Stocks mixed as investors shrug off weak GDP

Wall Street stocks opened mixed Wednesday, as investors shrugged off the worst quarterly reading on economic growth since the end of 2012, opting to blame the weak growth on bad winter weather.

In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was up about 13 points, or 0.1%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index was basically unchanged, The Nasdaq composite was down 0.2%.

The economy grew far more slowly in the first quarter as extreme winter weather helped crimp activity, but Wall Street opted to treat it as old news and a temporary blip.

The nation's gross domestic product, or GDP, in the first three months of 2014 increased at just an 0.1% annual pace, down from 2.6% in the fourth quarter, the government said Wednesday. That's the weakest pace since the fourth quarter of 2012.

Later, the Federal Reserve will conclude its two-day monetary policy meeting. An announcement on its stimulus program is expected.

European shares traded near the flat line but with a downward bias. Inflation in the eurozone rose less than expected.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.1%to close at 14,304.11. The Bank of Japan avoided changes to its monetary policy despite concern that a consumption tax hike would sap growth.

In notable corporate news: French engineering company Alstom said it will decide by the end of May whether to accept a $17 billion offer from General Electric for its energy business.

Twitter's shares were down nearly 10% to $38.39 in early trading, and nearly 50% off its all-time high, after the micro-blogging company revealed that its user growth has stalled.

Some of the world's largest banks may be about to see criminal charges from federal prosecutors, according to a report in The New York Times. The report says that prosecutors are seeking to counter the perception that Wall Street's big banks are "too large to jail."

Oil futures fell 1% to stay just above the $100 level.

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The International Monetary Fund slashed its growth forecast for Russia to 0.2% from 1.3% for 2014 in the wake of the sanctions imposed on Ukraine for its actions in Crimea. The IMF also said that the sanctions were working and that investment in Russia is under threat.

Contributing: Paul Davidson, the Associated Press.

Fed likely to reiterate flexible policy on rates

WASHINGTON (AP) — In her first weeks as Federal Reserve chair, Janet Yellen has made one thing clear: The Fed will keep all options open in deciding when to raise interest rates from record lows.

Gone are the benchmarks that her predecessor, Ben Bernanke, used to try to guide investors: That by a certain point in the future or when unemployment reached a specific rate, the Fed would consider slowing its stimulus for the economy.

In a speech this month, Yellen said the Fed "must respond to significant unexpected twists and turns the economy may take."

On Wednesday, when it ends a policy meeting, the Fed will likely repeat that theme and echo a point it made after Yellen's first meeting as chair last month: That even after the job market strengthens and the Fed starts raising rates, it will likely keep rates unusually low to support a still-subpar economy.

Yellen's message of flexibility may help convey the Fed's willingness to respond to abrupt shifts in the economy. Yet it can also be tricky. It can leave investors uncertain and fearful of a sudden shift in the Fed's approach to interest rates. Financial markets hate uncertainty.

The Fed will be meeting in a week when the government will issue a flurry of reports on the economy — from manufacturing growth and consumer spending to home prices, consumer confidence, economic expansion and job gains. Collectively, they will help sketch a more detailed portrait of the economy.

And they are among the many indicators Yellen has stressed the Fed must monitor to fully assess the economy's health and decide when to start raising rates.

That message marks a shift from the approach Bernanke took over the past five years as the Fed struggled to strengthen the economy after the Great Recession. Under his leadership, the Fed sought to be as publicly specific as possible about its intentions. And it did so by focusing primarily on the unemployment rate.

In December 2012, for example, the Fed said it intended to keep it! s benchmark short-term rate near zero at least as long as unemployment remained above 6.5 percent. The idea was to signal roughly how long the Fed was committed to keeping borrowing rates at record lows to spur spending and economic growth.

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Yellen has said the unemployment rate, now 6.7 percent, overstates the health of the job market and economy and that the Fed must assess a range of barometers. She has expressed concern, for example, that a high percentage of the unemployed — 37 percent — have been out of work for six months or more and that pay is scarcely rising for people who do have jobs.

Some economists say Yellen's decision to shift away from the Bernanke Fed's approach of providing specific guideposts for a future rate increase — its "forward guidance" — carries risks.

"The whole idea of forward guidance is to project this air of clarity and confidence, and that is not happening," said David Jones of DMJ Advisors. "This is a time when the markets need confidence in the Fed."

Yellen also faces skepticism from some fellow Fed members on inflation. The Fed favors consumer inflation of about 2 percent annually. It becomes concerned if inflation goes too much above or below that target. The inflation index the Fed monitors most closely is measuring about 1 percent.

Some critics on the Fed say its efforts to keep rates super-low have elevated the risk of igniting inflation or inflating bubbles in assets like stocks or homes. Others counter that inflation remains too far below the Fed's target and that rates should be kept historically low.

No major changes are expected in a statement the Fed will release when its meeting ends. But it will likely announce a fourth reduction in its monthly bond purchases. Those purchases have been intended to keep long-term loan rates low.

The Fed has cut its monthly bond buying from! $85 bill! ion in $10 billion increments to $55 billion. If the economy keeps improving, it will likely keep paring its purchases until ending them late this year. The pullback is expected despite tough challenges the economy faces, from a slowing housing recovery to anemic economic growth last quarter resulting in part from a brutal winter.

For investors, the big question is when the Fed might start raising its key short-term rate from zero, where it's stood since late 2008. That rate has remained a source of economic support because it keeps many borrowing rates low.

After last month's meeting, the Fed said it expected to keep the rate near zero "for a considerable time" after it ends its bond purchases. Asked at a news conference to define a "considerable time," Yellen said, "It probably means something on the order of around six months or that type of thing."

Stock prices sank on her mention of "six months" because it seemed to signal that the first rate increase would occur sooner than investors had assumed. In subsequent appearances, Yellen has de-emphasized any plan to raise rates at a specific time. Rather, she has suggested that the job market remains far from fully healthy — a hint that the first rate increase might occur well into the future.

Most economists think the first increase won't occur until the summer of 2015 at the earliest.

"I think the Fed is going to stay the course," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. "No news is good news at this stage."

Can Sirius XM Radio Continue This Bull Run?

With shares of Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) trading around $3, is SIRI 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

Sirius XM Radio broadcasts its music, sports, entertainment, comedy, talk, news, traffic, and weather channels in the United States on a subscription fee basis through its two satellite radio systems. Subscribers can also receive its music and other channels over the Internet, including through applications for mobile devices. Audio entertainment has always pleased consumers and is a medium that is growing in popularity. Sirius XM Radio is looking to expand its audio entertainment channels to every audio medium possible, which will surely translate to rising profits.

On Thursday morning, Sirius XM Radio posted earnings that met and revenue figures that exceeded Wall Street's expectations. The revenue beat is a great sign for investors seeking high growth out of the company. As consumers continue to adopt this technology, look for Sirius XM Radio to gain market share.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

Sirius XM Radio stock has seen a consistent uptrend since establishing lows in early 2009. The stock is now trading at highs for the year and looks poised to continue. 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, Sirius XM Radio is trading above its rising key averages which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

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

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Sirius XM Radio Options	38.86%	10%	9%

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

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
August Options	Flat	Average
September 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 minimal amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

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

E = Earnings Are Mixed 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 Sirius XM Radio’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Sirius XM Radio look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	-95.83%	0.00%	104.80%	-50.00%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	12.23%	11.52%	13.87%	13.74%
Earnings Reaction	2.45%*	5.86%	1.26%	0.35%

Sirius XM Radio has seen mixed earnings and rising revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been upbeat about Sirius XM Radio’s recent earnings announcements.

* As of this writing

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Sirius XM Radio stock done relative to its peers, Pandora (NYSE:P), CBS (NYSE:CBS), Cumulus Media (NASDAQ:CMLS), and sector?

