Cal-Maine Foods Inc Posts Higher Q3 Earnings; Shatters Estimates (CALM)

Before the opening bell on Monday morning, Cal-Maine Foods Inc (CALM) reported its third quarter earnings, posting higher revenues and earnings than last year’s same period.

CALM’s Earnings in Brief

CALM reported third quarter sales of $395.5 million, which were up from last year’s Q3 revenues of $360.4 million. Net income for the quarter came in at $42.9 million, or $1.77 per diluted share, up from last year’s earnings of $30.6 million, or $1.27 per share. Cal-Maine blew analysts’ EPS estimates of $1.41 out of the water.

CEO Commentary

CALM’s chairman, president and CEO, Dolph Baker, had the following comments: “Cal-Maine Foods delivered a solid performance for the third quarter of fiscal 2014 with our net sales up 10 percent over the same period last year. The higher sales reflect both improved volumes through the holiday season and higher average selling prices compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2013. Consumer demand for shell eggs has been strong at the retail level for both generic and specialty eggs, supported by below average temperatures across the country. In addition, the egg products segment of the industry has continued to experience strong demand due to the introduction of breakfast items at many quick serve restaurants, as well as increased exports.

CALM’s Dividend

Cal-Maine has been inconsistent with its dividend payments in the past, having paid its most recent dividend of 36 cents on February 13. Before that the company paid a dividend of 7 cents in November, 2013. It’s hard to predict what CALM’s next payout will be, but judging from its history of paying out higher dividends in April/May versus February, and due to its positive earnings release, CALM is likely to declare a dividend above 36 cents in the coming month.

Stock Performance

CALM stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 0.19%.

CALM Dividend Snapshot

As of 8:30am on March 31, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of CALM dividends.

Why A Boeing 777 Costs $320 Million

The Malaysian Airlines plane that has disappeared on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing is a 777-200ER from The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA). The 777 family of planes itself is Boeing's best selling dual-aisle, two-engine plane. Through the end of February Boeing has delivered a total of 422 of the 777-200ERs including 15 to Malaysian Airlines. Of 370 planes on order from the 777 family, none is a 777-200ER.

The company delivered its first 777-200 to United Airlines in May 1995, and the plane went into service the following month. The first extended range model, the 777-200ER, was delivered to and put into service by British Airways in February 1997. At list price today, the 777-200ER would cost $261.5 million and would be the lowest priced model of the 777 family.

Boeing's order book currently includes 257 new 777-300ER models; 44 777F freighters; and 66 777X models. The list price for the 777-300ER is $320.2 million. That's nearly $71 million more than the two-engine 787-9 which Boeing announced last summer and for which the company has taken orders for 404 planes.

Top Media Companies For 2014

The 777 includes 3 million parts that come from 500 suppliers around the world. Boeing uses three suppliers for the 777-200ER's two engines: General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Pratt &Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX); and London-listed Rolls Royce. The 777-300ER uses two GE engines each of which develops 115,540 pounds of thrust.

The 777-200ER has a maximum cruising range of just over 6,000 miles, while the -300ER's range is listed at slightly more than 9,100 miles. Cruising speed is 560 mph and maximum speed is 590 mph. The plane's maximum cruising altitude is 43,100 feet.

According to Boeing, a lightly loaded 777 can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. Not exactly McLaren P1 speeds (about 2.1 seconds), but an empty 777 weighs 150 tons.

What makes the plane so expensive? The 777-300ER can carry 365 passengers compared with the 787-9's capacity of 280. The GE engines on the 777 model develop 62% more thrust than the 787's two engines. The plane is also longer than the Dreamliner, has a greater wingspan and a greater wing area, and is taller. The maximum take-off weight of the 777-300ER is 114 tons greater than the 787-9.

When the new composite wing is added to the 777X, the list price on the plane will rise to $349.8 million for the 777-8X which can carry 350 passengers and to $377.2 million for the 777-9X that has capacity for 400 passengers. The list price is usually the starting point in negotiations between an airplane maker and customer. The actual selling price may be 20% to 30% lower — or more,  according to Leeham News and Comment.

The 787 surpasses the 777 in maximum range — around 9,750 miles to just under 9,100 miles — and fuel efficiency. For long-haul flights, the 787, which replaces the discontinued 767, is likely a better choice mainly because it is more fuel efficient.

But the 777 family will not be cannibalized by the 787. Far from it.

The 4 Stocks That Drove the Market Lower

March 27, 2014: Markets opened lower on Wednesday even following an upwardly revised estimate of 2.6% growth for U.S. GDP in the fourth quarter and an unexpected drop in new claims for jobless benefits. Biotechs and financials were weak all day, as were the tech stocks. In the final minutes of trading the DJIA was down 0.03%, the S&P 500 was down 0.14%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.49%.

Again today the big market mover among the DJIA stocks was International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) which dropped 1.39% and traded at $189.94 in a 52-week range of $172.19 to $214.89 just ahead of the closing bell. Volume was on track to be about 10% above the daily average of around 5.2 million shares traded. A fund manager at AlphaOne Capital told CNBC he is shorting IBM stock, saying "the cloud is deflationary" for the company.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) bounced lower today, down 1.19% to $22.06 in a 52-week range of $19.98 to $26.49. Share volume was about equal to the daily average of around 42.7 million shares traded. The networking giant was hit with a lawsuit charging that Cisco violates 11 patents owned by Spherix Inc. (NASDAQ: SPEX) and that virtually all of Cisco's revenues from switches and routers since 2008 were generated from the patent infringements.

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) traded down down 0.73% today at $39.50. The company introduced an iPad version of its Office software suite, including a free version. The 52-week range for the stock is $28.08 to $40.99. Trading volume for Microsoft's shares was about 20% below the daily average of around 38 million shares traded.

The stock doing the most to haul the Dow 30 into the green today was Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM). BofA/Merrill Lynch upgraded the shares from Neutral to Buy, and the rising price of natural gas is helping the shares as well. The stock traded up 1.71% today at $96.33 in a 52-week range of $84.79 to $101.74. Trading volume was nearly equal to the daily average of around 12 million shares traded.

Top Up And Coming Companies To Invest In Right Now

Of the Dow 30 stocks 14 are set to close lower today and 16 are on their way to a higher close.

Beat the S&P in 2014 With 5 Stocks Everyone Else Hates

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- If you want to beat the S&P 500 by double digits in 2014, just focus on the stocks that investors hate the most.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

That may sound unintuitive, but hate can be a powerful emotion in the markets. It's powerful because, more often than not, it's wrong. When investors get heated about a stock and a trade gets crowded, there's a often money to be made on the other side of it. (That's one of the tenants of contrarian investing.)

But don't just take my word for it. The data backs it up too.

Over the last decade, buying the most hated and heavily shorted large- and mid-cap stocks (the top two quartiles of all shortable stocks by market capitalization) would have beaten the S&P 500 by 9.28% each and every year. That's some material outperformance during a decade when decent returns were very hard to come by. So how do you cash in this month?

>>5 Toxic Stocks to Sell Now

When I say that investors "hate" a stock, I'm talking about its short interest. A stock with a high level of shorting indicates that there are a lot of people willing to bet on a decline in its share price -- and not many willing to buy. Too much hate can spur a short squeeze, a buying frenzy that's triggered by short sellers who need to cover their losing bets. And with the S&P 500 within grabbing distance of all-time highs, you can probably guess that there are lots of losing open short bets feeling the squeeze right now.

One of the best indicators of just how high a short-squeezed stock could go is the short interest ratio, which estimates the number of days it would take for short-sellers to cover their positions. The higher the short ratio, the higher the potential profits when the shorts get squeezed.

It's worth noting, though, that market cap matters a lot -- short sellers tend to be right about smaller names, with micro-caps delivering negative returns when the same method was used.

>>5 Stocks Ready for Breakouts

Today, we'll replicate the most lucrative side of this strategy with a look at five big-name stocks that short sellers are piled into right now. These stocks could be prime candidates for a short squeeze in the months ahead.

Cerner

Large-cap health care IT firm Cerner (CERN) is the biggest name on our list -- the firm tips the scales with a $20 billion market capitalization. But a blue-chip valuation isn't enough to spare the firm from short sellers. With a short interest ratio of 11, it would take two full weeks of buying pressure for short sellers to exit their bets against this stock.

