GOOG – Google Stock Could Drop In 2014

Investors have gone gaga over Google (GOOG) this year, with shares of GOOG stock up a juicy 58%. Still, investors may want to be cautious, according to Stifel Equity Research Group's Jordan Rohan. He currently has a “hold” rating on Google stock.

The good news: Rohan doesn’t think there are fundamental issues with Google. In a recent report, he says that GOOG stock has benefited from the company's solid positions in fast-growing markets like mobile and video. Besides, Google has the world's best ad-based monetization system, which seems to magically print money.

Oh, and the company should benefit from the lift of the holiday season as well. Because of these factors, Rohan recently upped his fourth quarter estimate on revenues by $400 million to $16.4 billion and earnings per share to $12.03.

So why is he still a bit dour on Google stock? The reason is simple: About 60% of the spike in GOOG stock has been due to a jump in the multiple, not underlying growth in earnings. This should actually be no surprise, since Wall Street has been pouring money into top Internet plays, such as Twitter (TWTR), Facebook (FB), Yelp (YELP) and Pandora (P).

But the momentum for Google stock and other Internet plays can easily come to an abrupt stop, especially if there is weakness during the upcoming quarters.

Google Stock Could Sputter

There are also some other things to worry about for GOOG. Let's face it, the acquisition of Motorola has turned out to be a dud. Despite spending millions on the Moto X phone, it appears to have gotton lukewarm response from customers. The result could be continued losses for the Motorola division, which may weigh on the Google stock price. As seen with operators like Nokia and BlackBerry (BBRY), the handset market can be brutal — and a money pit.

Something else that could be a problem for GOOG stock is that the organization may be getting overstretched. While it has been impressive that Google has been able to continue its innovative ways — such as with driverless cars and Google Glass — there is still the risk that management will get distracted. This is something that has plagued many tech operators like Cisco (CSCO) and could be bad for Google stock in coming years.

But again, the most glaring red flag is the valuation of GOOG stock. Shares of Google stock are currently trading at a P/E ratio of 30, which is certainly rich. Consider that Apple (AAPL) and  Microsoft (MSTF) sport multiples of only about 14. These companies also have decent dividend yields.

So in light of this, it will be pretty tough for GOOG to have a repeat performance of its 2013 gains … and it would not be a surprise if Google stock has some type of pullback.

Tom Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog IPO Playbook. He is also the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

U.S. Manufacturing Expands at Best Pace in 2½ Years

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Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Images WASHINGTON -- U.S. factory activity expanded last month at the fastest pace in 2½ years, an encouraging sign that manufacturing could lift economic growth and hiring in the coming months. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, said Tuesday that its manufacturing index rose in September to 56.2, the highest since April 2011. That's up from 55.7 in August and the fourth straight increase in the index. A reading above 50 indicates growth. Manufacturers added jobs last month at the fastest pace in more than a year and ramped up production. They also received new orders at a healthy pace, though slower than in August. U.S. factories are showing signs of picking up after slumping earlier this year. A modest recovery in housing and strong auto sales are pushing up demand for steel and other metals, auto parts, furniture and appliances. Economists said the strong figures suggest that the annual growth rate in the July-September quarter could be healthier than current forecasts of about 2 percent. The index has averaged 55.8 in the past three months, up from 50.2 in the April-June quarter. And the strength at factories has the potential to set the stage for even faster growth in the October-December quarter. Some analysts are forecasting growth at an annual rate of up to 3 percent. "Another stronger than expected showing," Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, a forecasting firm, said. "The data unambiguously point to a pick-up in the trend in manufacturing output growth." Manufacturers also kept their stockpiles steady after cutting them for two months. Adding workers and keeping supplies on hand are signs of increased confidence and higher production ahead, economists noted. Still, the growth at factories could be offset by the partial government shutdown that began Tuesday. Late Monday, Congress and the White House couldn't agree on a spending measure to keep the government open. Bradley Holcomb, chairman of the ISM's survey committee, said that survey respondents weren't worried about a possible shutdown last month, but would likely begin to raise concerns if it lasted for long. Most economists say that a shutdown of a just a few days would have little economic impact. But if dragged on for two weeks, it could shave about 0.3 percentage points from fourth-quarter growth. Factories had been hampered by weak growth overseas that lowered demand for U.S. goods. But exports grew last month, though at a slower pace than August. Europe's economy is slowly recovering after an 18-month recession and Japan is also growing faster after two decades of stagnation. Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve said manufacturers boosted their output in August by the most in eight years. The gains were driven by a robust month at auto plants. Still, other data has been mixed. Companies placed only slightly more orders for long-lasting manufactured goods in August after a sharp fall in July. But demand for so-called core capital goods rose 1.5 percent, after falling 3.3 percent the previous month. Core capital goods are a good measure of businesses' confidence in the economy and include items that point to expansion, such as machinery and computers.

5 Ways You Can Lock In a Job on LinkedIn

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Although nothing beats a solid resume and a well-worded cover letter, job-seekers should think seriously about polishing and promoting their LinkedIn (LNKD) profiles, according to a survey by social recruiting site Jobvite. The survey has a representative 94% of recruiters saying LinkedIn was their top online platform for vetting candidates, compared with 65% who use Facebook (FB) and 55% who turn to Twitter. Even applicants who don't have much experience with recruiters should take note: The survey projects a 73% increase in social recruiting investment this year. [Read: Employers Catch Up With the Rest of Us on Loving Social Media ]

Experts say smart job hunters should look at their LinkedIn profiles with a critical eye and start digging deep for connections, conversation and critique. We've got the rundown on the top 5 ways to make LinkedIn an asset in your job search.

1. Show some personality -- just not too much

"LinkedIn is different," says Ian Ide, president of the search divisions at WinterWyman. "It's somewhere between social media and a resume, and that's what trips a lot of people up. It's not so personal that you're offering up casual status updates, but it's not so professional that you can't show a little personality." That personality should be shown in a professional way, Ide cautions. What you're trying to avoid is looking too detached from the real world -- you don't want to seem like another corporate stiff. "At the end of the day, time is limited, and if someone looks very cold, recruiters may not think it's worth reaching out," Ide says. "But if you mention the type of technology you prefer or a sports team you like, that allows a recruiter's correspondence to be more personalized, and they're going to feel more comfortable reaching out to you." It's all about establishing rapport, Ide explains. At its core, LinkedIn is about building relationships. Smart job-seekers know that relationships are best formed when insights into personality are made available -- but be mindful that you don't overshare, says Doug Brown, director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Malcolm Baldridge School of Business at Post University in Waterbury, Conn. [Read: 5 Signs It's Time to Quit Your Job ] "People think it's Facebook, and it's not," Brown says. "You might make a post about a political candidate on Facebook, but think about LinkedIn as the workplace. If you wouldn't discuss it in the workplace, don't talk about it on LinkedIn."

2. Ask for recommendations

"Your background needs to represent you in the best possible way," Ide says. "It's always hard to say great things about yourself, but you need to have those things up there, and that's where recommendations come in."

It's most beneficial when people who can speak to the quality of your work are the ones who recommend you, Ide explains. While it's great if a college professor can offer their support, it's best if a former boss or direct report can contribute thoughts about their recent one-on-one experiences with you.

Additionally, Brown says that targeted recommendations are the most beneficial. "It's not enough to have a recommendation that says, 'He is a nice person.' You've got to have one that highlights your transferable skill set." To ask someone for a recommendation, Ide says a simple approach is best. "Say to them, 'One of the things I am trying to be aware of is my social profile, and I'm trying to better my LinkedIn presence. I know you have a good idea of the quality of work I produce -- would you mind writing a recommendation?'" Of course, when you ask for a recommendation, be prepared to reciprocate, Ide says. "Before you reach out, consider whether or not you'd feel comfortable writing one for them, because there's a good chance they'll ask," he says. [Read: New iPhone or Not, Smartphone Owners Aren't Moving Up] 3. Keep up your LinkedIn relationships and have a voice "One of the big reasons people use LinkedIn is to be exposed to different opportunities -- even if you're not currently job hunting and the timing isn't perfect," Ide says. "People are constantly evaluating one another on LinkedIn, so it's important to be engaged at times when you're not actively job seeking." One way to stay involved on LinkedIn is through groups. Depending on the business, Ide recommends joining somewhere between four and seven groups, allowing you to participate in discussions and demonstrate your knowledge of the industry. "Leverage the power of affinity groups," Brown says. "Everything from alumni associations to professional organizations are great ways to stay connected. You also want to look for professional associations and interest groups in the space where you want to be, even if you're not quite there yet."