	Sirius XM Radio	Pandora	CBS	Cumulus Media	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	28.89%	105.40%	37.29%	52.43%	33.27%

In a very strong sector, Sirius XM Radio has been an average performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Sirius XM Radio provides audio entertainment and information via subscription services to a growing listener base. The company recently released an earnings report that has investors happy. The stock has been steadily rising and is now trading at highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenue figures have been rising which has led to upbeat investors. Relative to its very strong peers and sector, Sirius XM Radio has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Sirius XM Radio to OUTPERFORM.

The Highest-Grossing Movies of 2013

Since motion pictures were created more than a century ago, people around the world have remained captivated by the technology's ability to entertain, inform, and allow us to exercise unparalleled creativity. To be sure, with around five months still remaining in 2013, audiences have spent more than $6.4 billion at the box office so far this year.

Let's grab a ridiculously expensive bucket of popcorn and take a look at the biggest blockbusters -- and the company's behind them -- so far in 2013.

Rank Title Company / Distributor

Worldwide Gross
(Millions)

Domestic Gross
(Millions)  Production Budget
(Millions) 

1	Iron Man 3	Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) / Buena Vista	$1,211.7	$407.1	$200
2	Fast & Furious 6	Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) / Universal Studios	$712.7	$237.3	$160
3	Man of Steel	Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) / Warner Brothers	$635.8	$285.8	$225
4	Despicable Me 2	Comcast / Universal Studios	$595.6	$287.2	$76
5	The Croods	DreamWorks (NASDAQ: DWA  ) / 20th Century Fox	$582.4	$186.2	$135
6	Monsters University	Disney / Buena Vista	$535.7	$251.8	$200*
7	Oz the Great and Powerful	Disney / Buena Vista	$491.9	$234.9	$215
8	World War Z	Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB  ) / Paramount	$458.7	$189.2	$190
9	Star Trek Into Darkness	Viacom / Paramount	$448.8	$225.3	$190
10	G.I. Joe: Retaliation	Viacom / Paramount	$371.9	$122.5	$130

Source: boxofficemojo.com, numbers as of July 25, 2013.
*Estimated (Disney has not disclosed the budget for Monsters University).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Disney's Iron Man 3 easily tops the list as the only company to surpass the $1 billion mark, exceeding the second-place $713 million take of Fast & Furious 6 by a whopping 70%.

Curiously enough, Iron Man 3 is also the only movie so far this year to crack the top 10 in the list of highest worldwide grossing films of all time, coming in at No. 5 behind the likes of Avatar, Titanic, Marvel's The Avengers, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

That said, am I the only one surprised at the global success of Fast & Furious 6? Perhaps it's just that Comcast's racing flick currently stands at only fifth on the domestic ticket sales front, but apparently international audiences in particular have really resonated with the film, making up 66.7% of the total.

The same goes for DreamWorks' surprisingly popular hit The Croods, which currently stands at ninth place in the U.S. for the year. The Croods' international audiences, however, made up more than any other movie in this list, at 68% of its box office total.

Of course, I would have been shocked if Time Warner's Man of Steel hadn't made the top three, and remember this Superman reboot has been in theaters for roughly only six weeks. In addition, the world was pleasantly surprised when Time Warner subsequently gave DC Comics fans reason to rejoice by announcing that Batman will join the title character in a sequel planned for a 2015 release.

For now, though, Time Warner investors can also enjoy the surprising strength and comparatively low production budget of Despicable Me 2, which was only released on July 3 and effectively played the role of the silver bullet to Disney's The Lone Ranger a few weeks ago. 

Don't roll the credits just yet
In the meantime, however, let's not forget there's still plenty of time for this list to change as 2013 rolls on.

Remember, News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox unleashes The Wolverine this weekend, which I'm guessing should have little trouble recouping its estimated $125 million budget given the relative success of the company's previous X-Men films.

The Wolverine. Image source: thewolverinemovie.com.

Then again, Disney also has a few more cards to play this year, including DisneyToon's Planes, a promising spinoff from Pixar's Cars franchise, which also launches two weeks from today.

For the comic-book fans out there, Disney is also offering Thor: The Dark World in November. And if you can't wait until then and don't mind comic book movies of the R-Rated variety, Comcast's Universal is bringing both 2 Guns and Kick-Ass 2 to theaters in August.

Some of the biggest competition to mix up the current top 10, however, should arrive as 2013 comes to a close.

In November, for example, Lions Gate (NYSE: LGF  ) will release The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which has some big shoes to fill after the first film in the franchise achieved more than $691 million in global ticket sales last year.

Finally, Warner Brothers has plenty at stake with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which arrives in December and follows a more than $1 billion showing from 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

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While there's still plenty of money to be made on the big screen, you can also bet these companies know the opportunity doesn't end with their movies' theatrical runs. The future of television begins now -- with an all-out $2.2 trillion media war that pits cable companies such as Cox, Comcast, and Time Warner against technology giants such as Apple, Google, and Netflix. The Motley Fool's shocking video presentation reveals the secret Steve Jobs took to his grave, and explains why the only real winners are these three lesser-known power players that film your favorite shows. Click here to watch today!

But what do you think? Is there another movie coming this year you think could change the list above? Feel free to weigh in using the comments section below.

Yandex: Time to Catch a Falling Knife (YNDX)

To say the last three months have been tough ones for Russian search engine company Yandex NV (NASDAQ:YNDX) would be an understatement. Since the January the January 9th peak of $45.42, YNDX has fallen more than 50%, hitting a low of $21.70 today. Ouch.

As the cliche goes, however, it's always darkest just before down. In stock parlance, it just means that the time to buy into a stock is when it looks like nobody else wants it. Yandex is no exception to that norm, and given the shape and context of today's drubbing, it does indeed look like YNDX is a speculative buy. How's that? Because today looks like a major capitulation for the stock... the point where things literally can't get any worse, starting the transition from a net-selling environment to a net-buying one.

There are three inter-related clues pointing to that end. One of them is the fact that YNDX shares have just been blasted since January, yet still somehow the bears were able to muster a bearish gap this morning. The market doesn't like to leave gaps behind, however, so there's apt to be a lot of bullish pull beginning today.

The second clue that today's action is a pivotal, blowout day is the volume spike. A lot of people are getting in, and a lot of people are getting out. Either way, it points to the same transition from a net-bearish environment to a net-bullish one.

The third and final clue? The shape of today's bar. The open was at the high, then we saw a deep low, and then we saw a very strong push off that low to at least get back to the upper half of today's trading range. It's not a perfect dragonfly doji - a sign of reversal - but it's a pretty good sign, especially knowing how ripe Yandex NV shares are following the steep selloff, and in the shadow of a big bearish gap at today's open. In other words, this really does look like a blowout/capitulation day.

Yes, there's still plenty of risk here as there's still plenty of opportunity for the market to keep chipping away at YNDX. From an odds-making perspective though, today's a good opportunity to take a smart calculated risk on Yandex.

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Microsoft Is Getting Rich on Android

Investors have long suspected that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) generates more revenue from Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android than it does selling Windows Phone licenses. Now they have more evidence to back up this hypothesis.

Within the software giant's earnings release last night, the company reported that its entertainment and devices division grew revenue by $134 million, or 8%, primarily due to Windows Phone revenue. However, when Microsoft says "Windows Phone revenue," it's including its patent licensing revenue that it gets from Android OEMs. Specifically, Microsoft said this type of revenue increased by $222 million.

Most of that has to be coming from Android.

Stay with me
Microsoft's Windows Phone license fee has been estimated between $20 and $30, based on information that a ZTE exec once inadvertently disclosed. Larger OEMs inevitably get volume breaks, and let's say that on average Microsoft gets close to $23 per unit.

