Mind meld? Amazon can ship before you order

Online retail giant Amazon says it knows its customers so well it can start shipping even before orders are placed.

The Seattle-based company, which late last year said it wants to use drones to speed package delivery, gained a patent last month for what it calls "anticipatory shipping,'' the Wall Street Journal reports.

Amazon, the Journal reported, says it may box and ship products that it expects customers in a specific area will want, based on previous orders and other factors it gleans from its customers' shopping patterns, even before they place an online order.

Among those other factors: previous orders, product searches, wish lists, shopping cart contents, returns and other online shopping practices.

Amazon has worked to cut delivery times as a way of encouraging more orders and satisfying customers, such as by expanding its warehouse network and making some overnight and even same-day deliveries.

Amazon didn't estimate how much delivery time it expects to save, or whether it has already put its new system to work, the Journal reported.

"It appears Amazon is taking advantage of their copious data," Sucharita Mulpuru, a Forrester Research analyst, told the Journal. "Based on all the things they know about their customers they could predict demand based on a variety of factors."

To minimize the cost of unwanted returns, Amazon said it might consider giving customers discounts or even make the delivered item a gift.

"Delivering the package to the given customer as a promotional gift may be used to build goodwill," the patent said.

Pre-Market Global Review - 2/21/14 - Manufacturing PMI Propels Markets

Good Morning Traders,  
 
 As of this writing 5:25 AM EST, here’s what we see:
 
                  
US Dollar –Up at 80.400, the US Dollar is up 84 ticks and is trading at 80.400.                 
Energies – April Oil is down at 102.60.       
Financials – The March 30 year bond is down 1 tick and trading at 132.22.      
Indices – The March S&P 500 emini ES contract is up 15 ticks and trading at 1840.00. 
Gold – The April gold contract is trading up at 1319.90 and is up 30 ticks from its close.   
           
 
Initial Conclusion: This is not a correlated market.  The dollar is up+ and oil is down- which is normal but the 30 year bond is trading lower.  The Financials should always correlate with the US dollar such that if the dollar is lower then bonds should follow and vice-versa.  The indices are higher and the US dollar is trading up which is correlated.  Gold is trading higher which is not correlated with the US dollar trading up.   I tend to believe that Gold has an inverse relationship with the US Dollar as when the US Dollar is down, Gold tends to rise in value and vice-versa. Think of it as a seesaw, when one is up the other should be down.   I point this out to you to make you aware that when we don't have a correlated market, it means something is wrong.  As traders you need to be aware of this and proceed with your eyes wide open. 
               
All of Asia traded higher with the exception of the Shanghai exchange which traded lower.  As of this writing Europe is trading mixed with half the exchanges trading higher and the other half lower.   
 
  Possible challenges to traders today is the following:
                                           
1.  Existing Home Sales is out at 10 AM EST.  This is major.             
2.  FOMC Member Fisher Speaks at 1:45 PM EST.  This could impact afternoon trading.          
      
 Currencies                  
Yesterday the Swiss Franc made it's move at around 8:30 AM EST immediately after the economic news was released.  Look at the charts below and you'll see a pattern for both assets.  The USD fell at around that time and the Swiss Franc rose.  This was a long opportunity on the Swiss Franc.  The key to capitalizing on these trades is to watch the USD movement.  The USD fall only lent confirmation to the move.  As a trader you could have netted 20 ticks on this trade.  To expand the chart, right click and open in a new window.  Kindly view our special video to determine how to capitalize on these trades.  http://youtu.be/lOxBMe09X3Q
 
 Charts Courtesy of Trend Following Trades
 

Swiss Franc - 03/14 - 2/20/14

USD - 03/14 - 2/20/14

Bias

Yesterday we said our bias was to the downside as the markets were correlated as such.  The markets however had other ideas as the Dow rose by 92 points and the other indices gained ground as well.  Today we aren't dealing with a correlated market however our bias is neutral.  Why?  Whereas the futures are pointing up, the financials are higher, crude is down and today is options expiration which lends additional volatility in the markets.          Could this change?  Of Course.  Remember anything can happen in a volatile market.
 
Yesterday we said our bias was to the downside as the markets were correlated as such.  However as we say each and every day; this could change and yesterday it did.  None of the economic news met expectation with the exception of the Flash Manufacturing PMI which came in at 56.7 versus 53.6 expected.  Usually Flash Manufacturing is not considered a major report except yesterday because every other report did not exceed its target.  Sometimes we need to pay attention to the headlines as during the course of every trading day, traders only pay attention to the headline without researching the facts.  Case-in-point Unemployment Claims came in at 336,000 versus 335,000 expected yet one headline said it was lower by 3,000.  Since when is 336 less than 335?  What they did was pull a trick by using last week's actual number and state that it was lower by 3,000.  The Smart Money knows and uses it to their full advantage.  We as traders need to be mindful of this.  Needless to say the economic reports were convoluted and did not make sense...
 
Each day in this newsletter we provide viewers a snapshot of the Swiss Franc versus the US dollar as a way and means of capitalizing on the inverse relationship between these two assets.  Futures Magazine recognized this correlation as well.  So much so that they printed a story on it in their December issue.  That story can be viewed at:

http://www.futuresmag.com/2013/11/25/correlated-opportunities-in-the-swiss-franc?ref=hp

Many of my readers have been asking me to spell out the rules of Market Correlation.  Recently Futures Magazine has elected to print a story on the subject matter and I must say I'm proud of the fact that they did  as I'm Author of that article.  I encourage all viewers to read that piece as it spells out the rules of market correlation and provides charts that show how it works in action. The article is entitled "How to Exploit and Profit from Market Correlation" and can be viewed at:

http://www.futuresmag.com/2013/08/01/how-to-exploit-and-profit-from-market-correlation

As a follow up to the first article on Market Correlation, I've produced a second segment on this subject matter and Futures Magazine has elected to publish it.  It can be viewed at:

http://www.futuresmag.com/2013/08/16/how-to-exploit-and-profit-from-market-correlation?ref=hp

 
As readers are probably aware I don't trade equities.   While we're on this discussion, let's define what is meant by a good earnings report.  A company must exceed their prior quarter's earnings per share and must provide excellent forward guidance.  Any falloff between earning per share or forward guidance will not bode well for the company's shares.  This is one of the reasons I don't trade equities but prefer futures.  There is no earnings reports with futures and we don't have to be concerned about lawsuits, scandals, malfeasance, etc.
 
Anytime the market isn't correlated it's giving you a clue that something isn't right and you should proceed with caution. Today our bias is neutral.  Could this change?  Of course.  In a volatile market anything can happen.  We'll have to monitor and see.
  

As I write this the crude markets are trading lower and the US Dollar is advancing.  This is normal.  Think of it this way.  If the stock market is trading lower, it's safe to assume that the crude market will follow suit and vice-versa.  Crude trades with the expectation that business activity is expanding.  The barometer of which is the equities or stock market.  If you view both the crude and index futures side by side you will notice this.  Yesterday March crude dropped to a low of 102.28 a barrel but maintained the $100 a barrel mark.  We'll have to monitor and see if crude either goes lower or holds at the present level.   It would appear at the present time that crude has support at $102.09 a barrel and resistance at $103.37.  This could change.  All we need do is look at what happened last fall when crude was trading over $100.00 a barrel.  We'll have to monitor and see.  Remember that crude is the only commodity that is reflected immediately at the gas pump. 

Future Challenges:
- Debt Ceiling -  We keep hearing that a budget has been passed and that the House and Senate have approved an extension of the Debt Ceiling until March, 2015, yet we haven't heard that Obama has approved any of these measures.  So I have to wonder what is he waiting for?  He's finally caught on to the idea that he can issue an Executive Order as he signed one last week increasing the minimum wage for Federal workers.  Too bad he didn't anything for the rest of us.  Now issuing an Executive Order may lead to absolutely nothing as Congress approves expenditures, not the Executive Branch but at the very least the American people will know where he stands.  He could have done the same thing for extending Unemployment Insurance for those who sorely need it or Gun Control if he felt that strongly about it.  For a President who's in last term in office and claims that he going to use the power of the pen; he certainly seems to be getting writer's cramp these days... 
 
Crude oil is trading lower and the US Dollar is declining.  This is not normal.  Crude typically makes 3 major moves (long or short) during the course of any trading day: around 9 AM EST, 11 AM EST and 2 PM EST when the crude market closes.  If crude makes major moves around those time frames, then this would suggest normal trending, if not it would suggest that something is not quite right.  If you feel compelled to trade consider doing so after 11 AM when the inventory numbers are released and markets give us better direction.  As always watch and monitor your order flow as anything can happen in this market.  This is why monitoring order flow in today's market is crucial.  We as traders are faced with numerous challenges that we didn't have a few short years ago.  High Frequency Trading is one of them.   I'm not an advocate of scalping however in a market as volatile as this scalping is an alternative to trend trading.

