The Financial Appeal of an Obamacare Repeal

It's often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again over and over and expecting different results. Some people probably thought of this line after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare yesterday -- for the 37th time (counting defunding attempts.) While no one really expects the Senate to take action, the political reality is that there were different results: Several new freshmen in Congress were given the opportunity to vote for or against the controversial legislation for the first time.

I'll leave it to others to debate the politics of Obamacare, but I am interested in the financial and investing implications of any curtailing of the law. Let me first say that I don't expect a full repeal to happen anytime soon. However, there could be support for a rollback of some Obamacare components. Here are two areas that have at least a shot at reversal and the financial appeal for these repeals to happen.

Cutting some cuts
Obamacare includes significant cuts for hospitals. These cuts particularly impact those hospitals that provide care for poor and uninsured patients. The thought behind these deep cuts was that more uninsured Americans would be covered through the expansion of Medicaid or by private insurance obtained through Obamacare health insurance exchanges. 

Last year, though, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government couldn't force states to expand Medicaid as called for in Obamacare. So far, at least 15 states have opted out of expanding the program with a few others leaning toward no expansion. The dynamics have changed since Obamacare was passed, but those cuts are still scheduled to go into effect beginning next year.

President Obama now proposes to delay the cuts by one year. Expect considerable pressure on both parties to enact an even longer delay. The prospect of a push to reduce these cuts in states that don't expand Medicaid also seems likely. It will probably be difficult for politicians to argue persuasively for cuts that were intended to counterbalance financial gains that now won't be realized.

Hospitals in states that don't plan to expand Medicaid will benefit the most if this part of Obamacare is rolled back. For example, the nation's largest hospital chain, HCA Holdings (NYSE: HCA  ) , operates facilities in at least seven states in this group. Around one-quarter of HCA's beds are in Texas, which isn't expanding Medicaid. Another 25% of the company's beds are in Florida, which so far hasn't moved forward with expansion.

Excising the excise tax
Medical device makers howled when Obamacare passed with a new 2.3% excise tax on medical devices. Some lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum have also been howling lately. 

In March, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to repeal the medical device tax with 79 in favor and only 20 against the measure. Interestingly, many senators who originally voted for Obamacare went along with rolling back this part of the legislation. However, the repeal was tucked into the Senate's budget, which is a non-starter in the House of Representatives. There are some realistic scenarios, though, where this medical device excise tax could be booted. Considerable support exists in both political parties to do so.

If any of these scenarios actually unfold, expect many medical device stocks to receive a nice bump. My hunch is that some medical device makers that haven't performed quite as strongly as peers would likely receive the biggest benefit. For example, Medtronic (NYSE: MDT  ) is up around 18% year-to-date -- less than several others in the industry. Medtronic estimated that the tax would eventually cost as much as $175 million per year. That amounts to nearly one-fifth of the company's earnings in the last quarter.

Axing the act
Skeptical about the possibility that any part of Obamacare would ever be undone? If so, consider that President Obama has already signed several bills that limit the reform law. One example is the CLASS Act, which provided payments for long-term care. This original component of Obamacare was repealed as part of the fiscal cliff deal agreed upon by the White House and Congress.

Again, I don't think Obamacare is about to collapse altogether. But the possibility that Washington will take the axe to some parts of the legislation doesn't seem too far-fetched. Investors should find several stocks appealing if Congress keeps repealing.

Obamacare will undoubtedly have far-reaching effects. The Motley Fool's new free report, "Everything You Need to Know About Obamacare," lets you know how your health insurance, your taxes, and your portfolio will be affected. Click here to read more. 

Hershey Canada Fined $3.8 Million for Price Fixing

TORONTO (AP) -- Hershey Canada was fined US$3.8 million (CA $4 million) Friday after pleading guilty to its role in fixing the price of chocolate confectionery products in Canada.

Canada's Competition Bureau said the Mississauga, Ontario-based company admitted in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice that it conspired, agreed or arranged to fix the price of chocolate confectionery products in Canada in 2007.

The Competition Bureau said Hershey also admitted that in 2007 senior employees communicated with employees at Nestlé Canada, Mars Canada and an independent distributor network to exchange competitively sensitive pricing information about chocolate confectionery products in Canada.