4. Highlight your skill set -- and be specific

"Ask yourself: What kind of job do you want, and who is your target market?" Brown says. "The challenge goes all the way back to brand strategy. If you are trying to be everything to everybody, you aren't going to be anything to anybody."

If a company sees your resume as being all over the place, they're going to feel like you don't want this particular job -- you're just desperate for any job. They may also feel that you've had no direction in your career, Brown explains, adding that phrases such as "I am a fast learner" or "I can do anything" don't go very far.

"Adopt the mindset that you are educating people about what you can offer them, exactly," he says. Highlighting personal accomplishments is especially important for individuals who have worked for companies that aren't top-tier, Ide says. "We can't change the circumstances of who we worked for, but you can highlight your personal accomplishments and the skills you built while working there," he says. "If someone worked for a lesser company but was doing great things, they need to openly discuss the projects and initiatives they were involved in." 5. Be less private -- even take things into the "real world" "Some people will tell you texting is a perfectly good way to communicate with someone, but I don't think so," Brown says. "If you want to have a true relationship with someone, you've got to have a human moment." It's great to ask a contact for coffee, drinks or lunch, but Brown says to make sure you have an agenda when you meet up with them -- if you're really there for professional purposes, you won't want to spend the entire time talking about sports or family issues. "Have a marketing plan," Brown says. "Ask them specific questions. Don't be shy." When it comes to privacy settings for LinkedIn, Ide says you don't have to be as cautious as you do with other social media sites. "LinkedIn is different from Facbeook, where there is a reason to be private," he says. "On LinkedIn, you want new opportunities, and you want to be more public, more accessible." Active job-seekers should set their privacy settings carefully, Ide explains -- use the option to stay anonymous when you view other people's profiles, but turn on OpenLink, which allows LinkedIn members to contact you directly without an introduction or an InMail, making it free and easy for anyone with an opportunity to get in touch.

Overcoming Ouch - Edward Lampert Second Quarter Slash

Investor, entrepreneurial savant and retail visionary, Edward Lampert, CEO of Sears Holdings Corporation and founder of ESL Investments, has seen a rare down cycle lately. His portfolio's total value is down around a billion dollars since reports from May 2013.

After fighting the slippery slopes of re-imagineering Sears and its spin-offs, including the troubled Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH, OSHWQ, OSHSQ), Lampert drastically cut his companies in the second quarter of 2013 but still holds 31.82% of Sears Holdings Corporation (SHLD) and 25.05% of Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores Inc. (SHOS), 2.23% of Gap Inc. (GPS) and 16.75% of AutoNation (AN).

As for Orchard Supply's fate: This week Lowe's Companies Inc. (LOW), up 58% over 12 months, reported progress in its plans to acquire the majority of assets of the Sears spin-off Orchard Supply Hardware, including 72 stores, for approximately $205 million in cash, plus the assumption of payables owed to nearly all of Orchard's supplier partners, subject to Bankruptcy Court approval. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of August.

After selling and trimming, Lampert's company ESL Investments now has a super-concentrated portfolio of 4 stocks with a value of $2.8 billion (down from $4.02 billion reported on May 15) and a quarter-over-quarter turnover of 0%. Edward Lampert's portfolio shows the following reductions and sells for the second quarter of 2013.

Sears Hometown & Outlet Inc. (SHOS): Reduced

Up 32% over 12 months, Sears Hometown & Outlet has a market cap of $856 million and trades with a P/E of 28.10. The current share price is $45.29.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert reduced his position by 36.32%, selling 3,300,167 shares at an average price of $45.53 for a loss of 12.5%.

He has averaged a gain of 24% on 9,086,583 shares bought at an average price of $32.21 per share. On shares sold, he averaged a loss of 12% on 3,300,167 shares sold at an average price of! $45.53 per share.

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His current shares stand at 5,786,416.

GAP Inc. (GPS): Reduced

Up 21% over 12 months, Gap Inc. has a market cap of $20.34 billion and trades with a P/E of 17.00. The current share price is $43.49.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert reduced his position by 24.54%, selling 3,555,508 shares at an average price of $39.37 for a gain of 10.9%.

He has averaged a gain of113% on 36,286,240 shares bought at an average price of $20.53 per share. On shares sold, he averaged a gain of 42% on 25,923,101 shares sold at an average price of $30.70 per share.

His current shares stand at 10,363,139.

[ Enlarge Image ]

Genworth Financial Inc. (GNW): Sold Out

Up 142% over 12 months, Genworth Financial has a market cap of $6.26 billion and trades with a P/E of 14.10. The current share price is $12.68.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert sold out his holding, selling 8,382,562 shares at an average price of $10.41 for a gain of 21.8%.

[ Enlarge Image ]

iStar Financial Inc. (SFI): Sold Out

Up 52% over 12 months, iStar Financial has a market cap of $940.1 million and trades with a P/B of 0.70. The current share price is $11.01.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert sold out his holding, selling 862,803 shares at an average price of $11.50 for a loss of 4.3%. Lampert had an excellent history of gains:

[ Enlarge Image ]

Capital One Financial Corp. (COF): Sold Out

Up 18% over 12 months, Capital One Financial Corp. has a market cap of $39.36 billion and trades with a P/E of 9.50. The current share price is $67.24.

G! uru Actio! n: As of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert sold out his holding, selling 8,484 shares at an average price of $58.92 for a gain of 14.5%. Lampert had another excellent history of gains:

[ Enlarge Image ]

Orchard Supply Hardware Inc. (OSH, OSHWQ, OSHSQ): Reduced

Down 98% over 12 month, Orchard Supply has a market cap of $1.8 million. The current share price is $0.26.

Guru Action: After nine reductions in the second quarter, as of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert reduced his position by 27.14%. He sold in the price range of $1.76. The current share price is $0.26, with a change from average down 85%.

Down from more than a million shares as of April 1, 2013, Lampert's current OSH shares stand at 158,399 on his trading history, but with the upcoming acquisition by Lowe's and changes in the stock tickers to OSHWQ and OSHSQ, the most current portfolio update shows his OSH holding is at zero shares.

AutoNation Inc. (AN): Reduced

Up 15% over 12 months, AutoNation Inc. has a market cap of $5.58 billion and trades with a P/E of 16.80. The current share price is $46.00.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, Edward Lampert reduced his position by 35.544%, selling 11,175,659 shares at an average price of $44.63 for a gain of 5.2%. He has averaged a gain of 283% on 13,097,719 shares at an average price of $12.26 per share. On shares sold, he averaged a gain of 35% on 59,453,152 shares sold at an average price of $34.65 per share.

After his recent AN trades of August 12, 2013 and August 14, 2013, reducing his position by 1.69% and 0.66%, respectively, Lampert's current shares stand at 30,707,497.

Another remarkable history:

[ Enlarge Image ]

Guru Eddie Lampert has personal assets of $3.1 billion as of March 31, 2013.

GuruFocus Real Time Picks reports the stock purchases and sales that ! Gurus hav! e made within the prior 2 weeks. The report time lag can be as short as 2 days after the date of the transaction. This feature is for Premium Members only.

If you are not a Premium Member, we invite you for a 7-day Free Trial.

Is NVIDIA Undervalued?

With shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) trading around $13, is NVDA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

NVIDIA is a visual computing company that develops graphics chips for use in personal computers, mobile devices, and supercomputers. The company operates through two segments: GPU and Tegra Processors. The GPU segment offers graphic processing unit processors for consumers desktop and notebook PCs, professional workstations, supercomputing servers and workstations, and industry-standard servers. The Tegra segment offers its processors to tablets, smartphones, and gaming devices. Personal computers, mobile devices, supercomputers, and servers are continuously being used and adopted at an increasing rate worldwide. NVIDIA provides essential components for technology products that affect most people’s home or work life so a company like NVIDIA is here to stay.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

NVIDIA stock has not seen too much positive movement in recent years. The stock seems to be struggling to find value as its price has chopped around over the last several years. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, NVIDIA is trading above its rising key averages which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

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(Source: Thinkorswim)

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

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
NVIDIA Options	34.93%	86%	85%

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

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
May Options	Flat	Average
June Options	Flat	Average

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

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

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

	2012 Q4	2012 Q3	2012 Q2	2012 Q1
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	49.83%	13.79%	-24%	-54.55%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	16.13%	12.94%	2.73%	-3.86%
Earnings Reaction	2.91%	-3.86%	-0.61%	6.36%

NVIDIA has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures for most of the last four quarters. From these figures, the markets have been mixed on NVIDIA’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has NVIDIA stock done relative to its peers, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), and sector?

	NVIDIA	Intel	AMD	Qualcomm	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	12.07%	15.42%	14.38%	-0.18%	13.83%

NVIDIA has been an average performer, year-to-date.

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Conclusion

NVIDIA provides valuable mobile, personal computer, supercomputing, and server products to a multitude of consumers and businesses operating in different industries around the world. The stock has struggled to establish a consensus price in recent years but is now setting up to move higher. Earnings and revenue have increased during most of the last four quarters but investors have not been fully convinced. Relative to its peers and sector, NVIDIA is an average performer, year-to-date. WAIT AND SEE how NVIDIA stock reacts during this coming earnings announcement.

Why Synchronoss Technologies Shares Popped

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ: SNCR  ) have popped today by as much as 12% after the company announced first-quarter results that topped expectations.

So what: Revenue in the first quarter totaled $79.5 million on an adjusted basis, easily topping the $76.6 million in sales that the Street was modeling for. Non-GAAP earnings per share were right on target at $0.28. CEO Stephen Waldis said the figures exceeded internal expectations thanks to strong business momentum.

Now what: Cloud services revenue grew 29% and now accounts for 30% of sales, thanks to sales at tier one mobile operator customers. Synchronoss also said it was expanding its senior leadership team by appointing Nick Lazzaro as president of North America. Lazzaro has two decades of experience in technology and telecommunications.

Interested in more info on Synchronoss Technologies? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

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Target Reports 40 Million Credit, Debit Cards May Have Been Hacked

By Hal M. Bundrick

NEW YORK (MainStreet) Your holiday shopping may have just taken an ugly turn. If you shopped at a Target store between November 27 and December 15 and used a debit or credit card, keep a close eye on your bank account. There's a good chance you've been hacked. Some 40 million cards accounts may be affected by an expansive security breach, according to a Target statement. The company has retained the services of a third-party forensics firm to assist in the investigation.

"Target's first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause," said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO of Target. "We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice."

The popular national chain says the "issue has been identified and resolved." Unauthorized access to Target payment data potentially impacts purchases made at all of the 1,797 Target stores in the U.S. during the two and a half week period. "We began investigating the incident as soon as we learned of it," a statement on the Target Website says. "We have determined that the information involved in this incident included customer name, credit or debit card number, and the card's expiration date and CVV (the three-digit security code)." Consumers are urged by the company to keep a close eye on their accounts for signs of fraud or identity theft. Any suspicious or unusual activity should be reported to the financial institution that issued the credit or debit card. --Written by Hal M. Bundrick for MainStreet

10 Stocks Everyone Was Googling This Year – GOOG HLF TWTR

Popular Posts: 4 Reasons Twitter’s Stock Has Gone Crazy9 Hot Toys For Christmas Every Kid Wants This Year15 Biggest Flops In Tech This Year Includes AAPL 5C Recent Posts: 10 Stocks Everyone Was Googling This Year – GOOG HLF TWTR 30 Best Big Stocks To Buy Right Now 4 Reasons Twitter’s Stock Has Gone Crazy View All Posts

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now

Google (GOOG) has released its annual “zeitgeist” report showing what the world was searching for in 2013.

In terms of stocks, Google picked out the 10 biggest trending topics — searches with the largest increase in search volume since last year.

From Twitter’s (TWTR) IPO to “activist investor” ego battles, these 10 companies had some of the biggest market stories of 2013.

Now we know what people are searching for.

10. Freddie Mac

Ticker: FMCC

Year-to-date return: 810.71%

Bruce Berkowitz of Fairholme Capital Management recently announced that he and other investors are willing to buy and recapitalize Freddie Mac, the mortgage-backed security seller and government-sponsored entity that gained fame as it crumbled during the financial crisis.

9. Herbalife

Ticker: HLF

Year-to-date return: 132.39%

Herbalife is “trending” more because big personalities have been going on TV to talk about it (rather than because of the product itself). “Activist investors” Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn have squared off over the diet supplement company all year.

Ackman, of Pershing Square, is short and has said the company is a “pyramid scheme.” Ichan took the other end and went long, and says he’s made $500 million on the bet — which probably was less about the money and more about one-upping Bill Ackman. George Soros is also long Herbalife. In hedge fund land, and otherwise unknown stock can become the perfect arena for big egos.

8. Better Business Bureau

Ticker: (not public)

Year-to-date return: NA

The Better Business Bureau is actually a non-profit. It is a highly-searched company because it provides consumers with information about various businesses. We’re not really sure why this was in Google’s list.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

Top Google Searches of 2013 Jeff Gundlach Takes A Contrarian Stance On Fed Policy In This Sweeping Presentation Wall Street Has Smoked Main Street Since The Financial Crisis

Stocks open flat ahead of Fed meeting

U.S. stocks lacked direction and opened flat on Tuesday morning with investors looking ahead to a Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting.

The Dow Jones industrial average opened up 0.2%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite opened near the flat line.

The Fed meets in Washington for two days beginning Tuesday, and officials could signal when the Fed will dial back the stimulus that has helped boost the stock market this year.

The Fed's $85 billion of monthly bond purchases have kept U.S. interest rates low to encourage economic recovery but also sent a flood of money into stock markets worldwide in search of higher returns.

"Today kicks off the final Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of the year, with a statement slated for release tomorrow," says Schaeffer's Investment Research senior options strategist Tony Venosa. "There has been a lot of chatter recently about a December tapering, so the next two days could be quite volatile."

An unchanged reading on consumer price inflation in November and a increase of just 1.2% in the cost of living over the past 12 months reported today is well below the Fed's 2% guidepost. That could influence the Fed's decision on when to start the taper.

The Dow got a boost from aerospace giant Boeing, which announced that it was boosting its dividend by 50% and buying back $10 billion worth of shares within the next two to three years. Similarly, materials company 3M said it was boosting its dividend by nearly 35%.

In energy markets, benchmark crude for January delivery shed 15 cents to $97.33 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 88 cents to close at $97.48 a barrel on Monday.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 0.8% at 15,278.63.

On Monday, the Dow rose 129 points, or 0.8%, to close at 15,884.57. The S&P 500 index rose 11 points, or 0.6%, to 1,786.54. The Nasdaq composite ended higher by 28 points, or 0.7%, at 4,029.52.

MONDAY: Stocks strong on deal new! s, productivity data

Contributing: Associated Press

Vice Media cranks up news operations

SAN FRANCISCO — What do military drones in Pakistan, arms expositions in Jordan and a naked beer-drinking man in Brooklyn have in common? They are all part of the go-anywhere storytelling style of Vice Media.

Vice's unvarnished view of the world may be the voice of a new generation. The Brooklyn-based company's edgy brand of journalism is scoring with Generation Y. Vice has blasted off from scrappy origins as a culture zine out of Canada to an online juggernaut of provocative media whose coverage spans the world's affairs.