Remember that without knowledge of order flow we as traders are risking our hard earned capital and the Smart Money will have no issue taking it from us.  Regardless of whatever platform you use for trading purposes you need to make sure it's monitoring order flow.  Sceeto does an excellent job at this.  To fully capitalize on this newsletter it is important that the reader understand how the various market correlate.  More on this in subsequent editions.
 

Nick Mastrandrea is the author of Market Tea Leaves. Market Tea Leaves is a free, daily newsletter that discuses and teaches market correlation. Market Tea Leaves is published daily, pre-market in the United States and can be viewed at www.markettealeaves.com  Interested in Market Correlation?  Want to learn more?  Signup and receive Market Tea Leaves each day prior to market open.  As a subscriber, you’ll also receive our daily Market Bias video that is only available to subscribers.

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Futures Forex Pre-Market Outlook Markets

  Most Popular How Would a Hypothetical Marijuana ETF Do This Year? Hold Off On Buying That Apple TV! Apple, Tesla Union Would Be 'Phenomenal' Alcoa Cannot Wait To Rally...Here's Why Five Star Stock Watch: Rite Aid Corporation Apple vs. Tesla Motors - Which Would You Rather Invest In? Related Articles () UPDATE: RBC Downgrades Groupon, Says Risk Outweighs Reward Wedbush Upgrades Blackhawk, Says Market Pricing in More Realistic Trajectory Mid-Day Market Update: Acacia Research Shares Decline On Downbeat Results; Emeritus Spikes Higher Sotheby's vs. eBay - Which Would You Rather Bid On? UPDATE: Stifel Nicolaus Downgrades Wal-Mart to Hold, Removes $83.00 PT 3 Reasons To Devour These Niche Food Stocks Around the Web, We're Loving... Want to Learn How to Trade Stocks or Options? Register for Marketfy's FREE Day of Live Trading Education Create an Account With Options House and Get 150 Free Trades! Pope Francis Rips 'Trickle-Down' Economics

Racing with Tesla

Tesla's stock raced ahead about 15% to an all-time high in after-hours trading after the electric carmaker said it hoped to produce 35,000 or so cars this year, a 55% increase from last year. Tesla CEO confirms 'conversations' with Apple, says any acquisition 'very unlikely'

Uh-oh? The Fed under new chief Janet Yellen has put an interest rate raise back on the table. At least the idea of one. Fed puts rate increase on the radar

The joys of being a public company … Facebook's stock dropped after the social media site announced it would pay $16 billion ($4B in cash and $12B in stock) to acquire WhatsApp, a texting service. The real winner was venture cap firm Sequoia Capital. Sequoia's payout in WhatsApp deal could hit $3 billion

It's not just bitcoin that's captured the interest of some investors. Wealthy investors are taking an interest in rare collectable coins to diversify their portfolio. Flush investors take shine to rare coins

Who manages your mortgage? As big banks face stricter capital requirements, they're handing off management rights to firms like Ocwen Financial, Nationstar and Mortgage Holdings. Many American homeowners have probably never heard of the company managing their mortgage

First Take: $16B for WhatsApp is downright silly

SAN FRANCISCO — Can it possibly get more absurd?

When Facebook said it would plunk down $16 billion for WhatsApp, I thought the folks in Menlo Park, Calif., had committed a serious typo. It must be a jaw-dropping $1.6 billion, not an earth-shaking $16 billion.

But Facebook didn't err — mathematically, at least. In the largest acquisition of a venture-backed start-up, Facebook paid the equivalent of three BlackBerrys (the company, not the device) to purchase the mobile-messaging company, which has 450 million monthly users.

NEWS: Facebook to buy WhatsApp for $16B

It is Silicon Valley's biggest tech deal since Symantec landed Veritas Software for $13.5 billion in 2004.

Facebook's dalliance with WhatsApp says a lot about the current state of The Valley, which becomes less numb with each mega-deal. Months after Yahoo gobbled up blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion, Snapchat — a tiny, photo-messaging app company — spurned Facebook's $3 billion offer.

Venture money is flowing into tech start-ups, and hot IPOs are spilling out of the Valley. Twitter's stock offering got most of the attention last year, but others like Box and King.com are on the way. If you don't quite believe in a bubble and crazy market valuations — Google is on the precipice of passing ExxonMobil as the second-most valued company in the world, after Apple — a $16 billion deal can be awfully persuasive.

There is method to Facebook's madness. A vast majority of its 1.2 billion members access the social network through mobile devices — and a spike in mobile-related ad sales has as much to do with the company's lofty stock price as anything else.

But my, how money changes everything. Two months ago, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum told The Wall Street Journal he had no intention to sell. "We're trying to build a sustainable company that's here for the next 100 years," he said.

Today, he had 16 billion reasons to rescind his comment.

Europe probes studios' deals with pay TV

Big Hollywood movies are typically licensed for TV broadcast in Europe on a country-by-country basis. That could change if the EU rules the practice breaches antitrust rules.

LONDON (CNNMoney) EU regulators are investigating deals between big movie studios and pay TV operators that prevent viewers in one European country watching broadcasts from another.

The European Union's antitrust watchdog said Monday it had begun formal proceedings to examine the licensing agreements between studios including Twentieth Century Fox, owned by 21st Century Fox (FOXA); Warner Bros, part of Time Warner Inc (TWX, Fortune 500) (CNNMoney's parent); Sony (SNE) Pictures; Comcast Corp (CCV)'s NBCUniversal and Viacom (VIA)'s Paramount Pictures.

Pay TV broadcasters such as Canal Plus of France, DTS of Spain and three in the 21st Century Fox network -- BSkyB in the U.K, Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland -- are also under investigation.

Studios typically license valuable content such as newly-released movies to a single pay TV broadcaster in one European country, or possibly more than one if they share a language, granting the major broadcasters "absolute territorial protection".

This means the movies cannot be made available outside the country where each broadcaster operates, even in response to requests from potential subscribers in other countries to receive a signal via satellite.

The EU watchdog carried out a fact-finding investigation in 2012 and now wants to go deeper to see whether the practice infringes rules that prohibit anti-competitive agreements.

The investigation followed a 2011 case involving the landlady of a British pub who was taken to court for using a Sky satellite card bought in Greece to show Greek broadcasts of U.K. Premier League soccer matches to her customers.

The European Court of Justice ruled that subscribing to a foreign satellite broadcaster and using a foreign decoder card for private use was not illegal. The landlady was fined for copyright infringement, however, for the public broadcast of content that had been licensed on an exclusive country-by-country basis.

  'Sirius' takeover for Time Warner Cable?

If the EU finds against territorial licences, studios and broadcasters may be forced to adopt EU-wide licences, which could mean a loss of revenue in some markets.

Antitrust probes carry no deadline and can take years to complete.

How to Save Money on Gym Memberships

It probably comes as no surprise that Americans' top resolution for 2014 is to lose weight, according to the University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology. Spending less and saving more also ranks among the top five resolutions. The good news is that if you've resolved to both lose weight and spend less, now is a great time to get a gym membership for less.

SEE ALSO: Healthy Habits That Will Save You Money

"Gyms know that people are setting their resolutions," says Trae Bodge, senior editor for deal and coupon site RetailMeNot. "In response, they're offering a lot of great deals." In addition to limited-time offers available now, there are several other ways you can save money on gym memberships.

Take advantage of free trials. You likely can get a free day pass at any gym any time of the year, Bodge says. However, several national fitness chains are offering lengthier free trials this month to capitalize on weight-loss resolutions. For example, 24 Hour Fitness has a free three-day pass, Gold's Gym and Anytime Fitness are offering free seven-day trials, and Snap Fitness will send you a free 30-day pass if you sign up online (and pay $8.95 for shipping and handling). Bodge says that you should take advantage of free passes at several gyms to find the one that suits you best so you don't waste money signing a contract with a facility you don't try out first.

Don't be afraid to negotiate. If you take advantage of free trials at several gyms but find that your favorite isn't offering the best membership deal, let the manager know what other gyms you've visited are offering. Bodge says gyms want your business so they may be willing to match a competitor's price. See Secrets to Successful Haggling to learn how to ask for a better price.