"Price-fixing is a serious criminal offence, regardless of whether it is in the chocolate confectionery market or any other industry," said John Pecman, the Commissioner of Competition. "The collaboration of organizations or individuals is one of our best weapons to bring to light illegal agreements between competitors, which are secretive in nature and very difficult to detect."

The Competition Bureau earlier this month filed criminal charges against Nestle SA's Canada arm, Mars's Canada division and ITWAL Ltd., a network of independent wholesale distributors. Also charged are former Nestle Canada president Robert Leonidas; Sandra Martinez, former president of confectionery for Nestle Canada; and David Glenn Stevens, president and chief executive of ITWAL.

Nestle, Mars and Itwal Ltd. have said they intend to defend themselves against the charges. A trial date is set for Oct. 3.

If convicted, the defendants could face a fine of up to US$9.5 million (CA$10-million) and a prison term of up to five years.

Hershey Canada received leniency under a Competition Bureau program designed to encourage companies to report wrongdoing. The program offers immunity to the first party to disclose an offense or provide evidence, provided it fully cooperates. Subsequent parties that cooperate with an investigation may receive lenient treatment.

Chocolate maker Cadbury Adams Canada first brought the matter to the bureau's attention in 2007 and received immunity from prosecution.

The Competition Bureau, an independent law enforcement agency, recommended to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada that Hershey Canada receive lenient treatment since the company cooperated with the investigation and has agreed to cooperate with any subsequent prosecutions.

Hershey Canada reported communications with competitors related to the price fixing from 2007. The company said neither its current senior management, nor the leaders of parent company, Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY  ) , were involved in fixing prices.

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10 Best China Stocks For 2014

In the video below, Motley Fool CEO Tom Gardner sits down with Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX  ) CFO Troy Alstead during a recent visit to Starbucks headquarters in Seattle. In this portion of the video, they discuss the massive international opportunities for Starbucks, particularly in China and India. Alstead says that China will be Starbucks' second biggest market within the next couple of years, and that stores in India have seen huge demand after opening two months ago.�

A full transcript follows the video.

Starbucks is one of Tom Gardner's favorite stocks, but you can never have too many great companies in your portfolio. If you're looking for more ideas, our chief investment officer has selected a different stock as his favorite for this year. Find out which stock it is in the free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just�click here�to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.�

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: 51job Inc.(JOBS)

51job, Inc. provides integrated human resource services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. . The company provides recruitment related advertising services, including print advertising services through 51job Weekly, which is a city-specific recruitment advertising publication that is published once a week and is distributed as an insert in local newspapers and/or on a stand-alone basis; and online recruitment services through its Website, www.51job.com. It also offers other human resource related services, such as business process outsourcing, which consist of social insurance and welfare payment processing, regulatory compliance, and payroll processing; and executive search services, as well as conducts training seminars in the areas of business management, leadership, sales and marketing, human resource, negotiation skills, financial planning and analysis, public administration, manufacturing, secretarial, and other skills for the general public and corporate cl ients. In addition, the company provides campus recruitment services; conducts salary, employee retention, and other human resource related surveys; organize and host annual human resource conferences and events, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities for human resource professionals; and provides assessment tools to assist human resource departments in evaluating capabilities and dispositions of job candidates and existing employees, aiding employee placement, and allocating employee resources, as well as hiring and support services to employers on select recruitment projects. It provides recruitment and other human resource related services to employers through its sales offices, as well as through its sales and customer service call center. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Hsu]

  51Job, Inc. (JOBS) reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2011 on August 4. Some highlights:

  Total revenues came in at 332.4 million yuan, an increase of 26.7% from 262.4 million yuan year-on-year. Revenues from online recruitment services climbed a whopping 49%, while print advertising revenues declined 27.8%. Gross profit for the second quarter increased 34.1%, while gross margin expanded to 71.8%, compared with 68% year-on-year. Net income for the second quarter increased 53.6% to 83.5 million yuan, representing earnings per share of 2.82 yuan.

  Looking forward, the company expects for revenue to come in at a range of 335 million yuan to 345 million yuan. Overall, the company continues to make progress on its strategic initiatives, and has strongly increased spending per employer in its online business, as well as expanding its customer base in existing and new geographic regions.

