Bank of America Q4 profit beats estimates

Bank of America's fourth-quarter profit almost fivefold jumped as the nation's second-largest bank bounced back from mortgage-related legal woes and got strong performance from its Merrill Lynch unit that set the bank up for a stronger 2014.

Bank of America earned $3.4 billion, or 29 cents a share, up from $732 million, or 3 cents a share, in the last three months of 2012. Analysts had projected 28 cents a share in profit. Revenue was $21.7 billion, up 15%, beating forecasts of $21.2 billion.

"They are not firing on all cylinders, but they're not misfiring on all cylinders any more," said Nancy Bush, an independent banking analyst. "They're about 75% of the way there. The other 25% will come with rising interest rates, the same as the rest of the industry.''

The most impressive profit gains came in the old Merrill Lynch investment banking and brokerage unit, Edward Jones analyst Shannon Stemm said.

Profit in global wealth and investment management climbed 35% from last year, the bank said. Investment banking fees hit a record $1.7 billion, up 9% from last year and 34% from 2013's third quarter.

On the downside, the average balance of total loans outstanding shrank in the commercial bank's global business and its consumer and business banking unit. That's because of weak demand, a trend other banks are also struggling with, Stemm said.

"Getting loan demand up would help a lot,'' Stemm said. The bank is making a push to increase its market share in areas such as credit card lending and mortgages to offset sluggish demand, she added.

The big numbers that drove the quarterly profit gain were the much smaller amount that the bank had to set aside for credit losses and its reduced legal expenses.

Bank of America reported pretax litigation expense of $2.3 billion, most of it related to fallout from mortgage lending before the 2008 financial crisis. However, even that number is still much lower than the $3.7 billion loss the company's mortgage business reported in! the same quarter last year, when it reached a $10 billion settlement with Fannie Mae over loans sold to the mortgage financing giant.

At the same time, the bank's provision for credit losses dropped by $1.9 billion to $336 million. The change reflects customers' better payment record and the rising value of homes used to secure mortgages.

The bank's profits will improve as rising rates let Bank of America and other banks increase the spread between what they pay for deposits and what they collect on loans and other assets. This difference, called the net interest margin, widened to 2.56% in the quarter, from 2.44% in the third quarter.

Investors are hoping that regulators will agree to let Bank of America raise its stock dividend in March, Stemm said. The company now pays just a penny per quarter on each share of stock.

The Buy List: 5 Stocks Getting Ready to Break Out This Week

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- The short week got off to a bullish start yesterday, as the S&P 500 put a little more distance in between its open and its close. That puts the big index just half a percentage point away from the all-time highs it made in January.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for Big Gains

Not too shabby for a rally that no one believed in just a few weeks ago.

If lingering near highs sounds "toppy," don't worry too much. Since 1982, around half of all market sessions have ended within 5% of all-time highs. That means this recent "frothiness" isn't unsustainable; it's a return to normalcy. The fact of the matter is that despite the day-to-day chop of trading, equities are unquestionably in bull mode as I write.

To make the most of it, we're turning to our "buy list" with five stocks that look ready to make a technical move higher.

For the unfamiliar, technical analysis is a way for investors to quantify qualitative factors, such as investor psychology, based on a stock's price action and trends. Once the domain of cloistered trading teams on Wall Street, technicals can help top traders make consistently profitable trades and can aid fundamental investors in better planning their stock execution.

>>5 Stocks Setting Up to Break Out`

Without further ado, let's take a look at five technical setups worth trading now.

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling

Small-cap truck lift company Hyster-Yale Materials Handling (HY) isn't exactly a household name -- but the trading setup this stock is showing off should be. After rallying more than 76% in the last 12 months, this Cleveland-based industrial name looks ready to extend its gains in 2014. Here's how.

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

Hyster-Yale is currently forming a textbook ascending triangle pattern, a price setup that's formed by horizontal resistance above shares at $95 and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as HY bounces in between those key technical levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $95 price ceiling. When that happens, we've got our buy signal in shares.

HY's pattern has been forming since last September that makes it a long-term pattern with equally long-term upside implications when it triggers. When the move through $95 does happen, I'd recommend keeping a protective stop protective stop just below the most recent swing low at $80.

Cott

We're seeing the exact same setup right now in shares of beverage stock Cott (COT), but with a twist. COT is forming a long-term ascending triangle bottom, a reversal pattern that forms at the bottom of a stock's recent price range. Even though the chart looks pretty different at first glance, horizontal resistance and uptrending support are the tip-offs that this is an ascending triangle trade.

>>5 Shareholder Yield Stocks to Beat the S&P

The buy signal comes on a move through $8.75.

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

That $8.75 resistance level is a price where there has been an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to step in and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a breakout above it so significant -- the move means that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level. Wait for $8.75 to get busted before taking the trade.

Mondelez International

You don't have to be an expert technical analyst to figure out what's going on in Mondelez International (MDLZ). This $60 billion snack stock is showing traders a setup that's about as simple as they get. And it means that even after a 30% rally in this blue chip name over the last year, more upside looks likely.

>>5 Hated Stocks That Could Get Squeezed Much Higher

Mondelez is currently bouncing higher in an uptrending channel. When it comes to channels, up is good and down is bad -- it's really just as simple as that. Mondelez's channel is bounded by resistance above shares and trend line support below them; those two parallel trend lines provide a high probability range for MDLZ to trade between. And so, as shares bounce off of support for a fifth time since last summer, it makes sense to buy the bounce.

Waiting to buy off a support bounce makes sense for two big reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring MDLZ can actually still catch a bid along that line before you put your money on shares.

Iconix Brand Group

We're seeing the same kind of trade setup in shares of apparel name Iconix Brand Group (ICON). Like Mondelez, Iconix is bouncing higher in a trend channel that's been in play since the summer. But ICON could have some extra breakout potential thanks to a resistance level at $40 that's getting tested this week.

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

Shares of ICON have attempted to break out above $40 three times now since November, and they've been batted down on each of those attempts. But as that trend line support level pushes buyers up against the selling pressure at $40, the chances of a breakout to the upside are looking good. After all, since support has been strong enough to catch the last three corrections in ICON, that resistance at $40 should be less of a challenge to overcome.

Even better, relative strength has been outstanding over the same time period, sporting an uptrend of its own. That means that despite the S&P's impressive returns over the past year, ICON keeps managing to do one better. If buyers can take out resistance at $40 this week, it makes sense to build a position in this name.

Campbell Soup

Last up, but certainly not least, is Campbell Soup (CPB). Campbell hasn't exactly been a blockbuster name to own in the last year. Since last February, it has gained a measly 9.8%, less than half of what the S&P 500 turned out over the same timeframe. But CPB shareholders could be about to make up for lost time.

Campbell is currently forming an inverse head and shoulders pattern, a bottoming setup that indicates exhaustion among sellers. The pattern is formed by two swing lows that bottom out around the same level (the shoulders), separated by a deeper low (the head). The buy signal comes on a move through the neckline, which is right at $43. That price level is getting tested in today's session. If it holds, consider it a very important buy signal for CPB.

Momentum, measured by 14-day RSI, adds some evidence that the breakout is going to hold: it's been making higher lows since the pattern started forming. Since momentum is a leading indicator of price, that bodes well for buyers. If you decide to be one of them, I'd suggest keeping a tight stop in place.

To see this week's trades in action, check out the Technical Setups for the Week portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Stocks Ready to Explode Higher

>>5 Stocks Hedge Funds Love

>>5 Toxic Stocks to Sell in February

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) Q4 Earnings Preview: No January Effect For JPM

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) will host a conference call to review fourth quarter 2013 financial results on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 8:30a.m. (Eastern). The results are scheduled to be released at 7:00a.m. (Eastern).

Wall Street anticipates that the bank will earn $1.32 per share for the quarter, which is $0.07 lower than last year's $1.39 per share. iStock expects the Dow Jones member to beat Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $1.35; three pennies better than the street's outlook.

JPMorgan Chase is a financial holding company. The Company is a global financial services firm and a banking institution in the United States, with global operations. The Company is engaged in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity.

[Related -JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM): Why Should J.P. Morgan's Shareholders Pay?]

The major, money center bank has topped Wall Street's consensus estimate by an average of $0.15 for the last 16 quarters. Fifteen of the 16 quarters delivered bullish surprises ranging from $0.02 to $0.43. The lone miss fell short by -$0.02.

Needless to say, but we will anyway, it takes no courage to predict another bullish surprise for the "too big to fail" financial institution.

Despite its history of bypassing the street's outlook, shareholders have not shared the same success in the three-days surrounding the quarterly, profit checkups. Returns bottomed out at -6.10% and maxed out at 4.70% while averaging a tiny gain of 0.11%.