Let your employer or insurance company foot the bill. Several companies offer employees reimbursement for gym memberships or have on-site gyms that employees can take advantage of for free, Bodge says. Check with your human resources department to see if your employer offers this perk – and don't pass it up. Otherwise, check with your health insurance company to see if it offers fitness or weight-loss reimbursement. Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield are among the insurers with fitness reimbursement programs. And some insurers, such as Kaiser Permanente, offer discounts for memberships at participating fitness clubs.

Opt for a month-to-month membership. If you're just starting a fitness routine, Bodge says that you'll be better off paying month-to-month to go to the gym rather than locking yourself into a long contract for two reasons. At many gyms it will cost you less to pay on a monthly rather than annual basis, and if you don't stick to your fitness routine, you won't throw away money on a membership you're not using.

Look for coupons. Occasionally fitness club chains offer coupons. For example, RetailMeNot has a coupon code for 50% off the membership fee and the first month free at Curves. And if you want to exercise at home, January is a great time to find lots of discounts on fitness equipment and DVDs, Bodge says.

Join with a friend. Smaller, locally operated gyms often offer two-for one membership deals but don't actively promote them, Bodge says. So be sure to ask whether you can get a discount if you join with a friend.

Exercise at off-peak hours. Some small gyms and 24-hour fitness clubs offer discounted rates if you exercise at off-peak hours, such as late a night. However, like two-for-one deals, this discount often isn't advertised but is worth inquiring about, Bodge says.

Check into à la carte pricing. If a gym offers several services, facilities and types of training equipment but you only plan to, say, run on a treadmill, ask whether you can pay for just that.

Ask about perks. If you sign up for the lowest membership level but commit for a year, Bodge recommends asking the gym to throw in a free perk – such as access to a personal trainer or massages.

Go-fast Subaru WRX to run $27,000 - $42,000

Subaru's high-performance model, the WRX sedan, will be priced $27,090 to $41,790, including shipping, when it goes on sale this spring.

WRX and the even-faster WRX STI version are niche models, but enjoy a big following among younger buyer and performance buffs because the Subaru models have starred in video games for more than two decades.

The WRX and WRX STI are based on Subaru's Impreza compact sedan. They look different because of body panels not shared with Impreza.

The automaker, which has built a hefty following for what's a niche model, says the powertrain is the marquee feature of the 2015: A new 2-liter, four-cylinder engine with direct injection and turbocharging, rated 268 horsepower.

It can be coupled to a six-speed manual, which Subaru says is the fist time for a stick-shift WRX.

Subaru also offers a new optional CVT (continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission), called Sport Lineartonic, which has two manual-shift modes instead of the normal one manual mode.

Other highlights:

• A new platform -- chassis and associated components -- that's stiffer and provides more agile handling.

•New Active Torque Vectoring that does a better job apportioning power to all four wheels.

• More interior room.

• Standard rear-view camera.

The STI version of WRX, which comes only with a six-speed manual, will start at $35,290, including shipping. Subaru says that's unchanged from the previous model.

It gets a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated 305 hp.

The WRX name derives from the World Rally Cross racing series. The STI appellation comes from Subaru Technica International, which focuses on high-performance and racing models.

The Week Ahead: No Valentines for This Market

Given the recent market volatility, many traders may not be feeling much Valentine’s Day love, but MoneyShow’s Tom Aspray takes a technical look at some familiar patterns that might lead to promising opportunities.

It is a common view that traders, generally, like volatile price action, because they are able to take advantage of the sharp price moves that often take place in a brief time span. Some do not realize that traders look for familiar patterns during the volatile periods that can provide the best opportunities.

After the past two weeks, I doubt many are feeling much Valentine’s Day love for the market and are glad they have a three day weekend. The plunge on February 3 supported the view of many market bears, while those who were not short expected a day or two of consolidation, or a weak rebound, before the market decline resumed. Ideally, they would get a sharp two-day rally that would stall on the third day below the 20-day EMAs and this would give them an opportunity to get short.

The stock market bottom in June 2012 is an example of typical pattern, as the Spyder Trust (SPY) retested its highs in early May, before dropping sharply to the May 18 low of $126.06 (see arrow). The SPY then rebounded sluggishly for the next seven days and came close to the 20-day EMA at $130.56. It was also unable to move above the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement resistance before the SPY turned lower. It eventually dropped to a low of $123.72 in early June, which was accompanied by the formation of bullish divergences, as shown on the chart.

Some may have been looking for a similar setup this time, as stocks did stabilize after the February 3 plunge, but just two days after the Wednesday low of $173.71, the SPY had already closed above its 20-day EMA, as well as both the 38.2% and 50% retracement resistance. Those stubborn bears that held onto their positions until last week were probably stopped out last Tuesday or on Thursday’s surge.  Many who, understandably, were looking for a more serious and long lasting decline were disappointed.

As of last Friday’s close, there had been significant improvement in many of the technical studies but there was not enough evidence then to confirm that the correction was over. The further improvement by the middle of last week indicated that the worst of the selling was over.

It was the weak manufacturing data out of China that started to spook the markets last month. As was reported by Reuters on January 23, “Activity in China's factory sector contracted in January for the first time in six months.” Stocks closed lower that day and the market gapped lower the following day.

Economists and analysts are often skeptical about the data out of China, so while the 10.6% jump in January exports may have boosted stocks, many were still skeptical. It seemed to conflict with the weaker data out of South Korea and Taiwan. Of course, investors should never change their strategy based on a headline or a few data points, as emotion is an investor’s worst enemy.

Despite the doom and gloom over China, the weekly chart of the Shanghai Composite shows that it is currently trading well above the 2013 lows of 1850. It is also above the longer term support from 2004 that is in the 1800 area, line b. A strong close above the weekly downtrend at 2400, line a, would be a good sign.

NEXT PAGE: What to Watch

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Next Page

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now

Finding good socially responsible funds is incredibly difficult. But Parnassus Equity Income (PRBLX) fills the bill. In fact, I think it�� a fine choice for any investor, regardless of your political views.

The driving force behind the fund�� success is Todd Ahlsten, 41, its manager since 2001. Ahlsten started reading the Wall Street Journal when he was 13, and he interned at San Francisco-based Parnassus when he was a student across the bay at the University of California at Berkeley. He�� never worked anywhere else.

See Also: 5 Mutual Funds for Socially Responsible Investors

The fund, which doesn�� invest in companies involved in alcohol and tobacco, among other things, has delivered excellent results. Over the past ten years through July 11, the fund returned an annualized 9.1%��n average of 1.6 percentage points per year better than Standard & Poor�� 500-stock index. Yet the fund has been 8% less volatile than the S&P 500. It lost 40.9% in the 2007-2009 bear market compared with a meltdown of 55.3% for the index.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Bca Profilo(PRO.MI)

Banca Profilo S.p.A. provides private banking, investment banking, and capital market services to institutional clients in Italy. Its investment banking activities include company valuation and preparation of business plans; merger and acquisition advice and assistance in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures; finding venture capital through the inclusion of industrial or financial partners; organization and raising capital for LBO/MBO; organizing, structuring, and underwriting of IPOs and capital increases of listed companies; and corporate and financial restructuring. It also provides various private banking services, such as asset management in multi-manager funds, traditional asset management, collection orders on behalf of customers, and proposals for financial products, as well as legal, tax, and real estate services. The company offers asset management services to institutional customers, such as banks, insurance companies, foundations, and social security institutions; and individuals. In addition, it also provides brokerage services. The company is based in Milan, Italy.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation(NTT)

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to residential and corporate customers in Japan. It offers fixed and mobile voice related services, IP/packet communications services, system integration and network system services, and other telecommunications related services; sells telecommunications equipment; and operates telephone networks. The company provides intra-prefectural and inter-prefectural communications, international communications, mobile telephone services, and related ancillary services; and data communications services, such as strategic planning, systems planning and systems design, and information communications systems and computer networks installation. It also engages in building maintenance, real estate property rental, systems development, leasing, and research and development activities. As of March 31, 2011, the company provided telephone and ISDN services to 34,884 thousand subs cribers; broadband services to 15,059 thousand FLET?S Hikari subscribers and 2,858 thousand FLET?S ADSL subscribers; and mobile phone services to 58,010 thousand subscribers. It also offered Plala Internet connection service to 3,101 thousand subscribers and Open Computer Network service to 8,234 thousand subscribers. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation was founded in 1952 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  The strength in Japanese stocks is evident in Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT), the $60 billion telco in the Land of the Rising Sun. Shares of NTT are up close to 22% since the first trading session in January -- and now, a technical setup points to even higher ground in the month ahead.

