Saturday, May 31, 2014

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Own In Right Now: Ply Gem Holdings Inc (PGEM)

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc. (Ply Gem Holdings), incorporated on January 23, 2004, is a manufacturer of residential exterior building products in North America. The Company operates in two segments: Siding, Fencing, and Stone and Windows and Doors. These two segments produce a product line of vinyl siding, designer accents, cellular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trim, vinyl fencing, vinyl and composite railing, stone veneer and vinyl windows and doors used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Western Canada. It also manufactures vinyl and aluminum soffit and siding accessories, aluminum trim coil, wood windows, aluminum windows, vinyl and aluminum-clad windows and steel and fiberglass doors, enabling it to bundle complementary and color-matched products and accessories with its core products. The Companys subsidiaries includes including Ply Gem Industries, MWM Holding, AWC Holding Company, MHE, and Pacific Windows. On July 30, 2012, Ply Gem acquired substantially all of the assets of Greendeck Products, LLC.

Siding, Fencing, and Stone Segment

In the Siding, Fencing, and Stone segment, its principal products include vinyl siding and skirting, vinyl and aluminum soffit, aluminum trim coil, J-channels, wide crown molding, window and door trim, F-channels, H-molds, fascia, undersill trims, outside/inside corner posts, rain removal systems, injection molded designer accents, such as shakes, shingles, scallops, shutters, vents and mounts, vinyl fence, vinyl and composite railing, and stone veneer. It sells its siding and accessories under its Variform, Napco, Mastic Home Exteriors, and Cellwood brand names and under the Georgia-Pacific brand name through a private label program. It also sells its Providence line of vinyl siding and accessories to Lowes under its Durabuilt private label brand name. Its vinyl and vinyl-composite fencing and railing produ! cts are sold under its Kroy and K roy Express brand names. Ply Gem Holdings stone veneer produ! cts are sold under its United Stone Veneer brand name.

The Company sells the siding and accessories to specialty distributors (one-step distribution) and to wholesale distributors (two-step distribution). Its specialty distributors sell directly to remodeling contractors and builders. Its wholesale distributors sell to retail home centers and lumberyards who, in turn, sell to remodeling contractors, builders and consumers. In the specialty channel, it has developed a network of approximately 800 independent distributors, serving over 22,000 contractors and builders nationwide.

Windows and Doors Segment

In the Windows and Doors segment, its principal products include vinyl, aluminum, wood and clad-wood windows and patio doors, and steel, wood, and fiberglass entry doors that serve both the new home construction and the repair and remodeling sectors in the United States and Western Canada. Its products in its Windows and Doors segment are sold under the Ply Gem Windows, Great Lakes Mastic by Ply Gem, and Ply Gem Canada brands.

The Company competes with Alsco, Gentek, U.S. Fence, Homeland, Westech, Bufftech, Royal, Azek., Eldorado Stone, Coronado Stone, Jeld-Wen, Simonton, Pella and Andersen, MI Home Products, Atrium, Weathershield, Milgard, Jeld-Wen, Gienow, All Weather and Loewen.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Ply Gem Holdings (NYSE: PGEM) shares reached a new 52-week low of $11.48 after the company reported wider-than-expected Q4 loss and issued a weak Q1 revenue forecast.

  • [By Traders Reserve]

    There hasnt been a January effect rally in shares of Ply Gem (PGEM). In fact, it has been quite the opposite. Shares are down a whopping 25% during the month. For a stock I rated as on of the Top 10 Sizzling Stocks, such a move is painful, but not disastrous. Sizzling Stocks are meant to be held for the! duration! of the year and we have 11 months to go. Small-cap stocks like Ply Gem can move sharply one direction or the other.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-construction-material-companies-to-own-in-right-now.html

5 Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2015

5 Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2015: Platinum Group Metals Ltd (PLG)

Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (Platinum Group) is a platinum focused exploration and development company conducting work on mineral properties it has staked or acquired by way of option agreements in the Republic of South Africa and in Canada. The Company conducts its South African exploration and development work through its wholly owned direct subsidiary, Platinum Group Metals (RSA) (Proprietary) Limited (PTM RSA). PTM RSA holds the Companys interests in the Project 1 platinum mine (Project 1) and Project 3. PTM RSA also holds 100% of Wesplats Holding (Proprietary) Limited (Wesplats), and a 37% interest in Wildebeest Platinum (Pty) Limited (Wildebeest), a company set up to hold prospecting rights for the exploration joint venture between the Company and Sable Platinum Mining (Pty) Ltd. (Sable) and Umnotho NREF Joint Venture. In September 2011, it purchased the Providence Copper-Nickel-Cobalt-Platinum Group Metals (Cu-Ni-Co-PGM) property from Arctic Star Exploration (Arctic Star). Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Zacks Investment Research]

    Investors hoping for a turnaround in precious metals prices and looking for exposure to precious metals miners could consider Platinum Group Metals (PLG), currently ranked #2 (Buy) by Zacks.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-regional-bank-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Friday, May 30, 2014

10 Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Own Right Now

10 Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Own Right Now: Steelcase Inc.(SCS)

Steelcase Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes furniture systems and seating products, user-centered technologies, and interior architectural products primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its furniture systems portfolio consists of panel-based and freestanding furniture systems; and complementary products, such as storage, tables, and ergonomic worktools. The company also provides seating products, including ergonomic chairs; seating for collaborative or casual settings; and specialty seating for specific markets comprising healthcare and education. In addition, its interior architectural products include full and partial height walls and doors. Further, the company offers workplace strategy consulting, lease origination, and furniture and asset management services. Additionally, it designs, manufactures, and sells visual communication products, such as static and interactive electronic whiteboards to primary and secondary education markets, as well as manu factures and sells steel and ceramic surfaces to third-party fabricators for use in the manufacture of static whiteboards. It also designs and sells surface materials comprising textiles, wall coverings, shades, screens, and surface imagings primarily to architects and designers for use in business, residential, healthcare, and hospitality applications. It sells its products to corporate, government, healthcare, education, and retail customers through the Steelcase, Turnstone, Details, and Nurture brands; and Coalesse and Designtex brands. The company markets its products and services through a network of independent and company-owned dealers, as well as directly to end-use customers. The company was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of Steelcase (NYSE: SCS) got a boost, shooting up 12.21 percent to $16.36 after the company reported better-th! an-expected fourth-quarter earnings. Steelcase reported its Q4 earnings of $0.18 per share, beating analysts' estimates by $0.01 per share. Raymond James upgraded the stock from Outperform to Strong Buy and lifted the price target from $17.50 to $19.00.