[Related -JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM): Madoff Settlement Removes Overhang Ahead Of Earnings]

Narrowing our focus to the last four January announcements, iStock finds JP Morgan exceeded the consensus EPS estimate three of the four, but the stock barely budged. Fourth quarter price changes were -0.20%, 0.30%, 0.70% and 1.40% during the three-days bookending the fourth quarter release. Trading Q4's earnings haven't paid dividends.

Best China Stocks For 2015

According to Trefis.com, JPM will have an $850 million reduction in the fourth quarter's results. The charge is a result of legal settlements for mortgage legacy issues totaling $13 billion and $1.7 billion, non-tax deductible settlement for the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. The research firm says the company will have to set another $400 million aside for Q4 reserves.

Meanwhile, the consensus estimate remained steady the last 90-day, starting out at $1.31, hitting a high of $1.33 60-days ago, and settling on $1.32 seven days ago. If JPM Pulls $400 million out, that works out to $0.11 per share, which could make for some fascinating accounting gymnastics to hit next Tuesday's earnings target.

Overall: The iEstimate and JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s (JPM) history suggest that another bullish surprise is on the way. However, there has been no January EPS-effect for JPM shares. If the Madoff settlement dings the bottom line, or reduces guidance, investors are likely to see it as a one-off event and overlook it; although, the settlement a piling up and the costs could dampen JPM's ability to hike its dividend or repurchase shares. Both of which could be viewed negatively by investors. 

Smoking Out Smog-Fighting Stocks in China

BEIJING (TheStreet) -- Paralleling China's rising anxiety over urban smog and undrinkable water, investors have embraced stocks poised to benefit from what's billed as an all-out government effort to clean up the country's environmental mess.

Chinese makers of smokestack scrubbers, wastewater filtering systems, trash-burning furnaces and electric vehicles have been pegged by stock analysts as "buys" in recent weeks, following recent government announcements of pollution-fighting projects. [Read: Suttmeier: Earnings Report Preview for Duke Energy, Coca-Cola, More]

Other favorites on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges include energy management and research firms, as well as the builders, operators and suppliers of coal-to-gas energy plants.

Chinese stocks in the environmental protection category outperformed the country's market in the first two weeks of February, collectively gaining 4% in value, a Citic Securities report said Monday. "Market enthusiasm for the environmental protection sector is rising," it said. Wind and solar power companies, however, have received little attention from stock analysts lately. Neither have analysts reacted to the possible earnings impact on companies such as cement and steel makers that have been ordered to reduce emissions. China's central, provincial and city governments are expected to shoulder much of the cost, either through direct spending or corporate tax breaks, to clean up the country's air, soil and water over the next decade. Governments also bear financial responsibility as majority stakeholders in the big, state-run companies that will have to spend more to cut pollution. A central government plan to funnel 10 billion yuan into regional, air pollution-fighting projects was unveiled Feb. 12 at a meeting of China's cabinet, the State Council. The meeting's chairman, Premier Li Keqiang, pledged tax incentives and subsidies to companies that cut emissions. Local governments have promised to do their part. Auto-use restrictions have been imposed in Beijing, Guangzhou and other cities, for example. And Shanghai plans to force 70,000 older vehicles off the road this year. [Read: How to Invest for the Milestones in Your Life] Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun announced an "all-out effort" to battle air pollution by restricting coal-powered heating plants. And the city of Shijiazhuang, where daily smog levels are typically labeled "hazardous," said steel and chemical manufacturers will have to slash coal emissions or move their plants elsewhere. Meanwhile, the central government's environment ministry in January ordered cement companies, livestock and poultry farmers, battery manufacturers, makers of leather goods and zinc processors to drastically curtail the wastes discharged by their facilities.

Pressure on the cement industry has been especially strong.

China is the planet's largest cement maker, producing half of the world's output. China National Building Materials and Anhui Conch are the country's largest cement makers. Foreign companies with plants in China include Switzerland's Holcim, France's Lafarge and Taiwan's Asia Cement. [Read: How Should Banks Deal With Marijuana Money?]

The environment ministry gave cement companies until March 2015 to reduce kiln emissions by installing smokestack scrubbers, upgrading furnaces or switching to cleaner-burning fuels such as natural gas. Cement plants account for up to 4% of the sulfur dioxide, 10% of the nitrous oxide and 20% of the particulates floating around in the nation's smog, the ministry said.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now

The latest campaign is far from the government's first crack at tackling China's widespread environmental problems. But this time, according to an Orient Securities report, the effort appears to have teeth big enough to benefit environment-related companies and their investors. "We believe that along with increased supervision" of pollution-fighting projects "sustained and high growth lies ahead for the environmental protection sector and related market segments," the report said. The most popular environment-focused stocks of late are listed on the Shenzhen exchange. These include Sound Environmental Resources, a maker of garbage, sludge and water treatment equipment, whose stock value rose 16% over the past year; liquids-filter manufacturer Motimo Membrane, whose stock climbed 27% in the past 12 months; and Top Resource Conservation, a manager of energy cogeneration projects whose stock price jumped 10% last week. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. Follow @laowiseass This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Lawmakers are poised to again suspend the debt ceiling -- at a level that's now about $512 billion higher than it was last fall.

On Tuesday, the Treasury Department reported that the nation's borrowing limit automatically reset to roughly $17.2 trillion, after the last suspension expired on Friday.

Here's why: Suspensions have become lawmakers' favorite way of "raising" the debt ceiling. They let Treasury borrow as needed to pay the bills and avert default. And when the suspension ends, the debt limit resets to the old cap plus whatever Treasury borrowed during the suspension period.

In other words, a suspension doesn't technically raise the debt ceiling, but that's the net effect.

The beauty for Congress is that lawmakers don't have to go on record as voting for a formal increase by a specific dollar amount.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Silicom Ltd(SILC)

Silicom Ltd. engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and support of connectivity solutions for a range of servers and server based systems in the North America, Europe, and internationally. The company primarily offers high-end server networking cards with and without bypass that are known as server adapters. Its server adapters are used in various applications that include security appliances, wide area network optimization appliances, load balancing and traffic management appliances, network-attached storage, video on demand servers, content delivery servers, Internet service providers/Web hosting, and high end computing. Silicom Ltd. also offers intelligent and programmable cards, such as encryption acceleration cards and redirector cards; intelligent stand alone bypass units; 10 Gbps products with and without bypass; and server to appliance converters. It markets its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Kfar Sava, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Silicom (NASDAQ: SILC  ) plunged today by as much as 12% after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the quarter added up to $15.7 million, with non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.48. Both figures topped consensus estimates of $15.5 million in sales and $0.40 per share in adjusted profit, but still weren't enough for investors.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Silicom (NASDAQ: SILC) shares reached a new 52-week high of $60.71 as the company announced upbeat quarterly results.

  Posted-In: 52-Week HighsNews Intraday Update Markets Movers

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Cognex Corporation(CGNX)

Cognex Corporation provides machine vision products that capture and analyze visual information to automate tasks primarily in manufacturing processes. It operates in two divisions, Modular Vision Systems and Surface Inspection Systems. The Modular Vision Systems division develops, manufactures, and markets modular vision systems that are used to automate the manufacture of discrete items, such as cellular phones, aspirin bottles, and automobile wheels by locating, identifying, inspecting, and measuring them during the manufacturing process. The Surface Inspection Systems division develops, manufactures, and markets surface inspection vision systems that are used to inspect the surfaces of materials processed in a continuous fashion, including metals, papers, nonwoven, plastics, and glass. The company serves customers in factory automation, semiconductor and electronics capital equipment, and surface inspection markets. Cognex Corporation sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through a network of integration and distribution partners worldwide. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts.

5 Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2014: ANSYS Inc (ANSS.O)

ANSYS, Inc. (ANSYS) develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and services used by engineers, designers, researchers and students across a range of industries and academia, including aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, electronics, biomedical, energy and defense. The Company distributes its ANSYS suite of simulation technologies through a global network of independent resellers and distributors (collectively, channel partners) and direct sales offices in global locations. The Company�� product portfolio consists of ANSYS Workbench, multiphysics product, structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, explicit dynamics, electromagnetic, system simulation, simulation process and data management, academic, high-performance computing (HPC), geometry interfaces, meshing and Apache design low-power electronic solutions. On August 1, 2011, the Company acquired Apache Design, Inc.

ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS Workbench is the framework upon whic h the Company�� suite of advanced engineering simulation technologies is built. The ANSYS Workbench platform delivers productivity, enabling Simulation Driven Product Development.

Multiphysics

The Company�� multiphysics product suite allows engineers and designers to create virtual prototypes of their designs operating under multiphysics conditions. ANSYS multiphysics software enables engineers and scientists to simulate the interactions between structural mechanics, heat transfer, fluid flow and electromagnetics all within a single, engineering simulation environment.

Structural Mechanics

The Company�� structural mechanics product suite offers simulation tools for product design. These tools have capabilities that cover a range of analysis types, elements, contacts, materials, equation solvers and coupled physics capabilities all focused towards understanding and solving complex design problems.

