IRS paid at least $13B in improper tax credits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service paid more than $13 billion in tax credits last year to people who may not have qualified, a government investigator said Tuesday.

The Earned Income Tax Credits were supposed to go to low-income working families.

The agency's inspector general issued a report Tuesday saying the improper payments were between $13.3 billion and $15.6 billion. That's about a quarter of all EITC payments.

"The IRS can and must do more to protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse," said J. Russell George, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration.

The IRS said it is aggressively fighting tax fraud, and is improving its efforts to police EITC payments. The agency said it has stopped nearly 15 million suspicious returns since 2011, blocking more than $50 billion in fraudulent refunds.

"The IRS remains deeply concerned about the level of improper payments, and a major review currently underway is exploring a wide range of options to distinguish valid claims from excessive ones," the IRS statement said.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the nation's largest anti-poverty programs. In 2011, more than 27 million families received nearly $62 billion in credits.

The credit is attractive because, if it is larger than your total income tax bill, the IRS will pay you the difference. This is especially helpful to low-income families because many pay little or no federal income tax.

Hot Supermarket Companies To Buy Right Now

But it also makes the credit more susceptible to fraud.

Using IRS statistics, the inspector general's report provided an estimated range of improper EITC payments from 2003 through 2013. The report says the IRS paid out at least $124.1 billion in improper payments during the period, and perhaps as much as $148.2 billion.

Families earn the credits by working and earning money, though th! ere are income limits. The size of the credit depends on your income and the number of children you have.

This year, a married couple with three or more children can earn up to $52,427 and still qualify for the credit. A married couple with two children can earn up to $49,186 and still qualify, according to the IRS.

The maximum credit this year is $6,143 for families with three or more children. The maximum credit for families with two children is $5,460.

Hot High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2016

Hot High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2016: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc (KKD)

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (Krispy Kreme), December 02, 1999, is a retailer and wholesaler of doughnuts complementary beverages and treats and packaged sweets. The Companys principal business is owning and franchising Krispy Kreme stores, at which a variety of doughnuts, including the Companys Original Glazed doughnut, are sold and distributed together with complementary products, and where a broad array of coffees and other beverages are offered. As of February 3, 2013, there were 239 Krispy Kreme stores operated domestically in 38 states and in the District of Columbia, and there were 509 shops in 21 other countries around the world. Of the 748 total stores, 295 were factory stores and 453 were satellites. The Company operates in four segments: Company Stores, domestic franchise stores, international franchise stores, and the KK Supply Chain.

Company Stores

Its Company Stores segment consists of the operating activities of its Company-o wned stores. These stores sell doughnuts and complementary products through the on-premises and wholesale channels. Many of the doughnut varieties the Company offers in its doughnut shops also are distributed, through off-premises sales channels. In addition, it offers a number of products through off-premises channels, including honeybuns, fruit pies, mini-crullers, cupcakes and various chocolate enrobed products, generally packaged as individually wrapped snacks or packaged in snack bags. Krispy Kreme has a beverage program, which includes drip coffees, both coffee-based and noncoffee-based frozen drinks, juices, sodas, milks, water and packaged and fountain beverages. In addition, the Company also develops beverages such as espresso, cappuccino and hot chocolate.

Domestic Franchise

The Domestic Franchise segment consists of the Companys domestic store franchise operations. This segment derives revenue principally from initial! development and f ranchise fees related to new stores and from royalties on sales by franchise stores. As of February 3, 2013, there were 142 domestic franchise stores in 29 states, consisting of 99 factory and 43 satellite stores.

International Franchise

The International Franchise segment consists of the Companys international store franchise operations. International franchise stores sell doughnuts and complementary products almost exclusively through the on-premises sales channel using shop formats similar to those used in the United States, and also using a kiosk format. A portion of sales by the franchisees in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia are made to wholesale customers. As of February 3, 2013, there were 509 international franchise shops in 21 countries, consisting of 120 factory stores and 389 satellite shops.

KK Supply Chain Business Segment

The Company operates an integrated supply chain. The KK Supply Chain segment buys and processes ingredients it uses to produce doughnut mixes and manufactures doughnut-making equipment that all factory stores are required to purchase. The Company manufactures doughnut mixes at its facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In addition to traditional doughnut mixes and mixes made from mix concentrate, the Company produces or manages the production of doughnut premix, which is used to produce doughnut mixes in certain international locations. The KK Supply Chain segment also purchases and sells supplies, including icings and fillings, other food ingredients, juices, signage, display cases, uniforms and other items to both Company and franchisee-owned stores.

The Company competes with Dolly Madison, Entenmanns, Hostess, Little Debbie, and Sara Lee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.13 per share on revenue of $119.59 million.

  Addus HomeCare (NASDAQ: ADUS) is pr! ojected t! o post its Q4 earnings at $0.25 per share on revenue of $68.07 million.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-high-dividend-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Google shares plunge after results miss estimates

Google is involved in plenty of high-tech ventures, from Google Glass to its broadband-on-steroids fiber network.

But its core business — online advertising — can drive revenue up 19%, as it did in the first quarter of 2014, and still disappoint Wall Street.

The world's largest Internet search provider reported first-quarter revenue Wednesday of $15.4 billion, up from $12.95 billion in the first quarter of 2013. Profit came in at $6.27 per share, compared with $6.00 a share in the same period last year. Google was expected to make a profit of $6.40.

Google stock plummeted nearly 6% after the market closed, dropping to $524.33. In regular trading Wednesday, Google shares had gained 3.8% to $556.54, ahead of the results.

Many companies would be satisfied with such a revenue increase, but for Google "it's an average quarter from a great company," says Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners, which has a "hold" on the stock.

The first-quarter results make sense, he says, because the company's ad revenue is typically seasonal, he says. "It doesn't do as well in the first half of the year as the second half year, just because people are looking for holiday stuff and back-to-school shopping" and might click on ads as they use Google's search engine, he says.

