3 Retail Stocks to Sell Now – COH, WFM, TGT

I love this kind of stock market. Beating the indexes is a piece of cake.

Why?

Because it's a stock-pickers market, and if you know what you are doing you can make money by owning stocks going up and selling stocks going down.

On Thursday, shares of Wal-Mart (WMT) fell nearly 2% thanks to the company reducing its outlook due to falling sales.

Blame it on the weather or blame it on the weak economy that is supposed to be strong. Whatever the reason for the poor performance, it is not a good situation, considering Wal-Mart's excessive valuation.

There's your opportunity on the short side. Find a stock that is trading for a premium valuation that is likely to miss expectations. The results to the downside can be spectacular.

For Wal-Mart, a 2% loss on a day when the rest of the market traded higher is more like losing 5%. More losses are likely to follow.

If Wal-Mart is vulnerable, other retailers are likely to disappoint and fall as well.

I think the retail sector is quite vulnerable at the moment. At a minimum, poor weather will like blanket the industry like a cold, wet snow.

Here are three retail stocks I would dump now:

Target

Target (TGT) is at the top of my list of retail stocks to dump now. The poor performance at Wal-Mart (WMT) had investors selling Target shares in sympathy.

But Target has even bigger problems than Wal-Mart. Target's credit and debit card breach may be fading from the headlines, but investors can expect the impact of the incident to linger. Yet unknown is the full impact on Target's earnings and more importantly, customer traffic.

Look for same-store sales at Target to be below consensus. In addition, I think a warning and downward guidance of some magnitude is forthcoming and yet to be priced into the stock. This one is toxic and should be avoided or dumped now.

Whole Foods

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Shares of Whole Foods (WFM) were dumped en masse after earnings were released recently. The stock had no chance, being priced for perfection in an environment that was far from perfect.

There is much more risk to the downside. The fallacy of the model is the idea that somehow Whole Foods could change the razor-thin margin dynamic of the grocery industry. Yeah, right! I'm skeptical and would never pay the exorbitant price Whole Foods is still valued at today.

Analysts expect the company to grow profits by 18% from the current fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014 to the next. At current prices, shares trade for 32 times current fiscal year estimated earnings. We are witnessing the slow collapse of the model here and I would dump this one before things deteriorate further.

Coach

Economic competition is fun to watch. In our system of capitalism there are winners and losers in every industry.

In the retail space, there is a battle royal brewing in the luxury-goods category. Michael Kors (KORS) is the hot new kid on the block and it is taking aim at the old-school luxury accessory company, Coach (COH). Fashion is fickle as they say. Now you can make hay by betting against the loser in the race – Coach.

Since last summer, Coach shares have really taken a hit. They can and will likely decline further. Growth is slowing dramatically. Analysts expect the company to grow profits by 9% from the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 to the next.

At current prices, shares trade for 15 times current fiscal year estimated earnings. The big fear is if Coach has to respond to the competition and declining sales with margin-killing discounts. If so, the bottom could fall out.

I would dump this one now before that happens.

Boosting Returns with MLPs

Darren Schuringa of Yorkville Capital explains the benefits of MLPs for growth and income investors, highlighting several diversified MLP funds as well as a trio of favorite master limited partnerships.

Steve Halpern: We're here with Darren Schuringa, Managing Partner at Yorkville Capital. Thanks for joining us today, Darren.

Darren Schuringa: Steve, it's my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Steve Halpern: Today, we're going to discuss Yorkville Capital's MLP core income strategy, which generated a 58% return in 2013. First, for our listeners who may be unfamiliar with MLPs, could you briefly explain what these investment vehicles are and your outlook for the MLP sector, looking out through this year and beyond?

Darren Schuringa: That would be my pleasure. Master Limited Partnerships, the acronym MLPs, which is, they are often, in essence, a pure way to invest in the US energy revolution.

From a structural standpoint, they're very similar to REITs in that they are pass-through vehicles, which means they don't pay any corporate income taxes, which means, too, from an investor standpoint, there's more cash flow to distribute, which generally means higher income and higher yields from the investment.

What they invest in, primarily 80% of all MLPs invest in essential US energy infrastructure like pipelines, so now—oh, sorry, Steve.

Steve Halpern: I'm sorry, and your outlook for that sector, when you look out over the coming year?

Darren Schuringa: Absolutely, the outlook looks very bright for MLPs going forward and the macro driver behind it, and why we see continued growth going forward is, really, the US energy revolution.

That will drive future distribution growth, or future cash flow growth, because of our need for further investment in pipelines to move gas from the North Dakota—which is also known as the Bakken—to the Gulf Coast or to the east coast.

Unlike most bonds, MLP payouts are not fixed, but they offer income growth opportunities and this is, again, part of an explanation. This means MLP distributions share the characteristics of both fixed income and equities, which makes growth metrics vital in evaluating them, and understanding distribution growth is critical to projecting the future total return potential of MLPs.

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It's really similar to traditional equity metrics, like earnings, or cash flow, in terms of importance in looking at growth and valuation, but more importantly to an investor, this growth is cash that you're receiving in your pocket.

It's not money that's being reinvested in the business; it's money that you can spend, and from this standpoint, MLP fundamentals remain excellent for both current income, the money you're receiving each year, and the potential for capital gains, the growth and income, which ultimately drives capital appreciation of the underlying or the value of the underlying asset.