  That's because NTT is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern, a bullish price setup that's formed by horizontal resistance above shares at $27 and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as NTT bounces in between those two technical levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above resistance. When that move above $27 happens, traders have their buy signal.

  At first glance, the abundance of gaps on NTT's chart may be alarming. But those gaps, called suspension gaps, are just the rest of off hours trading on the Tokyo and London exchanges. From a technical standpoint they're irrelevant, but they're common in foreign traded names that are dual-listed overseas.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Japanese telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NYSE: NTT  ) earned a respected four-star ranking. �

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks opened lower Thursday, as gains for the yen and losses for Wall Street conspired to drive the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) down 1.2% to 15,333.35, extending Wednesday's 0.6% loss. The Topix fell 0.7%, with the U.S. dollar (USDJPY) slipping to 102.46 yen, down from around 楼102.80 at the start of the previous session, but off its lows in late Wednesday trade. Electronics firms and other techs helped lead the loss, with Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) falling 1.4%, Nikon Corp. (JP:7731) (NINOF) off 2.4%, and Alps Electric Co. (JP:6770) 1.8% lower. The Nikkei Asian Review reported Thursday that Japan looked set to post its first trade deficit for electronics goods this year. Shares of Yahoo Japan Corp. (JP:4689) (YAHOF) lost 1.4%, even as Bloomberg reported the firm was offering its stake in market-research firm Macromill Inc. (JP:3730) to U.S. private-equity firm Bain Capital at a premium to its most recent close. Shares of Macromill were untraded. Among gainers, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (JP:9432) (NTT) rose 2.1%, following a 1.1% gain for its U.S.-listed shares.

Top 10 Casino Stocks To Invest In 2015: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited(CNR)

China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the development and operation of agricultural logistics and trade centers in northeast China. It also involves in purchasing, processing, assembling, merchandising, and distributing pearls and jewelry products. The company markets its pearls and jewelry products to wholesale distributors and mass merchandisers in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia. In addition, it develops, sells, and leases residential and commercial properties in Hong Kong and the People?s Republic of China. The company is based in Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Katie Brennan]

  Canadian National Railway Co. (CNR) added 0.9 percent to C$104.93 and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. rose 1.7 percent to C$131.73.

  Niko Resources surged 3.4 percent to $8.64 after the company entered an agreement for a $60 million loan that will be funded by a group of institutional investors. Net proceeds from the loan will be used to fund working capital requirements.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Class Editori(CLE.MI)

Class Editori SpA engages in newspapers, magazines, digital satellite television (TV), digital terrestrial TV, radio, and electronic publishing businesses. The company publishes newspapers that provide news, features, and information of interest to economists, lawyers, tax specialists, bankers, and other professionals; and various magazines for business professionals and consumers. It also operates Class CNBC, an Italian business TV channel, which provides activities and events of Italian stock exchange and Davos world economic forum; Class TV Msnbc, a terrestrial digital information TV channel that offers information on the lives of Italians and weather news; ClassHorseTV, which provides horse events; and Class TV Moda, an Italian fashion channel that offers international events, fashion shows, and interviews with fashion celebrities and VIP guests at fashion shows, as well as other TV channels, such as Class Life. In addition, the company provides a mix of classical musi c and Italian, and international financial news. Further, it supplies data, information, and financial news through various platforms, including cable, satellite, Intranet, and the Internet. Class Editori SpA was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Computer Programs and Systems Inc.(CPSI)

Computer Programs and Systems, Inc., a healthcare information technology company, designs, develops, markets, installs, and supports computerized information technology systems to small and midsize hospitals in the United States. Its enterprise-wide system automates the management of clinical and financial data across the primary functional areas of a hospital. The company offers services that enable customers to outsource certain data-related business processes in the areas of clinical care, revenue cycle management, cost control, and regulatory compliance. Its software products include Patient Management, which enables a hospital to identify a patient at any point in the healthcare delivery system, and to collect and maintain patient information through the process of patient care; Financial Accounting that provides various business office applications to track and coordinate information needed for managerial decision-making; and Clinical, which automates record keeping and reporting for a range of clinical functions, such as laboratory, radiology, physical therapy, respiratory care, and pharmacy. The company?s software products also comprise Patient Care that allows hospitals to create computerized patient files; and Enterprise Applications, which provide software applications that support its products for use in various areas of the hospital. In addition, it offers support and maintenance services; business management services, including electronic billing, statement processing, accounts receivable management, payroll processing, contract management, and insurance services; and system implementation and training services, such as conversion and training. Further, the company sells computer hardware, peripherals, forms, and office supplies. It serves acute care community hospitals; and small specialty hospitals that focus on medical areas, such as surgery, rehabilitation, and psychiatry. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartere d in Mobile, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Both CSP Inc. (CPSI) and ITT Educational Services Inc. (ESI) have struggled in the last year. Their revenues are way down as of the second quarter, year over year. Richard Blum�� Blum Capital Partners LP continues to trim sinking education companies where the company is 10% owner, and John Rogers of Ariel Capital Management cuts a long-held defense company that delivered high gains over five years.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Zogenix Inc (ZGNX.W)

Zogenix, Inc. (Zogenix), incorporated on May 11, 2006, is a pharmaceutical company commercializing and developing products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders and pain. The Company�� product Sumavel DosePro offers needle-free subcutaneous administration of sumatriptan for the treatment of migraine and cluster headache in a pre-filled, single-use delivery system. Its lead product candidate, Zohydro (hydrocodone bitartrate, formerly ZX002) is a 12-hour extended-release formulation of hydrocodone without acetaminophen for the treatment of chronic pain requiring opioid therapy. It completed Phase 3 development of Zohydro in 2011. Its second DosePro investigational product candidate, Relday, is a injectable formulation of risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia. Sumavel DosePro and Zohydro are used for the treatment options available to patients and physicians in the United States. Sumavel DosePro may serve as a treatment alternative to oral and na sal triptans and offers administration when compared to traditional, needle-based sumatriptan injection. In May, 2012, it submitted a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Company�� collaboration with Astellas has been terminated on March 31, 2012. Sumavel DosePro is a pre-filled, single-use disposable, needle-free drug delivery system that subcutaneously delivers 6 mg of sumatriptan in 0.5 mL of sterile liquid. Sumavel DosePro is designed to be portable, intuitive and easy-to-use. To use, the patient simply snaps off a plastic tip, flips back a lever and presses the end of the delivery system to the skin of the abdomen or thigh. Under the force of a small amount of compressed nitrogen gas, the liquid form of sumatriptan is expelled out of the device as a thin jet of medication, which pierces the skin and selectively deposits into the subcutaneous tissue.

Zogenix competes with GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca PLC, Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Merck & C! o! ., Inc., Pfizer Inc., Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc., MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Alpharma Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc., King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mallinckrodt Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Owen Mumford Ltd., Ypsomed, Sandoz Inc., Bioject Inc. and Antares Pharma Inc.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Autoimmune Inc (AIMM)

AutoImmune Inc., incorporated in September 1988, is a healthcare company. The Company�� products are based on the principles of mucosal tolerance. The Company�� product is sold by Colloral LLC, the Company�� joint venture with Deseret, under the brand name Colloral, The Collagen Solution and Vital 3, and by Futurebiotics LLC under the brand name Vital 3. The other products which are in the development stage include MBP8298 (dirucotide), Oral Copaxone and AI 401.

The Company completed ten human clinical trials involving over 1,900 patients to investigate the use of Colloral as a pharmaceutical for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The Company holds a joint venture with Deseret by forming Colloral LLC to manufacture market and sell Colloral as a dietary supplement. Colloral LLC holds a distributing agreement with Futurebiotics LLC for Colloral. Futurebiotics LLC markets the product under the brand name Vital 3. Colloral LLC also markets the product under the Vital 3 brand through The Shopping Channel of Canada via on air segments and their Website.

The Company�� other products in the development stage include MBP8298 (dirucotide) for multiple sclerosis, which is in Phase III trials for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis; Oral Copaxone is in the research stage for multiple sclerosis, and AI 401 is in Phase III trials for Type 1 diabetes. The development of MBP8298 (dirucotide) is conducted by BioMS Medical Corporation (BioMS). In August 2000, BioMS tested patients in a Phase II/III (MAESTRO-01) clinical trial of its MBP8298 treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. It was conducted at 47 sites across Canada and Europe. In November 2006, BioMS enrolled in a Phase II clinical trial (MINDSET-01) of MBP8298 for treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. It enrolled 218 patients at 24 sites in six countries for a 15 month trial.