  Shares sold off slightly after the earnings report, since EPS just slightly missed analyst expectations, but investors quickly realized that the long-term growth story was still intact and shares quickly climbed back. Going forward, one day of volatility will not affect fundamentals of this company and I remain bullish on JOBS. Buy it.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: DAQQ New Energy Corp.(DQ)

Daqo New Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells polysilicon in China. The company sells its polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers for use in the processing of ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. It also produces and sells mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline modules to photovoltaic system integrators and distributors in China and internationally under its Daqo brand. The company was formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited and changed its name to Daqo New Energy Corp. in August 2009. Daqo New Energy Corp. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered Wanzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin1977]

  DAQQ New Energy Corp.(NYSE: DQ) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $1.84. DQ is trading -4.75% below its 50 day moving average and -59.53% below its 200 day moving average. DQ is -87.71% below its 52-week high of $14.97 and 30.50% above its 52-week low of $1.41. DQ‘s PE ratio is 0.60 and its market cap is $64.66M .

  DAQQ New Energy Corp. manufactures and sells polysilicon in China together with its subsidiaries. DQ sells its polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers for use in the processing of ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions.

Top 10 Small Cap Companies To Buy For 2014: General Steel Holdings Inc. (GSI)

General Steel Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of steel products in the People's Republic of China. It offers hot-rolled carbon and silicon steel sheets primarily for use in the production of small agricultural vehicles and other specialty markets; spiral-weld pipes for the energy sector primarily to transport oil and steam; and high-speed wire and reinforced bar products for the construction industry. The company sells its products primarily to distributors. General Steel Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: Bona Film Group Limited(BONA)

Bona Film Group Limited distributes films in the People?s Republic of China. It distributes films to movie theaters, as well as to non-theatrical distribution channels, including DVD and Blu-ray and other home video products; Internet and digital distribution; in-flight entertainment; and cable, satellite, and broadcast televisions. The company also invests in the production of Chinese and Hong Kong films in order to obtain the distribution rights for movie theaters and non-theatrical channels. In addition, Bona Film Group operates six movie theaters in five cities of the People?s Republic of China; operates a talent agency business that represents artists; and involves in film advertising and television production businesses. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: Arotech Corporation(ARTX)

Arotech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides defense and security products. It operates in three divisions: Training and Simulation, Battery and Power Systems, and Armor. The Training and Simulation division develops, manufactures, and markets multimedia and interactive digital solutions for use-of-force training and driving training of military, law enforcement, security, and other personnel; provides simulators, systems engineering, and software products to the United States military, government, and private industry; and offers specialized use of force training for police, security personnel, and the military. The Battery and Power Systems division manufactures and sells lithium and zinc-air batteries for defense and security products and other military applications; and develops and sells rechargeable and primary lithium batteries and smart chargers to the military and to private defense industry. This division also develops, manufactures, and markets primary zinc-air batteries, rechargeable batteries, and battery chargers for the military; and produces water-activated lifejacket lights for commercial aviation and marine applications. The Armor Division manufactures military and paramilitary armored vehicles, and employs sophisticated lightweight materials to produce aviation armor; and uses engineering concepts to produce combat armored military vehicles and up-armor civilian commercial vehicles. This division also uses lightweight armoring materials and advanced engineering processes to provide ballistic armor kits for rotary and fixed wing aircraft. Arotech sells its products primarily in the United States, Israel, Taiwan, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, India, Spain, Singapore, and Japan. The company was formerly known as Electric Fuel Corporation and changed its name to Arotech Corporation in September 2003. Arotech Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By cnAnalyst]

  Arotech Corporation (NASDAQ:ARTX) is the 6th best-performing stock last month in this segment of the market. It was up 70.83% for the past month. Its price percentage change was 22.75% year-to-date.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: Trina Solar Limited(TSL)

Trina Solar Limited, through its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide. The company offers monocrystalline PV modules ranging from 165 watts to 185 watts in power output; and multicrystalline PV modules ranging from 215 watts to 240 watts in power output that provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and other applications. It also involves in the design and production of various PV modules, such as colored modules for architectural applications and larger sized modules for utility grid applications based on customers? and end-users? specifications. Trina Solar Limited sells and markets its products primarily to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Changzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hawkinvest]

  Trina Solar Ltd. (TSL) is one of the most respected solar companies in China. It has a strong balance sheet, especially when compared to many other Chinese solar companies. Trina Solar recently reported financial results for fourth quarter and full year of 2011. The loss for 2011 was $37.8 million, or 54 cents per share. Trina Solar is working to reduce non-silicon manufacturing cost to less than 60 cents per watt by the end of 2012, which will give the company a competitive advantage. This company is one of China's "blue chip" solar stocks, and it is likely to lead an industry rebound when it comes. With the recent financial report out of the way, and the stock below $8 per share, it appears be the right time to start buying in stages.