  • [By Shauna O'Brien]

    Office furniture company Steelcase Inc. (SCS) announced on Thursday that it has named James Keane as its CEO.

    Keane will take over the role of CEO in March 2014, replacing long term CEO James Hackett. Currently, Keane is the company’s president and Chief Operating Officer where he works with product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution.

    Steelcase shares were mostly flat during Thursday morning trading. The stock is up 20% YTD.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/10-best-diversified-bank-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Top 5 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: Charter Financial Corp.(CHFN)

Charter Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for CharterBank that provides various banking services to individuals and businesses in Georgia and Alabama. Its deposit products include demand, NOW, and money market accounts; savings deposits; time deposits; checking accounts; and certificates of deposit. The company's loan products comprise commercial real estate loans; one- to four-family residential mortgage loans; construction and development loans; commercial business loans; and consumer loans, such as home equity loans, lines of credit, auto loans, and second mortgage loans. It operates through 16 branch offices located in West Point, LaGrange, Newnan, Carrollton, Bremen, Covington, and Peachtree City, Georgia; and Auburn, Opelika, and Valley, Alabama, as well as through a loan production office located in Norcross, Georgia. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in West Point, Georgia. Charter Financial Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Fir st Charter, MHC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Melvin]

    I get somewhat amused every day by the thousands of traders who spend all day trying to figure out what the hot stocks like Twitter (TWTR) and Facebook (FB) are going to do every day. Owning stocks like these two banks — or ones I have mentioned before, like ESSA Bancorp (ESSA) and Charter Financial (CHFN) — will be a far more profitable and relaxing endeavor over the next few years.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-rising-companies-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Best Machinery Companies To Invest In 2015

Best Machinery Companies To Invest In 2015: AB SKF (SKFRY.PK)

AB SKF, formerly SKF AB, is a global supplier of products, solutions and services within rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems. The services provided by the Company include technical support, maintenance services, condition monitoring and training. The Company operates in three divisions: Industrial Division and Service Division, servicing industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers respectively, and Automotive Division, servicing automotive OEMs and aftermarket customers. SKF operates in around 40 customer segments, including cars and light trucks, wind energy, railway, machine tool, medical, food and beverage and paper industries. In April 2009, the Company acquired the remaining 49% interest in SKF Polyseal.

In February 2008, the Company acquired QPMAerospacess metallic rods business. In October 2008, the Company acquired Cirval S.A Argentina. In November 2008, the Company acquired GLO s .r.l. Italy. In December 2008, the Company acquired the remaining 30% of the operations of SKF Automotive Bearings Company. In September 2008, the Company acquired PEER Bearing Company and its manufacturing units in the Peoples Republic of China and Thailand.

Industrial Division

The Industrial Division serves industrial OEMs customers in some 30 global industry customer segments with a range of energy-efficient offerings. The solutions and know-how are based on the manufacturing of a wide range of bearings, such as spherical and cylindrical roller bearings, angular contact ball bearings, medium deep groove ball bearings and superprecision bearings, as well as lubrication systems, linear motion products, magnetic bearings, by-wire systems and couplings.

Service Division

The Service Division serves the global industrial aftermarket providing products and knowledge-based services for customers plant asset efficien! cy. T he solutions are based on SKFs knowledge of bearings, sea! ls, lubrication systems, mechatronics and services, and customers are served by SKF and its network of over 7,000 authorized distributors. The division runs a network of Condition Monitoring Centres, which designs and produces global hardware and software. Service Division is also responsible for all SKFs sales in certain markets.

Automotive Division

The Automotive Division serves manufacturers of cars, light trucks, heavy trucks, buses, two-wheelers and the vehicle service market, supporting them in bringing solutions to global markets. In addition, the division provides energy-saving solutions for home appliances, power tools and electric motors. Within the Automotive Division, SKF develops and manufactures bearings, seals and related products and services. Products include wheel hub bearing units, tapered roller bearings, small deep groove ball bearings, seals, and automotive specialty products for engine, steering and driveline applications. For the vehicle service market, the division provides complete repair kits, including a range of drive shafts and constant velocity joints.

Logistics Services

SKFs business is supported by its logistics processes and systems, which involve all parts of the logistics needs in the supply chain. SKF Logistics Services provides warehousing, transportation, packaging and inventory management based on seamless information and communication technology for the SKF Group globally.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

    I wrote on bearings and velocity control products company Kaydon (KDN) in early March of this year, and I didn't see a lot of value at the time. As the year went on, that call looked worse and worse, as the stock climbed about 18% - well above the S&P 500, and well above industry peers/competitors like Timken (TKR) and SKF (SKFRY.PK). To top it all off, Kaydon announced this morning (September 5! ) that it! had received and accepted a buyout offer from SKF valuing the company at $35.50 - some 45% higher than the price when I thought it looked only about 10% undervalued. So what did I get wrong here, and what can investors do to avoid a similar mistake?

