The US has a soft corner for vehicles which is why the auto industry is recovering at a pace more than any other sector in the economy. However, auto sales slowed down this month after the industry experienced a six year high in the last month. The industry�� seasonal adjusted annual rate was as high as 16.1 million for the month of August, which is the highest since October 2007.
According to an executive of Ford Motor (F) the US auto market is ��till a healthy industry but it�� taking a little bit of a breather from the last three months.��LMC Automotive forecasts that the seasonal adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) would drop to 15.2 million in September, which isn�� bad, however it is softer compared to other months which posted strong numbers. Analysts of JP Morgan, Barclays and TrueCar.com expect the seasonal adjusted annual rate to be around 15.4 million, while that of Deutsche Bank estimate it to settle at 15.3 million.
Ford��President of Americas Joe Hinrichs said that the growth pace of the industry slowed down after the Labor Day weekend. Edmund.com forecasts September sales to decline 3.7% compared to last year figures. As per the Edmund, Labor Day sales are the prime reason for such a sale drop. Most automakers are expected to report decline in sales for the month. Let us take a brief look at what to expect from the individual automakers.
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In Right Now: iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI)
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Medical Devices Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Medical Equipment Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the medical equipment sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes medical equipment companies, such as manufacturers and distributors of medical devices, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, prosthetics, pacemakers, x-ray machines and other non-disposable medical devices.
The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. Since all of the securities included in the Index are issued by companies in the medical equipment sector, the Fund will be concentrated in the medical equipment industry. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Overlooked mid cap medical�technology and systems�stock CareFusion Corporation (NYSE: CFN) could offer nice growth in the healthcare space, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of potential benchmarks like the iShares Dow Jones US Medical Device ETF (NYSEARCA: IHI) and SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF (NYSEARCA: XHE). I should mention that we have recently added CareFusion Corporation to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because the�stock continues to be in a long-term thrusting patter and we believe its also�undervalued based on current valuation.
- [By John Udovich]
On Thursday, small cap medical device stock Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: IART) jumped 9.90% after the FDA completed its inspection of the company's manufacturing facility which led to positive comments from analysts, meaning it might be time to take a look at its performance verses that of medical device ETFs like iShares Dow Jones US Medical Device ETF (NYSEARCA: IHI) and SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF (NYSEARCA: XHE).
Hot US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Lexmark International Inc.(LXK)
Lexmark International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and supply of printing, imaging, document workflow, and content management solutions for offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Rim, and the Caribbean. It offers monochrome and color laser printers, laser multifunction products, inkjet all-in-one devices, dot matrix printers, and cartridges and other supplies; and services and solutions, including maintenance, consulting, and systems integration, as well as managed print services, such as asset lifecycle management, implementation and decommissioning services, consumables management, optimization services, and utilization management. The company also provides enterprise content management (ECM) software products, including ImageNow document management, document imaging, and workflow suite that allows users to capture, process, and collaborate on important documents and inform ation, protect data integrity throughout its lifecycle, and access precise content; and industry specific workflow solutions for the healthcare, higher education, government, and financial services industries, as well as for back office functions, including accounting, human resources, contracts, and records. Its software modules include Retention Policy Manager to manage the complete lifecycle of content from creation to destruction or disposition; Business Insight, which integrates IBM Cognos to provide industry and business process dashboards, operational and ad-hoc reporting, and report design tools; workflow software that automates processing steps, simplifies work tasks, and provides real-time monitoring; and eForms module, which enables the online entry and collection of raw data in electronic forms that are accessible from Web sites and portals. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lee Jackson]
Lexmark International Inc. (NYSE: LXK) is another name that has slowly, but surely, lost its cache as an industry leader. Once one of the premiere names in high-end printers, the company continues to lose market share. It also has very little to offer in terms of innovation and new and exciting products. The stock does pay shareholders a solid 2.9% dividend. The Merrill Lynch price target is $31, and the consensus price target is $31.75. That is far below Friday’s closing price of $41.12.
