Saturday, November 30, 2013

Market Wrap-Up for Nov. 14 – Sitting in Cash? Try Scaling In

With most of the major U.S. indexes sitting at or near all-time highs, one of the biggest hurdles investors must overcome is the fear of putting their money to work. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to alleviate this worry: scaling into stock positions over time.

Why Scale In?

Scaling into positions is a tried and true method of putting money to work for long-term investors. The concept is simple: purchase relatively small amounts of shares over time on a regular basis until you’re fully invested.

When you scale in, you accomplish the following:

» Remove the mental barrier of investing a large sum, and
» Discover that there is no “perfect” price to buy a stock at.

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It can be a daunting task to invest your entire life savings, so let’s take a look at an example in action.

A Simple Strategy to Scale Into Positions

For this example, we’re going to assume an investor has $100k to invest in quality

Friday, November 29, 2013

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now

"Other guys read Playboy. I read annual reports."
-- Warren Buffett

I'm not quite as fanatical as Warren, but I do enjoy digging into a company's annual report to learn something new.

Over the next few weeks I'll be reading the annual reports, called 10-Ks, of a pile of well-known companies, first page to the last. This week: Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) .

Here are five things I learned from Coke's annual report (which you can read here).

1. Inflation protection: less than some investors assume
One of the best ways to combat inflation over time is to invest in high-quality common stocks that can raise prices without cutting into sales. One of the most oft-cited examples of this is Coca-Cola, which enjoys a thick moat and deep brand loyalty. Indeed, Coke's annual report writes: "We believe that, over time, we are able to increase prices to counteract the majority of the inflationary effects of increasing costs."

But in the short and medium run, inflation can do a number on profits, even to a company like Coke. Take this quote from the company's annual report (emphasis mine):

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: SK TELECOM ADR EACH REP 1/9 KRW500(CIT)

SK Telecom Co., Ltd. provides wireless telecommunications services using code division multiple access (CDMA) and wide-band CDMA technologies. It offers cellular voice services, such as wireless voice transmission services; and wireless global roaming services. The company also provides wireless data transmission services, such as wireless Internet access services, which allow subscribers to access online digital contents and services, as well as to send and receive text and multimedia messages. In addition, it offers broadband Internet and fixed-line telephone services, such as video-on-demand and IP TV services; and local, domestic, and international long-distance fixed-line telephone services to residential and commercial subscribers. Further, the company provides wireless entertainment-related contents and services, wireless finance-related contents and m-commerce services, and wireless news and search services; and international calling services, such as direct-dial, pre and post paid card calling services, bundled services for corporate customers, voice services using Internet protocol, Web-to-phone services, and data services. Additionally, it offers satellite digital media broadcasting services; telematics services; and fixed-line and online community portal services. The company also operates 11th Street, an online shopping mall; and T Store, an online open marketplace for mobile applications. As of March 31, 2011, SK Telecom Co. had 26 million wireless subscribers. It has strategic alliances with Bridge Alliance; Orange SA; Telecom Italia Mobile S.p.A.; T-Mobile International AG & Co; and Teliasonera Mobile Networks AB. The company was formerly known as Korea Mobile Telecommunications Co., Ltd. and changed its name to SK Telecom Co., Ltd. in March 1997. SK Telecom Co., Ltd. was founded in 1984 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Abramowicz]

    ��here was this maturity wall that people were terrified of,��said Neil Wessan, the group head of New York-based CIT Group Inc. (CIT)�� capital markets unit. ��hat�� been spread out over a much broader period of time.��

  • [By George Acs]

    It ended with The New York Post, a one time legitimate newspaper suggesting that J.C. Penney (JCP) had lost the support of CIT (CIT), the largest commercial lender in the apparel industry, which is lead by the charisma challenged past CEO of The NYSE (NYX) and Merrill Lynch, who reportedly knows credit risk as much as he knows outrageously expensive waiting room and office furniture.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Magellan Health Services Inc.(MGLN)

Magellan Health Services, Inc. engages in the specialty managed healthcare business in the United States. The company, through its contracted network of third-party treatment providers, offers managed behavioral healthcare services, including outpatient programs, such as counseling or therapy; intermediate care programs comprising intensive outpatient programs and partial hospitalization services; and inpatient treatment and crisis intervention services. It also provides radiology benefits management services, such as the delivery of diagnostic imaging and other therapeutic services through contracts with health plans and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. In addition, the company offers specialty pharmaceutical management services, including contracting and formulary optimization programs; specialty pharmaceutical dispensing operations; and medical pharmacy management programs. Its specialty pharmaceutical management services are provided under contracts with health plans, insurance companies, employers, and governmental agencies to manage specialty drugs used in the treatment of conditions, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, hemophilia, infertility, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic forms of hepatitis, and other diseases. Further, the company provides Medicaid administration services comprising pharmacy point-of-sale claims processing systems and administration, drug utilization review, clinical prior authorization, utilization and formulary management services, preferred drug list programs, maximum allowable cost programs, and drug rebate program services under contracts with health plans and public sector healthcare clients for Medicaid and other program recipients. It serves health plans, insurance companies, employers, labor unions, and various governmental agencies. Magellan Health Services, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is based in Avon, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

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

5 Best Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: eHealth Inc.(EHTH)

eHealth, Inc. offers Internet-based insurance agency services for individuals, families, and small businesses in the United States. The company also offers technology licensing and Internet advertising services. Its ecommerce platforms organize and present health insurance information in various formats, as well as enables individuals, families, and small businesses to research, analyze, compare, and purchase various health insurance plans. The company offers various medical health insurance coverage plans, such as preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization and indemnity plans, Medicare plans, short-term medical insurance, student health insurance, and health savings account eligible health insurance plans, as well as ancillary plans, such as dental, vision, and life insurance. Its customers access its ecommerce platforms through its Websites, including eHealth.com, eHealthInsurance.com, eHealthMedicare.com, and PlanPrescriber.com, as well as through a network of marketing partners. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH  ) �-- a provider of private market online health insurance services for individuals, families, and small businesses -- jumped as much as 17% after the company reported third-quarter earnings results.

  • [By David Williamson]

    Obamacare is racking up expenses, in particular, with the creation of insurance exchanges. In this video, David Williamson looks at this feature of Obamacare, and a possible free market solution. The problem is that these exchanges are proving more expensive than originally thought, up to an estimated $5.7 billion for 2014. No wonder less than half of the states in the country have come on board. One solution is an online insurance exchange. A form of such an exchange already exists. Will it work for a nationwide insurance market?�Hard to say. On the one hand, it could offer small businesses unprecedented access to insurance plans. On the other hand, an online market may simply offer those plans with the best commissions and not the best deals.� (NASDAQ: EHTH  )

  • [By Sean Williams]

    The other option here is eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH  ) �a private health insurance platform for individuals, families, and small businesses that's been around for years. In its third-quarter results released last week, eHealth noted that membership had risen by 24% to 1.147 million from the year-ago period, clearly showing skepticism in the Obamacare health reform law suggesting the success and options its private platform offers. If there's any company that can use Healthcare.gov's nightmarish start to its advantage, it's eHealth!