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More than a third of U.S. hospitals use Cerner's Millennium platform to store everything from patient medical data to financial records. It's not just hospitals either. From pharmacies to physicians' offices, CERN's software and hardware is found in more than 9,300 medical facilities globally. Cerner's platform makes a lot of sense for health providers. Because of its huge footprint in the industry, transitioning new employees with medical office experience takes less time, and the firm benefits from economies of scale in developing new feature sets.

Another big incentive for facilities is getting paid quicker. Cerner's offerings cut down the administrative steps needed to get practices and hospitals payments from either insurance companies or government programs. That helps lessen the blow of a costly medical IT package. Because use of computerized medical records is now mandated by legislation, Cerner's products are a cost of doing business, not a luxury.

Between secular tailwinds in the medical industry and new pushes into lower-priced options for smaller medical practices, CERN has open runway ahead of it for growth. Look for a possible short squeeze catalyst in earnings next month.

Illumina

Illumina (ILMN) has been a short seller's worst nightmare in 2014. Since the calendar flipped to January, shares of this $19 billion life science stock have rallied more than 33%. That's compared with a broad market that hasn't even rallied a full point over that same period. Zoom out to the past full year, and Illumina's gain widens to a neck-craning 180%. But none of that has stopped short sellers from betting against ILMN; if anything, it's emboldened them.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy as Stocks Test New Highs

With a short interest ratio of 12.58, it would take two and a half weeks of nonstop buying pressure at current volume levels for shorts to get out of their bets on ILMN.

Illumina manufactures tools for genetic analysis, a space that's been growing quickly in the last few years. Best of all, most of Illumina's products are both high-end and consumable -- they're used to collect and analyze genetic material, and then they're discarded. That, in turn, drives recurring revenues at big fat margins. As more commercially successful genetic therapies come to market, it should help to fuel big boosts in genetic R&D spending, and big boosts in orders for Illumina's offerings.

From a financial standpoint, Illumina is in good shape, with $164 million in net cash on its balance sheet. To be clear, this stock is far from cheap. It trades for a whopping 172 times trailing year's earnings right now, and that's a big part of why shorts feel so confident in betting against it. But being short ILMN is such a crowded trade that any hint of positive news could set off a squeeze this quarter.

M&T Bank

Investors hate M&T Bank (MTB) right now. There's no other way to explain the hefty short interest ratio of 19.14 in shares right now. At current volume levels, it would take a full month of buying for shorts to cover -- and between one of the industry's bigger dividend payouts and the threat of rising interest rates coming from the Fed right now, short sellers should be feeling pretty uncomfortable heading into the second quarter.

>>3 Hot Stocks to Trade (or Not)

M&T Bank is a regional bank with a more-than-regional footprint. The Buffalo, N.Y.-based firm has more than 750 branches spread along the East Coast and an asset base that makes it one of the country's 20 biggest banks. Like other regionals, stricter underwriting standards helped to limit write-offs in the wake of the real estate bubble, and as a result, the firm had a fraction of the underperforming loans that its big bank peers did.

Regulators have liked MTB's strength from early on -- the fact that the firm got a 2.3% dividend yield approved is evidence of that. If interest rates really do show upward mobility in the intermediate term, so too will the spreads that MTB is able to charge for its services. That's good reason for short sellers to tread lightly in 2014.

Fastenal

Don't accuse Fastenal (FAST) of having an overly-exciting business -- the $14 billion industrial supplier built its business by carrying more than 410,000 different types of fasteners. But the most boring stocks can often be the most lucrative ones, and as the industrial sector heats up, so too do Fastenal's sales.

>>3 Stocks Rising on Big Volume

Fastenal's catalog goes far beyond its namesake fasteners: The firm carries some 585,000 maintenance and repair products in 2,400 retail locations, an inventory and footprint that makes FAST a one-stop shop for its customers. Because of its huge scale, Fastenal can compete on price better than smaller rivals in the fragmented industrial supply industry. And don't think that innovation doesn't exist in this business. New distribution models, such as vending machines in customers' facilities that help better track purchasing, have been a big contributor to Fastenal's year-over-year growth.

Right now, Fastenal's short interest ratio comes in at 17.27. That's a good indication that short sellers are counting on a slowdown in those revenue and profit growth rates. Since 2010, profits are up more than 67%. But being short FAST looks like a crowded trade in March. Look out for earnings on April 11 as a possible squeeze trigger.

Coach

Last up is luxury handbag maker Coach (COH), a company that was the poster-child for organic growth in the void of the Great Recession five years ago. Coach has built a business out of hitting the sweet spot between luxury and price, offering customers attainable luxury without diluting its brand vale. That's a tough tightrope to walk (many once-premium brands have failed at it), and the fact that Coach made it to the other side should secure the firm's growth trajectory for years to come.

Coach makes and sells handbags and other accessories (such as wallets and umbrellas) through a network of around 550 North American stores and a large presence online and in third party channels like department stores. Emerging markets have been a huge source of growth more recently, as a burgeoning middle class looks to acquire aspirational brand-name merchandise.

Financials don't get much better than Coach's. The firm carries a nearly $1.3 billion cash and investment position, and no debt. That means that there's enough wherewithal on COH's balance sheet to pay for nearly 10% of the firm's outstanding shares at current price levels. That's a big risk reducer, and it puts the firm's ex-cash P/E down to just 13x earnings -- not a growth stock multiple.

Still, at last count, shorts have piled into COH with a short interest ratio of 10.06.

To see these short squeezes in action, check out this week's Short Squeezes portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>4 Stocks Under $10 Triggering Breakouts

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

>>2 Big Stocks Getting Big Earnings Attention

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Top 10 High Tech Companies To Own For 2014

Top 10 High Tech Companies To Own For 2014: Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NAVB)

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Navidea), formerly Neoprobe Corporation, incorporated in 1983, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of precision diagnostic agents. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's radiopharmaceutical development programs included Lymphoseek (Lymphoseek, Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection), a radiopharmaceutical agent for lymph node mapping; AZD4694, an imaging agent, and RIGScan, a tumor antigen-specific targeting agent. In January 2012, the Company executed an option agreement with Alseres Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alseres) to license [123I]-E-IACFT Injection, also called Altropane, an Iodine-123 radiolabeled imaging agent, being developed as an aid in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, movement disorders and dementia. In August 2011, the Company sold its gamma detection device line of business (the GDS Business) to Devicor Medical Products, Inc.

Lymphoseek

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Navidea's pipeline includes clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical agents used to identify the presence and status of disease. Lymphoseek (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection) is a lymph node targeting agent intended for use in intraoperative lymphatic mapping (ILM) procedures and lymphoscintigraphy employed in the overall diagnostic assessment of certain solid tumor cancers. The lymph system is a component of the body's immune system. The key components of the lymph system are lymph nodes-small anatomic structures that contain disease-fighting lymphocytes, filter lymph of bacteria and cancer cells, and signal infection in response to heightened levels of pathogens. In Navidea's Phase III clinical studies of Lymphoseek, it detected over 99% of positive nodes identified by vital blue dye (VBD). As of December 31, 2011, Nav! idea, in co-operation with UC, San Diego affiliate (UCSD), completed or initiated five Phase I clinical trials, one multi-cent er Phase II trial and three multi-center Phase II trials inv! olving Lymphoseek. Two Phase III studies were completed in subjects with breast cancer and melanoma. During the year ended December 31, 2011, data from NEO3-09 were released, which indicated that all primary and secondary endpoints for the study were met. As of December 31, 2011, third Phase III clinical trial for Lymphoseek in subjects with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (NEO3-06) was in progress.

AZD4694

AZD4694 is a Fluorine-18 labeled precision radiopharmaceutical candidate for use in the imaging and evaluation of patients with signs or symptoms of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). It binds to beta-amyloid deposits in the brain that can then be imaged in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Amyloid plaque pathology is a required feature of AD and the presence of amyloid pathology is a supportive feature for diagnosis of probable AD. Patients who are negative for amyloid pathology do not have AD. AZD4694 has been studied in several clinical trials. Clinical studies through Phase IIa have included more than 80 patients to date, both suspected AD patients and healthy volunteers. No significant adverse events have been observed. Results suggest that AZD4694 has the ability to image patients quickly and safely with high sensitivity.