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-machinery-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

Hot Shipping Companies To Own For 2015

Hot Shipping Companies To Own For 2015: E*TRADE Financial Corporation(ETFC)

E*TRADE Financial Corporation, a financial services company, provides online brokerage and related products and services primarily to individual retail investors under the E*TRADE Financial brand in the United States. It offers trading products and services, including automated order placement and execution of the U.S. equities, futures, options, exchange-traded funds, and bond orders; sweep deposit accounts; access to E*TRADE Mobile Pro to trade stocks and transfer funds between accounts, as well as to monitor real-time investment, market, and account information; access to Power E*TRADE Pro, a desktop trading software for active traders; an open applications programming interface for third-party and independent software developers; margin accounts; cross boarder trading; access to international equities; research and trade idea generation tools; and E*TRADE Community that utilizes social media to offer a platform to customers. The company also provides access to the inve stor resource center that provides an aggregated view of its investing tools, market insights, independent research, education, and other investing resources; advisory services through Online Advisor; fixed income tools to identify, evaluate, and implement fixed income investment strategies; access to Retirement QuickPlan calculator that provides action plan on personal retirement savings; one-on-one portfolio recommendations and personalized plans; managed investment portfolio advisory services; unified managed account advisory services; individual retirement accounts; access to non-proprietary exchange-traded funds and mutual funds; investing and trading educational services through online videos, Web seminars, and Web tutorials; and deposit accounts, including checking, savings, and money market accounts. In addition, it provides software and services for managing equity compensation plans for corporate customers. The company was founded in 1! 982 and is headquartered in N e w York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    They say a company is judged by the caliber of the talent it can attract. If that's true (and it is), then Indo Global Exchanges PteLtd (OTCMKTS:IGEX) should have little problem successfully completing its mission of becoming in Indonesia what E-TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:ETFC), Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE:SCHW), and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (NYSE:AMTD) became here in the United States ... a dominant force in the stock brokerage world, and the face of online trading. The only difference is, IGEX may finish its mission a lot faster than AMTD, SCHW, or ETFC did. See, Indo Global Exchanges PteLtd's target market is already fully online and in love with the internet (Indonesia has a bigger Facebook-user populous than the United States, for cryin' out loud), and there's no online-trading competition in sight.

  • [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

    E-Trade Financial Corp. (ETFC) fell 7.8% following a 6.5% drop in the previous session. The recent criticism of high-frequency trading by high-profile figures such as Charles Schwab has prompted concerns that regulators may take steps to ban other perceived market structure flaws such as payment for order flow, according to analyst Patrick OShaughnessy at Raymond James.

  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    E*TRADE Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) was reiterated as Buy, but the price target was raised to $19.50 from $16.50, at Sterne Agee, making the third or fourth such price target upgrade in as many days, but what stands out here is that this appears to now be a “street-high” price target.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-shipping-companies-to-own-for-2015.html

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Top Medical Companies To Buy For 2015

Top Medical Companies To Buy For 2015: Ophthotech Corp (OPHT)

Ophthotech Corporation, incorporated on January 05, 2007, is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapeutics to treat diseases of the eye. The Companys advanced product candidate is Fovista, which the Company is developing for use in combination with anti-VEGF drugs that represent the current standard of care for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Wet AMD is a serious disease of the central portion of the retina, known as the macula, which is responsible for detailed central vision and color perception. It is characterized by abnormal new blood vessel formation and growth, referred to as neovascularization, which results in blood vessel leakage, retinal distortion and scar formation. If untreated, the progressive retinal damage results in rapid, irreversible and severe vision loss. Wet AMD is the cause of blindness in patients over the age of 55 in the United States and the European Union.

The anti-V EGF market for the treatment of wet AMD consists predominantly of two drugs that are approved for marketing and primarily prescribed for the treatment of wet AMD, Lucentis and Eylea, and off-label use of the cancer therapy Avastin. The use of anti-VEGF drugs has significantly improved visual outcomes for patients with wet AMD who have been treated with these drugs as compared to untreated patients.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    The biotech sector has been pretty exciting this yearwith small cap biotech stocks Prana Biotechnology Limited (NASDAQ: PRAN) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) having recently produced noteworthy news for investorswhile Acceleron Pharma, Inc (NASDAQ: XLRN), Ophthotech (NASDAQ: OPHT) and BIND Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BIND) have justset term sheets for their upcoming IPOs. Just consider all of the following recent news:

  • [By John Udovich]

    If you have not been watching the biotech sector! lately, you should start paying attention as the sector along with small cap biotech stocks like Cell Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: CTIC), BIND Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: BIND) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) continue to produce a steady stream of good news for investors thanks to positive industry trends. Moreover, Ophthotech Corp (NASDAQ: OPHT), Foundation Medicine Inc (NASDAQ: FMI), Evoke Pharma and Fate Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: FATE) are this week's biotech IPOs that will no doubt be watched closely by Wall Street and industry observers in general. With that in mind, consider the following biotech news or recent articles about the industry and the small cap players in it:

  • [By John Udovich]

    Yesterday, small cap biotech Acceleron Pharma Inc (NASDAQ: XLRN) rose 9.76%plus shares are up 183.6% for retail investors since its September IPO, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of other biotech IPOs like BIND Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: BIND), Ophthotech Corp (NASDAQ: OPHT) and Foundation Medicine Inc (NASDAQ: FMI) which also debuted at the same time.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-medical-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Top Regional Bank Stocks For 2015

Top Regional Bank Stocks For 2015: Immunomedics Inc.(IMMU)

Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, and other serious diseases in the United States and Europe. The company?s products include epratuzumab, a Phase III clinical trail product for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma; Veltuzumab, a Phase I/II clinical study completed product for the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Yttrium Y 90 Clivatuzumab tetraxetan, a humanized monoclonal antibody for pancreatic cancer that is in Phase Ib/II clinical trail; and Yttrium Y 90 epratuzumab tetraxetan, a Phase I/II clinical study product for patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma. Its early phase clinical trial products comprise Milatuzumab, a transmembrane protein product for antibody-drug conjugate therapy. The com pan y also develops Dock-and-Lock methodology for making fusion proteins and multifunctional antibodies, as well as a new method of delivering imaging and therapeutic agents selectively to disease, primarily different solid cancers. In addition, it markets and sells a diagnostic product, LeukoScan, which is used to treat infection and inflammation in bones for patients with suspected osteomyelitis, including patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Immunomedics, Inc. has a license and collaboration agreement with Nycomed GmbH to develop, manufacture, and commercialize veltuzumab in the subcutaneous formulation for the treatment of various non-cancer indications; and a partnership and cross-licensing agreement with Alexis Biotech Ltd., to develop vaccines against cancers that include melanoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and infectious diseases, such as AIDS. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion! :
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Immunomedics (IMMU), which is focused on the development of monoclonal antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases. This stock is off to a very bullish start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 110%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Immunomedics, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending decent for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $4.85 to its recent high of $6.54 a share. During that uptrend, shares of IMMU have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This uptrend is coming after shares of IMMU downtrended during July from $6.91 to that $4.65 a share low. Shares of IMMU are now starting to push within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in IMMU if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $6.54 a share and then once it clears its 52-week high at $6.91 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average volume of 1.15 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then IMMU will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $8 to $10 a share, or possibly even north of $10 a share.

    Traders can look to buy IMMU off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $5.52 a share or below more support at $5 a share. One can also buy IMMU off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    In terms of clinical data, small-cap biotechnology company! Immunome! dics (NASDAQ: IMMU  ) jumped by double digits after reporting early stage, but nonetheless positive, data from its antibody-drug conjugate program. Two of Immunomedics' ADC's, IMMU-130 which is targeted at metastatic colorectal cancer, and IMMU-132, which is being tested on 13 different cancer types, demonstrated tumor shrinkage and some partial responses. We're still a long way from an approval, but ADC's certainly look like one pathway to effectively treating cancer. Make sure this is a company you've added to your Watchlist.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of Immunomedics (NASDAQ: IMMU  ) , a biopharmaceutical company researching monoclonal, antibody-based products to treat cancer and other autoimmune disorders, jumped as much as 15% after providing a clinical update on its antibody-drug conjugate programs.

  • [By George Budwell]

    Immunomedics (NASDAQ: IMMU  ) develops monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other life-threatening diseases. The company has six products in clinical trials for a variety of diseases. Shares of Immunomedics have fallen hard and fast since the company announced the termination of a licensing deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical over veltuzumab last month. Even positive clinical trial results for 90-Y clivatuzumab, a treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer, failed to slow the fall. And last week, the pace of the decline picked up to the tune of a 15% drop on heavy volume.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-regional-bank-stocks-for-2015.html

Top Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015

Top Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015: Lumos Networks Corp (LMOS)

Lumos Networks Corp. is a fiber-based service provider in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Company provides data, broadband, voice and Internet protocol (IP) services over fiber optic network. The Company offers a range of data and voice products supported by approximately 5,800 fiber-route miles in Virginia, West Virginia, and portions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Kentucky. Its products and services include metro Ethernet, IP services, business advantage bundle, managed router service, broadband, voice services and Web hosting. On October 14, 2011, NTELOS Holdings Corp. announced a distribution date of October 31, 2011, for the spin-off of Lumos Networks Corp.

The Companys broadband services include Business DSL, Dedicated Business Service, Managed Router Services, Business Broadband XL, Business PC Services and Web Hosting. Its IP services include Integrated Access, IP Trunking, IP Centrex and IP Phones. Its voice service include Business Voice, Busin ess Advantage Bundle, nTouch, Intelligent Messaging, Simultaneous Ring, Conference Calling and Long Distance. Its data services include Metro Ethernet and Quality of Service. Lumos Networks Business DSL provides up to six megabits per second downstream and one megabit per second upstream. Its managed router support service equipment includes staging, installation, configuration, and maintenance while support provides around-the-clock monitoring, management and trouble resolution and direct access to networking experts. Its Business Broadband XL offers a selection of high download speeds. Lumos Networks' Integrated Access solution can integrate local voice, long distance, voicemail, and broadband Internet access. Lumos Networks nTouch brings voicemail linking IP Centrex and nTelos Wireless phone.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lee Jackson]

    Lumos Networks Corp. (NASDAQ: LMOS) is a leading provider of fiber-based bandwidth infrastructure ! and IP services in key mid-Atlantic markets. It announced last month it had launched its cloud-based hosted call center solution, which provides best-in-class automated call distribution, integrated voice response and call reporting to help organizations manage call volumes more effectively and efficiently. The service operates over Lumos’s carrier-grade, premium optical network, which provides high-speed, resilient access to the call-center cloud service. The consensus price target for the stock is $20.50. Investors are paid a reasonable 2.7% dividend. Lumos closed Thursday at $20.77.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Top losers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), off 5.8 percent, and Lumos Networks (NASDAQ: LMOS), down 2.9 percent.

    Top Headline
    Citigroup (NYSE: C) reported better-than-expected first-quarter results. Citigroup's quarterly profit surged to $3.94 billion, versus a year-ago profit of $3.81 billion. On a per-share basis, it earned $1.23. Excluding one-time items, its earnings rose to $1.30 versus $1.29. Its revenue declined to $20.12 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $1.14 per share on revenue of $19.37 billion.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Top losers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), off 5.8 percent, and Lumos Networks (NASDAQ: LMOS), down 2.9 percent.

