Retail Safe Havens

Top Energy Companies To Watch For 2014

As the all-important holiday season approaches, political warfare in the nation's capital, combined with tepid job growth, doesn't bode well for the retail sector, cautions Khoa Nguyen, in Personal Finance.

Nonetheless, certain retailers are overcoming these headwinds—which means they're positioned to take off when conditions improve.

Below are two retail companies with inherent advantages that buffer them against the travails of their peers, allowing investors to prosper, even during uncertain times.

As an added bonus, they're not shy about returning value to investors through buybacks, and will continue to generate growth as the retail industry picks up.

TJX Companies (TJX), the nation's largest off-price retailer, operates about 3,000 stores through its subsidiaries TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and HomeGoods.

Its business model provides a competitive edge in a challenging retail environment, by offering a viable alternative to customers who may stray from full-priced items at other stores.

TJX has enormous growth potential, domestically and internationally, without cannibalizing its own business. Overall, TJX plans to expand its total number of stores by over 50% to 4,700 worldwide.

The company has grown sales an average of 7% for the past five years since the recession, and picked up this pace to 12% growth in fiscal 2013.

For the first half of fiscal 2014, the firm bought back $625 million worth of stock, or 12.9 million shares. TJX expects to repurchase about $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion in shares in fiscal 2014.

The industry leader in off-price merchandise, TJX's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.4 is an attractive discount to the industry average of 28.3. This growth company also offers a 1% yield to boot.

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) operates a chain of 1,471 domestic retail stores under the names Bed Bath & Beyond, Harmon and Harmon Face Values, and World Market in all 50 states in the US and Canada.

Bed Bath & Beyond's comparable store sales have grown at a rate of 5% from 2009 to 2012, and the firm was able to register 2.5% store sales growth, even as the US retail market remained weak.

During the quarter, the company repurchased about $257 million of its stock, or about 3.5 million shares. It still has a $1.8 billion remaining balance authorized on its repurchase program.

The housing market's continued recovery will translate into more good news for this domestic giant, especially since one of its previous competitors—the now bankrupt Linens n' Things—continues to liquidate its assets.

Its P/E ratio stands at a bargain of 15.8, well-below the industry average of 24.3. While the company waits for the retail market to recover, it's benefiting from a steady housing market that will only get stronger as economic recovery speeds up.

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Amedisys Jumps 22% on KKR Stake

That zipping sound you hear is home-health provider Amedisys‘ (AMED) 24% surge on news that private-equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has a stake of more than 8% in the stock.

CRT Capital analyst Sheryl Skolnick, a critic of company management, upgrades to “fair value” this morning and essentially tells clients to get out of KKR’s way, since the firm could end up ushering in a new board and management:

There are times when this analyst will ‘take on’ shareholders with differing views and there are times when she knows, from long experience, not to even think about it. This is one of the latter times ….

We know that when activists get involved, strange and interesting things happen, even (especially?) with entrenched managements. For the record, we think it unlikely that this part of KKR will take AMED private: filing a 13-D that almost surely takes the stock up would be that act of amateurs, in our view, not the act of a savvy firm like KKR. Some may conclude from the language of the 13-D that KKR may not actually become active. We reviewed it and found it nearly identical to other activists’ initial statements: then things changed. Thus, a new Board and management does seem likely and is indeed the strategy we advocated in our 4/3/13 report and THAT is the root cause of our upgrade.

But for the 13-D we would NOT have upgraded. Indeed, we were in the midst of preparing a strong reiteration of our view that AMED cannot be fixed by this CEO and his Board. We reiterate that view here and strongly suspect that any activist likely has or will reach that same conclusion.

FDA Delays Decision (i.e., Reverts to Norm)

After Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT  ) announced that it was going to have a conference call today to update investors about its plans for a marketing application with the Food and Drug Administration, I joked on Twitter that the lede for my article, "I couldn't have predicted this," worked either way.

History said that the FDA wouldn't approve a drug with so little data.

The FDA's recent rhetoric said otherwise.

As it turns out, the news was the most predictable response from the FDA. The agency punted.

When Sarepta last updated us in April, the company said the FDA wanted more information to help the agency decide if Sarepta should file a marketing application for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, eteplirsen, with the limited phase 2 data or wait for a phase 3 trial.

Instead, the FDA told Sarepta that it wouldn't commit to using dystrophin as an acceptable surrogate endpoint for accelerated approval. The agency plans to make that decision based on the data that the company submits with its New Drug Application in the first half of next year. Increased dystrophin protein -- the mutated gene in Duchenne muscular dystrophy -- is the primary endpoint of Sarepta's phase 2 study.

Sarepta also has data that shows eteplirsen helps patients walk farther, which is more convincing since it's a clinical endpoint rather than a surrogate endpoint. There was talk on the conference call today that the six-minute walk data might facilitate a full approval, but that seems like quite a stretch. Sarepta certainly doesn't see that as a high likelihood since it's moving forward with a phase 3 clinical trial that would be required to confirm the phase 2 findings if it gains accelerated approval.

Ironically, phase 3 data from Sarepta's direct competitor -- GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK  ) and Prosensa's (NASDAQ: RNA  ) drisapersen -- that's due in the fourth quarter could help the FDA answer the question about whether dystrophin is an acceptable surrogate endpoint. If increases in dystrophin correlate with clinical outcomes, it would support approving eteplirsen with less data. It's not clear to me whether Glaxo and Prosensa would have to share that correlation with the FDA -- the clinical phase 3 data should be sufficient for approval -- and if it does make those calculations whether the FDA could legally use it to support the approval of another drug since NDA data is proprietary while under patent.

Shares are trading down as I write this, but I think that's likely just a function of traders exiting since the catalyst has been pushed back until next year. For long-term investors, nothing has really changed except they'll have to wait a little longer for a decision on when eteplirsen will be approved -- possibly with a few more ups and downs before that.

If you need something to balance out the roller-coaster biotech portion of your portfolio, consider dividend-paying stocks. The Motley Fool's special report "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks" is a great way to kick-start your search. Just click here to get your free copy today.

David Versus The Inflation Goliath

Whether on the field of battle, facing a corporate competitor, or in a plan to combat inflation, time-and-time again, victory in all these endeavors has not come from the size of the army, company or portfolio. The deciding factor has been strategy.

The famous Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu once said, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

In an overall inflation fighting strategy, many investors fail to incorporate small-cap stocks as part of the many tactics to preserve wealth. That’s probably because investing in small caps or even mid caps is not always easy. There are thousands of small-cap stocks and even isolating only the bottom 20 percent of small-cap names with the lowest price-to-book ratio results in several hundred stocks, which can be daunting for investors.

However, the Inflation Survival Letter uses tools and methodologies to identify and select the top small caps when discussing inflation protection. The better the investment, the better the inflation protection.

Failing to develop a small- and mid-cap portfolio can leave a major chink in the armor against inflation. Small- and mid-cap stocks comprise about 20 percent to 25 percent of total stock market capitalization, so a market-neutral exposure requires that a similar percentage of personal equity portfolios be allocated to small- and mid-cap stocks.

Because of recent evidence that large-cap stocks can be highly correlated with each other, some financial planners recommend that well-diversified equity portfolios have an overweight allocation to small caps (e.g. between 25 percent and 35 percent) that exhibit less inter-stock correlation than large caps and thus offer superior diversification benefits.

An investor who wants outsized returns must be invested in small-cap stocks. All ten of the ! top-performing stocks of the past decade were small caps and most were value stocks. Moreover, value investments outperform growth during inflationary periods (see “Sum of all Fears,” Survival of the Fittest, August 30).

But for the purpose of inflation protection, small- and mid-cap investing is a highly valuable tactic, because this asset class has performed best during inflation, which could be just around the corner.

The likely continuation into 2014 of Federal Reserve stimulus, as a result of the impact on the economy from the government shutdown, raises the specter of inflation down the road, which could affect both income and growth investments. In fact, some analysts predict inflation could start as soon as 2015, which means investors only have about one year to rebalance or insulate their portfolios from inflation.

Perception Versus Reality

The conventional wisdom suggests that rising interest rates are detrimental to the performance of stocks in general and to small-cap stocks in particular, both in absolute terms and relative to large caps, according to a report by Pyramis Global Advisers, which is a Fidelity Investment Company.

Many theoretical reasons underlie this perception. For example, small caps generally need more external capital to grow than large caps. Rising rates drive up the cost of capital, making growth more expensive. Higher interest rates might impose actual cash costs on small-cap companies, which would erode profit margins and/or lower future earnings growth.