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Eaton Vance Corporation (EV)

Eaton Vance Corp., through its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, marketing, and management of investment funds in the United States. It also provides investment management and counseling services to institutions and individuals. Further, the company operates as an adviser and distributor of investment companies and separate accounts. As of October 31, 2004, the company provided investment advisory or administration services to approximately 150 funds; approximately 1,300 separately managed individual and institutional accounts; and participated in approximately 40 retail-managed account broker/dealer programs. It markets and distributes shares of funds through a retail network of national and regional broker/dealers, banks, insurance companies, and financial planning firms. Eaton Vance Corp. was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

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

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Investment management company Eaton Vance (EV) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 22 cents per share, payable Nov. 13 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 31.
    EV Dividend Yield: 2.2%

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Investment management firm�Eaton Vance (NYSE: EV  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.20 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past three quarters after raising the payout 5% from $0.19 per share.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Entropic Communications Inc.(ENTR)

Entropic Communications, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs, develops, and markets systems solutions to enable connected home entertainment. Its products include integrated circuits and related software associated with home networking solutions based on the Multimedia over Coax Alliance standard; direct broadcast satellite (DBS) services; high-speed broadband access; and silicon tuners. The company?s products enable the delivery of various streams of high-definition television-quality video, standard-definition television-quality video, and other multimedia content, such as movies, music, games, and photos into and throughout the connected home. It serves telecommunications carriers, cable operators, and DBS service providers, as well as the providers of over-the-top services. Entropic Communications offers its products through its direct sales force, as well as through a network of sales representatives and distributors worldwide. The company was founded in 20 01 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Evan Niu, CFA]

    What: Shares of Entropic (NASDAQ: ENTR  ) got crushed today by as much as 16% after the company reported earnings.

    So what: Revenue in the first quarter added up to $74.5 million, which translated into non-GAAP net income of $300,000. That rounds to $0.00 per share, which was in line with consensus forecasts. CEO Patrick Henry acknowledged that 2013 will be a transitional year for the company.

  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Entropic Communications Inc.(ENTR) said its board has authorized a $30 million share-repurchase program. The chip maker recently had a market capitalization of $394.1 million, according to FactSet.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Signed baseball collection worth up to $3M on d…

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle signed a baseball for 9-year-old Dennis Schrader at a 1956 spring training game in Florida, it began a lifelong obsession. Today, Schrader has more than 4,600 signed baseballs, certified by Guinness as the largest such collection in the world.

That obsession is now on display at the St. Petersburg Museum of History in Florida. "Schrader's Little Cooperstown" opened to the public Tuesday, and Schrader was grinning from ear to ear. He and his wife have loaned the balls to the museum for 20 years, and after that, they will be returned to the family.

Previously, Schrader's baseballs were displayed in a 12-by-14-foot room in his home that had walls a foot thick, a bank vault door, motion sensors and video camera surveillance. The semi-retired mobile home executive once spent $25,000 on a single ball, signed by Joe DiMaggio and then-wife Marilyn Monroe.

He estimates the collection is worth $2 million to $3 million.

The collection is a trip through baseball history, and Schrader will personally give tours of the collection to groups.

Top 5 Casino Stocks To Invest In 2014

There are the obvious great signatures: Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. There are several Negro League balls, a tribute to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League featured in the movie "A League of Their Own," and several signed by celebrities and politicians.

"He captured the essence of baseball," said St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.

In August 2011, Guinness World Records certified him as the owner of 4,020 baseballs signed by major league baseball players. Duplicates and balls signed by non-baseball celebrities — including President Barack Obama — brought his collection of baseballs to more than 4,600.

Guinness requires the sign off and authentication from a reputable auction house or relevant institutio! n or society, which specializes in collections of the type submitted, spokesman Jamie Panas said in an email.

The collection was verified by the president of All American Sports Collectibles and St. Petersburg Museum of History who are versed in baseball histories, he said.

It cost the museum $300,000 to design the exhibit and two years for city officials to convince Schrader to loan the precious collection.

The museum, which sits along St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront, is also gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of baseball spring training in the city. Spring training began in St. Petersburg with the St. Louis Browns playing at Coffee Pot Park in 1914.

Schrader admitted that "there's an emptiness" in his home without the baseballs, but said the vault was filled with other collectibles, including his wife's 500 cookie jars and several hundred celebrity autographed photos.

Schrader's wife, Mary, said she and her husband won't stop collecting signed baseballs.

"In fact, I have a ball in my purse right now," Mary Schrader said, laughing and showing the blank ball. "I always carry one around, because you never know who you'll run into."

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

4 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

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

>>5 Rocket Stocks for Turkey Day Trading

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

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

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

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

Advisory Board

Advisory Board (ABCO) provides best practices research and analysis, business intelligence and software tools, and management and advisory services to the health care and education industries. This stock closed up 4.3% at $63.80 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 495,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 163,212

Volume % Change: 146%

From a technical perspective, ABCO spiked higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $63.18 with above-average volume. This move also pushed shares of ABCO into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $62.98. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if ABCO can manage to take out Monday's high of $64.53 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ABCO as long as it's trending above $62 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's high of $64.53 with volume that hits near or above 163,212 shares. If we get that move soon, then ABCO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $66 to $70.

Bloomin' Brands

Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) operates as a casual dining restaurant company. This stock closed up 5.7% at $26.91 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 1.81 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 618,520

Volume % Change: 162%

From a technical perspective, BLMN spiked sharply higher here and broke out into new all-time high territory with above-average volume. That breakout hit once BLMN took out some key overhead resistance levels at $26.21 to $26.71. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if BLMN can manage to make a new all-time with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BLMN as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $25.85 or above more near-term support at $24.79 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's high of $26.95 with volume that hits near or above 618,520 shares. If we get that move soon, then BLMN will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $30 to $33.

DaVita HealthCare Partners

DaVita HealthCare Partners (DVA) operates kidney dialysis centers and provides related lab services mainly in dialysis centers and in contracted hospitals across the U.S. This stock closed up 8.8% at $61.55 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 9.41 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.62 million

Volume % Change: 428%

From a technical perspective, DVA ripped sharply higher here right off its 200-day moving average of $59.24 with heavy upside volume. This move also pushed shares of DVA into breakout territory, since the stock took out some key overhead resistance levels at $60.38 to $61.01. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if DVA can manage to clear Monday's high of $62.14 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DVA as long as it's trending above $60 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's intraday high of $62.14 with volume that's near or above 1.62 million shares. If we get that move soon, then DVA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $65.67.

