The technology sector is cheap, trading at only about, roughly 13 times forward estimates. This is a significant discount to the sector's 15-year forward and 20-year trailing averages of 23 and 26, respectively, observes Stephen Leeb in The Cash Cow.
Meanwhile, the fundamental picture for the technology sector looks very promising. The improving economic picture is likely to accelerate capital spending in this sector, something that has been sorely needed since the crisis.
Corporate investment in technology, as a percentage of GDP, has fallen to a nearly 15-year low, and the average age of tech equipment at companies is particularly high. As the economy improves and corporate leaders conclusively exhale, this will undoubtedly change.
Meanwhile, the industry is lean, margins are strong, pricing pressure has largely abated, and tech companies are financially sound, precisely when a new capital spending upcycle is about to begin.
The fourth quarter has historically been good for tech stocks and equities in general. The S&P 500 (SPX) has averaged a 4.26% gain since 1980, with all ten sectors also averaging positive returns over that same time span.
10 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Own For 2015: Cleantech Solutions International Inc (CLNT)
Cleantech Solutions International, Inc., incorporated on June 24, 1987, manufactures and sells forged products and fabricated products to a range of clean technology customers, including forged rolled rings and related products for the wind power industry and other industries and equipment to the solar industry. The Company also makes textile dyeing and finishing machines. The Company is owner of Fulland Limited (Fulland). Fulland owns 100% of Green Power Environment Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Green Power) and Wuxi Fulland Wind Energy Equipment Co., Ltd. (Fulland Wind Energy), which are wholly foreign-owned enterprises (WFOE) organized under the laws of the People�� Republic of China. Green Power is a party to a series of contractual arrangements with Wuxi Huayang Electrical Power Equipment Co., Ltd. (Electrical) and Wuxi Huayang Dyeing Machinery Co., Ltd. (Dyeing). Dyeing produces and sells a range of high and low temperature dyeing and finishing machinery for the textile industry. The Company refers to this segment as the dyeing division. The Company is engaged in two business segments: the forged rolled rings and related components segment, in which it manufacture and sell forged rolled rings, yaw bearings and shafts, and other forged components for the wind power and other industries, as well as equipment for the solar power industry, and the dyeing and finishing equipment segment, in which it manufactures and sell textile dyeing and finishing machines.
Forged Rolled Rings and Related Components Segment
The Company produces precision forged rolled rings and other forged components to the wind and other industries. Forged rolled rings and other forged components for the wind industry are used in wind turbines, which are used to generate wind power. It also manufactures shafts and forged rolled rings for gear rims, flanges and other applications. In addition to the wind industry, it sells its forged rolled rings and other forged components in other industries, inclu! ding heavy machinery manufacturing, petrochemical, metallurgical, sea port machinery, defense and radar manufacturing industries, which uses its forged rolled rings railway as components in the manufacture of equipment. It produces precision forgings using axial close-die forging technology, which is a technology for producing rotary precision forgings, using forging equipment, which it manufactured for its own use.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company manufactured and delivered test subassemblies for solar cell manufacturing equipment, which marked its entry into the solar products market. It supplies solar components used in production of multi crystalline and mono crystalline silicon wafers. Solar industry capabilities include the manufacture of complex pressure vessels and chamber, high temperature vessels, and thick-walled vessels. Its forged rolled rings and other related products are sold for use by manufacturers of industrial equipment.
The Company competes with Wuxi Dachang Group.
Dyeing and Finishing Equipment Segment
Through the Company�� dyeing and finishing segment, it designs, manufactures and distributes a range of high and low temperature dyeing and finishing machinery. Its products feature both automation and mechanical-electrical integration. Its products are used in dyeing yarns, such as pure cotton, cotton-polyester, terylene, polyester wool, poly-acrylic fiber, nylon, cotton ramie, and wool yarn.
The Company competes with Fong�� National Engineering (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Another basic materials player that looks ready to trigger a major breakout trade is Cleantech Solutions (CLNT), which manufactures and sells high-precision forged rolled rings, yaw bearings and shafts. It also manufactures and sells textile dyeing and finishing machines. This stock is off to a strong start in 2013, with shares up 58%.
If you take a look at the chart for Cleantech Solutions, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending for the last two months and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $4.82 to its recent high of $7.04 a share. During that uptrend, shares of CLNT have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of CLNT within range of triggering a major breakout trade.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CLNT if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.68 to $7.04 a share, and then once it takes out more resistance at $7.79 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 758,917 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CLNT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9 to $10 a share.