Another reason for perceived small-cap underperformance, according to the Pyramis analysts, is that the market ultimately values equities based on discounted future cash flows. In most circumstances, higher interest rates mean higher discount rates. Small-cap valuations would seem to be more sensitive to higher discount rates because they tend to be “longer-duration” assets whose valuations are more dependent on future earnings streams.

According! to the P! yramis report:

“During the past several decades, however, rising interest rates have actually not been correlated with small-cap underperformance. Examination of the performance of the Russell 2000 Index and the S&P 500 since 1979 (the inception date of the Russell 2000) reveals what for many investors may be surprising results. First, small-cap stocks performed better than large caps when rates rose. Second, small caps actually have shown better absolute appreciation in rising rate periods than in declining rate periods. This data seems to refute the idea that periods of rising rates punish small-cap performance, and are by themselves a strong enough factor to influence small-cap stock allocation.” (See Chart A)

Chart A: Small Caps Outperformed in Rising Rate Environments



Jim Fink, chief investment strategist of Investing Daily’s small-cap advisory, Roadrunner Stocks, has written that small companies excel during inflationary times because they typically offer unique products with few alternatives, so they have more leeway to raise prices than larger firms.

What’s more, they can adjust pricing and behavior on the fly. A big company run by centralized management on a five-year plan isn’t as nimble. “Like zippy little PT boats, small stocks can quickly change course,” he has stated. He adds, large-cap “battleships” may have more firepower, but they take forever to change direction.

Thriving in Inflationary Environments

According to Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist at ChannelCapitalResearch.com, inflation is actually positive for small-cap stocks in the long run. During the 1977-79 peak of the inflationary 1970s, for example, blue-chip stocks went nowhere, but small stocks surged. As Roberts recently asserted:

“People say ‘stagflation, it’s going to kill the equity markets.’ And! to a cer! tain extent, it has in the past, but that’s from a large-cap perspective. If you take a look at small caps, even on an inflation-adjusted basis, it’s like a rocket ship taking off. Small caps actually had the rally of their lifetime during the stagflation environment [of the late 1970s]. You had high double-digit returns during that entire stagflation period with the exception of one year.”

In fact, in six major inflationary periods since World War II, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the OPEC oil crisis and the Persian Gulf War, small caps beat large caps. When you add up the returns over all six periods, small caps were up 82.6 percent, versus just 35.1 percent for large caps. That’s a 47.5 percent margin of outperformance for small caps. During these same inflationary periods, mid-cap stocks ($3 billion to $10 billion) outperformed large caps by a smaller but still significant 29 percent.

Times Square Capital Management finds in a recent report that not only do small- and mid-cap stocks preserve value during inflationary periods, but the margin of outperformance over large-cap stocks is the highest even when inflation is average.

According to the Times Square report:

“Since not all inflationary periods are created equal, we also investigated performance across the market capitalization spectrum during periods of high and low inflation based on the long term average inflation rate—the ‘historical norm’, or average inflation of 3.14 percent. While small capitalization and mid capitalization equities maintain their outperformance edge over large capitalization stocks in both high and low inflation environments, the margin of  relative outperformance is greatest during inflationary periods when lower than average inflation exists.” (See Chart B)

Chart B: High Inflation, Low Inflation: Small-Cap Stocks Deliver Value


The best way to get exposure to the small- and mid-cap sector is to identify those companies that have strong earnings. And given how volatile the sector can be, it’s probably best for inflation hedgers to pick a diversified index whose criteria focuses on the highest-quality names.

4 Stocks Under $10 Spiking Higher

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

Cimatron

Cimatron (CIMT) designs, develops, manufactures, markets and supports a family of modular, high-performance, CAD/CAM software products. This stock closed up 4.1% to $7.25 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $6.90-$7.29

52-Week Range: $3.76-$12.88

Tuesday's Volume: 235,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 250,980

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From a technical perspective, CIMT ripped higher here right above its 200-day moving average of $6.77 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares moving higher from its low of $5.65 to its recent high of $7.36. During that uptrend, shares of CIMT have been mostly making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of CIMT within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if CIMT manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $7.36 to $7.59 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CIMT as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $6.77 or its 50-day at $6.20 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 250,980 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CIMT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at $8.70 to $9. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give CIMT a chance to tag $10.

Renren

Renren (RENN) is engaged in the operation of social networking Internet platform, as well as provision of online advertising services and internet value-added services, including online gaming operations, online talent show and other IVAS, among others. This stock closed up 1.5% to $3.94 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $3.93-$4.15

52-Week Range: $2.52-$4.63

Tuesday's Volume: 7.62 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 4.13 million

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From a technical perspective, RENN spiked higher here right above some near-term support at $3.80 with heavy upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of RENN within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if RENN manages to take out Tuesday's highs of $4.15, and then once it clears some near-term overhead resistance at $4.21 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RENN as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.59 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 4.13 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then RENN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 52-week high at $4.63 to $5. Any high-volume move above $5 will then give RENN a chance to tag $6.

Allied Nevada Gold

Allied Nevada Gold (ANV), a gold mining company, operates the Hycroft Mine and has prospective exploration claims in the State of Nevada. This stock closed up 5.8% to $4.34 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $4.11-$4.38

52-Week Range: $3.54-$39.23

Tuesday's Volume: 4.66 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 5.78 million

>>5 Big Stocks to Trade for Big Gains

From a technical perspective, ANV ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $3.99 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been tending sideways and consolidating for the last two months and change, with shares moving between $3.54 on the downside and $5.32 on the upside. This spike higher on Tuesday is now quickly pushing shares of ANV within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range. That breakout will hit if ANV manages to clear some near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.39 to $5.09, and then once it takes out more resistance at $5.24 to $5.32 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ANV as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $3.99 or at $3.74 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 5.78 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ANV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.50 to $7.50. Any high-volume move above $7.50 will then give ANV a chance to tag $8 to $8.50.

Vermillion

Vermillion (VRML) discovers, develops and commercializes diagnostic tests that help physicians diagnose, treat and improve outcomes for patients. This stock closed up 5.5% to $2.95 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $2.82-$3.09

52-Week Range: $1.03-$4.07

Tuesday's Volume: 242,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 50,789

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

From a technical perspective, VRML ripped higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.90 to $2.91 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of VRML within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if VRML manages to clear Tuesday's high of $3.08, and then once it takes out some past overhead resistance levels $3.24 to $3.40 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VRML as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of $2.82 or above $2.70 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 50,789 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then VRML will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $4.07 to its next major resistance level at $4.50.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

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Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Tuesday Closing Bell: Market Holds Onto Early Gains

October 24, 2013: U.S. markets opened higher Tuesday morning as investors interpreted the weak non-farm payroll report to indicate a continuation of the Fed's asset purchase program at existing levels. That's probably a good bet at least for the next couple of months. How good? The S&P 500 index closed at an all-time high today.

European and Latin American closed mostly higher today while Asian markets were mixed.

Wednesday's calendar includes the following scheduled data releases and events (all times Eastern).

7:00 a.m. – Mortgage Bankers Association purchase applications 8:30 a.m. – Import and export prices 9:00 a.m. – FHFA house price index 10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report

Here are the closing bell levels for Tuesday:

S&P500 1754.67 (+10.01; +0.57%) DJIA 15467.46 (+75.26; +0.49%) NASDAQ 3929.57 (+9.52; +0.24%) 10YR TNOTE 2.516% (+0.78125) Gold $1,342.60 (+26.80; +2%) WTI Crude oil $97.80 (-1.42; -1.4%) Euro/Dollar: 1.3784 (+0.0102; +0.74%)

Big Earnings Movers: Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is down 9% at $322.99 after a stellar report and some cautionary comments from the CEO. VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) is up 2.9% at $85.01 after a very positive report. Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is up 3.3% at $25.51 after a solid quarter. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE: FCX) is up 3.7% at $36.35 on an earnings boost from its recent oil and gas acquisitions. RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) is down 17.9% at $2.89 after a reporting dismal results.

Stocks on the Move: Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) is up 9.1% at $9.38 after posting a new 52-week high of $9.63 earlier today. Endeavour International Corp. (NYSE: END) is down 14.3% at $6.05 after failing to get any appreciable results from its strategic review. E-commerce China Dangdang Inc. (NYSE: DANG) is down 13.4% at $10.05 after issuing a warning on third-quarter earnings.

In all, 415 NYSE stocks put up new 52-week highs today, while only 4 stocks posted new lows.