Paid clicks, a measure of the number of times ads from Google websites and other sites were clicked on during the period, rose 26%. However, the cost per click, or CPC, which measures the revenue generated when ads are clicked on, fell about 9%.

Neither results were as good as expected, Gillis says. "Paid clicks were a little less than people were looking for, and the losses (in CPCs) were a little greater," he says. "If you have people paying less for your product, your clicks, as has happened now for about 10 quarters in a row, that's not a healthy trend."

Like other companies, Google is facing challenges in converting mobile advertising into revenue, he says. "A lot of businesses got disrupted by peop! le using smartphones instead of desktops, and Google is one of them."

Google's investments in other ventures — including cloud computing, wearables and expansion of Google Fiber — also point to potential down the road, says Colin Sebastian, an analyst with R.W. Baird & Co. "Google invests early and innovates early," says Sebastian, whose firm has an "outperform" ranking on the stock.

On Tuesday, the company did a one-day sale of its Google Glass Explorer edition, and the $1,500 wearable computing glasses sold "really fast," the company said. That same day, the company purchased drone maker Titan Aerospace.

Sebastian calls the first-quarter performance "a very slight miss. Google does not provide guidance, so there is typically quite a bit of volatility on their earnings reports."

Eventually mobile will become more profitable and more important in ad revenue, said Google senior vice president and chief business officer Nikesh Arora on a conference call with analysts after the market close.

Mobile ads will become more valuable because they can be location-based and contextual, something that will make it more likely a shopper will make a purchase based on an ad. "A whole bunch of building blocks have to come into play ... for that gap to close," he said. "That journey is just beginning on the mobile side."

Top 10 Value Companies To Invest In 2015

Foreclosure rates were down across the United States in April, according to a new report out of residential property information firm CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX  ) .

April saw 52,000 foreclosures completed in the U.S., down 16% from last year's April tally of 62,000. Sequentially, foreclosure rates were flat against March's 52,000 number, but the numbers appear destined to keep dropping. According to CoreLogic data, 1.1 million homes are now in various stages of the foreclosure process, versus 1.5 million in April of last year. This represents a 24% shrinkage in the pool of "foreclosure inventory" -- and as the pool is drained, fewer and fewer foreclosures should leak out into the monthly figures.

Putting the figures into context, CoreLogic Chief Economist Mark Fleming was quoted as saying: "The shadow of foreclosure and distress continues to fade, with the annualized sum of completed foreclosures having declined for 17 straight months."�

Foreclosure rates still remain high in comparison to pre-housing bubble figures, however. From 2000 to 2006, rising home values kept foreclosure rates down to a monthly average of just 21,000 nationally.�Since the financial crisis began in September 2008, there have been approximately 4.4 million completed foreclosures across the country, according to CoreLogic.

Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Family Dollar Stores (FDO) rejected a $9 billion buyout offer from Dollar General (DG) and issued a sharp rebuke to accusations its CEO favors a smaller bid from Dollar Tree (DLTR) because it would allow him to keep his job. Family Dollar, the second-largest dollar store in the United States, said it believed a deal with its larger rival would be unlikely to win antitrust approval despite a promise by Dollar General to close up to 700 stores.

  We will not jeopardize the Dollar Tree deal for a transaction with Dollar General that has a high likelihood of not closing due to antitrust considerations.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Like millions of Americans, Darnel Ware needs to save money, even if it's 40 cents on a bag of flour. He searches for those savings during his daily visits to the Family Dollar Store near his home in Fraser, Michigan, sometimes stopping by as many as 10 times a week "if there are things I need," said the 51-year-old home care provider. "I buy a lot of everything; merchandise and food products." He said he typically spends about $30 a trip on items such as the soft drinks, paper cups and cookies he bought on a recent afternoon at the small store in a strip mall alongside other discount retailers and small factories five miles from Detroit. The small but frequent purchases of low-income customers such as Ware add up: Family Dollar Stores (FDO), which operates about 8,200 stores in mainly urban sections of the U.S., is the target of an $9 billion cash takeover offer from rival Dollar General and an $8.5 billion cash and stock offer from Dollar Tree. Both competitors are betting not only on the health of the deep discount retail sector but also on the intractability of poverty in America. Mid-market retailers such as Walmart Stores (WMT), Macy's (M) and J.C. Penney (JCP) have been struggling in recent years as consumers have been slow to return to their pre-recession, freer spending ways. On Wednesday, Target (TGT) said it was cutting its full-year earnings and slashing prices. But the popularity of so-called dollar stores is growing. Shopping by the 46.5 million Americans living below the poverty line poor helped boost the annual U.S. market for deep discount stores by 45.7 percent to $48.2 billion between 2008 and 2013, according to London-based market researcher Euromonitor International. The firm projects the sector to grow to $57 billion in 2018. The U.S. Census sets the poverty line at $24,000 a year or less for a family of four. Such forecasts help explain the battle over Family Dollar, the number-two de

• [By Mani]

  Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) is one of the companies that are set to exploit the ongoing trend of consumers' increasing focus on value with significant opportunity to grow its store base, and expand margins.

Top 10 Value Companies To Invest In 2015: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Taylor Muckerman and Joel South]

  Many oil and natural gas service companies called the fourth quarter of 2012 a trough in the North American market. By all accounts so far during this reporting period, that appears to be especially prescient. International heavyweights Halliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) both witnessed signs that a second half turnaround us likely upon them and the industry as a whole.

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  As for companies with the most upside, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) tops the list, with 63.6%, followed by Autodesk (ADSK), Ventas (VTR), salesforce.com (CRM) and American Tower (AMT). Outside the top five, the list also includes big names like Schlumberger (SLB), Halliburton (HAL), Expedia (EXPE) and General Motors (GM).

