Hot Life Sciences Stocks To Invest In 2014

Investors in Danaher� (NYSE: DHR  ) saw the company deliver a disappointing set of second-quarter results that caused the stock to drop notably. In fact, as of today, it's pretty much flat on a six-month basis. In truth, the results weren't that bad: The midpoint of full-year generally accepted accounting principles earnings per share guidance was actually raised by a couple cents as management narrowed its guidance to $3.67-$3.72 from $3.60-$3.75.

However, the market obviously expected more, and certain elements of the company's performance surprised on the downside. Danaher reports out of five segments: industrial technologies, environmental (mainly water quality), dental, life sciences and diagnostics, and test and measurement. This kind of diversification normally means that the company is broadly exposed to the industrial economy, and management's commentary certainly reflected a moderately growing environment. With that said, here are five things management wants you to know about the quarter.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy Right Now: Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. (LVB)

Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes musical instruments in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Pianos and Band & Orchestral Instruments. The Pianos segment offers pianos under Steinway & Sons, Boston, and Essex brands; and engages in online music retailing business. This segment sells its products to professional artists and amateur pianists, and institutions through independent dealers primarily in the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It operates six retail showrooms in the United States and five retail showrooms in Europe. The Band & Orchestral Instruments segment manufactures and sells piccolos, flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, French horns, tubas, and trombones, as well as intermediate and professional level woodwind and brass instruments under Bach, Selmer, Selmer Paris, C.G. Conn, Leblanc, King, Armstrong, Holton, Yanagisawa, Vito, Emerson, Avanti, Noblet, Artley, and Benge brands; distributes saxophones and clarinets; manufactures and distributes acoustical and tuned percussion instruments, including outfit drums, marching drums, concert drums, marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, orchestra bells, and chimes; distributes violins, violas, cellos, and basses under Glaesel, Scherl & Roth, and William Lewis & Son brands; and manufactures mouthpieces and distributes accessories, such as music stands, batons, mallets, straps, mutes, reeds, pads, chin rests, strings, bows, cases, and instrument care products. This segment sells its products to students, amateur and professional musicians, and institutions through independent musical instrument dealers and distributors primarily in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The company, formerly known as Selmer Industries, Inc., was founded in 1993 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Steinway Musical Instruments (NYSE: LVB  ) has ceased to be the owner of its iconic Steinway Hall in New York City. The company formally closed a deal to sell the building to a partnership headed by real estate concern JDS Development Group. Steinway received $46.3 million in the acquisition, and will recognize a taxable gain of roughly $22 million.

Hot Life Sciences Stocks To Invest In 2014: Cadence Design Systems Inc (CDS)

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Cadence) develops electronic design automation (EDA), software, hardware, and silicon intellectual property (IP). Cadence licenses software and IP, sells or leases hardware technology and provides engineering and education services worldwide to help manage and accelerate electronics product development processes. The Company�� customers use its products and services to design and develop complex integrated circuits (ICs) and electronics systems. The Company combines its products and technologies into platforms for four design activities: Functional Verification; Digital IC Design and Implementation; Custom IC Design and Verification, and System Interconnect Design. It sells software using three license types: subscription, term and perpetual. It also offers a number of fee-based services, including engineering and education services. In June 2010, Cadence acquired Denali Software, Inc. (Denali). In May 2011, it acquired Altos Design Automation, Inc. On July 11, 2011, the Company acquired Azuro, Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired Sigrity, Inc. In April 2013, Cadence Design Systems Inc announced the acquisition of Tensilica, Inc. In May 2013, the Company acquired Cosmic Circuits Pvt Ltd. In June 2013, Cadence Design Systems Inc announced that it has completed the acquisition of the IP business of Poland-based Evatronix, SA SKA. In February 2014, Cadence Design Systems Inc completed the acquisition of Forte Design Systems.

The four Cadence design platforms are branded as Incisive functional verification, Encounter digital IC design, Virtuoso custom design and Allegro system interconnect design. In addition, the Company augments these platform product offerings with a set of design for manufacturing (DFM), products that service both the digital and custom IC design flows. These solutions and their constituent elements are marketed to users who specialize in areas, such as system design and verification, functional verification, logic design, digital imple! mentation, custom IC design and printed circuit board (PCB), and IC package / SiP design.

