Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now

The Q3 2014 earnings report for molecular diagnostic company Myriad Genetics, Inc (NASDAQ: MYGN) is due out after the market closes on Tuesday and things could get ugly since unlike potential diagnostic stock peers such as Rosetta Genomics Ltd (NASDAQ: ROSG) and mid cap diagnostic stock Quest Diagnostics Inc (NYSE: DGX), it�� the most shorted stock on the Nasdaq with short interest of 52.07%. Aside from the Myriad Genetics earnings report, it should be said that Rosetta Genomics Ltd last reported earnings on March 31st and those�earnings were for the full year 2013 while�Quest Diagnostics reported Q1 2014 earnings on April 24th that were a disappointment due to restructuring costs and harsh winter weather. However, Myriad Genetics has been the more interesting stock as Medicare reimbursement rate increases and the lost of a court bid to block competition while a patent-infringement case is pending have sent its shares all over the place.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: STARWOOD PROPERTY TRUST INC.(STWD)

Starwood Property Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust, primarily focuses on originating, investing in, financing, and managing commercial mortgage loans and other commercial real estate debt investments, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. It also focuses to invest in commercial properties subject to net leases, residential mortgage loans, and residential mortgage-backed securities. SPT Management, LLC serves as the manager of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. The company qualifies as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes, if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Starwood Property Trust was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Fabian]

  This fund is pegged to the FTSE NAREIT All Mortgage Capped Index, a benchmark measure that includes top names in the space such as Annaly Capital (NLY), American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC), Starwood Property Trust (STWD) and Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO).

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment, our analysts discuss some of the day's big movers and shakers.�Shares of Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT  ) rise after Deutsche Bank initiates coverage with a buy rating. Trading in Herbalife (NYSE: HLF  ) is halted after the company's auditor resigns. Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) gains ground on the news that inflation in China is slowing. And Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD  ) declines after the real estate company announces a secondary stock offering.�

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Other companies are currently mulling single-family REIT IPOs, too. Colony recently announced�that it plans to spin off its Colony American Homes, which owns over 9,500 homes with average monthly rents of $1,277. Barry Sternlicht, CEO of commercial mortgage investment REIT Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD  ) has also said that he is seriously considering�spinning off his company's real estate holdings into a single-family REIT within the next few months.

Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Pengrowth Energy Corp (PGH)

Pengrowth Energy Corporation (Pengrowth) is engaged in the development, production and acquisition of, and the exploration for, oil and natural gas reserves in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. The Company�� producing properties include Lindbergh, Swan Hills Area, Greater Olds/Garrington Area and Southeast Saskatchewan. In February 2012, the Company commenced the injection of steam at its Lindbergh pilot project. On May 31, 2012, the Company acquired NAL Energy Corporation. In November 2012, the Company acquired additional Lochend Cardium assets with production capability of approximately 650 barrels of oil equivalent, weighted 95% to light oil. In March 2013, the Company completed the divestiture of its non-core Weyburn asset. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Canada's Pengrowth Energy (NYSE: PGH  ) continues to shower dividends from north of the border. The company has set the date for its next monthly common stock distribution of C$0.04 ($0.04) per share, which will be August 15 for shareholders of record as of July 22. That amount matches each of the firm's previous distributions stretching back to December of last year. Prior to that, Pengrowth Energy paid $0.07 per share.

• [By Alex Planes]

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

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Finally, Graham Capital's biggest closed positions included Hess�and calls on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF. Other closed positions of interest include Halcon Resources (NYSE: HK  ) and Pengrowth Energy (NYSE: PGH  ) . Oil and gas company Halcon, operating in the promising Bakken region, as well as Texas' productive Eagle Ford shale region, among others, posted 2012 net daily production 128% higher than year-earlier levels, and proven reserves up 417%. The stock was punished after a disappointing earnings result last month, despite surging revenue. Free cash flow has moved into the red, though.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Canadian Trusts- Baytex Energy Trust (BTE) | Yield: 6.1%
  - Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF) | Yield: 5.6%
  - Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) | Yield: 7.1%

Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG (SZU)

Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG is a Germany-based company engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials. The Company is organized, along with its subsidiaries, into four segments: the Sugar segment comprises sugar production and the agricultural division; the Special Products segment includes the activities of four divisions: BENEO, which produces and sells ingredients made from natural raw materials for food products and animal feed; the Freiberger Group is a producer of chilled and frozen pizzas, frozen pasta dishes and snacks; the PortionPack Europe group specializes in portion packs, and the starch division comprises starch companies in Hungary and Romania, bio-ethanol production in Austria and Hungary, as well as starch production facilities in Austria; the CropEnergies segment includes the bio-ethanol activities of the Company in Germany, Belgium and France, and the Fruit segment comprises the fruit juice preparations and fruit juice concentrates divisions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Volkswagen AG (VOW), Europe�� biggest automaker, climbed 3.7 percent as data showed European car sales increased for the first time in 19 months in April. Suedzucker AG (SZU) dropped to an eight-month low as J&E Davy Holdings Ltd. downgraded the shares.

Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Telecom Italia SpA (TIT)

Telecom Italia SpA is an Italy-based company engaged in the communications sector. It operates in the fixed and mobile national and international telecommunications sector. Its activities are divided into five business units. The Domestic unit provides telephone and data services on fixed line and mobile networks for retail voice customers and wholesale operators, as well as develop fiber optic networks. The Brazil unit offers mobile services using Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies. The Argentina unit operates in fixed telecommunications through Telecom Argentina and in mobile telecommunications through Telecom Personal, and in Paraguay it operates in mobile telecommunications through Nucleo. The Media unit produces of multimedia music platforms, satellite channels and television broadcasting platforms. The Olivetti unit operates in the sector of office products and services for Information Technology. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Telecom Italia SpA (TIT) surged 9.4 percent to 53 euro cents after Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said Italy�� biggest phone company is a potential takeover target for telecommunications operators including Vodafone Group Plc and AT&T Inc.

Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA)

Diamonds Trust, Series 1 (the Trust) is a unit investment trust. The Trust was created to provide investors with the opportunity to purchase units of beneficial interest in the Trust representing proportionate undivided interests in the portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the component common stocks, which comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average (the DJIA). The Trust�� objective is to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the DJIA.

The Trust's holdings consist of the 30 stocks in the DJIA, which is designed to capture the price performance of 30 United States blue-chip stocks. The Trust ended its fiscal year on October 31, 2007, with a 12-month return of 17.72% on net asset value as compared to the DJIA return of 17.94%. As of October 31, 2007, some of the Trust�� investments included 3M Co., Alcoa, Inc., Altria Group, Inc., American Express Co., American International Group, Inc., AT&T, Inc., Boeing Co., Caterpillar, Inc., Citigroup, Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But if you want to match the market, tailor your investment strategy to use market-tracking ETFs. For instance, the SPDR Dow Jones Industrials ETF (NYSEMKT: DIA  ) , colloquially known as the Diamonds, tracks the popular Dow average. The popular Spiders, officially called the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: SPY  ) , moves nearly in lockstep with the S&P 500. You won't get exactly the performance of the indexes, as ETFs have fees involved that will detract somewhat from total returns. But with ETF fees being relatively low, the amount you lose to those costs is much less than you'd pay with an actively managed mutual fund.

• [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]

  That's why our top picks for the coming year are the SPDR Dow Industrials ETF (DIA), as our more conservative selection, and the PowerShares QQQ Nasdaq Trust (QQQ), as our more speculative pick.

• [By Markos Kaminis]

  The testimony of Chairman Bernanke to the Joint Economic Committee and the FOMC Meeting Minutes release that followed set stocks in motion downward, and raised a specter of doubt in Fed wisdom. The SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) and the PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) closed the period lower by 1.0%, 0.2% and 1.2%, respectively, but the week was much more tumultuous than the end result makes it to appear.

• [By Markos Kaminis]

  The government Friday reported that the unemployment rate was 7.6% in May, but I dispute that for two critical reasons. When incorporating underemployed Americans into the count, and when accounting for the 7.26 million Americans I estimate are missing from the labor force count due to their very long-term joblessness, the real unemployment rate could be as high as 17.6%, and is probably at least 11.7%. Thus, the economy is not as healthy as one might hope based on the government's account. It is also greatly dependent on the Federal Reserve's synthetic aid and is highly vulnerable in its current state. So, considering this, I have to wonder if America understood the current state of affairs, would the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) and the PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) each be up in the mid-teens year to date?

Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Compania Mina Buenaventura S.A. (BVN)

Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A., a precious metals company, engages in the exploration, mining, processing, and development of gold, silver, and other metals in Peru. It also explores for zinc, lead, and copper. The company operates the Orcopampa mine located in the province of Castilla in the department of Arequipa; the Uchucchacua mine located in the province of Oyon in the department of Lima; the La Zanja mine located in the district of Pulan in the province of Santa Cruz; the Antapite mine located in the province of Huaytara in the department of Huancavelica; the Julcani mine located in the province of Angaraes in the department of Huancavelica; and the Recuperada mine located in the province of Huancavelica in the department of Huancavelica. It also holds controlling interests in the Colquijirca and Marcapunta Norte mines located east of the city of Lima; and the Shila-Paula mines located in the province of Castilla in the department of Arequipa. In addition, th e company owns interests in various other mining companies. Further, it offers electric power transmission services; and geological, engineering, design, and construction consulting services to the mining sector. Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Lima, Peru.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anthony Mirhaydari]

  Amid the chaos, safe haven assets like gold (GLD) are perking up in a big way — bringing buyers back into a sector that I think will continue to be a big performer throughout 2014. Here are three gold stocks to buy that are currently on the move:

  Breakout Gold Stocks to Buy: Compania de Minas Buenaventura (BVN)

  Compania de Minas Buenaventura (BVN) is a Peruvian gold and silver miner with operations throughout the country. Its output makes it the world’s third-largest producer of silver.

