks to bring those pricey names down to more normal valuation levels, says Ann Miletti, senior portfolio manager at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds.

* It's not 2013 anymore

The market has lost its momentum, and investors should expect more ups and downs ahead, insists Bill Hornbarger, chief investment strategist at Moneta Group. More ! stock mar! ket weakness is possible, he warns, given the geopolitical risks related to the Russia-Ukraine crisis and a recent rise in gas prices.

Hot Warren Buffett Companies To Buy Right Now

"What we are telling our clients is that 2014 will be the opposite of 2013," he says. "Last year, the economy was just OK and the markets did really well. This year we expect the economy to improve and the markets to be just OK."

* Bubbles are bursting

"The market is in a long-term topping process," says Richard Suttmeier, chief market strategist at ValuEngine.com.

His proof? Bubbles are bursting in many pockets of the market.

"The damage has been already done.," says Suttmeier. "Look at all the biotech and momentum stocks that broke. I see bubbles bursting in individual stocks and individual stocks eventually equals the market."

Hot Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2015

Popular Posts: Follow Insider Buying Into These Cheap StocksThe 3 Cheapest Stocks in the WorldGet Paid by Following Insiders Recent Posts: 2 Small Bank Stocks With Huge Upside Bargain-Hunt Like a Private Equity Guru With These 3 Stocks Get Paid by Following Insiders View All Posts

I have written often about the potential for small bank stocks during the next decade. The regulatory and economic hurdles facing the smaller banks is going to force many of these institutions to merge with a larger competitor, and that�� going to be a source of huge profits for patient investors.

Hot Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2015: NxStage Medical Inc.(NXTM)

NxStage Medical, Inc., a medical device company, develops, manufactures, and markets products for the treatment of kidney failure, fluid overload, and related blood treatments and procedures. Its primary product, the NxStage System One, is a portable hemodialysis system used for home hemodialysis and a range of dialysis therapies for chronic home hemodialysis treatment, and the treatment of acute kidney failure and fluid overload. The NxStage System One comprises components, such as The NxStage Cycler, a compact portable electromechanical device; The NxStage Cartridge, a single-use integrated treatment cartridge; and premixed dialysate for hemodialysis applications. The company also sells a line of extracorporeal disposable products for use primarily for in-center dialysis treatments for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD); and needles and blood tubing sets primarily to dialysis clinics for the treatment of ESRD. NxStage Medical, Inc. markets its products primaril y to dialysis clinics, nephrologists, and hospitals through distributors and sales representatives in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. The company was formerly known as QB Medical, Inc. and changed its name to NxStage Medical, Inc. NxStage Medical, Inc. founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap dialysis stock Rockwell Medical Inc (NASDAQ: RMTI) looks set to decline when the market opens after Brean Capital initiated coverage with a sell rating and a price target of $4.00, meaning it might be time to take a closer look at what is going on with the stock along with�the performance of large cap dialysis stocks DaVita Healthcare Partners (NYSE: DVA)�and Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) along with small cap dialysis stocks NxStage Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: NXTM).�

Hot Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2015: Yelp Inc (YELP)

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

Local Business

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

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

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

National/Brand Advertisers

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

Transaction Partners

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

The Company competes with Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  Shares of Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) rose on Thursday. The social networking company reported that mobile revenue grew to 30% of the company's total advertising revenue. But Facebook wasn't the only big mover on Wall Street on Thursday. Shares of Yelp (NYSE: YELP  ) rose more than 25% after the reviews site posted a surge in first-quarter revenue. Could Yelp be a better play? That story, plus four of the biggest movers on Thursday's market, and two stocks we'll be watching very closely this week.

• [By Dan Gallagher]

  Yahoo (YHOO) � shares were up 2.6% to $34.74. Yelp (YELP) �rose 1.8%.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now: Ixia(XXIA)

Ixia supplies converged network and application performance testing solutions in the United States and internationally. It designs and validates a range of Internet protocol (IP) and third generation/long-term evolution networking equipment. The company?s solutions generate realistic traffic to stress routers, switches, and converged network appliances. It provides converged IP test systems and services for wireless and wired infrastructures and services. Ixia serves network equipment manufacturers, service providers, enterprises, and government agencies. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Calabasas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA  ) got crushed today, down by 25% at the low, after the company announced preliminary results.

  So what: Revenue in the second quarter is expected in the range of $114 million to $116 million, shy of Ixia's previous guidance that was calling for $119 million to $122 million. The silver lining was that revenue from recent acquisitions is expected at the high end of guidance of $28 million to $32 million.

