3 Reasons Microsoft's Smart Watch Will Fail

Is the world ready for a Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) smart watch? Sources tell The Wall Street Journal that the software giant is starting to stockpile supplies to enter the market. 

Wearable computing is clearly going to be a big market. Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) push for high-tech glasses is the real deal. This isn't science fiction anymore. Samsung last month announced that it's exploring a smart watch. Then we have Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , which has long been rumored to be working on a smart watch.

Given Apple's anemic share price, the hunger for innovation could make an Apple smart watch hit the market sooner rather than later. The surprising success for Kickstarter-funded Pebble naturally has Google and Samsung thinking of ways to exploit their successful platforms through Bluetooth-enabled watches.

Microsoft is in for an uphill battle. In this video, Rick Munarriz explores the three reasons Microsoft's smart watch is likely to be a dud if it ever does hit the market. 

Smart watches are just the latest scuffle in the battle between the tech giants. It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

Greenbrier Companies Passes This Key Test

There's no foolproof way to know the future for Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

A cloudy crystal ball
In this series, we use accounts receivable and days sales outstanding to judge a company's current health and future prospects. It's an important step in separating the pretenders from the market's best stocks. Alone, AR -- the amount of money owed the company -- and DSO -- the number of days' worth of sales owed to the company -- don't tell you much. However, by considering the trends in AR and DSO, you can sometimes get a window onto the future.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks For 2014

Sometimes, problems with AR or DSO simply indicate a change in the business (like an acquisition), or lax collections. However, AR that grows more quickly than revenue, or ballooning DSO, can, at times, suggest a desperate company that's trying to boost sales by giving its customers overly generous payment terms. Alternately, it can indicate that the company sprinted to book a load of sales at the end of the quarter, like used-car dealers on the 29th of the month. (Sometimes, companies do both.)

Why might an upstanding firm like Greenbrier Companies do this? For the same reason any other company might: to make the numbers. Investors don't like revenue shortfalls, and employees don't like reporting them to their superiors.

Is Greenbrier Companies sending any potential warning signs? Take a look at the chart below, which plots revenue growth against AR growth, and DSO:

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. FQ = fiscal quarter.

The standard way to calculate DSO uses average accounts receivable. I prefer to look at end-of-quarter receivables, but I've plotted both above.

Watching the trends
When that red line (AR growth) crosses above the green line (revenue growth), I know I need to consult the filings. Similarly, a spike in the blue bars indicates a trend worth worrying about. Greenbrier Companies's latest average DSO stands at 33.4 days, and the end-of-quarter figure is 30.3 days. Differences in business models can generate variations in DSO, and business needs can require occasional fluctuations, but all things being equal, I like to see this figure stay steady. So, let's get back to our original question: Based on DSO and sales, does Greenbrier Companies look like it might miss its numbers in the next quarter or two?

I don't think so. AR and DSO look healthy. For the last fully reported fiscal quarter, Greenbrier Companies's year-over-year revenue shrank 7.6%, and its AR dropped 18.9%. That looks OK. End-of-quarter DSO decreased 13.2% from the prior-year quarter. It was down 13.3% versus the prior quarter. Still, I'm no fortuneteller, and these are just numbers. Investors putting their money on the line always need to dig into the filings for the root causes and draw their own conclusions.

Is Greenbrier Companies the right retailer for your portfolio? Learn how to maximize your investment income and ""Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks,"" including one above-average retailing powerhouse. Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add Greenbrier Companies to My Watchlist.

Save of the Day: Stretch your dollar for dinner

In my continued search to save you time and money, today we celebrate a great way to get dinner on the table, on a dime.

As you probably know by now, I've made it my mission to hunt down your deal requests and recently we've added food to the mix.

Every week you nominate a different food group, item or ingredient and I find the deal. Today we explore Asia with a price drop on a top cooking kit.

If you overdo it on take-out (as I do), you might not be surprised to know the average person in our region spends about $1000 per year on take-out. If Chinese or Thai tops your wishlist, today you can make some of your favorite dishes on your own for a fraction of the price.

Check out the video above for all the details on this delicious, and inexpensive, dinner idea.

Matt Granite is a consumer reporter with Gannett's WKYC station in Cleveland. His 'Save of the Day' report offers tips to consumers on how to save money and features daily deals.

We do not get any financial compensation for mentioning any of these deals or companies. The only purpose of this segment is to save you money.

Plug Power: What Goes Up…

Shares of Plug Power (PLUG) were not what Isaac Newton had in mind when he may or may not have coined the phrase, “What goes up must come down.” But what was true of the apple that may–or may not–have hit him on the head, is also true for Plug Power, one of the market’s most-volatile stocks.

REUTERS

Yesterday, Plug Power gained 49% after its CEO said it had signed a large deal with a major auto maker. The detail everyone seemed to miss, however, was that the Plug Power’s CEO Andy Marsh had made the same comment earlier this month during the company’s conference call following it’s earnings release.

As a result, Plug Power’s shares are tumbling. They’ve dropped 19% to $6.87 at 2:20 p.m. today–and Plug Power’s plunge has dragged FuelCell Energy (FCEL) down 15% to $2.48 and  Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) down 19% to $4.38.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014

Out of curiosity, I checked to see how Plug Power performed in days following gains. In 60 trading days this, shares of Plug Power have gained 31 times, and those gains were followed by a loss 17 times, or 55% of the time. The average Plug Power loss this year has been 7%; the average loss following an up day jumps to 9%.

MagneGas Has Run Its Course (MNGA)

You're welcome. Back on March 12th when yours truly penned some bullish thoughts on MagneGas Corporation (NASDAQ:MNGA), nobody cared, largely because nobody had heard of the company, and there was no particular reason anybody had to find MNGA. Now less than a full week later, this once-obscure name is all the rage; no less than 21 different market-centric websites have made mention of the stock's explosive growth over the past few days. MagneGas has been proverbially put on the map, with shares surging 90% (as of right now) since the first exploration last Wednesday. So, like I said, you're welcome.... if you got in on the 12th, or even more realistically, got in on the 14th when MNGA finally crossed above the ceiling at $0.94 I was talking about a little less than a week ago.

I don't come here to gloat though.... well, not gloat too much. I'm mostly looking at MagneGas Corporation again today to suggest you lock in your gains and get out.

Say what? This thing is just starting to take flight! Why bail out now when things are just getting good? Because things have gotten as good as they're going to get for MNGA, at least for a while.

That's not going to be a popular stance. I'm ok with that. All I ask is that you hear me out.

The first big red flag suggesting that MagneGas Corporation shares has done all it can do for the time being is yesterday's enormously high volume. Yes, you want strong volume behind new trends. You don't want to waste all your volume capacity in one shot though, and with 18 million shares of MNGA trading hands on Monday versus the average of less than 700,000 per day prior to the breakout, it's reasonably safe to say that anybody who was willing to get into the stock at a price of more than $0.94 is already in. There can't be many buyers left.

Yes, the stock's up a little bit more today on pretty good volume, and may even top yesterday's volume levels. Take a closer look at today's action for red flag #2 though... MNGA left behind a bullish gap at the open, and has spent the bulk of the session selling off, as would-be profit-takers bail out, thinking we've already seen the highest prices we're going to see in a while. Take that hint.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter. You'll get stock picks, market calls, and more, every day. Here's what you've missed recently.

2 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 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

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.

>>Invest Like a Hedge Fund With the Pro's Top 5 Stocks

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

Finisar

Finisar (FNSR) provides optical subsystems and components for data communication and telecommunication applications in the U.S., Malaysia, China and internationally. This stock closed up 6.1% at $24.04 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 3.57 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 2.28 million

Volume % Change: 59%

From a technical perspective, FNSR ripped sharply higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $23.49 with above-average volume. This stock has been trending sideways for the last two months and change, with shares moving between $20.89 on the downside and $25.13 on the upside. This spike on Wednesday is quickly pushing shares of FNSR within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern. That trade will hit if FNSR manages to take out Wednesday's high of $24.06 to some more key overhead resistance levels at $24.80 to $25.13 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FNSR as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $22.26 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 2.28 million shares. If that breakout starts soon, then FNSR will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at its 52-week of $26.66. Any high-volume move above that level will then give FNSR a chance to tag or trend north of $30.