    Top Headline
    Citigroup (NYSE: C) reported better-than-expected first-quarter results. Citigroup's quarterly profit surged to $3.94 billion, versus a year-ago profit of $3.81 billion. On a per-share basis, it earned $1.23. Excluding one-time items, its earnings rose to $1.30 versus $1.29. Its revenue declined to $20.12 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $1.14 per share on revenue of $19.37 billion.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-wireless-telecom-companies-for-2015-2.html

Monday, May 26, 2014

5 Best Consumer Service Stocks To Invest In Right Now

5 Best Consumer Service Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Facebook Inc (FB)

Facebook, Inc. (Facebook), incorporated in July 2004, is engaged in building products to create utility for users, developers, and advertisers. People use Facebook to stay connected with their friends and family, to discover what is going on in the world around them, and to share and express what matters to them to the people they care about. Developers can use the Facebook Platform to build applications and Websites that integrate with Facebook to reach its global network of users and to build personalized and social products. Advertisers can engage with more than 900 million monthly active users (MAUs) on Facebook or subsets of its users based on information they have chosen to share with the Company, such as their age, location, gender, or interests. It offers advertisers a combination of reach, relevance, social context and engagement.

Products for Users

The Company's products for users are free of charge and available on the Web, mobile We b, and mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS. It launched Timeline in September 2011, as an enhanced and updated version of the Facebook Profile. Timeline allows users to organize and display the events and activities that matter most to them, enabling them to curate their memories in a searchable personal narrative that is organized chronologically. Users choose what information to share on their Timeline, such as their interests, photos, education, work history, relationship status, and contact information, and users can control with whom each piece of content is shared on their Timeline. The Facebook News Feed is the core feature of a user's homepage and is a regularly updating list of stories from friends, Pages, and other entities to which a user is connected on Facebook. It includes posts, photos, event updates, group memberships, app up! dates, and other activities. Each user's News Feed is personalized based on his or her interests and the sharing activity of t he user's friends.

Facebook is a photo upload! ing service on the Web. Users can upload an unlimited number of high resolution photos, create photo albums, and share them with their friends or any audience they choose. Users can also upload and share videos. Users can set specific privacy settings for each of their photo albums and videos, making them visible to everyone, or only to certain friends. Users can arrange their photos, add captions, and tag people in a photo or video. Tagging allows users to identify a person in a photo or video as one of their friends. Its messaging products include email, chat, and text messaging. Groups are shared Facebook pages for groups of users to discuss common interests. Lists allow users to organize their friends in order to filter the stories shown in their News Feeds and reach or exclude specific people when they share on Facebook. Through Events, users can organize gatherings, manage invitations, and send event notifications and reminders to their friends. From the Events page, u sers can create a new event, check out upcoming events of interest to them and their friends, and view previous events.

Through Places, users can share their location and see where their friends are. They are able to see if any of their friends are nearby. Users can also check in to Places to tell their friends where they are, tag their friends in the Places they visit, or view Comments their friends have made about the Places they visit. Using Subscribe, users can sign up to receive public posts in their News Feeds from other Facebook users of interest, such as celebrities, thought leaders, and other public figures. Ticker is a live stream of the real-time activities of a user's friends and the Pages and other entities to which the user is connected. On the top of each Facebook page, a highlighted icon is displayed to users w! hen there! is relevant and new information available to them, such as a new friend request, a new message from a friend, or an alert tha t the user has been tagged in a photo posted by a friend.

A Facebook Page is a public profile that allows anyone, including artists, public figures, businesses, brands, organizations, and charities to create a presence on Facebook and engage with the Facebook community. A Page owner can connect with interested users in order to provide updates, answer questions, receive feedback, or otherwise stimulate interest in the owner's messages, products, and services. When a Facebook user likes a Page, the Page owner has the opportunity to publish stories to the user's News Feed on an ongoing basis. In addition, when a Facebook user Likes or Comments on a post by a Page owner, that user's action may be shared with the user's friends via News Feed to drive awareness to a wider circle of users, increasing the Page's exposure, recognition, and engagement. The Company does not charge for Pages, nor does it charge for the resulting organic distribution. As of March 31, 2012, there were more than 42 million Pages with 10 or more Likes , including Harvard, Lady Gaga, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Starbucks, and Boo (the World's Cutest Dog), as well as millions of local businesses.

Products for Developers

The Facebook Platform is a set of tools and application programming interfaces (APIs) that developers can use to build social apps on Facebook or to integrate their Websites with Facebook. As of March 31, 2012, more than nine million applications and Websites were integrated with Facebook. Some of the elements of the Facebook Platform include open graph, social plugins, payments, applications on Facebook, desktop applications, mobile applications and platform-integrated Websites. The Open Graph is a set of APIs that developers can use to build applications and Websites that enable users to share their activities with friends on Facebo! ok. Socia! l plugins are social features that developers can easily integrate with their Websites by incorporating a single line of HyperText Mark up Language (HTML) code.

Facebook provides an o! nline pay! ments infrastructure that enables developers to receive payments from users through a secure system. The Company has designed its Payments infrastructure to streamline the buying process between its users and developers. Its Payments system enables users to purchase virtual or digital goods from developers and third-party Websites by using debit and credit cards, PayPal, mobile phone payments, gift cards or other methods. Applications on Facebook run within the Facebook Website. The Facebook Platform has also enabled new types of social applications on Facebook beyond games to facilitate social sharing and discovery of music, news, television programming, and everyday interests, such as cooking, fitness, and travel. Developers can also build desktop apps that run on the operating system of a personal computer and offer experiences that are integrated with the Facebook Platform. The Facebook Platform for mobile has enabled developers to create engaging mobile applications tha t integrate with Facebook's social and personalization capabilities. Websites can integrate with Facebook using social plugins, such as the Like button or design more deeply integrated social experiences built around users and their friends.