Vice eschews traditional broadcast news for behind-the-scenes storytelling, offering an alternative to the likes of CNN. Vice reporters are "one of us" and sometimes what they report really "punches you in the stomach," says Tom Freston, a former Viacom and MTV executive who is an investor and informal adviser to Vice.

Now, Vice is boosting its operations. The publisher is building a Venice Beach, Calif., editorial bureau and is staking out San Francisco, focusing on new video production studios. That adds to its growing network of 34 bureaus worldwide.

Expansion at Vice comes as cash-strapped traditional publishers struggle with reinvention in the digital era and scores of well-funded online media start-ups emerge.

In October, Vox Media landed $40 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture firm Accel Partners to expand video efforts at its Web destinations The Verge, SB Nation and Polygon. Internet traffic-focused BuzzFeed this year attracted $19 million in funding, while Henry Blodget's Business Insider took in $5 million and is rumored for sale at $100 million.

"These are audience-building machines," says Rich LeFurgy, principal at online ad consultancy Archer Advisors.

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox in August injected $70 million into Vice, swelling the wealth of co-founder and CEO Shane Smith, 44, worth a reported $400 million on a $1.4 billion company valuation.

"Our audience is actually saying make more news," Smith says. ! "We tell stories that a lot of other people don't tell, and we tell them in a different way. That's what's really been resonating with our audience. So we're going to double down."

The publisher is adding "dozens" of new correspondents, hosts, producers and editors to build out a new Vice.com News section and a Vice News YouTube channel.

Vice, which states it is profitable but does not disclose figures, hauled in more than $175 million in revenue in 2012 and is on track to surpass that figure, according to unnamed sources who were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company.

Audience attractions

In the past year, Vice has made huge Internet traffic gains. Monthly unique Internet visitors to Vice have tripled to about 7.5 million, according to measurement firm comScore. Likewise, BuzzFeed has nearly doubled to 22.6 million monthly unique visitors. Vox Media's tech-focused Web site The Verge has more than doubled, to about 7.2 million.

Vice also operates a network of vertical interest sites such as Noisey -- which covers music, creates events and produces music videos in another line item of income -- that the publisher says amount to millions more viewers. Sometimes dubbed Vice's far-flung media empire spans books, its magazine, an HBO series and foreign television.

Video has been a big focus from Vice, Vox and others. Vice counts 4.8 million subscribers across its various YouTube channels. Smith, a star of its videos, personifies Vice's bold attitude. When Vice reached 2 million YouTube subscribers, Smith made good on a promise to go to work naked — sporting just tattoos, a cod piece and a beer.

"Vice is very much built on bad boy content. It's very edgy stuff from war zones, sex, drugs and violence," says Altimeter Group media analyst Rebecca Lieb.

Despite that image, Vice co-founders Smith and Suroosh Alvi, also 44, have stayed focused on their core belief: to tell stories that others don't tell, often with a personal perspective, and to serve the! under se! rved. And they are tackling issues such as the environment and foreign affairs that they say appeal to younger audiences.

Alvi took a recent trip to Pakistan to cover how U.S. drones have affected civilians there. He said there is a lot of preparation involved in getting set up with local contacts and there's always an element of danger. "Otherwise, you end up doing the story everyone else is doing and you're standing in that safe compound ... and you're not actually seeing what's really going on," he says.

Vice's mix of stories can also range from raunchy to ridiculous topics. -- a NSFW (Not Safe for Work) tabbed section of stories makes that clear.But Documentary pieces like its "The Real Walter White," a real-life notable methamphetamine cook by the same name as the star character in Breaking Bad, make it clear Vice knows how to tap into a media sensation. In one week, the video documentary scored 2.7 million views on YouTube.

Vox's The Verge knows how to grab audiences as well. Its editor of The Verge, the charismatic Joshua Topolsky, has made appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to talk tech and trade punchlines like old buds.

The Verge, too, puts out in-depth videos. The publisher also pushes long-form investigative stories online at a time when many publishers are obsessed with Internet traffic and story quantities. The Verge puts out high-quality video stories at lower costs than big broadcast news outlets, says Accel Ventures' Andrew Braccia, who sits on Vox's board.

Formed in 2011, Vox has "figured out how to speak to a new generation" as well as "abandoned the traditions of the traditional media outlets," Braccia says. "It has come out of nowhere to become one of the biggest media properties in the world."

Advertising questions

While Vox and Vice offer a smorgasbord of stories and videos, some with an evergreen shelf life, both also take a different approach to advertising from media giants of the past.

Vice and Vox make money from produc! ing premi! um advertisements. Industry analysts call these sponsored units, or native ads, because of the way they are mingled with other media. Vice has an in-house advertising production agency in deals with Intel, Ray-Ban and North Face for partnership videos. Vice has tapped into an elusive 18- to 34-year-old audience that these brands want to reach with a similar look and feel to the publisher's media in their sponsored videos.

But Vice's advertisers may be limited to those unworried about adjacency issues of appearing next to a potty mouth story.

"Vice is pretty out there for a lot of advertisers," Lieb says. "While it does attract a very valuable demographic, it does so for somewhat prurient reasons."

Vox has likewise launched an inside unit to offer advertising services. These premium ads produced by Vice and Vox are the type that appeal to brand advertisers who have grown weary of traditional online ads that people try best to ignore. They also make journalism ethic wonks edgy over the thinning walls between advertising and editorial.

The FTC this month held a workshop on native advertising to examine the blending of advertisements within news, entertainment and other digital media, in the interest of heading off misleading advertising practices.

But some say that how publishers work with the Internet advertising business is fast changing. "Media companies will become not only story tellers with their audience but will enable brands with their tools to tell stories to their audience," says Accel's Braccia. "The most successful brands in the future will understand how to build that relationship."

Advertisers are biting for these premium ads. Sponsorship ad spending is forecast to grow 24% to $1.9 billion in 2013, according to eMarketer.

"The main thing that's really interesting about these properties is they have a tone and voice that speaks to these audiences that advertisers want to buy," says Archer's LeFurgyof interest in the new native ad units produced by pub! lishers.

The New York Times

in the next couple of months plans to offer a new native advertising platform in house for advertisers. Including a full content studio to service advertisers,

The Times

will offer analytics and other tools to serve up new ad forms.

The Times

wants to offer high-quality native ads from its advertising unit that it says will be produced separately from editorial and distinctly labeled. For good reason: The Times reported shrinking digital revenue in its most recent quarter, down 3.4% from a year ago.

5 Stocks Ready to Break Out

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Trading stocks that trigger major breakouts can lead to massive profits. Once a stock trends to a new high, or takes out a prior overhead resistance point, then it's free to find new buyers and momentum players that can ultimately push the stock significantly higher.

One example of a successful breakout trade I flagged recently was biopharmaceutical player Coronado Biosciences (CNDO), which I featured in Dec. 9's "5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts" at $1.74 share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of CNDO had started to uptrend recently off its low of $1.25 a share, after gapping down huge from $7 a share in October. That uptrend was quickly pushing shares of CNDO within range of triggering a major breakout trade above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $1.86 to $1.88 a share, and then above more key resistance levels at $1.91 to its gap-down-day high of $2.16 a share.

Guess what happened? Shares of CNDO started to flirt with that breakout the same day my article was published, after the stock hit an intraday high on Dec. 9 of $1.95 a share. This stock continued to flirt with breakout territory on Dec. 10, after it hit an intraday high of $2.01 a share. Share of CNDO stop the flirting this morning as the stock took out all of those overhead resistance levels with massive upside volume. At last check, CNDO has tagged an intraday high today of $2.70 a share, which represents a monster gain of over 50% in a very short timeframe. As you can see here, CNDO made a huge move after it busted higher into its large gap down zone with heavy upside volume.

Breakout candidates are something that I tweet about on a daily basis. I frequently tweet out high-probability setups, breakout plays and stocks that are acting technically bullish. These are the stocks that often go on to make monster moves to the upside. What's great about breakout trading is that you focus on trend, price and volume. You don't have to concern yourself with anything else. The charts do all the talking.