Copa

Copa (CPA) provides airline passenger and cargo services in Latin America. This stock closed up 1.7% at $129.06 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 865,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 497,877

Volume % Change: 133%

From a technical perspective, CPA spiked modestly higher here with above-average volume. This stock recently gapped down sharply from $137.50 to its recent low of $121.11 with heavy downside volume. Following that move, shares of CPA have started to rebound sharply higher with heavy volume and move back into that gap-down-day zone. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher into that gap in the short-term if CAP can manage to take out Wednesday's high of $130 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CPA as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $126.60 or above $125 and then once it sustains a move or close above $130 with volume that's near or above 497,877 shares. If that move gets underway soon, then CPA will set up to re-fill some more of its recent gap-down-day zone that started at $137.50. If that gap gets filled with strong upside volume flows, then CAP could even tag $140 to $145.

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

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Huge Stocks on Traders' Radars

>>4 Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher

>>5 Utility Trades to Charge Your 2014 Gains

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.

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now

With investors cashing in their gains heading into the end of the year, blue chip stocks suffered their worse one-day drop in a month

The Dow Jones Industrial Average at one point fell as much as 134 points, before paring losses. But it still closed below 16,000, falling 94.1 points, or 0.6% to end at 15,914.6.

The Walt Disney Company (DIS) weighed on the index after B. Riley cut its rating on the company, calling it ��airly expensive.��The shares fell 1.4% to close at $69.60

The S&P 500 index dropped 5.7 points, or 0.3%, to 1,795.15. The Nasdaq Composite slipped eight points, or 0.2%, to 4,037.2.

Last week ended with the S&P 500 posting its longest string of weekly advances in almost a decade. As a result, investors are worried the market has become overbought.

Meanwhile, taper talk continues to weigh on investor sentiment, fueling the third straight session of losses for U.S. stocks. On Monday, stronger-than-expected data on manufacturing and construction spending on underscored views the Federal Reserve may soon begin scaling the $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program credited by may for fueling the 2013 stock market rally.

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  In terms of investing for the future, in June 2008, Petrobras Brasileiro was trading at over $70 a share. Obviously, the Great Recession had an impact. But other oil giants such as Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) have rebounded.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Even though the country has so much oil, it has struggled to keep up production growth and has asked for outside help. This week, Venezuela has signed financing deals with Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) , Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) , and Russia's Rosneft that will total $5.6 to expand production. The country hopes to increase production from 3 to 5 million barrels per day by 2015.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  A few stocks are being hurt by lower commodity prices. Both of the major oil and gas components of the Dow are also falling today. Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) is down 2.4%, while ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) has lost 2.2%. The price of a barrel of light crude oil has fallen 3.6% today, and unleaded gasoline per gallon is down 1.67%. The feared slowdown in China is likely the reason the price of oil is dropping. However, as we have seen in the past, the price of oil falls only briefly before moving higher again. Investors in Chevron or Exxon should ride out this temporary downturn and wait for higher prices at the pump.

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

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

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  One concern, though, is how the company handled news of Venezuela's currency devaluation. Clorox (NYSE: CLX  ) and Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  ) also felt the pinch, with Clorox taking about a $0.05 to $0.10 per-share earnings hit and Colgate losing about $0.50 per share. But they also addressed the potential devaluation more proactively than P&G did. Clorox actually�anticipated�the devaluation in its February earnings report, projecting the potential hit if a devaluation took place. Colgate didn't provide specific guidance in advance but clearly saw it as an issue, delivering on a promise to give prompt guidance revisions after the devaluation occurred.

• [By Dividend Growth Investor]

  In a previous article, I outlined that it is getting more difficult to find quality dividend paying stocks to buy. Most of the usual suspects like Kimberly-Clark (KMB) or Colgate-Palmolive (CL) are very overvalued today, which prevents me from adding to my positions there. Other companies like Chevron (CVX) are attractively valued today, but unfortunately my portfolio is overweight in them. Currently I find the oil sector to be cheap and have some of the lowest P/E ratios in the market. However, I would hate to be concentrated in one sector which is exposed to the fluctuating prices in its commodity products.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Moreover, it's starting to appear that Clorox has weathered a tough part of its business cycle. Throughout the industry, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG  ) , Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  ) , and Clorox all had to deal with rising costs for the inputs they needed to make their respective products. The companies responded by implementing price-cutting measures and passing on part of their higher costs to their customers. For its part, Clorox was able to expand its gross margins by a full percentage point, with a worse-than-normal flu season contributing to sales. Now that input-cost inflation is easing, P&G and Clorox expect to see better profitability, with growth starting to approach the faster rates that Colgate has enjoyed.

Best Solar Stocks To Invest In Right Now: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this segment, Mike talks about�LKQ (NASDAQ: LKQ  ) , and why the largest operator of junkyards has turned its scale into an incredibly well-run business, and Matt takes a look into�McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) , which reports earnings tomorrow. After a rough period for McDonald's as the competitive landscape shifts toward fast-casual dining options such as Panera and Chipotle, Matt will be looking for signs in the earnings report that the strategy at McDonald's to adapt and shift its business focuses is coming to fruition.

• [By DailyFinance Staff]

  Investors took a wait-and-see attitude Tuesday, but airline stocks lost altitude. The market is in a holding pattern until 2 p.m. Wednesday, when the Fed reveals details of this week's FOMC policy meetings, and whether it's ready to begin cutting back on its main economic stimulus program. If it does begin to taper, the next debate will begin immediately: Is that good or bad for investors? On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) edged down 9 points, the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) fell nearly 6, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) lost 5 points. The Dow's gainers were led by a pair of companies hiking their dividends. 3M (MMM), which makes everything from Post-It notes to medical equipment, rose 3 percent after increasing its payout by 35 percent. And Boeing (BA) rose 1 percent. It boosted the dividend by 50 percent and announced a big stock buyback. The other big blue chip winner was Visa (V), which gained another 2.5 percent. Its stock is now up 43 percent from a year ago. On the downside, Verizon (VZ), IBM (IBM), McDonald's (MCD) and Microsoft (MSFT) all lost about one percent. Microsoft says it will not name a new CEO until next year. And airline stocks were broadly lower. United (UAL) and Delta (DAL) both fell 3 percent. American Airlines (AAL), which completed its merger with U.S. Airways last week, fell 2 percent. And Southwest (V) also lost 2 percent. Brokerage recommendations gave a boost to several issues. Data storage companies Seagate (STX), up 3 percent, and Western Digital (WDC), up 2.5 percent, following JP Morgan upgrades. And iRobot (IRBT) surged 17 percent after Raymond James gave it a 'strong buy.' Shares of Facebook (FB) rose 2 percent, hitting an all-time high. The social media giant is rolling out new video ads this week. That's expected to boost revenue. The question is, will it alienate users? On the downside, Targacept (TRGT) lost more than a third of its value. A clinical trial of its schizophreni

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  Wednesday’s top DJIA laggard stocks were higher, up less than a point, headed into the early�1 p.m. close today.�McDonald’s�(MCD),�Disney�(DIS),�Chevron�(CVX)�Procter & Gamble�(PG) were up, though�ExxonMobil�(XOM) shares were flat headed into the close.�

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Maybe McDonald’s (MCD) investors are loving after all.

  AP

  Yesterday, McDonald’s dropped 0.3% after reporting same-store sales–and Barron’s panned the stock. Today, however, McDonald’s shares have gained 3.5% to $98.56, leaving Burger King (BKW), which has ticked up 0.3% to $27.63, and Wendy’s (WEN), which has dropped 1.1% to $9.30, in their dust.

  Sterne Agee’s Lynne Collier and Wesley Carmichael explain why investors enthusiastic about McDonald’s prospects:

  We are incrementally more positive on MCD following today’s comments from CFO Peter Bensen at the Bank of America Consumer Conference. Most importantly, Mr. Bensen spoke about the Company’s investigation into increasing leverage in the capital structure, which we believe could result in increased return of capital to shareholders…

  Still, McDonald’s has dipped 0.4% during the past 12 months, even as Wendy’s has surged 70% and Burger King Worldwide has jumped 49%.

  The question now: Is this the beginning of a new trend for McDonald’s?

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  The main culprits in the Dow's decline were IBM (IBM) down 6.4%, Goldman Sachs (GS), down 2.6%, and United Health Group (UNH) down 4.97%.

  I think we saw two themes re-emerge, and one new theme emerge yesterday, that are likely to be major drivers of the US market for the next couple of weeks, as we move through the meat of earnings season.

