The Perils of Retirement at Age 65

Best Wireless Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Alamy Age 65 is the year we traditionally associate with retirement, but this age is declining in significance. Only one major retirement benefit still kicks in at this age, and plenty of people aspire to retire at both earlier and younger ages. Here's a look at why age 65 no longer resonates as a target retirement age: You won't qualify for full Social Security benefits. While you can begin Social Security payments as early as age 62, you won't get the full amount you have earned unless you sign up at your full retirement age. The full retirement age used to be 65 for people born in 1937 or earlier, but has since been increased to 66 for most baby boomers and 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later. If you claim your Social Security benefit at age 65 you will get a reduced monthly payment compared to waiting until your full retirement age. For example, a worker born in 1965 will get 13.3 percent smaller monthly payments if he signs up at age 65 instead of waiting until his full retirement age of 67. Spousal benefits are also reduced if you claim them at age 65. While spouses are entitled to 50 percent of the higher earner's benefit payment if it's more than they can get based on their own work record, if you begin receiving spousal payments at age 65 you will get only 41.7 percent of the higher earner's payments.

Celgene: Why There’s Upside

If Celgene (CELG) were a Beach Boy, it would be David Marks, who left the band and missed out on all the fun.

This year, Celgene has dropped 9.9%, even as other giant biotech companies like Biogen Idec (BIIB), Gilead Sciences (GILD) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) has gained 7% or more. Even the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) has managed to stay above water despite big March losses.

Part of Celgene’s weakness can be attributed to the battle over Revlimid, which is facing a patent challenge. UBS analyst Matthew Roden and team explain why they’re sticking with Celgene:

We spoke to the company and a legal expert following the Markman order this week, and continue to believe that a 2025-27 Revlimid patent duration is likely (which in our opinion is not priced in). Our Buy thesis on Celgene is unchanged, as it trades at a considerable discount to its DCF until the legal case is resolved 2014-1H15e, as well as other catalysts that we believe can drive upside to
numbers…

Apart from a possible settlement, we believe upside can be driven by a good Otezla launch and ph3 data in ankylosing spondylitis (1H14), as well as Revlimid and Vidaza label expansion studies. Indeed we are considerably higher than consensus 2015-17.

Shares of Celgene have slipped 0.4% to $152.68 at 2:09 p.m. today, while Biogen Idec has dipped 0.3% to $319.04, Gilead Sciences has fallen 1.4% to $80.90 and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has ticked up 0.2% to $306.76. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF has dropped 1.2% to $132.12.

Best Retail Companies To Watch In Right Now

Best Retail Companies To Watch In Right Now: Shoe Carnival Inc (SCVL)

Shoe Carnival, Inc. is a family footwear retailer. The Company offers customers an assortment of dress, casual and athletic footwear for men, women and children with emphasis on national and regional name brands. The Companys stores averaged approximately 10,800 square feet, ranging in size from 6,000 to 26,500 square feet. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 327 stores located across 32 states and offered online shopping at www.shoecarnival.com. Its average store carries approximately 28,500 pairs of shoes in four general categories, such as mens, womens, childrens and athletics. In addition to footwear, its stores carry selected accessory items complementary to the sale of footwear.

The Company operates a single 410,000 square foot distribution center located in Evansville, Indiana. Womens, mens and childrens non-athletic footwear categories are further divided into dress, casual, sport, sandals and boots. It classifies athletic shoes by functionality, such as running, basketball or fitness shoes. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), athletic styles, including childrens sizes, have represented approximately 50% of its footwear sales.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang]

  Shoe Carnival (SCVL) is forecast to post earnings of 52 cents a share in the third quarter.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-retail-companies-to-watch-in-right-now.html

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Barclays PLC (JO)

Barclays PLC (Barclays) is a global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. The Companys operations include its overseas offices, subsidiaries and associates. The Company operates in eight segments: UK Retail and Business Banking (UK RBB), Europe Retail and Business Banking (Europe RBB), Africa Retail and Business Banking (Africa RBB), Barclaycard, Barclays Investment Bank, Barclays Corporate Banking, Wealth and Investment Management, and Head Office and Other Operations. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Time for a cup of joe
  Two years ago I slapped a CAPScall of underperform on the iPath DJ AIG Coffee ETF (NYSEMKT: JO  ) following what looked like a rampant speculative run higher. Coffee stockpiles weren't particularly low back then and there didn't appear to be any weather-related production concerns, so the run-up in coffee futures looked unwarranted. Sure enough, two years later that CAPScall is up nearly 90 points. Now, I'm going to turn that frown upside down and suggest it's the perfect time to consider buying this ETF that closely tracks coffee futures!

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-bank-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Drug maker wants to sell Cialis over the counter

INDIANAPOLIS — The maker of erectile dysfunction drug Cialis wants its pill sold to men without a prescription.

Under a licensing deal between Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) and French drugmaker Sanofi (SAN), Cialis could become the first prescription drug for male impotence to be sold over the counter. The plan still needs approval from regulators, who would weigh the risks of allowing the drug to be sold without a doctor's visit.

The two companies hope for a 2018 launch of what they're calling Cialis OTC. That's the same year patents for Cialis are expected to expire in the United States and Europe, allowing cheaper generics to take over and effectively dry up Lilly's considerable profits from the drug.

Cialis generated $2.16 billion in sales last year and was Lilly's fourth best-selling drug.

2014: Erectile drug may help boys with muscular dystrophy
2013: Cialis receives EU approval for new use

A plan to sell Cialis over the counter would allow the Indianapolis drugmaker to continue to profit from the drug as an impotence treatment.

Lilly didn't reveal financial details of the deal with Sanofi. Under the deal, Sanofi will be responsible for commercializing nonprescription Cialis wherever it receives approval while Lilly will manufacture Cialis for Sanofi. The drug, sold in tablet form, is made by Lilly in Puerto Rico.

Men don't want to go through the hassle and sometimes discussions with doctors. There is a need to self-diagnose.

Dave Ricks, Eli Lilly and Co.

Cialis has been prescribed to more than 45 million men since its launch in Europe in 2002 and in the United States a year later. The drug has been widely used and proven to be safe and effective, so it's a good candidate to sell over the counter, said Dave Ricks, a senior vice president at Lilly.

In addition, over-the-counter sales would be a safer option for men than buying illicit forms of Cialis online without a prescription, Ricks said. He said many of the Cialis tablets advertised online! are fake or adulterated.

A large unmet demand exists for over-the-counter Cialis because many men suffering from impotence don't feel comfortable talking to a doctor about the problem, Ricks said.

"Half of (American) men over 40 suffer ED," Ricks said. "But the current market (for prescription ED drugs) only represents a fraction (of potential patients). Men don't want to go through the hassle and sometimes discussions with doctors. There is a need to self-diagnose. We think that (over-the-counter) availability is key to helping guys" with impotence.

The first prescription erectile dysfunction drug to market was Pfizer's Viagra, introduced in the late 1990s. Pfizer applied in Europe several years ago to sell Viagra over the counter but later withdrew its request.

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Eli Lilly's Cialis orange tablet was the second erectile dysfunction the FDA approved.(Photo: Eli Lilly and Co.)

Lilly said Sanofi will take the lead in pursuing regulatory approval to sell Cialis over the counter. One concern for regulators will be that Cialis isn't supposed to be taken with medicines called nitrates often prescribed for chest pain. The combination can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Regulators also might be concerned that impotence is sometimes a sign of other medical problems, which won't be discovered if men are allowed to buy Cialis without a checkup.

Potentially, regulators could approve over-the-counter sales of Cialis only at certain doses and for some indications, Ricks said.

Lilly said it struck a deal with Sanofi to ! take the ! lead in Cialis OTC because Sanofi has experience in conducting consumer studies and gaining approval for over-the-counter formulations of other brand drugs, including allergy medications Nasacort and Allegra.

Two died in 2006 Cobalt crash. But GM counts only one

The death of Natasha Weigel, who was in the backseat of a GM Cobalt that crashed in 2006, is not counted among the 13 fatalities stemming from an ignition switch failure.

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) Natasha Weigel, 18, and her friend Amy Rademaker, 15, died from car crash injuries in October 2006, after their Chevy Cobalt hit a tree in St. Croix County, Wisconsin.

Amy was sitting in the passenger seat in the front. Natasha was in the back.

However, General Motors counts only Amy's death among the 13 caused by ignition switch failures.

Natasha's family learned last month from government safety regulators that she is not on GM's list of confirmed deaths.

The reason: Amy's front-seat airbag didn't activate, a problem with the ignition switch failures. Since Natasha was in the backseat, which didn't have airbags, her death was not tied to an unactivated airbag. She died 11 days after the accident from head injuries. The driver was also injured but survived.

GM confirmed to CNNMoney that its list includes only those in the front seat of cars whose airbags didn't inflate.

"I don't understand how Amy can be on that list and not Natasha," said Ken Rimer, Natasha's step father. "Had the ignition switch not failed, they'd both be alive."