IDC estimated that there were 5.4 million Windows Phones sold in Q2 2012. The market researchers have yet to release their estimates on Q2 2013, but investors already know that Nokia (NYSE: NOK  ) is the predominant vendor of Microsoft's platform. Over the past four quarters, Nokia's Lumia has comprised between 73% and 81% of global Windows Phone sales.

The company just disclosed that it sold 7.4 million Lumias in the second quarter. If Nokia represents 75% of all Windows Phones, that implies that there were approximately 9.9 million Windows Phones total. That's a year-over-year increase of 4.5 million units.

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At an estimated $23 license fee per unit, that would be an increase of $103.5 million in revenue just for Windows Phone licenses. The remaining $118.5 million of that increase would be Android licensing revenue -- or more than the increase in direct Windows Phone license revenue.

Windows Phone has been gaining momentum lately in the smartphone market, but not that much momentum. Meanwhile, Android has continued its rise. In Q2 2012, there were roughly 105 million Android units shipped, which grabbed 68% of the market. By Q1 2013, that figure had risen to 162.1 million, or 75% market share.

Details surrounding Microsoft's licensing agreement with Android OEMs aren't publicly available, but investors do know that all the biggest vendors have inked deals with the software giant. That includes Samsung, HTC, ZTE, and LG, among many others. In total, Microsoft has about 20 Android OEMs sending it checks for use of Google's operating system, and those are adding up.

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Gannett Q1 revenue rises on Belo integration

Gannett Co., the parent of USA TODAY, said Wednesday first quarter revenue and operating income rose from a year ago following the acquisition of former competitor Belo, but quarterly net income fell as it incurred interest expenses related to the deal.

Reporting after its first full quarter of operating Belo's TV stations, Gannett said the net income attributable to the company for the three-months period ending March 30 declined 43% year-over-year to $59.1 million after accounting for $69.6 million in interest expense. But adjusted earnings per share of 47 cents beat analysts' estimates of 46 cents and were up from 37 cents a year ago.

Quarterly revenue for the McLean, Va.-based media company -- owner of 40 TV stations, 82 daily newspapers and a network of websites -- totaled $1.4 billion, a 13.4% gain from a year ago. Operating income rose 35% year-over-year to $204 million.

Shares of Gannett fell 0.33% Wednesday morning to $27.06.

The broadcasting division's revenue nearly doubled to $382.3 million as Belo's TV stations were integrated following the closing of the Belo deal in December.

"This was a terrific first quarter for Gannett, in which the fundamental changes we've been making to our business meaningfully impacted our top and bottom lines," said Gannett CEO Gracia Martore, in a statement. "An outstanding performance by our new broadcast stations fueled double-digit increases in both revenue and profitability in our Broadcast Segment."

Reflecting the continued sluggishness in the print business, publishing advertising revenues for Gannett -- still the company's largest source of revenue -- fell 4.8% from a year ago $501.3 million.

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Circulation revenue for the publishing segment dipped 1.4% to $282 million.

The digital segment's revenue rose 2.8% to $179.7 million.

In recent years, Gannett has sou! ght to diversify its business lines beyond newspapers and publishing, culminating in the acquisition of Belo for $1.5 billion. With the number of Gannett's TV stations now nearly doubled, the sharp rise in its first quarter broadcasting revenue was largely attributable to higher retransmission revenues.

Retransmission fees are paid by cable and satellite operators for the rights to include Gannett's TV stations in their TV lineup. Gannett's retransmission revenue for the quarter totaled $87.5 million, a 142% increase from a year ago.

Its NBC stations also generated about $41 million of advertising associated with the Winter Olympic Games during the quarter.

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Following the market opening Tuesday, the Dow traded up 0.42 percent to 16,518.52 while the NASDAQ surged 0.77 percent to 4,153.21. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.44 percent to 1,880.19.

Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Tuesday, healthcare shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.35 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Allergan (NYSE: AGN), up 15.7 percent, and Dyax (NASDAQ: DYAX), up 12.5 percent. Energy shares dropped around 0.06 percent in today's trading.

Top decliners in the sector included Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI), off 5.3 percent, and China Natural Resources (NASDAQ: CHNR), down 3.9 percent.

Top Headline

McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) reported a drop in its first-quarter profit. McDonald's posted its quarterly profit of $1.20 billion, or $1.21 per share, down from $1.27 billion, or $1.26 per share, in the year-ago period. Its total revenue rose to $6.70 billion versus $6.61 billion, while operating income slipped to $1.94 billion versus $1.95 billion.

However, analysts were estimating earnings of $1.24 per share on revenue of $6.71 billion. McDonald's global same-store sales climbed 0.5%, while US same-store sales declined 1.7%. Equities Trading UP
Revance Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RVNC) shares shot up 20.09 percent to $34.37 after the company reported positive results from the RT002 Phase 1/2 study in glabellar (frown) lines.

Shares of Centene (NYSE: CNC) got a boost, shooting up 9.77 percent to $62.89 on upbeat quarterly results. Centene reported its Q1 earnings of $0.57 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion.

Allergan (NYSE: AGN) shares were also up, gaining 15.61 percent to $164.16 on buyout offer from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE: VRX).

Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Medidata Solutions (NASDAQ: MDSO) were 19.89 percent to $42.21 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results.

Lexmark International (NYSE: LXK) shares tumbled 11.19 percent to $41.53 after the company reported Q1 adjusted earnings of $0.92 per share on revenue of $877.70 million.

Rambus (NASDAQ: RMBS) was down, falling 6.02 percent to $11.56 after the company reported Q1 earnings of $0.17 per share on revenue of $78.30 million. Rambus also expected Q2 sales of $69.0 million to $74.0 million, versus analysts' estimates of $74.50 million.

Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded down 1.63 percent to $102.67, while gold traded down 0.12 percent to $1,287.00.

Silver traded up 0.28 percent Tuesday to $19.41, while copper fell 0.30 percent to $3.02.

Eurozone
European shares were higher today.

The Spanish Ibex Index rose 1.32 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index jumped 1.08 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX climbed 1.67 percent and the French CAC 40 jumped 1.18 percent while U.K. shares gained 1.12 percent. 

Economics
The ICSC-Goldman same-store sales index gained 0.4% in the week ended Saturday versus the prior week.

The Johnson Redbook Retail Sales Index dropped 0.5% in the first two weeks of April versus March.

The FHFA house price index rose 0.60% in February, versus economists' expectations for a 0.50% growth.

The Richmond Fed manufacturing index rose to 7.00 in April, versus a prior reading of -7.00. However, economists were expecting a reading of 2.00.

Sales of existing homes declined 0.2% to an annual rate of 4.59 million in March, versus a rate of 4.6 million in February, the National Association of Realtors said. However, economists were projecting a sales rate of 4.55 million.

The Treasury is set to auction 4-week bills and 2-year notes.

Posted-In: Earnings News Guidance Eurozone Futures Forex Global Econ #s Economics Intraday Update Markets Movers Tech

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Why Tarena International (TEDU) Stock Is Up Today

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Tarena International (TEDU) shares are up 14.9% to $7.74 in trading on Monday following the announcement of a deal with Bank of China Consumer Finance Co (BOCCFC).

The tuition financing agreement is the third such agreement the professional education services provider has participated in along with deals with Bank of Beijing Consumer Finance Company and CreditEase.

"The participation of BOCCFC further diversified payment options and increased financing flexibility for our students. We look forward to a long term cooperation with BOCCFC," the company said.

Must Read: Warren Buffett's 10 Favorite Stocks

STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

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STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

Stock quotes in this article: TEDU 

Is It Still Safe to Buy BHP Billiton?

LONDON -- I'm always searching for shares that can help ordinary investors like you make money from the stock market. However, many people are currently worried the market has overheated. So right now I'm analyzing some of the most popular companies in the FTSE 100, hoping to establish whether they can continue to outperform in today's uncertain economy.

Today I'm looking at the world's largest miner by revenue, BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT  ) (NYSE: BBL  ) , to determine whether the shares are still safe to buy at 1,810 pence.