Hot Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2015: Pozen Inc.(POZN)

POZEN Inc., a pharmaceutical company, develops products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, and other pain-related conditions in the United States. Its products include Treximet for acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura in adults; and VIMOVO for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, as well as to decrease the risk of developing gastric ulcers in patients at risk of developing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)-associated gastric ulcers. The company also develops PA32540, a product candidate, which is under 2 pivotal Phase 3 trials for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients at risk for gastric ulcers. It has collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline for the development and commercialization of proprietary combinations of a triptan and a long-acting NSAID; and with AstraZeneca AB for the development and commercialization of proprietary fixed dose combi nations of the proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole magnesium with the NSAID naproxen. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  At first glance, POZEN Inc. (NASDAQ:POZN) doesn't look like anything more than a volatile mover and shaker, currently overbought, and due for a dip. And truth be told, POZN is overbought and due for a pullback (and will be even more so, given this morning's bullish pre-market activity). When you take a step back and look at the much-bigger-picture though, you'll find that POZEN Inc. is only at the beginning of what could be a sizeable move for investors willing to give it some time.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  POZEN (NASDAQ: POZN) shares fell 18.96% to $7.82 in the pre-market trading. POZEN's trailing-twelve-month ROE is -25.44%.

  The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) dipped 1.63% to $74.99 in the pre-market session. Disney's trailing-twelve-month profit margin is 13.62%.

Hot Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2015: Avon Products Inc. (AVP)

Avon Products Inc. manufactures and markets beauty and related products worldwide. Its product categories include color cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, and personal care; fashion jewelry, watches, apparel, footwear, and accessories; and gift and decorative products, housewares, entertainment and leisure, and children?s and nutritional products. Avon Products Inc. markets its products through direct selling and independent representatives, as well as through distributorships. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Herbalife have dropped 3.5% to $66.53 at 2:44 p.m., while Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS) has dipped 0.1% to $79.99, Usana Health Sciences (USNA) has fallen 0.4% to $75.84, Avon Products (AVP) has gained 0.9% to $15.22 and Weight Watchers (WTW) has advanced 0.2% to $20.95.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of beauty products company Avon (NYSE: AVP  ) plummeted 23% today after its quarterly results easily missed Wall Street expectations.

Hot Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2015: Violin Memory Inc (VMEM)

Violin Memory, Inc., incorporated on March 9, 2005, is pioneering a new class of flash-based storage systems that are designed to bring storage performance in-line with high-speed applications, servers and networks. The Company�� Flash Memory Arrays are specifically designed at each level of the system architecture starting with memory and optimized through the array to leverage the inherent capabilities of flash memory and meet the sustained requirements of business-critical applications, virtualized environments and Big Data solutions in enterprise data centers. The Company�� Velocity Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe), Flash Memory Cards leverage its persistent memory-based architecture in servers and are optimized for applications that require continuous access to quantities of low latency persistent memory located directly in servers.

The Company�� storage systems are based on a four-layer hardware architecture, which is integrated with its Violin Memory Operating System (vMOS), software stack to optimize the management of flash memory at each level of its system architecture. The Company�� Velocity PCIe Flash Memory Cards leverage its expertise in persistent memory-based storage and controller design, as well as its vMOS software stack, to offer a differentiated architecture in a deployable PCIe form factor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mani]

  Violin Memory, Inc. (NYSE: VMEM) is well positioned to take advantage of the strong secular growth of flash in the enterprise. The combination of its proprietary hardware, a growing software portfolio and resulting industry-leading price/performance should translate into robust growth over a multi-year time frame.

• [By Steve Symington]

  What: Shares of Violin Memory, (NYSE: VMEM  ) plunged 48% Friday after the high-speed data storage specialist came up well short of analysts' estimates with its first quarterly report as a public company.

• [By John Udovich]

  On Monday, small cap storage stock Violin Memory Inc (NYSE: VMEM) surged 21.56% after booting out its CEO in the wake of disappointing earnings and IPO, meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of potential or better known storage peers like large caps SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) and Western Digital Corp (NASDAQ: WDC) plus small cap Dot Hill Systems Corp (NASDAQ: HILL).

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is down 13.9% at $8.97 after a secondary stock offering�that might have been designed to drive out short sellers. Violin Memory Inc. (NASDAQ: VMEM) is down 21% at $7.11 on a lousy IPO�day. RingCentral Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is up 39.5% at $18.14 on a good IPO day.