• [By Keith]

  Trina Solar Limited. We have to take a stab at solar in 2012. After getting absolutely murdered in 2011, there is likely one way for solar to go...up. Or, less likely, to 0. The best company in the industry is hands down Trina. It has great management, solid financials, and a cheap production process that gives it great profitability. The company has a lot of upside and was trading at $30 in the past 52 weeks. We believe that a 3.12 PE is about as bad as it gets, and we see a lot of possible upside in 2012 for Trina. We have a $13.50 PT, giving about 100% upside.

  Allocation: $1000

  Entry: $7.04

  Target: $8, $9, and $13.50

• [By Fitz Gerald]

  Trina Solar, Ltd.(NYSE: TSL) closing price in the stock market Tuesday, Jan. 3, was $7.17. TSL is trading 0.68% above its 50 day moving average and -39.26% below its 200 day moving average. TSL is -76.93% below its 52-week high of $31.08 and 35.80% above its 52-week low of $5.28. TSL‘s PE ratio is 2.92 and its market cap is $505.06M.

  Trina Solar, Ltd. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide through its subsidiaries. TSL sells and markets its products primarily to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: Ctrip.com International Ltd.(CTRP)

Ctrip.com International, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides travel services for hotel accommodations, airline tickets, and packaged tours in the People?s Republic of China. It also sells independent leisure travelers bundled package-tour products, which include transportation and accommodation, as well as guided tours covering various domestic and international destinations. In addition, the company offers Internet-related advertising, aviation casualty insurance, and air-ticket delivery services. Further, it sells Property Management System, a hotel information software; travel guidebooks, which provide information for independent travelers; and VIP membership cards that allow cardholders to receive discounts from various restaurants, clubs, and bars. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen]  

  ThinkEquity sees the China travel market should remain robust in 2011, with approximately mid-teens growth. Additionally, while concerns linger with CTRP regarding high speed train rollouts, tougher comps in 2011 due to the Shanghai expo, and airline commission rates, it believes these concerns have created an attractive entry point in Ctrip.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: China Green Agriculture Inc.(CGA)

China Green Agriculture, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various types of fertilizers and agricultural products in the People?s Republic of China. Its fertilizer products include humic acid-based compound fertilizers, compound fertilizers, blended fertilizers, organic compound fertilizers, slow-release fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers, and mixed organic-inorganic compound fertilizers. The company markets its fertilizer products to private wholesalers and retailers of agricultural farm products in 22 provinces, 4 autonomous regions, and 3 central government-controlled municipalities. It also engages in the development, production, and distribution of agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and colored seedlings. The company sells its decorative flowers to flower shops, luxury hotels, and government agencies; fruits and vegetables to supermarkets and upscale restaurants; and seedlings to city planning departments in Shaanxi and its neighboring provinces. China Green Agriculture, Inc. is based in Xian, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  You might say that China Green Agriculture (CGA) is the salt of the earth when it comes to China stocks. Well, maybe not salt in the literal sense, just more in the metaphoric sense.

  Literally, China Green Agriculture is a maker of fertilizer. The company’s humic acid organic liquid compound fertilizers help enrich the soil needed to grow the food that sustains China’s ginormous population. The company produces approximately 119 fertilizer products, and it markets those products to private wholesalers and retailers of agricultural farm products.

  And talk about strong price momentum — CGA shares are up 360% over the past 12 months!

  I rate CGA an A, making it a strong buy.

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research Staff]

  The Chinese-based educator spiked higher recently after it exceeded analysts' expectations. Revenue and adjusted earnings soared 78% and 269%, respectively. Its long-term annual growth rate is 15%.

  Analysts at Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares from "neutral" to "outperform". 