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Sinkhole strikes Corvette museum

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A sinkhole formed Wednesday under the National Corvette Museum here, swallowing eight cars, according to its executive director.

Sometime before 5:30 a.m. CT, the sinkhole started to form, authorities believe. By 5:44 a.m., motion detectors were going off and police were called, Executive Director Wendell Strode said. Security cameras at the museum (below) caught the destruction.

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When emergency personnel got to the museum, they discovered a sinkhole 40 feet wide and 25 to 30 feet deep, Strode said.

"It's pretty significant," he said.

Of the eight cars that fell into the hole, the museum owned six and General Motors owned two. GM's Bowling Green Corvette plant, the only factory that builds Corvettes, is across a highway less than a half mile from the museum.

Cars involved in the incident, which occurred inside the museum's iconic spire called the Sky Dome, are these:

1962 black Corvette1984 PPG pace car for the Indy 5001992 white 1 millionth-built Corvette1993 ruby red 40th anniversary Corvette1993 ZR1 Spyder on loan from General Motors, a design study that was never built. 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette, a one-off tuner model.2009 white 1.5 millionth-built Corvette.2009 ZR1 "Blue Devil" on loan from General Motors, the show car for the re-introduction of the ZR1, last built in the early 1990s.

Staff were able to move 20 cars out of the Sky Dome later in the day after engineers determined that nothing was in danger of collapsing. Early in the day, Strobe said emergency personnel allowed museum staff to remove only one other car, the only surviving example of the "1983" Corvette. It had not fallen into the hole.

Andrea Hales, communications manager at the Bowling Green Corvette plant, said the Corvette was not produced in 1983. A six-month delay in the new generation created a model year gap. GM built about 40 prototype 1983s, whi! ch could not be sold, then built the production cars as 1984 models. It crushed all the 1983s except for the one given to the museum.

Hales added that the sinkhole had no effect on the nearby plant.

Bowling Green — about 60 miles northeast of Nashville and 100 miles southwest of Louisville — is at the edge of a karst region where caves, springs and sinkholes are common. The main entrance to Mammoth Cave National Park is about 30 miles northeast of the city, but that cave system has more than 400 miles that have been explored and covers more than 400 square miles, according to the National Park Service.

Engineers determined that the building did not sustain any structural damage since the sinkhole was in the middle of the Sky Dome, museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli said.

"The structure of the building is intact and it's fine," she said.

“We're all feeling the same way: 'Oh man, that's a shame.'”

— Butch Hume, Falls City Corvette Club

Museum spokesman Bob Bubnis said officials anticipate repairing the sinkhole damage but said no timetable or plans for the repairs have been set. Officials don't anticipate having to move to a new site.

A monetary estimate of damage done to the museum and the vehicles involved has not been determined yet.

The cause of the sinkhole at the Corvette museum has not been determined, but oftentimes this kind of hole is caused by caves that expand over time until the surface gives way, said Jason Polk, a professor of geology and geography at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Polk was part of the team investigating the cause and extent of the sink hole at the museum Wednesday.

"Eventually, the soil can't hold it," he said.

At this point, no other potenti! al sinkho! les appear to be threatening the rest of the museum, Polk said.

Butch Hume, president of Louisville's Falls City Corvette Club, cringed when he heard which cars were involved.

"I was stunned," he said. "What a terrible place for it to happen."

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The Sky Dome houses the museum's primo cars, Hume said. When news of the sinkhole started to spread, club members inundated Hume's cellphone with text messages wanting to know what had happened.

VIDEO: Director describes Corvette-eating sinkhole

"I think anybody who has a Corvette was stunned when they heard that," he said. "We're all feeling the same way: 'Oh man, that's a shame.' "

If the sinkhole had opened up later in the day when the museum was open, things could have been a lot worse, he said.

Within hours, Corvette aficionados started to offer assistance. Chuck McMurray, with Tamraz's Auto Parts in Plainfield, Ill., said his company is ready to jump in and help the museum find any original parts that might be needed to restore the damaged cars.

Calling the Corvette part of American history, McMurray said his company is ready to help.

"We have a warehouse full of really weird stuff that we've acquired over the last 50 years," he said.

The museum was open Wednesday, but the Sky Dome, in a separate building connected to the museum by a hallway, will be off limits for a while, Strode said.

"We'll try to get back to business as usual as soon as we can and keep moving forward," he said.