Autobytel

Autobytel (ABTL) is an automotive marketing services company that helps automotive retail dealers and automotive manufacturers market and sell new and used vehicles through its internet lead referral and online advertising programs. This stock closed up 7.4% at $11.75 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 603,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 126,855

Volume % Change: 318%

From a technical perspective, ABTL soared higher here and broke out to a new 52-week high with heavy upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last five months, with shares ripping higher from its low of $4.56 to its intraday high of $12.25. During that uptrend, shares of ABTL have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ABTL as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $11 or above $10 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's high of $12.25 with volume that's near or above 126,855 shares. If we get that move soon, then ABTL will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $14 to $15.

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

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.


RELATED LINKS:



>>5 Dividend Stocks That Want to Pay You More



>>3 Health Care Stocks Under $10 to Watch



>>Profit From 5 Trades Warren Bufett Made

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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


Monday, November 25, 2013

Strauss: Entrepreneurs’ thanks start at home

This being Thanksgiving week, we are reminded that as small business owners, we especially have much to be thankful for:

Our families: Of course at the Thanksgiving table when everyone shares what they are thankful for, usually the first and main thing is the love of family. I think this is even truer for the small business owner.

In the first place, it is your partner who accepted your kooky idea to start your own business in the first place. I know that for us, it was not so easy for my wife. At that time, 20 years ago now, I had been working at a big law firm where I made good money and had excellent benefits. My wife was pregnant with our second child and it was December.

In a Dickensonian scene, the partners of the firm called me in and told me I was being fired. Apparently I didn't "write well enough." (Ha! Last laughs and all that.) It was then that I came up with my foolproof test for knowing whether you are an entrepreneur or not: Imagine getting fired. How do you feel? If it scares you to death, you are probably not the entrepreneurial type. If instead it gets you excited because you will finally be free to start your own business, then it is the life for you.

My wife was understandably nervous but went along with my plan to start my own law firm. I was fortunate in that I made a profit the very first month, and that venture put me on the path I am on now. Not long after, I was hired to write this column. So, although I don't have that business anymore, I am still incredibly thankful she said yes.

For most entrepreneurs that I know, it is the love and support of their spouses and partners that makes the dream possible.

Of course, if you have children, you are grateful for them as well, and as a small business owner, that goes double because they are the ones who pitch in when needed, who understand (hopefully!) when you have to work late, and who believe in you.

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Our customers: There is a great quote, often attributed incorrectly to Mahatma Gandhi (true attribution is uncertain) that puts it well:

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.

So, dear customer -- thank you, thank you, thank you.

Our team: Whether it is valued employees, or a vendor who gave you a break, or an assistant who keeps you on track, or a trustworthy partner, the fact is, no one can run a business all by themselves. It takes a village, as it were, to keep a business alive and on track. And so we are thankful for those people in our village who keep our business on track.

Our country: Wherever you are, if you live in a place that allows you dream, and to start your own business, then you are blessed indeed.

Our readers: Well, this only applies if you are an author or columnist. Well, hey!

Thank you!

Today's tip: Dell recently announced plans for global expansion of its Center for Entrepreneurs, starting with the launch of the U.K. Centre for Entrepreneurs, and appointment of an Entrepreneur-in-Residence Global Advisory Board. Dell Center for Entrepreneurs initiatives include the Dell Innovators Credit Fund, a financing program for U.S. and U.K.-based startups, and the Dell Founders Club, targeted at entrepreneurs who view technology as a critical "backbone" to business success.

Steve Strauss is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship. His column appears Mondays. E-mail Steve at: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com. An archive of his columns is here. His website is TheSelfEmployed.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Biotech News Watch: More Biotech IPOs Get Yanked (CRME, ONCY, VTL & TNIB)

The biotech sector along with small cap biotech stocks Cardiome Pharma Corp (NASDAQ: CRME), Oncolytics Biotech, Inc (NASDAQ: ONCY), Vital Therapies Inc (NASDAQ: VTL) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) have all been producing their share of news this week for investors and traders alike to trade on. Moreover and while some 42 "life sciences" companies have gone public raising about $3 billion from investors so far this year, there are a growing number of biotechs pulling the plug on upcoming IPOs who are citing market conditions. With that in mind, here is a look at important news from the biotech sector and small cap biotech stocks this week:

Frothy IPO Market But There is Still "Quality Control." Wall Street's MoneyBeat column quoted Christopher Bartel, head of global equity research at Fidelity, say the following about the IPO market in general:

"It's frothy, but there's still a quality-control element. You're not seeing the deal-chasing."

The article went on to note that the healthcare sector has been the busiest industry for deals thanks to scores of biotech IPOs, many of them being early-stage drug developers without profits or revenue – a sign that investors have risk-tolerance. Moreover and even in the highflying biotech area, Bartel said that "there are still good quality companies coming public there."

Biotech IPO Deals Start to Stumble. The San Diego based site Economy.com noted earlier this week that demand for new IPOs has remained strong even though three life sciences companies (San Diego-based Celladon; Monrovia, CA-based Xencor; and Palo Alto, CA-based CardioDx) have recently postponed their IPOs. In addition, TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals Corp., focused on the discovery and development of small molecule drugs called Smac mimetics for the treatment of cancers, has just yanked its $103.5 million IPO that was set for yesterday (they were planning to sell 6.4 million shares at between $13 and $15 per share) with the CEO saying: "The market is just exhausted at this time." Trevena Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing the next generation of G-protein coupled receptor, has also scrapped plans for a $92.9 million IPO because of unfavorable market conditions along with Vital Therapies Inc, which is developing bio-artificial liver cells for treatment of acute liver failure. The latter was planning to raise $75 million by offering 4.4 million shares at $16 to $18 per share.  Cardiome Pharma Corp. Is on the Upswing On Good News. Small cap Cardiome Pharma Corp. has risen some 39% this week on good news. On Monday, Cardiome Pharma Corp. announced that it had completed the acquisition of Correvio LLC, a privately held EBITDA positive pharmaceutical company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, selling Aggrastat (tirofiban HCL) to cardiologists in over 60 countries worldwide with annual revenues of $30+ million. Under the terms of the agreement, Cardiome Pharma Corp. acquired 100% of Correvio LLC through the purchase of a combination of assets and shares of its subsidiaries in exchange for 19.9% of Cardiome's outstanding shares (proforma ownership of approximately 16.6%) and a deferred cash consideration of $12M that will be repaid monthly at an amount equal to 10% of cash receipts from product sales and any applicable interest accrued at 10% compounded annually. This adjusted deferred cash consideration must be repaid in full by December 1, 2019. In addition, Cardiome Pharma Corp announced that an article in the official Journal of the European Heart Rhythm Association concluded that its BRINAVESS, an efficacious and rapid acting pharmacological cardioversion agent for recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), can be used first line in patients with little or no underlying cardiovascular disease and in patients with moderate disease (such as stable coronary and hypertensive heart disease). Shares are up 203.2% since the start of the year, but they are still down 68% over the past five years.