Fluid Dy namics

The Company�� fluid dynamics product! s! uite offers modeling of fluid flow and other related physical phenomena. Fluid flow analysis capabilities provide all the tools needed to design new fluids equipment and to troubleshoot already existing installations. The fluid dynamics product suite contains general-purpose computational fluid dynamics software and specialized products to address specific industry applications.

Explicit Dynamics

The Company�� explicit dynamics product suite simulates events involving short-duration, large-strain, large-deformation, fracture, complete material failure or structural problems with complex interactions. This product suite is used for simulating physical events that occur in a short period of time and may result in material damage or failure.

Electromagnetics

The Company�� electromagnetics product suite provides field simulation software for designing high-performance electronic and electromechanical products. The software streamlines the design process and predicts performance - all prior to building a prototype - of mobile communication and Internet-access devices, broadband networking components and systems, integrated circuits (IC) and printed circuit boards (PCB), as well as electromechanical systems such as automotive components and power electronics equipment.

System Simulation

The Company delivers the ability to perform complete simulation studies as a system for some of the product designs This is accomplished through a complete set of physics solutions that are integrated into a multiphysics capabilities set. A collaborative simulation environment provides modeling scalability for evaluating entire systems, including three dimensional (3-D) high-fidelity models, multibody dynamics, circuit reduced-order models, and any combination of these.

Simulation Process and Data Management

ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (ANSYS EKM) is a solution for simulation-based process and data management! . A! NSYS! EKM ! provides solutions to all levels of a company, enabling an organization to address the issues associated with simulation data, including backup and archival, traceability and audit trail, process automation and intellectual property protection.

Academic

The Company�� academic product suite provides a portfolio of academic products based on several usage tiers: associate, research and teaching. Each tier includes various noncommercial products that bundle a range of physics and advanced coupled field solver capabilities. The academic product suite provides entry-level tools intended for class demonstrations and hands-on instruction. It provides flexible terms of use and more complex analysis suitable for doctoral and post-doctoral research projects. The Company also provides a product suitable for student use at home.

High-Performance Computing

The Company�� HPC product suite enables insight into product performance. The HPC product suite delivers cross-physics parallel processing capabilities for the full spectrum of the Company�� simulation software by supporting structural, fluids, thermal and electromagnetic simulations in a single HPC solution.

Geometry Interfaces

The Company offers geometry handling solutions for engineering simulation in an integrated environment with direct interfaces to all CAD systems, support of additional readers and translators. It also offers an integrated geometry modeler focused on analysis.

Meshing

Creating a mesh that transforms a physical model into a mathematical model is a critical and foundational step in almost every engineering simulation study. The Company�� meshing technology provides a means to balance these requirements, obtaining the right mesh for each simulation in the most automated way possible.

Apache Design Low-Power Electronic Solutions

The Company�� suite of Apache software delivers power analysis and optim! ization! ! platform! s along with integrated methodologies that provide capabilities for managing the power budget, power delivery integrity, and power-induced noise in an electronic design, from initial prototyping to system sign-off. These solutions deliver correlation to silicon measurement, and the capacity to handle an entire electronic system, including IC, package, and PCB.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Vrx Worldwide Inc (VRW.V)

VRX Worldwide Inc., through its subsidiary VRX Studios Inc., provides content production, management, hosting, and licensing services for the online travel industry. It licenses Destination Content, a tool that helps consumers in comparing various destinations to determine their vacation desires; Hotel Content, which addresses the content demands of online travel agencies, as well as those of individual hotels and hotel chains; and Cruise Content that includes interactive maps of participating cruise line's ships along with virtual tours and still images of the staterooms and amenities available. The company also provides custom content solutions. It serves online travel intermediaries, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, and tourism boards. The company was formerly known as Cambridge Ventures Ltd. and changed its name to VRX Worldwide Inc. in December 2000. VRX Worldwide Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Perficient Inc.(PRFT)

Perficient, Inc. provides information technology consulting services to various enterprise companies primarily in the United States. The company designs, builds, and delivers business-driven technology solutions using third party software products. Its solutions include business integration and service oriented architectures, enterprise portals and collaboration, custom applications, and technology platform implementations, as well as customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, enterprise content management, and business intelligence solutions. The company?s solutions enable its clients to operate a real-time enterprise that adapts business processes and the systems that support them to meet the changing demands of marketplace. Perficient, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap tech consulting firm Perficient, Inc (NASDAQ: PRFT) is getting deeper into the cloud computing space ��meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at it along with the performance of First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index Fund (NASDAQ: SKYY). We have just added Perficient, Inc to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because we believe the company is trading at a discount to that of its small cap peers in the cloud computing space plus the stock�� fundamentals and technical chart looks attractive.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Sify Technologies Limited(SIFY)

Sify Technologies Limited provides enterprise and consumer Internet services primarily in India. The company offers various corporate network/data services comprising e-commerce and network connectivity solutions, such as end-to-end services network, application, and security services; voice origination and termination services; co-location and managed hosting services; and system integration services for data centre build, hardware distribution, security solutions, and turnkey projects. It also provides application services, including SLEMS and Microsoft Exchange messaging platforms; I-test for online assessment and LiveWire, which enable management of training processes across the organization; document management system for the management of documents electronically; and Forum, a forward supply chain solution. In addition, the company operates e-Ports that offer browsing, chat, email, gaming, utility bill payment, travel ticketing, hotel booking, mobile recharge, Intern et telephony, and online share trading services; and portals, which provide news, views, reviews, interactions, and services in the areas of movies, sports, finance, food, videos, astrology, online games, shopping, and travel, as well as offers content offerings and broadband services. Further, it provides infrastructure management services, such as network management, datacenter and helpdesk outsourcing, desktop and storage outsourcing, IT security outsourcing, LAN and WAN outsourcing, database and telecom outsourcing, and application monitoring and management services to automotive, chemical, media, and financial enterprises; and virtualization design, integration, and deployment services for servers, storage, networks, and end user clients. Sify has approximately 1,278 e-Ports in 200 towns and cities; and serves 1,06,000 broadband subscribers through 1500 cable TV Operators. The company, formerly known as Sify Limited, was founded in 1995 and is based in Chennai, India.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Micronetics Inc.(NOIZ)

Micronetics, Inc. engages in the design and manufacture of radio frequency (RF) and microwave components and sub-assemblies for defense and commercial customers. The company offers RF microwave components, including receiver components, noise components, voltage controlled oscillators, linearized and non-linearized power amplifiers, and broadband mixers and ferrites; and microwave integrated multifunction subassemblies comprising low noise receivers, up and down conversion modules, RF microwave distribution networks, transmit drivers, broadband frequency synthesizers, and phase/amplitude control networks. It also provides test solutions, such as carrier-to-noise, automated noise generators, bench-top noise generators, and hand-held power meter instruments platforms that perform various tests used in performance verification, and emulation of impairments in cellular/PCN/PCS, satellite, television, and cable modem communication systems. The company?s microwave and RF compon ents, and integrated multifunction subassemblies are used in various commercial wireless, defense, and aerospace products, including satellite communications, electronic warfare, and electronic counter-measures; test equipment, subassemblies, and components used to test the strength, durability, and integrity of signals in communication equipment. Its products are embedded in various radars, electronic warfare systems, guidance systems, wireless telecommunications, and satellite equipment; and microwave devices used on subassemblies and integrated systems. The company sells its products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. Micronetics, Inc. was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Hudson, New Hampshire.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: LRAD Corporation(LRAD)

LRAD Corporation engages in the design, development, and commercialization of directed sound technologies and products in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company develops and delivers directed acoustic products that beam, focus, and control sound over short and long distances. It offers Long Range Acoustic Device, which creates directed acoustic beam to communicate at operational ranges in high ambient noise environments, primarily for military applications. The company also provides SoundSaber thin film magnetic speaker technology that provides high clarity throughout the audio range for emergency and mass notification, public address, and other sound applications. Its SoundSaber hardened panels are used in acoustic environments, such as hangar bays, industrial buildings, airports, and other facilities. LRAD Corporation sells its products directly to government, military, large end-users, and defense-related companies. The company was formerly known as American Technology Corporation and changed its name to LRAD Corporation in March 2010. LRAD Corporation was founded in 1980 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By gurujx]

  LRAD (LRAD): CFO/Secretary Katherine McDermott Sold 38,204 Shares

  CFO/Secretary Katherine McDermott sold 38,204 shares of LRAD stock on Aug. 28 at the average price of $1.57. Katherine H McDermott owns at least 17,800 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 10.19% since.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Konami Corporation (KNM)