A 40-foot sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., swallowed eight of the cars on display Feb. 12.  National Corvette MuseumFullscreen A 40-foot sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., swallowed eight of the cars on display.  National Corvette MuseumFullscreen The 'Sky Dome' at the National Corvette Museum.  Jim Roshan, Special for The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen Corvettes are on display in the 'Sky Dome' at The National Corvette Museum.  Jim Roshan, Special for The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen The front of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.  Jim Roshan, Special for The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen Corvettes are on display at The National Corvette Museum.  Jim Roshan, Special for The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen This sign at the entrance guides people to the Corvette museum in Bowling Green, Ky., on May 23, 1997.  Keith Williams, The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen A portrait of Zora Arkus-Duntov chief engineer of the Corvette was on display outside of the Cheverolet theater on May 27, 1997.  Keith Williams, The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen J.R. Moffett looked at a 1959 Corvette in a period showroom at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. He drove from Fort Knox to tour the museum.  Keith Williams, The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen Tracey Arand and Steve Meyman look at the display of Corvettes in Skydome of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Ky., on May 23, 1997.  Keith Williams, The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen Tracey Arand, left, and Steve Meyman look at the display of pictures of Corvettes as they stand in front of painting a Corvette on May 27, 1997.  Keith Williams, The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen Corvettes are on display at The National Corvette Museum.  Jim Roshan, Special for The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreen A tour guide talks to a group of schoolkids at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., on May 20, 2002.  Jim Roshan, Special for The (Louisville) Courier-JournalFullscreenLike this topic? You may also like these photo galleries:ReplayAutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide

Is Nike Inc. Destined for Greatness?

Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE  ) fit the bill? Let's look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

What we're looking for
The graphs you're about to see tell Nike's story, and we'll be grading the quality of that story in several ways:

Growth: Are profits, margins, and free cash flow all increasing? Valuation: Is share price growing in line with earnings per share? Opportunities: Is return on equity increasing while debt to equity declines? Dividends: Are dividends consistently growing in a sustainable way?

What the numbers tell you
Now, let's look at Nike's key statistics:

NKE Total Return Price data by YCharts

Passing Criteria

3-Year* Change

Grade

Revenue growth > 30%	32.6%	Pass
Improving profit margin	5.7%	Pass
Free cash flow growth > Net income growth	(8.8%) vs. 40.1%	Fail
Improving EPS	51.1%	Pass
Stock growth (+ 15%) < EPS growth	79.3% vs. 51.1%	Fail

Source: YCharts.
*Period begins at end of Q3 2010.

NKE Return on Equity (TTM) data by YCharts

Passing Criteria

3-Year* Change

Grade

Improving return on equity	23.5%	Pass
Declining debt to equity	103.7%	Fail
Dividend growth > 25%	54.8%	Pass
Free cash flow payout ratio < 50%	39.6%	Pass

Source: YCharts.
*Period begins at end of Q3 2010.

How we got here and where we're going
Nike puts together a solid performance by earning six out of nine possible passing grades. While Nike's free cash flow growth has diverged from its net income growth, the company maintained sustainable dividend payouts at current cash flow levels, and a rebound could be in store next year. However, Nike's stock growth has outpaced the gains in its net income, which is a worrisome sign for investors in search of sustainable growth. Does that mean Nike won't be able to maintain its progress in the future, or will the athletic-wear market leader overcome its few fundamental weaknesses to become that rare perfect stock? Let's dig a little deeper to find out.

Nike delivered better-than-expected revenue and earnings for its fiscal second quarter -- these metrics were up 8% and 4% year over year, respectively -- thanks to continued strength in its direct retail channel and consumers' shift toward high-end products. Fool contributor Jason Hall notes that the company boasts a strong order backlog for its athletic footwear and apparel (worth more than $10.4 billion), which are expected to be delivered by April 2014. Nike has also ramped up its international marketing efforts, particularly in India and China, as it expects the world's middle-class population to increase by 1 billion consumers over the next decade. Nike should also benefit from a five-year, $1.1 billion deal with the NFL to supply gear.

Fool contributor Marshall Hargrave notes that Nike is also poised to capitalize on the growing women's yoga apparel market, and it expects to grow its global market share in all athletic apparel to 6.5% by the end of 2019. It's not alone in this quest, as Under Armour (NYSE: UA  ) has recently made various big moves by signing deals with ballet dancer Misty Copeland, tennis star Sloane Stephens, and skier Lindsey Vonn to market its own line of yoga wear. Nike's Free Flyknit running shoes also continue to be popular with a wide range of consumers.

Nike's Fuelband line should also give it a foothold in the global "wearables" market for consumer electronics, which is expected to grow to $20 billion in global sales by 2017. However, Sony's (NYSE: SNE  ) SmartWatch and Samsung's voice-activated Galaxy Gear could threaten Nike's Fuelband should adequate fitness apps emerge for these devices. Nike does retain a pricing advantage over Under Armour's Armour39 chest strap and watch, which are being sold at higher prices. Fool contributor Andres Cardenal notes that Under Armour's recent acquisition of MapMyFitness might help it better compete head-to-head with Nike in social-fitness gadgets.

Putting the pieces together
Today, Nike has many of the qualities that make up a great stock, but no stock is truly perfect. Digging deeper can help you uncover the answers you need to make a great buy -- or to stay away from a stock that's going nowhere.

Looking for another great stock with lots of room to run?
There's a huge difference between a good stock and a stock that can make you rich. The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for 2014, and it's one of those stocks that could make you rich. You can find out which stock it is in the special free report "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2014." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Housing Sector's Alternative Mathematics

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After the better than expected numbers for November housing starts were announced yesterday, MoneyShow's Jim Jubak, also of Jubak's Picks, crunched the numbers and found some possible solutions for how to play this upwards movement.

I think the market added two plus two and got five yesterday, after the release of better than expected numbers for November housing starts. That doesn't mean, however, that two plus two equals four isn't impressive enough to warrant a look from investors at specific stocks in the housing sector. Two that I think are attractive here are homebuilder Lennar (LEN) and flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators (LL).