Don’t let retirement stress marriage: Plan to b…

Author and former financial planner Frank Maselli tells a story of a man who retired and went home to spend his days with his wife. It didn't take long for him to become a major intrusion in his wife's world. He told her the way she did everything was wrong, even the garden she had tended for 25 years.

"She had to kick him out of the house," he said. "She made him get involved with a charity group and start going to the gym."

It's a huge adjustment to shift from spending two or three hours a night to spending all day together, says author and psychologist Robert Bornstein. "It happens all at once. It would be nice to go from full-time to half-time to quarter-time, but that's not how it works."

"Take the normal stress of a transition into retirement," says Maselli, "and throw in the fact that your wife can't stand seeing you all day."

People are working with financial planners to make sure that they will have enough money to retire. But what they are not doing, retirement experts say, is preparing psychologically for retirement. And as a result, three big problems are popping up.

First, retirees without any kind of a plan are just going home to their spouses with nothing to do and causing stress in their marriages. "We are the first generation who is going to live 30 years in retirement," says Maselli, who is based in Raleigh, N.C. "We are not prepared financially or emotionally. It will be a major issue."

Second, people who have been working for 30 or 35 years are suddenly home with absolutely nothing to do. "You lose a ready-made social network," says Bornstein. "We don't think about it that much. Much of your daily social contact comes from the office. When you are no longer going into the office, it's not uncommon for people to discover that they have few or no friends."

Third, says Bornstein, people underestimate the loss of status and self-esteem that comes from working. "So many people identify with their career or the company they own," he says. "Their pr! ofession and their identity are intertwined. The two are one and the same, So when they retire and separate, it is a loss from an emotional standpoint."

All three issues could be contributing to a record divorce rate among Baby Boomers. But the resulting stress can easily be avoided if people retire with a plan, retirement experts say. And foremost in that plan, set a schedule and make plans to do something ... anything. Just do not sit around with the TV remote.

"Most couples don't prepare well psychologically for retirement because they are so focused on financial and housing issues, which makes sense," Bornstein says.

Joe Heider, managing principal for the Ohio region for Rehmann Financial, says the issue reminds him of the Chevy Chase vacation movies. "It's kind of like being on a permanent family vacation. There is a lot of stress being with each other 24/7. All those things that were annoying suddenly became difficult — if they don't have hobbies."

"A big depression sets in with a lot of guys," Maselli says. "It's a major problem. You've worked for years. They give you a gold watch. Then what? What happens to that emotional intensity? It goes into me arranging my wife's spice drawer."

Heider says it can be a dangerous time. "I have seen clients who have developed serious drinking problems because they're bored," says Heider. "Happy hour used to start at 5:30; now it starts at noon. Retirement can be a wonderful thing. But depression, drinking, drug issues — they are all symptomatic of people bored and their lives have lost meaning for them."

Financial planner Brad Zucker, president of Safe Money Advisors in Las Vegas, says before people retire they need to find their passions. "Retirement could last 25 years," he says. "You want to be certain you have some kinds of interests and passions to make it through those years." Zucker says he has one client who turned his love of baseball into becoming an assistant coach for a high school baseball team — at 71.

Mase! lli teaches a program he calls "Never Retire," which deals with the psychological transition into retirement. "We actively tell people and teach people how to restructure their lives — not to retire," he says. "Start a business. Don't think about slowing down.

"You want to relax," he says. "That goes away in a week." He says retirees should think about mentoring, teaching, board memberships ... anything to keep busy. And make those necessary contacts before you retire.

Heider says retirees should also consider volunteering as an option. "Volunteer your expertise to whatever you were doing," he says. "Spend time mentoring a young entrepreneur. It gives them something meaningful to do with their time."

Retiree George Milonas, 84, of Las Vegas says he gets up every morning on schedule. "It's like going to a job," he says. His passions are sports, horse racing and playing the slots. And that works for him because he has the funds to do that, he says.

Janet Taylor, psychologist and a consultant with AARP's Life Reimagined program, says the success and well-being of couples in retirement depends on their pre-retirement planning. "Plan early; communicate expectations; and recognize what the existing demands are," she says.

"Initially, retirement might involve understanding and accepting changes in your personal privacy," Taylor says. "After a few months there is some normalcy and some understanding. But give yourself time to adjust to that."

But start planning early. "Rule No. 1 is to start thinking about this now," says Maselli. "What are you going to do? What kinds of things will you be doing together? How much time can you stand each other together? How will you structure your day so that you are out of the house?"

And how did it end for the husband who got kicked out of the house?

"He learned to stay active, and his wife learned to be patient with him," Maselli said. "The charity work led to more community involvement. But the gym thing never caught on."!

Money-Saving Tip: Increase Fuel Efficiency by Up to 30%

The highest-impact way to lower fuel costs is to lower the amount of fuel needed to power your cars. Weight, drag, and lack of basic functionality can cause your power to require more energy to move. Changing the way you drive can also significantly increase your mileage.

Car maintenance
Keep your tires properly inflated. Low-pressure tires take more energy to push down the road. Since the manufacturer tests optimal pressure at cool temperatures, you should check your tire pressure when it's cold outside.

Efficiency increase: 3%.

Take all the junk out of your car. If you have a bunch of items in your trunk that you've simply forgotten about, take them out. It takes more energy to walk with a heavy backpack; the same holds true when you're car's running with extra weight.

Efficiency increase: 2%.

Take off the roof rack. Unless you're currently using it, a roof rack creates unneeded wind resistance.

Efficiency increase: 2%.

Use your air conditioner at the right time. Air conditioners use up a large amount of fuel, but on the other hand, opening the windows increases drag. If you're going under 40 mph, it's much better to lower the windows than use the A/C; over 40 mph, you'll save energy by running the A/C than increasing drag with open windows.

Efficiency increase: 8%.

Don't fill up the gas tank all the way. The more gasoline you put in your car, the heavier it will be. Even though by doing this you'll need to fill up more often, you use less fuel by keeping the weight down.

Efficiency increase: 1%.

Drive smart
Accelerate your car gradually. Remember high school physics – force equals mass times acceleration? It'll take more energy to move a larger object, and to make it accelerate faster. A gradual ramp-up will save you energy.

Try to slow down naturally. Whenever possible, let your car decelerate naturally instead of braking. The car is still burning through gas when it slows down. Braking can cancel out what the car is already using.

Plan ahead while you're driving. Maintain a safe following distance, merge smoothly, and avoid sudden stops to increase fuel efficiency -- and to avoid being that jerk driver.

Top Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014

Hard starts and stops can increase fuel consumption by 40%.

Use cruise control. If you're driving on a highway, cruise control helps you keep a constant speed and avoid expending energy on acceleration or deceleration.

Follow the darn speed limit. Driving over 60 mph increases fuel consumption drastically; according to the EPA, every 5 mph over 60 is like paying 20 cents more for gas.

Efficiency increase by staying under 60: 7% up to 23%.

Find the lowest gas prices. Gas prices vary wildly by station and area; use a map to find the lowest prices within a given range.

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JinkoSolar Holding Beats on Both Top and Bottom Lines

JinkoSolar Holding (NYSE: JKS  ) reported earnings on June 7. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), JinkoSolar Holding beat expectations on revenues and exceeded expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue expanded. Non-GAAP loss per share dropped. GAAP loss per share dropped.

Margins grew across the board.

Revenue details
JinkoSolar Holding chalked up revenue of $187.3 million. The two analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ wanted to see sales of $168.3 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 11% higher than the prior-year quarter's $168.2 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at -$0.56. The two earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted -$1.06 per share. Non-GAAP EPS were -$0.56 for Q1 compared to -$2.36 per share for the prior-year quarter. GAAP EPS were -$0.93 for Q1 compared to -$2.55 per share for the prior-year quarter.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 12.7%, much better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -1.4%, much better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -11.1%, much better than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $298.8 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.18.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $1.09 billion. The average EPS estimate is -$0.58.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a one-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 119 members out of 170 rating the stock outperform, and 51 members rating it underperform. Among 28 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 12 give JinkoSolar Holding a green thumbs-up, and 16 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on JinkoSolar Holding is hold, with an average price target of $6.90.

Is JinkoSolar Holding the best semiconductor stock for you? You may be missing something obvious. Check out the semiconductor company that Motley Fool analysts expect to lead "The Next Trillion-dollar Revolution." Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add JinkoSolar Holding to My Watchlist.

Good Retail News Comes in Threes

When last we saw our heroes, the cold, long winter had stretched into early spring, and everyone was suffering. Comparable sales got hammered by the weather, and consumers everywhere longed for light skirts and new spring colors. Well, break out the grill: Spring has finally sprung!

