Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014

Mid cap telco equipment stock Alcatel Lucent SA (NYSE: ALU) is up 205.9% since the start of the year for a much better performance�verses peers or benchmarks like Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) or the iShares North American Tech-Multimedia Networking ETF (NYSEARCA: IGN)���meaning its probably worth taking a closer look at the stock as its been producing plenty of good news for a change.�I should note that we have recently added�Alcatel Lucent SA to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio as a�technical based trade because we think shares will continue higher on speculation�about an�improved global footprint�for this leading mobile data network provider.

What is Alcatel Lucent SA?

France based Alcatel Lucent SA provides products and innovations in IP and�cloud networking as well as ultra-broadband fixed and wireless access by serving service providers and their customers, as well as enterprises and institutions throughout the world. In addition, Alcatel Lucent SA's Bell Labs is�one of the world�� foremost technology research institutes that is has been�responsible for countless breakthroughs�which have shaped the networking and communications industry.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In 2015: SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL)

SPDR S&P Russia ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P Russia Capped BMI Index (the Index). The Index is a float adjusted market cap index designed to define and measure the investable universe of publicly-traded companies domiciled in Russia. The Index component securities are a subset, based on region, of component securities included in the S&P Global BMI Equity Index. The Global BMI Equity Index is a comprehensive, float-weighted, rules-based benchmark that is readily divisible and customizable. The Fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index or in American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) or Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) based on securities comprising the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Waggoner]

  First up: SPDR S&P Russia (ticker: RBL), which concentrates on Russian stocks. The fund has more than 16% of its assets in Gazprom, and plunged 7.9% in early Monday trading. Following close behind: Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX), in contrast, has just 7.8% of its assets in Gazprom. It tumbled 6.9% Monday.

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  But what exactly are you buying when you buy Russian stocks? Let�� take a look under the hood at the ETFs that track the Russian market: the Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX), the iShares MSCI Russia Capped Index (ERUS) and the SPDR S&P Russia (RBL).

• [By Barbara Kollmeyer]

  As for U.S. investor exposure, the pain was there for all to see as the week wound down. Among exchange-traded funds, the iShares MSCI Russia ETF (ERUS) �and the SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL) �each fell more than 6% for the week, contrasting with a 0.1% gain for the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) .

Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: Sagent Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SGNT)

Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops, sources, and markets pharmaceutical products, principally injectable-based generic equivalents to branded products in the United States. It offers a range of products across anti-infective, oncolytic, and critical care indications in various presentations, including single-and multi-dose vials, pre-filled ready-to-use syringes, and premix bags. The company?s anti-infective products include Levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibacterial for the treatment of various infections caused by susceptible bacteria in adults of age 18 years or older; and Cefepime, an antibiotic used to treat infections of the urinary tract, and skin and skin structure, as well as moderate to severe pneumonia, intra-abdominal infections, and as empiric therapy for febrile neutropenic patients. Its oncology products comprise Gemcitabine, a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor used for the treatment of ovarian, breast, lung, and panc reatic cancers; and Topotecan, a topoisomerase inhibitor for small cell lung cancer sensitive disease. The company also offers critical care products consisting of Adenosine, an antiarrhythmic used for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disturbances; and Heparin, an anticoagulant used to prevent and treat blood clotting during and after surgery and dialysis. As of December 31, 2011, it marketed 33 generic injectable products; and had a new product pipeline that included 36 products represented by 63 Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs). The company sells its products to pharmaceutical wholesale companies, which then distribute the products to end-user hospitals, long-term care facilities, alternate care sites, and clinics. The company was formerly known as Sagent Holding Co. and changed its name to Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in April 2011. Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Seward]

  Among the changes announced Tuesday, Affiliated Managers Group (NYSE AMG) will replace Forest Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: FRX) in the S&P 500 after the close of trading on Monday, June 30. LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) will replace Affiliated Managers in the S&P MidCap 400 and Sagent Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SGNT) will replace LaSalle in the S&P SmallCap 600.