Products for Advertisers and Marketers

Facebook offers products that enable advertisers and marketers to leverage its combination of reach, relevance, social context, and engagement. When creating a Facebook ad, advertisers can specify a title, content, image, and destination Web page or Facebook Page to which a user is directed if he or she clicks on the ad. Advertisers can further engage their intended audiences by incorporating social context with their marketing messages. Social context includes actions a user's friends have taken, such as Liking the a! dvertiser! 's Facebook Page. Ads with social context are shown only to a user's friends, and the user's privacy settings apply to social ads. It offer s a range of ads with social context, from an ad with a sing! le Like b! utton to its Premium Ad paired with social context, which allows advertisers to highlight the interactions of a user's friends with a brand or product.

Sponsored stories enable marketers to promote the stories they publish from their Facebook Page to users who have connected with the Page or to amplify the distribution of stories users are already sharing that are relevant to their marketing efforts. When advertisers create an ad campaign with Facebook, they specify the types of users they would like to reach based on information that users chose to share about their age, location, gender, relationship status, educational history, workplace, and interests. Advertisers choose to pay for their ads based on either cost per thousand impressions (CPM) on a fixed or bidded basis or cost per click (CPC) on a bidded basis. Facebook ad analytics enable advertisers to gain insights into which ads were displayed and clicked on. These analytics help advertisers make modif ications to their ad campaigns. Advertisers with Facebook Pages can also view the number of users who Liked and Commented on their Page and a newly introduced metric, People Talking About This, which shows how many stories about their brand are being created and shared.

The Company competes with Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Cyworld, Mixi and vKontakte.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By FinanceGuru]

    This article is a bit forward thinking, but there could potentially be some positive aspect to the recent news about Facebook (FB), and I'll try and explain why I think so.

  • [By Tom Taulli]

    However, investors should still be cautious. Let’s face it, there are a variety of cloud companies that could be vulnerable to disruption, such as the ad tech space. Compe! tition is! intense, with mega players like Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) putting enormous pressure on competitors. Oh, and Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TWTR) have recently launched their own offerings. (I noted the impact of all this in a post on Millennial Media (MM), which has imploded.)

  • [By Steven Russolillo]

    His top picks include Facebook Inc.(FB), Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN) He also noted AOL Inc.(AOL) looks “particularly oversold” at current levels. Facebook dropped 23% from early March through late April, Google fell 15% over a two-month time frame, and Amazon lost 28% since peaking above $400 in January. AOL dropped 21% in a day last week after its quarterly report fell short of analysts’ expectations.

  • [By Pushpa Naresh]

    SnapChat has been a newsmaker in recent months, not as much for its hit "disappearing snaps"-based feature, as for the unsuccessful acquisition bid by social media giant Facebook Inc. (FB) for a whopping $3 billion. Where Snapchat allows users to upload photos or snaps which disappear to self-destruct within a few seconds after they viewed/displayed, Blink works on much the same principle for messages, images, videos and more!

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-consumer-service-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Friday, May 23, 2014

10 Best Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2015

10 Best Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2015: Mattress Firm Holding Corp (MFRM)

Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (Mattress Firm), incorporated on January 5, 2007, is a specialty retailer of mattresses and related products and accessories in the United States. The Company conducts its operations through its indirect, wholly owned subsidiary, Mattress Holding Corp. and its subsidiaries. As of August 2, 2011, the Company and its franchisees operated 620 and 107 stores, respectively, primarily under the Mattress Firm name, in 60 markets across 25 states. The Company focuses on the national brands, but also offers its customers its Hampton and Rhodes private label mattresses. The Company has introduced its YuMe brand. On October 15, 2010, the Company acquired Peak Management, LLC. On December 1, 2010, the Company acquired Maggie's Enterprises, Inc. In May 2012, Mattress Firm announced the completion of its acquisition of regional bedding company, Mattress Giant Holding Corp. Effective September 9, 2013, Mattress Firm Holding Corp, a unit of JW Childs Associates LP, acquired Olejo Inc, a provider of ecommerce retail services.

The Company's stores carry national mattress brands, with a range of styles, sizes, price points and features. The Company provides its customers with their choice of traditional mattresses, including Sealy and Simmons, as well as specialty mattresses, such as Tempur-Pedic. In addition to its mattress selection, the Company offers a range of bedding-related products and accessories.

Conventional Mattresses

Conventional mattresses, such as those of Sealy (including Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns and Foster) and Simmons (including Simmons Beautyrest), utilize steel-coil innersprings. During the fiscal year ended February 1, 2011, the conventional mattresses represented approximately 75% of bedding industry sales in the United States and approximately 60% of t! he Company's total sales. In addition to these national brands, the Company also offers its Hampton and Rhodes pr ivate label mattresses.

Specialty Mattresses

Specialty mattresses, such as those manufactured by Tempur-Pedic and select comfort, utilize materials other than steel-coil innersprings to provide comfort and support. In fiscal 2010, the specialty mattresses represented approximately 30% of the Company's total sales. The Company is expanding its assortments in the categories, including viscoelastic foam mattresses and yume sleep system. Viscoelastic foam, also referred to as memory foam or polyurethane foam, features a temperature sensitive foam core that reduces pressure points and tossing and turning by contouring to one's body. The Company has introduced a sleep system made of foam produced from coconut oil, utilizing a technology that uses ambient air to heat and cool the mattress surface.

Furniture and Accessories

During fiscal 2010, the Company was in the process of introducing new headboards and footboards, which complement its current bedding products. All of the Company's stores carry an assortment of bedding-related accessories, including bed frames, mattress pads and pillows. In fiscal 2010, bedding-related products and accessories represented approximately 7% of the Company's total sales from Company-operated stores.

The Company competes with Mattress Giant, American Mattress, Haverty's, Rooms-To-Go, Macy's, Sears, JC Penney, Walmart, Costco and Original Mattress.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Leo Fasciocco]

    Mattress Firm Holding (MFRM) offers both traditional and specialty mattresses, bedding accessories, and related products. MFRM also offers bed frames, pillows, tempurpedic pillows, headboards, and memory foam mattresses.