Earlier this morning, The Buckle (NYSE: BKE  ) , Costco (NASDAQ: COST  ) , and L Brands (NYSE: LTD  ) reported May sales, and everyone did better. That's not to say that the market loved the results, but investors may be breathing a sigh of relief nevertheless. The range for the three retailers was fairly tight, but there are still some ups and downs for investors to keep in mind.

Buckle pushes the boat out  
Denim retailer Buckle increased comparable sales by 4.1% in May, while net sales grew 4.2%. The increase in comparable sales is excellent news for shareholders -- this guy, for instance -- as sales had been slow to push out of the winter doldrums.

The good result brings the company's 17-week comparable sales position to positive 1.8%. The stock was up slightly on the news, but is still trading at the lowest P/E of any of the three reporting companies. A mere 15.7 times earnings gets you into this gem. With a history of strong performance and a healthy dividend, Buckle continues to look like a long-term winner.

Costco's base stays fired up 
Among retailers, Costco was one of the better performers, even through the weak beginning of spring. The warehouse-themed, member-driven chain is running at a 6% comparable-sales increase for the 39 weeks through the end of May. Over the month, Costco managed a 5% once gasoline price changes and foreign exchange rates were taken into account. Without those effects, Costco would have put up 6% growth.

Assistant VP Jeff Elliott said that the company saw strength in many U.S. regions, including Texas and the Midwest. Internationally, Canada, Mexico, and Japan were the big winners. Unfortunately, those countries also posed exchange drags, which pulled the comparable sales down 0.5%. 

Another clear winner, Costco has been driving away over the last year. While it's not as cheap as Buckle -- Costco trades at a P/E of 24 -- it's still a stock that won't be keeping shareholders up at night. Try as I might, I can't seem to say enough good things about Costco.

L Brands starts to look healthier 
I almost wrote "healthy" instead of "healthier," but I think that's a bit preemptive. The company managed to put up some good numbers in May with comparable sales up 3%, but Wall Street was looking for a bit more. That doesn't mean it was a bad result, though. All of the company's main brands had an increase in comparable sales, which highlights the work that management has done recently.

Through much of last year, L Brands was struggling with La Senza, its Canadian lingerie company. It instituted a cleansing program, shutting down underperforming stores to get the brand back in line. In May, La Senza boasted a 4% increase in comparable sales, which is a huge leap from a year ago, when comps fell 3%.

Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works also had increases in May, but both fell short of the kind of numbers they were putting up in 2012. On the brighter side, Victoria's Secret direct, which had been lagging in 2013, increased comparable sales by 4%, though it's still down 4% year to date.

While I like the turnaround, I'd look for another solid month before counting my eggs. While it's not an expensive stock, the company isn't "cheap" either. For now, I'm sticking with Buckle and Costco.

And a fourth for the road...
Michael Kors is one of today's hottest high-end fashion brands, and that's translated into one of the best-performing stocks in retail -- since its debut on the market in late 2011, the share price has more than doubled. But with all that growth, has the stock finally become too expensive, or is there still room left to run? The Motley Fool's premium report on Michael Kors gives investors all the information they need to make the right decision. We cover the key must-watch areas, opportunities, and threats to the company that investors need to know. To claim your copy, simply click here now for instant access.

Interesting Facts About Imports And Exports

Top 5 Blue Chip Companies To Buy For 2014

Imports and exports may seem like prosaic terms that have little bearing on everyday life, but they exert a profound influence on the consumer and the economy. In today's interlinked global economy, consumers are used to seeing products and produce from every corner of the world in their local malls and stores. These overseas products – or imports – provide more choices to consumers and help them manage strained household budgets. But too many imports in relation to exports – which are products shipped from a country to foreign destinations – can distort a nation's balance of trade and devalue its currency. The value of a currency, in turn, is one of the biggest determinants of a nation's economic performance. Read on to learn how these mundane staples of international trade have a more far-reaching influence than most people imagine.

Effects on the Economy

According to the expenditures method of calculating gross domestic product, an economy's annual GDP is the sum total of C + I + G + (X – M), where C, I and G represent consumer spending, capital investment and government spending, respectively.

While all those terms are important in the context of an economy, let's look closer at the term (X – M), which represents exports minus imports, or net exports. If exports exceed imports, the net exports figure would be positive, indicating that the nation has a trade surplus. If exports are less than imports, the net exports figure would be negative, and the nation has a trade deficit.

Positive net exports contribute to economic growth, something that is intuitively easy to understand. More exports mean more output from factories and industrial facilities, as well as a greater number of people employed to keep these factories running. The receipt of export proceeds also represents an inflow of funds into the country, whic! h stimulates consumer spending and contributes to economic growth.

Conversely, imports are considered to be a drag on the economy, as can be gauged from the GDP equation. Imports represent an outflow of funds from a country, since they are payments made by local companies (the importers) to overseas entities (the exporters).

However, imports per se are not necessarily detrimental to economic performance, and in fact, are a vital component of the economy. A high level of imports indicates robust domestic demand and a growing economy. It's even better if these imports are mainly of productive assets like machinery and equipment, since they will improve productivity over the long run.

A healthy economy, then, is one where both exports and imports are growing, since this typically indicates economic strength and a sustainable trade surplus or deficit. If exports are growing nicely but imports have declined significantly, it may indicate that the rest of the world is in better shape than the domestic economy. Conversely, if exports fall sharply but imports surge, this may indicate that the domestic economy is faring better than overseas markets. The U.S. trade deficit, for instance, tends to worsen when the economy is growing strongly. The country's chronic trade deficit has not impeded it from continuing to be one of the most productive nations in the world.

But a rising level of imports and a growing trade deficit do have a negative effect on a key economic variable – the level of the domestic currency versus foreign currencies, or the exchange rate.

Effect of Exchange Rates

The inter-relationship between a nation's imports and exports, and its exchange rate, is a complicated one because of the feedback loop between them. The exchange rate has an effect on the trade surplus (or deficit), which in turn affects the exchange rate, and so on. In general, however, a weaker domestic currency stimulates exports and makes imports more expensive. Conversely, a stro! ng domest! ic currency hampers exports and makes imports cheaper.

Let's use an example to illustrate this concept. Consider an electronic component priced at $10 in the U.S. that will be exported to India. Assume the exchange rate is 50 rupees to the U.S. dollar. Ignoring shipping and other transaction costs such as import duties for the moment, the $10 item would cost the Indian importer 500 rupees. Now, if the dollar strengthens against the Indian rupee to a level of 55, assuming that the U.S. exporter leaves the $10 price for the component unchanged, its price would increase to 550 rupees ($10 x 55) for the Indian importer. This may force the Indian importer to look for cheaper components from other locations. The 10% appreciation in the dollar versus the rupee has thus diminished the U.S. exporter's competitiveness in the Indian market.

At the same time, consider a garment exporter in India whose primary market is the U.S. A shirt that the exporter sells for $10 in the U.S. market would fetch her 500 rupees when the export proceeds are received (again ignoring shipping and other costs), assuming an exchange rate of 50 rupees to the dollar. But if the rupee weakens to 55 versus the dollar, to receive the same amount of rupees (500), the exporter can now sell the shirt for $9.09. The 10% depreciation in the rupee versus the dollar has therefore improved the Indian exporter's competitiveness in the U.S. market.

To summarize, a 10% appreciation of the dollar versus the rupee has rendered U.S. exports of electronic components uncompetitive, but has made imported Indian shirts cheaper for U.S. consumers. The flip side of the coin is that a 10% depreciation of the rupee has improved the competitiveness of Indian garment exports, but has made imports of electronic components more expensive for Indian buyers.

Multiply the above simplistic scenario by millions of transactions, and you may get an idea of the extent to which currency moves can affect imports and exports. Countries occasionally try to resolve their economic problems by resorting to methods that artificially depress their currencies in an effort to gain an advantage in international trade. One such technique is "competitive devaluation," which refers to the strategic and large-scale depreciation of a domestic currency to boost export volumes. Another method is to suppress the domestic currency and keep it at an abnormally low level. This is the route preferred by China, which held its yuan steady for a full decade from 1994 to 2004, and subsequently allowed it to appreciate only gradually against the U.S. dollar, despite having the world's biggest trade surpluses and foreign exchange reserves for years.

Effect of Inflation and Interest Rates

Inflation and interest rates affect imports and exports primarily through their influence on the exchange ra! te. Higher inflation typically leads to higher interest rates, but does this lead to a stronger currency or a weaker currency? The evidence is somewhat mixed in this regard.