Best Transportation Stocks To Watch For 2015

General Motors has yet to reach out to either girls' parents directly. Both parents say they learned about the tie between the accident and the ignition switch problem earlier this year. They are represented by the same lawyer, Robert Hilliard of Texas, and joined a lawsuit with other victims suing GM in March.

Amy's mother, Margie Beskau, received an email from the government around April 11 that her daughter was one of the victims. She was surprised that Natasha's name wasn't on that list.

"GM is trying to pass this off as an airbag problem, and it's not," Beskau said.

  Families call GM cars 'death trap'

GM declined to comment on the lawsuit. But spokesman Greg Martin said that "GM has taken responsibility for its actions and will keep doing so."

--CNN's Chris Isid! ore contributed to this report.

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Own For 2015

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Own For 2015: Hansen Medical Inc.(HNSN)

Hansen Medical, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells medical robotics designed for positioning, manipulation, and control of catheters and catheter-based technologies. The company?s products comprise the Sensei Robotic Catheter System and its related Artisan and Lynx catheters. It offers Sensei Robotic Catheter systems and Artisan catheters for manipulation, positioning, and control of mapping catheters during electrophysiology procedures. The company also provides robotic platforms consisting of the Magellan Robotic System and the NorthStar Robotic Catheter for the treatment of vascular disease. In addition, it offers CoHesion 3D Visualization Module, a software interface that provide physicians with 3D visualization to augment their ability to move a catheter throughout the heart, as well as control the placement of the catheter in specific locations. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States; and through direct sales force and dis tributors primarily in the European Union and internationally. It has a joint development agreement and co-marketing agreement with St. Jude Medical, Inc. for the development of CoHesion 3D Visualization Module; and a collaboration agreement with Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. to co-develop integrated products for use in the diagnosing and treatment of arrhythmias. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  While billed as a rival to America's Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) , Mazor actually bears closer resemblance to tiny Hansen Medical (NASDAQ: HNSN  ) . Lacking profits despite raking in nearly $15 million in revenues last year, Mazor doesn't generate positive free cash flow like Intuitive does. Instead, it burns it like Hansen does (albeit more slowly). Last year, negative free cash flows amounted t! o $2.1 million, which suggests that Wallachbeth's endorsement may be a bit premature.

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap medical robotics stock MAKO Surgical Corp (NASDAQ: MAKO) soared 82.19% after it was announced that Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) would acquire it meaning it might be time to take a closer look at large cap medical robotics leader Intuitive Surgical, Inc (NASDAQ: ISRG) along with small caps Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and Hansen Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: HNSN). MAKO Surgical Corpmarkets both its RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System and proprietary RESTORIS family of implants to surgeons for a procedure called MAKOplastythat provides a less invasive method for knee resurfacing and a new procedure for Total Hip Arthroplasty.Stryker Corporation, whose medical technologies include reconstructive, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products, agreed to pay $1.65 billion or $30 a share for a massive 86%premium for MAKO Surgical Corp. Thats sounds great for investors unless you are an investor who go in the stock ba ck in 2011 and early 2012 when shares hit as high as the$43 level.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap robotic stock Adept Technology (NASDAQ: ADEP) has put in a very good performance this month verses its immediate peeriRobot Corporation (NASDAQ: IRBT) as well as against medical robotic stocks like MAKO Surgical (NASDAQ: MAKO), Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and Hansen Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: HNSN). I should also mention that we have recently added Adept Technology to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio (we are up 9% since last week) because we feel robotics is an improving sector as companies aim to reduce overhead and improve efficiencies through machine to machine (M2M) automation.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-industrial-disributor-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html

It Cannot Get Any Worse at Sears — Except at J.C. Penney

For those who had hoped that Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) would break out of its multiyear revenue and earnings funk, think again. After too many management changes to count, and fits and starts of redesigning its K-Mart and Sears stores, majority holder and CEO Eddie Lampert botched it again.

There is no reason to go beyond the retail holding company’s press release:

Second Quarter Revenues and Comparable Store Sales Revenues decreased $596 million to $8.9 billion for the quarter ended August 3, 2013, as compared to revenues of $9.5 billion for the quarter ended July 28, 2012.

And:

For the quarter, domestic comparable store sales declined 1.5%, comprised of decreases of 2.1% at Kmart and 0.8% at Sears Domestic. The decline at Kmart reflects decreases in our transactional categories, such as grocery & household, pharmacy and drugstore. It also includes declines in consumer electronics and toys. These decreases were partially offset by increases in the footwear and lawn & garden categories.

Of course, Sears Holdings lost money. Last year the net loss was $133 million. This year that improved to a loss of $127 million.

Lampert was crazy enough to paint the picture as OK:

“We made meaningful progress this quarter in our transformation to a member-centric company. Shop Your Way members represented over 65% of our sales and they redeemed rewards points at a significantly higher rate than last year. While the increase in Shop Your Way promotional activity and member redemptions resulted in a meaningful increase in our costs, it demonstrates that our members are deepening their engagement with our program which will allow us to further accelerate our transformation,” commented Eddie Lampert, Sears Holdings’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “At the same time, we recognize how important it is to improve the profitability of our company and I am disappointed that we did not deliver a better result.”

So, stronger engagement, but weaker sales.

Dell Boosts Share of Shrinking Server Market; HP, IBM Slip Further

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) posted its highest-ever share of the global server market — 18.8% — as competitors International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) both lost share. That s the good news for Dell; the bad news is that the worldwide market is shrinking.

According to the latest data from International Data Corp. (IDC), factory revenue in the worldwide server market fell 6.2% in the second quarter of 2013, from $12.64 billion in the second quarter of last year to $11.86 billion. IBM maintained its top spot in both market share and revenue, with a 27.9% share and sales of $3.31 billion. Those totals represent a loss of 1.2% of market share and 10% lower revenue.

HP remained in second place, but like IBM, saw market share decline from 29.5% in the second quarter of 2012 to 25.9% and revenues shrink by 17.5%, from $3.72 billion to $3.07 billion.

Dell's market share rose from 16.0% to 18.8% and revenues rose 10.3%, from $2.02 billion to $2.23 billion.

Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) also lost share and posted lower revenues, while fifth place Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) gained 1.5% of market share and saw revenues rise by 42.6%. Cisco's total second-quarter revenues, however, amounted to just $537 million.

Demand for Windows Server from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) fell 5.1% year-over-year, although quarterly Windows Server hardware revenue totaled $5.8 billion, nearly half of all factory revenue for the quarter. Unix-based servers continue to lose share as Linux-based servers continue to post gains. Linux now accounts for 23.2% of all server shipments while Unix servers have dropped to 15.1%, the lowest ever total, according to IDC. IBM's z/OS accounted for 9.8% server factory revenue.

Data center growth and cloud-based computing are driving what growth there is, but the uncertain economic environment acts as an anchor to sustained gains as server customers seek more efficiency and lower infrastructure costs.

Sweets makers work to keep names off e-cigs

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — Owners of brands geared toward children of all ages are battling to keep notable names like Thin Mint, Tootsie Roll and Cinnamon Toast Crunch off the flavored nicotine used in electronic cigarettes.

General Mills, the Girl Scouts of the USA and Tootsie Roll Industries are among several companies that have sent cease-and-desist letters to makers of the liquid nicotine demanding they stop using the brands and may take further legal action if necessary. They want to make sure their brands aren't being used to sell an addictive drug or make it appealing to children.

The actions highlight the debate about the array of flavors available for the battery-powered devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution, creating vapor that users inhale. The Food and Drug Administration last month proposed regulating electronic cigarettes but didn't immediately ban fruit or candy flavors, which are barred for use in regular cigarettes because of the worry that the flavors are used to appeal to children.

It's growing pains for the industry that reached nearly $2 billion in sales last year in the face of looming regulation. E-cigarette users say the devices address both the addictive and behavioral aspects of smoking without the thousands of chemicals found in regular cigarettes.

There are about 1,500 e-liquid makers in the U.S. and countless others abroad selling vials of nicotine from traditional tobacco to cherry cola on the Internet and in retail stores, often featuring photos of the popular treats. Using a brand name like Thin Mint or Fireball conjures up a very specific flavor in buyers' minds, in a way that just "mint chocolate" or "cinnamon" doesn't.

"Using the Thin Mint name — which is synonymous with Girl Scouts and everything we do to enrich the lives of girls — to market e-cigarettes to youth is deceitful and shameless," Girl Scouts spokeswoman Kelly Parisi said in a statement. Thin Mints are one type of cookie sold by Girl Scouts to fund their organizat! ion.

The issue of illegally using well-known brands on e-cigarette products isn't new for some. For a couple of years, cigarette makers R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and Philip Morris USA have fought legal battles with websites selling e-cigarette liquid capitalizing on their Camel and Marlboro brand names and imagery. The companies have since released their own e-cigarettes but without using their top-selling brand names.