RadioImmunoGuided Surgery

As of December 31, 2011, RIGScan had been studied in a number of clinical trials, including Phase III studies. Navidea has conducted two Phase III studies, NEO2-13 and NEO2-14, of RIGScan in patients with primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, respectively. Both studies were multi-institutional involving cancer treatment institutions in the United States, Israel, and the European Union.

The Company competes with Pharmalucence, Eli Lilly, Bayer Schering, Gener! al Electr! ic and GE Healthcare.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc.(NAVB) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a priority review for an expanded use of its Lymphoseek drug for some patients with head and neck cancer. Shares dropped 5.4% to $1.97 premarket.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Tuesday’s session are Toll Brothers Inc.(TOL) and Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc.(NAVB)

• [By Sean Williams]

  Diagnostics can also play an important role in early and late-stage breast cancer diagnoses. Navidea Biopharmaceuticals (NYSEMKT: NAVB  ) had Lymphoseek, its external lymph-node imaging and intra-operative lymphatic mapping diagnostic device, approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year to help doctors stage cancer. Discovering whether breast cancer has invaded adjacent lymph nodes has never been easier or safer thanks to Lymphoseek, and it can dramatically aid physicians in determining the best course of action for breast cancer patients.

• [By Keith Speights]

  3. Navidea Biopharmaceuticals (NYSEMKT: NAVB  )
  Some investors were likely befuddled by Navidea's stock action earlier this year. The company received FDA approval in March for Lymphoseek, its radiopharmaceutical agent used for imaging lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer or melanoma. That was great news, but shares dropped quickly and still haven't returned to previous levels.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-high-tech-companies-to-own-for-2014.html

Sinking biotechs drag down Nasdaq

NEW YORK — Blame the pain the Nasdaq composite suffered Monday on sick and sinking biotech shares.

Biotech, the high-flying sector that came back to earth on Friday when the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology exchange traded fund plunged 4.7%, is suffering another day of steep losses Monday, as the intensifying sell-off enters its second trading session.

The biotech ETF, which includes innovative drugmakers with well-known names such as Biogen, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Celgene, Alexion and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, was down another 2.8% in mid-day trading today, pushing it down 13% from its 52-week intraday high of $275.40 on Feb. 25.

That puts the once-high-flying sector, which was up 20.3% for the year at its peak, into correction territory, defined as a drop of 10% or more.

STOCKS MONDAY: How markets are doing

Swooning biotechs have hurt the Nasdaq composite, which fell 1.2%, more than double the 0.5% decline of the broader Standard & Poor's 500 stock index.

What's causing the downdraft:

1. Pricey shares. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF was getting very pricey, based on a price-to-earnings basis. The ETF had a P-E of 29, according to Yahoo Finance, which is nearly double the S&P 500's P-E of 15.7, based on expected 2014 earnings.

The froth is coming out of the shares.

2. Pricing worries. One purported catalyst for the selling in the biotech sector came Friday when a powerful Congressional committee sent a letter to Gilead Sciences, asking the drugmaker to explain its pricing policy on its new hepatitis C drug Sovaldi. The drug costs $84,000 in the U.S. for a 12-week treatment, a high price tag that some insurers, including the government's Medicaid program, are balking at.

Gilead shares, which fell almost 6% on Friday, closed up 6 cents, or 0.1%, to $72.13 on Monday.

3. Fears of a top. There has been talk of two different markets on Wall Street: the frothy high-flying sectors, such as biotech and social media, and the rest of th! e market. Recent angst over an impending market top, coupled with triggers that spark selling, has thrust many aggressive investors into profit-taking mode on their big winners.

Best Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014

Also today, Celgene was down 2.1% to $141.42, adding to Friday's nearly 4% drop. Vertex was off 1.9% to $72.44.

Other hot Nasdaq stocks, such as social media darling Facebook and electric car market Tesla, were also down sharply today, declining 4.7% and 3.8%, respectively.

The big question now is whether the selling has played itself out.

3 Distributors Stocks to Buy Now

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The grades of three distributors stocks are better this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these stocks has an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”) rating.

Edgen Group Inc. Class A () ups its rating to a B (“buy”) this week after earning a C (“hold”) in the week before. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategory of Equity, EDG also gets an A. .

Top 5 Insurance Companies To Watch For 2014

United Rentals, Inc. () improves from a C to a B rating this week. United Rentals is an equipment rental company that serves construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and government entities. Shares of URI have increased 13.8% over the past month, better than the 1.7% decrease the S&P 500 has seen over the same period of time. .

This week, Aircastle Limited’s () ratings are up from a C last week to a B. Aircastle is engaged in acquiring, leasing, and selling commercial jet aircrafts to passenger and cargo airlines throughout the world. At $19.33, the stock is above the 50-day moving average of $18.83. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Ten States Where People Can’t Afford Food

There are several states in which more than 20% of the population cannot always afford to feed themselves. Most of these also have among the highest poverty rates.  A large number of the states are in the South, which based on poverty rates and eduction, should not come as a shock.

According to a new Gallup poll:

For the sixth consecutive year, Mississippians were the most likely in the U.S. to report struggling to afford food. In 2013, 25.1% report there was at least one time in the last 12 months when they did not have enough money to buy the food they or their families needed. Residents in West Virginia, Louisiana, and Alabama were also among the most likely to struggle to afford food. Residents of Alaska, New Hampshire and Minnesota were among the least likely to have this problem.

Following Mississippi among the 10 states which are worst off:

2) West Virginia (23.0%), 3) Louisiana (23.0%), 4) Alabama (22.9%), 5) Arkansas (22.9%), 6) North Carolina (22.2%), 7) Kentucky (21.8%), 8) Georgia (21.5%), 9) Oklahoma (21.2%), and 10) Arizona (21.1%)

All of these states have poverty rates above the national average.

The states on the list usually appear frequently over time:

Alabama has been among the 10 states most likely to report struggling to afford food in each of the six years Gallup and Healthways have tracked this measure. Louisiana, Arkansas, and Georgia are also frequent visitors on this list. Each has appeared five times since tracking began. Other repeat states among the 10 most likely to report struggling to afford food are West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Oklahoma — each making the list four of the last six years. This is the first time Arizona has been among the 10 states reporting the highest percentage of residents who struggled to afford food.

Finally, Gallup is not particularly optimistic about plans to lessen the problem:

To address this issue, states try to help their struggling residents afford food by offering food assistance programs. However, Congress passed an update to the Farm Bill in early 2014 that cuts approximately $8 billion from national food assistance programs over the next decade. This could make it harder for states to help their residents who struggle to afford food. Some states are trying to fight these cuts to continue to provide food assistance for their residents, but rising food prices nationally could make food affordability an even bigger issue in the coming year, regardless of the cuts.

Methodology: “Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey Jan. 2-Dec. 29, 2013, with a random sample of 178,067 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.”

Rush Delivery: Get FedEx In Your Portfolio

Top Gold Stocks To Watch For 2014

Investing Daily analysts have been bullish on FedEx Corp (NYSE: FDX) and current indicators show that a positive sentiment is still appropriate for the company.

See here and here for more background on Federal Express from InvestingDaily.com experts.

Finding good stocks like FDX is becoming paramount, as winter gives way to spring. The S&P 500 is only up by one percent so far this year, and that's after a plunge of negative 5.5 percent in January. Geopolitical upheaval in the Ukraine, high debt in key emerging market countries like China, and a sluggish US jobs market are all pulling down the US stock market right now.

In an interview with TheStreet.com this week, Dan Veru, Palisade Capital Management’s chief investment officer, says he expects the stock market to hold its uneven performance "for three to six months."

But FDX is showing all the signs of being the exception to the rule, and should see its stock price (about $137 per share this week) to rise above $155 per share this year. How so?

Take the company's third-quarter financials. The firm doesn't post its Q3 revenues until Wednesday, March 19, but there's enough data out there to show that Fed Ex has survived a rough winter and is poised for upward growth for the remainder of the year.

The third quarter was a wild one for the nation's second-largest shipping service. It included the all-important holiday shopping season, which wasn’t kind to Fed Ex and its arch rival UPS (NYSE: UPS), the top shipping services company in the US. The season included the worst winter weather conditions in years, which impacted the ability of delivery companies to ship client packages.