Functional Verification

Cadence�� functional verification offerings consist of two categories: Logic Verification and System Design and Verification. Logic Verification offering consists of planning, property checking, testbench simulation, verification IP, and environment capabilities within the Incisive functional verification platform. This offering enables the Company�� customers to employ enterprise-level verification process automation, including metric-driven verification planning, process tracking and management. System Design and Verification offerings consist of hardware-assisted verification with emulation and acceleration, including the verification computing platform Palladium XP, Palladium and Xtreme platforms, system-level design capabilities, verification IP, estimation of system-on-chip (SoC), consulting services, and methodologies. The QuickCycles program allows customers access to its simulation acceleration and emulation products, either on their secure Internet site or remotely over a secure network connection. The products obtained through the acquisition of Denali include verification IP, memory models, and design IP.

Digital IC Design and Implementation

Cadence�� Digital IC offerings are used by its customers to create logical representations of a digital circuit or IC. The Company�� Digital IC offerings include two categories: Logic Design and Physical Implementation. Logic Design offering consists of formal verification, equivalency checking, synthesis and test capabilities within the Encounter digital IC design platform and property checking, simulation, and environment capabilities within the Incisive functional verification platform. This offering provides chip planning, design, verification and test technologies and services to customers across all digital design end markets. Physical Implementation offering consists of a ra! nge of th! e Encounter digital IC design platform capabilities. The Physical Implementation offering includes timing analysis, signal integrity, power analysis, extraction, physical verification, and place and route capabilities within the Encounter digital IC design platform. It enables the customers to create a physical representation of logic models, analyze electrical and physical characteristics of a design and prepare a design for manufacturing.

Custom IC Design and Verification

Cadence�� Custom IC Design and Verification offerings are used by its customers to create schematic representations of circuits down to the transistor level for analog, mixed-signal, custom digital, memory and radio frequency (RF) designs. These logical representations are verified using simulation tools optimized for each type of design. The offering includes the environment, IC layout and simulation capabilities within the Virtuoso custom design platform. Other tools in the Custom IC portfolio are used to prepare the designs for manufacturing.

System Interconnect Design

Cadence�� System Interconnect Design offerings are used by its customers to develop printed circuit board (PCBs), and IC packages. The offerings include the capabilities within the Allegro system interconnect design platform: PCB, IC package, SiP, design management and collaboration. The Company�� offerings also include the simulation capability within the Virtuoso custom design platform. These offerings enable engineers who are responsible for the capture, layout and analysis of advanced PCB and IC packages to design electronic products across the domains of IC, IC package and PCB. For PCB customers, the Company provides the OrCAD family of offerings that is marketed worldwide through a network of resellers.

The Company competes with Synopsys, Inc., Mentor Graphics Corporation and Magma Design Automation, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By cody56]

  The top contributors to performance during the period were Trimble Navigation (TRMB), Sensata Technologies�(ST) and Cadence Design Systems (CDS).

  Trimble Navigation provides location-based solutions to its customers that enhance their productivity and profitability. The recovery in construction end markets and continued strong demand from the farm economy resulted in strong overall financial results for the company and a strong stock price. We trimmed the position as it began to exceed the upper end of the market cap range that we invest in. Sensata Technologies develops, manufactures and sells sensors and controls. We are attracted to the company�� large growth opportunity, which is driven by increased sensor penetration in industries such as automobiles and general industrial opportunities. We find Sensata�� business model to be attractive given the stability of its revenues, strong operating leverage and excellent management team. During the period, the company benefited from a rebound in European automobile sales and deployed capital in several small accretive acquisitions. We have been trimming the position modestly as the stock approaches our price target.

  Meridian Growth Fund performance

• [By Jim Jubak]

  The price of Credit-Default Swaps (CDS) used to insure US government debt against the possibility of default climbed to 35.5 basis points Wednesday. That was the highest level in six months, and up from 32 basis points on Friday, September 27. But that level is still well below the 62 basis points it cost to insure US government debt against default at the time of last debt ceiling battle, in the summer of 2011. That was the highest level since the global financial crisis. (What this means is that an investor would pay 62,000 euros a year to insure 10 million euros of US Treasuries against a default in the next five years. The contract is denominated in euros to offset the impact of a default on the US dollar.) This insurance is getting more popular too, with these CDS contracts ranking as the fifteenth most traded of the contracts tracked by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. in the week through Sept. 27. That's up from a rank of 147th for the previous week.

Hot Life Sciences Stocks To Invest In 2014: Alumina Ltd (AWC)

Alumina Limited, through its 40% equity interest in Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals, engages in the bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminum smelting businesses. It has interests in eight alumina refineries and eight bauxite mines, as well as operates two aluminum smelters in Victoria, Australia. The company also owns interests in a network of mines, refineries, and smelters in the United States, Guinea, Suriname, Jamaica, Brazil, and Spain. In addition, it owns and operates a shipping operation that transports alumina, aluminum, and raw materials worldwide. The company, formerly known as WMC Limited, was founded in 1970 and is based in Southbank, Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Krauth]

  Prospects are strong, as AA continues to push productivity gains and further penetrate sectors like aerospace and automotive. As automobiles look to improve fuel consumption, the average U.S. car will likely go from about 14 lbs. to 55 lbs. of aluminum in just the next three years. Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld thinks cars will contain 135 lbs. of aluminum within twelve years.