• [By James Brumley]

  In no particular order…

  Sagent Pharmaceuticals (SGNT)

  Though Sagent Pharmaceuticals (SGNT) makes a few dozen generic drugs and has a similar number in the works, odds are good most investors couldn’t name a single one of them… and that’s a good thing for anyone on the hunt for cheap stocks from the pharma world.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: Bank of America Corporation(BAC)

Bank of America Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and nonbanking financial services and products to individuals, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, and governments in the United States and internationally. The company?s Deposits segment generates savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificate of deposits, and checking accounts; and Global Card Services segment provides the U.S. consumer and business card, consumer lending, international card and debit card services. Its Home Loans & Insurance segment offers consumer real estate products and services, including mortgage loans, reverse mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and home equity loans. It also provides property, disability, and credit insurance. The company?s Global Commercial Banking segment offers lending products, including commercial loans and commitment facilities, real estate lending, leasing, trade finance, short-term credit, asset-based lending, and indirect consumer loans; and capital management and treasury solutions, such as treasury management, foreign exchange, and short-term investing options. Its Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial products, advisory services, settlement, and custody services; debt and equity underwriting and distribution, merger-related advisory services, and risk management products; and integrated working capital management and treasury solutions. The company?s Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and brokerage services, estate management, financial planning services, fiduciary management, credit and banking expertise, and asset management products. Bank of America Corporation serves customers through a network of approximately 5,900 banking centers and 18,000 automated teller machines. It was formerly known as NationsBank Corporation and changed its name on October 1, 1998. Bank of America Corporation was founded in 1874 and is based in Charlott e, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  )
  Despite all the vitriol heaped upon this bank by the general public, I was quite impressed with the breadth of information available on its site. Its Money Management page provides consumers with myriad links to subjects such as saving on daily expenses and budgeting, with several pages available to browse. The bank's Personal Finance 101 gives some very down-to-earth advice on creating a budget, as well as other helpful tips such as how to set up alerts on your credit card accounts so as to avoid going over your limit.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: Indus Motor Company Ltd (INDU)

Indus Motor Company Limited is a Pakistan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture of automobiles and trucks. The Company is a joint-venture between the House of Habib, Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation for assembling, progressive manufacturing and marketing of Toyota-branded vehicles in Pakistan. It also acts as the sole distributor of Toyota-branded vehicles in Pakistan. In addition, the Company also acts as the sole distributor of Daihatsu-branded vehicles in Pakistan and has a license for assembling, progressive manufacturing and marketing of these vehicles in Pakistan. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aubrey Pringle]

  The S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent to 1,683.42 at 4 p.m. in New York, snapping the longest streak of gains since July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) slipped 25.96 points, or 0.2 percent, to 15,300.64. About 5.7 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, 4 percent below the three-month average.

• [By Alex Barinka]

  Energy and financial stocks fell 0.8 percent each. Exxon Mobil Corp. slipped 0.8 percent to $94.03 and Chevron Corp. slumped 1.1 percent to $126.17. Bank of America Corp. lost 1.4 percent to $14.52 for the biggest decline in the Dow (INDU) while JPMorgan Chase & Co. declined 0.6 percent to $55.69.

• [By Nikolaj Gammeltoft]

  The publisher of the Granville Market Letter since 1963, Granville predicted the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU)�� slide in 1977 to 1978 and the end to the surge in computer-related shares in 2000. He was wrong in 1982 and 1995 when he called for losses before stocks rallied.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA (HRTPY.PK)

HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA, formerly BN 16 Participacoes Ltda, is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the oil and gas industry. The Company is primarily involved in the exploration and production (E&P) of oil and natural gas in Brazil and Namibia. Through its subsidiaries, it is active in the geophysical and geological research, exploration, development, production, import, export and sale of oil and natural gas, as well as in the provision of air logistics services in transporting people and equipment related to oil and gas activities in the exploratory campaign in the Solimoes Basin. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had seven subsidiaries, including Integrated Petroleum Expertise Company Servicos em Petroleo Ltda (IPEX), HRT O&G Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, HRT Netherlands BV, HRT America Inc, HRT Africa, HRT Canada Inc and Air Amazonia Servicos Aereos Ltda.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By stanh30]