So how's business going?
Like the rest of its peers in the mining sector, BHP has fallen out of favor with the market recently as investors become concerned about the company's falling revenue. In particular, BHP recently reported that during the first half of this year, the company's revenue had fallen 14% and profit had declined 43% due to lower iron-ore prices.

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However, BHP's management is working hard to cut costs and boost profitability. Indeed, during the first half of this year, the miner slashed operating costs by nearly $2 billion and divested $4.3 billion of noncore assets in an attempt to streamline its asset portfolio and concentrate only on projects that generate a good return on investment.

In addition, with the majority of its operations in Australia, BHP should benefit from the weakening Australian dollar. So far this year the Australian dollar has eased 9%, which should be positive for the firm's dollar-denominated earnings.

Unfortunately, while BHP's management is working hard to cut costs, many City analysts expect the company's earnings to fall again this year. City forecasts currently predict earnings of $2.50 per share for this year (a fall of 22%). However, City projections currently forecast that BHP will return to growth during 2014 and earn $2.80 per share for that year.

Shareholder returns
Mining companies are often criticized for not returning enough cash to shareholders. However, as the world's largest mining company, BHP is leading the way in shareholder returns.

BHP's dividend yield is currently 4% -- larger than that of its peers in the mining sector, which currently offer an average dividend yield of 3.6%. In addition, BHP's management has stated that it will safeguard the dividend and aim to either maintain or increase the company's payout every year. For example, while earnings fell last year, BHP increased its dividend payout by 12%.

The verdict
As the world's largest mining company by revenue, BHP is valued at a premium to its peers. It currently trades on a historic P/E of 8.7, while its peers trade at an average historical P/E of about 7.6. But overall, based on the company's market-leading position and solid dividend yield, I believe that BHP still looks safe to buy at 1,810 pence.

More FTSE opportunities
As well as BHP Billiton, I am positive on the five FTSE shares highlighted within this this exclusive wealth report. Indeed, all five opportunities offer a mix of robust prospects, illustrious histories, and dependable dividends, and they've just been declared by the Fool as "5 Shares You Can Retire On"! Just click here for the report -- it's free. In the meantime, please stay tuned for my next FTSE 100 verdict.

Why Citi Is Having a Better Week Than Expected

At the opening bell, Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) was down 2.26% for the week, riding the general wave of market pessimism and some unwelcome news from the Friday previous. But two and a half hours into trading today, shares are down a mere 0.58% for the week, buoyed by welcome jobs news from the federal government that has sparked a powerful market rally.

This just in
The Labor Department reported this morning that the U.S. economy added 175,000 jobs in May, beating economists' expectations. The overall rate of unemployment actually rose from 7.5% to 7.6%, but this is because of more people returning to the workforce. This is very welcome news indeed.

The unwelcome news is word that Citi is finding itself back in court, refighting a case it thought it won several years ago, one that could put it on the hook for $8.3 billion. The case involved Citi's facilitation of the sale of EMI to British private equity firm Terra Firma. Terra Firma claims Citi lied about a competitive bid, which led to a gross overpayment by Terra Firma for the recording and music-publishing giant.

Then on Monday, American Banker broke the news that Citi had settled a suit with institutional investors over losses incurred during the housing boom relating to share purchases.

Foolish bottom line
If the Terra Firma case goes against Citigroup, and Citi finds itself on the hook for the entire $8.3 billion, the superbank won't be made insolvent. But $8.3 billion is a lot of money, even for Citi. Unfortunately, there's nothing much to do but wait until the outcome is decided. This could cause market unease, which could affect the performance of the stock.

As for the American Banker story, no payout amounts were disclosed. Will it be $1 million or $1 billion? Investors don't know right now. This could also cause market unease and affect the performance of the stock.

But for today at least, the Labor Department's good economic news seems to be overcoming any investor unease over Citi's legal woes. All of the Big Four banks are solidly up right now (though less so for Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , as it's in a legal fight far worse than Citi's at the moment). And all three market indices are solidly up, too.

Strangely enough, good economic news like this can also spark market unease. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has made no secret that he plans to begin reducing the central bank's $85 billion in monthly bond purchases as the economy improves. It's widely believed these bond purchases are behind the country's nascent economic recovery.

As such, when good economic news breaks, markets have been known to go down, and not up. It's this sort of almost random behavior that prompts us here at The Motley Fool to tell investors to take a long-term view of investing. Tune out market noise and tune into the fundamentals of the companies you're invested in. And leave the daily stock-price checks to the day traders: Your portfolio will thank you, even if your broker won't. 

Looking for in-depth analysis on Citi?
Then look no further than our new premium report. Inside, Motley Fool senior banking analyst Matt Koppenheffer cracks the superbank's code: revealing how it makes money, how profitable it is, and what areas investors need to watch going forward. He'll also give you three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. And with quarterly updates included, this premium report could quite literally be the last source of investment research you'll ever need on Citigroup. For immediate access, simply click here now.

GE 1Q Earnings Fall, Outlook Strong

Top 10 Information Technology Companies To Own In Right Now

Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg via Getty Images NEW YORK -- General Electric posted lower first-quarter net income than a year ago because last year's results included the sale of NBC Universal. But the company said its industrial divisions performed well and the economic environment was "positive." GE (GE) said Thursday that it earned $3 billion on revenue of $34.18 billion in the year's first three months, down from $3.5 billion on revenue of $34.94 billion during the same period last year. On a per share basis, GE earned 30 cents. Adjusted to reflect continuing operations and to remove the effect of one-time charges, GE earned 33 cents a share, down 15 percent from a year ago. Analysts had expected GE to earn 32 cents a share, on average, on sales of $34.45 billion, according to FactSet. GE shares were up 2 percent in premarket trading an hour before the market open. GE has a good view of the world economy because it has manufacturing plants and sales operations around the world. In a presentation to investors, GE reported that European operations performed better than expected while developing nations saw growth. Its U.S. business picked up in March, evidence that the slowdown this past winter was related to frigid weather. GE sold its remaining interest in NBC Universal last year as part of a plan to focus on building and servicing big, complicated industrial equipment such as aircraft engines, power plant turbines and oil and gas drilling equipment. The next step for GE will be to complete a public offering of its consumer credit card division, expected later this year. It's a move that analysts support, and the company has been able to grow its revenue and profit at these industrial divisions in recent quarters. Christian Mayes, an analyst at Edward Jones, said it will likely be until well into 2015 before GE makes enough progress in its transformation to see strong growth its overall results. "This is such a huge company that it's going to take a while," he said. "But they are making progress, and seeing some decent growth in the industrial side." Operating profit from industrial operations rose 12 percent in the quarter, the company said, as strong growth in their bigger units made up for lackluster results in smaller ones. Oil and gas, power and water, and aviation divisions all posted sharply higher profits. Transportation and appliances slipped, along with the company's tiny energy management division. But the company is still working to cut costs in what it calls a "simplification" effort. GE said that it cut costs by $254 million in the quarter, on its way to a goal of cutting $1 billion in costs for the year.

Will SunEdison Fumble Next Quarter?

There's no foolproof way to know the future for SunEdison (NYSE: SUNE  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

A cloudy crystal ball
In this series, we use accounts receivable and days sales outstanding to judge a company's current health and future prospects. It's an important step in separating the pretenders from the market's best stocks. Alone, AR -- the amount of money owed the company -- and DSO -- the number of days' worth of sales owed to the company -- don't tell you much. However, by considering the trends in AR and DSO, you can sometimes get a window onto the future.

Sometimes, problems with AR or DSO simply indicate a change in the business (like an acquisition), or lax collections. However, AR that grows more quickly than revenue, or ballooning DSO, can, at times, suggest a desperate company that's trying to boost sales by giving its customers overly generous payment terms. Alternately, it can indicate that the company sprinted to book a load of sales at the end of the quarter, like used-car dealers on the 29th of the month. (Sometimes, companies do both.)