Top 10 Mid Cap Companies To Buy Right Now: Laclede Group Inc (LG)

The Laclede Group, Inc. (Laclede Group), incorporated on October 18, 2000, is a utility holding company. The Company operates in two segments: Regulated Gas Utility and Gas Marketing. The Gas Utility segment includes the regulated operations of Laclede Gas Company (Laclede Gas or the Utility), Laclede Group's subsidiary and core business unit. Laclede Gas is a public utility engaged in the retail distribution and sale of natural gas. Laclede Gas is the natural gas distribution utility in Missouri, serving more than 1.13 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The Gas Marketing segment includes Laclede Energy Resources, Inc. (LER), a wholly owned subsidiary is engaged in the marketing of natural gas and related activities on a non-regulated basis. Effective September1, 2013, Laclede Group Inc through its newly formed subsidiary acquired Missouri Gas Energy, a provider of natural gas distribution services.

Gas Utility

The Utility focuses its gas supply portfolio around a number of natural gas suppliers with equity ownership or control of assets strategically situated to complement its regionally diverse firm transportation arrangements. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Utility purchased natural gas from 35 different suppliers to meet current gas sales and storage injection requirements. Natural gas purchased by the Laclede Gas for delivery to its service area through the Enable Mississippi River Transmission LLC (MRT) system totaled 55.0 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Laclede Gase also holds firm transportation on several other interstate pipeline systems that provide access to gas supplies upstream of MRT. In addition to deliveries from MRT, 8.6 Bcf of gas was purchased on MO Gas, 13.4 Bcf on the Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. (Southern Star Central), 0.03 Bcf on the Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company system, and 0.1 BCF on the Postrock system. Some of the Utility�� commercial and industrial customers purchased their own! gas with the Utility transporting 17.0 Bcf to them through the Utility�� distribution system.

The Utility has a contractual right to store 23.1 Bcf of gas in MRT�� storage facility located in Unionville, Louisiana, 16.3 Bcf of gas storage in Southern Star Central system storage facilities located in Kansas and Oklahoma, and 1.4 Bcf of firm storage on Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company�� system storage. In addition, the Utility supplements flowing pipeline gas with natural gas withdrawn from its own underground storage field located in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties in Missouri.

Gas Marketing

LER is engaged in the marketing of natural gas and providing energy services to both on-system utility transportation customers and customers outside of the Utility�� traditional service area. During fiscal year 2013, LER utilized 12 interstate pipelines and 93 suppliers to market natural gas to its customers primarily in the Midwest. LER served more than 205 retail customers and 100 wholesale customers. Through its retail operations, LER offers natural gas marketing services to large industrial customers, while its wholesale business consists of buying and selling natural gas to other marketers, producers, utilities, power generators, pipelines, and municipalities. LER also serves power plants that use natural gas to generate electricity.

OTHER

Laclede Pipeline Company, a wholly owned subsidiary, operates a propane pipeline under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction. This pipeline connects the propane storage and vaporization facilities of the Utility to third-party propane supply terminal facilities located in Illinois, which allows the Utility to receive propane that is vaporized to supplement its natural gas supply and meet peak demands on its distribution system. Laclede Pipeline Company also provides transportation services to third parties. Other also includes Laclede Group�� subsidiaries that are engaged in,! among ot! her activities, oil production, real estate development, compression of natural gas, and financial investments in other enterprises. These operations are conducted through seven subsidiaries.

The Other category also includes the Utility�� non-regulated propane services business which involves providing propane-related services and storage to third parties and its affiliate, Laclede Pipeline Company. Beginning July 1, 2013, propane-related services are included within Gas Utility operations pursuant to the Utility's new rate case.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ahmed A. Namatalla]

  Egypt�� biggest publicly traded company agreed to pay about 7 billion Egyptian pounds ($1 billion) over five years to settle the tax dispute on the sale of its cement unit to Lafarge SA (LG) in 2007, Amsterdam-based parent OCI NV said yesterday. The payments will start in May and end in 2017. OCI NV shares had the biggest increase since the company�� Dutch public offering in January.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings Releases Expected:�Nuance Communications, New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE: NJR), Laclede Group, Inc. (NYSE: LG)

  Economic Releases Expected:�U.S. pending home sales, Italian trade balance, Swiss employment level

• [By IBTimes]

  Getty Images Not all smartphones that receive high ratings from expert reviewers end up being popular, according to an analysis of ratings data from FindTheBest. The report analyzed the ratings that expert reviewers gave smartphone models and compared them to consumers' ratings of the same. It found that some phones that get very high ratings from expert reviewers don't get the same glowing reviews from users. For example, expert reviewers thought the Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II was a fantastic phone. It received a rating of 88 out of 100 on FindTheBest, a website that aggregates and analyzes ratings from tech review sites. However, smartphone users gave the phone a rating of 2.5 out of 5. The reverse held true in some cases. Although expert reviewers gave the LG Optimus Elite (LG) a low rating -- 48 out of 100 -- the same phone got an average rating of 4 out of 5 from users. Here's a scatterplot of a variety of smartphones, as rated by both expert ("smart") reviewers and users: (Click on the chart to view a larger version.)

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Lafarge SA (LG) rose 4.4 percent to 51.04 euros. The world�� biggest cement maker reiterated its full-year forecast as cold weather, stinted Algerian and Egyptian production and fewer working days constricted first-quarter sales.