  • [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

    Mattress Firm Holding Cor! p.(MFRM) ! fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 14%, as the company reported a strong increase in revenue and same-store sales. Shares rose 6.9% to $47.50 premarket.

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-shipping-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Obamacare’s Empty Victory

It feels truly Orwellian that progressives are applauding the forced purchase of private health insurance � one of the most hated industries in the United States � while the right is opposing a model that originated from their political leaders. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a step farther on the path to total privatization of our health care system, not towards the health care system that most Americans support: single payer Medicare for all.

In the months leading up to the March 31 deadline to obtain health insurance, ACA supporters united around their mission to enroll people. Volunteers knocked on doors and tabled in their communities. Celebrities and athletes tweeted and labor unions ran robocalls. The media buzzed with speculation about whether the ACA would succeed or fail. March 31 felt like election night. And after it was over, ACA supporters clapped each other on the back and celebrated.

Obamacare survived. But now that the law is implemented and the dust is settling, it�s time to question what this actually means for health care and what we should do now.

Before President Obama was elected in 2008, Drs. David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler, two of the co-founders of Physicians for a National Health Program, raised a crucial question in their report, �Our Health Care System at the Crossroads: Single Payer or Market Reform?� They outlined the health care crisis and how past reforms were taking us toward increasingly �threadbare insurance coverage.� Knowing that health care reform would be front and center for the next few years, they argued that as a nation, we had a choice to make. We could stay on the same path toward a market-based health care system or take an evidence-based approach and create national single payer health insurance.

With the ACA, we have now passed that crossroads and are headed down the road to a completely market-based system of privatized health care. This is not something to celebrate. Dr. Adam Gaffney recently wrote an excellent history in Jacobin on the turn we have taken away from the concepts of universal health care and economic justice to a neoliberal model. We are inundated with market rhetoric telling us how wonderful it is to have the choice of shiny silver insurance in the brand new marketplace. Insurance plans are called products and we are consumers of them.

The problem with these public relations messages is that having health insurance doesn�t guarantee access to health care and health care doesn�t belong in the marketplace. As patients, we do not have a choice of whether or not to purchase health care when we need it. Delaying or avoiding necessary care can and does have serious consequences. And we can�t predict how much health care we will need or when we�ll need it. In a market-based system, profits are the bottom line and people receive only the amount of health care they can afford, not what they need.

The ACA is transferring hundreds of billions of public dollars to the private insurance industry to subsidize plans that leave people underinsured, unable to afford care and at risk of financial ruin if they have a serious accident or illness. And even at its best, tens of millions of people will remain without insurance.

Most of the 7.5 million people who purchased health insurance on the exchanges were already insured. More than 80 percent bought the lower-tier silver, bronze or catastrophic plans with the hope that they would not get sick. These plans have the lowest premiums but require that patients pay thousands of dollars out of pocket before insurance kicks in, and then pay 30 to 40 percent of the cost of covered care. The result is that underinsured people will continue to self-ration, delay or avoid care due to cost, as 80 million of us did in 2012.

The ACA includes regulations, but as usual the insurance industry has ways to work around them. Many insurers had caps on out-of-pocket costs waived. Insurers also found a way to �cherry pick� the healthiest customers by leaving cancer centers and major medical centers out of their networks. In fact, most of the new plans have narrow and ultra-narrow networks that shift more of the cost of care onto patients because care outside of insurance networks isn�t covered. And while insurance companies cannot drop individuals when they get sick, they can stop selling their plans in areas that don�t make a profit. Some are already doing this, which means the competition that was supposed to emerge did not. Instead, in 515 of the poorest counties in 15 states, only one insurance company is available on the health exchange. And greater consolidation of the health care system is underway through mergers and acquisitions.

Our public insurances, Medicaid and Medicare, are being increasingly taken over by private insurances in the form of Managed Care Organizations and Medicare Advantage. They compete for the healthiest patients and siphon more of the health dollars for profit, salaries and administration than public insurances. Top advisors to the White House expect our public plans to be rolled into the health exchanges in the near future with subsidies, a plan similar to Congressman Paul Ryan�s voucher proposal.

Nations that treat health care as a public good and not a commodity have universal coverage that costs less and produces better health outcomes. And in polls, some two thirds of Americans support single payer. Now our tasks is to shift the national debate away from how many people have insurance to what type of health care system we support. Efforts to do this are taking place at both state and national levels.

State efforts to educate and organize for universal health systems are using a human rights framework. This started with the Health Care is a Human Right campaign in Vermont that is working to create universal coverage, and similar organizing is happening in Maine, Pennsylvania and Maryland. An essential component of this organizing model is to develop leadership within communities that are uninsured or underinsured. States such as Washington, Oregon, Colorado and New Mexico also use human rights messaging in their campaigns.

State health reform faces significant barriers because federal legislation is needed to allow the creation of a state single payer system. However, state campaigns are essential because they push state health policy to be the strongest it can be and build an informed and organized grassroots movement that can also push for solutions at the national level.

Legislation for single payer health systems exists in Congress. In the House, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) has introduced HR 676, �The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act,� in every session since 2003. So far it has 56 co-sponsors. In late 2013, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced SB 1782, �The American Health Security Act,� in the Senate. National organizations are working together to encourage more members to sponsor them and a national lobby day is happening in Washington, D.C., on May 22.

On a personal level, I have chosen to be a conscientious objector to the ACA. I cannot in good conscience give my support to the very industry I am trying to eliminate. Being a conscientious objector is a decision that people have to make for themselves. So far nearly 500 people have joined me by signing a petition at PopularResistance.org.