Konami Corporation develops, publishes, markets, and distributes video game software products for stationary and portable consoles, and personal computers worldwide. It operates in four segments: Digital Entertainment, Health and Fitness, Gaming and Systems, and Pachinko and Pachinko Slot Machines. The Digital Entertainment segment plans, produces, manufactures, and sells social content for social networks, content for mobile phones, online games, music and video package products, video game software, video games for amusement facilities, content for token-operated games, and card games, as well as electronic toys, figures, and character goods. This segment also builds computer systems related to online games; maintains and operates online servers; and purchases and distributes video game software for home use. The Health and Fitness segment operates health and fitness clubs. As of March 31, 2012, this segment owned and operated 205 fitness clubs; and provided outsourced s ervices at 161 clubs. The Gaming and Systems segment develops and sells content, hardware, and casino management systems for gaming machines for casinos. The Pachinko and Pachinko Slot Machines segment is involved in the production, manufacture, and sale of pachinko slot machines and liquid crystal displays for pachinko machines. In addition, Konami Corporation provides real estate management services; and operates portal sites. The company was formerly known as Konami Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Konami Corporation in 2000. Konami Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: inContact Inc.(SAAS)

inContact, Inc. provides cloud-based contact center software services and network connectivity in the United States. Its solutions include inContact ACD, an automatic call distributor; inContact CTI, a computer telephony integration that integrates with customer data servers to provide agents pre-populated customer data; inContact IVR, an interactive voice response solution to create specialized call flows; and inContact Integrations for integration of various hardware and software solutions already in place at customer sites. The company also offers inContact ECHO that gathers the opinion of the customer and presents the analysis of the feedback directly to supervisors and agents; inContact Workforce Management, which forecasts demand, schedules workforce, analyzes and optimizes staffing, and reports real-time adherence in contact centers; inContact Quality Monitoring that provides insights into agent performance and customer satisfaction; and InContact Screen Recording, which provides compliance level screen recording functionality for voice channel interactions. In addition, it provides inContact eLearning that offers targeted, prioritized training, communications, and testing to the agent?s desktop during dips in call volumes; and inContact Network Connectivity, which includes time division multiplexing and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) connectivity, and toll-free and local-number services. Further, inContact, Inc. offers professional services, as well as operates as a domestic and international long distance reseller and aggregator. The company was formerly known as UCN, Inc. and changed its name to inContact, Inc. in January 2009. inContact, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Qhr Technologies Inc. (QHR.V)

QHR Corporation provides various software solutions for the healthcare industry in Canada. The company operates in three divisions: Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Enterprise Management Solutions (EMS), and Revenue Cycle Management (RCM). The EMR division offers electronic medical records applications, application service provider hosting and data backup services, and other technology products and services for use in physicians� medical offices. Its hosting services include application hosting, technical support, offsite data storage, and business continuation services. This division markets its products under Accuro EMR brand. The EMS division provides workforce management software products comprising payroll, staff scheduling and human resources management solutions, as well as financial management software products for healthcare, social services, and public safety organizations. The RCM division provides software transaction processing services to physicians, hospit als, health plans, insurance brokers, and state governments to exchange information for health plan enrolment, health insurance eligibility, health insurance claims, claim payments, and healthcare provider collaboration of supporting patient referral and industry compliance/reporting documentation. The company was formerly known as QHR Technologies Inc. and changed its name to QHR Corporation in July 2013. QHR Corporation is based in Kelowna, Canada.

If your cell phone rings once, don't call back

If you see a missed cell phone call from an unknown number and call them back, hold on to your wallet before you get taken by yet another scam.

Cell phone users can quickly lose $20 or more if they are hit up by scammers who are playing one-ring games with our cell phones.

The fraudsters get computers to send thousands of calls to random cell phone numbers, ring once and disconnect.

If you're curious about the missed call, you might return the call right away. But then, you're going to be charged $19.95 for an international call, according to the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan.

After that, there's a $9-per-minute charge. Music plays to make it appear you're on hold and drag out that call.

The phone may be old school when it comes to scamming, but it's still a popular way for con artists to grab cash.

The Internet can be a scary place, as well, for scams.

The Federal Trade Commission has two new blog posts to give businesses and consumers specifics on telemarketing fraud. One FTC blog is called (Con)tempting fate and another is An Online Payday Loan or Window to a Scam?

The FTC is warning that some scam artists have targeted people looking for online payday loans. The consumers gave their bank account information online, and once the company had the account numbers, the consumers were enrolled in an ongoing membership for an online mall, which is known as a continuity plan, or negative-option plan.

But because the terms of the program were obscure, consumers wouldn't catch on to the scam unless they checked their statements. And the company took their silence and failure to cancel as permission to regularly debit money from their accounts.

In other scams, the pretext of "free" trial memberships for travel and discount clubs tricked some people into divulging their bank account information, too, to generate regular charges.

And now there's a funeral home scam.

Yes, con artists are sending e-mails with "funeral notifica! tion" in the subject line. The Better Business Bureau reports that the message appears to be from a funeral home in Texas, but it could be from anywhere.

The e-mail invites you to an upcoming "celebration of your friend's life service."

Nothing to celebrate here; delete the e-mail.

Scammers want to trick you and be able to download malware onto your computer.

The one-ring cell scam seems simple, but you could see how someone could get caught, too.

10 Best Stocks To Buy Right Now

Brian Kowaleski, 45, of Laingsburg, outside of Lansing, said last week he received one of these one-ring, hang-up cell phone calls two minutes after midnight.

"They try to make it like an odd call in the middle of the night, like an emergency," Kowaleski said.

The area code was 268, which could look like a 248 area code out of metro Detroit, in the middle of the night.

Kowaleski later looked up the 268 area code and it was for Antigua, an island in the West Indies.

Fortunately, Kowaleski did not call back.

"I don't call back strange numbers. I don't answer strange numbers. I just feel lucky if I missed someone's telemarketing call," he said.

But some are concerned that seniors, college students or others could rush to return a missed call.

"People won't even know they got scammed until a month later when they get the bill," Kowaleski said.

Others across the country have reported such calls in the past few days.

Julie Kosobucki, marketing and communications coordinator for the BBB serving Wisconsin, received a few one-ring cell calls with the area codes 268 and 767.

On her phone, one call showed up as "Dominica."

Kosobucki, 24, said she was not duped because she had heard earlier warnings via the BBB network on such calls. And, generally, she does not call anyone back unless they've left a voice mail.

But she can understand that some consum! ers do ha! ve a habit of calling first, asking questions later.

"My mom, if she gets a missed call from someone, she's a lot more likely to call back, even if they don't leave a voice mail, " Kosobucki said.

The BBB warned that the one-ring calls are coming from the Caribbean Islands, including Grenada, Antigua, Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands.

The BBB said if a person thinks they've been hit by this scam, they should immediately call their cell phone carrier and keep an eye on their bill.

If by chance, you do call back, by all means hang up immediately. Often these scams involve callers hearing music or other distractions that could make those return calls last even longer.

The best bet is not to return that odd missed call. Don't fall for "free memberships." And ignore those texts from funeral homes, too. The scammers are once again working overtime to get access to our money.

Contact Susan Tompor at stompor@freepress.com

What are odds for succesful small business?

Q: I lost my job recently and since this is not the first time and I am sick of it, I am strongly considering starting a one-person business. The question then is – what is the likelihood of success? Can it work? -- Amy

(Part 2 of 2)

A. As I began discussing in my column last week, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a self-employed individual was indeed stuck. Stuck making a little money running a little business in their little area. Not so now. No, today, no one who is part of the self-employed army need be stuck any place, or doing any thing. The playing field has been leveled.

How much is the world changing? Consider this: According to a report I saw recently issued by the software firm VMware, the term "employee" will probably disappear in the second half of the 21st century as workers transition into becoming their own business.

Let me share a cool example: Several years ago, AJ Leon had a sweet job on Wall Street. And yet he was incredibly unhappy because he was, he concluded, "living someone's else's life." That is, he was doing what he was supposed to do, not what he longed to do.

Leon decided that working in Manhattan for the big firm making the big bucks was a big waste of his time and talent.

As he told me, "I used to be an unremarkably average finance executive in New York with a six-figure salary." On December 31, 2007, he had had enough and he up and quit to join the ranks of self-employed. Not only that, he decided to do so in a uniquely radical way: AJ Leon decided his business would have no home office, in fact, it would have no offices at all. Wanting to travel and do work that "makes a difference," AJ started the virtual creative design business, Misfit.

Now, several years later, he and his wife travel the world, work and run their business from the road, and have a virtual staff of nine who work from all corners of the globe.

In his own words: "For many years, I lived the life I was supposed to live, you know, the one that you! r parents and your teachers and your friends think you should. I graduated from university Summa Cum Laude with three degrees, and accepted a job offer at the largest firm I could find, paying the highest salary I could get. I did what you do in finance and jumped from firm to firm, following the money and climbing the proverbial ladder.