Conventional currency theory holds that a currency with a higher inflation rate (and consequently a higher interest rate) will depreciate against a currency with lower inflation and a lower interest rate. According to the theory of uncovered interest rate parity, the difference in interest rates between two countries equals the expected change in their exchange rate. So if the interest rate differential between two nations is 2%, the currency of the higher-interest-rate nation would be expected to depreciate 2% against the currency of the lower-interest-rate nation.

In reality, however, the low-interest-rate environment that has been the norm around most of the world since the 2008-09 global credit crisis has resulted in investors and speculators chasing the better yields offered by currencies with higher interest rates. This has had the effect of strengthening currencies that offer higher interest rates. Of course, since such "hot money" investors have to be confident that currency depreciation will not offset higher yields, this strategy is generally restricted to stable currencies of nations with strong economic fundamentals.

As discussed earlier, a stronger domestic currency can have an adverse effect on exports and on the trade balance. Higher inflation can also affect exports by having a direct impact on input costs such as materials and labor. These higher costs can have a substantial impact on the competitiveness of exports in the international trade environment.

Economic Reports

A nation's merchandise trade balance report is the best source of information to track its imports and exports. This report is released monthly by most major nations. The U.S. and Canada trade balance reports are generally released within the first 10 days of the month, with a one-month lag, by the Commerce ! Departmen! t and Statistics Canada, respectively. These reports contain a wealth of information, including details on the biggest trading partners, the largest product categories for imports and exports, trends over time, etc.

Conclusion

Imports and exports exert a major influence on the consumer and the economy directly, as well as through their impact on the domestic currency level, which is one of the biggest determinants of a nation's economic performance.

Markets build defenses against U.S. default

LONDON (CNNMoney) Investors may still believe a U.S. default is unthinkable but the people who run financial markets appear much less comfortable in taking that risk.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), which operates the world's biggest derivatives market, is asking investors to stump up more cash to trade in financial products that provide protection against rising interest rates.

Trade in these "interest rate swaps" is one of the most liquid markets around, with outstanding notional volumes of about $490 trillion at the end of 2012, according to the Bank for International Settlements.

The contracts are often cleared through exchanges such as CME and Eurex, operated by Deutsche Boerse (DBOEF).

CME said it would gradually apply an additional "event risk" margin of 12% to all over-the-counter interest rate swaps due to the "additional uncertainty brought by the debt ceiling debate."

The margin will rise by 3% on Wednesday and by the same amount each day for the next three days.

Disarray in Washington has sent interest rates on short-term Treasuries higher, and big money market funds run by Fidelity, JPMorgan (JPM, Fortune 500) and Charles Schwab (SCHW, Fortune 500) have reduced their exposure to U.S. debt maturing in late October and November.

CME said the move was temporary and subject to review.

"It will be rolled back upon resolution of market uncertainty stemming from this specific event risk," it said in a statement.

Chicago is not the only exchange getting worried about its possible exposure to the shock waves that a U.S. default would unleash on world markets.

Earlier this week, Hong Kong cut the value of short-term Treasury bills held as collateral.

The local exchange said that Treasury bills maturing within a year would be discounted by 3%, rather than 1%.

Many financial institutions have also admitted that they're still engaged in debt disaster planning.

Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) CFO John Gerspach said Tuesday that the bank "remains hopeful" a deal can be worked out to avoid a default. But he added that "hope is not a plan" and that the bank has prepared for different contingencies over the past few weeks.

  China: Solve debt ceiling ASAP

Apart from warning of the risks to the world economy, central banks have largely been silent on what measures they would take in the event the U.S. is unable to pay all its bills.

But Jon Cunliffe, who takes charge of financial stability at the Bank of England next month, said Monday that lessons had been learned from the crisis of 2007-08, particularly with regard to the speed with which a U.S. shock would ripple through the financial system.

"I would expect the Bank of England to be planning for it, and I would expect private sector actors to be doing that," he told U.K. lawmakers. "There is some anecdotal evidence that banks and others are thinking about how they would manage this."

Don't Let The Shutdown Scare You From Ford

I've spent the better part of the last few months writing about the recovery in the U.S. auto market - a recovery that I see as being spearheaded by Ford (F), whose stock is up almost 15-fold since its lows in '08. In addition, companies like General Motors (GM) have been part and parcel with the recovery, as U.S. sales continue to rise and hope for a turnaround in Europe takes a front seat.

Ford is a company that I've really taken a shine to this year. Recently, I penned an article stating my case for being bullish on Ford - claiming that the trend of possibly having the number one sedan in the U.S. in 2014 could telegraph new highs for the stock.

I predicted, in my last article, that the Fusion was going to be the key component for the automaker to compete for top selling sedan in the U.S. for 2014.

Ford has performed extremely well for investors in 2013, and in the last twelve months alone. Ford has returned, in the last twelve months, 67.7%. In addition, Ford has just started to up their dividends again.

I had previously predicted that Ford's bullish run is still no way near from over, and that run would be catalyzed by continued impressive sales of vehicles both here in the U.S. and overseas, where the auto markets have seemed to have bottomed.

It was reported this morning that Hyundai's (HYMLF.PK) CEO, John Krafcik, has gone on the record and said that the U.S. government shutdown could affect the U.S. automobile market negatively. He's made a headline that's been picked up by news organizations across the board this morning. It echoes sentiments from executives at both Ford and GM. Autonews.com reported:

The prolonged U.S. government shutdown is damaging consumer confidence and may trim October new-vehicle sales by as much as 10 percent, said John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor Co.'s U.S. sales unit.

The standoff in Washington that began Oct. 1, leaving some government agencies closed and federal workers furloughed, is generating "anxiety" for ! many people, Krafcik said in an interview with Sara Eisen, an anchor of Bloomberg Surveillance.

"It's that anxiety that keeps customers, potential buyers, on the sidelines when making a big purchase like an automobile," he said. "We'll probably see the industry off five to 10 percent this month, compared to where it was in September. I think a lot of it has to do with this shutdown discussion."

Here's a couple of reasons why I wouldn't lend any credence to the government shutdown seriously effecting U.S. auto sales:

1. An automobile is a necessity - there's not too many people who, when they need a new car, have the option of waiting "a month or two" to feel out when the boobs in government are going to resolve their petty differences. You can only delay auto sales for so long, as long as the economy continues to improve.

2. Regardless of whether or not October sales are affected, the sales that would have occurred in October will occur whenever the government reconvenes; November at the very latest. So, the sales that were likely to occur in October will be offset by the sales in November, making it a wash and leaving little to no effect on 2013 sales as a whole.

3. As Seeking Alpha put it, "the assessment is far below where most auto analysts have October sales pegged."

It's likely that Hyundai's CEO is trying to bring PR attention to their recently launched program that allows federal workers affected by the shutdown to postpone loan and lease payments to Hyundai. Ford and GM have not launched similar programs.

Furthermore, my concern with U.S. auto growth is really based around whether or not companies like Ford can reach new sales highs in 2014; it's 2014 that I'm really worried about. Try as you'd like, 2013 has already proven itself to be a bang-up year for U.S. automakers.

Dethroning the Toyota Camry as the U.S.'s #1 sedan could be a major headline for Ford - and it's looking like less and less of a long shot! for 2014! than it's been for years past.

In addition, Ford's momentum overseas seems to be turning around, as it's been argued that the auto market has finally hit a bottom. Earlier this month, it was reported that U.K. commercial auto registrations continued on the rise, as did interest in Ford trucks overseas:

Commercial vehicle registrations rose 12.4% in September, with greater confidence and impending Euro 6 legislation producing a strong recovery in truck volumes," said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. "Encouragingly, van registration levels have stabilised, up around 10% in the month and year-to-date, after a variable year that reacted to model changes and changeable market conditions. Year-to-date truck demand is back to 2012 levels after a slow start to the year and we expect the last quarter to be very strong for the sector.

Regardless, through July of this year, Fusion was on pace to beat its 2012 numbers significantly.

RankCarJuly
2013
YTD% ChangeJuly
2013% Change

#1	Toyota (TM) Camry	242,406	- 0.6%	34,780	+ 16.3%
#2	Honda (HMC) Accord	218,367	+ 18.8%	31,507	+ 10.0%
#3	Nissan (NSANF.PK) Altima	197,321	+ 7.4%	29,534	+ 11.0%
#4	Honda Civic	191,120	+ 1.9%	32,416	+ 29.6%
#5	Toyota Corolla/Matrix	183,435	+ 4.6%	24,463	+ 3.5%
#6	Ford Fusion	181,668	+ 13.4%	20,522	- 12.0%

In addition, I've previously argued that Ford continues to be a great investment at this point due to the upswing that's likely to occur with its dividends.