The Company collaborated with Eli Lilly, which supports clinical testing of orally administered a! utoimmune-mediated (Type 1) diabetes product, AI 401. Eli Lilly completed three different Phase II clinical trials to demonstrate human proof of principle for AI 401. The United States study was a one-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with more than 200 patients, designed to measure immunological changes, preservation of pancreatic function and time to insulin dependence. Its second Phase II trial, involving approximately 150 patients, was conducted in France. The third trial was conducted in Italy with approximately 80 patients. In addition, Eli Lilly provided AI 401 for the Diabetes Prevention Trial (DPT-1) conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During the year ended December 31, 2008, the clinical trial of intranasal insulin to delay or prevent the clinical onset of Type I diabetes, called the Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Project was conducted in Finland. As of January 1, 2009, 115 had been enrolled in this trial.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Dynasty Metals I (DMM.TO)

Dynasty Metals & Mining Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Ecuador. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, and copper ores. Its principal properties include the Zaruma gold project comprising 46 unsurveyed concessions that cover 103 square kilometers located in the El Oro Province of southwestern Ecuador; the Jerusalem gold project consisting of 1 concession that covers 225 hectares located in the Zamora Chinchipe Province of southeastern Ecuador; and the Dynasty copper-gold project that comprises 51 concessions covering a total project area of approximately 979.81 square kilometers located in the Loja Province of southern Ecuador. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB.AX)

National Australia Bank Limited provides products, advice and services. In Australia, it operates through National Australia Bank, MLC and UBank. In the United Kingdom, it operates through Clydesdale Bank. In New Zealand, it operates through Bank of New Zealand. In the United States, it operates through Great Western Bank. Segments include Business Banking, Personal Banking, Wholesale Banking, UK Banking and NZ Banking, MLC and NAB and Great Western Ban. As of April 5, 2012, the Company and its associated entities ceased to be a substantial holder in BlueScope Steel Limited. On May 17, 2012, it ceased to be a substantial holder in Spark Infrastructure Group and Sandfire Resources NL. As of August 24, 2012, the Company and its associated entities ceased to be holder in Tabcorp Holdings Limited. In September 2012, the Company and its associated entities have ceased to be a substantial holder in Incitec Pivot Limited, as of August 30, 2012.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Notable earnings reports currently on tap for next week: Qihu 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: QIHU), Avago Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Joy Global Inc. (NYSE: JOY), Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD), and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL).

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Sterling Construction Company Inc(STRL)

Sterling Construction Company, Inc., a heavy civil construction company, engages in the building, reconstruction, and repair of transportation and water infrastructure. Its transportation infrastructure projects include highways, roads, bridges, and light rail and commuter rail; and water infrastructure projects comprise water, wastewater, and storm drainage systems. The company also provides general contracting services, such as excavating, concrete and asphalt paving, installation of large-diameter water and wastewater distribution systems, construction of bridges and similar large structures, construction of light and commuter rail infrastructure, concrete and asphalt batch plant operations, and concrete crushing and aggregates operations. It serves public sector customers, including county and municipal public works departments, regional transit and water authorities, port authorities, school districts, and municipal utility districts, as well as private customers prim arily in Texas, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California. The company was formerly known as Oakhurst Company, Inc. and changed its name to Sterling Construction Company, Inc. in November 2001. Sterling Construction Company, Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own Right Now: Sprott Resource Lending Corp.(SILU)

Sprott Resource Lending Corp., a natural resource lender, provides bridge and mezzanine financing to precious and base metal mining, exploration, and development companies, as well as energy companies worldwide. The company was formerly known as Quest Capital Corp. and changed its name to Sprott Resource Lending Corp. in September 2010. Sprott Resource Lending Corp. was incorporated in 1980 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

5 Messy Financial Firm Breakups—and One Keeping Mum

Neil Sedaka famously sang that breaking up is hard to do and wealth management firms have certainly had their share of rough changes of leadership.

Overspending, backstabbing, family intrigue and just plain surprise resignations can all play a part when it comes to cutting ties with a chief exec.

Of course, not every tenure ends with days or months of headlines breathlessly reporting the latest twists and turns. One firm has generated headlines for its ability to keep a secret while maintaining an air of calm, while it plans its succession.

To find which firm that is, look at our list of 5 Messy Financial Firm Breakups, and One Keeping Mum:

1. Mohamed El-Erian, PIMCO: 2014

Wall Street might have been shocked in January when El-Erian, the CEO and co-CIO of the world’s largest bond fund, announced he would leave, but Bill Gross, the company’s founder and co-CIO, was having none of it. In fact, by early February Gross let the world know “we are a better team at this moment than we were before.” Time will tell.

2. Ronald O’ Hanley, Fidelity Investments: 2014

After El-Erian announced his split from PIMCO, O’Hanley let it be known he would leave his post as Fidelity Investments’ head of assets. Maybe it was expected. Some industry experts said being No. 2 at the family-run company is never a long-term assignment. So, maybe all we can do is warn the next manager up. For O’Hanley’s part, he said he had accomplished his goals of aiding Abigail Johnson as she took over the company from her father and improving asset management at the firm.

3. John Mack, Morgan Stanley: 2001 and 2010

There might have been a handshake agreement that Mack would someday take the helm at Morgan Stanley, but it wasn’t to be. Chairman and CEO Philip Purcell, who had landed as Mack’s boss after his Dean Witter bought out Morgan Stanley, didn’t have any thought of leaving. After a tempestuous relationship, Mack finally left in 2001, three years after his co-CEO proposal was rejected. Morgan Stanley denied there was ever a handshake agreement. Mack went on to two other firms before getting his revenge: in 2005 he was named to replace Purcell at Morgan Stanley. In 2007, he received $41 million in pay. Things had soured by 2009, when Mack stepped down on Jan. 1, 2010, with the firm took some of the blame for the financial crisis.

4. John Thain, Bank of America Merrill Lynch: 2009

As head of Merrill Lynch, John Thain had a job many in the financial industry envied. And those who worked for him probably thought he was a good boss. Who wouldn’t want to work for a boss who hands out big bonuses even when the firm is bleeding money? After Bank of America took over the venerable firm, those bonuses to top executives led to his ouster in 2009. Thain turned a debacle into a victory by taking over the helm of CIT Group barely more than a month later and returning it to profitability last year from the depths of a $31 billion debt.

5. Jeffrey Gundlach, TCW Group: 2009

It’s not often that being fired is cause for an expensive party, but that’s how Jeffrey Gundlach reacted when he was let go by TCW in 2009. Gundlach was a master of fixed income investments and his portfolio was half of the company’s assets. Accusations that he was stealing company secrets to start his own fund led to his firing. Suits and countersuits followed. Out of the controversy, Gundlach created DoubleLine Capital, which has $50 billion in assets under management.

6. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway: ????

There’s no internal controversy here. No messy board fights. Matter of fact, the successor chosen by Warren Buffett, the “Oracle of Omaha,” is completely unknown, which the big man says is solidly in agreement on the choice. Most observers expect the next head of the investment company to come from within. The only things we know for sure, is that there will be a successor. How do we know that? Well, the Oracle said so. Anyone who thought he’d stay forever has been warned.

-- Related stories on ThinkAdvisor:

VW union vote could halt state incentives

A crusade by anti-union forces in Tennessee, including the state's governor and a senior senator, now is as much a fight with Volkswagen management as with the United Auto Workers union.

Volkswagen's neutrality has been challenged by opposition groups. They charge that the German automaker is, in fact, carefully orchestrating a plan to help the UAW win the election.

Some 1,500 VW workers at the plant vote Wednesday through Friday on UAW representation. The secret balloting will be overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.

On Monday, state Republican leaders accused Volkswagen of supporting the UAW and they threatened to withhold any tax incentives for future expansion of the three-year-old assembly plant in Chattanooga if workers vote to join the UAW.

"Should the workers at Volkswagen choose to be represented by the United Auto Workers, then I believe any additional incentives from the citizens of the State of Tennessee for expansion or otherwise will have a very tough time passing the Tennessee Senate," State Sen. Bo Watson, R-Chattanooga, said in a statement sent to the Free Press.

A worker opposition group called Southern Momentum echoed that position in a statement.

"Further financial incentives — which are absolutely necessary for the expansion of the VW facility here in Chattanooga — simply will not exist if the UAW wins this election," Maury Nicely, a Chattanooga labor lawyer representing Southern Momentum said.

Today's threat comes less than 48 hours after Volkswagen said it favors a German-style works council with union representation.

"Outside political groups won't divert us from the work at hand: innovating, creating jobs, growing, and producing great automobiles," said Sebastian Patta, Volkswagen Chattanooga vice president of human resources.