"There was this small issue, though. Like many people, it was never the life I actually wanted. I was terrified – my life seemed to be sailing further away from who I really was. Then it struck me. I realized that if I didn't leave right there and then, I was going to be that dude for the rest of my life. For the first time in my life, it occurred to me that I didn't have to live the life I was supposed to live, I could live the one I was destined to live. I walked out. My very own emancipation.

Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now

"I created Misfit, Inc. on purpose to be a nomadic, creative shop. Anyone who understands what I am talking about can do something similar in his or her world. I believe I have something to say to a generation of Misfits like me that don't quite fit in the parameters that the world set out for them. People that are just inches away from remarkable, and only need to see that there is indeed another way."

There is indeed another way.

The advantage that the individual has over big corporations is that he or she needs no permission to take the initiative. Consider the wise words of the once and great futurist, Buckminster Fuller. He was, he decided one day, a "trim tab":

"Something hit me very hard once, thinking about what one little man could do. Think of the Queen Mary - the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there's a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trim tab. It's a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at ! all. So I! said that the little individual can be a trim tab. So I said, call me Trim Tab."

No, you need not be trapped in that job you hate, working for that jerk who isn't as smart as you. Today there are tools, websites, mentors, money options, and opportunities galore. There is a global, entrepreneurial revolution happening right now if you look closely.

So go ahead. You can be like the AJ Leons of the world. Maybe it is time for you too to become a self-employed trim tab.

Steve Strauss is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship. E-mail Steve at: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com. His website is TheSelfEmployed.

Essential Rules Of Paying For College

For parents of a high school senior, the day that the last college application is turned in can feel like the day peace is restored in the household: no more nagging to finish those essays, no more anxiety over standardized tests, and best of all, no more frantic 11th-hour proofreading before a midnight deadline. However, once the applications are turned in, a different challenge begins: paying that hefty tuition bill.

According to data from the College Board, the cost of attendance rose across the board from the 2012-'13 academic year to the 2013-'14 school calendar: average in-state tuition at public four-year schools rose 2.9% to $8,893, out-of-state tuition at public four-year institutions ticked up 3.1% to $22,203, and tuition at private not-for-profit schools increased 3.8% to $30,094. Including room and board, the numbers get even higher: in-state attendees see $18,391 in total charges, out-of-state students get an average bill of $31,701 and those matriculated at a non-for-profit private school are looking at an average bill of $40,917.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014

That's the bad news. The good news, according to FORBES contributor Laura Shin in the video below, is that there are some easy things you can do to make the process a little less painful:

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now

On this day in economic and business history...

The company popularly known as DuPont (NYSE: DD  ) is a shortened form of "E.I. du Pont de Nemours," itself a shortened version of the name Eluthere Irenee du Pont de Nemours, a Paris-born chemist with particular expertise as a gunpowder manufacturer. It was on July 19, 1802, on the banks of the Brandywine River in Delaware, that du Pont broke ground on the first gunpowder mills that gave rise to the DuPont chemical empire.

The du Pont family had arrived in Delaware at the turn of the 19th century after escaping the worst of the French Revolution. E.I. du Pont's father had been a minor noble and successful politician before the Reign of Terror, and his defense of doomed King Louis XVI from a besieging mob in 1792 nearly cost him his head in the guillotines. The elder du Pont later wound up playing an important role in the Louisiana Purchase by negotiating much of the deal on behalf of President Thomas Jefferson.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: PFB Corporation (PFBOF)

PFB Corporation (PFB) is a Canada-based company. The Company, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the manufacturing of insulating building products made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) materials and marketing these products in North America. Its main brands include PlastiSpan EPS Product Solutions; Advantage ICFS, Insulspan SIPS, Riverbend Timber Framing and Precision Craft. Expandable polystyrene resin is manufactured at PFB�� polymer plant located in Crossfield, Alberta, for use in downstream EPS manufacturing operations. Plasti-Fab EPS Product Solutions supply the EPS foam core material used to manufacture Insulspan SIPS. Riverbend Timber Framing structures are typically sold with an accompanying Insulspan SIPS enclosure package. Advantage ICF Systems are insulating concrete forming systems that are employed to build insulated foundations and walls from concrete in both residential and commercial markets. On February 1, 2011, the Company acquired Precision Craft Group.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: PFB Corporation (PFBOF.PK)

PFB Corporation (PFB) is a Canada-based company. The Company, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the manufacturing of insulating building products made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) materials and marketing these products in North America. Its main brands include PlastiSpan EPS Product Solutions; Advantage ICFS, Insulspan SIPS, Riverbend Timber Framing and Precision Craft. Expandable polystyrene resin is manufactured at PFB�� polymer plant located in Crossfield, Alberta, for use in downstream EPS manufacturing operations. Plasti-Fab EPS Product Solutions supply the EPS foam core material used to manufacture Insulspan SIPS. Riverbend Timber Framing structures are typically sold with an accompanying Insulspan SIPS enclosure package. Advantage ICF Systems are insulating concrete forming systems that are employed to build insulated foundations and walls from concrete in both residential and commercial markets. On February 1, 2011, the Company acquired Precision C raft Group.

Top Communications Equipment Stocks To Buy Right Now: Olin Corp (OLN)

Olin Corporation, incorporated on August 13, 1892, is a manufacturer focused in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products, Chemical Distribution and Winchester. Chlor Alkali Products manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. Chemical Distribution manufactures bleach products and distributes caustic soda, bleach products, potassium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Winchester products include sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, and industrial cartridges. On August 22, 2012, the Company acquired K. A. Steel Chemicals Inc. (KA Steel). KA Steel is a distributor of caustic soda in North America and manufactures and sells bleach in the Midwest.

The Company's subsidiary, Olin Canada ULC, operates one chlor alkali facility in Becancour, Quebec, which sells chlor alkali-related products within Canada and to the United States and also sells and distributes ammunition within Canada. The Company's subsidiary, Winchester Australia Limited, loads and packs sporting and industrial ammunition in Australia.

Chlor Alkali Products

The Company is engaged in the United States chlor alkali industry. Chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen are co-produced commercially by the electrolysis of salt. These co-products are produced simultaneously, and in a fixed ratio of one ton of chlorine to 1.1 tons of caustic soda and 0.03 tons of hydrogen. The Company also manufactures and sells other chlor alkali-related products. These products include chemically processed salt, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), hydrogen, and potassium hydroxide. The Company refers to these other chlor alkali-related products as co-products. During the year ended December 31, 2012, sales of co-products represented approximately 32% of Chlor Alkali Products' sales.

The Company's chlorine/caustic soda products are used in pulp and paper processing, chemical! manufacturing, water purification, manufacture of vinyl chloride, bleach, swimming pool chemicals and urethane chemicals. Its sodium hypochlorite are used in household cleaners, laundry bleaching, swimming pool sanitizers, semiconductors, water treatment, textiles, pulp and paper, and food processing. Its hydrochloric acid are used in steel, oil and gas, plastics, organic chemical synthesis, water and wastewater treatment, brine treatment, artificial sweeteners, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and ore and mineral processing. Its potassium hydroxide is used in fertilizer manufacturing, soaps, detergents and cleaners, battery manufacturing, food processing chemicals and deicers. Its hydrogen is used in fuel source, hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid.

The Company competes with Dow Chemical Company and the Occidental Chemical Corporation.

Chemical Distribution

The Company's KA Steel comprises the Chemical Distribution segment. KA Steel is a distributor of caustic soda in North America and manufacturers and sells bleach in the Midwest. KA Steel also sells small quantities of potassium hydroxide and maintains infrastructure to be, a distributor of hydrochloric acid.

The Company competes with Univar Inc. and Brenntag AG.

Winchester

Winchester is a developer and manufacturer of small caliber ammunition for sale to domestic and international retailers (commercial customers), law enforcement agencies and domestic and international militaries. The Company's Winchester product line includes gauges and calibers of shotgun shells, rimfire and centerfire ammunition for pistols and rifles, reloading components and industrial cartridges. Its Winchester sporting ammunition, which include shot-shells, small caliber centerfire and rimfire ammunition, are used by hunters and recreational shooters, and law enforcement agencies. Its small caliber military ammunition are used in infantry and mounted weapons. Its industrial products, which i! nclude ei! ght gauge loads & powder-actuated tool loads, are used in maintenance applications in power and concrete industries and powder-actuated tools in construction industry.

The Company competes with Alliant Techsystems Inc. and Remington Arms Company, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Dow isn�� the only chemical play gaining on the news. �Axiall (AXLL) rose 9.3% to $49.58 in Monday market action. Olin (OLN) rose 6.1% to $26.36. And Westlake Chemical (WLK) rose 2.2% to $115.10.