• [By Alex Planes]

  Last year, CARBO made almost half of its total revenue from just two customers: Halliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . A dependence on major players can be part of the game in this energy niche, as much of the onshore drilling services industry is in fact dominated by Halliburton and Schlumberger. However, CARBO's deepwater proppant could help it diversify in a big way, provided the company can handle what are sure to be more bothersome logistics problems than already exist with its land-based delivery network. Creating more distribution hubs closer to oil fields can help CARBO reduce its transportation costs and further reduce its dependence on the big two's infrastructure.

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Earlier this week, analysts at Credit Suisse reduced earnings estimates for Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger (SLB) and Weatherford International (WFT).

Top 10 Value Companies To Invest In 2015: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.03 per share on revenue of $623.34 million.

  Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $1.12 per share on revenue of $779.02 million.

Top 10 Value Companies To Invest In 2015: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By reports.droy]

  The heavy machinery honcho, Caterpillar (CAT), posted its third quarter results on October 23. The company was able to post much better earnings than was predicted, and the report card was completely in the green for the company. The stock market also reacted positively to the news and sent the Caterpillar stock soaring higher with the share price opening 3.3% higher at $97.69 on Thursday morning. Let�� find out the details of the third quarter earnings.�

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  On a day when almost nobody was trading, the major benchmarks eked out record highs anyway, behind gains in E.I. Du Pont De Nemours (DD), Caterpillar (CAT) and Walt Disney (DIS).

Costco pays more…because it can

President Obama chose a Costco warehouse store in Maryland today to push for a hike in the federal minimum wage, choosing Costco, the White House says, because it is "acting on its own to pay its workers a fair wage."

Labor union officials and backers agree, saying other retailers, such as Walmart, could learn from the way Costco treats its workers and the results.

But others say the Costco membership stores have such a different business model and customer base that Costco can't be compared with other retailers.

Costco "has half the number of employees per square foot (of Walmart), is a much smaller company, its stores are only in affluent areas and people are buying in bulk," says Richard Berman, who runs a business advocacy group opposed to a minimum wage increase. "It's like saying, 'Why does Microsoft pay more than Starbucks?'"

Costco officials did not respond to requests for comment, but, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, its employees make an average wage of about $21 an hour. Costco CEO Craig Jelinek has been an outspoken proponent of a minimum wage increase.

The federal minimum wage is now $7.25 an hour, although many states have a higher minimum. Walmart says its average hourly wage is $11.83. The United Food and Commercial Workers union says they believe Walmart's hourly wage is lower.

"People making Walmart wages can't afford Walmart products," says Occidental College politics professor Peter Dreier,chair of the urban and environmental department. "On the other hand, what Costco uses is the multiplier effect or the ripple effect — if you raise wages by some percentage, that ripples in the whole economy."

Jonelle Gilden, a Chicago training consultant, is impressed by the way Costco treats both employees and customers.

"I knew Costco employees were paid more and it shows in their attitude and customer service," says Gilden. "Costco's business model obviously works and their employees are loyal."

Costco has annual worker turnover of les! s than 6%, low for a retailer, according to Dreier. He says this cuts costs and lets Costco pay higher wages.

Brian Gansmann, who owns a food development company in Denver, applauds Costco's decision to pay its workers more, but doesn't think higher wages should be mandated. "Costco has relied on the simple laws of economics to get a leg up on their competition. The more that we business owners willingly pay an employee, data proves that this higher-paid team member is going to stay with our organization longer."

Top Long Term Stocks To Own For 2016

Top Long Term Stocks To Own For 2016: IMPACT Silver Corp (ISVLF.PK)

IMPACT Silver Corp. (IMPACT) is a profitable silver mining company with three 100% owned producing mines in Mexico. IMPACT controls two mineral districts in central Mexico: the 423 square kilometers Royal Mines of Zacualpan Silver District and the 200 square kilometers Mamatla Mineral District adjacent to and southwest of Zacualpan. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it produced 833,607 ounces of silver. On May 24, 2011, IMPACT announced that it completed 6,698 meters of drilling to expand the Capire zone to the north, east and south. In 2011, IMPACT carried out drilling on the Oscar Silver Project (Oscar) located 2.5 kilometers east of the Guadalupe Processing Plant. In 2011, IMPACT drilled two targets on the Huatecosco Gold-Silver Project located 9.5 kilometers south of the Guadalupe Processing Plant. In September 2011, IMPACT optioned its Veta Grande Silver Project assets in Zacatecas (Mexico) to Defiance Silver Corp. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Itinerant]

  Besides the core drilling business the company also holds exploration properties which it seeks to monetize as opportunities arise. The company also holds an 11% interest in IMPACT Silver (ISVLF.PK), a Mexican junior silver miner.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-long-term-stocks-to-own-for-2016.html