The anti-union forces now are countering that VW isn't neutral, it is pro-union.

Volkswagen said workers in favor of and opposed to UAW representation have had opportunities to distr! ibute information and talk to other workers.

"U.S. labor law requires VW to have a union in order for the works councils to be legal. If Volkswagen workers vote for the union it is expected to have a ripple effect on other auto manufacturers in the southern United States and their suppliers," according to Art Wheaton, automotive industry expert and senior extension associate at Cornell University.

"UAW International President Bob King has staked his legacy and reputation on the ability to organize a foreign automaker in the South. Volkswagen's global corporate philosophy and strategic advantage is having 'works councils' represent the plant workers and management in major decisions including locating new vehicle production," Wheaton noted.

In January, Volkswagen said it will invest $7 billion in North America over the next five years in its quest to sell more than 1 million Volkswagen and Audi vehicles in the U.S. by 2018.

A new SUV is seen as key to reaching that goal.

Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen's global CEO, would not say where the SUV would be built, but Chattanooga is a likely site. Winterkorn said the decision would not be influenced by whether workers vote to join the UAW.

Volkswagen also has a plant in Puebla, Mex.

If workers at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee vote for UAW representation the union and company will form a German-style works council at the plant.

A 20-page legal agreement for a union election between the UAW and Volkswagen says that the UAW has agreed to delegate to the works council many of the functions and responsibilities ordinarily performed by unions.

"Our works councils are key to our success and productivity. It is a business model that helped to make Volkswagen the second largest car company in the world," Frank Fischer, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Chattanooga said in a statement.

The Best and Worst Run Cities in America

A federal judge granted Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing earlier this month, making it the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Bankruptcy is frequently the product of a history of problems. The unrelenting decline in manufacturing and the more recent collapse of the housing market resulted in a shrinking population, rampant unemployment and high debt, which have devastated the city.

Click here to see the Ten Best-Run States in America

Click here to see the Ten Worst-Run States in America

In order to determine the performance of the nation's largest cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 100 largest U.S. cities by population. We considered a variety of factors, including the area's economy, job market, crime level, and welfare of the population. This year, the best-run city is Irvine, California, while the worst run is San Bernardino, California.

Identifying appropriate criteria to compare cities can be challenging because large cities vary so much. Some have wealthy tax bases, while others fight declining populations and home values. A few have been burdened by struggling industries, while others have healthier service- or innovation-based economies. Because of such differences, a spending or tax policy that can be frugal in one city can be disastrous in another.

Many of the cities that rank poorly have faced difficulties outside of their control. In San Bernardino, Stockton, North Las Vegas, and Hialeah — all bottom-ranked cities — homes lost more than 40% of their value in the past five years, inflicting a severe economic hit.

Cleveland, another poorly ranked city, has suffered from the national decline in the manufacturing industry. Like Detroit, the cities’ poverty rates are more than double the national rate.

Still, some of those factors can be at least mitigated if a city is well-managed. It is the responsibility of city planners to prepare for the worst. Mayors, school boards, and city councils all have a role to play in that regard and must work with the resources available to keep budgets balanced.

In some cases, this means facilitating growth of emerging industries that attract skilled, educated, and well-paid taxpayers to a region. Seattle, Austin, and Scottsdale, all among the best-ranked cities, have managed to do this well.

Strong or weak fiscal management also has an impact on city ranking. Looking at a city’s debt rating as an indicator of fiscal management shows a clear pattern. The debt of the majority of the best-run cities is rated Aaa by Moody's Investors Service. None of the worst-run cities received that perfect score. And some, such as Detroit, Stockton, and North Las Vegas, are rated below investment grade.

These are the Best- and Worst-Run Cities in America

Overall beer production down, but craft beers…

Consumer demand for craft beers continued to rise in 2013, but not enough to keep overall beer demand from going flat.

As a result, total U.S. beer volume sold in the U.S. fell slightly (1.4%) to 2.8 billion 2.25-gallon cases, compared to 2.84 billion in 2012, according to market tracking firm Technomic.

Craft beer production grew 9.6% to capture 7% of the total beer market, according to Technomic's 2014 Special Trends in Adult Beverage Report: State of the Industry report, due out soon.

The results continue a trend of recent years of craft beer grabbing more of the total beer market. After making up 5.5% of the total beer volume in 2011, craft beer increased to 6.3% in 2012.

STORY: Goose Island drafts new promotions and new beers

BEER MAN: Hops dominate Smuttynose's barleywine

Naturally, spending on craft beer has risen, too, accounting for 8.5% of the $62.3 billion spent on beer in 2012, up from 7.5% of 2011's $60 billion market, Technomic says. The firm is still finalizing its sales figures for 2013.

Light beer, still the largest beer category making up 50% of U.S. beers, took the biggest hit, percentage-wise, with volume falling 3.5% to 1.4 billion cases. Mainstream domestic beer volume fell 2.4% to 560 million cases.

Craft beer volume rose nearly 10% to 195 million cases from 178 million. That's a result of many consumers, especially millennials, seeking more from beers, says Donna Hood Crecca, senior director of Technomic's adult beverage resource group. "In beer we are seeing people moving toward more flavorful, more unique styles and brands," she says. "Consumers are really interested in exploring beer and getting into different flavor profiles and things that are compatible with different foods."

Interest in craft beer is part of the locally-produced food and drink movement that includes wine and spirits. As demand as increased, more breweries have opened with more than 2.530 operating as of June 2013, the highest total since the 1880s, acco! rding to the Brewers Association.

A vast majority (98%) of those are microbreweries, brewpubs and regional breweries. "People are interested in food that is produced locally, handcrafted or organic, something that makes it unique and gives it a different dynamic," Crecca says.

Meanwhile, economic factors have cut into sales of mainstream beers, she says. "The core consumer of the major beer brands was among those hardest hit by the recession and some of them changed their consumption and purchase behaviors," Crecca says.

While increased sales of higher-priced craft beer might run counter to that, "it really points to people looking for authenticity and hand-crafted product," she says. "Some of the thinking also is that, 'Hey, if I'm going to indulge and have a beer, I want to make it a really good and interesting beer.' So they are willing to spend on the craft."

3 Reasons RadioShack Is a Value Trap

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Actions always speak louder than words.

That is especially true when it is a retailer slamming the doors shut on about 500 stores, as RadioShack (RSH) is doing. For those looking to profit, it will be almost impossible to find any shares of RadioShack to short as the float is already over 45%, according to Yahoo! Finance.

For those considering going long on RadioShack, don't.  RadioShack is a classic value trap, not a value play.

As detailed in a previous article, the retail sector is filled with value traps such as Sears Holding (SHLD), J.C. Penney (JCP) and Bon-Ton Stores (BONT).

A value trap is company that looks to be undervalued due to how low the stock is trading on a price-to-book and price-to-sales ratio. With a price-to-sales ratio of 0.06 and a price-to-book ratio of 0.57, RadioShack certainly appears to be a value play. But those ratios are not a result of the market inefficiently pricing RadioShack. Its sales are plunging. Sales growth for the past five years was flat. Quarterly sales growth is down by 10.30%. Same-store sales are down 8.4% for the most recent quarter. There is no missing value in the sales aspects of RadioShack as it is clearly on a downward trend for sales, which is the lifeblood of a retailer. Another reason this is a value trap: The assets are not undervalued. As with many other retailers, the real estate of RadioShack has been touted as being valuable. It is not. There is one billion square feet of vacant real estate in the United States, according to Urban Land Magazine. Sears has 118 closed stores already available. J.C. Penney recently announced that more stores were being closed. Dots LLC, a fashion retailer, just filed for bankruptcy and is trying find a buyer for more than 400 stores. Now add 500 additional stores from RadioShack to that pile of empty brick and mortar. Finally, RadioShack is a horrible business enterprise with no upside. It is losing money with a negative profit margin of 7.20%. There is a huge debt load that has to be paid from the falling sales that lose money, too. The debt-to-equity ratio for RadioShack is 1.27. That means that it required $1.27 in borrowing to create every dollar in equity. The return on equity for RadioShack is a negative 52.80%, so heaping on that debt was hardly in the best interest of the shareholders! When the share price jumps -- as it did Monday after its successful Super Bowl commercial -- those long should sell. If that somehow provides an opportunity to short, do it. RadioShack has 100.1 million shares outstanding with $3.13 in cash per share on the books. At present, according to Finviz, its income is a negative $263.90 million. This does not leave RadioShack with much time before its cash runs out, especially when it is losing money with falling sales and a ton of debt. At the time of publication the author had no position in any of the stocks mentioned. This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.