  The Even Better-Looking Sister Is... Another way to play aluminum might be through Alumina Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE: AWC).

  Alumina owns 40% of the world's largest alumina business, Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC), with Alcoa owning and managing the other 60%.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Alcoa have dropped 3.3% to $7.90 today at 9:30 a.m. The downgrade has also hit other aluminum producers this morning. Alumina (AWC) has fallen 1.1% to $3.73, Kaiser Aluminum (KALU) has declined 0.7% to $71.17, and BHP Billiton (BHP), of which aluminum is but a small piece, is off 0.3% at $66.22.

• [By Tim Melvin]

  One such company is Alumina Limited (NYSE ADR: AWC), an Australian aluminum company.

  Alumina, which mines and refines aluminum, operates eight refineries and two aluminum smelters and owns or has interest in seven mining operations. It has a shipping operation that transports aluminum-related raw materials.

Hot Life Sciences Stocks To Invest In 2014: Marcolin SpA (MCL)

Marcolin SpA is an Italy-based eyewear manufacturer. It is a manufacturer of glasses and sunglasses for such brands as Tom Ford, Roberto Cavalli and Just Cavalli, Diesel, Montblanc, Tod's and Hogan, Balenciaga, Swarovski, Timberland, DSquared2 and Kenneth Cole. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John McCamant]

  Our top stock selection for 2014 has received three Breakthrough Therapy Designations (BTD) by the FDA, and subsequent approval, in November, for Imbruvica, a very safe pill that has shown unprecedented efficacy to treat mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), suggests John McCamant, editor of The Medical Technology Stock Letter.

Hot Life Sciences Stocks To Invest In 2014: NextStage Inc (NXT)

NextStage, Inc. is a holding company. The Company is engaged in the management of its investments in shares of stocks of its subsidiaries. The Company�� subsidiaries include Mondex Philippines Inc. (MXP), Infinit-e Asia Inc. (Infinit-e Asia) and Technology Support Services, Inc. (TSSI). MXP operates a multi-application smart card system in Philippines. Infinit-e Asia is a software development company specializing on smart card and e-commerce solutions tailored to enhance the business of its clients. Infinit-e Asia develops smart card solutions for both real and online applications and on both contact and contactless platform. Infinit-e Asia�� spectrum of products and applications are classified as payments, data capture and security. TSSI is engaged in the business of business process outsourcing (BPO), applications service providers (ASP) and managed service providers (MSP). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), Europe�� largest bank, slid 2.1 percent. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) declined 2 percent as it canceled some of its flights following a disruption caused by one of its planes at Heathrow airport. Next Plc (NXT) retreated 2.4 percent as Morgan Stanley cut its recommendation on the shares.

Hot Life Sciences Stocks To Invest In 2014: Clarke(t)

T.Clarke plc, a building services contractor, provides electrical and mechanical installation services and supplies associated equipment. The company offers information communications technology (ICT) services in the areas of structured cabling and connectivity, network infrastructure and security, networked energy management, data centre infrastructure, and managed and support services; facilities management services, such as preventative, reactive, and planned maintenance solutions; and green technologies services, which comprise photovoltaics, rainwater harvesting, biomass boilers, ground source heating, air source heating, wind turbines, lighting, and carbon reduction audit services. It also provides massive reading station redevelopment, cross rail, border rail link, and underground power upgrade services for the rail sector; lifecycle building services combining mechanical and electrical works with ICT for utilities and technologies sectors; lifecycle services for ho tel and residential sectors, which include electrical, ICT, and mechanical systems design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance; and mechanical and electrical contracting services for education, healthcare, government/local authority, retail and leisure, stadiums, transport, towers, media, and residential sectors. In addition, the company manufactures and prefabricates elements of an installation, as well as engineering components. T.Clarke plc was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) offers a trade-in program, but it seems to require more personal information before offering a price, so the actual pricing offered is harder to be sure of. The company website lists a host of devices that you can trade in, but it is likely that only iPhones and the latest high-end Android smartphones will have any substantial trade-in values. The AT&T Next plan allows for a new smartphone or tablet every 12 months with ��o fees.��A monthly installment plan payment is added to your bill.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  The wireless industry in America is ruled by AT&T (NYSE: T  ) , �Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) , and a handful of much smaller networks fight for scraps from the ruling duo's table. A wave of consolidation can change all of that.