Why might an upstanding firm like SunEdison do this? For the same reason any other company might: to make the numbers. Investors don't like revenue shortfalls, and employees don't like reporting them to their superiors.

Is SunEdison sending any potential warning signs? Take a look at the chart below, which plots revenue growth against AR growth, and DSO:

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. FQ = fiscal quarter.

The standard way to calculate DSO uses average accounts receivable. I prefer to look at end-of-quarter receivables, but I've plotted both above.

Watching the trends
When that red line (AR growth) crosses above the green line (revenue growth), I know I need to consult the filings. Similarly, a spike in the blue bars indicates a trend worth worrying about. SunEdison's latest average DSO stands at 50.6 days, and the end-of-quarter figure is 56.5 days. Differences in business models can generate variations in DSO, and business needs can require occasional fluctuations, but all things being equal, I like to see this figure stay steady. So, let's get back to our original question: Based on DSO and sales, does SunEdison look like it might miss its numbers in the next quarter or two?

Investors should watch the top line carefully during the next quarter or two. For the last fully reported fiscal quarter, SunEdison's year-over-year revenue shrank 14.6%, and its AR grew 7.8%. That's a yellow flag. End-of-quarter DSO increased 24.8% over the prior-year quarter. It was up 67.4% versus the prior quarter. That demands a good explanation. Still, I'm no fortuneteller, and these are just numbers. Investors putting their money on the line always need to dig into the filings for the root causes and draw their own conclusions.

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Add SunEdison to My Watchlist.

5 Ways to Maximize 401(k) Tax Benefits

It is tax time again, and many Americans are struggling to wade through the piles of W-2s and 1099s to beat the April deadline. Charles Schwab Retirement Plan Services believes now is a good time for employees to know what they can do to maximize the tax benefits they receive from participating in their employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. It recommends these top five tips (presented here from 5 to 1) for better utilizing workplace retirement plans:

5. Avoid 401(k) loans, even when money is tight. 

Borrowing from your 401(k) should be an absolute last resort. Loans from a 401(k) plan must be repaid with after-tax dollars, negating many of the tax benefits of a 401(k). And, if you leave your job and are unable to repay the loan in-full, the outstanding balance is treated like a withdrawal, triggering a tax bill and potentially a 10 percent penalty on top of the tax.

4. Don’t burden yourself with withdrawals.

Any withdrawal from a 401(k) plan can carry significant tax consequences. If you withdraw money from your employer-sponsored retirement plan before the age of 59½, you'll likely face a 10 percent federal penalty. What's more, the government will take 20 percent of your withdrawal as an advance on your tax bill. Plus, some plans may bar employees who have taken a withdrawal from contributing for the next six months, causing another blow to your savings that can impact your long-term financial goals.

5 Best Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

3. Get to know the Roth. 

A Roth 401(k) can offer a different kind of strategic tax planning opportunity. In a traditional 401(k) plan, contributions are made on a pre-tax basis, and taxes are paid when you take distributions from the plan. In a Roth 401(k), contributions are made on an after-tax basis, and distributions of any investment earnings are tax-free after you meet certain requirements.

2. Get credit where credit’s due.

Depending on your income and filing status, contributions to a qualified 401(k) plan may further lower your tax bill through the Saver's Credit (formerly known as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit). The credit was established in 2002 and directly reduces your taxable income by a percentage of the amount you put into your 401(k) plan. According to the IRS, those who meet eligibility requirements can take a credit of up to $2,000 if filing jointly.

1. Bump up or max out your contributions.

Traditional 401(k) plans are funded with pre-tax dollars, which lowers a person’s taxable income. Making a significant contribution could put you into a lower tax bracket entirely, allowing you to keep even more of your paycheck. Studies have shown that a mere 10 percent of participants max out their contributions, so there is definitely room for most Americans to get more aggressive with their savings rate.

Also read on ThinkAdvisor:

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015

The price of oil rose above $88 a barrel on Friday as traders cautiously returned to commodity markets following sharp sell-offs this week.

At midday, benchmark crude for May delivery was up 30 cents to $88.30 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Thursday the Nymex contract for West Texas Intermediate rose $1.05 a barrel.

Crude has lost about $9 a barrel since the beginning of the month, as various reports highlighted slower growth in China and still-sluggish growth in the U.S. and elsewhere, while oil supplies remained high.

At the same time investors sold off gold, silver and other commodities, and looked to the stock market for better returns in the long run. The stock market had a volatile week as many of those investors bought and sold shares, looking to consolidate their positions.

Analysts said relatively low prices for oil and a weaker dollar rekindled interest among buyers.

"Crude oil prices rebounded and climbed higher on Friday ... supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and a strong rebound in the global equity markets and increased risk appetite," said a note from Sucden Financial Research in London. A weaker dollar makes crude cheaper -- and a more attractive investment -- for traders using other currencies.

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: Spreadtrum Communications Inc.(SPRD)

Spreadtrum Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops, and markets baseband processor and RF transceiver solutions for wireless communications and mobile television markets. It offers a portfolio of integrated baseband processor solutions that support a range of wireless communications standards, including global system for mobile communication (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), and high speed packet access (HSPA), as well as offer an array of multimedia capabilities, such as MP3 digital audio playback, touch screen, JAVA acceleration, digital camera support, motion JPEG, MPEG4, AVS and H.264 digital video playback, and 64-channel polyphonic ringtone playback. The company also provides single-chip CMOS multi-mode RF transceivers that perform across various standards covering GSM/GP RS, EDGE, wideband code division multiple access, TD-SCDMA, and high speed uplink/downlink packet access. In addition, it designs, develops, and markets a CMMB-based channel demodulator and audio/video decoder processor solution for the mobile television market. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors to brand manufacturers, independent design houses, and original design manufacturers primarily in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) popped 13% today after Chinese state-owned company Tsinghua Unigroup agreed to acquire it for about $1.8 billion.

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  Chinese semiconductor maker Spreadtrum (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) has received a buyout offer valued at up to $1.5 billion from Tsinghua Unigroup, a subsidiary of Chinese government-owned Tsinghua Holdings, Spreadtrum announced today.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of Chinese smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) surged 17% today after Tsinghua University, through its subsidiary Tsinghua Unigroup, offered to acquire it for $1.4 billion.

Best Value Stocks To Own Right Now: China Telecom Corp Ltd (CHA)

China Telecom Corporation Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireline and mobile telecommunications services in the People's Republic of China. The company?s services include wireline voice, mobile voice, Internet, managed data and leased line, value-added services, integrated information application services, and other related services, as well as prepaid calling cards. Its wireline voice services include local wireline services, domestic long distance wireline services, and international long distance wireline services. The company's mobile voice services comprise local calls, domestic long distance calls, international long distance calls, intra-provincial roaming, inter-provincial roaming, and international roaming. Its Internet access services consist of wireline Internet access services, including dial-up and broadband services, and wireless Internet access services. The company's integrated information application services include Best Tone services, which provide customers with phone number storage, enquiry, and call transfer services; and information technology-based integrated solutions, such as system integration, outsourcing, special advisory, information application, knowledge services, and software development. Its managed data and leased line services consist of services relating to optic fiber and circuits, such as optic fiber and circuit leasing, virtual private network, and bandwidth leasing. The company also offers other services, such as sales, rental, repairs, and maintenance of equipment; and provides consulting services, and e-commerce and booking services, as well as in the sale of telecommunications terminals. It serves government, enterprise, and residential customers. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. China Telecom Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of China Telecommunications Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  China Telecom (CHA) has a market capitalization of $42.51 billion. The company employs 305,676 people, generates revenue of $46.253 billion and has a net income of $2.457 billion. China Telecom�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $12.171 billion. The EBITDA margin is 26.32 percent (the operating margin is 7.48 percent and the net profit margin 5.31 percent).