Still, the news looks upbeat for Fed Ex. Here's what the company is expecting from its own fin! ancial projections:

E-Commerce shipments are expected to be up 6 percent.Sales are expected to rise by 5 percent versus the same quarter in 2012.Earnings per share (EPS) should grow by 23 percent, to $1.51.Fed Ex raised its earnings guidance for the entire year by 8 percent to 14 percent growth, up from 7 percent to 13 percent.Net profits should rise by 14 percent, spurred by FDX's move to more fuel-efficient aircraft and a drive to lower retirement pension and health care costs (more on that below).Fed Ex also reports that it hiked its freight shipping rates by 3.9 percent, as of March 31, 2014.

Analyst expectations are pretty much in line with Fed Ex's own financial projections for Q3. A survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters out this week shows FDX should report $11.46 billion in revenues, and $1.52 in EPS. Those figures represent a 5 percent and 7 percent growth rate, respectively.

Q3 numbers, as indicated above, may be skewed due to the volatile winter weather conditions in most of the US in January and February. Citigroup analysts as much as said so, lowering their Q3 EPS estimates from $1.55 to $1.45, citing "severe winter weather", which certainly won't be a factor for the last nine months of 2014. That's why Citi still holds a "buy" on FDX.

Reports of significant insider selling may be spooking some potential FDX buyers, but those fears are overblown – Fed Ex is in the midst of a major stock repurchase program and company sellers are looking to leverage the opportunity and sell at historic high share price levels.

The stock buyback program, which FDX launched last October, only targets 10 percent of all the company's outstanding shares. The company is targeting a good chunk of the stock repurchase program to pay off employees who accepted buyout packages, which should eventually lower operational costs, especially in terms of retirement and pension costs.

Thomson Reuters points out that FDX pension and retirement health care costs have already! fallen f! rom $5.6 billion in May, 2012, to $3.7 billion in November, 2013.

On the revenue side, Fed Ex is also hiking its freight delivery charges by 3.9 percent, after raising its residential ground delivery and express service fees by 4.6 percent in January, 2014. That should help both segments, which account for the bulk of FDX's revenues going forward, and coupled with the move to curb operational expenses, help drive FDX's stock price upward.

All in all, FDX is a healthy "buy" for Investing Daily investors, who could really use a special delivery stock winner in an uneven stock market so far this year.

Brian O'Connell is an investment analyst at Investing Daily. He also is chief investment strategist of 401k Millionaire. He has appeared as an expert financial commentator on CNN, NPR, Fox News, Bloomberg, CNBC, C-Span, CBS Radio, and many other media broadcast outlets.

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We continually try to foster interaction with our readers. By promptly responding to your queries, we help make you a better investor—and you help us continually improve the quality of our advisories.

Factory output jumps in Feb. by most in 6 months

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factory output rebounded strongly in February after harsh winter storms caused a steep drop-off in production in January. Manufacturers produced more autos, home electronics and chemicals.

The Federal Reserve said Monday that factory production surged 0.8%, nearly reversing a 0.9% plunge in January that was due mainly to weather. February's gain was the largest in six months.

The figures suggest that factories are poised to boost output and drive more economic growth as the weather improves.

Overall industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mining and utilities, rose 0.6% in February, the biggest increase since September. Industrial production had fallen 0.2% in January.

Utility output dipped 0.2% despite the cold weather. The drop came after a sharp 3.8% jump in January.

Auto production rose 4.6% after falling 5.1% in January. Home electronic output increased 0.7%. And food production rose about 1%.

Factories ran at 76.4% of capacity, up one-half of a percentage point over the month and 2.3 percentage points below the long-run average.

Manufacturing and the broader economy may be emerging from a winter slump. A rebound in factory output could drive faster growth in the coming months.

A private survey this month found that manufacturers received more orders in February even as production fell. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, said its overall index of manufacturing activity rose to 53.2 in February from 51.3 in January.

Best Cheapest Companies To Buy For 2014

And Americans spent a bit more at retail stores in February after pulling back in December and January. That may mean that consumer demand is picking up, which could lead to more factory output.

But some other data have been negative. A government report showed that factory orders dipped in January. Auto sales have slo! wed after a big gain in 2013. Sales were flat in February after a drop in January.

Businesses kept up their restocking of store shelves and warehouses in January even as sales fell. That means retailers and other firms could be stuck with some unwanted goods. Rising inventories could weigh on factory production in coming months if companies cut back on orders.

The economy will grow at about a 2% annual rate in the first three months of this year, economists forecast, down from more than 3% in the final six months of last year. But most expect it will pick up later this year to a 3% annual pace.

FAA Releases Report on Boeing 787's Design, Manufacture

Boeing's design and manufacture of its cutting-edge 787 jetliner is safe despite the plane's many problems since its rollout, including a fire that forced a redesign of the plane's batteries, according to a report issued jointly Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration and the aircraft maker.

The yearlong review concluded "the aircraft was soundly designed, met its intended safety level, and that the manufacturer and the FAA had effective processes in place to identify and correct issues that emerged before and after certification," the agency said in a statement.

The report also makes several recommendations for further improvements by Boeing and FAA.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta asked for the review in January 2013 after a lithium-ion battery caught fire on a 787 parked at Logan International Airport in Boston. A battery aboard another 787 failed less than two weeks later.

Best Stocks To Watch For 2014

The 787, Boeing's newest and most technologically advanced plane, is the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium-ion batteries. Since the FAA didn't have safety regulations for those batteries as installed equipment in planes when the 787 was designed, the agency and Boeing jointly developed the special safety conditions the plane's battery system should meet.

After the battery failures, the FAA was criticized for relying too heavily on designated Boeing employees to ensure the safety of the plane's design and manufacture.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the battery fire in Boston is still underway. Wednesday's report was not intended to address the battery's design, but rather the overall safety of Boeing's design and manufacture of the plane and the adequacy of FAA's oversight.

Top 10 Heal Care Stocks To Watch For 2014

Top 10 Heal Care Stocks To Watch For 2014: Hillenbrand Inc(HI)

Hillenbrand, Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells funeral service products to licensed funeral directors operating licensed funeral homes. The company?s products include burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers, vaults, urns, and selection room display fixturing for funeral homes, as well as other personalization and memorialization products and services, including Web-based applications, and the creation and hosting of Websites for licensed funeral homes. It markets its products under the Batesville and Options brand name through direct sales force in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The company also designs, produces, markets, sells, and services bulk solids material handling equipment and systems for various industrial markets, including plastics, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power generation, coal mining, pulp and paper, frac sand, industrial minerals, agribusiness, recycling, wood and forest pr oducts, and biomass energy generation. It offers feeders and pneumatic conveying equipment under the K-Tron brand name; and size reduction equipment, such as hammer mills, double-roll crushers, wood and bark hogs, chip sizers, screening equipment, pneumatic and mechanical conveying systems, storage/reclamation systems, and specialty crushers and other equipment under the Pennsylvania Crusher, Gundlach, and Jeffrey Rader brand names. In addition, the company manufactures dry material separation machines that sort dry, granular products based on the particle?s size serving various industries, including frac sand, potash, urea, phosphates, chemical, agricultural, plastics, and food processing. The company sells its material handling equipment and systems worldwide through a combination of a direct sales force, and a network of independent sales representatives and distributor! s. Hillenbrand, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected: Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD), Hillenbrand Inc (NYSE: HI), Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) Economic Releases Expected: German retail sales, French consumer confidence, German unemployment rate, eurozone CPI, eurozone PPI, US trade balance, US redbook

  Wednesday

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Hillenbrand Inc. (HI), a diversified industrial company, makes and sells business-to-business products and services for various industries worldwide. Dec. 4, the company increased is quarterly dividend 1.3% to $0.1975 per share. the dividend is payable Dec. 31, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 17, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-heal-care-stocks-to-watch-for-2014.html

Ask Matt: Don't rush in on individual stocks

USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com.

Q: What's the most I could have lost in stocks the past three years?

A: Investors like to think they can't do all that much damage. Many investors are blinded by the fact that the market tends to rise. So even if they choose poorly, how bad can the losses really be?

But that's not really the case.

Investors who don't do their research, pick stocks about to crash or are just plain unlucky can cause tremendous damage to their portfolios. Bad stock picking doesn't just hurt your returns, but has the potential of destroying your portfolio. Investors who picked the worst stock in the current Standard & Poor's 500 in 2011, 2012 and 2013 would have suffered a 93% loss over the three years. That means an initial investment of $10,000 in 2011 would be worth a mere $651 at the end of three years. That's a loss few investors can ever recover from.