Alongside the company's credit being upgraded recently, dividends are another financial metric that will run commensurate wit! h how the! company as a whole is doing.

Buying into Ford now catches the dividends on an upswing, as Ford has consistently raised or lowered their offering in conjunction with how the business is performing. Ford is likely to be paying well above $0.10 dividends a year or two from now.

Here's Ford's dividend history:

QTR remains bullish on Ford above all other U.S. automakers. I believe that an investment in Ford now will yield higher dividends and continued positive returns through 2014 - the only question is just how much higher can Ford go?

Best of luck to all investors, as always.

Source: Don't Let The Shutdown Scare You From Ford

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Dimon warns against ‘catastrophic’ default

Jamie Dimon Bloomberg News

Lawmakers shouldn’t risk a default on U.S. debt because the impact would be devastating and the full extent of the damage isn’t knowable in advance, said the heads of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank AG.

“The United States cannot default and, in my opinion, will not default,” JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said during a panel discussion at a financial industry conference in Washington. “It would ripple through the global economy in a way you couldn’t possibly understand.”

The economy has been gaining strength and a default now could reverse that progress, Mr. Dimon said. “Please, let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot,” he said. Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain called the prospect of even a small default “utterly catastrophic.”

The CEOs spoke while U.S. lawmakers struggled without success to reach an agreement that would avert default and end the 12-day government shutdown. The Senate rejected a Democratic plan to push the debt-limit fight into 2015. The U.S. might not be able to pay all its bills as early as Oct. 17.

“There isn’t life beyond default,” Jain said during the panel discussion with Dimon. “This would be a very rapidly spreading, fatal disease.” The potential consequences are so unfathomable that Jain said he couldn’t offer the audience any meaningful recommendations on how to react.

Financial Foundations

“Europe was paralyzed at the possibility of an Italian default, which was a 2 trillion Euro economy,” Mr. Jain said, referring to the continent’s debt crisis. A U.S. default would be far worse with incurable legal problems, he said. “You’re now talking about the underpinnings of finance,” Jain said.

JPMorgan is the largest U.S. bank by assets and based in New York. Deutsche Bank, based in Frankfurt, is the biggest in Germany.

“The consequences of it would be absolutely disastrous, considering the role of the U.S. dollar,” said Baudouin Prot, chairman of Paris-based BNP Paribas SA, at to

Another Big Gain in Natural Gas Inventory

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Thursday morning that U.S. natural gas stocks increased by 90 billion cubic feet last week, compared with an expected build of about 96 billion cubic feet anticipated by analysts. Natural gas futures prices were trading up about 2% to Wednesday's closing price in advance of the EIA's report, at around $3.74 per million BTUs, and rose slightly to around $3.76 immediately following the EIA report.

The EIA reported that U.S. working stocks of natural gas totaled 3.58 trillion cubic feet, about 55 billion cubic feet higher than the five-year average of 3.52 trillion cubic feet. Working gas in storage totaled 3.72 trillion cubic feet for the same period a year ago. Natural gas inventories remain roughly in the middle of the five-year range. The five-year average increase for the period is 84 billion cubic feet.

Signals for natural gas demand have varied in the past week, with some forecasters predicting higher-than-normal temperatures in heavily populated parts of the country and other forecasters predicting cooler temperatures than usual. The futures markets appear to believe the cool-weather forecasts because natural gas futures prices are up about 5.7% in the past week. Tropical storm Karen had little impact on Gulf of Mexico production, and the prior week build of 101 billion cubic feet added to this week's build of 90 billion cubic feet should add some downward pressure to futures prices.

Here is how stocks of the largest U.S. natural gas producers are reacting to today's report:

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), the country's largest producer of natural gas, is down 0.1%, at $85.05 in a 52-week range of $84.70 to $95.49.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) is up 1.9%. at $26.40 in a 52-week range of $16.23 to $27.46.

EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG) is up 1.4%, at $173.91 in a 52-week range of $107.76 to $174.86.

The U.S. Natural Gas Fund (NYSEMKT: UNG) is up 1.9% at $19.30 in a 52-week range of $16.59 to $24.09. The Market Vectors Oil Services ETF (NYSEMKT: OIH) is up 1.6% at $47.65 in a 52-week range of $36.24 to $48.52. The first fund tracks spot prices; the second includes major drillers and services companies.

2 Small Bakken Players For Aggressive Growth Investors

Triangle Petroleum (TPLM) came within pennies of doubling since I profiled it at $5.40 a share back in June on Friday. This was twenty months before my prediction that the fast growing concern could achieve those levels. Triangle shows there can quite a bit a value still left among the smaller Bakken players. I view these small E&P firms almost like biotechs and use the same form of "shotgun investing" I do with that sector. Here are two small Bakken producers which could award aggressive growth investors in the future.

Emerald Oil (EOX) is a small (~$330mm) capitalization Bakken producer that I think has significant upside. It has fast growing production with sales tracking to better than a 70% gain this fiscal year and analysts' consensus for FY2014 have revenue more than doubling. A beneficial owner obviously finds the shares attractive as the entity took more than a $16mm stake in the firm in late May.

The company also offers a solid balance sheet with over $70mm (>20% of its current market capitalization) after a recent offering. In addition, an interesting note came out from SunTrust Robinson on Friday that buoyed the shares. SunTrust's analyst believes the technology being pioneered by Whiting Petroleum (WLL) will spread to other Bakken producers.

Specifically, the analyst noted that "Whiting Petroleum's new well completion technique looks revolutionary and inventory may be 'deeper' than expected as a result. Other Bakken companies such as Emerald Oil are likely to benefit from new concepts and higher productivity due to their exposure to the western part of the basin."

Northern Oil & Gas (NOG) is another slightly bigger (~$1B market capitalization) Bakken player that should benefit from the same well completion techniques that Whiting is currently pioneering. The company is growing revenues in the mid-teens and analysts expect this to continue in FY2014 and beyond.

The shares are not expensive given its growth selling at under 12x forward earnings, a de! ep discount to its five year average (27.1). The stock also has a minuscule five year projected PEG (.39) as well. In addition, Northern has ~tripled its operational cash flow over the past three years.

Canaccord Genuity initiated the shares as a "Buy" in September and the median price target held by the 10 analysts that follow the stock is $17.50 a share. Technically, the shares just crossed their 200 day moving average for the first time since January in late September.

The company's wells are non-operated and has already seen operating costs drop by $1mm a well with Continental Resources (CLR) who operates ~12% of its wells. As new techniques continue to drop operational costs in the Bakken, Northern should be a core beneficiary.

Source: 2 Small Bakken Players For Aggressive Growth Investors

Disclosure: I am long EOX. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Tyco’s ex-finance chief Swartz granted parole

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former Tyco executive Mark Swartz, convicted in 2005 for his role in a $134 million corporate fraud case, was released on parole Thursday after serving more than eight years in prison.

Swartz, once Tyco's chief financial officer, was convicted along with former CEO Dennis Kozlowski on 22 counts of grand larceny, conspiracy, falsifying records and violating business law after prosecutors claimed they gave themselves millions in illegal bonuses and forgiven loans.

Kozlowski still awaits a parole hearing.

Defense attorneys say the men collectively paid $134 million in restitution to Tyco and $105 million in fines to the state after their convictions. They were each sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison.

Kozlowski and Swartz were accused of giving themselves as much as $150 million in illegal bonuses and forgiving millions of dollars in loans to themselves, while also manipulating the price of the security systems company's stock by lying about the state of its finances. The executives said at trial the payments had, in fact, been authorized.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2014

Kozlowski and Swartz spent some of their time in a work-release program, spending nights and weekends back at Lincoln Correctional Facility in Manhattan. But since July they only had to briefly report in twice weekly.

Swartz, 53, has been working as a law office assistant. Kozlowski, 66, is a clerk at a software company.

The Parole Board decided in April 2012 that releasing Kozlowski would undermine respect for the law, but he received an early hearing based on accrued merit time.

The parole for each has been opposed by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

American Eagle Energy Reports Pricing of Common Stock Offering (OTCBB:AMZG)

American Eagle Energy Corporation (AMZG)

Today, AMZG remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $1.92 with 66,805 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:49PM EDT October 8, 2013).