Hot US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Greengro Technologies Inc (GRNH)
GreenGro Technologies Inc., formerly Authoriszor Inc., provides management services for the planning, construction, staffing and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries, and nurseries on behalf of non-profit patient co-operatives. Through long term contracts, the Company operates non-profit centers, returning all unused patient contributions, on a pro-rata basis to each co-op member in the form of additional product. In February 2010, Authoriszor Inc. completed the acquisition of GreenGro Technologies, Inc., and CannovaHealth, a clinic management company. In September 2011, the Company acquired Vertical Hydrogarden, Inc.
Medical marijuana (medical cannabis) is an alternative method to other forms of medication used to manage or alleviate pain without the undo side-effects caused by the prescription medication being used to treat an illness. The Company stands ready to assist in patient care co-operatives throughout the United States.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Burrows]
But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:
- [By James E. Brumley]
If it seems like the buzz surrounding marijuana stocks like Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA), Hemp, Inc. (OTCMKTS:HEMP), and GreenGro Technologies, Inc. (OTCMKTS:GRNH) has been a little louder than usual the last few days, you're not crazy - it has been louder, and particularly bullish. GRNH shares advanced 37% in December. HEMP is up 166% for the past two weeks. MJNA has jumped 47% in just the past couple of days. Well, as it turns out, it's not just mere coincidence that GreenGro Technologies, Hemp, Medical Marijuana, and a bunch of other cannabis-related names have perked up of late. And, odds are pretty good they'll all continue to do well (even of the pace slows a bit) in 2014.
Hot US Stocks To Invest In 2014: iRobot Corp (IRBT)
iRobot Corporation (iRobot), incorporated in August 1990, designs and builds robots. The Company�� home care robots perform time-consuming domestic chores while its government and industrial robots perform tasks, such as battlefield reconnaissance and bomb disposal, multi-purpose tasks for local police and first responders, and long-endurance oceanic missions. It sells its robots to consumers through a range of distribution channels, including chain stores and other national retailers, and through its on-line store, and to the United States military and other government agencies globally. It designs and builds robots for the consumer and government and industrial markets. It sells its products through distinct sales channels to the consumer and government and industrial markets. In the United States and Canada, it sells its consumer products through a network of national retailers. As of December 31, 2011, this network consisted of more than 30 retailers, which often sell either one or some combination of its products. Its smaller domestic retail operations are supported by distributors to whom it sells product directly. It sells its government and industrial products directly to end users and indirectly through prime contractors and distributors. During the year ended December 31, 2011, sales to non-the United States customers accounted for 45.5% of total revenue.
Consumer Products
The Company sells various products, which are designed for use in and around the home. Its consumer products are focused on both indoor and outdoor cleaning applications. It offers multiple Roomba floor vacuuming robots and Scooba floor washing robots. Its Roomba robot�� compact disc shape allows it to clean under beds and other furniture, resulting in cleaner floors. In addition, it cleans automatically upon the push of a button. Its Scooba robot�� cleaning process allows the robot to simultaneously sweep, wash, scrub and dry hard floors, all at the touch of a button. Its Verro Pool Cleani! ng Robot is used to clean a residential pool and removes debris as small as two microns from the pool floor, walls and stairs. Verro is brought to market under the iRobot brand through a relationship with the Aqua Products Group companies, including AquaJet LLC and Aquatron, Inc., which developed the pool cleaning robots.
The Company�� Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot cleans an entire stretch of gutter. The Looj also features a detachable handle that doubles as a wireless remote control, providing control of the robot while cleaning.
Government and Industrial Products
In government and industrial product markets, the Company offers both ground and maritime unmanned vehicles. Its tactical ground robots include the combat-tested 510 PackBot line of small, unmanned ground robots, the 310 small unmanned ground vehicle (SUGV) and XM1216 SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle) multi-purpose ground robots, the 110 FirstLook small, light, throwable robot, and the 710 Warrior multi-purpose robot capable of carrying heavy payloads. The PackBot, SUGV, FirstLook, and Warrior robot series make up a family of robots using many common platform components and offer its flipper technology, which enables robots to climb stairs, navigate rubble, and penetrate inaccessible areas. These robots keep war fighters and public safety officials out of harm�� way and are designed for performing search, reconnaissance, mapping, bomb disposal and other dangerous missions. As of December 31, 2011, more than 4,500 robots had been delivered to military and civil defense forces globally. Its Aware 2 software is incorporated into the 510 PackBot chassis and operator control unit. As a result, PackBot can support multiple configurations and payloads with the same chassis and operator control unit, providing customers with a single robot capable of performing multiple missions.