Third Avenue Management Comments on Dundee Corporation

During the quarter the Fund established a meaningful position in shares of Dundee Corporation (TSX:DC.A), a Toronto-based holding company run by founder Ned Goodman. Having cut his teeth in investing at Brookfield Asset Management's predecessor company in the 1960s and Beutel Goodman which he co-founded in 1967, Goodman would go on to found Dundee in 1991. Goodman has been a magnificent allocator of capital at Dundee, building businesses and 11 investing in public and private companies. The uncertain macro backdrop post-Financial Crisis has given Goodman a penchant for hard assets rather than paper assets, resulting in a unique collection of investments, ranging from financial services and real estate to metals, mining, energy and agriculture businesses, including control of the largest organic beef operator in North America with more than 12,000 head of cattle. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, Dundee has generated an impressive 18% annualized return for its shareholders over the past twenty years.To understand Dundee requires a look past its income statement, where historical reported results are volatile and muddied by consolidated financials of entities no longer owned or consolidated, as well as gains on the sale of underlying securities and businesses, including the 2011 sale of a controlling stake in Dundee Wealth to Bank of Nova Scotia for C$1.4 billion and the spinout of a majority interest in Dundee Real Estate Company earlier this year. Today, Dundee's enterprise value is close to the value of its public securities holdings, net of a modest amount of debt. "Free" are the company's private investment portfolio and private subsidiaries, carried at book value, which together are close to half of Dundee's market value. While there is certainly an element of "key man risk," as any eventual successor will have enormous shoes to fill, we think hard asset values, values of publicly traded securities and a significant discount to our estimate of net asset value provide a ! meaningful margin of safety for the investment.We have followed Ned Goodman and Dundee for a number of years, as a like-minded operator and investor with significant ownership aligning his interests with those of his shareholders. The position reflects a true collaboration with our investment team colleagues. Vic Cunningham provided much of the recent legwork, while Ryan Dobratz offered key insights into the real estate assets and their valuations.Legg Mason is a premier mutual fund complex that dates back to the 1980s. While the firm has recently suffered significant asset outflows in the wake of subpar investment returns, the company has retained a strong franchise (with several well-known brands under its umbrella), a diversified asset mix, and a sound balance sheet. Under new leadership, the business appears to be on the mend and capital allocation continues to be favorable—management has repurchased $1.2 billion of shares in the past three years (shrinking the share count by more than 20%) and has been increasing the dividend. Moreover, the relative investment performance among its stable of investment managers is beginning to improve. While the company is still under-earning its potential in our view, its cash flows remain strong, aided by a large deferred tax asset resulting from net operating losses generated in prior periods. Fund management initiated its position in Legg Mason Common at an implied free cash flow yield of about nine percent, and we believe the company's cash flows could increase markedly in the near future if performance and asset flows continue to improve.From Dundee Corporation's fourth quarter 2013 commentary.

Also check out: Third Avenue Management Undervalued Stocks Third Avenue Management Top Growth Companies Third Avenue Management High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Third Avenue Management keeps buying

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#PreMarket Primer: Monday, October 28: All Eyes On Apple

With 24 percent of the S&P 500 companies set to report third quarter earnings this week, Apple stands out as one of the most highly anticipated. The technology giant is set to open its books to the public after the bell on Monday.

After the second quarter showed a negative trend in iPad sales, many will be watching for a reversal; though it is possible that the decline will continue as customers wait for November to upgrade to Apple's latest model.

The technology sector has been on fire for third-quarter results, with 84 percent of companies having beat analyst expectations. Amazon and Microsoft released better than expected figures last week, leading the S&P 500 to finish the week on at all-time high of 1,759.79.

Top News

In other news around the markets:

China's Communist Party Leaders are set to hold a meeting in November at which the country's economic agenda could see several large scale changes. Most notably, the government could relax the country's one child policy and make it easier for parents to qualify for having a second child. Bank of America was found liable for making bad home loans and passing them on to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae under a long unused civil fraud statute, Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act. The statute allows the US Justice Department to make a criminal case against financial institutions without the burden of having to prove fault beyond a reasonable doubt. Although German news outlets are reporting that President Obama was aware of the NSA's eavesdropping on Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone calls, US officials claim the White House was unaware that the NSA was monitoring nearly 35 world leaders. Whatever the case, this marks the first admission from the government that the US has in fact been spying on international leaders. In an interview with Focus Magazine, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Germany is planning to cut debt to GDP to below 60 percent over the next 10 years by refraining from issuing any new debt.

Asian Markets

Asian markets started off the week on a high with the Japanese NIKKEI posting the largest gains, up 2.19 percent. The South Korean KOSPI was up 0.68 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.36 percent. Australia's ASX 200 was up 1.02 percent and the New Zealand NZ 50 rose 0.59 percent.

European Markets

European markets were mostly higher, the UK's FTSE was up 0.07 percent and the eurozone's STOXX 600 was up 0.09 percent. Italy's MIB was up 0.61 percent but France's CAC 40 lost 0.21 percent.

Commodities

Energy futures were mixed with Brent futures up 0.09 percent and WTI futures down 0.35 percent. Gold lost 0.27 percent and silver was down 0.44 percent. Industrial metals were mostly higher with tin up 1.42 percent and aluminum up 1.07 percent.

Currencies

The euro remained above $1.38 and the pound to dollar ratio was quiet, up just 0.07 percent. The yen lost 0.17 percent against the dollar and the Australian dollar gained 0.21 percent against the dollar.

Earnings From Last Week

Notable earnings released on Friday included:

Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) reported first quarter EPS of $1.05 on revenue of $21.21 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $1.06 on revenue of $20.74 billion. United Parcel Services (NYSE: UPS) reported EPS of $1.16 on revenue of $13.50 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $1.06 on revenue of $13.07 billion. Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) reported third quarter EPS of $0.83 on revenue of $705.50 million, compared to last year's EPS 0f $0.75 on revenue of $688.50 million billion. Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) reported third quarter EPS of $1.45 on revenue of $3.92 billion, compared to last year's EPS 0f $1.29 on revenue of $3.54 billion.

Pre-market Movers

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) was up 6.38 percent in premarket trade after beating expectations in last week's earnings report. Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) gained 1.46 percent ahead of its much anticipated earnings release Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) gained 7.78 percent after beating expectations in last week's earnings report.

Earnings

Earnings reports expected on Monday include:

Merck & Company, Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.88 on revenue of $11.19 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $0.95 on revenue of $11.49 billion. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is expected to report EPS of $7.88 on revenue of $36.76 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $8.67 on revenue of $35.97 billion. Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $2.10 on revenue of $1.78 billion, compared to last year's EPS of $1.91 on revenue of $1.39 billion. Herbalife LTD. (NYSE: HLF) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $1.14 on revenue of $1.20 billion, compared to last year's EPS 0f $1.04 on revenue of $1.02 billion.

Economics

Monday's economic releases will likely be overshadowed by earnings reports. US pending home sales, US industrial production and Italian business confidence will be among the most watched releases.