  In 2010 Brazil�� HRT Participacoes em Petroleo S.A. (HRTPY.PK) raised $1.5 billion in an IPO to fund a highly touted and highly expensive oil & gas exploration campaign in both the Amazon and offshore Namibia. Management was very promotional and overpromised and underdelivered. The three exploration wells in Namibia were all failures and the Conclusion of Solimoes Gas Monetization Study leads the market (myself included) to conclude that there is little or no present value in the discoveries in the Solimoes basin. The stock has lost 85% in just the last year, and over 97% in the last three years. Early investors like Southeastern Asset Management have lost most of their money and have either given up or believe the market cap has become too small and insignificant to warrant further examination.

Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: Denison Mines Corp (DNN)

Denison Mines Corp. (Denison) is engaged in uranium exploration, development, mining and milling with uranium mining projects in both the United States and Canada and development projects in Canada, the United States, Zambia and Mongolia. Denison�� assets include an interest in two of the four licensed conventional uranium mills in North America, with its 100% interest of the White Mesa mill in Utah and its 22.5% interest of the McClean Lake mill in Saskatchewan. Denison also produces vanadium as a co-product from some of its mines in Colorado and Utah and recycles uranium-bearing waste materials, referred to as alternate feed materials, for the recovery of uranium, alone or in combination with other metals, at its White Mesa mill. In January 2014, the Company announced the closing of the acquisition of Rockgate by Denison Mines Corp. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) is up some 300% this week���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the company along with the performance potential uranium or nuclear stock peers Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ).

• [By John Udovich]

  Since the start of the week, small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) more than doubled for investors, something that has not happened for investors in uranium stocks like Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ). To recap: USEC Inc closed at the $6 level on Friday, but then it surged to the $15 level on Monday only to open at the $10 level on Tuesday when it ultimately closed at $12.46. So what in the world is going on with USEC Inc and is it time to revisit nuclear fuel and uranium stocks?

• [By The Energy Report]

  DS: It's certainly good news. Elimination of the non-resident ownership policy [NROP] will permit European Union-based companies to own a majority stake in an operating uranium mine. That opens the door for companies like Rio Tinto Plc (RIO) and AREVA SA (ARVCF) [AREVA:EPA] to push forward with development of existing deposits or to buy more uranium assets in Canada. Accordingly, it increases takeover potential for companies like Denison Mines Corp. (DNN).

Best Mid Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: STAAR Surgical Company(STAA)

STAAR Surgical Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of implantable lenses for the cataracts and refractive surgery. It offers intraocular lenses (IOL) that include silicone Toric IOL, which is used in cataract surgery to treat preexisting astigmatism; Preloaded Injector, a three-piece silicone or acrylic IOL preloaded into a single-use disposable injector; Aspheric IOLs that provide a clearer image than traditional spherical IOLs; and nanoFLEX IOL, a single-piece collamer aspheric IOL. The company also provides implantable collamer lenses (ICL) comprising VISIAN ICL and VISIAN Toric ICL to treat refractive disorders, such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. In addition, it sells surgical products and other related instruments, as well as manufactures AquaFlow device for the treatment of glaucoma. The company markets its products to health care providers, including surgical centers, hospitals, managed care pro viders, health maintenance organizations, group purchasing organizations, and government facilities primarily under the STAAR, Visian, Collamer, nanoFLEX, nanoPOINT, CentraFLOW, AquaPORT, Epiphany, and AquaFlow names. It distributes its products through directly employed representatives, independent sales representatives, and local distributors in the United States and internationally. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Monrovia, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Monday morning, the healthcare sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT) and STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA). In trading on Monday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.45 percent.