In numbers reported yesterday morning, housing starts jumped 22.7% to 1.1 million in November from October levels. That was at well above the 950,000 starts expected by economists surveyed by Briefing.com.

That led to huge gains in housing stocks. Lennar climbed 6.3% on the day. D.R. Horton (DHI) closed up 6.4%. Lumber Liquidators rose 6.1%.

The direction of that move is correct, in my opinion. Housing starts now look likely to run at an average rate of one million a month. The relatively modest extent of the Federal Reserve's taper—a drop of just $5 billion a month, to $35 billion from $40 billion, in its purchases of mortgage-backed securities—isn't likely to push mortgage rates up significantly. And with short-term rates likely, the Fed said on December 18, to stay near 0% into 2015, and with inflation running at less than 2%, there just isn't much upward pressure on interest rates in general, and mortgage rates in particular.

In addition, the December 18 announcement of the beginning of a taper in asset purchases from the Fed, removes a good bit of the uncertainty that has been driving volatility in the housing sector for months. Lennar, for example, has bounced from low to high to low to high with every shift in the market's interpretation of the odds of a Fed taper. For example, on November 11, Lennar traded at $32.58 a share. That was down from $37.38 on October 29. In the December 18 rally, the shares recovered all the way to $37.43.

But there are problems in the sector that say to me, "Watch that math."

For example, the November 1.1 million starts was likely inflated by the uncertainty in September and October over the budget and the debt ceiling. A return to one million starts in December wouldn't be surprising. And it seems like homebuilders, especially, are looking at stagnant or declining margins in 2014. Lennar has told Wall Street that gross margins won't expand further in 2014 and are likely to remain flat at around 25%. That would be a drop from the 26.8% gross margins in the company's fiscal fourth quarter that ended in November 2013.

Those projections from Lennar say watch valuations across the sector. Lennar invested heavily in buying land early in this cycle, so the company is relatively less likely to feel pressure on margins from rising land costs as the housing cycle continues. I calculate a $40 a share target price for Lennar by July 2014. That's only a 7% gain from the December 18 close, so this stock would be much more attractive on the dip. (Investors might see that dip with the slower winter season, but spring weather usually pushes up prices in this sector.)

If you're looking for a dip in a housing related stock, I'd suggest Lumber Liquidators. The shares dropped from $119.44 on November 15 to $89.49 on December 13, before recovering to close at $99.50 on December 18. That's a 17% drop and it makes the gain to my target price of $129 by October 2014 an attractive 30%.

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Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015

Electric cars have mostly proven to be a hard sell here in the U.S. Most buyers will tell you that they're too expensive, too heavy, they have terrible range, and they're not fun to drive. While Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA  ) has shown that some of those problems can be overcome, electric cars are still a long way from being a mass-market solution here in the U.S.

That has been just as true in Europe -- but now, there's a big effort under way to change that. In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at what's happening in Europe -- and at how it could lead to a big jump in electric car sales here in the United States.

Tesla's plan to disrupt the global auto business has yielded spectacular results. But giant competitors are already moving to disrupt Tesla. Will the company be able to fend them off? The Motley Fool answers this question and more in our most in-depth Tesla research available. Get instant access by clicking here now.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: Informatics Education Ltd (I03)

Informatics Education Ltd. is engaged in investment holding, franchisor and licensor for computer and commercial training centers and examination facilitators. The Company operates under the names, InformaticsAcademy International, Thames Academy, Thames International, Informatics Higher Education, Informatics Corporate Learning and Informatics Uni being sole-proprietorships registered under the name of the Company. The Company�� segments, which include Higher Education segment offers Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Degree, Masters and Doctorate qualifications in a range of business, engineering and technological subjects, to college going students and lifelong learners, as well as via an online virtual campus , and Corporate Training segment, which provides training and skills upgrading and enhancement to the general workforce, in both technical and non-technical areas.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: Mobile TeleSystems (MBT)

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services primarily in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Belarus. The company provides a range of mobile and fixed line voice and data telecommunications services, including transmission, broadband, pay-TV, and various value-added services; and sells equipment and accessories. It also offers network access services, including mobile cellular voice and data communication services; automatic roaming services; GPRS and Internet access services; and 3G technology. In addition, the company�s services include the design, construction, and installation of local voice and data networks capable of interconnecting with fixed line operators; installation and maintenance of cellular payphones; lease of digital communication channels; and provision of access to open computer databases and data networks, including the Internet, as well as video conferencing, and fixed, local, and long-distance telecommunications services. Its value-added services comprise call divert/forwarding, caller ID and anti-caller ID display, conference calling, WiFi, GPRS, intelligent call assistant, APN remote access point, fixed mobile convergence, enhanced data rates for GSM Evolution, call barring, SMS, mobile office, voicemail, mobile banking, wireless application protocol, MTS-Connect, SIM-browser, point-to-point transfer, unstructured supplementary services data, downlink packet access, mobile TV, call waiting, MMS, ring tones, missed call alert, itemization of monthly bills, information and directory, international access, WEB and WAP portal, customer care system, ring back tone, collect call, and location-based services. As of December 31, 2011, the company had a mobile subscriber base of approximately 101.14 million. It has a strategic partnership with Vodafone. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  VimpleCom, a joint venture of Norwegian telecom Telnor and the Russian Alfa Group, operates under the BeeLine brand in Russia. BeeLine has joined the two other ex-iPhone carrying Russian heavyweight mobile carriers, Megafon and Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT  ) , and not renewed its iPhone contract with Apple.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Over in Russia, market-leading cell phone provider Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT  ) has just confirmed that, as of 2012, it no longer sells Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) new iPhone models to its customers directly. The company does still stock, and sell, some older iPhone models. But for iPhone5 and on up, MTS now answers phone calls from Apple with a Spasibo, ne nada. ("Thanks, but no thanks.")