Oncolytics Biotech's Strange Press Release. Small cap Oncolytics Biotech sank 23.81% on Thursday after issuing a press release entitled: Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. Announces Positive Top-Line Data from REO 018 Randomized Study of REOLYSIN® in Head and Neck Cancers. However, the devil may be in the details as two article then appeared entitled: Company Calls Cancer-Fighting Virus Study 'Positive' But Results Are Unconvincing (Note: The author emailed the CEO a list of questions and posted the answers to them) and Oncolytics Biotech Shades Truth On Failed Cancer Study. What's the truth? Given Oncolytics Biotech's 23.81% drop on Thursday, investors also appear skeptical – meaning it will be interesting to see what the stock does today.

TNI BioTech. Off the radar small cap TNI BioTech, which acquires patents, develops treatments, markets and licenses immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS and autoimmune diseases, has been producing a slow but steady stream of news for investors and traders alike lately. To begin with, TNI BioTech has announced that its subsidiary, TNI BioTech International, Ltd., has a distribution agreement with a Nigerian company called AHAR Pharma to market Lodonal™ in Nigeria for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer. TNI BioTech says this deal will generate just over $53,000,000 in gross revenue for the company in 2014 with approximate $21,000,000 in available cash flow to meet TNIB's financial clinical trial commitments. AHAR Pharma has also pre-paid for the API necessary for the soft launch and has committed to purchase a minimum of $1,000,000 worth of capsules between now and January 2014. In addition, TNI BioTech has announced a manufacturing and supply agreement with Laboratorios Ramos for the production of Low Dose Naltrexone ("LDN") and has provided a financing update which noted the receipt of $826,250 as consideration for the exercise of previously-issued warrants and $531,250 for the purchase of common stock under the Private Placement (for an aggregate sum of $1,357,500).

Thursday, November 21, 2013

California: 10K a day applying for Obamacare

coverd california

More people are signing up for Obamacare coverage in California.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Californians are flocking to the Obamacare health exchange there, with 10,000 a day registering on the web site last week.

The Covered California board also voted Thursday not to allow residents to extend individual policies that don't comply with Obamacare. Seeking to quell an uproar over insurers canceling plans, President Obama last week allowed state regulators and insurers to extend these policies for another year.

More than 360,000 people have created accounts on the Covered California website, through Nov. 19, according to health exchange officials. Some 39% of them are eligible for Medi-Cal. The rest can pick a private insurance policy on the exchange, with about half of them eligible for federal subsidies to defer premiums or out-of-pocket expenses.

Nearly 80,000 residents have signed up for a policy, the final step on the exchange before working out payment with the insurance company. That's up from 59,000 in mid-November.

"What we're seeing is people signing up," said Peter Lee, Covered California's executive director.

Younger Californians age 18 to 34 account for about 22.5% of the sign ups in October, just about the share they represent in the state population. Luring in younger and healthier consumers, who use fewer medical services and would offset older, costlier policyholders, are vital to the health of the state exchange. If young people don't enroll, then rates could soar for 2015.

"Not only are we seeing strong enrollment numbers overall, but enrollment in key demographics like the so-called young invincibles is very encouraging," said Lee.

Share your story: Are you signing up for Obamacare?

Those ages 55 to 64 account for about one-third of the 30,830 people in October who signed up for a plan.

Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield of California are capturing the majority of those picking plans, with each securing just over a quarter, according to exchange data.

One area where the exchange needs improvement is outreach to non-English speaking Californians, advocates at the exchange's board meeting said. Some 85.5% of those signing up are English-speakers, though only 56.1% of the state population is.

Why sex workers are celebrating Obamacare &n! bsp; Why sex workers are celebrating Obamacare

Coverage begins on Jan. 1, while open enrollment runs through March 31. Those who don't enroll face a penalty of $95 or 1% of family income, whichever is greater.

Also, although roughly 450,000 residents who are losing their current individual policies face higher premium prices on the exchange, the board opted not to take Obama up on his "fix." Extending the policies risks destabilizing the exchange because it is likely to attract sicker people seeking more comprehensive coverage, while allowing healthier policy holders to retain their bare bones plans. That could cause rates to rise in 2015. Also, it will cause much confusion among Californians. An insurance trade group representative urged board members not to allow extensions.

California joins at least eight other states rejecting the extensions. Some 200,000 residents will be allowed to extend their plans into early next year because their carriers -- Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross -- did not give them sufficient notice. To top of page

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Fed Sinks Dow as J.C. Penney Jumps and Lowe's Falls

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

Stocks sold off in the late afternoon for the third day in a row today as investors were spooked by the minutes of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee's latest meeting. As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) and S&P 500 both closed down 0.4%.

What seemed to throw investors off in the Fed's notes was the following line: "Many members stressed the data-dependent nature of the current asset purchase program, and some pointed out that, if economic conditions warranted, the Committee could decide to slow the pace of purchase at one of its next few meetings."

Reading the Fed's tea leaves has proven a fool's errand in the past, and it seems a little ridiculous for the market to fear a taper in the "next few meetings," which could be four months from now or even later. Still, the Fed's loose monetary policy has been a major reason for the stock market's jump this year, as it's kept down bond rates and boosted the economy. The Fed's next meeting will take place on Dec. 17-18.

Recent economic reports have been mostly positive and today was no exception as retail sales, excluding automobiles, increased 0.4% in October, beating expectations of 0.1%, while the Consumer Price Index was essentially flat, helped by falling gas prices, an encouraging sign for spending.

The drumbeat of retailer earnings reports continued today as J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) jumped 8.4% after a promising earnings report. After several terrible quarters, the department-store chain seems to finally be recovering, reporting same-stores up 0.9% in October. Results were still ugly with a 5.1% drop in sales and a loss of $1.81 per share, but the ship now seems headed in the right direction at least. CEO Myron Ullman was optimistic about the future, saying he expected sequential and year-over-year improvements in comparable sales and gross margin in the fourth quarter.

Home-improvement retailer Lowe's (NYSE: LOW  ) wasn't as lucky as its shares fell 6.2% on a weaker-than-expected outlook. Overall, it was a strong report for the Home Depot rival as same-store sales grew 6.2%, and earnings per share jumped 34.3% to $0.47, but that missed the Street's expectations of $0.48. Lowe's also raised its full-year EPS guidance to $2.15 from $2.10, but that was below the analyst mark at $2.19. The housing sector has boomed this year, lifting retailers and homebuilders alike, and Lowe's shares are still up 30% year to date. Today's drop seems to be more of a valuation-based correction rather than a long-term sign.

Finally, Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS  ) shares were off 1.6% today after its own earnings report failed to impress. The nation's leading office-supplies retailer warned of negative trends in demand for core office supplies, which shouldn't be surprising given the secular shift to digital communication. Management intends to focus on other categories, but that seems like a questionable strategy given its strength in office products. Earnings per share of $0.42 matched expectations, but revenue fell 3.8% to $6.11 billion, below the consensus at $6.18 billion. Given the fading relevance of office retail and the consistent emptiness of these stores, I'd avoid this sector.