American Eagle Energy Corporation, previously reported it priced the sale of 13,709,386 shares of its common stock to the public at $1.70 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $23.3 million. The Company granted the underwriters a 30-day over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 2,056,408 shares of the Company’s common stock at the same price. The offering is expected to settle on October 7, 2013, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Upon closing, the resulting net proceeds to the Company, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other expenses, are expected to be approximately $21.5 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds, along with cash on hand, cash flow from operations and additional borrowings under its Morgan Stanley credit facility, to fund the first half of its previously announced acquisition of oil and gas assets and its capital budget for the balance of 2013. Any remaining net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital.

American Eagle Energy Corporation (AMZG) 5 day chart:

Analysts Target 150% Upside in EnteroMedics Stock Price

EnteroMedics Inc. (NASDAQ: ETRM) may be a largely unknown microcap stock to most investors. The company is in the development stages of making medical devices using neuroblocking technology to treat obesity, metabolic diseases and other gastrointestinal disorders. A new research report has shares rising handily.

Canaccord Genuity reiterated its Buy rating, but where the big boost is coming from is that the firm doubled its price target to $3.00 from $1.50 on Tuesday. The prior price target already implied upside of about 28% from the $1.17 close on Monday. This new $3 price target implies upside of a whopping 150% if the call turns out to be correct.

Investors do need to understand that there is risk here. Shares were recently lower on a concern over the FDA decision in the first half of 2014 after it formally responded to the company’s premarket approval application. At $1.17, the 52-week range is $0.81 to $3.70, and we would caution that the market cap is a mere $65 million.

Top 5 Companies To Watch In Right Now

Canaccord Genuity’s William Plovanic and Kyle Rose made the research call here after traveling with EnteroMedecs’ management team. The analysts were quoted in the report as saying:

EnteroMedics expects to respond to those questions within the next 30 days, and an FDA panel meeting is now expected late in the fourth quarter of 2013, or more likely the first quarter of 2014. Given the relative safety of the device, moderate weight loss, and lack of alternatives for obese patients, we believe the likelihood of a positive panel result is high. As such, we are raising our price target and believe the risk/reward is favorable for investors with a speculative risk profile.

The analysts are basing this value on a post-approval valuation of the Maestro System for obesity. The firm is putting a system price at $10,000 to $12,500, and the assumption of $10,000 per implant.

We have seen a gain of more than 8% to $1.27 in the early trading on Tuesday.

Hain Celestial Gains 2% on Piper Jaffray Upgrade

Hain Celestial’s (HAIN) shareholders are feeling a bit  healthier today.

AP

Shares of Hain have gained today after the health-food company was upgraded by Piper Jaffray. Analyst Sean Naughton and team explain what they like about Hain:

…we believe it is a high quality play on the secular growth of healthy foods. Specifically, we are encouraged by the ability to capture growth across all channels of distribution as the consumer continues to shift their buying behaviors. Additionally, we believe HAIN’s analyst day Tuesday afternoon, Ella’s launch in Walmart and improvements in UK operations could prove to be catalysts over the next few quarters. Overall, we view HAIN as an attractive core long-term holding within our Healthy Lifestyle universe with solid organic and acquisition driven growth.

Speaking of growth, Hain’s top line is growing at a 15% clip, nearly twice the 8% average if 17 different consumer packaged goods stocks during the past 13 years, the analysts write, while margins, though much lower than competitors are getting better. As a result, Naughton upgraded shares of Hain Celestial to Overweight from Neutral and raised his price target to $94 from $80.

Shares of Hain have gained 2.2% to $79.91 today at 11:13 a.m–and trumping other health-food stocks today.  Annie’s Homegrown (BNNY) has ticked up 0.4% to $49.61, Boulder Brands (BDBD) has risen 0.6% to $15.96 and Whitewave Foods (WWAV) has dropped 1.3% to  $18.93.

Career and Self-Employment Advice From Around the Web

The employment outlook right now isn't particularly rosy. Kiplinger's expects job growth to remain lackluster the rest of this year and next year. So I gathered advice from around the Web this week to help job hunters improve their chances of getting hired and workers improve their status in the office. I also found several blog posts on self-employment and starting a business. So if you're looking for career-related tips, check out what personal finance bloggers are saying:

SEE ALSO: Can My Boss Do That?

5 Keys to Full-Time Employment for Young People [Consumerism Commentary]
"Here are a few tips for those in college to get the few jobs that may be available."

Boost Your Career: How to Be Happier and More Likeable at Work [Wise Bread]
"The best coworkers look for ways to promote positive environments, get the most from their teams, mix a little fun with productivity, and remember the human side of business."

Could Tweeting About Your Job Get You in Trouble? [Financial Highway]
"Even if you are posting on personal social media outlets, the reality is that many employers see you as a representative of their brand, even if you are technically 'off duty.'"

Why Work Harder When You'll Get a Bonus Anyway? [MoneyNing]
"In a traditional business setting, top performers can feel unappreciated when they see their less-awesome counterparts rewarded just as well."

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014

Do You Have to Quit Your Day Job to Be Happy? [Bargaineering]
"For many, the benefits of a day job outweigh the risks associated with quitting to become self-employed."

How to Start a Business from Home [Credit Donkey]
"If you do decide to take the plunge and start a business, knowing what you're getting into, planning ahead, and not overextending your resources will improve your chances of success while minimizing your financial risk."

Starting Over Fresh as a Business Owner in Your Later Years [Generation X Finance]
"Starting a business in your older years will give you the chance to try out your own ideas and your new company will benefit from your experience."

Working From Home: How Do You Find Clients? [Man Vs. Debt]
"Resist the 'throw spaghetti at the wall' approach. Do one new thing, and do it well – whether that's canvassing your neighborhood and introducing yourself, emailing people you'd like to work with and offering to help them for a short amount of time at no charge, selling at a different location or something completely different."

Can Lululemon Break Out to New Highs This Year?

With shares of Lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) trading around $75, is LULU an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Lululemon designs, manufactures, and distributes athletic apparel and accessories for women, men, and female youth. It operates in three segments: Corporate-Owned Stores, Direct to Consumer, and Other. The company''s line of apparel include fitness pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for healthy lifestyle activities such as yoga, running, and general fitness. Its fitness-related accessories comprise bags, socks, underwear, yoga mats, instructional yoga DVDs, and water bottles.

Recently, Lululemon posted earnings and revenues figures that beat Wall Street's expectations. Christine Day, Lululemon's CEO, said in a statement: "2013 continues to be the most important and most productive year in Lululemon's history. We have not only worked our way back from the black luon setback, but have also added very talented people in important functions and have taken major steps forward on a number of key fronts, including the expansion of our international and men's businesses and many logistical initiatives. In addition, our exclusive partnership with Noble announced today and additional sources for luon will help to ensure that Lululemon remains a distinct leader in quality and innovation."

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Lululemon stock has struggled to make significant progress in the past couple of years. The stock is trading near the top end of a two-year range, so it may need to spend some time there. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Lululemon is trading above its rising key averages, which signals neutral to bullish price action in the near term.

Source: Thinkorswim

Taking a look at the implied volatility and implied volatility skew levels of Lululemon options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Lululemon Options	32.56%	40%	39%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a significant amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
October Options	Flat	Average
November Options	Flat	Average

Top 10 Low Price Companies For 2014

As of Wednesday, there is average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter Over Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Lululemon’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Lululemon look like and, more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	0.00%	0.00%	48.21%	44.44%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	21.89%	21.03%	30.68%	37.50%
Earnings Reaction	-5.40%	-17.53%	1.28%	7.26%

Lululemon has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have expected more from Lululemon’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Weak Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Lululemon stock done relative to its peers – Nike (NYSE:NKE), Under Armour (NYSE:UA), and Gap (NYSE:GPS) — and sector?

	Lululemon	Nike	Under Armour	Gap	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	-2.09%	39.67%	70.20%	31.64%	33.42%

Lululemon has been a poor relative performer, year to date.

Conclusion

Lululemon provides in-demand athletic apparel to consumers across the nation. The company recently reported strong earnings and revenue numbers. However, investors had higher expectations. The stock has not made much progress in recent years and is now trading near the top end of its two-year range. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising, but investors have expected more during recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, Lululemon has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Lululemon does this quarter.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014

Below is the verbatim transcript of Navlakhi's interview with CNBC-TV18.

Q: The unanimous advice for those nearing retirement is to start moving equity investments into debt funds. Which are the better performing debt funds you can advice at this juncture?

A: Debt funds are fairly complicated and it would be nice if one contacts a financial advisor because different sets of debt funds have different implications. Debt funds would move based on currency, interest rate, demand supply and host of other factors that play into effect. Therefore, the best way to approach debt fund would be to segregate and create a ladder of investment that means have certain money which is maturing with an investment horizon for 12-15 months, certain for little longer and then for three-five years.