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA, CFA, Erin Kennedy, and Eric Bleeker, CFA]

  With�Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) iPhone event on Tuesday, the next major version of iOS won't be far behind. iOS 7 is the biggest revamp to date of Apple's critically important mobile operating system and could be considered a catalyst in its own right.�Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android offers a compelling alternative at lower price points, but iOS is more differentiated.�

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks started lower Tuesday, tracking overnight weakness in U.S. equities, with property and financial shares posting broad declines. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) lost 0.8%, as Shimao Property Holdings Ltd (HK:813) fell 2.4%, China Resources Land Ltd (HK:1109) (CRBJF) lost 2%, and Poly Property Group Co. Ltd (HK:119) dropped 1.2%. Chinese banks were weak, as Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (HK:1398) (IDCBF) declined 1.2%, and Bank of China Ltd (HK:3988) (BACHY) moved lower by 0.9%. China Merchants Bank Co. (HK:3968) (CIHHF) gave up 0.7%, failing to get a lift from news that the U.S. approved the expansion of its subsidiary Wing Lung Bank in California. Market heavyweight China Mobile Ltd. (HK:941) (CHL) lost 0.8%, as Cleveland Research reportedly suggested iPhone 5s preorders at the China wireless provider have been trending below expectations. China Mobile was scheduled to distribute iPhones in China on Friday after reaching a long-awaited deal with Apple Inc. (AAPL) in December. On the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) edged lowe

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Some of the traditionally defensive stocks like Phillip Morris International (PM) and Merck (MRK) also fail our test for operating conditions and financial changes. Yield chasers have also pushed the value of their shares to unsustainable levels, and are unlikely to see much more than mid- to low-single-digit profit growth for several years.

• [By abirk]

  Philip Morris International (PM) is reaching new heights in 2013. With its products being sold in 180 countries it is the proud owner of about 15 cigarette brands- Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, and Chesterfield being some of them. FY2013 looks bright for this tobacco giant. Reasons Why 2013 Is Looking Bright

• [By Morgan Housel]

  For most of the last decade, investors scooped up stocks that had big international exposure with the idea that they would provide a hedge against a weakening dollar. Companies that do most of their business overseas, like Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) (73% overseas), Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM  ) (all overseas), and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) (85% overseas), looked compelling as a hedge against the U.S. economy's faults.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM  ) will release its quarterly report on Thursday, and projections suggest that it will manage to deliver decent results for investors. But shareholders don't seem convinced about Philip Morris earnings, as they've recently sent the stock down substantially from its May highs.

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Newman]

  "Bitcoins" either sound like a futuristic, implantable, laser-guided and rocket-pack equipped form of money, or the latest coin-shaped chocolate snack. In reality, it's probably a bit of both. The bitcoin, a digital currency, started the year worth about $15. Less than four months later, one bitcoin now trades above $70. While this past performance may be enticing and a sign of its legitimacy as a future currency, the bitcoin market is full of risks -- risks that may make bitcoins worth as much as a foil-wrapped piece of sugar. Bitcoin: A Crypto-Currency Bitcoin is based around the idea of a currency created and transacted through cryptography instead of issued and tracked through a central bank. And to add to its mystique, the creator of bitcoin only goes by a pseudonym and has never been positively identified. Instead of any legal authority, bitcoin transactions are verified through peer-to-peer interactions. If a user sends bitcoins to another user's "wallet" file, that transaction is verified through other users, and is written into the collective transaction log. And given the ease of transactions, any fees for transfers are minimal. Instead of a mint, bitcoins are created through a process called "mining," where computers attempt to solve for a certain number, and once found, are rewarded with new bitcoins. The rewards decrease with time, however, and there will only ever be about 21 million bitcoins created, three-quarters of which by 2016, and all by 2140. Even if you don't understand any of the above, the recent jump in valuation probably still has your interest. But there are plenty of reasons to continue to educate yourself before attempting to trade in bitcoins.

  bitcoincharts.com Glitches Not having any legal regulation, bitcoin has attracted plenty of thieves through the websites that create trading markets: In 2011, the third-largest trading site, Bitomat, lost its wallet file, which held 17,000 bitcoins worth more than $200,000 at th
• [By Ben Levisohn]

  After five days of losses, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6% to 15,928.56, while the S&P 500�rose 0.6% t0 1,792.50, ending its three-day losing streak. The Dow got a boost from Pfizer (PFE), Visa (V) and General Electric (GE), while the S&P 500′s biggest winners included homebuilder DR Horton (DHI) and T. Rowe Price (TROW).

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Remer: Oh, huge opportunity to change. But it will take time. You asked about MasterCard. It will take time to potentially replace the ecosystems that exist and how are those leading organizations -- the MasterCards, the Visas (NYSE: V  ) , the American Express (NYSE: AXP  ) , the PayPals -- going to come down to the next generation and give them the reason why they should utilize that same payment system.

• [By Steve Heller]

  It seems that once you've grown large enough to disrupt business as usual for MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) and Visa (NYSE: V  ) , you run the risk of getting muscled. MasterCard recently announced plans to raise prices on intermediated payment processors (read: digital wallets) that chose to withhold valuable transaction details from MasterCard. In other words, this measure takes direct aim at eBay's (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) PayPal and other digital wallets such as Google Wallet that do not share transaction details with the payment processor.

Capital One Leads Bank Stocks After Stress Tests

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Capital One Financial (COF) was the winner among large-cap U.S. banks on Friday, with shares rising 1.5% to close at $75.40.

The broad stock indices all ended with declines. The KBW Bank Index (I:BKX) pulled back 0.3% to 72.20, although all but seven of the 24 component stocks ended with gains, following the release of the results of the first part of the Federal Reserve's annual bank stress tests right after Thursday's market close.

Thursday's results covered the Dodd-Frank Act Stress Tests (DFAST) on 30 large holding companies, with all but Zions Bancorporation (ZION) of Salt Lake City showing they could remain well-capitalized, with Tier 1 common ratios of at least 5.0% through a nine-quarter "severely adverse" economic scenario.  Shares of Zions were down nearly 5% to $31.38 after the Salt Lake City lender failed its stress test.

The second part of the stress tests is called the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR), and incorporates the banks' annual plans to deploy excess capital through dividends, share buybacks and/or acquisitions. Those results will be announced at 4 p.m. ET on March 26, with most of the tested banks expected to make their own separate announcements of dividend increases and stock-buyback plans soon after. Discover Financial Services (DFS) was among 12 banks joining the original group of 18 banks subject to DFAST and CCAR, and jumped the gun by announcing plans to increase its quarterly dividend to 24 cents a share from 20 cents, and to repurchase up to $1.6 billion in common shares from the second quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2015. While Discover passed DFAST with a very strong minimum Tier 1 common equity ratio of 13.1% through the severely adverse scenario, investors won't know if the capital plan is approved until next week. Janney Capital Markets analyst Sameer Gokhale expects Discover's capital plan to be approved, and in a client note Friday wrote that "the announcement suggests that Discover has already received a favorable quantitative assessment from the Federal Reserve." This year's severely adverse scenario assumes an increase in the U.S. unemployment of four percentage points, with the unemployment rate peaking at 11.25% in mid-2015. The scenario also includes a decline in real U.S. GDP of nearly 4.75% through the end of 2014, a 50% decline in equity prices and a 25% decline in home prices. The scenario includes recessions Europe and Japan, and slowing growth in Asia. For the U.S.-owned holding companies being tested, this part of the scenario is most important for Citigroup (C), which derives the majority of its revenue and earnings from outside North America. In addition to expanding the list of banks being tested, the Fed introduced new elements for the largest banks that are considered global systemically important financial institutions (G-SIFIs). The tests for these banks factor in the instant default of a bank's largest counterparty for trading of swaps and other derivatives.

Stock quotes in this article: COF, ZION, DFS, C, I:BKX 

Hot Dow Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now

For much more on the first round of stress tests, Zions Bancorporation's failure and response and results for Bank of America and Citigroup, please see Bank of America 'Struggles' in Stress Test.

Capital One

Shares of Capital One have pulled back 1.2% this year, following a 34% return during 2013.  The shares trade for 1.8 times their reported Dec. 31 tangible book value of $42.47, and for 10.4 times the consensus 2015 earnings estimate of $7.28, among analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.  The consensus 2014 EPS estimate is $6.81.

Based on a quarterly payout of 30 cents, the shares have a dividend yield of 1.59%. Capital One passed the first round of the stress tests with a minimum Tier 1 common equity ratio through the nine-quarter severely adverse economic scenario of 7.6%. "As for COF, while the company handily exceeds expectations under the DFAST, if we were to layer in our capital actions as best as we can, we think the company definitely is a closer call than AXP and DFS. However, it appears the company has a decent buffer even at the minimum capital levels relative to our assumption of a $2 billion annual share buyback. We remain optimistic of our capital return assumptions," KBW's bank analyst team wrote in a note to clients Friday. KBW analyst Sajay Sakhrani has also estimated Capital One will raise its quarterly dividend to 35 cents.