It's not as hard as it seems. Investors chasing alternative energy and solar during the craze of 2011 might have jumped into First Solar. Those shares, though, fell 74.1% in 2011. Hoping to score from the mobile gadget craze, these investors might have seen Best Buy as a winner. But shares of the retailer fell 49.3% in 2012. And then investors hoping for a commodity bounce, who jumped into Newmont Mining, lost 50.4%.

These numbers are a big reminder to investors that trying to pick individual stocks is risky and the losses can be enormous when you're wrong. Don't think the market's general upward trend will bail you out.

TRACK YOUR STOCKS: Get real-time quotes with our free Portfolio Tracker

Follow Matt Krantz on Twitter: @mattkrantz.

Top 5 Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014

Top 5 Sliver Stocks To Buy For 2014: Bonavista Energy Corp (BNPUF.PK)

Bonavista Energy Corporation (Bonavista) is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas assets. The Company operates approximately 87% of its assets which are concentrated within three core regions in western Canada. Each core region contains a well-balanced portfolio of oil and natural gas assets with considerable opportunities. Its operations are geographically focused within three regions of Western Canada, which includes Western region, Northern region and Eastern region. The Company's subsidiaries include Bonavista Petroleum (BP), Bonavista Energy LP (BELP) and Bonavista Energy Inc. (BEI). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

  Husky Energy (HUSK.PK), see article here.Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGH), see article here.Southern Pacific Resource (STPJF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), see article here.Devon Energy (DVN), see article here.Imperial Oil (IMO), see article here.Baytex, see article here.Bonavista Energy (BNPUF.PK), see article here.

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-sliver-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Best Safest Stocks To Own Right Now

Best Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Cornerstone Total Return Fund Inc (CRF)

Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is a closed-end, diversified management investment company. Its investment objective is to seek capital appreciation with current income as a secondary objective. The Fund may invest without limitation in other closed-end investment companies and ETFs, provided that the Fund limits its investment in securities issued by other investment companies so that not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund. It invests in sectors, such as information technology, industrial, financials, healthcare, energy, consumer discretionary and consumer staples. The Fund is managed by Cornerstone Advisors, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  According to a Gabelli Funds report, managed distribution policies offer several advantages, including:1. Lower difference between the fund's market price and its NAV per share.2. Provides support during periods when the stock market is in a decline.3. Provides a measurable performance target for the investment adviser.Below are several high-yield funds from CEFA that have a managed distribution policy (yields as of December 16):Aberdeen Australia Eqty (IAF)- Distribution Yield: 10.4%- Income Yield: 346%Bexil Advisers LLC  (DNI)- Distribution Yield: 11.1%- Income Yield: 3.56%BlackRock En Capital&Inc (CII)- Distribution Yield: 8.78%- Income Yield: 2.34%Cornerstone Strat Value (CLM)- Distribution Yield: 18.77%- Income Yield: 1.83%Cornerstone Total Return (CRF)- Distribution Yield: 19.10%- Income Yield: 0.85%Delaware Inv Div & Inc (DDF)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 5.26%Gabelli Equity Trust (GAB)- Distribution Yield: 7.58%- Income Yield: 1.54%Gabelli Utility Trust (GUT)- Distribution Yield: 9.45%- Income Yield: 2.84%MFS Special Value Trust (MFV)- Dis! tribution Yield: 9.60%- Income Yield: 5.73%Nuveen Tx-Adv TR Strat (JTA)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 3.12%TCW Strategic Income (TSI)- Distribution Yield: 10.54%- Income Yield: 7.88%Zweig Total Return (ZTR)- Distribution Yield: 7.27%- Income Yield: 1.95%As noted in the Gabelli report, a managed distribution policy may create confusion regarding the true current yield since the reported yield includes the return of capital portion. You can see the disparity above between the income yield and the distribution (reported) yield.If you are looking for a sustainable and growing dividend, you may want to consider some blue-chip dividend stocks such as these with a Free Cash Flow Payout less than 50%, 50+ years of consecutive dividend increases and a 2%+ yield:3M Co. (MMM) is a diversified global company provides enhanced product functionality in electronics, health care, industrial, consumer

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

Best Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now

Best Cheapest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp (BAH)

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (Booz Allen Holding), incorporated in May 2008, is a provider of management and technology consulting services to the United States government in the defense, intelligence and civil markets. In addition, it provides management and technology consulting services to corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it derived 98% of its revenue from services provided to more than 1,200 client organizations across the United States government under more than 5,800 contracts and task orders. During fiscal 2012, it derived 90% of its revenue in fiscal 2012 from engagements, for which it acted as the prime contractor. On November 30, 2012, the Company purchased the Defense Systems Engineering and Support (DSES) division of ARINC Incorporated.

Defense Clients

During fiscal 2012, the Company's defense business revenue represented 53% of its bus iness. It works with its the United States Army clients to help sustain their land combat capabilities while responding to current demands and preparing for future needs. The services, which it provided include enhancing field intelligence systems, delivering rapid response solutions to counter improvised explosive devices, infusing lifecycle sustainment capabilities to improve distribution and delivery of material, and employing systems and consulting methods to help expand care and support for soldiers and their families. Its clients include Army Headquarters, Army Material Command (AMC), Forces Command (FORSCOM), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and Program Executive Offices, Direct Reporting Units and Army Service Component Commands.

The Company employs a multidimensional approach, which analyzes and balances people, processes, technolog! y, and infrastructure to meet their missions of equipping global forces. Its clients include the Office of the Secre tary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant ! of the Marine Corps to the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the United States Navy/Marine Corps operating commands and systems commands, as well as the Joint Program Executive Offices (PEO) and individual PEOs, such as Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Naval Seas Systems Command (NAVSEA), United States Marine Corps Systems Command, and Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR).

The Company provides integrated strategy and technical services to the United States Air Force. It brings capabilities to assignments, which includes weapons analysis, capability-based planning, and aircraft systems engineering. It also supports the space industry. Its clients include Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Cyber Command, Air Force Pacific Command and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The Company provides mission-critical support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and other the United States government departments and agencies during the planning and mission execution phases. Its clients include organizations within the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense's agencies, as well as the Pacific Command, Northern Command, Central Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Southern Command, European Command, Strategic Command, Special Operations Command, and Transportation Command.

The Company provides solutions designed to protect infrastructure systems for the public and private sector to its United States government defense and intelligence agency clients to meet cyber warfare threats. Its cyber professionals handles the sensitive materials, assist clients in all phases of cyber-security operations and dynamic network def! ense. It ! develops cyber-security solutions utilizing a multi-dimensional approach, including people, operations, technology , policy, and management.

Intelligence Clients

The Company provides the primary group of government agencies and organizations, which carry out intelligence activities for the United States government (the United States Intelligence Community), with consulting and mission support services in analysis, systems engineering, program management, operations, organization, and change management, budget and resource management, studies, and war-gaming. During fiscal 2012, its intelligence business represented 23% of its business based on revenue. Its intelligence clients include United States Intelligence Agencies, Joint Staff and Unified Combatant Commands, and Military Intelligence.

The Company provides critical support in strategic planning, policy development, program development and execution, information sharing, architecture, and program management for research and development projects, as well as support to reform initiatives flowing from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Protection Act. It deliver s intelligence analysis, including providing all-source intelligence analysis and open-source intelligence analysis. It also provides data collection management and analytical systems intelligence training services, and provides intellectual capital for intelligence activities. It provides consulting services, integrated intelligence and information operations mission support, and a range of counterintelligence services to the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Defense Intelligence Agency.

Civil Clients

During fiscal 2012, the Company's civil business represented 24% of its business based on revenue. Its civil government clients include Financial Services, Health, Energy, Transportation and Environment, Justice and Homeland Security, and Business of Government. The Compa! ny provid! es support to the United States government finance and treasury organizations charged with the collection, management, and protection of the United States financial system, including ! the Depar! tment of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and other agencies of the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Board and Banks, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. It creates approaches to challenging problems, including bank receivership, payment channel modernization, cyber initiatives, and fraud detection.