Happy trading and good luck!

For a recap of Friday's market action, click here.

Tune into Benzinga's pre-market info show with Dennis Dick and Joel Elconin here.

Posted-In: Angela Merkel fannie mae freddie mac Wolfgang SchaeubleEarnings News Eurozone Futures Commodities Previews Forex Events Global Economics Federal Reserve Hot Pre-Market Outlook Markets Movers Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Top 10 Railroad Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top 10 Railroad Companies To Invest In Right Now: Cancer Genetics Inc (CGIX)

Cancer Genetics, Inc. (CGI), incorporated on April 8, 1999, is an early-stage, diagnostic company. The Company focuses on developing and commercializing genomic tests and services to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and response to treatment (theranosis) of cancer. These cancers include hematological, urogenital and human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers. It provides its tests and services to oncologists and pathologists at hospitals, cancer centers, and physician offices. In January 2012, the Company received CLIA approval for MatBA-SLL, its microarray for risk stratification in small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). In February 2013, the Company received CLIA approval for MatBA-DLBCL, its microarray for diagnosis, prognosis and patient monitoring in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In addition, the Company is developing a series of other genomic tests in its core oncology markets. The Company develops and produces two types of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based ge nomic tests: microarrays and probes.

The Company is in the final stages of validating MatBATM-SLL for risk stratification in small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), a subset of CLL that presents as a mass, with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Long Island Jewish / North Shore Hospital. The Company is also internally clinically validating the MatBATM microarray in a variety of additional lymphoma subtypes, including mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), and diffuses large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Its MatBATM array has been designed to measure genetic markers at 80 specific genomic sites where genetic alterations are associated with mature B cell neoplasms.

CGI is also developing microarray tests for the diagnosis, prognosis and theranosis of a range of urogenital cancers. These include the UroGenRA microarr! ay for kidney, prostate and bladder cancers and the UGenRA microarray for endometrial (lining of the uterus), ovarian and cerv ical cancers. UroGenRA detects genomic changes in over 100 r! egions of the human genome with potential diagnostic and/or prognostic value in one or more of these types of cancer. It has initiated clinical validation for UroGenRA targeting kidney and prostate cancers in collaboration with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Its UGenRA microarray has been designed as a platform to detect genomic changes occurring in 83 regions of the human genome that have been linked to endometrial, ovarian and cervical cancers In addition, it develop and manufacture a portfolio of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) based DNA probes focused on blood-based and solid cancers that it sell outside the United States. The Company laboratory services include: Oncology Testing Services, which are based on its microarray tests and are available only in its clinical laboratory; Esoteric Oncology Testing Services, which it offers a suite of esoteric oncology testing services for hematological, urogenital and HPV-associated cancers, and Clinical Trial S ervices, which also utilize its clinical laboratory to provide clinical trial services to biopharmaceutical companies and clinical research organizations.

Hematological Cancer Arrays: MatBA-CLL/SLL, Other Mat-BA and LeukA

MatBA is an oligonucleotide-based microarray the Company developed for the analysis of genomic alterations in mature B-cell neoplasms to determine prognosis and theranosis. MatBA incorporates a common architecture of specific genomic regions that can be applied across the seven major mature B-cell neoplasms. As a group, hematologic cancers (cancers of the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes) display clinical, pathologic and genetic complexity. Importantly, the clinical course of the six main subtypes of these neoplasms ranges from indolent (follicular lymphoma) to aggressive (diffuse large B-cell lympho! ma, mantl! e cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma), or mixed (chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, or CLL/SLL).

MatBA is designed to detect genomic copy number chan! ges in ma! ture B-cell neoplasms. The test relies on the comparative genomic hybridization of fluorescently differentially-labeled normal DNA and DNA extracted from the cancer specimen (array-CGH). Array-CGH utilizes minimal biopsy material and uses DNA as the analyte (the component whose properties are being measured). MatBA was custom-designed to represent 80 regions of the human genome which have diagnostic and/or prognostic value in one or more of the mature B-cell neoplasm subtypes as identified through our research and analysis efforts. Unlike other technologies such as FISH, array-CGH using MatBA simultaneously permits the detection of genomic gains and losses at multiple locations on a chromosome (loci) that characterize the mature B-cell neoplasm subtypes. For each subtype of B-cell neoplasm, cohorts of specimens with full clinical annotation are evaluated using MatBA to identify associations between single and weighted combinations of genomic gains/losses and clinically relev ant endpoints.

The Company offers the application of MatBA for prognostication in one subtype of mature B-cell neoplasm, CLL, where about half of patients experience indolent disease, or slow progression, and the remaining half, a relatively aggressive progression. MatBA-CLL provides genetic-based information to guide clinical management of this disease. In January 2012, MatBA-SLL was approved under CLIA and accordingly may now be offered as an LDT by its laboratory. In January 2013, this assay received approval by CLIA and New-York State for clinical use, and accordingly may now be offered as an LDT by our reference laboratory.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company had similar development of MatBA as a prognostic tool in two of the other main subtypes of mature B-cell lymphomas, namely DLBCL a! nd FL. FL! is characterized by a slow progression that in up to approximately 60% of cases transforms to DLBCL, an aggressive lymphoma. Prognost ic and theranostic biomarkers of therapeutic options are req! uired for! these diseases.

Urogenital cancer arrays: UroGenRA, UGenRA

The UroGenRA microarray provides diagnostic and prognostic analysis for kidney, bladder and prostate cancer. Its initial launch, UroGenRA-Kidney targets kidney cancer. It also develops extensions of UroGenRA for bladder and prostate cancers. UGenRA provide diagnostic, prognostic and theranostic information for the primary gynecological cancers, cervical, ovarian and endometrial. UroGenRA is a CGH-based array which serves as a platform for the diagnosis, prognosis and theranosis of kidney, prostate and bladder cancers. It represents 101 regions of the human genome potentially with diagnostic, prognostic and/or theranostic value in one or more of these types of cancers. UroGenRA-Kidney For kidney cancer, UroGenRA is specifically designed to classify renal tumors into the four main subtypes (clear cell, papillary, chromophobe and oncocytoma), which is critical to patient management and treatment protocols.