Some people speculate that the ACA will bring us to single payer some day because it will fail. This will only happen if we fight for it. Every day that we delay, people suffer and die in this country unnecessarily. Neil H. Buchanan says it best, �The ACA is as good as it gets, when it comes to basing a health care system on private insurance, and it is simply not good enough. Even as the ACA takes effect, therefore, we need to start planning to make it disappear.�

Margaret Flowers is a pediatrician and co-chair of the Maryland chapter of Physicians for a National Health Plan. She serves on the board of Healthcare-Now and of the Maryland Health Care is a Human Right campaign. She is also an editor at popularresistance.org.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Top 10 Oil Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top 10 Oil Companies To Invest In Right Now: Susser Petroleum Partners LP (SUS P)

Susser Petroleum Partners LP is primarily engaged in fee-based wholesale distribution of motor fuels to Susser Holdings Corporation (SHC) and third parties. SHC operates over 540 retail convenience stores under its Stripes convenience store brand. In addition to distributing motor fuel, the Company also distributes other petroleum products, such as propane and lube oil, and it receive rental income from real estate that it lease or sublease. In January 2014, Susser Petroleum Partners LP announced the acquisition of the convenience store assets and fuel distribution contracts of Sac-N-Pac Stores, Inc. and 3W Warren Fuels, Ltd.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company distributed 789.6 million gallons of motor fuel to Stripes convenience stores and 522.8 million gallons of motor fuel to other customers. It also distributes Chevron, CITGO, Conoco, Exxon, Mobil, Phillips 66, Shamrock, Shell, Texaco and Valero branded motor fuel, as well as unbranded mo tor fuel. In addition to distributing motor fuel, it also distributes other petroleum products, such as propane and lube oil.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Susser Petroleum Partners (NYSE: SUSP) debuted in September 2012, and has appreciated by 50 percent since. Susser engages in fee-based wholesale distribution of motor fuels. The partnership also distributes petroleum products like propane and lube oil, and receives rental income from real estate.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Susser Petroleum Partners (NYSE: SUSP) engages in fee-based wholesale distribution of motor fuels. The partnership also distributes petroleum products like propane and lube oil, and receives rental income from real estate.

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.! topstocksblog.com/top-10-oil-companies-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Monday, May 5, 2014

Top 10 Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2014

Top 10 Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2014: American Lorain Corp (ALN)

American Lorain Corporation (ALN), incorporated on February 4, 1986, is an integrated food manufacturing company. The Company develops, manufactures and sells food products, which includes chestnut products, convenience foods, including ready-to-cook (RTC) foods, ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and meals ready-to-eat (MRE)), and frozen food products. The Company conducts its production activities in China. Its products are sold in 26 provinces and administrative regions in China and 42 foreign countries. The Company derives its revenues from sales in China, Japan and South Korea. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company produced 254 products, including 16 new products in its chestnut and convenience foods segment. During 2011, it discontinued three products in the convenience segment. In February 2014, American Lorain Corp acquired a 51% interest in Athena Group.

The Company manufactures its products in six facilities in China, three of which are located in Junan County, Shandong Province, one in Luotian County, Hubei Province, one in Miyun County, Beijing City and one leased facility in Dongguan, Guandong Province. As of December 31, 2011, the Company manufactured its products using 26 production lines. Each production line is used to produce between 10 and 50 products. The Company operates three product lines: deep-freezing lines, canning lines and convenience food lines. The Company sells its products in all first-tier cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou. Its export sales destinations include Asia pacific, primarily Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, but also Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Australia; Europe, primarily Belgium and the United Kingdom, but also France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Denmark the Middle East, primarily Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Israel; Nor! th America, including the United States and Canada.

ALN owns 100% of International Lorain Hold ing, Inc. (ILH). ILH wholly owns two Chinese operating subsi! diaries, Luotian Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (Luotian Lorain) and Junan Hongrun Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (Junan Hongrun), directly. Junan Hongrun, in turn, wholly owns Dongguan Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (Dongguan Lorain). In addition, together with Junan Hongrun, ILH wholly owns Beijing Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (Beijing Lorain), Shandong Greenpia Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (Shandong Greenpia), and owns approximately 80% of Shandong Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (Shandong Lorain) (Shandong Economic Development Investment Co. Ltd. owns approximately 20%).

Chestnut Products

During 2011, the Company produced 57 processed chestnut products. During 2011, this segment contributed 51.7% of its total revenues. The Company's products include its aerated open-bottom chestnuts, which are chestnuts packaged with nitrogen; sweetheart chestnuts, which are sweet preserved chestnuts; chestnuts in syrup, and golden chestnut kernels.

Convenience Foods

The Com pany's convenience food products include RTC food products, RTE food products and MRE food products. During 2011, the Company's RTCs included beef and lamb products, and its RTEs included bean products and pickle products. The Company's self heating MREs are primarily for military use since no cooking device or other ingredients are needed other than water. The Company also introduced microwavable MREs for civilian uses, such as camping, traveling and other situations. The Company produces various MREs based on Chinese cuisine, which include its pork with garlic sauce over rice and kungpao chicken with rice. The Company produced 138 convenience food products, during 2011, including 14 new products, such as filled buns and fried sweet potato.

Frozen Food Products

The Company produces a variety of frozen foods, including frozen vegetables,! frozen f! ruits, frozen fish, and frozen meats. The Company produced 63 frozen food products in 2011. The Company's frozen foods included, during 2011, were frozen asparagus a! nd frozen! corn.

The Company competes with Hebei Liyuan, Foodwell Corporation, Weifang Langdong Food Co. Ltd., Yuyao Hongji Food Co. Ltd. and Yantai Pengshun Food Co. Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    Truth be told, were it just today's 11% pop from American Lorain Corporation (NYSEMKT:ALN), it might not even be worth mentioning. It's not just today's 11% rally from ALN, though, that's made this stock so interesting. It's everything that's happened up until this point that may mean American Lorain deserves a spot at the top of your watchlist, if not in your portfolio.

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-shipping-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html