• [By Eric Lam]

  Manitoba Telecom (MBT) gained 5.7 percent to C$33.93 after selling its Allstream fiber network business to Accelero Capital Holdings for C$520 million. The company will use the cash to invest in new wireless spectrum and improve the speed of its existing networks, Manitoba Telecom said in a statement.

Top 10 Machinery Companies To Buy Right Now: Yangzijiang Shipbldg Hldgs Ltd (BS6.SI)

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd, an investment holding company, engages in the ship building and related businesses. It produces a range of commercial vessels, containerships, bulk carriers, and multipurpose cargo vessels. The company also engages in the building, repair, maintenance, and dismantling of vessels; production and processing of steel structures and belt transportation machinery; production of oxygen and nitrogen; and manufacture of ship accessories. In addition, it is involved in the sale and provision of technical consultancy services and after sales services; the sale of self-manufactured products; the import and export of various merchandise and technologies; the supply of marine equipment and materials; facilitating the sale and export of ships to the ship builder; providing facility and production area for structural building in blocks, block outfitting, and modularization of outfitting into unit; the design, manufacture, and repair of marine equi pment; scrap steel processing; and the design and conceptual development of a range of merchant ships, as well as the paint surface preparation of steel and coating related business. Further, the company operates as a labor subcontractor to supply labor to the ship builders; provides microcredit to enterprises and individuals; and offers manufacture base to construct big vessel components and accessories. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd sells its products in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Italy, Germany, Greece, other European countries, other Asian countries, and Canada. The company was founded in 1956 and is based in Jiangyin City, the People�s Republic of China.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: Powell Industries Inc.(POWL)

Powell Industries, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and servicing of custom engineered-to-order equipment and systems for the management and control of electrical energy and other critical processes in transportation, environmental, energy, industrial, and utility industries. The company operates in two segments, Electrical Power Products and Process Control Systems. The Electrical Power Products segment offers electrical power distribution and control systems that are used to distribute, monitor, and control the flow of electrical energy, as well as to provide protection to motors, transformers, and other electrically-powered equipment. It offers power control room substation packages, traditional and arc-resistant distribution switchgear, medium-voltage circuit breakers, offshore generator and control modules, monitoring and control communications systems, motor control centers, and bus duct systems directly to end-users or to engineering, procuremen t, and construction firms. This segment serves oil and gas producers, oil and gas pipelines, refineries, petrochemical plants, electrical power generators, public and private utilities, co-generation facilities, mining/metals operations, pulp and paper plants, transportation authorities, governmental agencies, and other industrial customers. The Process Control Systems provides technology solutions, including instrumentation, computer controls, and communications and data management systems to control and manage critical processes and facilities; and technical services to deliver these systems. This segment sells its products and services directly to end-users in transportation, environmental, and energy sectors. The company has operations in Europe, the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, North America, South America, and Central America. Powell Industries, Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: The Charles Schwab Corporation(SCHW)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage, banking, and related financial services to individuals and institutional clients. It offers various brokerage products and services comprising brokerage accounts with check-writing features, debit card, and billpay; individual retirement accounts; retirement plans for small to large businesses; college savings accounts; designated brokerage accounts; equity incentive plan accounts; and margin loans, as well as access to fixed income securities, equity and debt offerings, options, and futures. The company also provides various banking products and services, including checking accounts linked to brokerage accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, demand deposit accounts, first mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and personal loans collateralized by securities. In addition, it offers trust custody services, personal trust reporting services, and administrative trustee servi ces; advisory services comprising separately managed accounts, customized personal advice for tailored portfolios, and planning and portfolio management; and third-party mutual funds, such as no-load mutual funds, proprietary mutual funds, and other third-party mutual funds, as well as mutual fund trading and clearing services to broker dealers. Further, the company offers third-party and proprietary exchange-traded funds; research, analytic tools, performance reports, market analysis, and educational materials; custodial, trading, technology, practice management, trust asset, and other support services to independent investment advisors; and retirement plan recordkeeping and related services, retirement plan trust and custody services, specialty brokerage services, and mutual fund clearing services. It operates primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Smith]