"It's the age-old problem with an emerging market," said Linc Williams, board member of the American E-liquid Manufacturing Standards Association and an executive at NicVape, which produces liquid nicotine. "As companies goes through their maturity process of going from being a wild entrepreneur to starting to establish real corporate ethics and product stewardship, it's something that we're going to continue to see."

Williams said his company is renaming many of its liquids to names that won't be associated with well-known brands. Some companies demanded NicVape stop using brand names, such as Junior Mints, on their liquid nicotine. In other cases, the company is taking proactive steps to removing imagery and names like gummy bear that could be appealing to children.

"Unfortunately, it's not going to change unless companies come in and assert their intellectual property," he said.

And that's what companies are starting to do more often as the industry has rocketed from thousands of users in 2006 to several million worldwide, bringing the issue to the forefront.

"We're family oriented. A lot of kids eat our products, we have many adults also, but our big concern is we have to protect the trademark," said Ellen Gordon, president and chief operating officer of Tootsie Roll Industries. "When you have well-known trademarks, one of your responsibilities is to protect (them) because it's been such a big investment over the years."

Michael Felberbaum can be reached on Twitter @MLFelberbaum.

Top US Companies To Invest In 2015

Top US Companies To Invest In 2015: Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd (IMPUY.PK)

Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) is a producer of platinum group metals (PGMs) and associated base metals. Implats has operations on the PGM-bearing orebodies of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa and the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe. PGMs include platinum, and the associated by-products, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and gold usually occur in association with nickel and copper. As of June 30, 2012, the Company's holdings in various mining and exploration activities included Impala Platinum Limited (100%), which includes PGM mining, processing and refining; Impala Refining Services Limited (100%), which is engaged in purchase of concentrate and/or smelter matte; Impala Chrome (Pty) Limited (100%) and Makgomo Chrome (Pty) Limited (50%), which are engaged in purchase of chrome in tailings, and Zimplats Holdings Limited (86.9%), Afplats (Pty) Limited (74%), Marula Platinum (Pty) Limited (73%), Mimosa Investments Limited (50%) and Two Rivers Platinum (Pty) Lim ited (45%), which are engaged in PGM mining.

Impala Platinum

Impala Platinum, Implats' primary operational unit, has operations situated on the Impala lease area on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex near Rustenburg in South Africa, and in Springs east of Johannesburg. Impala holds contiguous mining rights and prospecting rights for a total area of 260 square kilometres. Operations comprise 14 operational shaft systems, five of which have underground decline systems.

Zimplats Holdings Limited

Zimplats Holdings Limited (Zimplats) is 87% owned by Implats and is located on the Hartley Geological Complex on the Zimbabwean Great Dyke south-west of Harare. Zimplats operates three underground mines and a concentrator at Ngezi. The Selous Metallurgical Complex (SMC), located some 77 kilometer north of the mine, co! mprises a concentrator and a smelter. The Company also owns the Hartley Platinum Mine situated at the SMC, whic h is under care and maintenance.

Marula Platin! um Limited

Marula Platinum Limited (Marula) is 73% owned by Implats. Marula is located in the Limpopo Province, some 50 kilometres north of Burgersfort. The operation consists of two on-reef decline shafts, one off-reef conventional decline and a concentrator plant.

Mimosa

Mimosa is wholly owned by Mimosa Investments Limited, a Mauritius-based company jointly held by Implats and Aquarius Platinum Limited (Aquarius) in a 50:50 joint-venture. Mimosa is located on the Wedza Geological Complex on the Zimbabwean Great Dyke east of Bulawayo. The operation comprises a shallow underground mine, accessed by a decline shaft, and a concentrator.

The Two Rivers Platinum Mine

The Two Rivers Platinum Mine (Two Rivers) is a joint venture between African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) (55%) and Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) (45%). The operation is situated on the farm Dwarsrivier on the southern part of the eastern limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The operation consists of two on-reef decline shafts and a concentrator.

Impala Refining Services (IRS)

IRS products include flotation concentrates from Marula, Mimosa and Two Rivers, as well as Aquarius' Marikana, Everest mine and Blue Ridge mines (on care and maintenance) and Eastern Platinum's Crocodile River mine; furnace matte from Zimplats; spent autocatalysts from A-1 Specialised Services and Supplies Inc. for recycling, and selected base metal residues and other secondary materials.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks Investment Research]

  It is hard to find a good play in the Zacks Industry of mining non-ferrous metals, as the industry currently has a rank of 247 out of 261. In fact, in our five mining industries, there are only two No.! 1-Ranked! stocks: Brigus Gold (BRD) and Impala (IMPUY.PK). Both of these are in struggling industries, but they have proven to be best-in-class thanks to improving earnings estimates. Plus, both have seen their ranks surge from holds (or worse) up to strong buy territory, suggesting either of these names might be better picks than the struggling SCCO at this time.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-us-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

Osmium Partners Presentation - Spark Networks Inc.

5 Best Electric Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now

Osmium Partners Presentation - Spark Networks Inc.

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6 Top Mobile Websites for Investors: Dalbar

Americans are increasingly accessing the web from their mobile phones, and investors who can’t get the information they need or perform the transactions they’re seeking may quickly migrate to more mobile-friendly rivals.

That’s why Boston-based research firm Dalbar rated 48 financial services company apps, according to 11 distinct evaluation categories including design, security, mobile optimization, ease of use, personalization/customization, support, interaction with the firm, interactivity, navigation, core content and behavior centric.

Just three mobile sites rated excellent, and another three rated very good — one of each in the mutual fund, insurance/annuity and retirement website categories.

 (Check out 10 Top Mobile Apps for Investors: Dalbar at ThinkAdvisor.)

"In order to remain 'in the customer's view,' financial firms must stay current and leverage the mobile Web," said Kathleen Whalen, managing director of Dalbar in a statement released Monday. She added, "These industry leaders have recognized this necessity by providing mobile optimized websites that will continue to attract mobile subscribers by creating a seamless mobile experience reminiscent of traditional desktop websites and by using innovative strategies for providing financial content for mobile consumption."

Here are six mobile sites that succeed in engaging the growing on-the-go segment of the population (starting with the three firms rated very good, followed by the three attaining excellent ratings).

No. 2 in Mutual Fund Category: Putnam Investments

Score (out of 100): 72.88

The ability to interact for simple two-way communication between firm and investor is critical, and Putnam Investments excels particularly in Dalbar’s “interaction with the firm” category.

Be it an email form, links to official social channels, old-fashioned phone numbers or the ability to download forms and complete applications from one’s mobile device, Putnam Investments’ responsive design provides a user-friendly experience.

No. 2 in Life Insurance and Annuity Category: MetLife

Score (out of 100): 73.37

A potential deterrent to using an account on the go is the difficulty of remembering the account credentials for investors’ various accounts.

“Fortunately, MetLife includes the option to elect to have the site ‘Remember My Username.’ By simply sliding the pictured button to the Yes position, the site will recall a username and conveniently pre-fill this field on subsequent visits,” writes Dalbar, which ranks the firm as a standout in “personalization/customization.”

No. 2 in Retirement Firm Category: Great-West

Score (out of 100): 70.15

Not every mobile user wanting to use a financial site can do so without occasional support.

Great-West stands out in this category, offering “content-based help throughout its mobile site via small, interactive gray question mark icons. Once tapped, an overlay box appears with helpful, relevant information specific to that topic,” writes Dalbar.

No. 1 in Mutual Fund Category: American Century

Score (out of 100): 86.36

Investors searching for market insights, fund information or wanting to perform a transaction are hardly likely to proceed if they don’t know where to go or can’t read the text. But American Century’s cleanly designed and well thought out user experience differentiate the firm’s mobile site from blurry competitors.

For example, the firm discretely provides users the option to to intentionally show a typed password as a means of avoiding klutzy typing errors, while maintaining a privacy default in case someone’s looking overhead.

“From a visual perspective, American Century’s mobile site continues to impress with ideal button sizes, an area for featured content and minimal, yet helpful, icon usage," Dalbar writes. "Even without logging in, users can find value in the firm’s mobile site as they offer both product and market-related information pre-login.”

No. 1 in Life Insurance and Annuity Category: USAA

Score (out of 100): 83.47

USAA’s mobile site is a real head turner, says Dalbar, and highly functional.

“Receiving the maximum possible score in design, those keen on nifty designs will have a hard time looking away from USAA’s mobile site,” Dalbar writes. "There is, however, more to the site than shadow, gradient and coloring subtleties. In addition to looking good, USAA’s site is also highly functional when compared to other insurance sites. Account holders can easily check basic policy-related information such as the policy value, cash value as well as premiums. Furthermore, an on-site tool can be used to generate an instant quote.”

Dalbar’s report also praises USAA mobile site’s member community, which allows users to post articles or vote, comment and search those of others.