This chart shows the performance of Capital One's stock against the KBW Bank Index and the S&P 500 since the end of 2011:

data by YCharts

Follow @PhilipvanDoorn

Stock quotes in this article: COF, ZION, DFS, C, I:BKX  Philip W. van Doorn is a member of TheStreet's banking and finance team, commenting on industry and regulatory trends. He previously served as the senior analyst for TheStreet.com Ratings, responsible for assigning financial strength ratings to banks and savings and loan institutions. Mr. van Doorn previously served as a loan operations officer at Riverside National Bank in Fort Pierce, Fla., and as a credit analyst at the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, where he monitored banks in New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. Mr. van Doorn has additional experience in the mutual fund and computer software industries. He holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Long Island University.

The Next Big Biotech Mover: Ariad Pharma

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Anyone who has followed me for a long time knows that I have a keen eye for spotting biotech stocks that are setting up technically for monster moves higher.

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

One of my most recent examples is IsoRay (ISR), which I highlighted in Feb. 19's "5 Stocks Poised to Skyrocket Higher" at around 70 cents per share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of ISR had recently formed a major bottoming chart pattern at around 66 cents to 67 cents per share. This stock was starting to bounce off those support levels and was moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade above a key downtrend line. That breakout triggered and ISR is now trading at over $1.50 a share, which represents a monster gain of over 100%.

Another small-cap biotech stock that I liked recently was BG Medicine (BGMD), which I featured in Feb. 24's "5 Biotech Stocks to Trade for Breakouts" at around $1.24 per share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of BGMD had been uptrending, with the stock consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This stock was starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That breakout came in spades on Tuesday after shares of BGMD soared over 30% and the stock hit an intraday high of $1.87 a share.

Yet another small-cap biotech stock that I was hot for recently was Skystar Bio Pharmaceuticals (SKBI), which I featured in Feb. 12's "5 Stocks Ready to Explode Higher" at around $4.60 per share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of Skystar Bio Pharmaceuticals had been uptrending strong prior to my piece and this stock was quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade triggered, and SKBI recently hit a new 52-week high of $7 a share. That represents a monster move of over 50% from the time I liked the setup.

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

As you can see, I have a pretty good eye for spotting the big movers in the biotech sector before they take off and explode. The next biotech stock that I believe is setting up for a monster move higher is Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA), an oncology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of medicines for cancer patients.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals ran into some major problems last year when its lead leukemia drug Iclusig was pulled off the market. because it was found to cause severe blood clots and narrowing of blood vessels. The drug has now been returned to the marketplace with a longer warning label that maps out the risks involved with taking the drug. Since the drug has been put back on the market, some rumors have started to make the rounds that Ariad Pharmaceuticals could be a buyout target for Eli Lilly (LLY) or GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Some of those rumors have suggested that ARIA could fetch as much s $20 a share.

Regardless of the rumors, I like to focus on the charts and right now shares of ARIA are starting to show signs technically that large move higher could be in the cards soon.

>>3 Stocks Rising on Big Volume

If you consult the chart for ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double top chart pattern at $9.22 to $9.13 a share. Following that top, shares of ARIA sold off and pulled back and briefly traded below its 50-day moving average. That trip below its 50-day didn't last long and shares of ARIA are now starting to spike higher and begin to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

What's important for traders to understand now from a technical standpoint is that ARIA have been trending range-bound for the last two months and change, with shares moving between $6 on the downside and $9.83 on the upside. A breakout with high volume above the upper end of its recent range should be the technical magic that sends shares of ARIA skyrocketing higher.

>>4 Stocks Under $10 to Trade for Breakouts

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ARIA as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $7.35 to $6.70 a share and then once it breaks out above those key overhead resistance levels at $9.13 to $9.22 a share and then above $9.83 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 26.5 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then shares of ARIA will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from last October near $19 a share. If ARIA gets into that gap with volume, then this stock could easily hit $13 to $16 a share.

One final technical note that I would like to point out with ARIA is that the stock has been making higher lows for the last three months for most of its pullbacks, besides the recent violation of $8.22 support. Even when ARIA hit $7.35 a share, that still formed a higher low on a longer-term timeframe. That shows that traders want this stock when it sells off, and now we just need to see confirmation of a high-volume breakout to give ARIA a chance to rip sharply higher. Keep this name on your trading radar because that move could be coming very soon.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Stocks Hedge Funds Are Selling

>>5 Rocket Stocks Worth Buying This Week

>>4 Big Stocks to Trade (or Not)

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.

Alibaba Listing Reviving Interest In SoftBank Shares

Shares of SoftBank are all the rage again.

The telecom service provider’s shares have risen over 7% so far this week after Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said Sunday that it has decided to aim for an initial public offering in the U.S.

SoftBank holds about 37% stake in Alibaba, whose IPO is expected to raise more than $15 billion, according to some observers.

While the actual date of listing has yet to be determined, investors see the announcement as a step forward. After rising 193% last year, SoftBank shares finally succumbed to profit-taking in January, leading to a 16% drop before this week's rally.

“SoftBank has a lot on its plate due to its acquisition plans and the Alibaba IPO, so its shares are highly reactive to news,” says Monex market analyst Toshiyuki Kanayama. “Now that the “IPO appears to be gaining traction in terms of a timetable, however, we can probably expect more volatility.”

Best Casino Companies For 2014

At this point, the shares do not necessarily look expensive. SoftBank’s price-to-earnings ratio stands at about 22 times. While that is well above the average for the shares in the Nikkei 225, it is not extravagant for a high-growth stock.

SoftBank announced plans to buy Sprint Nextel(S) Corporation for $20.1 billion last fall, and is still trying to convince U.S. regulators to allow it to buy T-Mobile(TMUS) of the U.S.

There is no shortage of optimism on the prospects for Alibaba’s IPO–and the subsequent valuations for SoftBank as a result.

“The market is currently valuing Alibaba within SoftBank’s shares at an implied price-to-earnings ratio (PER) of 12 times versus the industry major average of 26 times,” says Goldman Sachs(GS) analyst Ikuo Matsuhashi in a recent report for investors.

This works out to a market value of about $50 billion for SoftBank’s stake (vs an assumed total value of $150 billion for Alibaba’s IPO). Even this figure is reckoned to be conservative, he adds. SoftBank’s current total market capitalization figure stands at about Y10 trillion ($98 billion).

Translation: SoftBank should be worth a lot more. Just how much more is the subject of debate.

Richard Kaye, a fund manager at Paris-based Comgest who co-runs a $50 million Japan portfolio, likes SoftBank stock so much he has had as much as 6% of his portfolio in it in the past before paring back his holdings. It now comprises 3% to 4% of his folder, which is the normal limit for any one issue.

“The size of Alibaba’s IPO is being constantly re-evaluated, but a $200 billion figure is not out of the question,” he says, calculating that with $50 billion in annual revenue just for its commerce business, the company’s PER would work out to just four times–cheap for almost any stock.
Under such a scenario, SoftBank’s stake might easily be worth a lot more than $50 billion.

SMBC Nikko Securities analyst Satoru Kikuchi notes in a recent report that SoftBank does not come without significant risks, including stiffer competition in Japan’s cell phone market, and a possible failure to improve performance at its Sprint unit. But even his firm has an Overweight rating on the stock.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The global beverage giant Diageo (DEO) has teamed with the international rap star Diddy to purchase DeLeon, a luxury brand of tequila produced in the Mexican town of Purisima del Rincon. Diddy (a.k.a. Sean Combs) and Diageo are hoping to replicate the success of their Ciroc vodka venture, which resulted in a 40-fold increase in sales as Diddy fronted for Diageo's label.

For long term investors, Diageo offers a cocktail of earnings, sales, and dividend growth.

Based in London, Diageo is the world's biggest distiller. It sells such well-known brands as Guiness, Ketel One, Johnie Walker and Captain Morgan in more than 180 countries.

Both sales and earnings growth are improving for Diageo. Over the past five years, sales growth was 7.2%. On a quarterly basis, sales growth is now at 16.9%.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Delphi Automotive PLC (DLPH)

Delphi Automotive PLC (Delphi), incorporated on May 19, 2011, is a global vehicle components manufacturer and provides electrical and electronic, powertrain, safety and thermal technology solutions to the global automotive and commercial vehicle markets. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated 126 manufacturing facilities and 15 technical centers utilizing a regional service model that enables it to serve its global customers. The Company operates through four segments: Electrical / Electronic Architecture; Powertrain Systems; Electronics and Safety and Thermal Systems. In October 2012, the Company acquired FCI Group�� Motorized Vehicles Division.