• [By Dan Dzombak]

  Olin (NYSE: OLN  ) is a chemical company that also owns Winchester Ammunition. The company distributes its ammunition under the Super X, Supreme, Supreme Elite, AA, and Winlite brand names, among others. While the company trades at a P/E ratio of 13, Winchester only makes up 20% to 25% of the business, so you are mainly investing in a chemical company. If you are looking for a pure play on firearms, you are better off looking elsewhere.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Meanwhile, Winchester ammunition manufacturer Olin (NYSE: OLN  ) has benefited from a relentless upward trend in ammunition purchases, which it says began the Saturday before Election Day. As of the company's most recent quarterly results, Olin management bluntly stated that the demand has only been "limited by product availability."�

• [By James Brumley]

  Those seeking to capitalize on the now-waning firearm craze may be better off looking at ammunition makers like Olin Corporation (OLN). It got its own mania-driven sales bump in Q3, as owners of newly-purchased guns stocked up on bullets. But, at least there’s relatively stable recurring revenue in the ammo business, assuming all these recent gun buyers make occasional visits to the shooting range.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: PPG Industries Inc.(PPG)

PPG Industries, Inc. manufactures and supplies protective and decorative coatings. The company offers coatings products for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, specialty coatings for signs, and light industrial coatings; and sealants, coatings, and technical cleaners/transparencies for commercial, military, regional jet, general aviation aircraft, and transparent armor for military land vehicles. It also provides coatings and finishes for the protection of metals and structures to metal fabricators, heavy duty maintenance contractors, and manufacturers of ships, bridges, rail cars, and shipping containers; and coatings to painting and maintenance contractors. In addition, PPG sells industrial and automotive coatings to manufacturing companies; adhesives and sealants for the automotive industry; metal pretreatments and related chemicals; and coatings and inks for aerosol, food, and beverage containers. Further, it supplies lenses, sunlenses, a nd optical lens materials; amorphous precipitated silicas for tire and battery separator markets; and Teslin substrate used in radio frequency identification tags and labels, e-passports, drivers? licenses, and identification cards applications. Additionally, PPG offers chlor-alkali and derivative products, such as chlorine, caustic soda, vinyl chloride monomer, chlorinated solvents, calcium hypochlorite, ethylene dichloride, hydrochloric acid, and phosgene derivatives to chemical processing, rubber and plastics, paper, minerals, metals, and water treatment industries. It also produces flat glass and continuous-strand fiber glass for commercial and residential construction, wind energy, energy infrastructure, transportation, and electronics industries. PPG sells its products through company-owned stores, home centers, paint dealers, and independent distributors, as well as directly to customers worldwide. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pe nnsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH), Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), PrivateBancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PVTB), PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE: PPG), Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM), Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK), Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE: BTU), Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG), Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese GDP, Chinese industrial production, Chinese retail sales, US industrial production, US housing starts, US building permits

  Friday

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Privately held specialty-coatings producer Deft will be acquired by PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG  ) for an undisclosed sum.�

  Deft's primary business is supplying structural primers and military topcoats to the North American aviation industry, as well as architectural and industrial coatings, though they comprise much�smaller parts of its business.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Paint and coating specialist PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG  ) advanced 6.2% after following Peabody's lead, and reporting solid first-quarter earnings results. For the quarter, PPG reported what was essentially flat revenue at $3.33 billion, and a profit of $1.58 per share, versus consensus estimates calling for $3.44 billion in revenue, and $1.56 in EPS. Furthermore, PPG boosted its quarterly dividend by 3%, to $0.61, for a new forward yield of 1.7%. The quarter was influenced by a $2.19 billion sale of one of its units to Georgia Gulf, but it speaks more to the ongoing strength in the paint business from a consumer and commercial level.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Gulf Resources Inc (GURE)

Gulf Resources, Inc. (Gulf Resources), incorporated on February 28, 1989, is engaged in manufacturing and trading of bromine and crude salt, and manufacturing and selling of chemical products used in oil and gas field exploration, oil and gas distribution, oil field drilling, wastewater processing, papermaking chemical agents and inorganic chemicals. As of December 31, 2011, its products have been sold only within the People�� Republic of China. The Company operates in three segments: bromine, crude salt and chemical products. It manufactures and trades bromine and crude salt through Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (SCHC), and manufactures chemical products for use in the oil industry and paper manufacturing industry through Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co., Limited (SYCI). On December 22, 2011, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets owned by Liangcai Zhang in the Shouguang City Yangkou Township Area.

Bromine and Crude Salt

The Company manufactures and distributes bromine through its wholly owned subsidiary, SCHC. Bromine (Br2) is a halogen element and it is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature, which has reactivity between chlorine and iodine. Elemental bromine is used to manufacture a variety of bromine compounds used in industry and agriculture. Bromine is also used to form intermediates in organic synthesis. Its bromine is used in brominated flame retardants, fumigants, water purification compounds, dyes, medicines and disinfectants. Its production sites are located in the Shandong Province in northeastern China. Its production feeds include natural brine, vitriol, chlorine, sulfur and coal.

Crude Salt

The Company also produces crude salt, which is produced from the evaporation of the wastewater after its bromine production process. Once the brine is returned to the surface and the bromine is removed, the remaining brine is pumped to onsite containing pools and then exposed to natural sunshine. T! his causes the water to evaporate from the brine, resulting in salt being left over afterwards. Crude salt is the principal material in alkali production, as well as chlorine alkali production and is used in the chemical, food and beverage, and other industries.

Chemical Products

The Company produces chemical products through its wholly owned subsidiary, SYCI. The products it produces include hydroxyl guar gum, demulsified agent, corrosion inhibitor for acidizing, bactericide, chelant, iron ion stabilizer, clay stabilizing agent, flocculants agent, remaining agent, expanding agent, bromopropane, environmental friendly additive products, solid lubricant and polyether lubricant.

Gulf Resources competes with Shandong Yuyuan Group Company Limited, Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited, Shandong Dadi Salt Chemical Group Company Limited, Shandong Haiwang Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Weifang Longwei Industrial Company Limited, Shandong Caiyangzi Saltworks, Beijing Tianqing Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Weifang Shuangxing Pesticides Company Limited, Zibo Dacheng Pesticides Company Limited, Befar Group Company Limited, China Eastar (Group) Chemical Industry Company Limited and Pecome Technologies Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO) is up 28.3% at $24.05. Gulf Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: GURE) is up 15.8% at $2.46.

  Stocks on the Move: ViroPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: VPHM) is up 25.4% at $49.38 on a $4.2 billion buyout offer from London-listed Shire. Zalicus Inc. (NASDAQ: ZLCS) is down 72.3% at $1.30 on a failed drug trial.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 basic materials player that's starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Gulf Resources (GURE), which manufactures and trades bromine and crude salt, and manufactures and sells chemical products used in oil and gas field exploration. This stock has been a favorite target of the bulls so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 140%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Gulf Resources, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $1.10 to its recent high of $3.10 a share. During that uptrend, shares of GURE have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GURE within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in GURE if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.87 to its 52-week high at $3.10 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 467,986 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GURE will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $4 to $4.50 a share.

  Traders can look to buy GURE off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support levels at $2.38 a share, or near its 50-day moving average of $2.23 a share. One can also buy GURE off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Calgon Carbon Corp (CCC)

Calgon Carbon Corporation is a provider of products, services, and solutions for purifying water and air. The Company operates in three reportable segments: Activated Carbon and Service, Equipment, and Consumer. The Activated Carbon and Service segment manufactures granular and powdered activated carbon for use in applications to primarily remove organic compounds from water, air and other liquids and gases. The service aspect of the segment consists of reactivation and the leasing, monitoring and maintenance of carbon adsorption equipment. The Equipment segment provides solutions to customers��air and water purification problems through the design, fabrication, installation, and sale of equipment systems that utilize a combination of the Company�� enabling technologies: carbon adsorption, ultraviolet light (UV), Ballast Water Treatment (BWT), and advanced ion exchange separation (ISEP). The Consumer segment primarily consists of the manufacture and sale of carbon cloth. On March 31, 2011 the Company completed the acquisition of Calgon Carbon Japan KK (CCJ).

Activated Carbon and Service

The sale of activated carbon is the principle component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment. Activated carbon is a porous material that removes organic compounds from liquids and gases by a process known as adsorption. In adsorption, unwanted organic molecules contained in a liquid or gas are attracted and bound to the surface of the pores of the activated carbon as the liquid or gas is passed through. The primary raw material used in the production of the Company�� activated carbons is bituminous coal which is crushed, sized and then processed in low temperature kilns followed by high temperature furnaces. The Company also markets activated carbons from other raw materials, including coconut shell and wood. The Company produces and sells a range of activated, impregnated or acid washed carbons in granular, powdered or pellet form. Granular activated carbon (GAC) particl! es are irregular in shape and generally used in fixed filter beds for continuous flow purification processes.

Another component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment are the optional services associated with supplying the Company�� products and systems required for purification, separation, concentration, taste and odor control. The Company offers a variety of treatment services at customer facilities, including carbon supply, equipment leasing, installation and demobilization, transportation and spent carbon reactivation. Other services include feasibility testing, process design, performance monitoring and maintenance of Company-owned equipment. The central component of the Company�� service business is reactivation of spent carbon and re-supply. The Company provides reactivation/recycling services in packages ranging from a 55 gallon drum to truckload quantities.