UroGenRA-Prostate for prostate cancer, UroGenRA use prostate core/needle biopsy to assess genomic variability of the cancer and help in the identification of biomarkers for assessment of the risk of recurrence, to assess treatment options for intermediate risk patients, and to explore the genomic aberrations of circulating tumor cells. UroGenRA-Prostate is in the commercial development stage. UroGenRA-Bladder is a diagnosed bladder cancers are defined by the fact or extent of invasion of the muscle. UroGenRA-Bladder is in the clinical development stage.

UGenRA for Endometrial, Ovarian and Cervical Cancers

UGenRA is designed as a platform to detect gains and losses of genomic material in 83 regions of the chromosome associated with responses to particular therapies! in patie! nts with endometrial, ovarian and cervical. UGenRA-Endometrial Endometrial cancer is common cancer in women in the United States. In this diseas e, endometrial hyperplasia is a precursor lesion of endometr! ioid endo! metrial carcinoma (EEC). UGenRA Endometrial is in the clinical development stage.

UGenRA-Ovarian is cases of ovarian cancer. UGenRA Ovarian is in the clinical development stage. As of December 31, 2012, UGenRA-Cervical was approximately 11,270 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed and approximately 4,290 deaths from cervical cancer in the United States. UGenRA Cervical is in the clinical development stage.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Biotech and the cancer treatment segment of the biotech market has been a hot area for some time with important cancer stocks like large cap Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) and small caps Array BioPharma (NASDAQ: ARRY), Cancer Genetics Inc (NASDAQ: CGIX), EXACT Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ: EXAS) and MetaStat Inc (OTCMKTS: MTST) all producing a steady flow of important news for investors this week or in recent weeks. Consider the following:

• [By RedChip]

  In an amended S-1 filed with the SEC this morning, Cancer Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CGIX) added two new firms to its offering syndicate and upped its capital raise 25% to $50 million. With the underwriters' overallotment, the total raise is now forecasted to reach as much as $57.5 million.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-railroad-companies-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Top 5 Oil Service Companies For 2016

Top 5 Oil Service Companies For 2016: athenahealth Inc.(ATHN)

athenahealth, Inc., a business services company, provides ongoing billing, clinical-related, and other related services to medical group practices primarily in the United States. It provides services through the athenaNet, a proprietary Internet-based practice management application. The company primarily offers athenaCollector, a revenue cycle management service that automates and manages billing-related functions for physician practices, and includes a practice management platform. The athenaCollector assists its physician clients with the handling of claims and billing processes to help manage reimbursement. The company also provides Anodyne Analytics, a business intelligence application, which provides physicians and practice managers with insight into practice performance. In addition, it offers athenaClinicals, an electronic health record service that automates and manages medical-record-management-related functions for physician practices, as well as assists medical groups with the handling of physician documentation, orders, and related inbound and outbound communications. Further, the company provides athenaCommunicator that allows practices to manage patient communication tasks electronically, including the use of automated reminder calls; the creation of a self-service patient portal for registration, appointment requests, bill payments, and general communication; automatic generation of emails to patients; and patient education tools. It sells its products through a direct sales force, as well as through channel partners. The company was formerly known as athenahealth.com, Inc. and changed its name to athenahealth, Inc. in November 2000. athenahealth, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this video, Jason and Matt discuss why they will be watching shares of Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW  ) and! Athenahealth (NASDAQ: ATHN  ) this week.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  athenahealth (NASDAQ: ATHN) was down, falling 5.80 percent to $137.14 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results. Morgan Stanley analyst Ricky R. Goldwasser removed the $133.00 price target on athenahealth.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  athenahealth (NASDAQ: ATHN) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.31 per share on revenue of $154.99 million.

  The Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $1.25 billion.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Athenahealth (Nasdaq: ATHN  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on May 2. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Athenahealth's revenues will increase 25.4% and EPS will grow 64.3%.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-oil-service-companies-for-2016.html

Higher earnings limit applies in the year worker reaches 66

My recent column on how the Social Security earnings cap is applied during the first year of retirement triggered several more questions.

Normally, people who collect Social Security benefits before the full retirement age of 66 must forfeit $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over a prescribed limit. For this year, the earnings cap is $15,120.

10 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2016

It is important to note that these benefit reductions aren't truly lost but merely deferred. Benefits will be increased at full retirement age to account for benefits that were withheld due to earnings.

So, say an individual collected benefits at 62 and ultimately forfeited 12 months' worth of benefits over the next four years. Once that person reached full retirement age, Social Security would recalculate the benefits as if they began to be collected at 63, instead of 62, resulting in a higher amount going forward.

As I noted in my recen

Batista’s OGX Faces Ibovespa Removal as Short-Sale Limit Raised

OGX Petroleo & Gas Participacoes SA, the oil company founded by Eike Batista that has dropped the most on the Ibovespa this year, faces removal from Brazil's benchmark index and the prospect of more bets against the stock.

BM&FBovespa SA (BVMF3) will exclude from the gauge any companies whose shares trade for less than 1 real (44 cents), the exchange operator said in a statement yesterday. The limit on equity lending for OGX, which has plunged 91 percent this year to 38 centavos in Sao Paulo, was raised to 50 percent of shares available for trading from 45 percent, the bourse said in a separate statement. Stock loans, used in short sales, climbed to 44.9 percent on Sept. 11, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

OGX's relative importance in the gauge has grown because of the index's reliance on trading volume for determining equity weightings. While the oil producer is the index's third-smallest company by market value, it has the third-biggest weighting of 73 Ibovespa stocks. OGX has been responsible for about half of the measure's 12 percent drop this year through yesterday as trading in the stock rose to all-time highs.