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: Perfect World Co. Ltd.(PWRD)

Perfect World Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, operation, and licensing of online games primarily in the People?s Republic of China, the United States, and the Rest of Asia. It develops online games based on its game engines and game development platforms. The company?s 3D massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) include Perfect World, an adventure and fantasy game with traditional Chinese settings; Legend of Martial Arts, an adventure story of Chinese swordsmen set in an ancient kingdom; and Perfect World II, which is set in a similar content and graphic background as Perfect World. It also offers Zhu Xian that is based on martial arts focused adventure set in a fantasy world; Chi Bi, a war story developed based on ancient Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms; Hot Dance Party, a 3D online casual game; Pocketpet Journey West, a 3D MMORPG based on the classical novel of Chinese literature, Journey to the West ; Battle of the Immortals, a mysterious adventure, which enables game players to travel between eastern and western cultures, and adventures in historic sites and turf wars; and Fantasy Zhu Xian, a 2D turn-based MMORPG based on the Internet fantasy novel Zhu Xian. It also involves in the production and distribution of films, as well as television advertising activities. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Before markets open Tuesday morning we are scheduled to hear results from Perfect World Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) which announced a new video app today, Best Buy Co. Inc (NYSE: BBY) which is included in our preview of this week�� results from retailers, Dick�� Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS), Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP), and Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL).

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Tuesday
  Perfect World (NASDAQ: PWRD  ) logs in with its quarterly results on Tuesday.

  Online gaming is hot in China, but Perfect World has seen better days. Analysts see revenue sliding 15% for the quarter, with earnings taking an even bigger 46% hit. Despite the uninspiring fundamentals, shares of Perfect World did hit a fresh 52-week high this past week. There are some potentially promising games in the pipeline, so clearly the market thinks Perfect World will turn things around.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Perfect World Co (NASDAQ: PWRD) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.43 per share on revenue of $142.11 million.

  TICC Capital (NASDAQ: TICC) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $28.43 million.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Perfect World (NASDAQ: PWRD  ) , a China-based online video game developer, soared as much as 13% after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter results.

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp.(RPTP)

Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. operates as a biotechnology company in the United States. The company is dedicated to speeding the delivery of new treatment options to patients by working to improve existing therapeutics through the application of highly specialized drug targeting platforms and formulation expertise. Its clinical stage development products include DR Cysteamine, which is in phase IIb for the treatment of cystinosis; phase IIa for the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; and phase II for the treatment of Huntington?s disease. Raptor?s clinical-stage products also include Convivia that is in Phase IIa stage for the potential management of acetaldehyde toxicity due to alcohol consumption; and Tezampanel and NGX 426, which completed phase I stage for the treatment of migraine and pain. Its preclinical product candidates comprise HepTide for the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Hepatitis; WntTide for the treatment of breast cancer; NeuroTrans for the treatmen t of neurodegenerative diseases; and Tezampanel and NGX 426 for the treatment of Thrombosis and Spasticity Disorder. Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. is headquartered in Novato, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Veloci-Raptor time?
  First up is Raptor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RPTP  ) with Procysbi (previously known as RP-103), its oral delayed and extended-release medication to treat nephropathic cystinosis. In trials, Procysbi proved to be non-inferior to the only other FDA-approved treatment for nephropathic cystinosis, known as Cystagon from Mylan (NASDAQ: MYL  ) .

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: KongZhong Corporation(KONG)

KongZhong Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless interactive entertainment, media, and community services to mobile phone users in the People's Republic of China. It also involves in the development, distribution, and marketing of consumer wireless value-added services, including wireless application protocol, multimedia messaging services, short messaging services, interactive voice response services, and color ring back tones. In addition, it offers interactive entertainment services, such as mobile games, pictures, karaoke, electronic books, mobile phone personalization features, entertainment news, chat, and message boards; and through Kong.net offer news, community services, games, and other interactive media and entertainment services; and sells advertising space in the form of text-link, banner, and button advertisements. Further, the company develops and publishes mobile games, including downloadable mobile games and online mobile games cons isting of action, role-playing, and leisure games. As of December 31, 2009, it had a library of approximately 300 internally developed mobile games. Additionally, it develops online games; and provides consulting and technology services, as well as media and net book services. The company was formerly known as Communication Over The Air Inc. and changed its name to KongZhong Corporation in March 2004. KongZhong Corporation was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Kongzhong (Nasdaq: KONG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 wireless services player that looks poised for a big spike higher is KongZhong (KONG), which is a provider of WVAS and mobile games to mobile phone users and a wireless media company providing news, content, community and mobile advertising services through its wireless Internet sites in the PRC. This stock is off to a hot start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 53%.

  If you take a look at the chart for KongZhong, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months, with shares plunging lower from its high of $14.92 to its recent low of $7.78 a share. During that downtrend, shares of KONG have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of KONG into oversold territory, since its current relative strength index reading is 30.21. Shares of KONG are now starting to spike higher off its recent low of $7.78 a share and off its 200-day moving average of $7.95 a share. This spike could be signaling that the downside volatility for KONG is over in the short-term and the stock is ready to trend higher.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KONG if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $8.50 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 519,857 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then KONG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $10 to its 50-day moving average at $11.33 a share.

  Traders can look to buy KONG off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $7.78 a share. One can also buy KONG off strength once it takes out $8.50 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Three weeks ago, I recommended Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL) as a buy. Though the stock was still drifting in the shadow of a huge May pullback - from a high of $7.17 to a low of $2.13 by mid-June - RSOL was finding some support at key moving average lines, and even pushing up and off of them. Not many of you (and I'm using "you" interchangeably with "investors in general") seemed to care. So why am I looking at Real Goods Solar again now? Because, with competitors LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK) and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL) seeing their shares surge today, odds are good RSOL is going to get swept up in that move. Real Goods Solar shares are a better bet, however, in that - unlike SOL and LDK - they aren't overbought yet.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  This is a big hit for the Chinese solar industry and some of the biggest players in solar. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Europe was poised to put a 48.6% tariff on Suntech Power's (NYSE: STP  ) �panels, 55.9% on LDK Solar's (NYSE: LDK  ) , and 51.5% on Trina Solar's. Companies who cooperated with the investigation on dumping would be slapped with a 47.6% tariff and those who didn't would be taxed at 67.9%. �

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: Mindray Medical International Limited (MR)

Mindray Medical International Limited, through its subsidiary, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices worldwide. It operates in three segments: Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products, In-Vitro Diagnostic Products, and Medical Imaging Systems. The Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products segment offers patient monitoring devices that track the physiological parameters of patients, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and temperature. This segment?s patient monitoring devices are suitable for adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients and are used principally in hospital intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency rooms. This segment provides single and multiple-parameter monitors, mobile and portable multifunction monitors, central stations that could collect and display multiple patient data on a single screen, and an electro-cardiogram monitoring device; veterinary monitoring devi ces; and anesthesia machines, as well as defibrillators, surgical beds, and surgical lights. The In-Vitro Diagnostic Products segment offers data and analysis on blood, urine, and other bodily fluid samples for clinical diagnosis and treatment. This segment also provides semi-automated and fully-automated in-vitro diagnostic products for laboratories, clinics, and hospitals. In addition, this segment offers hematology analyzers and biochemistry analyzers, and reagents. The Medical Imaging Systems segment provides ultrasound systems, which are employed in medical fields consisting of urology, gynecology, obstetrics, and cardiology; digital radiography systems; and a magnetic resonance imaging system. The company serves distributors, original design manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and hospitals and government agencies. Mindray Medical International Limited was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  It's easy to place too much attention on the immediate negatives and too little attention on the bigger positives. I made this mistake in 2011 after buying shares in Mindray Medical (NYSE: MR  ) . I ended up selling my shares for a loss when the stock fell due to weaker-than-expected demand for its medical devices in Europe and the U.S.