The Company�� Electrical / Electronic Architecture segment provides complete design of the vehicle�� electrical architecture, including connectors, wiring assemblies and harnesses, electrical centers and hybrid power distribution systems. Its Powertrain Systems segment provides systems integration of full end-to-end gasoline and diesel engine management systems, including fuel handling, fuel injection, combustion, electronic controls and test and validation capabilities. Its Electronics and Safety segment provides critical components, systems and advanced software for passenger safety, security, comfort and infotainment, as well as vehicle operation, including body controls, reception systems, infotainment and connectivity systems, hybrid vehicle power electronics, passive and active safety electronics, displays and mechatronics. Thermal Systems segment provides powertrain cooling and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, such as compressors, systems and controls, and heat exchangers for the vehicle markets.

Electrical/Electronic Architecture

The Company�� offers complete electrical/electronic architectures for its customer-specific needs. Connectors are engineered for use in the automotive and related markets, but also have applications in the aerospace, military and telematics sector! s. Electrical centers provide centralized electrical power and signal distribution and all of the associated circuit protection and switching devices, thereby optimizing the overall vehicle electrical system. Distribution systems are integrated into one optimized vehicle electrical system, which can utilize smaller cable and gauge sizes and ultra-thin wall insulation.

The Company competes with Lear Corporation, Leoni AG, Molex Inc, TE Connectivity, Ltd., Sumitomo Corporation and Yazaki Corporation.

Powertrain Systems

The Company offers products for complete engine management systems (EMS) and other products to help optimize performance, emissions and fuel economy. The gasoline EMS portfolio features fuel injection and air/fuel control, valvetrain, ignition, sensors and actuators, transmission control products, and powertrain electronic control modules with software, algorithms and calibration. The diesel EMS product line offers common rail fuel and air injection system technologies. The Powertrain Systems segment also supplies integrated fuel handling systems for gasoline, diesel, flexfuel and biofuel configurations. It also includes diesel and automotive aftermarket and original equipment service in the Powertrain Systems segment.

The Company competes with BorgWarner Inc., Bosch Group, Continental AG, Denso Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd. and Magneti Marelli S.p.A.

Electronics and Safety

The Company offers a range of electronic and safety equipment in the areas of controls, security, infotainment, communications, safety systems and power electronics. Electronic controls products consist of body computers and security systems. Infotainment and driver interface portfolio consists of receivers, advanced reception systems, digital receivers, satellite audio receivers, navigation systems, displays and mechatronics. Safety electronics includes occupant detection systems, collision warning systems, advanced cruise control technologies a! nd collis! ion sensing. Electric and hybrid electric vehicle power electronics includes power modules, inverters and converters and battery packs.

The Company competes Autoliv AB, Bosch Group, Continental AG, Denso Corporation, Harman International Industries and Panasonic Corporation.

Thermal Systems

The Company offers energy efficient thermal system and component solutions for the automotive market and continues to develop applications for the non-automotive market. Its automotive thermal products are designed to meet customers��needs for powertrain thermal management and cabin thermal comfort. Powertrain cooling products include condenser, radiator, fan module and charge air cooling heat exchangers assemblies. Climate control portfolio includes HVAC modules, with evaporator and heater core components, compressors and controls.

The Company competes with Denso Corporation, MAHLE Behr Industry, Sanden Corporation, Valeo Inc. and Visteon Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  JPMorgan’s Ryan Brinkman and team note that Delphi Automotive (DLPH) could be in the firing line. They explain:

  We learned that Delphi is the supplier in question of the ignition switches [General Motors] is recalling on 1.6 mn affected vehicles. The ignition switch was produced by a predecessor entity to the current post-bankruptcy Delphi Automotive, potentially shielding the supplier from liability, but we nevertheless expect Delphi to incur costs to assist�[General Motors] in fixing the affected vehicles, which we believe both�[General Motors] and Delphi are committed to doing in as expeditious a manner as possible. Delphi management commented that a typical ignition switch is an inexpensive part, sometimes costing as little as $2 to $5 to produce (suggesting a total recall cost of ~$3.2 mn to $8.0 mn, ex-labor, or ~$0.01 to $0.02 of EPS), and that swapping the ignition for a new one is not labor intensive ��potentially done in only a few minutes. This contrasts with other recalls with which Delphi has been involved, which can sometimes necessitate replacement of a costlier component or one that is in a hard-to-reach area, such as deep within an engine, and was described as relatively straight-forward.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  In our view, Lear�� valuation remains appealing for two core reasons: (1) Lear sports structurally�lower capex/sales vs. peers (< 3% vs. ~4+% for peers). That means that for a given EBITDA multiple, Lear will generate higher unlevered FCF than its peers, all else equal. Our 6.0x ��4E EBITDA target multiple = ~8% unlevered FCF yield, including restructuring. That Lear�� revenue is outpacing the industry while margins are expanding is evidence that capex is appropriately sized. We estimate Lear�� ��4 unlevered FCF yield is comfortably above peer average; (2) Lear�� EPMS segment appears to have crossed the threshold to becoming a double-digit EBITDA margin earner with clear secular growth attributes. We think a 7.5x EBITDA multiple is appropriate based on public peers (Delphi (DLPH)) and past connector M&A.�

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Infoblox Inc (BLOX)

Infoblox Inc. (Infoblox), incorporated in May 2003, is an automated network controller. The Company�� network functions include Internet protocol (IP) address management, device configuration, compliance, network discovery, policy implementation, security and monitoring. The Company�� appliance-based solution combines real-time IP address management with the automation of key network control and network change and configuration management processes in purpose-built physical and virtual appliances. It is based on its software that is scalable and automates vital network functions, such as IP address management, device configuration, compliance, network discovery, policy implementation, security and monitoring. It offers two families of products: Trinzic Enterprise and Trinzic NetMRI. The Trinzic Enterprise product family enables real-time IP address management and automates key network control processes. The Trinzic NetMRI product family automates network change and configuration management processes.

Trinzic Enterprise Family

The Company derives its product revenue from its Trinzic Enterprise family of products. The components of its Trinzic Enterprise family, are Trinzic Enterprise, Trinzic IPAM for Microsoft, Trinzic Reporting and Trinzic IPAM Insight. Its Trinzic Enterprise product is an appliance that is designed to for continuous operation of network control. Trinzic Enterprise offers file delivery services via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), time synchronization services via the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Logging services via Syslog.

Trinzic IPAM for Microsoft provides a single, Web-based management interface for the centralized management of DNS, DHCP and multiple IP address pools running on Microsoft servers without any installation of software on Microsoft servers. It also provides Microsoft server management capabilities, such as centralized IP address management! , DNS changes and individualized, role-based access control. Trinzic Reporting provides long-term reporting, trending, analysis and tracking capabilities to report network utilization, isolate performance problems, implement DHCP and DNS capacity planning and identify security threats. Trinzic Reporting automates tasks associated with collecting, tabulating and correlating data and displays the information through its Web-based management interface. Trinzic IPAM Insight allows automated discovery of network device configuration information used in automation and compliance reporting.

Trinzic NetMRI Family

The Company�� Trinzic NetMRI products components of include Trinzic Network Automation, Trinzic Network Compliance, Trinzic Switch Port Manager and Trinzic PCI Insight. Its Trinzic NetMRI product automates network change and configuration management processes. Trinzic NetMRI enables information technology organizations to automate network changes, gain visibility into the impact of changes occurring on the network, manage network configurations, archive network configurations and meet a range of compliance requirements for both physical and virtual machines. Trinzic NetMRI discovers and monitors network infrastructure devices to determine critical network information. It uses this information to analyze network stability, to identify unauthorized devices and to take inventory of network devices for inventory management and/or troubleshooting. Trinzic Network Automation automates network configuration functions.

Trinzic Network Compliance automates the network compliance process, meeting corporate security requirements and providing the necessary information and control for internal and external compliance mandates. Trinzic Network Compliance also automatically alerts IT personnel in the event of a failure to meet compliance guidelines and permits the establishment and deployment of specific end customer requirements with click and drag simplicity, supporting ! complianc! e mandates such as those under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

Trinzic Switch Port Manager enables its end customers to identify the number of switch ports, manage them precisely and locate the next available switch port. It helps provide views and management of switches with both current and historical IP addresses, MAC addresses, VLAN mappings and network device topology information. It also shows where devices have been connected, when they connected and where they are currently connected so that the network administrator can easily track authorized devices and find rogue devices that can pose security risks and create network instability. Trinzic PCI Insight is an integrated offering that bundles Trinzic Network Compliance, Trinzic IPAM Insight from its Trinzic Enterprise family of products and consulting services and enables its end customers to optimize their PCI DSS compliance.