Market Cap

In addition to excluding penny stocks, the new methodology will determine company weights on the gauge by the free-float market value, adjusted for liquidity. Positions will be limited to 20 percent of the index, the bourse said.

"Using market capitalization and liquidity to calculate each stock's weighting on the gauge will make it easier for investors to replicate the index and will avert distortions," Eduardo Guardia, BM&FBovespa's investor relations director, told reporters today in Sao Paulo. "The new methodology provides a better representation of the companies that are present on the Brazilian stock market."

The index changes will be implemented in two steps starting in January 2014, and will be fully effective by May, BM&FBovespa said. The exclusion of penny stocks will be effective in January, according to Guardia.

While OGX, the most volatile stock in the 823-member MSCI Emerging Markets Index, was considered in the overhaul of Brazil's main stock gauge, the process was started before the stock's plunge overwhelmed the Ibovespa, according to BM&FBovespa's Chief Executive Officer Edemir Pinto.

Pre-Operational

Batista, whose $34.5 billion fortune in early 2012 made him the world's eighth-richest person, ceased to be a billionaire in July, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index. All six companies that Batista listed since 2006, which have dropped as much as 93 percent this year, came to the market in pre-operational stages.

"Pre-operational projects represent an opportunity, but investors will be more cautious about these companies now," Pinto said today.

A committee of exchange executives, banks and brokerages developed the changes to the benchmark index. BM&FBovespa said on its website that it hadn't made changes to the gauge's methodology since its inception in 1968. LLX Logistica SA (LLXL3), the shipping unit that Batista founded, is the second-lowest priced stock on the Ibovespa after dropping 36 percent this year to 1.53 reais.

SEC, FINRA, State Exam Execs Lay Out Priorities

Top exam personnel at three main regulators for advisors and broker-dealers—the Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the states—laid out their exam priorities Monday, which included conflicts of interest, email retention, cybersecurity and a few specific products they’re zeroing in on.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Insured Retirement Institute’s legal and regulatory conference in Washington—which was moderated by Brian Rubin, a partner at Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan—Dan Sibears, executive vice president of Member Regulation at FINRA, said that identifying conflicts of interest is a “No. 1 priority” for FINRA. One of the “key issues,” Sibears said, is conflicts between a firm or its salespeople and their customers.

Noting FINRA CEO Richard Ketchum’s remarks last year that firms should conduct “a top-to-bottom” review of their conflict policies, Sibears said that after Ketchum’s speech last year, FINRA launched a “national initiative” to collective information about firms’ conflicts and identified 12 firms. “We’ve picked up a lot of information” on firms’ conflicts, he said, adding that FINRA is drafting a best practices guide for firms in this area.

Willie Davis, examination manager at the SEC’s Chicago regional office, added that for the commission, conflicts of interest are considered a “perennial risk” that will always “be a focus of our examinations.”

Bruce Ramge, director of the Nebraska Department of Insurance, noted his belief that cybersecurity is the “No. 1 risk management issue now.” He said the issue must be on every firm’s radar as “costs associated with a breach are tremendous.”

Sibears noted that FINRA has seen “a proliferation of complaints in the cybersecurity space,” which involves customer information being compromised, particularly in the area of online accounts.

Susan Shroeder, FINRA’s deputy in charge of its New York operations, noted at FINRA’s annual conference in late May that its enforcement division is handling more than 100 wire-hacker cases. In some of these cases, “a customer’s email gets hacked and then the hacker reaches out to the customer’s broker and asks for a wire transfer to be sent” to a bank account, she said.

While all three panelists noted the importance of email retention policies, they zeroed in on the products that will face heightened scrutiny.

The SEC’s Davis noted that “product risk plays a key role” in how the commission decides which firms to examine. He noted the “retailization of complex products to the public, and more firms using alternative strategies in annuities and mutual funds” as areas of particular concern to the agency. The use of “alternative and hedge fund strategies in the variable space” are a concern for the agency, he said.

Ramge noted that a National Association of Insurance Commissioners working group is currently reviewing how regulators should regulate contingent-deferred annuities. “We still haven’t developed the regulatory structure for that product,” he said. /* .premium-promo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px; float: left; } .premium-promo li, .premium-promo ul { list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .premium-promo li { margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0 0 10px; border-bottom: 1px dotted #ddd; } .premium-promo h3 { text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 11px; } .premium-promo h4 { font-size: 16px; } .premium-promo a { text-decoration: none !important; } .premium-promo .btn { background: #0069a1; border-radius: 4px; display: inline-block; padding: 5px 10px; clear: both; color: #fff; font-weight: bold; } .premium-promo .btn:hover { background: #034c92; } */ Noel Abkemeier, consulting actuary and principal at Milliman, explained in a session on trends in annuity product development that state regulatory approval of contingent-deferred annuities, also known as a standalone living benefit, have slowed because there is debate over whether they are insurance products or securities. New York has called the product "an investment product but they are softening that definition," he said, while the National Association of Insurance Commissioners have called it "a hybrid product."

Abkemeier said there was a big push to get more contingent deferred annuities, which must be sold by a registered rep, into the market and that the products were gaining "greater receptivity" in tax-qualified plans. However, he said, "sales have not gained traction among financial advisors."

Abkemeier added that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" for contingent-deferred annuities, as an NAIC work group has proposed "a path to a clean approval and regulatory process."

Sibears of FINRA said that the self-regulator will be looking at the suitability of the sale of life insurance products to fund long-term care costs, an issue that was highlighted in a Monday Wall Street Journal article.

Commonly referred to as life settlements, the article explains that the practice allows policyholders to sell their policies at a discount in the secondary market and then the buyer takes over premiums and consequently collects the death benefit.