Traders can look to buy CLNT off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $5.67 a share, or around more support at $5 a share. One could also buy CLNT off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Own For 2014: HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC)
HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property & Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident & Health, U.S. Surety & Credit, and International. The U.S. Property & Casualty segment provides aviation, small account errors and omissions liability (E&O), public risk, contingency, disability, residual value, employment practices liability (EPLI), technical property, primary and excess casualty, and brown water marine insurance products, as well as title and mortgage reinsurance products in the United States. The Professional Liability segment offers directors� and officers� (D&O) liability, large account E&O liability, fiduciary liability, fidelity and bankers blanket bonds, and EPLI for the United States and International-based policyholders. The Accident & Health segment provides medical stop-loss, short-term domestic and international medical, HMO reinsurance, and medical excess coverages in the United States. The U.S. Surety & Credit segment offers contract surety bonds, commercial surety bonds, and bail bonds; credit insurance policies for export trade transactions and structured trade transactions; and political risk and letters of credit insurance products. The International segment provides energy, property treaty, liability, surety, credit, direct and facultative property, ocean marine, accident and health, and other smaller product lines for international customers. The company markets its products directly to consumers, as well as through a network of independent agents and brokers, producers, and managing general agents. HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC) underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property and Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident and Health, U.S. Aug. 21, the company increased its quarterly dividend 36% to $0.225 per share. The dividend is payable October 1, 2013 and will be paid on or about Oct. 15, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.1%.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
For the past several years, Berkshire has contrasted its own cost-free float provided by profitable underwriting against the industry�� (unimpressive) tendency to lose money on underwriting while generating net returns from investment income. So far, so good. Less edifying, though, is the repeated contrast of Berkshire�� track record of profitability to State Farm��…even though, as a mutual company, State Farm�� profitability goals are inherently different from for-profit insurers like Berkshire. It�� true that through year-end 2013, Berkshire�� underwriters have ��ow operated at an underwriting profit for eleven consecutive years,��but so have ACE (ACE), American Financial (AFG),� AmTrust Financial (AFSI), Arch Capital (ACGL), Chubb (CB), HCC (HCC), Progressive (PGR), RLI (RLI), and W.R. Berkley (WRB), any or all of whom provide a more meaningful comparison than contrasting Berkshire�� results to a company that�� not out to produce a profit in the first place.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of American International Group have dropped 1.7% to $49.67 at 1:19 p.m. today, while American Financial Group (AFG) has, dropped 0.2% to $57.23, HCC Insurance (HCC) is little changed at $45.12,�Travelers (TRV) has dipped 0.1% to $83.52 and Chubb (CB) is off 0.1% at $86.58.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Own For 2014: Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA (BMPS)
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA is an Italy-based company engaged in the banking sector. It provides traditional banking services, asset management and private banking, including life insurance, pension funds and investment trusts. It operates though three business segments. The Retail Banking segment covers consumer lending, insurance, provision of financial and non-financial services to retail customers, wealth management, tax planning, financial advisory and planning for private customers. The Corporate Banking division oversees the Group's business strategies targeted to small and medium enterprises, institutions and large corporate for which it offers leasing, factoring, lending and financial products, among others. The Corporate Center segment includes the cancellation of intergroup entries, treasure, governance and support functions. In January 2014, the Company completed the sale of its entire shareholding in Sorin SpA, equal to approximately 5.7%. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Corinne Gretler]
Kesko Oyj, Finland�� biggest publicly traded retailer, rallied 9 percent. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA (BMPS) added 2 percent as Italy�� third-largest lender set out a plan to return to profit after cutting costs and raising capital as part of its restructuring plan. Speedy Hire Plc sank the most since 2009 after the construction-equipment leasing company said it found evidence of false accounting at one of its units.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Own For 2014: Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS)
Universal Health Services, Inc., through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, behavioral health centers, surgical hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and radiation oncology centers. The company�s hospitals offer various services comprising general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services. As of February 24, 2012, it owned and/or operated 25 acute care hospitals and 198 behavioral health centers located in 36 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as Washington, D.C. The company also operates six surgical hospitals, and surgery and radiation oncology centers located in four states and Puerto Rico. Universal Health Services, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vera Yuan]
During the quarter, the Fund initiated positions in eight companies and strategically added to positions in sixteen companies. Over the same time period, the Fund eliminated its holdings in six companies and strategically decreased its holdings in another five companies. Positions initiated during the last three months include: Dorman Products, Inc. (DORM), Dover Corp. (DOV), DSW Inc. (DSW), First Niagara Financial Group (FNFG), Packaging Corporation of America (PKG), Patterson Companies, Inc. (PDCO), The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV), and Universal Health Services Inc (UHS). Positions eliminated during the past quarter include: ABB Ltd. (ABB), Ann Inc. (ANN), Baxter International (BAX), International Game Technology (IGT), TRW Automotive Holdings (TRW), and URS Corporation (URS).
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Tenets plunge has helped drag other healthcare stocks lower.�Community Health (CYH) has dropped 3.6% to $42.21,�HCA Holdings (HCA) has fallen 2.1% to $46.72 and�Universal Health Services�(UHS) is off 1% at $80.59.