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No. 1 in Retirement Firm Category: Nationwide Retirement Solutions

Score (out of 100): 87.88

This highest-scoring mobile site won the hearts of Dalbar’s analysts in part as a result of its superior layout across multiple mobile devices.

“From account information to transactions, this mobile experience is simple, straightforward and easy to master as the roll out menu options appear exactly the same across various devices,” Dalbar writes.

The volume of such account information can be challenging to present, but Nationwide Retirement Solutions makes the details accessible through multiple tabs, each with its own drop-down menu accommodating viewable information such as account activity, balance history and more.

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Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Media Stocks To Watch For 2015: Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR)

Charter Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications solutions to residential and commercial customers in the United States. The company offers cable video programming services, such as basic and digital video, premium channels, OnDemand, pay-per-view, high definition television, digital video recorder, and online video services; Internet services; Charter.net, which provides multiple e-mail addresses, as well as various entertainment, games, news, and sports content; and telephone services. It also provides broadband communications solutions, such as Internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity to cellular towers and office buildings, video entertainment services, and business telephone services under the Charter Business brand name to business and carrier organizations. As of December 31, 2011, the company served approximately 4.1 million video customers; approximately 3.5 million Internet customers; appr oximately 1.7 million telephone customers; and approximately 476,200 commercial primary service units. Charter Communications, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Susan Walsh/APComcast CEO Brian Roberts at The Cable Show 2013 convention in Washington. Comcast offered to sell 1.4 million pay TV subscribers to Charter Communications for $7.3 billion as part of a transaction aimed at winning regulatory approval for its proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable. Comcast (CMCSA) also said it would divest another 2.5 million subscribers into a new publicly traded company, dubbed SpinCo for now, to be one-third owned by Charter (CHTR) and two-thirds by Comcast shareholders. The deal would make Charter -- whose own bid for Time Warner Cable (TWC) was thwar! ted by Comcast's higher offer -- the second-biggest U.S. pay TV company with 5.7 million customers, overtaking Cox Communications. Charter's shares rose as much as 10 percent to $142.70 in early trading Monday. Comcast shares were up 1.4 percent at $51.70. Comcast would have less than 30 percent of the U.S. residential cable or satellite TV market after the deal, the company said in a statement. The agreement is contingent on Comcast's Time Warner Cable deal being approved by the Justice Department and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, a process that could take many months. Analysts said the deal was a pre-emptive move by Comcast ahead of a review of the deal by regulators. "Comcast wanted to do this deal now with Charter so it could get in front of regulators at the Justice Department and the FCC at the same time as the Time Warner Cable deal," a source familiar with the matter said. The source said there was a standstill agreement with Charter stipulating that it can't gain full control of SpinCo for four years. Comcast will have no ownership in SpinCo. SpinCo would have an estimated enterprise value of $14.3 billion and an equity value of $5.8 billion, Charter and Comcast said in an investor presentation. The divestments, mostly in the U.S. Midwest, would deliver about $19.5 billion in value to Comcast shareholders, the companies said. "For

• [By Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Comcast Corp.(CMCSA) and Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR) reached an agreement for Comcast to divest millions of subscribers, helping it smooth over regulatory concerns involving its $45 billion deal for Time Warner Cable Inc.(TWC) As part of the agreement, Comcast will divest about 1.4 million existing Time Warner Cable customers directly to Charter for cash. Shares of Charter edged up 1.5% to $132 premarket.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topsto! cksblog.c! om/top-5-media-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html

Are there any GM cars that haven't been recalled?

The rapid pace of General Motors recalls is intentional, as the company delves into its records to find and purge lurking safety issues.

But it's unsettling, leaving an impression GM produces unsafe vehicles and, in some cases, makes dumb mistakes. It recalled 8,208 of its 2014 cars on May 7, for example, because they might have rear brakes on the front wheels.

On Tuesday, GM issued four more recalls totaling 2.42 million vehicles in the U.S. And GM says it has informed regulators about two more recalls imminent but not yet announced. The latest batch includes safety belt, air bag, transmission and electrical issues in a range of midsize sedans, full-size crossovers and SUVs, and pickups.

RELATED STORY: Four new GM recalls total 2.42 million vehicles

In the second quarter, GM says, it has issued 16 recalls for a total of 12.6 million vehicles in the U.S., perhaps another 1 million in other countries once GM finishes counting. The first quarter, by GM's count, it announced 11 U.S. recalls affecting nearly 6.1 million cars and trucks.

The result is "the year of the recall at GM," says Daniel Hill, president of public relations consultants Ervin-Hill Strategy.

"It's not a bad approach" to get it done and past, Hill says, but it can leave potential customers "stuck between the 'old GM' and a 'new GM' that they must already want to distance themselves from" because of the cavalcade of recalls.

"Old GM" is a reference to the company before the 2009 bankruptcy reorganization. CEO Mary Barra, who took over the corner office in January, has said often that "new GM" is a different company, focused on customers and safety, instead of the cost-cutting that drove the pre-bankruptcy company.

George Hoffer, transportation economist at the University of Richmond who's studied the auto industry for 40 years, says, however, that such a drumbeat of recalls is not likely to matter. His research shows that recalls have no effect on the sale of a company's new or used cars.

Hoffer also says the government's emphasis on "airing every recall no matter how inconsequential" will make recalls "so common as to be a non-event." Already, he says, they've become "like a plane landing."

Why GM has little choice but to keep combing its records and being quick to recall:

•The government says so. GM last week was fined the maximum $35 million for foot-dragging on the recall of 2.6 million 2003-11 small cars with a faulty ignition switch to which GM links 12 U.S. deaths and one in Canada. Part of that settlement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is what the government calls "unprecedented oversight" — GM must meet with NHTSA monthly on investigations and recalls. There's little room in that arrangement for anything but urgency.

•The boss says so. In March, Barra appointed GM's first global quality chief, Jeff Boyer, and said he could report directly to her, if necessary, to cut red tape about problems and potential recalls. His mission: Find and deal with anything that seems dangerous or fishy, including "defects that would have previously gone unreported," as Eric Ibara, a director at Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, characterizes them.

•Investors say so, even if reluctantly. It's considered best to get the bad news out fast, and to book the accompanying charges in as few quarters as possible so the following quarters' earnings are predictable. Of course, investors hate that GM posted a $1.3 billion charge against earnings the first quarter to cover recall costs, nearly wiping out GM earnings. And there's no joy over GM's forecast write-down of $400 million — so far — to pay for this quarter's recalls.

But the Nasdaq exchange reports that 60% of analysts polled rated GM a "buy," and GM stock has dropped fewer than 25 cents since Feb. 6, the day before GM told the government it was recalling hundreds of thousands of cars for the switch and starting the parade of recalls. GM shares closed Tuesday at $33.07, down half a percent! since th! e $33.23 Feb. 6 close.

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GM's U.S. recalls this year

Below are General Motors' recall of vehicles in the U.S. since Jan. 1

Date, no. of U.S. vehicles, models affected, recall defect

Jan. 13: 324,970 of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and 2014 GMC Sierra for overheated exhaust partsFeb. 7 and 25: 1,367,146 of the 2005-07 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-07 Chevrolet HHR, 2005-07 Pontiac G5, 2006-07 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-07 Saturn ION, 2007 Saturn Sky, 2007 Opel GT, 2007 Daewoo G2X for ignition switchFeb 20: 355 of the 2014 Buick Enclave, LaCrosse, Regal and Verano; 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, Impala, Malibu and Travers; 2014 GMC Acadia for transmission shift cable adjusterMarch 17: 63,903 of the 2013-14 Cadillac XTS for brake vacuum boosterMarch 17: 303,013 of the 2009 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana for airbagMarch 17: 1,178,407 of the 2008-13 Buick Enclave, 2008-13 Chevrolet Traverse, 2008-13 GMC Acadia, 2008-10 Saturn Outlook for airbagMarch 17: 656 of the Cadillac ELR for electronic brake controlMarch 28: 823,788 of the 2008-11 Chevrolet HHR, 2008-10 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2008-10 Pontiac G5, 2008-10 Pontiac Solstice, 2008-10 Saturn Sky, 2008-10 Opel GT, 2008-09 Daewoo G2X for ignition switchMarch 28: 174,046 of the 2013-14 Chevrolet Cruze for front axle shaftMarch 28: 489, 936 of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, 2014 GMC Sierra, 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, 2014 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL for oil cooler fitting.March 31: 1,340,447 of the 2004-06 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2004-06 Pontiac G6, 2004-07 Saturn Ion, 2008-09 Chevrolet Malibu, 2008-09 Pontiac G6, 2008-09 Saturn Aura, 2010 Cobalt, 2009-10 Chevrolet HHR for electric power steeringApril 9: 2,191,014 of the 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-11 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-10 Pontiac G5, 2006-10 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-07 Saturn ION, 2007-10 Saturn Sky for ignition key cylinderApril 24: 50,571 of the 2013 Cadillac SRX for acceleration lagApril 19: 23,249 of the 2009-10 Po! ntiac Vib! e (built by Toyota) for air bagsApril 24: 51 of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2014 GMC Sierra HD for diesel transfer pumpApril 29: 51,640 of the 2014 Chevrolet Traverse, 2014 GMC Acadia and 2014 Buick Enclave for inaccurate fuel gaugeApril 29: 56,214 of the 2007-08 Saturn Aura for shift cableMay 7: 8,208 of the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu and 2104 Buick Lacrosse for brake rotorsMay 14: 111,889 of the 2005-07 Corvette for headlight low beamsMay 14: 19,225 of the 2014 Cadillac CTS for windshield wipersMay 14: 140,067 of the 2014 Malibu for brake boostMay 14: 2,440,524 of the 2004-12 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-07 Malibu Maxx, 2005-10 Pontiac G6 and 2007-10 Saturn Aura for brake lampsMay 14: 477 of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe for steering tie-rodMay 16: 1,402 of the 2015 Cadillac Escalade for passenger air bagMay 19: 1,339,355 of the 2009-10 Saturn Outlook, 2009-14 Chevrolet Traverse, 2009-14 GMC Acadia and 2009-14 Buick Enclave for front seat beltsMay 19: 58 of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2015 GMC Sierra HD for loose fuse blockMay 19: 1,075,102 of the 2004-08 Chevrolet Malibu and 2005-08 Pontiac G6 for shift cable (expands April 29 Saturn Aura recall)