Contract Research and Development Projects
The Company is involved in several contract development pr! ojects wi! th the United States governmental agencies and departments. The durations of these projects range from a few months to several years. These projects are usually funded as either cost-plus, firm fixed price, or time and materials contracts. In a cost-plus contract, it is allowed to recover its actual costs plus a fixed fee. Under a firm fixed price contract, it receives a fixed amount upon satisfying contractually defined deliverables. On its time and materials contracts, it recovers a specific amount per hour worked based on a bill rate schedule, plus the cost of direct materials, subcontracts, and other non-labor costs, including an agreed-upon mark-up.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Steve Symington]
Remember, just last month, shares of iRobot (NASDAQ: IRBT ) climbed after the company told investors its RP-VITA telepresence robots are gaining traction more quickly than anyone had anticipated. At the time, less than four months after the RP-VITA received FDA clearance to be used in hospital environments, seven hospitals across the U.S. and Mexico had already incorporated the robot into their day-to-day operations.
- [By John Udovich]
Finally and as for aggressive accounting, I should also note that I wrote about the stock after its last earnings report (see: Small Cap Robotics Stock iRobot Corporation (IRBT): A Buy After an Earnings Dip? ADEP & ROBO) where I mentioned post earnings CEO interviews on CNBC and Bloomberg (aggressive accounting was not covered) that would seem to cast doubt on�another statement: ��pruce Point Believes IRBT Is No Longer A Robotic Innovator.��/p>
Hot US Stocks To Invest In 2014: H&R Block Inc. (HRB)
H&R Block, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides tax preparation, retail banking, and various business advisory and consulting services. It operates in three segments: Tax Services, Business Services, and Corporate. The Tax Services segment offers H&R Block At Home, an income tax preparation software, as well as a range of online tax services, including tax advice, professional and do-it-yourself tax return preparation, and electronic filing services through its Web site at hrblock.com primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia. This segment also provides the H&R Block Prepaid Emerald MasterCard and Emerald Advance lines of credit through H&R Block Bank, as well as other retail banking services, including checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit; and sells refund anticipation loans and refund anticipation checks offered by third-party lending institutions, as well as offers income tax return preparation course s to the public. The Business Services segment provides tax and consulting services, wealth management, and capital markets services to middle-market companies. The Corporate segment engages in various operations, which include interest income from the United States passive investments, interest expense on borrowings, net interest margin and gains or losses relating to mortgage loans held for investment, real estate owned, residual interests in securitizations and other corporate expenses principally related to finance, legal, and other support departments. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
H&R Block (NYSE: HRB ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on June 12. 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 H&R Block's revenues will expand 14.4% and EPS will expand 26.2%. - [By Sue Chang and William L. Watts]
Shares of H&R Block Inc. (HRB) �climbed 4%. H&R Block�� stock has been on a steady rise in recent days, in part because of a belief that its business will be bolstered by people who are required to file tax returns to receive a government subsidy for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
- [By Sue Chang]
After Thursday�� closing bell, H&R Block Inc. (HRB) �said it agreed to sell certain bank assets and liabilities to BofI Federal Bank for an undisclosed price. The deal should dilute fiscal 2015 earnings by 7 cents to 9 cents a share. Shares of the tax services provider surged 7.3% in after-hours trading.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
H&R Block Inc.'s(HRB) fiscal second-quarter loss narrowed, as the tax-services provider recorded a higher income-tax benefit, though revenue slid and overall expenses climbed.