  Although we were not surprised by the move yesterday we did not take an overly aggressive stance in positioning the portfolio to benefit from the Fed not tapering. We were long, but we did not initiate any trades solely for the purpose to benefit from the announcement. We are more interested in the long-term wealth building of portfolios right now and as such believe that readers should look to our recent winners that had pullbacks yesterday as buying opportunities. Specifically, we like Ameritrade (AMTD), Charles Schwab (SCHW) and MetLife (MET) which all saw pullbacks ranging from 2.5% to a bit over 5.5% in yesterday's session. We highlighted the discount brokers as a sector to watch right before the latest takeoff and our belief is that although rates remain unchanged the brokerage business will continue to perform strongly. The next big move up will be as rates rise, but even if one has to wait for this move it will be well worth it for one's portfolio.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Ditto for the Dean of the Discounters, Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCHW  ) . Chuck's stock just crossed the $22 mark; this is a bonanza for those hardy investors who piled in in late 2011, when the shares were trading at less than half that price. Schwab has a more multi-faceted operation than its two brethren, but it swims in the same market as they do, so trading matters. Good thing, too, as its May DARTs saw a TD AMERITRADE-ish rise of 8% on a month-over-month basis to 505,400.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: Willis Group Holdings Limited(WSH)

Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company provides a range of insurance brokerage, reinsurance, and risk management consulting services to its clients worldwide. The company offers various insurance brokerage services, including property damage, offshore construction, liability, and control of well and pollution insurance to the energy industry; and marine insurance and reinsurance brokerage services consisting of hull, cargo, and general marine liabilities. It also provides its services to aerospace clients, including aircraft manufacturers, air cargo handlers and shippers, airport managers, and other general aviation companies; and advisory services comprising claims recovery, contract and leasing risk management, market information, and safety services. In addition, the company offers risk management advice and brokerage services to the construction industry; brokerage for directors' and officers' insurance, as well as professional indemnity insurance for corporation s and professional firms; and specialist risk management and insurance services to fine art, diamond, and jewelry businesses, and operators of armored cars. Further, it provides special contingencies packages; services for horse racing and breeding industry, and agriculture/crop sector; and advice to companies involved in the insurance and reinsurance industry on capital markets products. Additionally, the company offers health, welfare, and human resources consulting and brokerage services to small, medium, and large corporations, as well as the employee benefits practice. It serves clients located in approximately 190 countries, including multinational and middle-market companies operating in various industries, as well as public institutions and individual clients. The company was formerly known as Willis Group Holdings Limited and changed its name to Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company in January 2010. The company was founded in 1828 and is headquartered in Lond on, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  $11 billion UK insurer Willis Group Holdings (WSH) is another uptrending channel. The big difference with Willis is that this name is actually at its trendline support level this week. Better still, shares are bouncing higher -- and it makes sense to buy the bounce here.

  Buying off a support bounce makes sense for two big reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring WSH can actually still catch a bid along that line.

  The 50-day moving average has been a good proxy for support on the way up, so it's a solid place to put a protective stop if you decide to be a buyer at this point.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in mining, milling, processing, and marketing molybdenum products in the United States and Canada. The company?s principal properties include the Thompson Creek Mine and mill in Idaho; a metallurgical roasting facility in Langeloth, Pennsylvania; and a joint venture interest in the Endako Mine, mill, and roasting facility in British Columbia. It also holds interests in development projects comprising the Davidson molybdenum property and the Berg copper-molybdenum-silver property located in northern British Columbia; the Howard?s Pass property, a lead and zinc project situated in the Yukon territory-northwest territories border; and the Maze Lake property, a gold project located in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut. The company produces molybdenum products, primarily molybdic oxide and ferromolybdenum, as well as soluble technical oxide, pure molybdenum tri-oxide, and high purity molybdenum disulfide. As o f December 31, 2010, its consolidated recoverable proven and probable ore reserves totaled 462.2 million pounds of contained molybdenum in the Thompson Creek Mine and the Endako Mine. The company was formerly known as Blue Pearl Mining Ltd. and changed its name to Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. in May 2007. Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  The stock market liked what it heard Wednesday, August 7, from Thompson Creek Metals (TC) after the close in New York. Second quarter adjusted net earnings of 8 cents a share crushed the Wall Street consensus of a penny a share. Revenue climbed 3.8% to $117.8 million versus expectations for revenue of just $1.3.8 million. The company also said that its new Mt. Milligan mine is on schedule with a start-up for the concentrator expected this month, with first ore-feed by mid-August. The company said it expects commercial production to begin in the fourth quarter of 2013, with production ramping to full capacity over the next twelve months.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Beaten-down companies that you think are likely to recover strongly are also good candidates. Molybdenum miner Thompson Creek Metals (NYSE: TC  ) , for example, sports average annual losses of 35% over the past five years, and carries substantial debt, but molybdenum's long-term outlook is promising, with price increases likely, and the company has a promising gold and copper mine on track to start producing by the end of the year. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX  ) is another major molybdenum player, with considerable operations in other metals, as well -- along with new investments in oil and gas production.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Thompson Creek Metals Co. Inc. (NYSE: TC) was at 54% discount to its book value of $8.30 per share at the time, and the stock price of $3.90 is up from $3.03 Deutsche Bank’s team nailed upside of more than 28% here. Its price target was $4 at the time versus a consensus target of $4.50 at the time. The 52-week range here is $2.42 to $4.55, but we would point out that the consensus price target is $3.93.