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Total 18,666,842

Demographics: Now and Later

For more than three years now a number of economists and market watchers have been stubbornly calling for an inflationary bubble to inflate but, by and large, have been disappointed. While the prices of some assets have been on the rise, so far we haven't experienced widespread inflationary pressures throughout the economy.

Jeffrey Gundlach, who came to fame as a star bond fund manager at TCW Asset Management and went on to found Doubleline Capital, has an interesting theory as to why that may be. With more than $47 billion in assets under management, about 90 percent of which is in fixed-income vehicles, Gundlach has a strong incentive to keep an eye on inflation.

He believes that inflation has failed to materialize, despite the Federal Reserve's best efforts amounting to nearly $3 trillion in cheap cash, largely thanks to demographics. The baby boom generation, one of the largest generations in American history at about 80 million people, has essentially begun aging out of the workforce, with about 18,000 people reaching retirement age each day. By the end of the decade there will more than 14.5 million Americans over the age of 65, making it the largest demographic bulge bracket, and that number will swell to nearly 72 million by 2030 and account for about 20 percent of the population.

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As those folks retire, they will live on much lower incomes since their homes are usually paid off, their children are likely to have completed college. There are simply fewer big ticket expenditures for retirees, and if past experience is a guide, their retirement incomes will barely keep pace with even the current low levels of inflation, adding additional deflationary pressure.

Also thanks to that wave of retirements, it is estimated that the American workforce ! will grow by just 0.2 percent annually over the coming decade as compared to annual growth of about 1.2 percent over the prior 10 years. Although there are some signs that wages may begin rising over the next year or so thanks to falling unemployment, incomes have been largely stagnant over the past five years.

Slower workforce growth combined with a growing wave of retirees on a fixed income reduces the velocity of money even as demand growth slows, reducing inflationary pressures on the economy.

When you look at the types of assets which are experiencing pricing pressure, that argument makes a certain amount of sense. For instance, the greatest inflation we've experienced over the past two years has largely been tied to agricultural commodities and foodstuffs. Even when you're retired, you still must eat. Health care costs have also experienced high inflation which, while you can make the case that that is to some degree due to inefficiencies in the system, it is also tied to the growing consumption demand related to an aging population.

But while that demographic argument makes sense today, it will be shifting over the next few years.

Like every other generation the baby boomers grew up and had children before they retired and the generation they begot dwarfs their own. Regardless of whether you call them millennials, echo-boomers or any other name, there were more than 95 million Americans born between 1978 and 2000. While the leading edge of that generation has finished college and had the misfortune of entering the workforce during the recession, the real wave of which will be coming in the next few years.

Already, many millennials are better off than their parents 30 years ago in terms of buying power. For instance, while the generation already carries more debt and faces higher home prices than their parents, their real average incomes are about $2,500 based on census data. While that might now sound like much today, when you consider that that extra buying powe! r is spre! ad across 95 million people whose wages will (hopefully) only be going up as they age, that's a huge amount of extra demand over the next two to three decades.

So, while you can make a strong demographic argument for why inflation is running at relatively low rates today, that same argument will get turned on its head tomorrow.

1 Obesity Drug Stock the Market Got Completely Wrong

VIVUS (Nasdaq: VVUS) shocked the market with seemingly unbelievable first quarter results, sending shares over 10% higher. They have since steadily declined. The lesson as always: if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. 

Sales of its obesity drug Qsymia doubled, but to the still low total of $9 million. More concerning prescriptions declined, despite the aggressive discount program for the drug.

In this episode of Market Check-Up, the Motley Fool's health-care focused investing show, analysts David Williamson and Michael Douglass discuss the quarterly results, obesity drug competition, and ultimately why Vivus investors should be concerned. 

 

Warren Buffett just bought nearly 9 million shares of this company
Imagine a company that rents a very specific and valuable piece of machinery for $41,000... per hour (that's almost as much as the average American makes in a year!). And Warren Buffett is so confident in this company's can't-live-without-it business model, he just loaded up on 8.8 million shares. An exclusive, brand-new Motley Fool report details this company that already has over 50% market share. Just click HERE to discover more about this industry-leading stock... and join Buffett in his quest for a veritable landslide of profits!

  

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3 Tools to Build and Protect Retirement Income

Overcoming the many challenges associated with investing for retirement is a work in progress that requires constant innovation in thought, technique and approach.

The macro environment – persistent low interest rates – doesn’t make things any easier, nor do increasing longevity risk or the rising costs of health care.

As such, the retirement discussion today is centered around the importance of income generation, and if advisors want to ensure their clients have sufficient income in their retirement, they need to be working closely with their clients to create well-tailored retirement plans, by using the innovative tools, technology and investment vehicles that continue to come forth into the retirement planning space.

At Envestnet’s 14th Annual Advisor Summit in Chicago on Thursday, three leading investment managers discussed some of the tools they believe will help advisors to help their clients meet their retirement income goals.

Ross Znavor, director and head of CoRI Index Distribution, BlackRock

Since BlackRock launched its CoRI Retirement Index Series last July, the CoRI website has had more than 400,000 hits, says Ross Znavor, director and head of CoRI Index Distribution at BlackRock.

The CoRi indices allow advisors and investors to calculate either how much estimated annual income an investor’s savings will provide throughout retirement, or, conversely, the level of savings an investor needs to generate a desired amount of annual income throughout retirement.

As income continues to remain front and center in the retirement discussion, the tool is vital for investors, Znavor says. The CoRI Indexes — which are designed to converge with the median price of an annuity at age 65 — will give advisors a whole new starting point for the retirement planning conversation, as well as support better informed discussions between investors and advisors on strategies for securing critical retirement incomes, he says.

Rod Greenshields, Consulting Director, Russell Investments

No one is immune to the risk of running out of money before running out of life. 

Avoiding that dire predicament means engaging in a deep and meaningful relationship with clients, says Rod Greenshields, consulting director at Russell Investments, and constantly staying on top of financial plans to make sure they’re heading in the right direction.

Russell places a great deal of importance on what the firm has termed the Plimsoll Line, which is based on the principle of the funded ratio that pension plans use, to quickly communicate the status of a client’s financial plan.

Calculating the funding ratio entails dividing a client’s assets by their liabilities, to determine what they need to do vis-à-vis their current spending patterns to provide for their retirement needs.

An investor with more liabilities than assets is at great risk of sinking along the way, Greenshields says, just like British ships of yore sank when overloaded with cargo. The idea behind the funded ratio is to show both advisors and investors that a portfolio can only carry spending loads that remain safe. The funded ratio also makes the retirement discussion more nuanced, Greenshields says, because it can help advisors have more enlightened talks with their clients about both spending habits and investment risk.

Brendan Murray, senior investment director, Putnam Investments

The most crucial time period for both clients and advisors spans the years right before a client hits retirement to right after she retires.

This is when any major change – a drawdown, a market event — can have a serious impact on wealth that has been created, says Brendan Murray, senior investment director at Putnam Investments, and that can jeopardize even the most carefully crafted and well monitored portfolios.

While most still believe that diversification is the key to mitigate downturns and it certainly has its merits, Murray believes it’s important for advisors to go even further by incorporating absolute return strategies into client portfolios.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Own Right Now

By definition, these strategies pursue returns independent of a traditional benchmark index like the S&P 500 Index or the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Absolute return investing is unconstrained, he says, and can go anywhere to achieve the most efficient risk-adjusted return for investors.