10 Best China Stocks For 2014: Focus Media Holding Limited(FMCN)

Focus Media Holding Limited, a multi- platform digital media company, operates out-of-home advertising network using audiovisual digital displays in China. It operates out-of-home advertising network based on the number of locations and flat-panel television displays in its network. The company, through its multi-platform digital advertising network, reaches urban consumers at locations and point-of-interests over various media formats, including audiovisual television displays in buildings and stores, advertising poster frames, outdoor light-emitting diode digital billboards, and Internet advertising platforms. As of June 30, 2010, its digital out-of-home advertising network had approximately 142,000 LCD displays in its LCD display network and approximately 275,000 advertising in-elevator poster and digital frames, installed in approximately 90 cities. The company also provides Internet marketing solutions; and sells software licenses and services, primarily including Adf orward software. Focus Media Holding Limited was founded in 1997 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hesler]

  Focus Media operates the largest out-of-home advertising network in China using audiovisual flat-panel displays based on the number of locations and number of displays in its network. Focus Media Holding Ltd. has a market cap of $4.55 billion; its shares were traded at around $31.4 with a P/E ratio of 31.4 and P/S ratio of 8.82.
  
  George Soros sold out of his position of almost 2 million shares in Focus Media Holding in the fourth quarter of 2009 when the stock had reached $14, after falling as low as $7.45 in the second quarter of 2009. He purchased 400,000 shares in the first quarter 2011 at an average price of $26.22 per share. Year to date the stock price has risen 42.5%.
  
  Most of Focus Media’s revenue growth in the first quarter was driven by advertising and its LCD displays. Focus Media’s advertising net revenue for its LCD display network increased 63%, advertising net revenue from its poster frame network increased 46%, and advertising net revenue from the in-store network increased 23%, from the first quarter 2010. Its net revenue from its LCD display (including a movie theater network), in-store and poster frame businesses increased 54%.
  
  The company’s net income for the first quarter of 2011 was $20.5 million, increased from a net loss of $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2010.
  
  In the first quarter, the company has also spent $240 million repurchasing shares, out of a $300 million share repurchase program, and has plans to buy a 15% stake in Enjoy China Technology Development Company Limited.

The 6 Biggest Risk Factors for Insomnia

We often take sleep, the number of hours we get to sleep, or the quality of sleep we get, for granted. However, that may not be such a wise idea, as insomnia, a disorder that affects how you fall asleep, stay asleep, or a combination of the two, is becoming a major concern.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to a study published in 2011 and coordinated by the World Health Organization, insomnia costs U.S. employers a whopping $63 billion annually. Based on research that studied some 7,400-plus employed people across the United States, 23% suffered from insomnia at least three times a week, which resulted in the equivalent of 7.8 days of lost productivity each year -- or about $2,300 for an average employee's salary.

The effects of insomnia can range from mild sleepiness at work and tension headaches to potentially serious side effects such as depression and gastrointestinal symptoms. There's little sense in denying that at some point we all suffer from a case of insomnia in our lives, but the scary aspect is that some people live with this disorder on a regular, or chronic, basis.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are six risk factors that can put you at a higher risk of developing insomnia (in no particular order): 

Being a woman: First off, let's not put men in the clear here, because they can get insomnia as well. However, hormonal fluctuations caused by menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause give women a far greater chance of developing insomnia than men. In addition, as we talked about a few weeks back, women are also more likely to develop certain types of depressive disorders that can lead to insomnia. Being over age 60: As we get older our sleep patterns have a habit of changing, which can wreak havoc on our bodies. Some of us learn to adapt with less sleep than others, but as a general rule, we need more recuperative sleep as we get older, to rest our bodies. If we don't get that sleep, some of those aforementioned unwanted mild to severe symptoms could develop. Having a mental health disorder: Certain diseases predispose people to a greater risk of developing insomnia. Anxiety, bipolar, and depressive disorders are three such ailments that often result in a higher percentage of people with insomnia. The Cleveland Children's Clinic further expounds on these disorders to include autism, as well as medical disorders such as fibromyalgia, heartburn, and thyroid disease.  Being stressed out: Back in May we looked at the three most common diseases caused by stress and learned that two of them, anxiety disorders and depression, are both high risk factors for causing insomnia. We've all probably dealt with some degree of insomnia related to our jobs; however, some people develop chronic insomnia based on life-altering events such as the loss of a loved one. According to the Mayo Clinic, unemployed people and those of low income are also at higher risk of developing insomnia. Working at night or changing shifts often: Nearly all of us prefer some stability in our sleep patterns. Admittedly, that can be difficult to get if you're working in a retail or overnight job, where your hours are subject to change on a daily or weekly basis. Without any real consistency, it can be difficult to get the proper amount of rest. Traveling a lot: No joke -- jet lag is a serious cause for concern. Traveling by plane across multiple time zones on a regular basis is a tiring experience, but it can also mess with people's internal clocks in a bad way, causing them to lose much-needed sleep.