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

4 Tech Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

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

>>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts

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

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

>>5 Big Stocks to Trade for Big Gains

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

Phoenix New Media

Phoenix New Media (FENG) is a new media company providing premium content on an integrated platform across Internet, mobile and TV channels in China. This stock closed up 13.9% to $10.36 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 3.81 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.13 million

Volume % Change: 331%

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

From a technical perspective, FENG ripped sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $10.35 with heavy upside volume. This stock has been uptrending modestly for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $8.08 to its intraday high of $10.38. During that move, shares of FENG have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of FENG within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if FENG manages to take out Friday's high of $10.38 and its 50-day moving average of $10.94 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FENG as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $9.65 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.13 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then FENG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $12.50 to its 52-week high at $13.38.

21Vianet Group

21Vianet Group (VNET) is a carrier-neutral Internet data center service provider. This stock closed up 6.8% at $20.54 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 1.45 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 522,358

Volume % Change: 215%

>>5 Tech Stocks to Trade in November

From a technical perspective, VNET spiked sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $20.53 with strong upside volume. This move briefly pushed shares of VNET into new 52-week high territory, since the stock flirted with some more near-term overhead resistance at $20.90. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $8.98 to its intraday high on Friday of $21.09. During that move, shares of VNET have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VNET as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $18.99 or above more support at $18 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $21.09 with volume that's near or above 522,358 shares. If we get that move soon, then VNET will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $25 to $27.

II-VI

II-VI (IIVI) develops, manufactures and markets products for a diversified customer base including industrial manufacturing, military and aerospace, electronics and telecommunications, and thermo-electronics applications. This stock closed up 2.7% at $15.77 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 838,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 296,220

Volume % Change: 250%

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

From a technical perspective, IIVI skyrocketed higher here right off its recent low of $15.13 with heavy upside volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last few weeks, with shares plunging lower from its high of $19.15 to its recent low of $15.13. During that downtrend, shares of IIVI have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of IIVI have now started to bounce off oversold territory, since its current relative strength index reading is 33. This bounce could be signaling that the downside volatility for IIVI is over in the short-term, and the stock is ready to rip much higher.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in IIVI as long as it's trending above its recent low of $15.13 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $15.97 with volume that hits near or above 296,220 shares. If we get that move soon, then IIVI will set up to rebound sharply higher towards its 200-day at $17.48 to its 50-day at $18.05.

Yoku Tudou

Yoku Tudou (YOKU) is an Internet television company in China. This stock closed up 11.1% at $29.30 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 13.71 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 3.47 million

Volume % Change: 320%

From a technical perspective, YOKU exploded higher here and gapped up back above its 50-day moving average of $27.66 with monster upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of YOKU within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if YOKU manages to take out Friday's high of $29.73 and then once it clears its 52-week high at $32.49 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in YOKU as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $28 or above its 50-day at $27.66 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 3.47 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then YOKU will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $33 to $40.

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

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.


RELATED LINKS:

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>>Why You Should Buy Hedge Funds' 5 Favorite Stocks

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Monday, November 18, 2013

What the Fed Decision Means for Currencies

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own Right Now

The global currency markets started feeling the impact of the Fed's decision not to begin tapering practically immediately, writes MoneyShow's Jim Jubak, also of Jubak's Picks, who feels the repercussions are far from over.

The Federal Reserve's decision not to begin tapering off its monthly $85 billion in purchases of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities sent the dollar even lower against most global currencies. Yesterday, September 19, the Dollar Index fell to a seven-month low. The dollar fell against the currencies of most US trading partners—except Japan. And it looks like the dollar will stay under pressure for, at least, the next few sessions.

The big question is how long this trend lasts. If you think it will run for a while, then you want to join in on the rally in emerging market stocks that has accompanied the rally in emerging market currencies, such as the rupee, and real. If you think the run is getting a little over-extended—the euro is, after all, at levels against the dollar that have marked resistance in the past, BUT it has recently broken above resistance at $1.345 to close yesterday above $1.35—then this is a time to take some profits.

A lot will depend, in my opinion, on how big a scare Washington politics throws into global financial markets. I can't imagine overseas investors rushing to move into dollars in the face of rhetoric threatening a government shutdown and a default on US debt. I'd say current trends could hold for a couple of weeks yet, but I wouldn't be rushing to add new positions that depend on dollar weakness right here.

The one currency that is running against the weak dollar tide is the Japanese yen. The yen initially climbed on the Fed's no taper decision—rising to 97.75 on the news—but then fell all the way back to 99 yen to the dollar and finished yesterday at 99.42. (Remember that since the yen is quoted in yen to the dollar, a higher number is a sign of a weak yen and a smaller number means the yen is getting stronger.) The thinking seems to be that the recent Japanese trade deficit will push the Bank of Japan to further weaken the yen, in order to boost Japanese exports. I continue to think that the yen will finish 2013 at weaker levels than current trading, and that leads me to continue to hold positions in Japanese stocks such as Toyota Motor (TM) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MTU). Both stocks are members of my Jubaks Picks portfolio.

Full disclosure: I don't own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this post in my personal portfolio. When in 2010 I started the mutual fund I manage, Jubak Global Equity Fund, I liquidated all my individual stock holdings and put the money into the fund. The fund did own shares of both Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Toyota Motor as of the end of June. For a complete list of the fund's holdings as of the end of June see the fund's portfolio here.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014

In the following video, Motley Fool energy analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman discuss another solid quarter for U.S. pipeline company Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD  ) , in which the company increased its distributions for the 35th straight quarter. Joel gives investors several metrics to show not only that the company can continue to support strong dividend growth, but also that its solid backlog and low financing costs mean great prospects for continued, strong growth. He then discusses why Enterprise is a buy, even a better one than some of its high-growth pipeline contemporaries.

The growing production of natural gas from hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling is flooding the North American market and resulting in record-low prices for natural gas. Enterprise Products Partners, with its superior integrated asset base, can profit from the massive bottlenecks in takeaway capacity by taking on large-scale projects. To help investors decide whether Enterprise Products Partners is a buy or a sell today, click here now to check out The Motley Fool's brand-new premium research report on the company.

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: M&T Bank Corporation (MTB)

M&T Bank Corporation operates as the holding company for M&T Bank and M&T Bank, National Association that provide commercial and retail banking services to individuals, corporations and other businesses, and institutions. It offers business loans and leases; business credit cards; deposit products, such as demand, savings, and time accounts; and financial services, including cash management, payroll and direct deposit, merchant credit card, and letters of credit. The company also provides residential real estate loans; multifamily commercial real estate loans; commercial real estate loans; one-to-four family residential mortgage loans; investment and trading securities; short-term and long-term borrowed funds; brokered certificates of deposit and interest rate swap agreements related thereto; and branch deposits. In addition, it offers foreign exchange, as well as asset management services. Further, the company provides consumer loans, and commercial loans and leases; cred it life, and accident and health reinsurance; and securities brokerage, investment advisory, and insurance agency services. As of December 31, 2009, it had 738 banking offices in New York State, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; a commercial banking office in Ontario, Canada; and an office in George Town, Cayman Islands. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shauna O'Brien]

    Credit Suisse announced on Friday that it has downgraded financial services company M&T Bank Corporation (MTB).