Including absolute returns protects portfolios and pursues target returns with lower volatility than traditional funds, Murray says. These funds are a great way to diversify a traditional portfolio and protect it during the key years right before and right after retirement.

 

Average 30-year mortgage rate dips to 4.20%

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages declined this week for a third straight week. The low rates could give a boost to the spring home-buying season, which has gotten off to a slow start.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for a 30-year loan eased to 4.20% from 4.21% last week. The average for the 15-year mortgage fell to 3.29% from 3.32%.

Mortgage rates have risen nearly a full percentage point since hitting record lows about a year ago.

OUTLOOK: Homebuilders feeling less confident in May

Warmer weather has yet to boost home-buying as it normally does. Rising prices and higher rates have made affordability a problem for would-be buyers. And many homeowners are reluctant to list their properties for sale.

Top 5 Recreation Stocks To Watch Right Now

Home sales and construction have faltered since last fall, slowing the economy. A harsh winter, higher buying costs and a limited supply of available homes have discouraged many potential buyers. Existing-home sales in March reached their lowest level in 20 months.

The increase in mortgage rates over the year was driven in part by speculation that the Federal Reserve would reduce its bond purchases, which have helped keep long-term interest rates low. Indeed, the Fed has announced four declines in its monthly bond purchases since December because the economy appears to be steadily healing. But the Fed has no plans to raise its benchmark short-term rate from record lows.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has told Congress that the economy is improving but noted that the job market remains "far from satisfactory" and that inflation is still below the Fed's target rate. She said she expects the Fed's near-zero target for short-term rates to remain appropriate for a "considerable time" after the bond purchases end.

To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders ac! ross the country between Monday and Wednesday each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.

The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was unchanged from a week earlier at 0.6 point. The fee for a 15-year loan also remained at 0.6 point.

The average rate on a one-year adjustable-rate was steady at 2.43%. The average fee rose to 0.5 point from 0.4 point.

The average rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage fell to 3.01% from 3.05%. The fee declined to 0.4 point from 0.5 point.

Managing A Portfolio In Uncertain Times

Contributing editor Ryan Irvine is with us this week with some thoughts about portfolio management and updates on three of his winning stock picks. Ryan is the CEO of KeyStone Financial (www.keystocks.com) and is one of Canada's top experts in small-cap securities. He is based in the Vancouver area. Over to him.

Ryan Irvine writes:

The bull market reached its fifth anniversary last month and is now the fifth-longest bull market since 1928. In the United States, the upward move of the S&P 500 marks the fourth-strongest bull ever, with a gain of more than 170% over the past five years. While not as steep, and on a more volatile path due to our heavy weighing towards the resource sector, Canadian markets have also produced strong gains since the 2009 lows. All of this is undoubtedly reason for celebration. But for anyone with even a modest stake in the market, the startling increase in asset prices also raises difficult questions.

Over the first quarter of this year, we saw the average investor become greedier as fear dissipated. Broader valuations increased and sector bubbles emerged - this is a red flag. At present, a number of pundits are calling for a correction and the "sell in May and go away" crowd is out in full force. This has increased volatility and investors are asking what they should do. Again, we remind readers that pundits and so-called experts have been calling for corrections for two to three years at this stage. Right or wrong, it is good to remember that you can always find many a prominent market commentator calling for a bull or a bear run.

Anecdotally, with the broader success of our recommendations, on a weekly basis we get asked for more picks. This can be a sign of greed creeping in as investors become too comfortable and expect 50%-200% gains on each stock. The expectation then becomes for this to be replicated over and over again in every stock recommendation. We are here to say that this level of return cannot be done in volume. Nor will every recommendation perform as intended and produce strong gains over time. It is more about selecting great companies with a higher probability of success in the long-term - quality, not quantity.

For example, holding just one quality stock such as The Boyd Group Income Fund (TSX: BYD.UN; OTC: BFGIF), which has been on our Recommended List for almost four years after originally being picked at $5.50, can have a huge impact on your overall portfolio. Boyd currently trades at just under $40 and has paid us over $1.50 in distributions for a total return of over 600%. We have taken profits along the way but still recommend holding this stock.

In 2010, when we first recommended Boyd in the IWB, investors were fearful and still feeling the hangover from the market crash. We were greedy and, while it is a tough path to follow when most are telling you to sit on the sidelines, it was the right path at that time.

But greed isn't always good, and with greed again creeping into the markets we have outlined a simple action plan for the small-cap growth stock area of your portfolio.

Take a deep breath. A healthy degree of fear keeps you grounded within your portfolio and less prone to greed, which is your enemy. Try to block out the noise - daily market moves, Fed meetings, the latest data from China, etc. You can always find a reason to not buy a stock. Personally, if I found two or even five cheap stocks today with great value and growth prospects, I would buy them without hesitation (correction calls or not). Our current lack of buying is not due to a big call on a correction, it is just a factor of limited value in North American stocks. Remember, investing is not a race, it is a lifelong journey for the savvy stock buyer. If there is not a stock to buy, be patient and wait. Greed is your enemy and discipline is your friend.

A few great stocks remain. Constructing your growth stock portfolio is not about volume or timing and it is certainly not a race. It is about buying the right number of quality stocks at attractive prices. Keep it simple. That means buying 8-12 quality, high growth, low valuation small-caps over a 6-18 month period and having a realistic time horizon (holding period) of 1-5 years.

Layer into positions. When filling a position in a stock, you don't have to do it all in a single trade. You have the option of breaking up the trade into two or more pieces. If the price is great, go ahead and fill the position. If the price is questionable or starts to move away from you, be patient. There is a good chance that it will come back down to your target level, correction or not. For example, say you want to buy $10,000 worth of XYZ Corp. Initially take a $5,000 position and add to it in a month or so.

Create a watch list. My organization, KeyStone, has a list of great companies with solid growth and strong balance sheets that we constantly monitor for attractive entry points. We suggest any good investor should do the same (or allow us to do it for you). At present, most companies on our monitor list appear expensive, but if the market or the individual stock corrects, we have a potential entry point. Applying this approach, we will buy some of the stocks on our list at a future time but some will never hit an appropriate entry point. We are disciplined and patient with these stocks.

Remember to take profits. You will never go broke using this strategy. Taking half or a quarter of your initial position in a strong winner can leave you with only market money in the stock, thus allowing you to sleep soundly during a correction. When evaluating a current stock in your portfolio, ask yourself if you would buy it today. If you see it as overvalued or the reason you bought it originally has changed (e.g. the outlook for earnings growth is now negative), then you should look at selling. If they are not, continue to hold.

Parex Resources Inc. (TSX: PXT)

Originally recommended on July 29/13 (#21328) at C$5.38, US$5.23. Closed Friday at C$11.02, US$10.59 (May 7).

We introduced Parex Resources in July 2013 at C$5.38, US$4.23. With the stock currently over $11 and up more than $2 since our last review in March, we will take another look at the company.

Parex is a Canadian firm headquartered in Calgary. Through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, is engaged in oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production in South America and the Caribbean region, primarily in the Llanos Basin of Colombia and onshore Trinidad.

As we have noted in the past, Parex has an impressive and positive multi-year track record of year-over-year growth in reserves and cash flow. We believe the management team is solid, with extensive Latin America experience and the management group's interests are aligned with those of shareholders because they own 8% of the company.

We view oil and gas producers as cyclical in nature and typically do not have a long-term buy and hold strategy with these companies. Given the cyclical nature of the business, we are more apt to take profits with oil and gas producers than with a less cyclical business such as The Boyd Group (auto repair).

Following significant appreciation of its share price recently in the wake of the company's positive operations update, we now view Parex as trading at a premium to its closest peers on net asset value metrics. At current levels, the stock price is at 4.6 times this year's expected cash flow as compared to the 1.8 times expected cash flow when we recommended it less than a year ago. While not expensive on a cash flow basis, it no longer trades at a significant discount. As such, we are recommending that readers sell half or a quarter of their original positions to remove risk from the stock. Remember, you will never go broke taking profits, particularly when they are this strong.

We continue to view Parex as a sound company with solid growth prospects, and a potential takeover target. As such, we continue to hold a half position in the stock near and long term.

Action now: Take half profits for a capital gain of 104.8%.

Athabasca Minerals Inc. (TSXV: ABM)

Originally recommended on Jan. 30/12 (#21204) at $0.485. Closed Friday at $1.70.

Athabasca Minerals was originally recommended in the IWB in January 2012 at $0.485. With the stock surging to the $2.40 range in the early fall of 2012, driven by two sets of record quarterly earnings to a gain of almost 400%, we recommended investors sell half their positions and hold the rest to continue to participate in the solid long-term potential Athabasca possess.

With the stock closing this week at $1.70, we provide our updated rating.

Athabasca is a resource company involved in the management, exploration and development of aggregate projects. These activities include contract work, aggregate pit management (Susan Lake), new aggregate development, and acquisitions of sand and gravel deposits. The company also has industrial mineral land holdings in Northeast Alberta for the purpose of locating and developing sources of industrial minerals and aggregates essential to high growth development of the energy and infrastructure sectors.