Trading breakouts is not a new game on Wall Street. This strategy has been mastered by legendary traders such as William O'Neal, Stan Weinstein and Nicolas Darvas. These pros know that once a stock starts to break out above past resistance levels, and hold above those breakout prices, then it can easily trend significantly higher.

With that in mind, here's a look at five stocks that are setting up to break out and trade higher from current levels.

K12

One stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is K12 (LRN), which offers proprietary curriculum and educational services created for online delivery to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. This stock has been a top target of the bears over the last three months, with shares down sharply by 43%.

5 Best Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now

If you take a look at the chart for K12, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways for the last month, with shares moving between $19.47 on the downside and $21.62 on the upside. Shares of LRN have now just started to spike higher back above its 50-day moving average of $20.09 a share. That move is quickly pushing shares of K12 within range of triggering a major breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LRN if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $20.77 to $21.17 a share, and then once it takes out more key overhead resistance at $21.62 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 519,295 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then LRN will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone form October that started just above $28 a share. This stock could easily make a monster move if it breaks out into that gap with volume, just like CNDO did.

Traders can look to buy LRN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $19.47 or around $19 a share. One can also buy LRN off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Alcobra

A biopharmaceutical stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Alcobra (ADHD), which is engaged in the development and commercialization of its proprietary drug, MG01CI, to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up huge by 126%.

If you take a look at the chart for Alcobra, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways and consolidating over the last month and change, with shares moving between $14.78 on the downside and $18.75 on the upside. Shares of ADHD have now started to uptrend a bit over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $15.05 to its recent high of $18.45 share. That move has started to push shares of ADHD within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ADHD if it manages to break out above its 50-day moving average of $17.79 a share, and then once it takes out some more key overhead resistance levels at $18.45 to $18.75 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 74,869 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ADHD will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $22 to $24 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give ADHD a chance to re-test or possibly take out its all-time high at $26.96 a share.

Traders can look to buy ADHD off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support levels at $16.17 to $15.05 a share, or around $14.78 a share. One could also buy ADHD 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.

Himax Technologies

A technology player that's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Himax Technologies (HIMX), which designs, develops and markets semiconductors that are critical components of flat panel displays. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up a whopping 355%.

If you take a look at the chart for Himax Technologies, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong over the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $8.13 to its recent high of $11.45 a share. During that uptrend, shares of HIMX have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of HIMX within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HIMX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $11.45 a share to its 52-week high at $11.49 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 8.63 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HIMX will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $14 to $15 a share.

Traders can look to buy HIMX off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $10.02 a share, or near more support at $9.50 a share. One can also buy HIMX off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

SolarCity

Another renewable energy player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is SolarCity (SCTY), which is engaged in designing, sales, engineering, installation, monitoring, maintenance and financing of solar energy systems to residential and commercial customers, and sale of electricity generated by solar energy systems to customers. This stock has been a favorite target of the bulls so far in 2013, with shares up big time by 341%.

If you look at the chart for SolarCity, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $42.38 to its recent high of $55.69 a share. During that uptrend, shares of SCTY have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Shares of SCTY are now starting to bounce higher off its 50-day moving average of $51.54 a share and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SCTY if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $55.69 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 5.21 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SCTY will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at $59.64 a share. Any high-volume move above $59.64 will then give SCTY a chance to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $65.30 a share.

Traders can look to buy SCTY off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $51.54 a share, or just below more near-term support at $49.45 a share. One can also buy SCTY off strength once it starts to take $55.69 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Marketo

My final breakout trading prospect is application software player Marketo (MKTO), which provides a cloud-based marketing software platform that enables organizations to engage in modern relationship marketing. This stock is off to a very strong start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 42%.

If you look at the chart for Marketo, you'll notice that this stock just recently formed a triple bottom chart pattern, since shares found buying interest over the last month at $29.02, $28.31 and $29.44 a share. Shares of MKTO have now started to spike sharply higher just above those support levels and its moving back above its 50-day moving average of $32.57 a share. That move is quickly pushing shares of MKTO within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MKTO if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $34.06 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 462,734 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then MKTO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $37.43 to its all-time high at $39.80 Any high-volume move above $39.80 will then push shares of MTKO into new all-time high territory, which is bullish technical price action. This stock could easily tag $45 a share if it trades into all-time high territory with bullish upside volume flows.

Traders can look to buy MKTO off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $29.44 or at $28.31 a share. One can also buy MKTO off strength once it starts to take out $34.06 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a conformable percentage from your entry point.

To see more breakout candidates, check out the Breakout Stocks of the Week portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

Best Growth Companies To Watch In Right Now

The StressTest column appears every Thursday on Fool.com. Check back weekly, and follow�@TMFStressTest�on Twitter.

It's beginning to look like much of the world fell in love with austerity economics under false pretenses.�

One of the cornerstones of the recent love affair with austerity was a paper by economists�Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff that argued that when debt-to-GDP ratios breach 90%, economic growth takes a dive. But now it looks like an Excel coding error -- among other things -- may have led to the wrong conclusion.�

This hardly the only time that Excel has been at the center of some boneheaded financial mishaps. In the run-up to the financial crisis, spreadsheet models that predicted blue skies and no housing downturn (ever!) ran rampant. More recently, as Paul Krugman reminded readers, an Excel error played a part in�JPMorgan Chase's (NYSE: JPM  ) London Whale debacle:

Best Growth Companies To Watch In Right Now: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Medifast, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of weight management and disease management products, and other consumable health and diet products in the United States. The company?s product lines include weight and disease management, meal replacement, and vitamins. It also operates weight control centers that offer Medifast programs for weight loss and maintenance, customized patient counseling, and inbody composition analysis. The company markets its products under the Medifast and Essential brand names, including shakes, appetite suppression shakes, women?s health shakes, diabetics shakes, joint health shakes, coronary health shakes, calorie burn drinks, calorie burn flavor infusers, antioxidant shakes, antioxidant flavor infusers, bars, crunch bars, soups, chili, oatmeal, pudding, scrambled eggs, hot cocoa, cappuccino, chai latte, iced teas, fruit drinks, pretzels, puffs, brownie, pancakes, soy crisps, crackers, and omega 3 and digestive health products. Medifast Inc. sells its products through various channels of distribution comprising Web, call center, independent health advisors, medical professionals, weight loss clinics, and direct consumer marketing supported via the phone and the Web; Take Shape for Life, a physician led network of independent health coaches; and weight control centers. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon] ast produces, distributes and sells weight and health management products with the brand names Medifast, Take Shape for Life, Hi-Energy Weight Control Centers and Woman�� Wellbeing.

  Its return on assets in the third quarter of 2011 was 19.6%, which has been increasing in the past several years. The average return on assets for the specialty retail industry is 10.48% for the trailing 12 months.

  The company�� total assets amounted to $94 million in 2010, which increased from $62.8 million in 2009. Net income also increased to $19.6 million in 2010 from $12 million in 2009.

  Boston Beer Inc. (SAM)

  Boston Beer Inc. is the largest brewer of handcrafted beers in America. Boston Beer is a growing company that recently saw a large increase in its return on assets. It increased from 19.3% in 2010 to 29.7% in 2011, and was negative as recently as 2008. The average return on assets for the beverages industry in the trailing 12 months is 9.47%.

  In 2011, the company�� total assets increased to $272.5 million from $258.5 million in 2010. Net income increased to $66 million from $50 million.

  Alliances Resources Partners (ARLP)

  Alliance Resources Partners is a coal producer and marketer primarily in the eastern U.S. Its ROA has been increasing since 2008 and increased to 22.5% in 2011 from 21.4% in 2010. The average return on assets for the oil, gas & consumable fuels industry in the trailing 12 months is 24.47%.

  In 2011, its total assets increased to $1.7 billion from $1.1 billion in 2010. Its net income increased to $389 million from $321 million.