The Journal article goes on to state that Gov. Rick Perry of Texas signed a law Friday that gives state Medicaid officials the authority to tell people “they can sell long-held life insurance policies to a third party to pay for custodial health care of their choice. Those who do so would remain eligible for Medicaid when those funds run out.”

Similar bills are pending in at least seven other states: New York—where lawmakers introduced legislation last week—California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine and New Jersey, the Journal article says.

---

Best Chemical Companies To Buy For 2015

Best Chemical Companies To Buy For 2015: Gulf Resources Inc (GURE)

Gulf Resources, Inc. (Gulf Resources), incorporated on February 28, 1989, is engaged in manufacturing and trading of bromine and crude salt, and manufacturing and selling of chemical products used in oil and gas field exploration, oil and gas distribution, oil field drilling, wastewater processing, papermaking chemical agents and inorganic chemicals. As of December 31, 2011, its products have been sold only within the Peoples Republic of China. The Company operates in three segments: bromine, crude salt and chemical products. It manufactures and trades bromine and crude salt through Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (SCHC), and manufactures chemical products for use in the oil industry and paper manufacturing industry through Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co., Limited (SYCI). On December 22, 2011, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets owned by Liangcai Zhang in the Shouguang City Yangkou Township Area.

Bromine and Crude Salt

The Company manufactures and distributes bromine through its wholly owned subsidiary, SCHC. Bromine (Br2) is a halogen element and it is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature, which has reactivity between chlorine and iodine. Elemental bromine is used to manufacture a variety of bromine compounds used in industry and agriculture. Bromine is also used to form intermediates in organic synthesis. Its bromine is used in brominated flame retardants, fumigants, water purification compounds, dyes, medicines and disinfectants. Its production sites are located in the Shandong Province in northeastern China. Its production feeds include natural brine, vitriol, chlorine, sulfur and coal.

Crude Salt

The Company also produces crude salt, which is produced from the evaporation of the wastewater after its bromine production process. Once the brine is returned to the surface and the bromine is removed, the remaining brine ! is pumped to ons ite containing pools and then exposed to natural sunshine. T! his causes the water to evaporate from the brine, resulting in salt being left over afterwards. Crude salt is the principal material in alkali production, as well as chlorine alkali production and is used in the chemical, food and beverage, and other industries.

Chemical Products

The Company produces chemical products through its wholly owned subsidiary, SYCI. The products it produces include hydroxyl guar gum, demulsified agent, corrosion inhibitor for acidizing, bactericide, chelant, iron ion stabilizer, clay stabilizing agent, flocculants agent, remaining agent, expanding agent, bromopropane, environmental friendly additive products, solid lubricant and polyether lubricant.

Gulf Resources competes with Shandong Yuyuan Group Company Limited, Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited, Shandong Dadi Salt Chemical Group Company Limited, Shandong Haiwang Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Weifang Longwei Industrial Company Limited, Shandong Caiyangzi Saltworks, Beijing Tianqing Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Weifang Shuangxing Pesticides Company Limited, Zibo Dacheng Pesticides Company Limited, Befar Group Company Limited, China Eastar (Group) Chemical Industry Company Limited and Pecome Technologies Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 basic materials player that's starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Gulf Resources (GURE), which manufactures and trades bromine and crude salt, and manufactures and sells chemical products used in oil and gas field exploration. This stock has been a favorite target of the bulls so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 140%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Gulf Resources, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $1.10 to its recent high of $3.10 a share. During that! uptrend,! shares of GURE have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GURE within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in GURE if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.87 to its 52-week high at $3.10 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 action of 467,986 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GURE will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $4 to $4.50 a share.

  Traders can look to buy GURE off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support levels at $2.38 a share, or near its 50-day moving average of $2.23 a share. One can also buy GURE off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO) is up 28.3% at $24.05. Gulf Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: GURE) is up 15.8% at $2.46.

  Stocks on the Move: ViroPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: VPHM) is up 25.4% at $49.38 on a $4.2 billion buyout offer from London-listed Shire. Zalicus Inc. (NASDAQ: ZLCS) is down 72.3% at $1.30 on a failed drug trial.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-chemical-companies-to-buy-for-2015-3.html

Hot Dividend Stocks For 2015

Hot Dividend Stocks For 2015: Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN)

Gladstone Investment Corporation specializes in buyouts and recapitalizations. It seeks to make debt and equity investments in small and mid-sized private businesses. The fund invests in junior subordinated loans, mezzanine debt, preferred stock, and warrants to purchase common stock of companies based in the the United States. It can also invest in senior secured loans and common stock. The fund prefers to invest between $3 million and $20 million. It invests individually as well as jointly with other buyout funds. The fund is treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Gladstone Investment (NASDAQ: GAIN) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $8.90 million.

  First Horizon National (NYSE: FHN) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $0.17 per share on revenue of $286.98 million.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-dividend-stocks-for-2015.html

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Watch Right Now

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Watch Right Now: (AUQ)

AuRico Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of gold and silver projects and properties in Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Its principal property includes the Ocampo mine covering approximately 15,000 hectares located in Chihuahua State. The company was formerly known as Gammon Gold Inc. and changed its name to AuRico Gold Inc. in June 2011. AuRico Gold Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Gold minerAuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ  ) announced todayits second-quarter dividend of $0.04 per share, the second dividend payment it's made since initiating the program earlier this year.The board of directors said the quarterly dividend is payable on July 29 to the holders of record at the close of business on July 15.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  In trading on Wednesday, basic materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.93 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Aluminum Corporation Of China (NYSE: ACH), AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ), and Coeur Mining (NYSE: CDE).

• [By GuruFocus]

  George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA! , CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.2 7, with an estimated

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ  ) plunged 44%, having posted some disappointing results lately, and is also suffering from a competitive disadvantage, with its costs above those of some peers. On the plus side, though, the company recently initiated a dividend, which now yields about 2.8%.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-low-price-stocks-to-watch-right-now-3.html