The company recently reported results for the first quarter of 2014 and they showed a significant drop in consolidated revenues and profitability. This was largely a result of frozen conditions and periods of extreme cold and snow resulting in very little construction activity requiring sand and gravel - primarily from the company's Susan Lake gravel pit (managed on behalf of the Alberta government).

Despite the soft first quarter, the Athabasca is observing increased activity at Susan Lake. Second-quarter Susan Lake sales to date have already surpassed what was sold during all of the first quarter. Indications from its customers point to a return to solid demand for aggregates in the current quarter, with strong sales continuing for the rest of this year.

As a result, we continue to advise holding our remaining half position in Athabasca. We do not consider the stock cheap on a cash flow basis at current levels and, as such, we would not recommend entering new positions. But a coming uptick in the company's managed operations and the potential of its wholly-owned projects give us reason to continue to hold half of our original position.

Action now: Hold.

The Caldwell Partners International Inc. (TSX: CWL)

Originally recommended on Feb. 25/13 (#21308) at C$1.04. Closed Friday at C$1.10, US$0.96 (May 6).

Finally, we update The Caldwell Partners International, a company we introduced in February to IWB readers when the stock traded at $1.04. Today, with the company recently releasing its second-quarter 2014 results we review the numbers and update our rating.

The company is a true micro-cap and, as such, is not suited for all investors. Founded in 1970, The Caldwell Partners International is an executive search consulting firm. The company, through a predecessor corporation, became the first retained consulting organization in Canada to specialize in representing employers in the recruitment of executives. Today, Caldwell is one of North America's premier providers of executive search. The company has built a solid reputation for providing successful searches for boards, chief and senior executives, and selected functional experts. Caldwell has offices in Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Calgary, Atlanta, Toronto, Stamford, New York City, and a strategic presence in London and Hong Kong.

Revenues for the first six months of 2014 rose to $19.5 million from $14.24 million in the same period of 2013. Net income jumped to $436,000 ($0.024 per share) from a loss of $709,000 ($0.041 per share) in the first six months of 2013. This marked the fourth consecutive quarter in which the company has seen year-over-year growth. Caldwell is also experiencing positive gains in important metrics such as average fee, number of searches per partner, and overall billings per partner.

The company decl

Money Lessons From My Mom

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Watch Right Now

Getty ImagesMoms often teach their kids some of their earliest money lessons. As a child, my mom always made me feel safe, secure and loved. But she also made it a priority to prepare me for a life of financial stability. She spent a lot of time and effort over the years to set me on the right path. Sometimes she taught by example, and other times it was necessary for me to learn the hard way. These lessons have become a part of my core set of values and impact how I strive to teach my own child as well as my work for a coupon company. Here are some of the key money lessons I learned from my mom. Make your own money: My mom believed I wouldn't truly understand the value of a dollar unless I had to earn it myself. I got my first job at 15 and continued to have a job throughout college. Yes, working for minimum wage while my friends spent lazy days by the pool was hard. But as time went on, I realized I made more responsible decisions when I earned my money. I became a savvy shopper and learned to use coupons and scoured store sales and clearance racks for the best deals. Invest: Sometimes spending less doesn't equal saving more. I remember on one of our shopping trips, I proudly showed my mom a trendy blouse I had fallen in love with and it was only $10! I was sure she couldn't object. Not so fast. After closely eyeing the cheap garment, she asked me how many times I'd be able to wear it before it fell apart or was no longer fashionable. Two times? Three times? This taught me my first lesson in investment shopping: Calculate the per wear price. It didn't seem like such a bargain after all. Sometimes it's worth paying more for high-quality, timeless pieces if I can get more uses and versatility out of them in the long-run. Make it work: As you could probably guess, my mom didn't grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth. There was no extra money to spend on items deemed frivolous, which unfortunately for her meant toys. She became very resourceful with what she had around her. She made flowers by folding old newspapers and caught insects to keep as pets to distract herself from the fact that she didn't have dolls to play with. She reimaged most items into serving more than one purpose. Once when I ran out of glue for a school project, she used some leftover cooked rice from our dinner and mashed together a sticky paste to hold together my artwork. Cash in on the perks: We were fortunate that the company my father worked for paid for annual family vacations, including first class tickets and upgraded hotel accommodations. A very nice perk indeed! However, she would book us in coach and we would stay in more moderately priced lodgings or sometimes even stay home for a staycation. There were times I whined about it, but she would respond that we would have more spending money for shopping and fun activities. She won that argument every time. Let your head rule your heart: This isn't to say my mom doesn't believe in true love or romance. But she felt having financial compatibility with your mate was just as necessary to sustain a happy marriage. It was important that she and my father were on the same page with their spending habits and financial goals. Bad spending of habits of one person in a family causes bad consequences for everyone. Stay organized: She was a firm believer of having a place for everything, and everything in its place. How would I pay my bills if I couldn't find my checkbook, or know when the bills were due if they were scattered around the house? Getting charged my first $25 late fee for a bill I forgot to pay painfully proved this point. Today, there are several mobile apps and websites that make it easy to organize finances and bills online, which I've taken full advantage of because the groundwork was laid years ago. Know when to hold them, know when to fold them: I used to cringe that her relentless bargaining skills could reduce a grown man to tears, but more times than not, she got what she felt was a fair price. She taught me to set a budget beforehand and not to be afraid to ask for a discount to get to that amount. The worse answer I could hear was "no." And if I couldn't close the deal, she taught me to just walk away. At times that was easier said than done, but she felt that agreeing to pay beyond your budget was the same as tossing money in the garbage. That mental picture has stopped me from many last-minute purchases. I'll admit I've faltered from my mom's lessons over the years. Nobody's perfect, after all. But thanks to my mom, when I get financially off-kilter, I have the tools to always get myself back on track. .

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now

Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index heading toward a five-month high, as China reported economic growth accelerated, boosting the outlook for the global economy.

Sands China Ltd. jumped 8.9 percent toward a record in Hong Kong after the Macau casino operator controlled by billionaire Sheldon Adelson reported higher profit. Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM), Australia�� biggest gold producer, rose 5.7 percent as the bullion traded near a two-week high. SBI Holdings Inc. fell 2.9 percent after the Japanese brokerage said it plans to sell convertible bonds.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.1 percent to 142.83 as of 12:35 p.m. in Tokyo, with about five shares gaining for every three that fell. The gauge is rising for a second week as investors shift their focus from the resolution of the U.S. fiscal showdown to the timeline for cuts to the Federal Reserve�� bond-buying program. China�� economic data added to signs the global economy is recovering.

��isk appetite is increasing as we��e seeing a modest synchronized recovery in the global economy,��Khiem Do Kong-based head of multi-asset strategy at Baring Asset Management Ltd., which oversees about $57 billion, said in a telephone interview. ��urope is showing some green shoots and China�� economy is stabilizing.��

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  While many precious-metals companies have been in a slump of late, there is one that belongs perpetually in your portfolio: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) . The company is not like other miners -- including Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) -- in that it has a unique business plan that insulates it against many of the vagaries of the mining business. Moreover, because silver will always have a significant industrial demand component, even with the heightened volatility you see in the silver market, maintaining exposure to silver is appropriate.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  It is no secret that precious metals companies have been taking a pounding for some time now. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) , the gold and silver ETFs, have been hard hit and operating companies like First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) and Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) have been hit even harder. Through all of these struggles, and in some cases because of them, one precious metals company continues to look attractive for the long term: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) .

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Despite the weakness seen in precious metals a few weeks ago, silver has been relatively stable ever since mid-April, with the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) trading in a dollar-wide range ever since. With the presidents of the Chicago and Philadelphia Federal Reserve banks��releasing conflicting statements, turmoil may be just around the corner. Miners like Pan American (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) are still facing operating challenges, while silver streaming darling Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) struggles as well.

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Golden Star Resources Ltd., a gold mining and exploration company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of gold properties. It owns and operates the Bogoso/Prestea gold mining and processing operation that covers approximately 40 kilometers of strike along the southwest-trending Ashanti gold district in western Ghana; and the Wassa open-pit gold mine located to the east of Bogoso/Prestea in southwest Ghana. The company also has an 81% interest in the Prestea underground gold mine located in Ghana. In addition, it holds interests in various gold exploration projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d?Ivoire, as well as holds and manages exploration properties in Brazil in South America. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Littleton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe] some future and gave several reasons for my bearish stance towards the stock. A small market, high geopolitical risk in some of the countries the firm operates, along with overexpansion in times of fluctuating gold prices gave tune to the massive shedding of shares by investment gurus. Five months have past since I last considered Golden Star�� potential, and everything indicates the situation has not changed.