Hot China Stocks To Own For 2015: China Life Insurance Company Limited(LFC)

China Life Insurance Company Limited provides life, annuities, accident, and health insurance products in China. Its individual life insurance and annuity products consist of whole life and term life insurance, endowment insurance, and annuities. The company also engages in the writing of life insurance business. In addition, it offers group life insurance products, including group annuity products, and group whole life and term life insurance products to enterprises and institutions, as well as universal life products. Further, the company provides short-term insurance products comprising short-term accident insurance and short-term health insurance products; accident insurance products, such as individual accident insurance and group accident insurance; and health insurance products, including defined health benefit plans, medical expense reimbursement plans, and disease specific plans. It distributes its products through its direct sales representatives and exclusive ag ents, as well as through intermediaries comprising insurance agencies and insurance brokerage companies, non-dedicated agencies, bancassurance arrangements, travel agencies, and hotels and airline sales counters. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Beijing, China. China Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Life Insurance (Group) Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included China HGS Real Estate (NASDAQ: HGSH), off 4.8 percent, and China Life Insurance Co (NYSE: LFC), down 4 percent.

JPM Stock is Feeling Down on Disappointing Earnings

Popular Posts: NOK Restructuring Leads to a Buy on Nokia StockIt’s Time to Hang Up on Verizon Stock (VZ)Time to Rinse Away Your Procter & Gamble Stock Holding Recent Posts: Hold on to Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY) … at Least for Now JPM Stock is Feeling Down on Disappointing Earnings Time to Rinse Away Your Procter & Gamble Stock Holding View All Posts

Welcome to the Stock of the Day.

In morning trading JPMorgan Chase (JPM) was dominating headlines after it reported first-quarter operating results. JPM shares are down 3% on the news, but could there be a buying opportunity underneath the surface? Or is it really time to unload JPM? Full details here.

Company Profile

 In just the past few years, JPMorgan and Chase has become the largest bank in the United States in terms of assets; it currently boasts a $2.4 trillion portfolio. JPMorgan Chase as we know it today was founded in 2000 when Chase Manhattan Bank and J.P. Morgan & Co. merged.

This multinational banking corporation has its hands in investment banking, asset management, private wealth management as well as treasury and securities services. Headquartered in Midtown, Manhattan, this company employs over 260,000 worldwide.

Earnings Buzz

 For the first quarter JPMorgan Chase reported net income of $4.9 billion on $23.8 billion in net sales. Compared with the year ago quarter this represents a 20% drop in earnings and a 8% reduction in sales. Adjusted earnings were $1.28 per share, which missed the $1.39 consensus EPS estimate by 8%.

One problem is that JPMorgan’s mortgage business is falling on rising mortgage rates, which has depressed demand for refinancing. Q1 2014 revenue from the mortgage unit plunged $1.1 billion compared with Q1 2013—a 41% drop.

The company’s fixed income trading business also saw a 21% year-on-year decline in revenues. Because the bank doesn’t see these trends reversing anytime soon it’s likely that JPMorgan will continue to have issues in coming earnings announcements.

Current Ratings

 Before you buy any stock, you should always run it through my free Portfolio Grader ratings system. JPM stock  has fallen considerably in my screening tool since the summer. As of last May, JPM stock was an A-rated Strong Buy. Then the stock fell to a B-rating over the summer months, and then to a C-rating in the fall. It even spent February at a D-rated sell. That’s mostly because buying pressure has recently fallen to the point where JPM receives a C for its Quantitative Grade.

Meanwhile, the company has some kinks that need fixing on its balance sheet. Of the eight metrics I graded it on, the company outright fails on three: Sales growth, operating margin growth and earnings momentum. JPMorgan earns Cs on three more: Earnings growth, earnings surprises and analyst earnings revisions.

So despite strong cash flow and return on equity, the company receives a C for its Fundamental Grade.

Bottom Line: As of this posting I consider JPM stock a C-rated Hold. With the latest earnings miss and negative reaction to the data, I could very well downgrade the stock over the weekend to a sell.

So I recommend all current shareholders run JPM through Portfolio Grader first thing on Monday.

AGCO: Fisher-Style Super Stock

In his Validea newsletter, John Reese assesses the strategies of legendary investors. Here, he looks at a stock that qualifies as a "Super Stock" based on the price to sales investing strategy of Kenneth Fisher.

AGCO Corporation (AGCO) is a manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts globally. Its products are marketed under a range of brands, including Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra.

The company distributes its products through a combination of approximately 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries.

Overall, AGCO earns a Guru Score of 100%, based on the price-to-sales strategy of Kenneth Fisher.

According to Fisher's strategy, the prospective company should have a low Price/Sales ratio. Smokestack (cyclical) companies with a Price/Sales ratio between 0.4 and 0.8 represent good values according to this methodology.

AGCO passes this test as its P/S of 0.46, based on trailing 12-month sales, falls within the "good values" range for cyclical companies. Less debt equals less risk according to this methodology. AGCO's Debt/Equity of 31.18% is acceptable, thus passing the test.

The prospective company should have a low Price/Sales ratio. AGCO's P/S ratio of 0.46 falls within the "good values " range for cyclical industries and is considered attractive.

This methodology looks for companies that have an inflation adjusted EPS growth rate greater than 15%. AGCO's inflation adjusted EPS growth rate of 27.41% passes the test.

This methodology looks for companies that have positive free cash per share. Companies should have enough free cash available to sustain three years of losses.

This is based on the premise that companies without cash will soon be out of business. AGCO's free cash per share of 3.68 passes this criterion.

This methodology looks for companies that have an average net profit margin of 5% or greater over a three year period. AGCO, whose three year net profit margin averages 5.81%, passes this evaluation.

Subscribe to Validea here…

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Boardwalk’s Expensive Lessons

The natural gas and NGL business has been lucrative for many MLPs. The Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index is an equal-weighted composite of 20 natural gas infrastructure MLPs that earn the majority of their cash flow from the transportation, storage, and processing of natural gas and NGLs. Over the past 12 months the index has had a total return of 14.2 percent, and presently yields 5.6 percent. And over the last five years, the index has enjoyed an impressive 301 percent total return.

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners (NYSE: BWP) is a midstream partnership with a focus on natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), and until recently one of the constituents of the Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index. The partnership operates 14,450 miles of pipelines and underground storage caverns with an aggregate working gas capacity of 207 billion cubic feet (Bcf) and liquids capacity of 18 million barrels.

Source: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners

Yet while the average natural gas MLP returned double digit gains over the past year, Boardwalk Pipeline Partners fell 52 percent. Year-to-date the partnership is down 45 percent, making it by far the worst performing of all MLPs so far in 2014. By comparison, the second worst performing MLP in 2014 is Natural Resource Partners (NYSE: NRP), down 19 percent on the year. Clearly something went horribly wrong at BWP.

It turns out that in addition to being in the right business segment, you also need to be in the right location. Boardwalk's Texas Gas pipeline system had been living off legacy contracts that transported natural gas produced in Texas to the Midwest. But the Marcellus has now grown to become the largest natural gas producing play in the US, and gas from the Marc! ellus has been steadily making its way into the Midwest. As Boardwalk's contracts have expired, renewals rates have been weak.

For those who listened to Boardwalk's earnings calls last year, management provided plenty of signals that trouble loomed. On Feb. 10 those warnings culminated in a distribution cut of more than 80 percent, and Boardwalk's unit price plunged by a steep 46 percent in a single trading session.