- [By Lee Jackson]
Universal Health Services Inc. (NYSE: UHS) is well liked at J.P. Morgan, as coverage expansion under reform provides a substantial boost in 2014. The company’s focus is on behavioral health, which is in a comparatively more attractive position over acute care, the differentiating degree of diversification with behavioral health providers and its market leadership within acute care facilities in high-growth areas. The bottom line is mental health is a growing field. The J.P. Morgan target is raised from $74 to $86.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Own For 2014: Valassis Communications Inc.(VCI)
Valassis Communications, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a media and marketing services company primarily in the United States and Europe. Its Shared Mail segment combines the individual print advertisements of various clients into a single shared mail package and distributes the shared mail advertising products to approximately 70 million U.S. households primarily on a weekly basis through the United States Postal Service (USPS). This segment also offers solo mail and other products and services, including list procurement, addressing, processing, and the distribution of brochures and circulars; ancillary services, such as list rentals; and direct mail advertising solutions for local neighborhood businesses. It primarily serves grocers, restaurants, drug stores, discount and department stores, home furnishing stores, and other retailers. The company?s Neighborhood Targeted segment is involved in the print and media placement of traditional free-standing solo insert formats and specialty print promotion products; offers newspaper-delivered or direct-to-door sampling products that give manufacturers the ability to cover approximately 60 million households; and helps clients to run their promotional advertising directly on the pages of newspapers by brokering advertising space. The company?s Free-standing Inserts segment prints and distributes four-color booklets containing promotions, primarily coupons from multiple clients through newspapers and shared mails. Its International, Digital Media, and Services segment provides coupon clearing, analytical promotion information management products, and marketing services for retailers and consumer-packaged goods manufacturers; and promotion security and consulting services, as well as produces direct-mail programs based on multiple data sources, including frequent shopper card data. Valassis Communications, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Alex Planes]
What: Shares of Valassis Communications (NYSE: VCI ) crashed by nearly 15% this morning but have since clawed their way back to a loss of about 8%, on a double whiff on first-quarter earnings and an underwhelming set of forward guidance.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Valassis Communications (NYSE: VCI) shot up 22.16 percent to $34.57 after the company agreed to be acquired by Harland Clarke Holdings Corp for $34.04 per share in cash. - [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Valassis Communications Inc.(VCI) and Gogo Inc.(GOGO)
Valassis agreed to be acquired by Harland Clarke Holdings Corp. in a deal valuing the coupon publisher at roughly $1.31 billion that the companies expect will create a leading diversified payment and marketing-services company. Shares surged 21% to $34.29 premarket.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Own For 2014: Paulson Capital Corp.(PLCC)
Paulson Capital Corp., through its subsidiary, Paulson Investment Company, Inc., operates as a brokerage company principally in the United States. It engages in securities brokerage activities, which include acting as agent for purchase and sale of common and preferred stocks, options, warrants, and debt securities traded on securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. The company?s corporate finance activities comprise underwriting initial and follow-on public offerings, private investments in public equity, and private placements for smaller companies; securities trading and market making activities consist of executing trades in equity securities, corporate debt securities, and municipal bonds; and market making activities are conducted with dealers in the wholesale market and its customers. Its investment activities include holding securities for investment, which primarily include securities purchased for investment and underwriter warrants. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 39 branch offices in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Paulson Capital Corp. was founded in 1969 and is based in Portland, Oregon.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Paulson Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:PLCC), parent company of Paulson Investment Company, Inc., reported a net income of $1,412,294 (or $0.24 per share) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 versus a net loss of $381,210 (or ($0.07) per share) for the like period in 2011.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Own For 2014: LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc (RIT)
LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (the Fund) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� primary investment objective is to provide high current income. Its secondary investment objective is capital appreciation. Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC (LMPFA) is the Fund�� investment manager and AEW Management and Advisors, L.P. (AEW) is the Fund�� subadviser. LMPFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc.
The Fund invests in securities related to the real estate industry. Its portfolio includes common stocks, preferred stocks and short-term investments. The Fund invests in sectors, such as office, healthcare, diversified, apartments, industrial, shopping centers, home financing, lodging/resorts, regional malls and specialty.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
Special Purpose Funds- Eaton Vance Tax-Adv. Global Dividend Oppor. Fund (ETO) | Yield: 7.3%
- The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) | Yield: 6.2%
- Pimco Global Stocksplus Income Fund (PGP) | Yield: 9.5%
- LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) | Yield: 7.0% - [By Joe Eqcome]
Actionable Items:
Highest Positive Spread: Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund (JLS)Focus Stock: LMP Real Estate Income Fund (RIT)Last Week's Focus Stock: ASA Gold and Precious Metals (ASA)ECB cuts its rates: The European Central Bank (ECB) will cut its benchmark rate a quarter-of-a-point to 0.5%.
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