Two ways to fix this
The medical community looks at insomnia from multiple perspectives, but the big key is whether this is a very temporary ailment for the individual, or if it's a chronic or recurring disorder.

Source: Luke O'Rourke, Flickr.

In cases where it's minor and/or temporary (e.g., a night or two), over-the-counter medications can often be effective. Sanofi (NYSE: SNY  ) , for example, owns the rights to Unisom, one of the most commonly used sleep aids, which it acquired when it purchased Chattem for $1.9 billion in 2009. Unisom is nothing more than a sedating antihistamine, but it can have unpleasant side effects such as daytime drowsiness, dry mouth, and dizziness. Therefore, physicians strongly discourage long-term usage of OTC medications -- often anything beyond two weeks.

If, instead, we're focusing on the chronic form of the diseases, then it comes down to whether your problem relates to falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Chances are that you could be prescribed one of the following:

Lunesta: Developed by Sepracor, but purchased by Dainippon Sumitomo in 2009, Lunesta offers insomnia suffers help in both getting to sleep and staying asleep. In 2012, Lunesta brought in close to three-quarters of a billion dollars in sales, but it's set to face heavy generic competition beginning in 2014.

Ambien: Also developed by Sanofi but approved in 1992, Ambien peaked at roughly $2 billion in annual sales per year before going to generic versions some six years ago. But have no fear -- a newer generic version released by Ambien, known as zolpidem, is helping pick up where branded Ambien left off. However, it hasn't been an easy road for zolpidem-based sleep medications, which have been cited for having caused numerous auto accidents and other impairments the following morning. Recently, the FDA required Sanofi and other zolpidem-based sleep aids to cut their dosing in half to reduce these next-day lingering effects.

Sonata: Originally developed by King Pharmaceuticals, Sonata was brought under the Pfizer (NYSE: PFE  ) umbrella in 2010, when Pfizer acquired King. Like Ambien, Sonata for a time was a very popular sleep aid (in this case it was approved only to help people get to sleep, not necessarily to keep them asleep), but it ran into problems with its highly addictive properties. Today, Sonata is considered a controlled substance because of its addictive qualities, which can lead to abuse or dependence.

Counting sheep
But for each successful sleep aid to make it to insomnia sufferers, it seems there has been double that number of drugs that have failed to be successful.

The now-defunct Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, for example developed Silenor to treat patients who had no trouble getting to sleep but couldn't stay asleep. With fewer drugs indicated to treat this aspect of insomnia, expectations for the drug were quite high. If I recall correctly, I remember seeing estimates as high as $300 million-plus in sales of the drug for 2013. Through the first nine-months of 2012, Silenor sales totaled just a paltry $7.8 million. Now here's the real kicker: Somaxon signed on Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG  ) , a marketing behemoth, as its licensing partner to promote the drug. But rather than lock P&G into a deal whereby it shared some of the risk in exchange for a share of Silenor's potential, Somaxon practically took on all of the marketing risk and gave P&G an easy way to back out of its partnership -- which it did, not too long after.

More recently there was Merck's (NYSE: MRK  ) suvorexant, which received praise from the FDA's panel by a vote of 12-to-4 in favor of approval, yet also dealt with concerns about some 11% of patients who exhibited somnolence (a state of near-sleep) during the day. Lower doses of the drug reduced this occurrence to just 7%, but it wasn't enough to convince the FDA, which rejected the drug on dosing concerns. The overall consensus among the Street is that suvorexant's approval process could be delayed by one year or more.

The big bad wolf
What the sleep sector really needs is a new drug capable of knocking the socks off Wall Street and insomnia sufferers. I do believe Merck's suvorexant could be that drug. In late-stage clinical trials at both the higher (40mg) and lower dosage (20mg), suvorexant significantly helped patients gets to sleep faster (anywhere from 25.7 minutes to 33.7 minutes) and stay asleep longer when compared with the placebo.