  Factset Research Systems Inc. (FDS)

  Factset researches global market trends and develops analytical tools for investors. Of all of GuruFocus��5-star predictable companies, it has the highest return on assets at 27%. ROA has been increasing over the past several years. The average return on assets for the software industry for the trailing 12 m

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Medifast Inc. (NYSE: MED) saw its stock down 5% in evening trading on Tuesday after the weight loss player had soft sales and guided expectations lower. Shares were still indicated down about 5%, but volume has not yet started.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Nutrisystem have gained 20% to $18.05 at 1:34 p.m., while Weight Watchers (WTW) has risen 3.6% to $39.42. Medifast (MED), however, has dropped 1.9% to $24.94.

Best Growth Companies To Watch In Right Now: CNO Financial Group Inc. (CNO)

CNO Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, marketing, and administration of health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, and other insurance products for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. The company markets and distributes Medicare supplement insurance, interest-sensitive and traditional life insurance, fixed annuities, and long-term care insurance products; Medicare advantage plans through a distribution arrangement with Humana Inc.; and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans through a distribution and reinsurance arrangement with Coventry Health Care. It also markets and distributes supplemental health, including specified disease, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance products; and life insurance to middle-income consumers at home and the worksite through independent marketing organizations and insurance agencies. In addition, the company markets primarily graded benefit and simplified issue life insurance products directly to customers through television advertising, direct mail, Internet, and telemarketing. It sells its products through career agents, independent producers, direct marketing, and sales managers. CNO Financial Group, Inc. has strategic alliances with Coventry and Humana. The company was formerly known as Conseco, Inc. and changed its name to CNO Financial Group, Inc. in May 2010. CNO Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Up first is CNO Financial Group (CNO), a mid-cap financial stock that's rocketed close to 60% higher since the calendar flipped over to January. Yup, it's been a great year for the market, but it's been a far better one for investors who own CNO. But that strong performance isn't showing any signs of slowing yet. In fact, CNO looks primed for even more upside in the fourth quarter.

  That's because CNO is currently forming a bullish pattern called an ascending triangle. The ascending triangle pattern is formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares -- in this case at $14.75 -- and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as CNO bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $14.75 resistance level. When that breakout happens, it's time to become a buyer.

  ACCO's price action isn't exactly textbook. After all, the pattern is coming in at the bottom of a downtrend, not after an uptrend. But ultimately, that doesn't change the trading implications of a move through that $7.50 level.

  Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of those buyers and sellers. Ascending triangles and other pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

  That $7.50 resistance level is a price where there has been an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to step in and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a breakout above it so significant. The move means that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

  Don't be early on this trade.

Top 10 Bank Companies To Invest In 2014: Sara Lee Corporation(SLE)

Sara Lee Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of a range of branded packaged meat, bakery, and beverage products worldwide. Its packaged meat products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, sandwiches and bowls, smoked and dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, bacon, beef, turkey, and cooked ham. It also offers frozen baked products, which comprise frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, and other desserts. In addition, Sara Lee provides roast, ground, and liquid coffee; cappuccinos; lattes; and hot and iced teas, as well as refrigerated dough products. The company sells its products under Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, State Fair, Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Maison du Caf

Best Growth Companies To Watch In Right Now: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. engages in the ownership, operation, and franchise of restaurants in the United States. The company provides quick casual and casual dining services, as well as serves bottled beers, wines, and liquor. As of July 26, 2011, it had 773 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in 45 states in the United States, as well as in Canada. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) is an owner, operator and franchiser of restaurants featuring a variety of boldly-flavored, craveable menu items. This stock closed up 6% to $103.58 in Wednesday's trading session.

  Wednesday's Volume: 1.55 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 402,120
  
  Volume % Change: 319%

  From a technical perspective, BWLD ripped higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $98.38 with heavy upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of BWLD within range of triggering major breakout trade. That trade will hit if BWLD manages to take out its intraday high on Wednesday of $105.32 and then once it clears is 52-week high at $106.03 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BWLD as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $98.38 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 402,120 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then BWLD will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $110 to $120.

Best Growth Companies To Watch In Right Now: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

TrueBlue, Inc. provides temporary blue-collar staffing services in the United States. It supplies on demand general labor to various industries under the Labor Ready brand; skilled labor to manufacturing and logistics industries under the Spartan Staffing brand; and trades people for commercial, industrial, and residential construction, and building and plant maintenance industries under the CLP Resources brand. The company also provides mechanics and technicians to the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerospace manufacturing, and assembly industries, as well as to other transportation industries under the Plane Techs brand; and temporary drivers to the transportation and distribution industries under the Centerline brand. It primarily serves small and medium-size businesses. The company was formerly known as Labor Ready, Inc. and changed its name to TrueBlue, Inc. in December 2007. TrueBlue, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of staffing agency TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI  ) jumped 10% today after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue jumped 19%, to $422.3 million, and beat estimates of $420.2 million from Wall Street. Adjusted earnings per share were also up 19%, to $0.31, outpacing estimates by $0.05.�

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  When looking at small cap stocks, it is useful to compare the company with others that have expanded in both share price and size. For those considering investing in the $100 billion staffing industry, the growth of TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) shows what could be the potential path for Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), as both operate in the $29 billion demand labor sector. Other firms have done well in the staffing industry include Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and ManPower Group (NYSE: MAN).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

Holiday Spending Continues to Disappoint

In the matter of how large the holiday sales pie will be this year, the size apparently will be small. That means retailers, both store-based and Internet-based, will need to take business from one another, and it is the companies that take the most in that battle that have a chance of doing well — but only modestly. There is no rising tide. Consumers have not bought holiday gifts in large enough numbers in 2013 and will not between now and the end of the year.

According to new data from Gallup on holiday spending intentions:

Americans’ average prediction for the total amount they will spend on Christmas gifts this season is now $740, midway between the $786 they estimated in October and the $704 in November. Given how the most recent prediction compares with previous years — coming in below last year’s $770 and falling well short of consumers’ spending intentions in years prior to the 2008 financial crisis — the 2013 holiday season will likely be a ho-hum one for retailers.

By way of contrast, the figure was above $900 in two of the three years before the recession.

The forecast puts brick-and-mortar companies in more of a bind than e-commerce firms. Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) revenue in 2008 was only $19.1 million. This year that number is likely to be closer to $90 million. Amazon has sucked much of the air out of the holiday retail room. For contrast, Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) revenue for all of last year was $29 billion. For giant Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT), revenue was $73.3 billion for the same period.

While market share is critical, overall sales across the holiday economy are more important. The retail system continues to support tens of thousands of stores operated by the dozen largest retailers by sales. That multibillion infrastructure is losing more of its foundation by the year. Amazon, at least, can operate without many people who deal with the consumer face-to-face. Traditional retailers do not have that cost advantage. Without shopping center and mall visitors who aggressively spend money, the entire store-based system breaks down.

Americans have decided not to spend very much this holiday season, at least against the annual numbers posted in the best years of the past decade. Retailers cannot afford many more holidays like this one.

Is good news no longer bad news for markets?

NEW YORK — For the longest time, good incoming news was viewed as bad news by Wall Street. The reason: Stock investors figured signs of a healing economy would move the Federal Reserve ever closer to dialing back its market-friendly stimulus program.

But that might be finally changing. Need proof? On Friday, the economy created a better-than-expected 203,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate fell to a five-year low of 7%, a threshold the Fed once said would mark the end of its bond-buying program.

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Top Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now

But the stock market went up — not down as it did in the spring and summer when the Fed first hinted at "tapering" its asset purchases. The S&P 500 followed with a

record closing high of 1808.37

Monday.

Some on Wall Street theorize that the jobs report, despite the impressive headline numbers, was neither too strong nor too weak. In essence, it's not a major game-changer as it relates to the timing of the Fed's move toward less-easy monetary policy.

But there was a contingent of Wall Street pros who viewed the market reaction as a sign that good economic news may now be viewed as good news for stocks.