Top Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2015: (FSM)

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. engages in the mining and production silver and base metal in Latin America. Its primary assets consist of the Caylloma zinc/lead/silver mine, which is located to the northwest of Arequipa, Peru; and the San Jose silver/gold project that is located south of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. The company was formerly known as Fortuna Ventures Inc. and changed its name to Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. in June 2005. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. The company was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Lima, Peru.

Report: Fracking raising water supply worries

The USA's domestic energy boom is increasing demands on water supplies already under pressure from drought and growing populations, a new report says.

The water-intensive process used to extract oil and gas from shale underground — known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking — has required almost 100 billion gallons of water to drill more than 39,000 oil and shale gas wells in the U.S. since 2011, says Ceres, a green investment group.

More than half of those wells — 55% — were in drought-stricken areas, and nearly half were in regions under high or extremely high water stress, such as Texas, the report says.

To be in extremely high water stress means more than 80% of the area's available surface and ground water is already allocated for city, agriculture or industrial use. High stress means 40% to 80% of the water is already allocated, Ceres says.

Shale development is also occurring rapidly in areas where groundwater is already being depleted by other uses, including agriculture and residential development.

Nationwide, more than 36% of the 39,000 wells drilled since 2011 were in areas already experiencing groundwater depletion, the study says.

Hydraulic fracturing pumps water and chemicals at high pressure to break the shale, allowing trapped oil or gas to flow to the surface.

While fracking consumes far less water than agriculture or residential uses, the impact can be huge on particular communities and is "exacerbating already existing water problems," says Monika Freyman, author of the Ceres study.

Hydraulic fracking is the "latest party to come to the table," Freyman says. The demands for the water are also "taking regions by surprise," she says. More work needs to be done to better manage water use, given competing demands, she says.

Texas has the highest concentration of hydraulic fracturing activity in the U.S. More than half of its wells put in since 2011 were in high or extremely high water stress regions, Ceres says.

In Colorado ! and California, 97% and 96% respectively of the wells were drilled in regions under high or extremely high water stress.

The oil and gas industry says it's doing more to reuse and recycle water. It also points out that overall water use by the fracking industry is small.

In Colorado, oil and gas development accounts for 0.1% of the state's total water demand, while in Texas, it's less than 1%, says Katie Brown, researcher with Energy in Depth, a research arm of the Independent Petroleum Association of America.

A recent report from the University of Texas also found that natural gas fracking saves water overall by making it easier for utilities to switch from coal to natural gas power. As a result, it's helping to "shield the state from water shortages," Brown says.

More recycling will occur because companies "recognize the economic risk they have," with access to needed water, says Marcus Gay, water research director at IHS Global Insight.

Only about 5% of water consumed by oil and gas producers in the Barnett Shale in North Texas is currently being recycled, says a recent report by research scientist Jean-Philippe Nicot, of the University of Texas. That's probably about average for fracking throughout Texas, Nicot says.

Producers in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, are doing more recycling because they lack good access to deep injection wells to store spent water. For those companies, "it's cheaper to recycle" than ship the water out of state to deep injection wells, Nicot says.

Why Should You Give Back to Your Alma Mater?

Alamy I'm a firm believer in giving back. I received so much in both formal and informal education during my four years in college, I naturally want others to reap the same rewards I did. It's because of this that I think that if you're able to, you should not only give the your alma mater the gift of money, but also the gift of time. You might not think of it this way, but you should value your college diploma like a share of stock. Graduates should want to see their alma maters grow in stature, and one way to help out is by giving back. Unfortunately, not enough alumni are giving back to their colleges these days -- and it shows. Giving back with our money and our time helps support the next generation of students and alumni. When we give back to our colleges, that money goes toward research, scholarships, and new facilities, among other things. It helps increase the stature of the college, making it a better place. Our giving back also affects how employers, grad schools and others see our alma maters. 'Giving Back' Doesn't Have to Mean Money We often forget that our time is valuable and can be almost as important as any donation we make to our alma maters. Human capital is just as beneficial to the sustained vitality of a university and can be just as important, if not more, than purely financial support. Colleges and universities need both. When we give back to our alma maters, we get a sense of satisfaction in knowing that we're furthering the aims of the institution that did so much to educate us and give us a better life. Alumni typically give back to their schools in proportion to their own gratitude and success. There may be a correlation to poor giving and the realization that our undergraduate degree directly led to a portion of our success. But should this always be the case? One reason that colleges don't enjoy higher alumni giving is that their graduates often fail to connect the dots of their success to their alma mater. Giving Back Makes Us Sharper, Too Education is a never-ending process. We continue to learn even after we graduate. And nothing is often more apparent than when we give back to our alma maters. Rebecca Stilwell is president of O'More College of Design and a former managing director with Morgan Stanley. "I heard one of our best professors say that he loves teaching because it makes him sharper in his field," she says. "It keeps him current. And every great teacher will say they get more out of teaching than the students." What better way to stay relevant, sharp, and challenged than to spend time with your alma mater? Giving Back Helps Your Own Reputation Helping improve the stature of our alma maters can have a second- and third-order effect on our own lives and the perceived value of our own college diploma. Whether it's giving our money or our time, we should all want to see our alma maters thrive. Doing so can only help our own lot in life. "We all want to make the world a better place," Shari Fox, executive vice president of O'More College of Design. "By sharing our time and talent and money with colleges, we do a bit of good and can even change lives by helping a worthy student earn a college education." Karma and Networking It's hard to pinpoint where success comes from in our working lives. What about karma? Should that factor into our giving back? And how much does networking through our alma maters play into it? "[Colleges] need mentors for juniors and seniors and graduate students," says Rosemary Guzman Hook, a certified career consultant and owner of Hook the Talent. "They need speakers for career panels, they need photo ops and success stories from alumni." What about networking with the next generation? Giving back to your alma mater can also help you increase your own network, and there's no better place to start than with the students and alumni of your alma mater. "You should help your fellow alumni with whatever expertise or connections you can reasonably offer," says Hook. "You'll often get the same in return, and you may even become a recognized resource back at the school, which would open up a whole other wave of new contacts for you." Are You Giving Back to Your Alma Mater? Many of the benefits you get from college are intangible, and the things you give back aren't always easy to measure. But one thing is clear: America's colleges and universities today are in desperate need of both financial support and volunteer assistance from their alumni. And giving back now can provide you with dividends for years to come.