I would recommend funds like Templeton India Short Term Income Plan for people with 12-15 month time horizon. If one is looking at 15-18 months then there is Birla Sun Life Short Term Opportunities Fund . If one is looking for bond opportunities for three-four years then look at ICICI Prudential Corporate Bond Fund . Therefore, these are three different types of funds with different tenures. The last one year returns have been between 10.5 percent to 11.5 percent and that would virtually be tax free because one will get an indexation benefit.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Maple Leaf Reforestation Inc. (MPE.V)

Maple Leaf Green World Inc. operates in the environmental industry primarily in China. The company operates a nursery business in inner Mongolia that focuses on growing tree seedlings and nursery products, which assist with antidesertification. It also focuses on a Yellowhorn seedling and tree operations, which provide Yellowhorn seeds and oil for the manufacture of bio-diesel fuel and cooking oils. The company was formerly known as Maple Leaf Reforestation Inc. and changed its name to Maple Lead Green World Inc. in October 2012. Maple Lead Green World Inc. is based in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Vero Energy Inc Com Npv(VRO.TO)

Vero Energy Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the province of Alberta in Canada. As of December 31, 2011, the company?s properties included 265 producing natural gas wells and 76 producing oil wells; and land holdings of 162,832 gross developed acres and 111,997 undeveloped acres. Vero Energy Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Best Stocks To Invest In 2014: EZchip Semiconductor Limited(EZCH)

EZchip, a fabless semiconductor company, engages in the development and marketing of Ethernet network processors for networking equipment. Its products include network processor chips, evaluation boards and network-processor based systems, and development software toolkits. The company offers network processors for use in forming the silicon core of networking equipment, such as switches and routers; and for voice, video and data integration in various applications. Its network processors are single-chip solutions, which enable its customers to design multi-port line cards, such as processing and classification engines, traffic managers, media access controllers, as well as a range of specialized hardware blocks that accelerate various functions. The company offers Evaluation systems which enable customers to test NPU-based systems; and toolkits that assist customers in creating, verifying, and implementing solutions based on its network processors. It provides a library f eaturing data plane code for a range of applications, which include Metro Ethernet protocols, Multi-Protocol Label Switching, IPv4 and IPv6 routing, Access Control Lists, GPON/EPON OLT functionality, Network Address Translation, and Server Load Balancing. The company sells its products directly, and through contract manufacturers and distributors to network equipment vendors. It markets its products in Israel, China, Hong Kong, the Far East, Canada, the United States, and Europe. The company was formerly known as LanOptics Ltd. and changed its name to EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. in July 2008. EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. was founded in 1989 and is based in Yokneam, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) shares climbed 5.80% to $23.53. The volume of EZchip Semiconductor shares traded was 635% higher than normal. EZchip Semiconductor's PEG ratio is 1.57.

• [By Paul McWilliams]

  Paul McWilliams: Oh, absolutely. Another company that most investors probably have never heard of is a tiny little Israeli semiconductor company named EZChip (EZCH).

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) was also up, gaining 7.16 percent to $24.11 after a Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced a new product that would not threaten the company as previously thought. Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Cypress Semiconductor (NASDAQ: CY) were down 16.05 percent to $9.91 after the company lowered its Q3 forecast.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Vanoil Energy Ltd. (VEL.V)

Vanoil Energy Ltd., an oil and gas company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of oil and gas properties in Kenya and Rwanda. The company owns 100% interests in the 3A and 3B blocks that cover approximately 24,912 square kilometers in Kenya. It also owns oil and gas concessions covering approximately 1,631 square kilometers in the northwestern part of the Rwanda. Vanoil Energy Ltd. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Canaccord Finl Inc (CF.TO)

Canaccord Financial Inc., an independent and full-service investment dealer, provides various investment products, brokerage services, and investment banking services to private, institutional, and corporate clients. The company operates in two segments, Canaccord Genuity and Canaccord Wealth Management. The Canaccord Genuity segment engages in the investment banking, research, and trading activities on behalf of corporate, institutional, and government clients, as well as in principal trading activities. It offers an integrated platform for equity research, sales and trading, and investment banking services. This segment focuses its service offerings in the areas of mining and metals, energy, technology, life sciences, consumer products, real estate, infrastructure, sustainability and cleantech, financials, agriculture and fertilizers, media and telecommunications, transportation and industrial products, paper and forestry products, investment trusts, support services, an d structured products. The Canaccord Wealth Management segment provides wealth management solutions and brokerage services to individual investors, private clients, charities, and intermediaries. Its services include wealth management strategies, investment opportunities, and financial planning solutions. The company also offers insurance and estate planning services to its Canadian private clients, which comprise retirement protection programs, capital preservation plans, and insurance strategies for handling capital gains. The capital markets division of the company, Canaccord Genuity, has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia, China, Singapore, and Barbados. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ripper Oil And Gas Inc. (RIP.V)

Ripper Oil and Gas Inc. does not have significant operations. The company is in negotiations for the proposed reverse take-over with Xogen Technologies Inc. Previously, it was engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in Canada. The company was formerly known as Old Sun Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Ripper Oil and Gas Inc. in June 2001. Ripper Oil and Gas Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Spectra Energy Partners LP(SEP)

Spectra Energy Partners, LP operates as an investment arm of Spectra Energy Corp. Spectra Energy Partners, LP, through its subsidiaries, engages in the transportation of natural gas through interstate pipeline systems, and the storage of natural gas in underground facilities in the United States. As of December 31, 2007, it owned and operated 100% of the approximately 1,400-mile East Tennessee interstate natural gas transportation system that extends from central Tennessee eastward into southwest Virginia and northern North Carolina, and southward into northern Georgia; and a liquefied natural gas storage facility in Kingsport, Tennessee with working gas storage capacity of approximately 1.1 billion cubic feet (Bcf) and re-gasification capability of 150 million cubic feet per day. The company also owned a 24.5% interest in the approximate 700-mile Gulfstream interstate natural gas transportation system, which extends from Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama across the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida; a 50% interest in Market Hub, which owns and operates 2 salt cavern natural gas storage facilities, the Egan storage facility with gas capacity of approximately 20 Bcf, and the Moss Bluff storage facility with working gas capacity of 15 Bcf. The company transports and stores natural gas for local gas distribution companies, municipal utilities, interstate and intrastate pipelines, direct industrial users, electric power generators, marketers, and producers. Spectra Energy Partners (DE) GP, LP, operates as the general partner to Spectra Energy Partners, LP. The company is based in Houston, Texas.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: FirstEnergy Corporation(FE)

Firstenergy Corp. operates as a diversified energy company. The company, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, involves in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services. It serves approximately 6 million customers within 67,000 square miles through 10 utility operating companies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and Maryland. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Akron, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Cutting out coal
  FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE  ) announced this month that it plans to shutter two coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania by October. Coal plants are no lightweights when it comes to capacity, and the closure will knock 2,080 MW (around 10%) off FirstEnergy's total generation capacity.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) reported that Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Chairman and CEO Phil Kent will participate in the Nomura 2nd Annual U.S. Media & Telecom Summit on Thursday, May 31, 2012, in New York, NY.

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Morgan Stanley analysts upgraded Time Warner Inc (TWX) early on Thursday as they believe the entertainment and media company’s publishing spin-off should help highlight a business that is leveraged to a healthy and growing TV environment.

  The analysts upgraded TWX from “Equal-Weight” to “Overweight” and see shares reaching $72. This price target suggests a 14% upside to the stock’s Wednesday closing price of $63.34.

  Time Warner shares were up 66 cents, or 1.03%, during morning trading on Thursday. The stock is up 34.06% year-to-date.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  In the race to get TV viewers to tune in to its comic book properties, Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) is turning to the fastest man alive.

  Earlier this week, Warner unit DC Entertainment told reporters via conference call that the Flash would appear in season 2 of Arrow before spinning off into a new show dedicated the character. Warner also has plans for a live action film. Batman? Superman? Turns out the Flash is the glue that's binding together the DC Cinematic Universe.

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: Gaz Metro Ltd Partnership (VNR.TO)

Valener Inc. engages in the distribution of natural gas to residential and commercial customers in Canada. It holds a 29% interest in Gaz Metro Limited Partnership, which distributes natural gas to approximately 182,000 customers in Quebec and 138,000 customers in Vermont. The company also has a 24.5% indirect interest in the Seigneurie de Beaupr茅 wind power project located on the private lands of S茅minaire de Qu茅bec. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.