The Company competes with BMC Software, Inc., EMC Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company and International Business Machines Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent, BT Group plc and BlueCat Networks, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Infoblox (NYSE: BLOX) were down 47.01 percent to $17.59 after the company lowered its FY14 revenue forecast. Wedbush downgraded the stock from Outperform to Neutral and cut the price target from $36.00 to $25.00.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Zoltek Companies Inc (ZOLT)

Zoltek Companies, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, Zoltek Corporation, Zoltek Zrt., Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV, Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV, Engineering Technology Corporation (Entec Composite Machines), Zoltek Properties, Inc., and Zoltek Automotive, LLC. Zoltek Corporation (Zoltek) develops, manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers in the United States. The Company is an applied technology and advanced materials company. It commercialization of carbon fiber through composites used in a range of commercial products, which it sells under the Panex trade name. In addition to manufacturing carbon fiber, it produces an intermediate product, a stabilized and oxidized acrylic fiber used in flame- and heat-resistant applications, which it sells under the Pyron trade name. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its net sales to Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturer represented % of its net sales. In October 2011, Zoltek purchased a building in St. Peters, Missouri to house its prepreg operations.

Zoltek Zrt. is a Hungarian subsidiary that manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers and manufactures acrylic fiber precursor raw material used in production of carbon fibers and technical fibers. Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV and Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV are Mexican subsidiaries that manufacture carbon fiber and precursor raw material. Entec Composite Machines manufactures and markets filament winding and pultrusion equipment used in the production composite parts. The Company�� sales markets are in Europe and the United States. The Company has manufacturing plants in Nyergesujfalu, Hungary, Guadalajara, Mexico, Abilene, Texas and St. Charles, Missouri. Its Texas plant houses carbon fiber manufacturing lines and value-added processing capabilities. Its Missouri plant is engaged in the production of technical fibers for aircraft brake and other friction applications and also produces limited! amounts of carbon fibers. In addition, it has facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah where it designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and produce resin pre-impregnated carbon fibers, called prepregs. It performs certain downstream processing, such as weaving, knitting, blending with other fibers, chopping and milling and preparation of pre-form, pre-cut stacks of fabric. In addition, its Salt Lake City-based Entec Composite Machines subsidiary designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and markets the equipment along with manufacturing technology and materials. It also provides composite design and engineering for development of applications for carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The Company competes with Hexcel Corporation, Cytec Industries, Toray Group, Toho Tenax, Mitsubishi Chemical and SGL Carbon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Toray Industries Inc.(3402.TO), the global market leader in carbon fiber, agreed to buy smaller rival Zoltek Cos.(ZOLT) in a deal valued at $584 million. The Japanese synthetic-fiber maker offered $16.75 a share, a 9.5% discount to Thurday’s close. Zoltek has struggled amid what it has called a cyclical downturn in the wind energy market. Zoltek shares dropped 10% to $16.58 in light premarket trading.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of world-leading carbon fiber manufacturer�Zoltek� (NASDAQ: ZOLT  ) �have been pushed to new highs after a frantic attempt by Quinpario Partners to acquire a large position in the company. Despite being turned away by management, the fund does make valid points about the company's general lack of progress given its global scope and potential. Investors in this business built around a game-changing material may be worrying whether shares are about to fall back to earth. In the following video, Fool.com contributor Maxx Chatsko gives at least one reason for investors to think that shares can hold their current levels -- or even trek higher.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  3. Zoltek (NASDAQ: ZOLT  )
  Zoltek was an interesting investment at the beginning of the year for futurist investors. The company is one of the largest manufacturers of carbon fiber in the world. In fact, its lightweight and high-strength carbon fiber is used almost exclusively in the largest wind turbine blades around the world and played a major role in America's 20-fold improvement in breezy energy capacity since 2000. This material of the future has many other uses and potential uses as well, but Zoltek has never really gained the confidence of the market in any big way: Its market cap was hovering near $300 million at the start of the year.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: NuPathe Inc.(PATH)

NuPathe Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of branded therapeutics for diseases of the central nervous system, including neurological and psychiatric disorders. The company?s advanced product candidate includes Zelrix an active single-use transdermal sumatriptan patch that is used for the treatment of migraine. Its proprietary product candidates in preclinical development stage comprise NP201 for the continuous symptomatic treatment of Parkinson?s disease; and NP202 for the long-term treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. NuPathe Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Tuesday’s session are Delta Air Lines Inc.(DAL), NuPathe Inc.(PATH) and YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Beeston Enterprises Ltd (BESE)

Beeston Enterprises Ltd, incorporated on July 12, 1999, is an exploration stage company that engages principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of resource properties. The Company acquired a 100% interest in 19 mineral claims, comprising over 9,200 hectares, known as the Ruth Lake Property, located 25 kilometers from Lac La Hache, British Columbia, Canada. As of December 31, 2012, the Company owns five mineral claims in this area, all of which are in good standing.

The Company's British Columbia, Canada property is located in the Quesnel Trough. This belt is known for hosting skarn and porphyry copper and copper-gold deposits. The property is being investigated by the Company in Arizona, United States of America is also in a well known gold/silver mining area.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Beeston Enterprises Ltd (OTCMKTS: BESE) and HD Retail Solutions Inc (OTCMKTS: HDRE) surged 33.33% and 11.54%, respectively, on Black Friday while Frontier Beverage Company Inc (OTCMKTS: FBEC) sank 18.18%. And while Black Friday might be the most important shopping day of the year for retailers, its probably not a day that sees a lot of action from investors and traders still digesting their Thanksgiving meals (or busy looking for deals at their favorite retailers). So what direction will these three small cap stocks do for investors and traders this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Photronics Inc.(PLAB)

Photronics, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of photomasks primarily in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Photomasks are high precision photographic quartz plates containing microscopic images of electronic circuits, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors and flat panel displays; and used as masters to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers and flat panel substrates during the fabrication of integrated circuits, various flat panel displays, and other types of electrical and optical components. The company sells its photomasks to semiconductor designers, manufacturers, foundries, and other high performance electronics manufacturers through its sales personnel and customer service representatives. Photronics, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Brookfield, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Photronics (NASDAQ: PLAB  ) have gotten crushed today, down by as much as 11% after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the fiscal second quarter totaled $106.7 million, down 9% from a year ago and below the $108.5 million consensus estimate. That also led to a bottom-line miss, with Photronics posting earnings per share of $0.08, near the lower end of guidance and also shy of the $0.09-per-share profit that investors were expecting.

• [By Ben Axler]

  In the table below, we've listed a sample of small-cap semiconductor capital equipment stocks such as Entegris (ENTG), Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS), ATMI Inc. (ATMI), MKS Instruments (MKSI), Photronics Inc. (PLAB), Rudolph Technologies (RTEC),FormFactor (FORM) and Mattson Technology (MTSN). The peers trade at approximately 1.0x and 15.5x 2014E revenues and EPS, respectively. Furthermore, the average peer trades at 2.1x tangible book value. However, these multiples are based on average 2014E industry revenue and earnings growth of 18% and 119%, respectively. Axcelis is poised to grow at a rate substantially above the industry average.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Performant Financial Corp (PFMT)

Performant Financial Corporation (Performant), incorporated on October 8, 2003, provide technology-enabled recovery and related analytics services in the United States. The Company�� services help identify and recover delinquent or defaulted assets and improper payments for both government and private clients in a broad range of markets. The Company provides its services on an outsourced basis, where the Company handles many or all aspects of its clients��recovery processes. The Company derives its revenues from services for clients in a range of different markets. These markets include student lending and healthcare, as well as its other markets, which include delinquent state taxes and federal Treasury and other receivables. The Company�� clients include 12 of the 32 public sector participants in the student loan industry. In February 2012, it purchased a perpetual software license and computer equipment from HOPS, Inc.

Student Lending

The Company derives its revenues from the recovery of student loans. These revenues are contract-based and consist primarily of contingency fees based on a specified percentage of the amount the Company enables its clients to recover. The Company engages subcontractors to assist in the recovery of a portion of the client�� portfolio. It also receives success fees for the recovery of loans under Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and its revenues under MSA arrangements include fees earned by the activities of its subcontractors. The Company uses its technology to identify, track and communicate with defaulted borrowers on behalf of its clients to implement suitable recovery programs for the repayment of outstanding student loan balances.