Equipment

Along with providing activated carbon products, the Company has developed a portfolio of standardized, pre-engineered, adsorption systems capable of treating liquid flows from 1 gallons per minute to 1,400 gallons per minute, which can be delivered and installed at treatment sites. These self-contained adsorption systems are used for vapor phase applications, such as volatile organic compound (VOC) control, air stripper off-gases, and landfill gas emissions. Liquid phase equipment systems are used for applications of potable water, process purification, wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation and de-chlorination. The Company produces a range of odor control equipment, which typically utilizes catalytic activated carbon to control odors at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and pumping stations. The Company�� variety of equipment systems treats the odors that emanate from municipal wastewater treatment facilities and the sewage collection systems that bring the waste to the treatment plant.

The ISEP (Ionic Separator) continuous ion exchange units ! are used ! for the purification and recovery of many products in the food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. The ISEP Continuous Separator units perform ion exchange separations using countercurrent processing. The ISEP and CSEP (chromatographic separator) systems are used at over 300 installations worldwide in more than 40 applications in industrial settings, as well as in environmental applications, including perchlorate and nitrate removal from drinking water. The Hyde GUARDIAN System was developed as a chemical-free, International Maritime Organization (IMO) type approved, ballast water management solution. The system is designed to meet the needs of ship owners to install treatment system.

Consumer

The primary product offered in the Consumer segment is carbon cloth. Carbon cloth, which is activated carbon in cloth form, is manufactured in the United Kingdom and sold to the medical, military, and specialty markets. Zorflex Activated Carbon Cloth can be used in numerous additional applications, including sensor protection; filters for ostomy bags; wound dressings; conservation of artifacts, and respiratory masks.

The Company competes with Norit, N.V., Mead/Westvaco Corporation, Siemens Water Technologies, Trojan Technologies, Inc., Xylem, Wedeco Ideal Horizons, Panasia, Alfa Lavel Tumba AB, Hyde Marine, Inc. and Wartsila.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Computacenter Plc (CCC) slipped 4.5 percent to 543 pence, its biggest drop since June. UBS AG lowered the technology-services provider to neutral from buy, citing its valuation. The shares have climbed to 13.18 times estimated earnings from 11.81 times at the end of last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (APD)

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, equipment, and services worldwide. The company?s Merchant Gases segment sells atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon; process gases, including hydrogen and helium; and medical and specialty gases for the metal, glass, chemical processing, food processing, healthcare, steel, general manufacturing, and petroleum and natural gas industries. This segment also offers respiratory therapies, home medical equipment, and infusion services primarily in Europe. Its Tonnage Gases segment provides hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and syngas to the energy production and refining, chemical, and metallurgical industries; and produces dinitrotoluene used in the manufacture of a precursor of polyurethane foam. The company?s Electronics and Performance Materials segment offers nitrogen trifluoride, silane, arsine, phosphine, white ammonia, silicon tetra fluoride, carbon tetrafluoride, hexafluoromethane, critical etch gases, and tungsten hexafluoride; and tonnage gases, specialty chemicals, and services and equipment for the manufacture of silicon and compound semiconductors, thin film transistor liquid crystal displays, and photovoltaic devices. This segment also provides performance materials for a range of products, including coatings, inks, adhesives, civil engineering, personal care, institutional and industrial cleaning, mining, oil refining, and polyurethanes. Its Equipment and Energy segment designs and manufactures cryogenic equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, natural gas liquefaction, and helium distribution; and offers plant design, engineering, procurement, and construction management services for the chemical and petrochemical manufacturing, oil and gas recovery and processing, and steel and primary metals processing industries. The company was founded in 1940 and is based in All entown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Make hay while the sun shines
  For instance, the biggest gainer in the IPIG portfolio this past week was Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE: APD  ) . The company reported so-so earnings but nevertheless leaped skyward after adopting a poison pill on rumors that it may be a target of activist investor Bill Ackman. While the gain is nice, the drivers are dubious, and it suggests a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted.

• [By Vanina Egea]

  Some say that specializing in one product is the path to success. Others argue that diversifying is a policy against economic recessions. Time has proved that neither strategy is wrong, and that each one has an expiration date. Here are two chemical companies that started with one product and have eventually diversified: DuPont (DD) and Air Products & Chemicals (APD). Let's take a look into their prospects for the years to come.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.(POT)

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. produces and sells fertilizers and related industrial and feed products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company mines and produces potash, which is used as fertilizer. It also offers solid and liquid phosphate fertilizers; animal feed supplements; and industrial acids that are used in food products and industrial processes. In addition, the company produces nitrogen fertilizers, as well as nitrogen feed and industrial products, including ammonia, urea, nitrogen solutions, ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid. Further, it holds the right to mine 785,759 acres of land in Saskatchewan; and 58,263 acres of land in New Brunswick in Canada. The company sells its fertilizers primarily to retailers, dealers, co-operatives, distributors, and other fertilizer producers; industrial products primarily to chemical product manufacturers; and purified phosphoric acid directly to consumers of the product. Potash Corporation was founded i n 1953 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Ciura]

  As a result, valuations of industry leaders Potash Corp. (NYSE: POT  ) , The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS  ) , and Intrepid Potash (NYSE: IPI  ) have compressed dramatically, leaving each stock looking very cheap on the surface.

• [By Daniela Pylypczak]

  Morgan Stanley announced on Monday that it has resumed coverage on Potash Corp (POT).

  Morgan Stanley analyst Vincent Andrews stated that the company has assigned the fertilizer stock an “Equal Weight” rating, warning “We remain cautious on the overall potash market, though more because of loose supply/demand fundamentals than because of dynamics in Russia/Belorussia. Potash prices have been moving lower for 8 quarters in a row now (7 of which BPC was fully functioning) and prices were continuing to drift lower in the weeks preceding the BPC break-up (recall Mosaic’s disclosure about lower prices in the Brazilian market on its July 16th earnings call.”

  Potash shares popped 1.55% during Monday’s session. Year-to-date, the stock has fallen 21.35%.

• [By Neha Chamaria]

  Which companies are in danger?
  Members of Canpotex --�PotashCorp (NYSE: POT  ) , Mosaic (NYSE: MOS  ) , and Agrium (NYSE: AGU  ) �-- are the worst hit when India slows down potash purchases, since Canpotex controls all potash exports out of Saskatchewan, Canada. Similarly, marketing association, PhosChem handles phosphate exports from the U.S., so its two members, PotashCorp and Mosaic, bear the brunt of lower sales in that regard, too.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Zoltek Companies Inc (ZOLT)

Zoltek Companies, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, Zoltek Corporation, Zoltek Zrt., Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV, Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV, Engineering Technology Corporation (Entec Composite Machines), Zoltek Properties, Inc., and Zoltek Automotive, LLC. Zoltek Corporation (Zoltek) develops, manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers in the United States. The Company is an applied technology and advanced materials company. It commercialization of carbon fiber through composites used in a range of commercial products, which it sells under the Panex trade name. In addition to manufacturing carbon fiber, it produces an intermediate product, a stabilized and oxidized acrylic fiber used in flame- and heat-resistant applications, which it sells under the Pyron trade name. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its net sales to Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturer represented % of its net sales. In October 2011, Zoltek purchased a building in St. Peters, Missouri to house its prepreg operations.

Zoltek Zrt. is a Hungarian subsidiary that manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers and manufactures acrylic fiber precursor raw material used in production of carbon fibers and technical fibers. Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV and Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV are Mexican subsidiaries that manufacture carbon fiber and precursor raw material. Entec Composite Machines manufactures and markets filament winding and pultrusion equipment used in the production composite parts. The Company�� sales markets are in Europe and the United States. The Company has manufacturing plants in Nyergesujfalu, Hungary, Guadalajara, Mexico, Abilene, Texas and St. Charles, Missouri. Its Texas plant houses carbon fiber manufacturing lines and value-added processing capabilities. Its Missouri plant is engaged in the production of technical fibers for aircraft brake and other friction applications and also produces limited! amounts of carbon fibers. In addition, it has facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah where it designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and produce resin pre-impregnated carbon fibers, called prepregs. It performs certain downstream processing, such as weaving, knitting, blending with other fibers, chopping and milling and preparation of pre-form, pre-cut stacks of fabric. In addition, its Salt Lake City-based Entec Composite Machines subsidiary designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and markets the equipment along with manufacturing technology and materials. It also provides composite design and engineering for development of applications for carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The Company competes with Hexcel Corporation, Cytec Industries, Toray Group, Toho Tenax, Mitsubishi Chemical and SGL Carbon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of world-leading carbon fiber manufacturer�Zoltek� (NASDAQ: ZOLT  ) �have been pushed to new highs after a frantic attempt by Quinpario Partners to acquire a large position in the company. Despite being turned away by management, the fund does make valid points about the company's general lack of progress given its global scope and potential. Investors in this business built around a game-changing material may be worrying whether shares are about to fall back to earth. In the following video, Fool.com contributor Maxx Chatsko gives at least one reason for investors to think that shares can hold their current levels -- or even trek higher.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  3. Zoltek (NASDAQ: ZOLT  )
  Zoltek was an interesting investment at the beginning of the year for futurist investors. The company is one of the largest manufacturers of carbon fiber in the world. In fact, its lightweight and high-strength carbon fiber is used almost exclusively in the largest wind turbine blades around the world and played a major role in America's 20-fold improvement in breezy energy capacity since 2000. This material of the future has many other uses and potential uses as well, but Zoltek has never really gained the confidence of the market in any big way: Its market cap was hovering near $300 million at the start of the year.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Koppers Holdings Inc (KOP)