The Company supports United States government clients on projects, which helps to achieve public health missions, including entitlement reform, developing a national health information network, mitigating risk to populations, improving government infrastructure, and facilitating an international public-private sector dialogue on international health issues. Its clients include the Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Defense Military Health System, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Company supports clients in the transportation, energy, and environment sectors which controls over its national infrastructure. Its services include strategy, operations, technology, and engineering. Its clients include the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Interior and their component agencies, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It also supports the Department of Defense in environmental and infrastructure programs in the United States and Europe. The Company supports the United States government's homeland security mission and operations in the areas of intelligence (analysis, information sharing, and risk ass! essment),! operations (coordination, contingency planning, and decision support), strategy, technology and management (program management and i nformation technology tools), emergency management and respo! nse plann! ing, and border, cargo, and transportation security. It supports law enforcement missions and operations in counterterrorism, intelligence and counterintelligence, and criminal areas (narcotics, white collar crime, organized crime, and violent crime).

The Company helps agencies manage the business processes, which support government in its provision of services to its citizens, spanning management, personnel, budget operations, information technology, and telecommunications. Its clients include the General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management, the Congress and Courts. It also support public sector grant-making agencies, from health and education, to labor and homeland and economic security, serving clients, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Commerce, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the National Science Foundation. In addition, it serves the United States government clients abroad in helping them resolve systemic global development needs. Its clients include the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of State, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the World Bank.

Commercial and International Clients

The Company is serving industries, such as financial services, healthcare, and energy. Its service offerings to commercial clients include dynamic defense (cyber), next-generation virtual infrastructure, decision analytics, design for affordability, and smart compliance. Its commercial clients include major commercial banks and investment banks, healthcare providers, energy companies, and utilities. Its international activities are focused on the Middle East and North Africa region. Its service offerings to international clients! focuses ! on on-line government services and cloud applications, enterprise resource planning, advanced persistent threat resolution, supervisory control and data acquisition, and geospatial systems. Its internati! onal clie! nts include government ministries and commercial companies in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Company competes with CACI International, Inc., L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., ManTech International Corp., SRA International, Inc., TASC Inc., General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co., Accenture, Computer Sciences Corp., Deloitte Consulting LLP and SAIC, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  On Tuesday, the Department of Defense awarded contractor Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) a contract worth an estimated $65.6 million to support the Defense Readiness Support System-Navy.

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded nine contracts worth a combined $239.5 million Monday. Among public companies, a few of the bigger winners included:

  General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) won a $45.2 million award exercising an option on a previously awarded contract. GE will supply the U.S. Navy with seven F414-GE-400 spare engines and multiple engine components for its F/A-18E/F fighter jets. This contract should be complete by November 2015. Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) is a winner in a $30.9 million award under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple-award contract "for support of emerging navigation technologies for air and shipboard command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance system applications." The DoD's contract announcement said a second, unnamed contractor has won a similar award, and both awardees will now have to compete for individual task orders the Navy may put up for bid over the next three years. Additionally, this contract may be extended by! a two-ye! ar option period -- potentially raising the value of the contract to $52.7 million, and potentially extending the contract out to May 5, 2016. B/E Aerospace (NASDAQ: BEAV  ) was awarded an unrelated maximum $6.6 million contract. B/E will supply various engine parts, avionics, wheels, and brakes to the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as needed through May 5, 2017.

  link

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

Top Low Price Stocks To Watch For 2014

Top Low Price Stocks To Watch For 2014: ING Groep NV (ING)

ING Groep N.V. (ING), incorporated in 1991, is a global financial institution offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to meet the needs of the customers. The Company's segments include banking and insurance. Banking segment includes retail Netherlands, retail Belgium, ING direct, retail central Europe (CE), retail Asia, commercial banking (excluding real estate), ING real estate and corporate line banking. Insurance segment includes insurance Benelux, insurance central and rest of Europe (CRE), insurance United States (US), Insurance US closed block VA, insurance Asia/Pacific, ING investment management (IM) and corporate line insurance. In February 2011, the Company divested its real estate investment operation ING Real Estate Investment Management (ING REIM) to CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. In June 2011, the Company sold Clarion Partners. In July 2011, ING announced the completion of the sale of Clarion Real Estate Securities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company divested its interests in ING Car Lease and ING IM Philippines. In February 2012, Capital One Financial Corp. acquired ING Direct business in the United States from the Company.

In June 2011, ING had completed the sale of its interest in China's Pacific Antai Life Insurance Company Ltd. In June 2011, ING announced the completion of the sale of real estate investment manager of its United States operations, Clarion Partners, to Clarion Partners management in partnership with Lightyear Capital LLC. In October 2011, ING announced that it had completed the sale of REIM's Asian and European operations to CBRE Group Inc. In December 2011 ING completed the sale of its Latin American pensions, life insurance and investment management operations.

Retail Netherlands

Retail Banking reaches its individual custo! mers through Internet banking, telephone, call centers, mailings and branches. Using direct market ing methods, it is a provider of current account services an! d payments systems to provide other financial services, such as savings accounts, mortgage loans, consumer loans, credit card services, investment and insurance products. Mortgages are offered through a tied agents sale force and direct and intermediary channels. ING Bank Netherlands operates through a branch network of approximately 280 branches. It offers a range of commercial banking activities and also life and non-life insurance products. It also sells mortgages through the intermediary channel.

Retail Belgium

ING Belgium provides banking, insurance (life, non-life) and asset management products and services to meet the needs of individuals, families, companies and institutions through a network of local head offices, 773 branches and direct banking channels (automated branches, home banking services and call centers). ING Belgium also operates a second network, Record Bank, which provides a range of banking products through independent banking agents and credit products through a multitude of channels (agents, brokers, vendors).

ING Direct

ING Direct offers a range of financial products, such as savings, mortgages, retail investment products, payment accounts and consumer lending products. It operates in Canada, Spain, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom. In June 2011, ING Group announced the sale of ING Direct USA to Capital One Financial Corporation.

Retail Central Europe

Retail Central Europe has a presence in Poland, and Romania and Turkey. ING in Poland is an Internet bank. During 2011, ING Bank Turkey launched the Orange account, the variable savings product. ING in Turkey also launched a mobile phone banking application. ING Bank Romania carried out its Internet banking site, Home'Bank. In September 2011, a mobile versi! on of the! Home'Bank Website was introduced.

Retail Asia

Retail Banking has a presence in Asian markets of India, China and Thailand. As o! f Decembe! r 31, 2011, the Company had 44% interest in ING Vysya and 30% interest in TMB Bank in Thailand. Bank of Beijing (BoB), in which ING has the largest single interest (16.07%) is a commercial bank in China. ING provides principally risk management and retail banking to BoB.

Commercial Banking

ING Commercial Banking supports the banking needs of its corporate and institutional clients to invest both retail and commercial bank customer deposits. It is a commercial bank in its home markets in the Benelux, as well as in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to the banking services of lending, payments and cash management and treasury, it also provides solutions in other areas, including specialized and trade finance, derivatives, corporate finance, debt and equity capital markets, leasing, factoring and supply chain finance. Payments and Cash Management (PCM) and General Lending are its some of the product lines. Structured Finance (SF) is a sp ecialist commercial lending business, providing loans to support capital intensive investments and working capital. It is managed in three groups: the Energy, Transport and Infrastructure Group; the Specialized Financing Group; and International Trade and Export Finance. Leasing and Factoring (L&F) provides financial and operating leasing services for a range of equipment, as well as receivables financing and other factoring solutions for commercial banking clients. The Financial Markets (FM) is the global business unit that manages ING's financial markets trading and non-trading activities. FM is managed along three business lines: ALCO manages the interest rates exposures arising from the traditional banking activities, Strategic Trading Platform incorporates the primary proprietary risk taking units, and Clients and Products is the primary customer trading ! facilitat! ion business line.

Real Estate

During 2011, Real Estate Finance (REF) maintained its credit portfolio. Real Estate Development (ING RED) and! Real Est! ate Investment Management (ING REIM) has a controlled wind down of activities.

Insurance Benelux

Duirng 2011, Nationale-Nederlanden introduced bank pension savings products and annuities. ING Life Belgium introduced a new Universal Life product. Nationale-Nederlanden also received a license from the Dutch Central Bank to launch a defined contribution DC company pension product PPI in Europe. NN Services introduced a processing and information technology system (business process management layer) for several legacy lines of retail Life businesses. NN Services IT manages all the closed book business of Nationale-Nederlanden. ING's life insurance products in the Benelux consist of a range of traditional, unit-linked and variable annuity policies written for both individual and group customers. ING is also a provider of (re-insured) company pension plans in the Netherlands.