The Company�� client�� contract with it to provide recovery services for large pools of student loans generally representing a portion of the total outstanding defaulted balances they manage, which they provide to us as placements on a periodic basis. The Company also restructures and r! ecovers student loans issued directly by banks to students outside of federal lending programs.

Healthcare

The Company derives revenues from the healthcare market primarily from its Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC), contract, under, which it is a prime contractor responsible for detecting improperly paid Part A and Part B Medicare claims in 12 states in the Northeastern United States. Revenues earned under the RAC contract are driven by the identification of improperly paid Medicare claims through both automated and manual review of such claims. The Company outsourced certain aspects of its healthcare recovery process to three different subcontractors.

Other

The Company derives revenues from the recovery of delinquent state taxes, and federal Treasury and other receivables, default aversion services for certain clients, including financial institutions and the licensing of hosted technology solutions to certain clients. For its hosted technology services, the Company licenses its system and integrates its technology into its clients��operations, for which it is paid a licensing fee. The Company�� revenues for these services include contingency fees, fees based on dedicated headcount to its clients and hosted technology licensing fees. The federal agency market consists of government debt subrogated to the Department of the Treasury.

For state and municipal tax authorities, the Company analyzes a portfolio of delinquent tax and other receivables placed with the Company, develop a recovery plan and execute a recovery process designed to maximize the recovery of funds. In some instances, it has also run state tax amnesty programs, which provide one-time relief for delinquent tax obligations, and other debtor management services for its clients. For the Department of the Treasury, it recovers government debt subrogated to it by numerous different federal agencies. The placements it has provided represent a mix of commercial and individual oblig! ations.

Data Management Expertise

The Company�� platform manages and stores large amounts of data throughout the workflow process. This includes both data it has compiled, as well as third-party data.

Data Analytics Capabilities

The Company�� data analytics capabilities screen and allocate massive volumes of recovery inventory. Upon receipt of each placement of student loans, the Company utilize its algorithms to assist its in determining the recovery process and the optimal allocation of recovery specialist resources for each loan. In the healthcare market, the Company analyze millions of Medicare claims to find potential correlations between claims data and improper payments.

Workflow Processes

The Company refers to the patented technology that supports its workflows as Smart Bins. The Company�� workflow processes integrate a range of functions that encompass each stage of a recovery process.

The Company competes with Health Management Systems, Inc., Connolly Consulting, Inc. and CGI Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Magic Diligence]

  Much of United Online's appeal was due to its over 4% dividend yield, but the company announced in late January that it would be discontinuing its dividend to focus on growth initiatives. This follows itsNovember spin-off of FTD, which leaves United with 3 cash producing but declining businesses: Classmates.com, NetZero, and Juno. NetZero Mobile Broadband is an interesting product but one with a lot of competition from the carriers. Frankly, the dividend has been the main attraction for some time, and without it this is a declining company with a fair bit of debt. That does not make for the most attractive option. PASS.

  Performant Financial (PFMT) - down 28.1%

  Performant earns fees for collecting delinquent student loans (about 60% of the business) and providing recovery services for improper Medicare payments (close to 30%). The recent sell-off in the stock seems due to comments from Sallie Mae regarding lower rehabilitation fees paid to Guarantee Agencies, which investors expect to "trickle down" to service providers like PFMT. The stock has been sold off dramatically on these assumptions. We should know more when the company reports earnings in the coming weeks, but this is one worth looking at more closely - the firm has been growing revenue at 30%+ rates. WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Lakeland Industries Inc (LAKE)

Lakeland Industries, Inc. (Lakeland), incorporated on April 30, 1986, manufactures and sells a line of safety garments and accessories for the industrial protective clothing markets. Lakeland�� product categories include limited use/disposable protective clothing, chemical protective suits, fire fighting and heat protective apparel, fire fighting and heat protective apparel, reusable woven garments, high visibility clothing and glove and sleeves. The Company�� industrial customers include integrated oil, chemical/petrochemical, utilities, automobile, steel, glass, construction, smelting, munition plants, janitorial, pharmaceutical, mortuaries and high technology electronics manufacturers, as well as scientific and medical laboratories. In addition, Lakeland supplies federal, state and local governmental agencies and departments, such as fire and law enforcement, airport crash rescue units, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control.

Limited Use/Disposable Protective Clothing

Lakeland manufactures a line of limited use/disposable protective garments, including coveralls, laboratory coats, shirts, pants, hoods, aprons, sleeves, arm guards, caps and smocks. Limited use garments can also be coated or laminated to splash protection against harmful inorganic acids, bases and other hazardous liquid and dry chemicals. Limited use garments are made from several nonwoven fabrics, which are made of spunlaced polyester, polypropylene, laminates, micropourous films and derivatives. Lakeland incorporates many seaming, heat sealing and taping techniques depending on the level of protection needed in the end uses application.

The users of these garments include integrated oil/petrochemical refineries, chemical plants and related installations, automotive manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, construction companies, coal, gas and oil power generation utilities and telephone utility companies, laboratories, mortuarie! s and governmental entities. The Company warehouses and sells its limited use/disposable garments primarily at its Decatur, Alabama and China manufacturing facilities and secondarily from warehouses in Hull, United Kingdom; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Moscow, Russia; Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan; Las Vegas, Nevada, and Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.

High-End Chemical Protective Suits

Lakeland manufactures and sells protective chemical suits and protective apparels from its CRFR, ChemMax 3, 4, Interceptor and other fabrics. These suits are worn by individuals on hazardous material teams and within general industry to provide protection from concentrated and lethal chemical and biological toxins, such as toxic wastes at super fund sites, toxic chemical spills or biological discharges, chemical or biological warfare weapons and chemicals and petro-chemicals present during the cleaning of refineries and nuclear facilities.

Lakeland has also introduced two garments approved by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) for varying levels of protection, which include Interceptor, two multilayer films laminated on either side of durable nonwoven substrate, and ChemMax 4 is a multilayer barrier film laminated to a durable nonwoven substrate. Lakeland manufactures chemical protective clothing at its facilities in Decatur, Alabama, Mexico and China. Using fabrics, such as ChemMax 1, ChemMax 2, ChemMax 3, ChemMax 4 and Interceptor, Lakeland designs, cut, glue and /or sews the materials to meet customer purchase orders.

Fire Fighting and Heat Protective Apparel

The Company manufactures a line of products to protect individuals who work in heat environments. Lakeland's heat protective aluminized fire suit product lines include kiln entry suit, proximity suits and approach suits. Lakeland manufactures fire fighter protective apparel for domestic and foreign fires departments. Lakeland developed the 32-! inch coat! high back bib style (Battalion) bunker gear.

Gloves and Sleeve Products

The Company manufactures and sell glove and sleeve protective products made from Kevlar, a cut and heats resistant fiber produced by DuPont; Spectra, a cut resistant fiber made by Honeywell and its engineered yarns. Lakeland manufactures these string knit gloves primarily at its Mexican facility.

Reusable Woven Garments

Lakeland manufactures and markets a line of reusable and washable woven garments. The Company's product lines include electrostatic dissipative apparel, clean room apparel, flame resistant Nomex/FR Cotton coveralls/pants/jackets and cotton and polycotton coveralls, lab coats, pants and shirts. Lakeland manufactures and sells woven cloth garments at its facilities in China, Mexico and Decatur, Alabama.

High Visibility Clothing

Lakeland Reflective manufactures and markets a line of reflective apparel. The line includes vests, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, coats, raingear, jumpsuits, hats and gloves. Lakeland's domestic vest production occurs at Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. Much of the manufacturing at this facility is focused on custom vest requirements. In addition to ANSI Reflective items, Lakeland Hi-Visibility manufactures Nomex and FR cotton garments which have reflective trim as a part of their design criteria. These garments are used in rescue operations, such as those encountered with a vehicular crash.

The Company competes with DuPont, Kimberly Clark, Ansell Edmont and Honeywell.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] ADDvantage (AEY). How you feel about how those companies use working capital has a lot to do with whether or not you like those stocks long-term.

  Then there are companies that have increased working capital very, very fast over the last decade or so ��but they��e also increased sales at a startling clip.

  That�� Carbo.

  Let�� look at where the difference between EBITDA and operating cash flow is coming from.

  Cash flow from others as shown on GuruFocus�� 10-year financials page for Carbo ��I��l use this as a proxy for working capital changes ��was positive in only two years. And not by much. Usually, it�� been negative. Over the 10 years, that single line has added up to a negative $173 million. Wow.

  Okay. Then there�� the difference between free cash flow and owner earnings. Owner earnings as you��l remember is Warren Buffett�� calculation of what a business could pay out to owners in cash at the end of the year ��if it stopped growing. But didn�� shrink. More on that later. For now, let�� look at the difference between Carbo�� depreciation and Carbo�� spending on property, plant and equipment.