Hot US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Whirlpool Corporation(WHR)
Whirlpool Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of home appliances worldwide. Its principal products include laundry appliances, refrigerators and freezers, cooking appliances, dishwashers, mixers, and other portable household appliances. The company also produces hermetic compressors for refrigeration systems. It markets and distributes its products under various brand names, including Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Roper, Estate, Admiral, Gladiator, Inglis, Acros, Supermatic, Consul, Brastemp, Eslab� de Lujo, Bauknecht, Ignis, Laden, Polar, and Privileg in North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Whirlpool Corporation sells its products to retailers, dealers, distributors, builders, and other manufacturers. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Over the past two years, Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR ) has announced the return of hundreds of new jobs to, and the making of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of plant upgrades for manufacturing products in, America.
Hot US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Official Payments Holdings Inc (OPAY)
Official Payments Holdings, Inc., formerly Tier Technologies, Inc., incorporated in 1991, is a provider of biller direct electronic payment solutions, through its primary brand Official Payments. These solutions provide payment services via multiple channels, including the Internet, automated Interactive Voice Response (IVR), call center and point-of-sale (POS), environments. Its solutions include multiple enhanced payment services, including convenience fee payments, absorbed payments, payment reminder and automated payment scheduling. It also offers its clients a range of payment choices, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, cash and money orders, and emerging payment methods to meet the needs of their customers. Its segments include Electronic Payment Solutions (EPS) and Wind-down operations.
The Company offers its clients a front-end platform designed for the biller direct market with a single source solution that simplifies the management of electronic payments. Its verticals include Federal, State and Local, Property Tax, Utility, Education and Others. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010), it also provided services in one business area which is in the process of winding-down.
ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
The business consists of the Company�� biller direct solutions, which is called EPS. It offers services using several pricing options, such as transaction fee, convenience fee, flat fee, or client absorbed fee (fees paid directly by the client, in lieu of those charges being paid by the constituent using the service), which can be billed as a percentage fee, a fixed fee, or some combination of both. It provides services and solutions in several different verticals. Its client base includes the Unites States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 27 states, the District of Columbia and nearly 4,600 additional clients, consisting of local governments and other public sector clients and approximately 100 private sector cli! ents. As of September 30, 2010, it offered nearly 9,200 payment types.
The Company provides businesses and individuals the opportunity to pay certain federal income and business tax obligations electronically via credit or debit cards. Payment options include all credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa and all debit cards including some regional automated teller machine (ATM) card networks. Payment channels include Internet, IVR, and agent (a third-party provider who accepts payments on behalf of its client). In fiscal 2010, it provided payment services for 23 types of tax forms for the IRS. Revenues from Federal vertical represented 20.5% of EPS revenues for fiscal year 2010. Its contract with the IRS to provide payment services for federal tax payments contributed 17.1% of EPS revenue for fiscal year 2010.
The Company offers a variety of electronic payment solutions to state and local governments for electronic payments for personal income taxes and business taxes. For fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 8.5% of EPS revenue.
Within the Utility vertical, the Company allows its customers and constituents of various companies and municipalities to pay their utility obligations electronically using all credit cards, debit card, e-check, cash or money order. The utility company customers can utilize the Internet, IVR, POS, agent, walk-up locations or kiosks to make these payments. For fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 15.3% of EPS revenue.
The Company�� solutions within the education vertical service post-secondary education institutions. Solutions it provides to these clients include electronic payment options for tuition and fee payments, housing and alumni donations. During fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 13.6% of EPS revenue.
Other vertical consists of state and local courts and citations, rent payments and insurance payments for various entities, electronic payment options for meal a! nd fee pa! yments for K-12 educational institutions, plus personal property tax payments. During fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 14.8% of EPS revenues.
WIND-DOWN OPERATIONS
As of September 30, 2010, the Company�� Wind-down operations consisted of its VSA business from its former GBPO segment. In fiscal 2010, it serviced over 100 customers within this business.
The Company competes with Link2Gov, RBS WorldPay, SallieMae Business Office Solutions, TouchNet Information Systems, Inc, CheckFree, Bill Matrix, Oracle and Online Resources.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Official Payments Holdings (NASDAQ: OPAY) shares surged 0.23% to touch a new 52-week high of $8.65. Official Payments shares have jumped 87.61% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.68% in the same period.
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