  Guru Activity Shows a Clear Tendency

  Steven Cohen (Trades, Portfolio), Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) and Arnold Schneider (Trades, Portfolio), had already sold their entire holdings in the company by October 2013, indicating they had little faith in the gold miner�� recovery. By the end of the year, Jim Simons' (Trades, Portfolio) Renaissance Technologies took a similar decision, reducing its stake in the firm by 32%. This tendency towards the sale of Golden Star stock was duly noted by investors and analysts alike, and concurs with the company�� poor performance.

  A Look at the Numbers

  In an industry plagued by fluctuating metal prices, operating with lofty margins can be quite helpful. Yet Golden Star cannot afford such luxuries. With an operating margin of 0.1% and a net margin of -56.8% the firm is in a tight spot, especially when compared to the industry average. Unlike its industry peers��median, which are of 2.26% and -0.09%, respectively, the Toronto-based gold miner is struggling to generate decent cash flow levels. Further metrics depict a even worse situation for shareholders: return on equity is currently at -370% and revenue growth is estimated to reach a poor 2.5%. Purchasing overpriced assets, relative to current gold prices, is surely one of the reasons for such grim figures, as financial losses have taken their toll on Golden Star.

  The announcement of its 2013 full year, and fourth quarter earnings only helped to add to shareholders��concerns. A 15% decline in revenue was expected by those

• [By Patricio Kehoe] ating price of the commodity, along with the geopolitical risks involved in mining in African nations such as Ghana, are just two of the obstacles the firm is facing. In addition, as one of the smallest gold mining firms in the industry, with a market cap of just $122 million, Golden Star has had a very difficult time financing its latest expansion projects. With share prices tumbling towards all-time lows, gurus such as Steven Cohen, Chuck Royce and Arnold Schneider have already sold out their positions in the troubled firm.

  Why Have Gurus Lost Faith in Golden Star?

  Despite aggressive expansion over the past decade, the Toronto-based gold mining firm has not been able to take advantage of its increased production output. Gold prices might have exploded over a ten-year period, yet the recent six-month decline has put a huge strain on Golden Star. The expedited maturation of its mines is particularly troubling, since the accelerated extraction rates, which allowed for short-term profits, are now falling considerably. The impact of the company�� excessive overproduction on profits and growth is clear: decreasing gold reserves mean less production, and thus reduced revenue for the gold miner. When the decline in metal prices are taken into account, the outlook is even more grim.

  In addition to overexpansion at the wrong time, Golden Star�� position has weakened due to its comparably less efficient operations. Unlike industry peers, such as IamGold Corp. (IAG) or Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), the majority of the Toronto-based miner�� assets contain refractory ore, which is far more expensive to extract than non refractory ore. And, in an attempt to switch production to the lower cost gold ore, and thus increase margins, Golden Star has depleted its mines��non refractory ore. With low reserves and mounting cash costs, the firm inevitably turned to new acquisitions.

  Overpriced Acquisitions and Geopolitical Risk

  The purchase

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Clash of the titans
  When bears are raging on the gold bullion market, it's not surprising to see gold stocks getting mauled as well. Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  ) was the biggest loser in the sector, losing a quarter of its market cap on no company-specific news, though a report last Friday indicated that a large number of hedge funds had recently dumped their positions in the mid-tier miner. Yet it wasn't all that much better among the majors, either, as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) fell almost 13% and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) was down 14%.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Iamgold Corporation(IAG)

IAMGOLD Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties worldwide. It primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, copper, niobium, diamonds, and other metals. The company holds interests in eight operating gold mines, a niobium producer, a diamond royalty, and exploration and development projects located in Africa and the Americas. Its advanced exploration and development projects include the Westwood project in Canada; and the Quimsacocha project, which consists of 3 mining concessions covering an aggregate area of approximately 8,030 hectares in Ecuador. The company was formerly known as IAMGOLD International African Mining Gold Corporation and changed its name to IAMGOLD Corporation in June 1997. IAMGOLD Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  IAMGOLD (NYSE: IAG  ) might specialize in a precious metal, but it's continuing to pay its dividend in hard currency. The company has declared its latest semi-annual distribution at $0.125 per share of its common stock.

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  In addition to overexpansion at the wrong time, Golden Star�� position has weakened due to its comparably less efficient operations. Unlike industry peers, such as IamGold Corp. (IAG) or Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), the majority of the Toronto-based miner�� assets contain refractory ore, which is far more expensive to extract than non refractory ore. And, in an attempt to switch production to the lower cost gold ore, and thus increase margins, Golden Star has depleted its mines��non refractory ore. With low reserves and mounting cash costs, the firm inevitably turned to new acquisitions.

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

New Gold Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of mineral properties. The company primarily explore for gold, silver, and copper deposits. Its operating properties include the Mesquite gold mine in the United States; the Cerro San Pedro gold-silver mine in Mexico; and the Peak gold-copper mine in Australia. The company also has development projects, including the New Afton gold, silver, and copper project in Canada; and a 30% interest in the El Morro copper-gold project in Chile. The company was formerly known as DRC Resources Corporation and changed its name to New Gold Inc. in June 2005. New Gold Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Hamed singles out Goldcorp (GG) and Yamana Gold (AUY) as two companies that have strong production growth, falling costs, declining capital obligations and less debt than competitors. New Gold (NGD), meanwhile, should have the lowest all-on costs in the group at $731 an ounce, but its capital spending is likely to notes, Hamed says. Hamed rates Goldcorp and Yamana Overweight, while New Gold is rated Equal Weight.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  One group of stocks not feeling the optimism today: Gold miners. With fewer concerns that a U.S. attack on Syria will be disruptive and more evidence that tapering will begin this month, the price of the precious metal has dropped 1.6% to $1,388.90 an ounce–and gold stocks are falling with it. New Gold (NGD), for one, has dropped 3% to $6.55, while Barrick Gold (ABX) has fallen 1.3% to $19.25.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

  Note, however, that these recommendations are all qualified in one way or another. Investors should keep that in mind before going all in on the gold miners.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Even bad news has failed to dent the rise in gold stocks today. NewGold (NGD), for instance, has gained 1.8% to $7.49 despite the fact that the wall of one of its mines collapsed. The Wall Street Journal has the details:

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Finland, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver, copper, zinc, and lead. Its flagship property includes the LaRonde mine located in the southern portion of the Abitibi volcanic belt, Canada. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Gold miners are getting a boost today from solid earnings from the likes of Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG) and Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM). The exception: Kinross Gold (KGC), which missed earnings forecasts and cut its reserves.

• [By Sally Jones]

  The once-troubled Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) is hitting a new record for gold production in the third quarter at 315,828 ounces, according to the Financial Post, and the company�� executives are buying. Here�� a third quarter company update and a look at billionaire stakeholders of AEM, a stock that spiked 23.66% over the past five days.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  As a result, Chidley and team upgraded Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) and�Yamana Gold (AUY) to Neutral from Underweight, and raised Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG) and Iamgold (IAG) to Overweight from Neutral.�Gold Fields (GFI) was downgraded “due to increased risk and also reduced expectations for the South Deep operation,” Chidley says.

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Other gold miners that have seen intensive insider buying during the past four months include St. Andrew Goldfields (STADF.PK), Continental Gold (CGOOF.PK), Kinross (KGC) and Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM).

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy Right Now: Australian Dollar(AU)

AngloGold Ashanti Limited primarily engages in the exploration and production of gold. It also produces silver, uranium oxide, and sulfuric acid. The company conducts gold-mining operations in South Africa; continental Africa, including Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Namibia, and Tanzania; Australia; and the Americas, which include Argentina, Brazil, and the United States. It also has mining or exploration operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and Colombia. As of December 31, 2010, the company had proved and probable gold reserves of 71.2 million ounces. The company has a strategic alliance with Thani Dubai Mining Limited to explore, develop, and operate mines across the Middle East and parts of North Africa. AngloGold Ashanti Limited, formerly known as Vaal Reefs Exploration and Mining Company Limited, was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Anglogold Ashanti Limited (AU)

  Down 65% over 12 months, Anglogold Ashanti Limited has a market cap of $4.85 billion, and trades with a P/E of 8.10.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  We've seen the flip side of that trend play out in recent years, as rock-bottom interest rates in the U.S. have encouraged investment in higher-yielding income investments in places like Australia, Brazil, and South Africa. Interest from foreign investors got to be so extensive in Brazil that the federal government imposed a tax on foreign investors in bonds in order to curb demand and slow the pace of the Brazilian real's appreciation. Exchange-rate issues also likely played a role in the health of the commodities markets, as mining giants BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP  ) and Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) in Australia benefited from increased demand largely for base metals. Similarly, South African gold miners AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU  ) and Gold Fields (NYSE: GFI  ) outperformed rivals from elsewhere in the world, benefiting from strength in the South African rand currency.

• [By Jim Powell]

  In addition to holding Goldcorp and Barrick Gold, the fund tracks the performance of Newmont Mining (NEM), Newcrest Mining (NCMGY), AngloGold Ashanti (AU), and several other industry leaders.