  Over the last 10 years, cap-ex has been: $546 million (or $425 million if you allow cap-ex to provide cash flow in certain years, this is a weird issue I don�� want to touch right now)

  And over the last 10 years, depreciation has been: $201.52 million

  That�� a big gap. We��e got some combination of Carbo underreporting economic depreciation by anywhere from $225 million to $350 million or so ��or we��e got Carbo investing something like $225 million to $350 million in growth.

  Which is it?

  Let�� check the growth angle first.

  Over the last 10 years, Carbo has grown total sales by just under 18% a year. Now, I happen to know their new product development record had not been so hot during the 1990s or earlier part of the 2000s. For about 15 years they spent on R&D without

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ECOtality Inc (ECTYQ)

Ecotality, Inc., incorporated in 1999, is a provider of electric transportation and storage technologies. The Company provides electric vehicle infrastructure products and solutions that are used in on-road, grid-connected vehicles (including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV)), material handling and airport electric ground support applications. Through its main operating subsidiary, Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), the Company�� primary product offering is the Minit-Charger line of advanced battery fast-charge systems that are designed for various motive applications. In addition to its electric transportation focus, Ecotality, Inc. is also involved in the development, manufacture, assembly and sale of specialty solar products, advanced battery systems, and hydrogen and fuel cell systems. Its subsidiaries and primary operating segments consist of eTec, Innergy Power Corporation (Innergy), and ECOtality Stores (doing business as Fuel Cell Store). In addition, the Company has a wholly owned subsidiary in Mexico providing manufacturing services for it and a wholly owned subsidiary in Australia, ECOtality Australia Pty Ltd, to market and distribute battery charging equipment to support on-road electric vehicles, industrial equipment, and electric airport ground support equipment.

The Company�� products include energy engineering services (hydrogen, solar, battery, coal gasification and energy delivery infrastructure); eTec�� Minit-Charger fast-charge systems for material handling and airport ground support equipment; charging systems (Level 2 and 3) for on-road grid-connected electric vehicles; eTec Bridge Power Manager (BPM) systems; hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) vehicle conversions; industrial battery systems; solar panel production; specialty solar solutions; specialty thin-sealed lead battery products, and various solar products for consumer, emergency response programs and remote power systems. The Compan! y�� products also include third-party hydrogen and education related products, and EV Microclimate Program.

Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation

As the Company�� primary operating subsidiary, eTec is engaged in the research, development and testing of advanced transportation and energy systems, and is the exclusive provider of the Minit-Charger line of battery fast-charge systems and technologies. Specializing in alternative-fuel, hybrid and electric vehicles and infrastructures, eTec offers consulting, technical support and field services. The Minit-Charger brand is the result of a consolidation of the two fast-charging technologies: eTec SuperCharge and Edison Minit-Charger. In March 2008, all eTec fast-charging products, including the eTec SuperCharge product line, were consolidated under the eTec Minit-Charger brand.

eTec holds the exclusive contract for the United States Department of Energy�� (DoE) Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA) program and has conducted more than six million miles of vehicle testing on more than 200 advanced fuel vehicles. The Company acquired eTec as an expansion platform for its core capability in battery technologies, fast charging systems, energy distribution infrastructure, and advanced vehicle technologies and testing, which includes electric vehicle (EV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), PHEV and hydrogen vehicle technologies. As of December 31, 2009, eTec had installed more than 5,100 charging stations for motive applications.

On August 5, 2009, eTec was selected by the DoE for a grant to undertake the deployment of EVs and charging infrastructure. On September 30, 2009, eTec accepted the grant. eTec, as the lead applicant for the proposal, partnered with Nissan North America to deploy EVs and the charging infrastructure to support them. The project will install electric vehicle charging infrastructure and deploy up to a total of 4,700 Nissan battery electric vehicles in strategic markets in fiv! e states:! Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.

Innergy Power Systems

Innergy Power Systems is based in San Diego, California, with a manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico. Innergy is a manufacturer of both renewable energy solar modules and thin-sealed rechargeable batteries, as its solar photovoltaic (PV) product line addresses the worldwide demand for solar energy products and off-grid power. Innergy�� fiberglass reinforced panel (FRP) solar modules are designed to meet a range of applications for emergency preparedness and recreation. Applications include logistics tracking, asset management systems, off-grid lighting, mobile communications, mobile computing, recreational vehicles, signaling devices and surveillance cameras. Innergy and the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary providing manufacturing services, Portable Energy De Mexico, S.A. DE C.V., provides the Company the ability to further expand its production, manufacturing and assembly capabilities for Innergy�� solar products and energy storage devices, as well as products of its other subsidiaries, including eTec�� Minit-Charger products.

ECOtality Stores (doing business as Fuel Cell Store)

ECOtality Stores is the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary and operates as its online retail division. Fuel Cell Store (www.fuelcellstore.com) is an e-commerce marketplace that offers consumers an array of fuel cell products from around the globe. Based in San Diego, California, and with international operations in Japan, Russia, Italy and Portugal, Fuel Cell Store develops, manufactures and sells a range of fuel cell products that includes fuel cell stacks, systems, component parts and educational materials. In addition to primary retail operations, Fuel Cell Store also offers consulting services for high schools, colleges and research institutes, and is available to host workshops, conferences and corporate events.

Hydrality

Hydrality is a reactor system t! hat store! s and delivers hydrogen on-demand using magnesium compounds and water. The EPC/Hydrality technology was initially developed in conjunction with National Aeronautics and Space Administration�� (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and subsequently advanced by Arizona State University, Green Mountain Engineering and Airboss Aerospace, Inc. The Company initially sought to design and license a Hydrality system for use in motorized vehicles and industrial equipment, it has identified several additional applications for Hydrality that include stationary applications for remote power, back-up power systems, and large-scale industrial and utility use.

The Company competes with AeroVironment, Inc., Aker Wade Power Technologies LLC, Power Designers, LLC, and C&D Technologies, Inc., Better Place, Coulomb Technologies, AeroVironment, Inc., Aker Wade Power Technologies, LLC, Delta-Q Technologies, Elektromotive, BP Solar International Inc., Evergreen Solar, Inc., First Solar Inc., Kyocera Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Motech Industries Inc., Q-Cells AG, Sanyo Corporation, Sharp Corporation, SolarWorld AG, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., Airgas, Inc., Air Liquide, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Linde AG, Praxair Technology, Inc., Distributed Energy Systems Corporation, Hydrogenics Corporation, Statoil Hydro, Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG, Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Ltd., BCS Fuel Cells, Inc., Electrochem, Inc., Fuel Cell Scientific, LLC, GasHub Technology, JHT Power, H-Tech, Inc., Element-1 Power Systems and miniHYDROGEN.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By abirk]

  Founded in 1883, Kroger, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer in the United States. The company also manufactures and processes food for sale in its supermarkets. With a market cap of 22.72 billion, this Cincinnati, Ohio, based company is the seventh largest grocery retailer in the world and, along with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), one of only three U.S. companies in the top ten. Extending well beyond its retail grocer core business, Kroger operates under nearly two dozen banners including: Kroger Real Estate, The Little Clinic, I-Wireless, Kroger Convenience Stores, Littman Jewelers, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Kroger Manufacturing, Kroger Pharmacies, and the recently-acquired Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. (HTSI) (merger transaction between the two companies was completed on January 28, 2014). About half of the Kroger's supermarkets include gas stations. Further, partnering with Ecotality, Inc. (ECTYQ), Kroger has introduced electric car charging stations.

10 Best Long Term Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Southwestern Energy Company(SWN)

Southwestern Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas and crude oil in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream Services. The Exploration and Production segment involves in the development of an unconventional gas reservoir located on the Arkansas side of the Arkoma Basin, as well as exploration and production activities in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. This segment also conducts conventional drilling programs in the Arkoma Basin; and development drilling and exploration programs in the Oklahoma portion of the Arkoma Basin, as well as in Texas and Pennsylvania. In addition, it operates drilling rigs in the Fayetteville Shale play, as well as in other operating areas; and explores for natural gas and crude oil under 32 licenses in New Brunswick, Canada. The Midstream Services segment engages in gathering, marketing, and transportin g natural gas in Arkansas, Texas, and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s estimated proved natural gas and oil reserves were approximately 4,937 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent. Southwestern Energy Company was founded in 1929 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE: SWN) was started as Buy with a $50 price target at Canaccord Genuity.

  Spirit Airlines Inc. (NASDAQ: SAVE) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James.