The Challenge of Fighting Your Emotions and Changing Your Perspective

What a difference a year can make. In 2013, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) closed up 26.5%, while the S&P 500  (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) ended the year higher by 29.6% and the Nasdaq recorded a 38.32% gain. But after just one month in 2014, all three indexes are down: 5.29% for the Dow, 3.55% for the S&P 500, and 1.74% for the Nasdaq.

Why have investors changed their tunes so dramatically in the past month? Heading into 2014, we heard one analyst after another saying why 2014 would be another big year for the markets. But now those opinions seem to be changing, and investors are nervous that a larger pullback is coming. On Wednesday, I even heard rumblings that some market participants thought the market was about to crash, because of some investors' concerns about what the Federal Reserve was going to do.

This kind of behavior tells me that the fear of losing money is greater than the satisfaction in making it.

In 2008, when the markets were tanking and the Dow lost 34% in one year, investors, politicians, pundits, everyone acted as if the world was coming to an end. There were investigations into why the markets fell, policies were changed to help boost the economy, and fear ran rampant that even more market value would be lost.

Flash forward to 2013: The Dow gains 26.5%, but there weren't any parades or the declaration of a national holiday, or anything else you'd consider the extreme equivalent of the overreaction to the 2008 market plunge.

Why do we act differently to gains and losses? Problem gamblers may give us some answers.

Some psychologists believe that problem gamblers actually like losing money more than they like winning it. The belief goes that these gamblers get more of an adrenaline rush from a sense of losing control, which excites them when they're losing. The thrill of winning money, in contrast, is much milder.

These findings are just theories, but they may give investors better insight into why they feel the way they do when the stock market falls. It may also help them pause and carefully re-evaluate their choices when they find themselves in such as overly excited state.

Top 5 Penny Companies For 2014

Many of the greatest investors have repeatedly noted that while investing takes some amount of skill and knowledge, being able to control one's emotions is even more important. And finding that control may be easier than many investors might think. All it takes is the proper perspective.

Here's what I mean. When the markets are soaring, it's hard to find good companies at a fair valuation. But when the markets are falling, finding good companies on the cheap becomes much easier, as all the good stocks start to fall within your reach. So if you think about a market pullback as a good thing, since you can get a bargain on stocks, then a falling Dow may not seem like such a bad thing anymore.

You won't find yourself tempted to sell in a panic. Instead, you might even feel like throwing a parade or declaring a holiday.

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How Caterpillar Stock Ranks Among Analysts’ Top Dow 30 Picks

A study of analyst recommendations at the major brokerages shows that Caterpillar (CAT)  is the #23 broker pick, on average, out of the 30 stocks making up the Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to ETF Channel. Within the broader S&P 500, when components were ranked in terms of analyst favorites, CAT claims the #309 spot.

In forming this rank, the analyst opinions from the major brokerage houses were tallied, and averaged; then, the underlying components were ranked according to those averages. Investors often interpret analyst opinions from different angles — when companies have a low rank among analysts, it isn’t necessarily the case that investors should conclude that the stock will perform poorly.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Own Right Now

It can, of course, but a bullish investor could also take the contrarian angle and read into the data that there is lots of room for upside because the stock is so out of favor.

START SLIDESHOW:
15 Forgotten Giants of the S&P 500: Analysts’ Current Least Favorites »

From the other direction, a popular analyst pick could mean that many sharp minds individually came to the same bullish conclusion, and therefore the stock should do well, but it could also mean that if the company stumbles, that would come as a negative surprise.

For these reasons, we at ETF Channel find value to putting together these rankings, because both the top and the bottom ends of the list can often make for some interesting stock picking ideas for further research.

START SLIDESHOW:
The Top 15 Broker Darlings of the Dow: Current Top Analyst Picks »

 

Below is a chart of rank over time:

According to the ETF Finder at ETF Channel, CAT makes up 3.78% of the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) which is trading lower by about 0.7% on the day Friday.

CAT operates in the Construction sector, among companies like Deere (DE) which is up about 0.1% today, and Fluor (FLR) trading lower by about 0.6%. Below is a three month price history chart comparing the stock performance of CAT, versus DE and FLR.

CAT is currently trading up about 1.2% midday Friday.