Stock quotes in this article: RSH, SHLD, BONT, JCP 

Athenahealth: Coming ‘Chaos’ a Boon to Medical Biller

Athenahealth’s (ATHN) shares have gained more than 20% today, which means that their results weren’t just good, but completely reset Wall Street’s expectations.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Which is exactly what Athenahealth did. The online billing and medical data company reported a profit of 57 cents a share, well above forecasts for 44 cents, thanks to better profit margins.

If that was all, Athenahealth’s shares would have gained a few percentage points. Instead its stock has surged 25% to $173.82 at 3:56 p.m. The reason: the “best is yet to come,” says Sterne Agee’s Greg Bolan. He explains:

In our view, [Athenahealth] possesses the strongest position to harvest opportunities arising from the invariable chaos created by ICD-10 [a revamp of the World Health Organization's disease codes. Ed.] in October. In a recent investor call with the AC Group…CEO Mark Anderson estimated that of the 1.1MM billable healthcare providers (active physicians and nurse practitioners) in the U.S., 20-25% will be transitioned to an outsourced billing service following the implementation of ICD-10 in October 2014. To put his point into perspective, we are modeling for 10,400 new physicians to go live on Collector in 2014. Mr. Anderson was quite vocal about the superiority of athenaCollector to ambulatory RCM services provided by eCW (private), Quality Systems (QSII), and CareCloud (private). We continue to believe Athena has the “mouse trap” technology for outsourced billing services to hospital-owned and independent practices.

Which might help explain why Quality Systems has dropped 0.1% to $17.98 today, even as Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX) has gained 1.7% to $16.15 and Cerner (CERN) has risen 3.4% to $55.42.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now

Chrysler's Mike Manley introduced the Jeep Cherokee in Shanghai last week. Chrysler is bringing several Jeeps to China in a bid to boost profits. Photo credit: Chrysler Group

Chrysler Group LLC said�on Monday that its first-quarter net income had fallen to $166 million, down 65% from a year earlier, on a decline in shipments and increased costs related to new product launches.

Chrysler, the Detroit automaker that forms the U.S. "house" of Italian automaker Fiat (NASDAQOTH: FIATY  ) , said that first-quarter revenues were $15.4 billion, down 6%. The company's adjusted pre-tax profit was $435 million, down from $740 million in the year-ago period.

All of this was broadly in line with expectations, though Fiat shares dropped on the news. Fiat itself is set to report its own earnings late on Monday.

An expected increase in costs that should set up a strong second half
The drop in Chrysler's earnings was in line with expectations set by Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne back in January, when he warned that shipment volumes in the first quarter would be hurt by several planned product introductions.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: FSI International Inc.(FSII)

FSI International, Inc. designs, manufactures, markets, and supports equipment used in the fabrication of microelectronics. The company primarily offers surface conditioning equipment that uses wet, cryogenic, and other chemistry techniques to clean, strip, or etch the surfaces of silicon wafers; and refurbished microlithography products to deposit and develop light sensitive films. Its products include spray cleaning systems, which remove unwanted films and contaminants from the surface of semiconductor wafers at various stages in the microelectronic device fabrication process; single wafer cleaning systems that clean semiconductor wafers in a closed chamber and single wafer environment; cryokinetic processing systems, which remove non-chemically bonded particles from the surface of a microelectronic device; immersion cleaning systems that clean silicon wafers by immersing wafers in multiple tanks filled with process chemicals; and microlithography systems, which deposit polyimide resist and photoresist, light-sensitive, and etch-resistant materials, as well as develop the deposited material after exposure. The company also provides system and subsystem upgrade packages, spare part kits, individual spare part components, robot refurbishment and replacement, and support services to extend the life of previously purchased and installed systems. FSI International, Inc. offers its products under the ZETA, MERCURY, ORION, ANTARES, and POLARIS names. The company sells its products directly to the microelectronics manufacturers in North America, Europe, Japan, and the Asia Pacific region. FSI International, Inc. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Chaska, Minnesota.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: Fds Networks Group Ltd (F07.SI)

FDS Networks Group Ltd, an investment holding company, engages in network system integration, distribution of networking products, provision of technical services, and asset management in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Thailand. It is involved in the design and implementation of integrated telecommunication and/or data communication networks to enable organizations communicate various types of information electronically within the organization or with another organization across various geographical locations. The company also engages in the distribution, installation, and service of networking and communications hardware products, such as cables, adapters, modems, multiplexers, routers, switches, frame relay products, and security encryption products; the trade of communication products and accessories, networking products and systems, and computer software and hardware; and the provision of equipment, service, and support to customers requiri ng the establishment and integration of Datacomm and local area network networking products and systems. In addition, it provides data and telecommunications services; offers computer maintenance support and consultancy services; engages in the catalogue sale of telecommunication equipment; develops information technology projects; and engages in trading and integrating business machines and communication equipment. FDS Networks Group Ltd is headquartered in Wanchai, Hong Kong.

Top 10 Machinery Companies To Buy Right Now: Cal Bay International Inc (CBYI)

NA

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: American Learning Corporation(ALRN)

American Learning Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various services to children with developmental delays and disabilities in New York. The company provides early intervention program services to children from birth through two years of age; preschool program services to children from three to five years of age; and school staffing services to school age children in individual or group settings. It offers its services in home environments or in centers, such as day care or schools. The company was formerly known as American Claims Evaluation, Inc. and changed its name to American Learning Corporation in March 2010. American Learning Corporation was founded in 1981 and is based in Jericho, New York.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras(PBR)

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. primarily engages in oil and natural gas exploration and production, refining, trade, and transportation businesses. The company?s Exploration and Production segment involves in the exploration, production, development, and production of oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas in Brazil. This segment supplies its products to the refineries in Brazil, as well as sells surplus petroleum and byproducts in domestic and foreign markets. Its Supply segment engages in the refining, logistics, transportation, and trade of oil and oil products; export of ethanol; and extraction and processing of schist, as well as holds interests in companies of the petrochemical sector in Brazil. The Gas and Energy segment involves in the transportation and trade of natural gas produced in or imported into Brazil; transportation and trade of LNG; and generation and trade of electric power. In addition, the segment has interests in natural gas transportation and d istribution companies; and thermoelectric power stations in Brazil, as well engages in fertilizer business. The Distribution segment distributes oil products, ethanol, and compressed natural gas in Brazil. The International segment involves in the exploration and production of oil and gas, as well as in supplying, gas and energy, and distribution operations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Further, the company involves in biofuel production business. Petroleo Brasileiro was founded in 1953 and is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Add pricing issues to long-suffering Petrobras (PBR) shareholders’ pile of worries. Shares of PBR stock are falling hard today, currently down 10% at press time.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

  Petrobras provides essential energy products and services to growing populations, industries, and economies around the world. The stock has not done too well in recent times, in fact, it is currently trading near multi-year lows. Earnings and revenue figures have been decreasing over recent quarters so investors in the stock have not been pleased. Relative to its peers and sector, Petrobras has trailed significantly in year-to-date performance. STAY AWAY from Petrobras stock for now.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: Nanosphere Inc.(NSPH)

Nanosphere, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets molecular diagnostics platform, the Verigene System that enables genomic and protein testing on a single platform. Its Verigene System includes a bench-top molecular diagnostics workstation with nanoparticle technology that provides the ability to run multiple tests simultaneously on the same sample. The Verigene System is used for testing infectious disease assays, human and pharmacogenetic assays, and ultra-sensitive protein assays. The company serves hospital-based laboratories and academic research institutions in the United States. Nanosphere, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Nanosphere Inc. (NASDAQ: NSPH) is not exactly a household name in molecular diagnostics, and apparently it needs better name recognition for boosting sales. Its sales were disappointing and the stock was down almost 18% at $2.40, and now we have indications down around $2.35 in Wednesday trading indications.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: Investors Capital Holdings Ltd.(ICH)

Investors Capital Holdings, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in the United States. It provides broker-dealer services in support of trading and investment in securities, such as corporate stocks and bonds, the U.S. government securities, municipal bonds, mutual funds, and variable annuities, as well as variable life insurance, including provision of market information, Internet trading and portfolio tracking facilities, and records management. The company also offers investment advisory services, such as asset allocation and portfolio rebalancing services. Investors Capital Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 1995 and is based in Lynnfield, Massachusetts.