This was certainly unpleasant news for midstream MLP investors, who are accustomed to seeing relatively low volatility from this sector. But my colleague Igor Greenwald — who writes MLP Profits – provided a very prescient warning to sell Boardwalk on Nov. 15, 2013. In Walking Away From Boardwalk (for subscribers only), Igor wrote:

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners is a partnership with increasingly apparent profitability issues, driven chiefly by the fact that the Midwest and the East have nowhere near the same need for Texas gas now that production from the much nearer Marcellus and the Utica has glutted the regional market. Revenue would have declined on an organic basis excluding the effect of an acquisition, as gas transportation contracts were not renewed or renewed for less. Management estimated the bottom-line impact of this weakness in its core business at $40 million this year and as much again the next.

Meanwhile, sponsor Loews (NYSE: L) has added to the cash drain by converting its class B units into common that will cost Boardwalk an additional $25 million in distributions annually. The Bluegrass Pipeline Boardwalk is marketing in a partnership with Williams (NYSE: WMB) is looking more and more as a defensive measure to replace lost business than as a path to future glory. And it now faces competition that could drive expected returns lower.

Plus, increasingly profit-challenged Boardwalk will still need to finance its share of the cost for the Bluegrass. The distribution hasn't increased in the last six quarters, and while the cur! rent 7.6 ! percent yield might look nice, next year's distributable cash flow could be "well below" what it will take to keep it steady, Barclays recently noted in downgrading BWP to Underperform.

The unit price was down 10 percent on the month, and while it may be overdue for a bounce there's no sense in sticking around on that basis. As a relatively recent recommendation by my predecessor, BWP shouldn't impose major adverse tax consequences for those who followed the advice. And there are far better opportunities out there. Sell BWP.

Following that Sell alert, Boardwalk declined another 13 percent in the days leading up to Feb. 10, and then of course suffered the huge decline after the payout shocker. Units have since regained a small bit of ground, rising 8 percent from Feb. 11 through last Friday's close.

The lesson from Boardwalk Pipeline Partners is to pay attention to changing business conditions, read the financials, and heed what management says on earnings calls. Many MLP investors will likely never trust Boardwalk again, but this is simply a case where changing business conditions caused dwindling cash flow, and it was clearly no longer projected to meet the expected distribution.

Boardwalk's story is far from over. Now that management has made a drastic distribution cut in order to preserve the future of the partnership, it should once more be evaluated based on the current unit price and forward prospects. (Igor took another detailed look at the "new" Boardwalk in the latest MLP Profits.)

(Follow Robert Rapier on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.)

Are States With No Income Tax the Best Places to Retire?

When considering where you want to live in your retired years, states with no income tax have obvious appeal. But do they actually make the best places to retire? The answer will be different for every individual retiree, but factors like taxes certainly play a role in a smart retirement decision. Let's take a look at some of the financial aspects of retirement and how state income taxes affect the ideal choice for your retirement home.

State income taxes and you
As Fool contributor Dan Dzombak detailed last month, there are seven states with no income tax. Despite that shared trait, the states are otherwise very different. Most obviously, Texas, Florida, and Nevada are all warm-weather states that appeal to many retirees regardless of the tax situation. Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming are more attractive to those who like true winters, while Washington has a moderate climate. The states also differ vastly in terms of urban amenities. Texas and Florida have multiple large cities, while Seattle and Las Vegas dominate their respective states, and the remaining three states are largely rural.

But when you go beyond personal preferences to focus on money matters, the financial aspects of living in these states differ greatly. From a cost-of-living standpoint, Alaska is one of the most expensive states in the nation, making it more challenging for retirees on a fixed budget to make ends meet. Texas, on the other hand, ranks among the three most desirable states in terms of cost of living, according to a CNBC study from last year. Most of the other tax-free states rank in the middle of the pack, with Washington falling on the expensive side of average.

Moreover, even if you drill down specifically at state-level taxation, income taxes only tell part of the overall story. For instance, Washington collects the most of any state in the U.S. in combined sales and excise taxes on a per-person basis, and its gasoline and cigarette taxes are in the top 10 nationally. In Florida and Texas, property and sales taxes both rank fairly high, making up lost revenue on the income side.

When paying state income taxes makes sense
By contrast, when you look beyond states with no income tax, you'll often find more appealing combinations of traits for you, both financially and from a quality-of-life standpoint. Hawaii imposes some of the heaviest taxes in the country, but it consistently earns top honors on lists of best places to retire for its broad-based appeal. Arizona typically joins Florida among favored retiree landing spots, with a top income-tax rate of 4.54% not dissuading retirees from choosing the Grand Canyon State as a retirement destination.

In addition, some states that generally charge income taxes specifically exempt retirement income from Social Security and pensions, making them more attractive for retirees who get the bulk of their income from those sources. Pennsylvania and Mississippi go even further, exempting not only Social Security and pension benefits but also distributions from IRAs and 401(k) plans.

Finally, you need to consider going where services you want are offered. For instance, health-care real-estate investment trusts Senior Housing Properties (NYSE: SNH  ) , LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC  ) , and Health Care REIT (NYSE: HCN  ) , which recently acquired Sunrise Senior Living, all offer facilities in various places across the nation to provide for retirees who need health-care assistance in their living arrangements. But if your particular medical needs require specialists that are concentrated in particular cities, it's far more important for your health to be close to those specialists -- even if it means paying more in taxes.

Making the smart choice
In deciding where you want to live in your retirement years, states with no income tax are definitely worth considering. But you shouldn't ignore other important factors, both financial and otherwise. After all, you'll only retire once, and so it's important to make the most of the opportunity.

To retire with enough wealth not to have to worry about taxes, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.

Tune in every Monday and Wednesday for Dan's columns on retirement, investing, and personal finance. You can follow him on Twitter @DanCaplinger.

Top 5 Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 5 Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mobile TeleSystems (MBT)

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services primarily in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Belarus. The company provides a range of mobile and fixed line voice and data telecommunications services, including transmission, broadband, pay-TV, and various value-added services; and sells equipment and accessories. It also offers network access services, including mobile cellular voice and data communication services; automatic roaming services; GPRS and Internet access services; and 3G technology. In addition, the company's services include the design, construction, and installation of local voice and data networks capable of interconnecting with fixed line operators; installation and maintenance of cellular payphones; lease of digital communication channels; and provision of access to open computer databases and data networks, including the Internet, as well as video conferencing, and fixed, local, and long-distance telecommunications services. Its value-added services comprise call divert/forwarding, caller ID and anti-caller ID display, conference calling, WiFi, GPRS, intelligent call assistant, APN remote access point, fixed mobile convergence, enhanced data rates for GSM Evolution, call barring, SMS, mobile office, voicemail, mobile banking, wireless application protocol, MTS-Connect, SIM-browser, point-to-point transfer, unstructured supplementary services data, downlink packet access, mobile TV, call waiting, MMS, ring tones, missed call alert, itemization of monthly bills, information and directory, international access, WEB and WAP portal, customer care system, ring back tone, collect call, and location-based services. As of December 31, 2011, the company had a mobile subscriber base of approximately 101.14 million. It has a strategic partnership with Vodafone. The c! ompany was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Telecommunications services sector was the leading decliner in the US market today. Telecommunications services stocks dropped 0.43% in today's trading. Among the stocks, Mobile Telesystems OJSC (NYSE: MBT) was down more than 4.8%, while Telecom Argentina SA (NYSE: TEO) tumbled around 2.5%.

• [By Eric Lam]

  Manitoba Telecom (MBT) gained 5.7 percent to C$33.93 after selling its Allstream fiber network business to Accelero Capital Holdings for C$520 million. The company will use the cash to invest in new wireless spectrum and improve the speed of its existing networks, Manitoba Telecom said in a statement.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Over in Russia, market-leading cell phone provider Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT  ) has just confirmed that, as of 2012, it no longer sells Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) new iPhone models to its customers directly. The company does still stock, and sell, some older iPhone models. But for iPhone5 and on up, MTS now answers phone calls from Apple with a Spasibo, ne nada. ("Thanks, but no thanks.")

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-tech-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html