NG Benelux' non-life products, mainly in the Netherlands, incl ude coverage for both individual and commercial/group clients for fire, motor, disability, transport and third party liability. Nationale-Nederlanden has also a central product manufacturing service for property and casualty insurance, which has developed products for ING Bank in Belgium and ING Bank in the Netherlands. ING offers a range of disability insurance products and complementary services for employers and self-employed professionals (such as dentists and general practitioners).

Insurance Central and Rest of Europe

Insurance Central and Rest of Europe has life insurance companies in Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey. It has pension funds in Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Bulgaria, Romania and in Turkey. ING offers a range of individual endowm! ent, unit! linked, term and whole life insurance policies designed to meet specific customer needs. It also has employee benef its products, as well as pension funds, that manage individu! al retire! ment accounts for individuals. The latter comprise both mandatory and voluntary retirement savings.

Insurance United States (Excluding US Closed Block Va)

ING Insurance US offers retirement services (primarily defined contribution plans), life insurance, fixed annuities, employee benefits, mutual funds, and broker-dealer services in the United States. ING Insurance US operates four businesses: Retirement Plans, Individual Retirement, Individual Life and Employee Benefits. ING Insurance US's Retirement Plans business is a contribution providers, which offers a range of retirement solutions to all sizes and types of employers, including businesses for-profit ranging from start-ups to large corporations, public and private school systems, higher education institutions, state and local governments, hospitals and healthcare facilities, and not-for-profit organizations. ING Insurance US's Retirement Plans business is a provider of defined contribution (DC) retirement plans in the United States based on assets under management and administration.

Insurance US Closed Block Va

ING US Closed Block VA consists of variable annuities issued in the United States that are primarily owned by individuals and were designed to address the demand for tax-advantaged savings, retirement planning, and wealth-protection. These annuity contracts were sold in the United States, primarily through independent third party distributors, including wirehouses and securities firms, independent planners and agents and banks.

Insurance Asia/Pacific

ING Insurance Asia/Pacific (IAP) is a provider of life insurance products and services. It is a life insurer in the region, with nine life operations in eight markets. IAP has ip operations in Japan and South Korea, ope! rates a n! t business in Malaysia, and is well in China, Hong Kong, Macau, India and Thailand. In April 2011, IAP, together with Public B ank Berhad and Public Islamic Bank Berhad, launched a joint ! venture i! n Malaysia, ING PUBLIC Takaful Ehsan Berhad, which will develop Takaful insurance products. In June 2011, IAP completed the sale of its 50% interest in Pacific-Antai Life Insurance Company Limited (PALIC).

The business units of IAP offer select types of life insurance, wealth management, and retail products and services. These include annuities, endowment, disability/morbidity insurance, unit linked/universal life, whole e, participating life, group life, accident and health, term life and employee benefits. In Hong Kong non-life insurance products (including medical, motor, fire, marine, personal accident and general liability) are also offered.

Insurance Latin America

ING completed the sale of its pensions, life insurance and investment management operations on December 29, 2011. These operations were in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

ING Investment Management

ING IM is an investment manager of IN G Group with activities in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. In October 2011, ING IM sold ING IM Australia. ING IM provides a range of actively-managed strategies, investment vehicles and advisory services in all major asset classes and investment styles. It delivers a range of investment strategies and services to ING's global network of businesses and third-party clients.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL), Tempur-pedic International Inc. (NYSE: TPX), ING Group, N.V. (NYSE: ING), Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE: DUK), Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) Economic Releases Expected: Australian unemployment rate, US CB Leading Index, eurozone retail sales, British Industrial and manuf! acturing ! production, eurozone services PMI

  Thursday

• [By Eric Volkman]

  ING's (NYSE: ING  ) Latin American operations will soon be one division lighter. The company announced it reached an agreement to sell its mortgage business in Mexico to Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico (NYSE: BSMX  ) , the local presence of Spanish financial group Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN  ) . The price was 643 million pesos ($51 million), according to Mexico City newspaper La Cronica de Hoy.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  More than a handful of foreign companies had solid performances over the past year. Netherlands-based financial giant ING Groep (NYSE: ING  ) surged 50%, as it sold off various assets as part of a multibillion-dollar government bailout agreement. It spun off a stake in its U.S. operations via an IPO earlier this year, with ING U.S. expected to be rebranded as Voya Financial.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  ING is a financial services company providing service to consumers and companies around the world. The company is being forced to sell its South Korean life insurance unit by European regulators. The stock is now trading near highs for the year and looks poised to continue. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been decreasing, however, investors in the company have been pleased with the company’s recent announcement. Relative to its peers and sector, ING has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for ING to OUTPERFORM.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-low-price-stocks-to-watch-for-2014.html

Hot Safest Stocks For 2015

Hot Safest Stocks For 2015: Royale Energy Inc.(ROYL)

Royale Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and natural gas producer in the United States. It engages in the production and sale of oil and natural gas; acquisition of oil and gas lease interests and proved reserves; drilling of exploratory and development wells; and sale of working interests in wells to be drilled. The company also owns wells and leases located principally in the Sacramento Basin and San Joaquin Basin in California, as well as in Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. In addition, it holds proved developed producing reserves of oil and natural gas in Texas and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, Royale Energy operated 52 natural gas wells in California; owned and operated 7 natural gas wells in Utah; and had non operating interests in 17 oil and gas wells in Texas, 3 in Oklahoma, 1 in California, and 2 in Louisiana. It also had proved developed reserves of 4,563 MMcf and total proved reserves of 4,617 MMcf of natural gas; and proved developed oil reserves of 16 Mbbl and total proved oil reserves of 16 Mbbl. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Does the name Royale Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROYL) ring a bell? If you're a regular reader of the Small Cap Network site or newsletter, it might. Back on February 3rd, yours truly penned some bullish thoughts on the way ROYL was acting at the time. Given what we had seen up until that time, though Royale Energy had not yet begun to rally, the stock was getting within reach of a monster-sized breakout. Well, that breakout may be underway as of today.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  With nothing more than a passing glance at Royale Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROYL), it would be easy to dismiss it as just another volatile small caps... one of many small cap stocks that gets a little squirrelly every n! ow and then. The longer you study the chart of ROYL, however, the clearer it becomes... this chart looks like it's coming out of a slightly bearish lull and working its way into an uptrends.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-safest-stocks-for-2015-2.html

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now

Being an executive at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) can be no easy job at the moment. This is one of only a few large institutions that could have survived without a government bailout, and now many missteps and outside efforts have put this banking giant inside of a serious quagmire. With all of the regulatory efforts at work simultaneously against the bank, it gets easier and easier to argue that the regulatory bodies are pressuring this banking giant into a breakup of some sort.

The London Whale debacle may go down in the books as the historical death sentence. Jamie Dimon lost his ability to speak critically and publicly against regulators and politicians after eating crow over the “tempest in a tea kettle” analogy. Despite taking a multibillion loss, the bank never really lost money in any of its quarterly reports. Still, now there are criminal charges over cover-ups by executives and staffers. And the London Whale himself is working with prosecutors. Hmm …

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: ADDvantage Technologies Group Inc.(AEY)

ADDvantage Technologies Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, distributes and services a range of electronics and hardware products for the cable television industry. The company provides new, surplus-new, and refurbished products in various brands, including Cisco, Motorola and Arris Solutions for use in connection with video, telephone and internet data signals. It offers headend products, including digital and analog satellite receivers, integrated receiver/decoders, demodulators, modulators, antennas and antenna mounts, amplifiers, equalizers, and processors for signal acquisition, processing, and manipulation for further transmission; fiber products comprising optical transmitters, fiber-optic cable, receivers, couplers, splitters, and compatible accessories for transmitting the output of cable system headend to virus locations using fiber-optic cables; and access and transport products, such as transmitters, receivers, line extenders, broadband amplifiers, direction al taps and splitters for use in permiting signals to travel from the headend to their destination in a home, apartment, hotel room, office or other terminal location. The company also provides customer premise equipment consisting of digital converter boxes and modems to receive, record, and transmit video, data, and telephony signals; and hardware equipment, such as test equipment, connector, and cable products. In addition, it offers Fujitsu Frontech North America encoders, decoders, and other media solutions products primarily for use in the broadcast industry. The company markets and sells its products to franchise and private MSOs, telephone companies, system contractors, and other resellers primarily in the United States, Canada, Central America, Mexico, and rest of South America. ADDvantage Technologies Group, Inc.was founded in 1989 and is based in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] through some changes now ��due to a new (adverse) agreement with Cisco (CSCO). But, historically, it competed on delivery alone. By having products in stock and ready to ship ��their motto is ��n hand on demand����ADDvantage could compete with original equipment manufacturers even though those manufacturers could sell the same product (in large numbers and slow delivery times) for much less.