    The firm has cut its rating on MTB from “Outperform” to “Neutral” due to a valuation call. Credit Suisse currently has a $122 price target on MTB, which suggests a 5% increase from the stock’s current price of $115.91.

    M&T Bank shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Friday. The stock is up 18% YTD.

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Sports Direct(SPD.L)

Sports Direct International plc operates as a sports retailer in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company involves in the retail of a range of branded sports and leisure equipment, clothing, footwear, and accessories; wholesale distribution and sale of company?s owned or licensed brands; and licensing of its brands. It offers its products under a mix of owned brands, such as Dunlop, Slazenger, Kangol, Karrimor, Lonsdale, Everlast, and Antigua, as well as under the licensed brand name Umbro; and third party brands, including adidas, Nike, Reebok, and Puma. As of April 24, 2011, the company operated 393 stores in the United Kingdom under the SPORTSDIRECT.com, Field & Trek, Lillywhites, Gilesports, and Hargreaves fascia. The Field & Trek stores sell a range of camping and outdoor equipment, and waterproof clothing and footwear with brands, such as Berghaus, Merrell, and Salomon. In addition, Sports Direct International plc operates owned retail outlets in Belgium, Holland, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Portugal under the Sports Direct brand; Heatons stores under joint ventures with other retailers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; and stores within another retailer?s store in Cyprus. Its portfolio of sports and leisure brands also includes Antigua, Carlton, and Donnay. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mansfield, the United Kingdom.

10 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)

Rent-A-Center, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, primarily engages in leasing household durable goods to customers on a rent-to-own basis. The company?s stores offer durable products, such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, and furniture and accessories under flexible rental purchase agreements that allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period. It also provides merchandise on an installment sales basis in its stores. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 3,008 company-owned stores in the United States, and in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, including 42 retail installment sales stores under the names ?Get It Now? and ?Home Choice?; and 18 rent-to-own stores located in Canada under the ?Rent-A-Centre? name. It also operates 209 franchised rent-to-own stores in 32 states under the ColorTyme trade name; and 384 kiosk locations under the ?RAC Acceptance? model. In addition, the company, th rough its ColorTyme?s franchised stores, offers custom rims and tires for sale or rental under the trade names ?RimTyme? or ?ColorTyme Custom Wheels?. Rent-A-Center, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Exoma Energy Ltd (EXE.AX)

Exoma Energy Limited engages in the exploration of oil and gas properties in Australia. The company explores for conventional oil, shale oil, and gas and coal seam gas contained in coal and carbonaceous shales. Exoma Energy Limited holds a 50% interest in 5 exploration permits covering an area of approximately 27,000 square kilometers of the Eromanga and Galilee Basins in Central Queensland. The company is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Xilinx Inc (XLNX.O)

Xilinx, Inc. (Xilinx), incorporated on February 5, 1984, designs, develops and markets programmable platforms. These programmable platforms have a number of components, including integrated circuits (ICs) in the form of programmable logic devices (PLDs), including Extensible Processing Platforms (EPPs); software design tools to program the PLDs; targeted reference designs; printed circuit boards, and intellectual property (IP), which consists of Xilinx and various third-party verification and IP cores. In addition to its programmable platforms, Xilinx provides design services, customer training, field engineering and technical support. The Company�� PLDs include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) that its customers program to perform logic functions, and EPPs. Xilinx�� products are offered to electronic equipment manufacturers in end markets, such as wired and wireless communications, industrial, scientific and medical , aerospace and defense, audio, video and broadcast, consumer, automotive and data processing. The Company sells its products globally through independent domestic and foreign distributors and through direct sales to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by a network of independent sales representative firms and by a direct sales management organization. In January 2011, the Company acquired AutoESL Design Technologies, Inc. In August 2012, the Company acquired embedded Linux solutions provider PetaLogix.

Product Families

The 7 series devices that comprise the Company�� 28-nanometer (nm) product families are fabricated on a high-K metal gate 28-nm process technology. These devices are based on an architecture, which enables design and IP portability and re-use across all families, as well as provides designers the ability to achieve the appropriate combination of I/O support, performance, feature quantities, packaging and power consumption to a ddress a range of applications. The 7 series devices consi! st! of three families: Virtex-7 FPGA, Kintex-7 FPGAs and Artix-7 FPGAs. The Zynq-7000 family is the family of Xilinx EPPs. The Virtex-6 FPGA family consists of 13 devices and is the sixth generation in the Virtex series of FPGAs.

Virtex-6 FPGAs are fabricated on a high-performance, 40-nm process technology. There are three Virtex-6 families: Virtex-6 LXT FPGAs, Virtex-6 SXT FPGAs and Virtex-6 HXT FPGAs. The Spartan-6 family is the PLD industry�� 45-nm high-volume FPGA family, consisting of 11 devices in two product families: Spartan-6 LX FPGAs and Spartan-6 LXT FPGAs. The Virtex-5 FPGA family consists of 26 devices in five product families: Virtex-5 LX FPGAs for logic-intensive designs, Virtex-5 LXT FPGAs for high-performance logic with serial connectivity, Virtex-5 SXT FPGAs for high-performance DSP with serial connectivity, Virtex-5 FXT FPGAs for embedded processing with serial connectivity and Virtex-5 TXT FPGAs for high-bandwidth serial connectivity. Prior g eneration Virtex families include Virtex-4, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Virtex-E and the original Virtex family. Spartan family FPGAs include 90-nm Spartan-3 FPGAs, the Spartan-3E family and the Spartan-3A family. Prior generation Spartan families include Spartan-IIE, Spartan-II, Spartan XL and the original Spartan family.

Design Platforms and Services

The Company offers three types of programmable platforms. The Base Platform is the delivery vehicle for all of its new silicon offerings used to develop and run customer-specific software applications and hardware designs. The Base Platform consists of FPGA silicon; Integrated Software Environment (ISE) Design Suite design environment; integration support of optional third-party synthesis, simulation, and signal integrity tools; reference designs; development boards and IP. The Domain-Specific Platform targets one of the three primary Xilinx FPGA user profiles: the embedded processing developer; the D SP developer; or the logic/connectivity developer. The ! Marke! t-! Specifi! c Platform enables software or hardware developers to build and run their specific application or solution. Built for specific markets, such as automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications, audio, video and broadcast, industrial, or scientific and medical, the Market-Specific Platform integrates both the Base and Domain-Specific Platforms.