"Good economic news is no longer necessarily bad short-term news for financial markets," says Jerry Webman, chief economist for Oppenheimer Funds. "Instead, a consensus seems to be building that a Fed taper decision will be, on balance, positive — as long as the economy is improving unambiguously."

Gross: Investors playing a dangerous game with loose money

Pacific Investment Management Co.'s Bill Gross, manager of the world's biggest bond fund, said the unprecedented cash added to the financial system by central banks is raising the risk of a slide in global asset prices.

“Investors are all playing the same dangerous game that depends on a near-perpetual policy of cheap financing and artificially low interest rates in a desperate gamble to promote growth,” Mr. Gross wrote in his monthly investment outlook posted on Pimco's website Tuesday. The Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank and Bank of England “are setting the example for global markets, basically telling investors that they have no alternative than to invest in riskier assets or to lever high-quality assets.”

Mr. Gross reiterated that Pimco is focused on shorter-maturity Treasuries, mortgage and corporate debt that will benefit by the Fed keeping its target rate for overnight loans near zero for several years. Fed policy makers cut rates to a record low as the financial crisis mounted in 2008 and vowed to keep them there until the economy and employment show sustained signs of recovery.

“This now near-five-year migration across the global asset plains in search of taller grass and deeper water has had limits, both in price and real growth space,” Pimco's co-chief investment officer wrote. “If monetary and fiscal policies cannot produce the real growth that markets are priced for, and they have not, then investors at the margin” will begin “to prefer the comforts of a less risk-oriented migration.”

'BE AFRAID'

Global stocks beat all assets for a third month in November, the longest winning streak since 2009. Commodities extended declines as gold fell the most since June.

The MSCI All-Country World Index of equities in 45 markets rose 1.5% including dividends and the S&P 500 reached a record as China pledged to expand economic freedoms, the European Central Bank cut interest rates and speculation increased that the Fed will delay reducing stimulus. The U.S. Dollar Index advanced 0.6% and the S&P GSCI Total Return Index of 24 commodities fell 0.8%. Bonds of all types lost 0.16% on average, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Global Broad Market Index.

“Look for constant policy rates until at least 2016,” in the U.S., Mr. Gross said. “Front-end load portfolios. Don't fight central banks, but be afraid. Global economies and their artificially priced markets are increasingly at risk, but the unwinding may occur gradually.”

The Fed, which has kept its benchmark overnight bank lending rate in a range of zero to 0.25% since December 2008, has said it will maintain that rate while unemployment held above 6.5% and inflation stayed below 2.5%.

The performance of the Total Return Fund over the past three years puts it ahead of 74% of similarly managed funds, gaining 4.34% over the period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

(Bloomberg News) Like w

Retails Sales, Looking Beyond Thanksgiving And Black Friday

The deals are good enough and promotions aggressive enough that the millions of Americans who are supposed to shop on Thanksgiving and Black Friday will. However, retailers face the same puzzle they do every year. Are the sales made on this holiday weekend increases in overall sales for the entire season between the start of November and the end of December?  Or, are they sales which steal from the purchasing that might happen in the three weeks before Christmas? If the latter is true, even the most conservative of estimates about industry revenue improvement won’t be true.

The two most important forecasts issued by the National Retail Federation for 2013 cover 1) overall holiday sales and 2), the Thanksgiving weekend’s activity:

NRF expects sales in the months of November and December to marginally increase 3.9 percent to $602.1 billion, over 2012's actual 3.5 percent holiday season sales growth. The forecast is higher than the 10-year average holiday sales growth of 3.3 percent.

And,

For the first time since 2002, Thanksgiving falls as late as the calendar possibly allows it to, but eager holiday shoppers are already mapping their shopping strategies for the big weekend. According to a preliminary Thanksgiving weekend shopping survey, up to 140 million people plan to or will shop over the weekend (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a slight decrease from the 147 million who planned to do so last year. For the first time, NRF asked if people plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day: of those who plan to shop that weekend, nearly one-quarter (23.5%) plan to on Thanksgiving Day, or 33 million shoppers.

The two forecasts cannot be directly compared because they use different metrics. They do, however, paint a picture of a poor improvement in holiday activity married with a short post-Thanksgiving sales season. If Thanksgiving does not draw an abundance of shoppers, the runway to the end of the year is short.

The retail industry clearly has elected to risk that brisk Thanksgiving sales are better than the odds  shoppers will steal from their entire holiday budgets. Consumers have enough money, they must reason,  to spend a great deal in December as well. Thanksgiving does not borrow from the days which come after it–maybe.

The proof of the risk is in the hours most retails have decided to stay open this weekend. Many will open stores on Thanksgiving. These ranks from the largest in Walmart (NYSE: WMT) to the most troubled in J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP). Of course, with Walmart’s size and balance sheet, it can risk a slow December. J.C. Penney cannot. Healthy retailers will take a risk with Thanksgiving retail sales. Weak retailer will risk their existence.

At the mall this weekend, the fate of the industry might be decided. People will either spend all of their holiday budgets, or they are better off than most experts suppose

 

 

4 Stocks Breaking Out on Unusual Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>5 Rocket Stocks for Turkey Day Trading

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

Visteon

Visteon (VC) is a supplier of automotive systems, modules and components to original equipment manufacturers. This stock closed up 1.3% at $77.90 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 677,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 480,994

Volume % Change: 75%

From a technical perspective, VC trended modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $75.82 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of VC within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if VC manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $78.09 to its 52-week high at $79.62 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VC as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $76.77 or above its 50-day at $75.82 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 480,994 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then VC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $85 to $87.

Adept Technology

Adept Technology (ADEP) is engaged in the development of intelligent robotics and advanced control systems. This stock closed up 15.9% at $10.96 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 814,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 242,006

Volume % Change: 229%

From a technical perspective, ADEP skyrocketed higher here right above some near-term support at $9 with strong upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of ADEP within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if ADEP manages to take out Monday's high of $11.17 to its 52-week high at $11.50 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ADEP as long as it's trending above Monday's low $9.54 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 242,006 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ADEP will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $14 to $15.

Titan International

Titan International (TWI) manufactures mounted tire and wheel systems for off-highway equipment used in agriculture, construction, mining, military, recreation and grounds care. This stock closed up 6.5% to $17.09 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 2.50 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 984,757

Volume % Change: 140%

From a technical perspective, TWI spiked sharply higher here and broke out above some past overhead resistance at $16.42 with strong upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of TWI within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if TWI manages to take out Monday's high of $17.15 to more past overhead resistance levels at $17.75 to $18.25 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in TWI as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $15.96 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 984,757 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then TWI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $21 to $22.

Given Imaging

Given Imaging (GIVN) develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic products for the visualization and detection of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. This stock closed up 6.6% to $22.63 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 505,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 69,559

Volume % Change: 541%

From a technical perspective, GIVN ripped sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $20.91 and above its 50-day moving average of $20.37 with heavy upside volume. This move briefly pushed shares of GIVN into breakout and new 52-week-high territory, since the stock flirted with some near-term overhead resistance at $22.96. Shares of GIVN closed just a bit below its daily high at $22.63. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if GIVN can manage to take out Monday's high of $22.99 with volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GIVN as long as it's trending above support at $20.91 or above its 50-day at $20.37 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's high at $22.99 with volume that hits near or above 69,559 shares. If we get that move soon, then GIVN will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $27 to $30.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Dividend Stocks That Want to Pay You More

>>3 Health Care Stocks Under $10 to Watch

>>Profit From 5 Trades Warren Bufett Made

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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

4 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

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

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

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

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

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

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

RealD

RealD (RLD) is a licensor of 3D technologies. This stock closed up 2.8% to $8.89 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $8.63-$9.00

52-Week Range: $6.19-$16.05

Thursday's Volume: 688,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 540,689

From a technical perspective, RLD spiked modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $8.45 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of RLD within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if RLD manages to take out some key near-term overhead resistance at $9 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RLD as long as it's trending above support at $8.45 or above $8 and then once it sustains a move or close above $9 with volume that hits near or above 540,689 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then RLD will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $11 to its 200-day moving average at $11.25, or even $12.

Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte

Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte (EDN) distributes and sells electricity in Buenos Aires. This stock closed up 8.5% to $6.38 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $5.93-$6.41

52-Week Range: $1.65-$7.03

Thursday's Volume: 109,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 82,031

From a technical perspective, EDN spiked sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $6.20 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $4.72 to its intraday high of $6.41. During that move, shares of EDN have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of EDN within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if EDN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.43 to its 52-week high at $7.03 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in EDN as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $5.93 or above more support at $5.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 82,031 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then KEM will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $8 to $8.86.

Cenveo

Cenveo (CVO) provides an array of print and related solutions in the areas of envelops, custom labels, specialty packaging, and business documents, among others. This stock closed up 3.9% to $3.44 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $3.31-$3.45

52-Week Range: $1.85-$3.53

Thursday's Volume: 603,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 597,514

From a technical perspective, CVO spiked higher here right off some near-term support at $3.27 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months and change, with shares soaring from its low of $2.11 to its recent high of $3.53. During that uptrend, shares of CVO have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of CVO within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if CVO manages to take out Thursday's high of $3.45 to its 52-week high at $3.53 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CVO as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $3.27 or above its 50-day at $3.05 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 597,514 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CVO will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $4.50 to $5.

Vitacost.com

Vitacost.com (VITC) is an online retailer and direct marketer of health and wellness products including dietary supplements, cosmetics, organic body and personal care products, Pet products, sports nutrition as well as health foods. This stock closed up 7.8% to $5.64 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $5.23-$5.71

52-Week Range: $5.11-$9.40

Thursday's Volume: 214,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 124,554

From a technical perspective, VITC ripped sharply higher here right above its 52-week low of $5.11 with above-average volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months and change, with shares dropping sharply lower from its high of $8.99 to its low of $5.11. During that downtrend, shares of VITC have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of VITC might be ready to see an end to its recent downside volatility, since this stock is very oversold and starting to catch a bid. The current relative strength index reading for VITC is 30.60, which is an extreme oversold condition.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VITC as long as it's trending above its 52-week low of $5.11 and then once it sustains a move or close above Thursday's high of $5.71 to more near-term overhead resistance at $6 with volume that hits near or above 124,554 shares. If we get that move soon, then VITC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.50 to $7, or even $7.50.

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

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>Profit From 5 Trades Warren Buffett Made

>>4 Stocks Spiking on Unusual Volume

>>5 Earnings Short-Squeeze Plays

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now

Private employers added 135,000 jobs in May -- fewer than expected -- and that is probably what's weighing on stocks this morning. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) and the narrower, price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) are down 0.21% and 0.18%, respectively, as of 10:05 a.m. EDT.

A cloudy shopping day
In a "race to the cloud," software upstart salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM  ) and Dow component IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) are snapping up two providers of software as a service, or SaaS, in deals with a combined value of $4.5 billion.

In truth, cloud computing -- which enables businesses to use hosted software via the Web without having to install it in-house -- is part of Salesforce's DNA, so the acquisition of ExactTarget, which bills itself as "the global marketing SaaS leader," is no surprise.

For IBM, on the other hand, buying SoftLayer -- a provider of platform and infrastructure for cloud-computing applications -- is part of a conscious bet on the cloud as IBM adapts to the changing marketplace of business IT. The technology blue chip says it aims to derive $7 billion in annual revenue from cloud computing in 2015 (for comparison, IBM's 2012 revenue was $102 billion).

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Lately, Johnson & Johnson has presented two different faces to investors. On one hand, the company has faced the challenge of dealing with a weak consumer-products business, as multiple recalls and close regulatory oversight of its production facilities have exacerbated J&J's problems. With its more focused consumer-goods business, Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  ) has worked harder at taking advantage of international growth opportunities than many of its rivals, and Colgate's strong overseas sales, in comparison to J&J's international weakness, show the effectiveness of that strategy. In particular, Asia has been a focus point for Colgate, with revenue from the region having risen 9% year over year compared with less than 3% growth overall. Moreover, Latin America represents Colgate's biggest region for sales, with more than half again the revenue its U.S. segment produces.

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  However, the Beatles were far better musicians than businessmen. Subsidiaries to make electronics, produce films, and sell retail products were all terrible failures, and outside of the Beatles catalogue (later bought by Michael Jackson), there wasn't much that anyone wanted to buy. Apple Corps eventually became known primarily as the launchpad for numerous lawsuits, many of which were aimed squarely at Steve Jobs' Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) .

Hot Stocks For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) and UnderArmour (NYSE: UA  ) report earnings on Friday. Will McDonald's continue its recent rebound? Is UnderArmour the next Nike? In this Installment of Investor Beat, our analysts explain why they're watching McDonald's and UnderArmour.

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  However, you would be hard-pressed to find any connection between falling smoking prevalence and share performance at Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI  ) , Lorriland (NYSE: LO  ) , Phillip Morris (NYSE: PM  ) , and Altria (NYSE: MO  ) . These companies are some of the best performers in the past decade. In fact, Altria is the best-performing stock of the last half-century!

• [By Diane Alter]

  Dividend Stocks That Increased Payout in September

  Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) announced a 14.8%, or $0.12 per share, increase to its semiannual dividend. The management consulting firm will now pay a semiannual dividend of $0.93. Shares yield 2.53%. Agruim Inc. (NYSE: AGU) boosted its dividend by $1.00 per share to a total dividend of $3.00 on an annualized basis. Shares of the global retailer of agricultural products now sprout a 3.54% yield. Air Industries Group Inc. (NYSE: AIRI) doubled its dividend to $0.125 per share. The maker of airplane and helicopter parts now floats a lofty yield of 6.6%. Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (NYSE: ARE) upped its dividend 4.6% to $0.68 per quarter for a yield of 4.21%. Banner Corp. (Nasdaq: BANR) boosted its quarterly dividend 25% to $0.15 per share. The parent company of Banner and Islander Bank serves the Pacific Northwest region. Brady Corp. (NYSE: BRC) lifted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.78 per share. It was the 28th straight dividend increase from the identification solutions company. Shares yield 2.57%. Campbell Soup Co. (NSE: CPB) raised its quarterly dividend to $0.31 per share, up from $0.29. The company last raised its dividend in November 2010. Shares yield a hearty 3.06%. CLARCOR Inc. (NYSE: CLC) raised its quarterly dividend 26% to $0.17 per share. It's the largest percentage increase from the Tennessee-based diversified marketer of mobile filtration and packaging products in the last 20 years, and it continues the company's consecutive streak of increasing dividends for the last 30 years. Franklin Resources Inc. (NYSE: BEN) boosted its quarterly dividend 2.6% to $0.10 per share. Frisch's Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: FRS) increased its quarterly dividend 12.5% to $0.18. Shares yield 3.10% The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT), in a move that suggests good times are ahead, reinstated its dividend at $0.05 per share. Good
• [By Holly LaFon]

  Company % of Assets Pepsico (PEP) 3.4 Philip Morris (PM) 2.3 Tesco PLC ADR (TSCO) 2.1 Molson Coors Brewing (TAP) 2.1 Microsoft (MSFT) 1.9 Merck (MRK) 1.9 Procter & Gamble (PG) 1.8 Avon Products (AVN) 1.6 Wal��art (WMT) 1.6 Medtronic 1.6 Hospira (HSP) 1.5 BP (BP) 1.4 Medco Health Solutions (MHS) 1.3 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 1.3 Unilever NV (UL) 1.3
  Jeff is also optimistic about natural gas and believes the recession in Europe could be setting up "a generational buying opportunity."

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Credit card use is up, and that's great news for industry heavies Visa (NYSE: V  ) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) , both of which have been on a tear over the past few month. To make things even sweeter, delinquencies have dropped, too, and now stand at a level not seen since 1990.

Hot Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) is a giant among Dow stocks. The IT hardware and services veteran accounts for 11% of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) index by weight, and its price swings always make a big difference to the Dow's daily value changes.