  That's my biggest concern with whether an industry is easy to understand or not. If a competitor offers to sell its product for 5% less than you charge, how do you respond? Do you have to respond? Can you ignore price competition like that?

  Now, there are obviously industries where price competition is critical and yet the business is easy to understand. Groceries, auto insurance, etc. Even the deposit gathering aspect of some banks is very simple and easy to understand.

  The lending part��not so much.

  My concern is a durable competitive advantage. Something that I can recognize. I have to be able to understand it. In some sense, to actually imagine it. There are many companies with competitive advantages that are just too esoteric for me to understand. I�� probably recognize them if I worked in that industry day after day. You notice things when you��e close enough to see them illustrated every day in a million different anecdotes. Reading about an industry from afar is much harder to do. So the competitive advantage has to be pretty plain and simple. Or I won�� see it when I read it. But that�� competitive advantages. And I'm not sure competitive advantages are the topic of greatest interest to the folks you'll be interviewing with.

  I know that when it comes to what stocks people are most likely to make money on ��it often comes down to familiarity. Are you willing to study the company? And then are you willing to trust your judgment when the stock price moves against you ��as it almost certainly will ��at some critical

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: bebe stores inc.(BEBE)

bebe stores, inc. engages in the design, development, and production of women?s apparel and accessories. Its products include a range of separates, tops, dresses, active wear, and accessories in career, evening, casual, and active lifestyle categories. The company markets its products under the bebe, BEBE SPORT, bbsp, and 2b bebe brand names targeting 21 to 34-year-old woman. As of July 2, 2011, it operated 252 retail stores, and an online store at bebe.com in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Japan, and Canada, as well as 60 international licensee operated stores in south east Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, Mexico, and Turkey. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Brisbane, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  bebe stores (NASDAQ: BEBE  ) continues to outfit its shareholders in cash by maintaining its dividend policy. The company has declared a fresh quarterly distribution of $0.025 per share of its stock, payable on June 20 to shareholders of record as of June 6.��That amount matches the company's preceding disbursement, which was handed out in mid-March.

Top 10 Life Sciences Companies To Invest In Right Now: UniCredit SpA (UCG)

UniCredit SpA is an Italy-based holding company engaged in the financial sector. The Company�� division model is based on four pillars: Customer Centricity, A Multi-Local Approach, Global Product Lines, and Global Service Lines. The Customer Centricity area focuses on the Retail, Corporate & Investment Banking and Private Banking areas. The Centralized Multi-Local Approach takes responsibility for the distribution networks and customer relationships. The Global Products Lines are responsible for developing the products and services across all geographic areas. The Global Service Lines which supply the network coverage functions and product factories with specialized services, including Banking Back Office, Information and Communication Technology, Credit Collection, Procurement Services, Real Estate and Shared Service Centers. On October 28, 2013, the aggregate sale by UniCredit SpA of Fondiaria Sai SpA equal to 6.7% was complied. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Banco Popolare SC led Italian lenders higher as the country�� 10-year bond yields declined. Popolare rallied 7 percent to 1.05 euros in Milan. Banca Popolare di Milano Scrl increased 4.7 percent to 52.4 euro cents. And UniCredit SpA (UCG), Italy�� biggest bank, climbed 3.6 percent to 3.63 euros.

• [By Alexis Xydias]

  Banks led the rally over the past four months, with Paris-based Societe Generale SA (GLE) and UniCredit SpA (UCG), Italy�� biggest lender, surging more than 45 percent.

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (BXRBF)

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited (the Bank) is engaged in the range of banking and other financial services, including retail banking, mortgage distribution through third-parties, business lending, margin lending, business banking and commercial finance, invoice discounting, funds management, treasury and foreign exchange services (including trade finance), superannuation, financial advisory and trustee services. In retail banking it derives income from the provision of first mortgage finance less interest paid to depositors; and fee income from the provision of banking services delivered through the Company-owned branch network and the interest and fee income from the Community Bank branch network. In third party banking it derives income and fees from the manufacture and processing of residential home loans. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australia stocks enjoyed early Monday gains after an advance for commodities and U.S. stocks since the last session, with a relatively good reception for earnings. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) improved by 0.4% to 5,376.30, with miners tracking gains in gold and copper. Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) added 1.3%, and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) traded 1.1% higher, while gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) rallied 2.2% and 4.7%, respectively. Banks rose after Wall Street shares climbed on Friday, with National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) up 1% and Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) adding 0.9%, though Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) dropped 2.4% as it traded without rights to its latest dividend. Coal transport firm Aurizon Holdings Ltd. (AU:AZJ) (QRNNF) tacked on 2.1% as its fiscal first-half underlying profit increased 18%, though net profit f

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Idacorp Inc (IDA)

IDACORP, Inc. (IDACORP), incorporated on February 2, 1998, is a holding company. The Company's operating subsidiary is Idaho Power Company (Idaho Power). Idaho Power is an electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, and purchase of electric energy. Idaho Power is the parent of Idaho Energy Resources Co. (IERCo), a joint venturer in Bridger Coal Company (BCC), which mines and supplies coal to the Jim Bridger generating plant owned in part by Idaho Power. IDACORP's other notable subsidiaries include IDACORP Financial Services, Inc. (IFS), an investor in housing and other real estate investments and Ida-West Energy Company (Ida-West), an operator of small hydroelectric generation projects.

Idaho Power is a combination hydro-thermal utility with 17 hydroelectric projects, three natural gas-fired plants, one diesel-powered generator and part ownership in three coal-fired generating plants. Idaho Power serves approximately 506,000 customers in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Boise, Idaho-based energy company IdaCorp (IDA) raised its quarterly dividend 13.2% to 43 cents per share, payable Dec. 2 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 6.
  IDA Dividend Yield: 3.37%

• [By Dividends4Life]

  IDACORP Inc. (IDA) Idaho Power Company, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, and purchase of electric energy in the United States. Sept. 19, the company increased its quarterly dividend 13.2% to $0.43 per share. The dividend is payable Dec. 2, 2013 to IDACORP shareholders of record on Nov. 6, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 3.6%.

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top Stocks To Buy For 2014: Brown-Forman Corp (BFB)

Top Stocks To Buy For 2014: Brown-Forman Corp (BFB)

Brown-Forman Corporation, incorporated on October 19, 1933, primarily manufactures, bottles, imports, exports, markets, and sells a variety of alcoholic beverage brands. The Company’s principal brands are Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Pepe Lopez Tequilas, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve Bourbons, Jack Daniel’s Ready-to-Drinks, Canadian Mist Blended Canadian Whiskies, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Chambord Liqueur, Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack Chambord Vodka, Gentleman Jack, Collingwood Canadian Whisky, Southern Comfort, Early Times Bourbon, Southern Comfort Ready-to-Drinks, Early Times flavored line extensions, Southern Comfort flavored line extensions, Early Times Kentucky Whisky, Finlandia Vodkas, Korbel California Champagnes, Finlandia Ready-to-Drinks, Little Black Dress Vodkas, Antiguo Tequila, Maximus Vodkas, el Jimador Tequilas, Old Forester Bourbon, el Jimador New Mix Ready-to-Drinks, Sonoma-Cutrer Wines, Herradura Tequilas, and Tuaca Liqueur.

 

The Company’s products are sold in more than 150 countries around the world. The Company’s international markets include Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Poland, France, Russia, Japan, Turkey, Canada, Spain, Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil and Italy.

 

The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Beam Inc., Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., Diageo plc, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A., Pernod Ricard S.A., and Remy Cointreau S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Christopher & Banks Corporation (NYSE: CBK), Brown Forman Corporation (NYSE: BFB), Express, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR), Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: AVGO) Economic Releases Expected: US nonfarm employment change, US trade balance, Canadian trade balance, US new home sales, US ISM non-manufacturing PMIThursday

• [By Seth Jayson]Brown-Forman (NYSE: BFB  ) reported earnings on June 5. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended April 30 (Q4), Brown-Forman met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.