Top Sliver Companies To Invest In Right Now: Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI)

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Darden), incorporated in March 1995, is a company owned and full-service restaurant company. As of May 27, 2012, the Company operated through subsidiaries 1,994 restaurants in the United States and Canada. In the United States, it operated 1,961 restaurants in all 50 states, including 677 Red Lobster, 786 Olive Garden, 386 LongHorn Steakhouse, 46 The Capital Grille, 30 Bahama Breeze, 23 Seasons 52, eight Eddie V's Prime Seafood and three Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurants, and two test synergy restaurants, which house both a Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurant in the same building. In Canada, the Company operated 33 restaurants, including 27 Red Lobster and six Olive Garden restaurants. Through subsidiaries, it owns and operates all of its restaurants in the United States and Canada, except for three restaurants located in Central Florida that is owned by joint ventures it manages. On November 14, 2011, it acquired eight Eddie V's Prime Seafood restaurants and three Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurants.

As of May 27, 2012, the Company had 28 restaurants outside the United States and Canada operated by independent third parties pursuant to area development and franchise agreements, including five LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants in Puerto Rico, 22 Red Lobster restaurants in Japan, and one Red Lobster restaurant in Dubai. During fiscal year ended May 27, 2012, it opened 89 net new restaurants in the United States and Canada.

Red Lobster

Red Lobster is a full-service dining seafood specialty restaurant operator in the United States. It offers a menu featuring fresh fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops and other seafood. The menu includes a variety of specialty seafood and non-seafood entrees, appetizers and desserts. Red Lobster maintains different lunch and dinner menus and different menus across its trade areas.

Olive Garden

Olive Garden is a full service dining Italian restaurant operator in the United Stat! es. Olive Garden�� menu includes a range of authentic Italian foods featuring fresh ingredients and a wine list that includes a selection of wines imported from Italy. The menu includes flatbreads and other appetizers, soups, salad and garlic bread sticks, baked pastas, sauted specialties with chicken, seafood and fresh vegetables, grilled meats, and a variety of desserts. Olive Garden also uses coffee imported from Italy for its espresso and cappuccino.

LongHorn Steakhouse

LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants are full-service establishments serving both lunch and dinner. With locations in 35 states, primarily in the Eastern half of the United States, LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants feature a range of menu items, including signature fresh steaks, as well as salmon, shrimp, chicken, ribs, pork chops, burgers and prime rib.

The Capital Grille

The Capital Grille has locations in metropolitan cities in the United States. The Capital Grille offers seafood flown in daily and culinary specials created by its chefs. The restaurants feature a wine list offering over 350 selections, personalized service, and private dining rooms.

Bahama Breeze

Bahama Breeze restaurants bring guests the feeling of a Caribbean escape, offering the food, drinks and atmosphere found in the islands. The menu features Caribbean-inspired seafood, chicken and steaks, as well as signature specialty drinks. During fiscal 2012, it opened four Bahama Breeze restaurant.

Seasons 52

Seasons 52 is a grill and wine bar with seasonally inspired menus offering ingredients to meals that are lower in calories than comparable restaurant meals. It offers a wine list of more than 90 wines with approximately 60 available by the glass. As of May 27, 2012, there were 23 Seasons 52 restaurants in the United States.

Synergy restaurant

Synergy restaurant houses both a Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurant in the same building, but ! with sepa! rate front doors, dining rooms and brand-specific menus. It opened a second synergy test location during fiscal 2012.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) was down, falling 4.80 percent to $50.38 after the company reported a drop in its second-quarter profit. For the FY14, Darden projects earnings to fall 15% to 20% versus the earlier year.

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  The spring was much kinder to Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI  ) than the winter was. After staying away in December, January, and February, guests are starting to trickle back into Olive Garden and Red Lobster locations.

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) shares tumbled 7.14 percent to $45.78 after the company reported a drop in its first-quarter profit.

  Commodities

A New Strategy for Smart Tech Investors

Leading newsletter publisher Investing Daily is launching a new publication today; Jim Pearce walks us through the strategy behind Smart Tech Investor, highlighting how its indicators determine over- and under-valuation in the sector.

Steve Halpern: Investing Daily is known for some of the advisory industry's most popular and long-running newsletters, including the flagship Personal Finance, and we are here today with Investing Daily's Wealth Society director, Jim Pearce. How are you doing today?

Jim Pearce: Great, Steve. How are you?

Steve Halpern: Very good. The timing of this interview is no accident, in fact, today is the launch of your latest newsletter, Smart Tech Investor. First, can you give us an overview of why you have chosen the tech sector for this latest product launch?

Jim Pearce: Sure. Actually, there are several reasons; one, of course, is that there is an awful lot of interest in tech stocks at the moment.

A day does not go by, it seems like, to me at least, when I am driving in to work, that I do not hear on the radio the latest news on Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft's search for a new CEO, Twitter's IPO, I mean, it is just all over the news.

A lot of our subscribers have been asking about it. In fact, earlier this year, we began an interview series with a tech sector expert, originally with the intent of just providing some additional coverage for our Wealth Society members.

Over the course of doing that interview series, we realized we had a huge asset in the person of Leo Boeckl, and we wanted to be able to continue to help our subscribers invest better in the tech market. A couple of months ago, we decided to launch a new publication based around his kind of unique approach to evaluating tech stocks.

Steve Halpern: Now, in analyzing stocks, you use a proprietary valuation model that he developed called the BIQ. Could you briefly explain how this works?

Jim Pearce: Sure. The BIQ is spelled B-I-Q and it stands for Boeckl Innogration Quotient, and, of course, Boeckl is Leo's last name.

Innogration is a term that no one knows, because Leo invented it, and I will explain what that is in a second. It is really a model that puts a numerical value on each individual tech stock we cover, based on the three specific elements of Leo's approach to evaluating tech stocks.

Implicit in that is Leo's theory of innogration—and innogration is the combination of the two words, innovation and integration, and, in simplest terms, it is based on the idea that the leading tech stocks of today, and in the future, are those that not only innovate internally, but also use their resources to acquire functionalities from external sources to create a market-leading product.

He has identified three specific variables that contribute to successful integration and assigned a numerical value to each of those, so that the total value, it is a scale of zero to ten, so the highest the company could score, if it is was perfect in every category, is a ten and the worst, of course, is a zero.

I can tell you there are no zeros or tens, but there are some companies that are down in the one to two range, and there are some others that are up in the eight and nine range.

It is a very useful tool in sifting through all the noise in the market to really zero-in on those companies that, not only are popular today, but will be the market leaders in the future.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Next Page The expert featured in this column, James Pearce, may or may not own positions in any investment vehicle mentioned here. The views and opinions expressed are his or her own.

Atwood Oceanics: Waiting for 2015

There’s been a lot of bearish talk about offshore drillers recently–and Atwood Oceanics (ATW) earnings results aren’t likely to dispel those concerns, despite an earnings beat.

Associated Press

Sure, Atwood Oceanics reported a profit of $1.28 a share, well above forecasts for $1.16, according to Briefing.com. But really that’s the past, and while the future looks OK, the present looks tough thanks to a weak drilling market. Morgan Stanley’s Ole Slorer explains:

[Atwood] remains positioned to deliver steady earnings growth, in our view, with an execution-and-growth focused management at the helm. We highlight limited contracting risk vs. peers as the floater market enters a soft patch while [Atwood] still appears open to exploring capital return strategies, although this will likely come into greater focus as FCF becomes positive into 2015.

We are expecting more positive market commentary given [Atwood's] more modern fleet mix [(vs. Noble (NE)/Transocean (RIG))]. Beyond well-documented near-term floater market choppiness, we still forecast marketed utilization to pick up in 2015, and we look especially to [Atwood's] outlook for its uncontracted newbuild drillships (Atwood Admiral and Atwood Archer) scheduled for 2015 delivery. We nevertheless believe that [Atwood] could now be less inclined towards exercising its 5th newbuild drillship option at DSME by Mar 31st 2014. [During the conference call, Atwood's CEO said no decision had been made yet. Ed.]

Attention is now on Atwood Hunter (5,000 ft. 3G semi), ATW's next rig to rollover in Equatorial Guinea in Aug 2014 (Ex.2). We are now modeling a rollover at $400kpd, down noticeably vs. the rig's current dayrate of $516kpd (fixed in Jul 2013), as we expect increased competition in securing new work while we note that the rig could also see unpaid time between short-term contracts in West Africa.

Shares of Atwood have dropped 1.9% to $45.45 at 3:38 p.m. and pulled down other offshore players. Noble has fallen 1.4% to $48.68, Transocean has declined 1.9% to $41.60, Rowan (RDC) is off 0.8% at $31.41 and Seadrill (SDRL) has dropped 1.8% to $35.53.