Koppers Holdings Inc. (Koppers), incorporated on November 12, 2004,is a global provider of carbon compounds and commercial wood treatment products and services. The Company's products are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end-markets, including the aluminum, railroad, specialty chemical, utility, concrete and steel industries. The Company serves its customers through a global manufacturing and distribution networks, with manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Australia, China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark. The Company operates in two business segments: Carbon Materials & Chemicals and railroads & Utility Products.

The Company's operations are, to a substantial extent, vertically integrated. Through the Company's Carbon Materials & Chemicals business, the Company processes coal tar into a variety of products, including carbon pitch, creosote, naphthalene and phthalic anhydride, which are intermediate materials necessary in the production of aluminum, the pressure treatment of wood, the production of high-strength concrete, and the production of plasticizers and specialty chemicals, respectively. Through the Company's Railroad & Utility Products business, the Company believes that the Company is thesupplier of railroad crossties to the North American railroads.

Carbon Materials & Chemicals

Carbon pitch, naphthalene, and creosote are produced through the distillation of coal tar, a by-product generated through the processing of coal into coke for use in steel and iron manufacturing. Coal tar distillation involves the conversion of coal tar into a variety of intermediate chemical products in processes beginning with distillation. During the distillation process, heat and vacuum are utilized to separate coal tar into three primary components: carbon pitch (approximately 50%), chemical oils (approximately 20%) and creosote (approximately 30%).

The Company's Carbon Materials & Chemicals business! (CM&C) manufactures principal products, including carbon pitch, a critical raw material used in the production of aluminum and steel; naphthalene, used for the production of phthalic anhydride and as a surfactant in the production of concrete; phthalic anhydride, used in the production of plasticizers, polyester resins and alkyd paints, and creosote and carbon black feedstock, used in the treatment of wood or as a feedstock in the production of carbon black. The Company also uses naphthalene as a feedstock in the manufacture of phthalic anhydride. The primary markets for phthalic anhydride are in the production of plasticizers, unsaturated polyester resins and alkyd resins. The Company is a producer of carbon pitch for the aluminum industry.

Creosote is used as a commercial wood treatment chemical to preserve railroad crossties and lumber, utility poles and piling. The majority of the Company's domestically produced creosote is sold to its Railroad & Utility Products business. In Australia, China and Europe, creosote is sold primarily into the carbon black market for use as a feedstock in the production of carbon black. In Europe and China creosote is also sold to wood treaters. The Company's wood treating plants in the United States purchase substantially all of their creosote from the Company's tar distillation plants.

Other products include the sale of refined tars, benzole and specialty chemicals. The Company's CM&C business manufactures its primary products and sells them directly to the Company's global customer base under long-term contracts or through purchase orders negotiated by its regional sales personnel and coordinated through its global marketing group in the United States. The Company's nine coal tar distillation facilities including joint ventures and four carbon materials terminals give the Company the ability to offer customers multiple sourcing and a consistent supply of products.

Railroad & Utility Products

The Company's Railroad ! & Utility! Products business (R&UP) sells treated and untreated wood products, rail joint bars and services primarily to the railroad and public utility markets in the United States and Australia. The Company also produces concrete crossties, a complementary product to its wood treatment business, through a joint venture in the United States.

Railroad products include procuring and treating items such as crossties, switch ties and various types of lumber used for railroad bridges and crossings. Railroad products also include manufacturing and selling rail joint bars, which are steel bars used to join rails together for railroads. Utility products include transmission and distribution poles for electric and telephone utilities and piling used in industrial foundations, beach housing, docks and piers. The R&UP business operates 13 wood treating plants, one rail joint bar manufacturing facility, one co-generation facility and 13 pole distribution yards located throughout the United States and Australia. The Company's network of plants is strategically located near timber supplies to enable the Company to access raw materials and service customers effectively. In addition, the Company's crosstie treating plants are typically adjacent to its railroad customers' track lines, and its pole distribution yards are typically located near its utility customers.

In the United States, hardwood lumber is procured by the Company from hundreds of small sawmills throughout the northeastern, midwestern and southern areas of the country. The crossties are shipped via rail car or trucked directly to one of the Company's crosstie treating plants, all of which are on line with a railroad. The crossties are either air-stacked for a period of six to twelve months or artificially dried by a process called boultonizing. Once dried, the crossties are pressure treated with creosote, a product of the Company's CM&C business.

The Company's R&UP business' customer base is the North American Class I railroa! d market,! which buys approximately 80% of all crossties produced in the United States and Canada. The Company also has relationships with many of the approximately 550 short-line and regional rail lines. This also forms the customer base for the Company's rail joint bar products. The railroad crosstie market is a mature market with approximately 23 million replacement crossties (both wood and non-wood) purchased during 2012. The Company supplies all seven of the North American Class I railroads and have contracts with six of them. The Company treats poles with a variety of preservatives, including pentachlorophenol, copper chrome arsenates and creosotes .In the United States the market for utility pole products is characterized by a number of small producers selling into a price-sensitive industry. The utility pole market is fragmented domestically, with over 200 investor-owned electric and telephone utilities and 2,900 smaller municipal utilities and rural electric associations.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Koppers Holdings (NYSE: KOP  ) were looking rusty today, falling as much as 12% after the company cut its outlook for the current quarter.

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Linde AG (LIN)

Linde AG is a German company engaged in the gases and engineering sector. It operates two divisions: Gases and Engineering, as core divisions, as well as Gist. The Gases Division includes Healthcare, producing medical gases; and Tonnage, as its two global business units; as well as the two business areas Merchant and Packaged Gases, offering liquefied and cylinder gases, and Electronics. The Company�� products are used in the energy sector, for steel production, chemical processing, environmental protection and welding, as well as in food processing, glass production and electronics. The Engineering division offers planning, project development and construction of turnkey industrial plants used in fields, such as petrochemical and chemical industries, in refineries and fertilizer plants, to recover air gases, to produce hydrogen and synthesis gases, to treat natural gas, and in the pharmaceutical industry. As of August 13, 2012, the Company acquired Lincare Holdings Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap media stock�LIN Media LLC (NYSE: LIN) might not be a household name, but there is a good chance you might be watching the company�� programs because like the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc (NASDAQ: SBGI) and Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc (NASDAQ: NXST), its helping to consolidate the media industry plus its making investment in other forms of media like social media. The stock has also outperformed those two peers along with the�PowerShares Dynamic Media Portfolio ETF (NYSEARCA: PBS).

Best Chemical Companies To Watch In Right Now: OCI Partners LP (OCIP.N)

OCI Partners LP, incorporated on February 07, 2013, owns and operates an integrated methanol and ammonia production facility that is strategically located on the Texas Gulf Coast near Beaumont. The Company is a methanol producer in the United States with an annual methanol production capacity of approximately 730,000 metric tons and an annual ammonia production capacity of approximately 265,000 metric tons, and it is in the early stages of a debottlenecking project that increases its annual methanol production capacity by 25% to approximately 912,500 metric tons and its annual ammonia production capacity by 15% to approximately 305,000 metric tons.

Both methanol and ammonia are global commodities that are essential building blocks for numerous end-use products. Methanol is a liquid petrochemical that is used in a variety of industrial and energy-related applications. Methanol is used in industrial applications to produce adhesives used in manufacturing wood products, such as plywood, particle board and laminates, resins to treat paper and plastic products, paint and varnish removers, solvents for the textile industry and polyester fibers for clothing and carpeting. Methanol is also used outside of the United States as a direct fuel for automobile engines, as a fuel blended with gasoline and as an octane booster in reformulated gasoline. In the United States, ammonia is primarily used as a feedstock to produce nitrogen fertilizers, such as urea and ammonium sulfate, and is also directly applied to soil as a fertilizer. In addition, ammonia is widely used in industrial applications, particularly in the Texas Gulf Coast market, including in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, resins and numerous other chemical compounds.