During April 2012, Xilinx introduced the Vivado Design Suite. Vivado supports Xilinx 7 series FPGAs and Zynq EPPs. Xilinx and various third parties offer hundreds of no charge and fee-bearing IP core licenses covering Ethernet, memory controllers Interlaken and PCIe interface, as well as domain-specific IP in the areas of embedded, DSP and connectivity, and market-specific IP cores. The Company also offers development kits, including hardware, design tools, IP and reference designs. Xilinx offers a range of configuration products, including one-time programmable and in-system programmable storage devices to con figure Xilinx FPGAs. These programmable read-only memory (PROM) products support all of the Company�� FPGA devices. Xilinx and certain third parties have developed and offer a ecosystem of IP, boards, tools, services and support through the Xilinx alliance program. Xilinx also works with these third parties to promote its programmable platforms through third-party tools, IP, software, boards and design services. Xilinx engineering services provide customers with engineering, ranging from hands-on training to full design creation and implementation.

The Company competes with Altera Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation and Microsemi Corporation.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

rVue Holdings, Inc., 1st Quarter 2013 Financial Results (OTCMKTS:RVUE)

rvue

rVue Holdings, Inc. (RVUE)

Today, RVUE remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.14 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:58AM EDT August 28, 2013).

rVue Holdings, Inc. previously reported its financial results for the quarter ended March, 31 2013.

Summary Results for First Quarter of 2013: Total revenue was $137.5K for the first fiscal quarter of 2013; up slightly from $131.5K the prior year.
Core Revenue: This is the focus of our business and source of future growth. Core revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 was $79.3K up sharply (+63K) over Q1 2012 when it was $16.3K. Non-Core Revenue: For the quarters ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 were $58.2K and $115.2K, respectively. As stated earlier, the decline was due to the end of a management relationship with Auto Nation. This downward trend in non-core revenue is expected to continue through 2013 as we focus more resources on core business efforts. In addition, the Mattress Firm merged with Mattress Giant and we respectfully agreed not to renew for 2013.

rVue Holdings, Inc. (RVUE) 5 day chart:

rvuechart

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Disney Drops Ahead of Earnings as Netflix Deal Disappoints

Shares of Disney (DIS) have dropped ahead of the company’s announcement of earnings results after the close.

AP

Disney is expected to announce a profit of 76 cents a share, according to FactSet, but today’s drop doesn’t mean investors are betting that Disney will miss earnings. Instead, it could be as a result of a deal it announced with Netflix (NFLX), which appears to have underwhelmed investors.

The Wall Street Journal has the details on the Disney/Netflix partnership:

Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc.  unveiled a deal for multiple original live-action series based on four of Marvel’s most popular characters to be shown exclusively on Netflix’s streaming-video service.

Under the agreement, Marvel will develop four serialized programs—”Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Iron Fist” and “Luke Cage”—leading to a miniseries programming event for Netflix. Netflix has committed to a minimum of four, 13-episode series and a culminating Marvel’s “The Defenders” miniseries.

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Albert Fried & Co’s Richard Tullo says investors were looking for more. He writes:

We think the market expected more from the NFLX Disney announcement, we won’t comment about the deal economics yet, but we think Wall Street expected a big streaming exclusive deal on the Marvel Movies and perhaps a direct to Streaming Deal.

Again something like that could happen at the end of the rainbow but it took Dorothy a long time to know how to use her Ruby slippers and the media sector is full of witches and flying monkeys.

Shares of Disney have fallen 2% to $67.63 at 1:52 p.m., while Netflix is down 2% at $328.94.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Hyundai starts selling engines to racing enthus…

LAS VEGAS -- Detroit's auto industry still takes a bow when it comes to its most famous engines, whether it was Chevrolet 350-cubic-inch V-8, Ford 302 or Chrysler 440 Magnum. Now comes South Korea's Hyundai with hopes of joining the list.

Hyundai announced at the big SEMA aftermarket car parts trade show here that it is going to join other big makers in selling two of its more popular engines to enthusiasts who want something bigger or better under the hood.

They're called crate engines because, well, they used to come in a crate -- without a car. Detroit's Big 3 and aftermarket suppliers have had a nice little side business over the years selling whole engines to racers that they can drop in and go.

With Hyundai having had popular, youthful race-oriented Genesis coupe, executives figured there are now enough used cars out there that there could be some interest from hot-rodders.

"As more Genesis Coupes have entered the pre-owned enthusiast market since its 2009 launch, we've witnessed strong interest in leveraging the low cost potential of this rear-drive platform and its powertrains," says John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, in a statement. "Now, with our new crate engine program, Hyundai is making it more affordable for these same enthusiasts to modify their Genesis Coupe.

Some may be current Genesis owners who want more oomph out of their engines. Others may be "someone who doesn't have a Hyundai coupe and buys one," then starts itching to improve its performance, says Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor in an interview after his presentation here.

While relatively few customers ever tinker with their engines, the move could help build credibility with the racer community -- with helps amp up the overall popularity of the brand.

Hyundai will start by selling two engines:

•The Lambda 3.8-liter, direct-injected V-6 is being priced at $9,000.

•The Theta 2-liter, four-cylinder engine will start at $4,500. It will be "turbo ready." Or buyers can ! elect to have the turbocharger, intercooler and ducting included for a total price of $6,000.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Michael Kors makes it work. Stock surges.

michael kors stock

Click the chart to track shares of Michael Kors.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Michael Kors knows how to make it work. And investors couldn't be happier.

Sales at the designer's namesake company jumped 40% during the fiscal second quarter and handily beat Wall Street's expectations. The company's profit also exceeded forecasts.

Shares of Michael Kors Holdings (KORS) rallied more than 6% Tuesday on the news, bringing this year's gains to over 55%.

Since their stock market debut in December 2011, Michael Kors shares have nearly quadrupled. Last week, the company got the Wall Street equivalent of a well-reviewed runway show. The stock was added to the S&P 500.

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It's hard to find anything that's going wrong at the company right now. Comparable stores sales, a key measure for retailers, increased 23% in the quarter. Same-store sales at Kors have now increased for thirty straight quarters.

European sales more than doubled compared to a year ago. During the company's earnings call Tuesday, Michael Kors CEO John Idol said the company is also aiming to do more in Europe. He said the company views some of its top competitors to be "two or three of the very largest global Italian and French luxury goods players."

Sales were also up a healthy 31% in North America, driven by strength in accessories and watches.

With momentum continuing into the holiday quarter, Michael Kors also boosted its outlook for the year.

Michael Kors has been a standout in its category of affordable luxury, particularly in comparison to rival Coach (COH).

Last month, Coach reported a profit that declined from a year earlier and sales that slipped and also fell short of analyst expectations. Shares of Coach are down 7% so far this year.

"Coach was once hot because it was an aspirational brand, but not anymore," said Kristin Bentz, executive director at private equity firm PMG Venture Group. She noted that a big problem for Coach is that there is no person associated with the brand name like there is with Michael Kors, privately held Tory Burch and Ralph Lauren (RL, Fortune 500).

Apple stores to get a shot of high-style   Apple stores to get a shot of high-style

Omar Saad, a partner at ISI Group, added that while Kors is a luxury brand, many consumers are attracted to it because it's a "glamorous designer label" that sells items at reasonable prices.

"The company is generating consumer excitement in a way we've never seen in the luxury accessories category," he said.

Saad thinks that Michael Kors shares could easily go much higher. His price target on the stock is $100, up 25% from current levels.

He also pointed out that some other global competitors, such as Zara's owner Inditex, H&M, and Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing have an average market value of $60 billion. The market value of Michael Kors is currently about $16 billion. To top of page

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Warren Buffett’s Son, Peter, Fires Shot at ‘Charitable-Industrial Complex’

When your name is Buffett and you run a large charitable foundation, you get noticed. Even if your first name isn’t Warren.

You can elbow your way onto The New York Times op-ed page. In mid-July, Peter Buffett, one of Warren’s three children, wrote in The Times that he had identified “something I started to call Philanthropic Colonialism”—a donor’s “urge to ‘save the day’” by trying to solve local problems “with little regard for culture, geography or societal norms,” often with unintended consequences.

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Peter Buffett, a musician, with his wife Jennifer runs the NoVo Foundation, set up for him by his father in 2006 with a promise of continuing generous contributions. Last year, the elder Buffett contributed $1 billion to NoVo and to the foundations he had established for Peter’s two siblings.

Now, Peter Buffett wrote in his opinion piece, he saw something worse on the philanthropic landscape: the emergence of a burgeoning charitable-industrial complex at the same time inequality continues to rise.

“Philanthropy has become the ‘it’ vehicle to level the playing field.” Gatherings, workshops and affinity groups abound.

He said the desire of wealth makers to “give back” is “conscience laundering’’—an effort to feel better about “accumulating more than any one person could possibly need.”

This just bolsters the structure of inequality, he wrote.

Buffett bemoaned the influx of “business-minded folks” into the charitable sector, people who ask “‘what’s the R.O.I.?’ when it comes to alleviating human suffering.”

Philanthropy, he said, is experiencing a “crisis of imagination.”

Buffett said he wasn’t seeking an end of capitalism. Instead, “I’m calling for humanism.” He said it was time for a “new operating system,” for “new code.”

He concluded that “as long as most folks are patting themselves on the back for charitable acts, we’ve got a perpetual poverty machine. It’s an old story; we really need a new one.”

ThinkAdvisor asked a number of prominent players in the philanthropy/nonprofit sector what they thought of Buffett’s observations. All declined comment.

The blogosphere was less reticent. Some welcomed his op-ed.

Others took his remarks to task. One writer discussed what he’d gotten wrong about philanthropy. A Huffington Post blogger commented on the “unglamorous truth about ending poverty.”

Yet another writer offered a point-by-point refutation of Buffett’s “so-called charitable-industrial complex” argument.

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Check out these related stories at ThinkAdvisor:

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Why this is right time to invest in equity mutual funds

Below is the verbatim transcript of Navlakhi's interview with CNBC-TV18.

Q: We have seen foreign investors bringing in flows into our equity markets and yet recent data shows that mutual funds have been net sellers. What is the reason they are facing this kind of redemption pressure? Logically, wouldn't this be a good time to be buying?

A: Mutual fund investors have got tired so they have been waiting on the sidelines with their investments, which have been in the red and when they start seeing it getting into the black, they decide to bailout. Our view has been quite the opposite ever since the time in September that the government decided to hike diesel prices by 10 percent and somewhere around that time when the index was 17,300 level, one has not seen 17,000 since that time.

It has crossed 18,000 and then hovered between 18,000 and 20,000 from that time on and essentially investors must remember few macro and fundamental reasons why they should invest in equities.

In the short run of course there are sentimental reasons and that is why there is some selling pressure, but long-term investors, I can see a whole bunch of positives in the market as follow:

(1) we are at the top of the interest rate cycle, we are seeing that interest rates are going to come downwards and whenever that happens it is typically very good for corporate

(2) valuations have now dropped below the long-term average so it is not like dirt cheap, but it is certainly a time when one should consider investing in Indian equities

(3) internationally also we are getting supported on two fronts; one, commodity prices have fallen sharply and as a result of that one has seen the impact on oil prices etc so the subsidies that Indian government had on petrol and diesel, apart from their increasing prices on one side the subsidies have dropped because international prices have also dropped and simultaneously one is seeing that the quantitative easing by US and Japan is continuing so one is seeing flows continuing to come into the market.

Therefore, whole bunch of reasons why I would recommend that people do look at equity markets.

Indian growth numbers, gross domestic product (GDP) numbers were not very good but if compared with the international markets, they are relatively much better and the fact of the matter is that in the long run it is profits of companies and the growth in profits of companies, which will dictate the type of returns one make in the equity markets.

So, I would strongly recommend people to look at equities as an asset class, consult financial advisor and look at asset allocations. Therefore, I am not saying go overboard and pump in all money today, but certainly look at asset allocation and the amount that need to add to equity. One way of reducing the risk is to enter in a staggered manner.

So I can see whole bunch of reasons and when one look back at September to today on macro front, one do not know what sort of reforms or what sort of issues -- there have been issues on political front, corruption front, but over the years India has proved far more resilient and I do see scope for investing in equities.

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Friday, November 1, 2013

BioMarin Stays Neutral - Analyst Blog

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We recently maintained our Neutral recommendation on BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN). Our target price is $62.00 per share.

Why the Reiteration?

BioMarin's first quarter 2013 loss of $0.31 per share was wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.28 and the year-ago loss of $0.21 per share. The wider loss was due to higher operating expenses. Total revenues climbed 9.7% to $127.9 million due to higher net product revenues.

We are, however, pleased with the efforts of BioMarin to develop its pipeline. The most interesting candidate in BioMarin's pipeline is Vimizim. BioMarin is looking to get Vimizim – an enzyme replacement therapy – approved for treating patients suffering from mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (MPS IVA) – a rare lysosomal storage disorder.

The candidate is under priority review in the US (target date: Feb 28, 2014) for the above indication. Vimizim is also under review in the EU. The Marketing Authorization Application for Vimizim had been granted accelerated assessment status by the European Medicines Agency. Consequently, BioMarin expects a decision on Vimizim in the EU in the first quarter of 2014. BioMarin is also seeking approval for Vimizim in Brazil.

We expect investor focus to stay on the regulatory updates regarding Vimizim. Positive news from the regulatory agencies on the candidate would further strengthen the company's product portfolio.

BioMarin's product portfolio currently includes Aldurazyme, Naglazyme, Kuvan and Firdapse. Aldurazyme, co-marketed with Sanofi (SNY), is available for the treatment of MPS-I (mucopolysaccharidosis). Naglazyme is marketed for treating MPS-VI. Kuvan is marketed for phenylketonuria. Firdapse is marketed for treating patients suffering from Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome.

Stocks That Warrant a Look

While we expe! ct BioMarin to perform in line with its peers and industry levels in the coming months and advice investors to wait for a better entry point before accumulating shares, one can consider stocks such as Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) and Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ). Both stocks carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).