Given the recent rash of somnolence brought to light by Ambien CR and other zolpidem product users, it's not a surprise to see the FDA taking the safer approach here and requiring Merck to come back with a lower-dose version of its drug. Peak sales estimates for the drug have fluttered around $700 million, but if it can perform similarly to its 20mg to 40mg dosing at, say, 10mg to 15mg, then I could easily see it hitting $1 billion mark in annual sales. Ultimately, even at half the lowest dose, this drug could help change the lives of chronic insomniacs, and it could be the smartest way for investors to sleep better at night.

Put simply, your financial health is just as important as your personal health. The Motley Fool's special free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names specific investment opportunities that could help you build long-term wealth and help you retire well. The Fool also outlines critical wealth-building strategies that every investor should know. Click here to keep reading.

1 Problem Apple Doesn't Want to Talk About

In the wake of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) recent earnings report, investors seem to be convinced that all is well with the Cupertino giant after all. However, there's one problem that Tim Cook and crew are facing outside the realm of smartphones and tablets: cyber crime. Following a breach in one of the company's websites late last week, one of the world's most respected technology companies suddenly finds itself looking surprisingly vulnerable.

Watch as Motley Fool analyst Lyons George breaks down why cyber crime is currently creating $100 billion worth of problems for American businesses -- and no small amount of opportunity for investors who can connect the dots.

Apple has a history of cranking out revolutionary products -- and then creatively destroying them with something better. Read about the future of Apple in the free report, "Apple Will Destroy Its Greatest Product." Can Apple really disrupt its own iPhones and iPads? Find out by clicking here.

Time Warner Cable CEO Retiring

As of Jan. 1, there will be a new name on the door of Time Warner Cable's (NYSE: TWC  ) CEO office. The company announced Thursday that the man currently occupying that position, and that of chairman, Glenn Britt, will step down from both posts at the end of this year. Following that, he will remain on the board as a non-executive director.

His replacement as chairman and CEO is Robert Marcus, who currently serves as the firm's president and COO. In advance of his promotion, he has been named to the board.

Marcus has been with the company since 2005, and was named its CFO in 2008. Two years later, he was appointed president and COO. The board praised his "vision, financial prowess, operating acumen and unrelenting drive."

Britt has been Time Warner Cable's CEO since 2001. "I love this business, but I'm ready to retire knowing Rob is ready to lead," Britt was quoted as saying in the company press release.

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Intel vs. UnitedHealth: Which Dow Stock's Dividend Dominates?

Dividend stocks outperform non-dividend-paying stocks over the long run. It happens in good markets and bad, and the benefit of dividends can be quite striking: Dividend payments have made up about 40% of the market's average annual return from 1936 to the present day. But few of us can invest in every single dividend-paying stock on the market, and even if we could, we might find better gains by being selective.

That's why we'll be pitting two of the Dow Jones Industrial Average's (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) dividend payers against each other today to find out which Dow stock is the true dividend champion. We've already put each stock through one challenge, and both of today's contenders have come through with flying colors. Let's take a closer look at our two contenders now.

Tale of the tape
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) beat the Dow's networking representative to earn its place here today. The world's largest chip-maker is also one of the tech industry's most reliable dividend-payers, and it's sure to be a fierce challenge for its opponent. Read more about Intel's first-round victory here.

UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH  ) pulled off a surprise victory against the Dow's largest drugmaker to move on to the second round of the dividend tournament. It may be the Dow's newest addition, but UnitedHealth has earned its place on the index by becoming the largest health-insurer in the United States. Read more about UnitedHealth's first-round victory here.

Statistic

Intel

UnitedHealth 

Market cap	$114.2 billion	$74.4 billion
P/E Ratio	12.4	13.8
Trailing-12-month profit margin	19.5%	4.7%
TTM free-cash-flow margin*	18.7%	4.1%
Five-year total return	25.2%	182%

Source: Morningstar and YCharts. *Free-cash-flow margin is free cash flow divided by revenue for the trailing 12 months. UnitedHealth's cash flow margin is calculated from operating cash flow.

Intel has the margins, but UnitedHealth has more of the market's favor behind it. Let's dig into the details to see which of these companies will move on to the next round.

Round one: endurance
Which of these two companies has been paying back shareholders for a longer period of time? Intel's dividend streak begins in 1992. That was good enough for a victory the first time around, but the chip maker falls short of UnitedHealth's streak, which began with annual payouts in 1990 and continued for two decades before switching to quarterly distributions in 2010.

Winner: UnitedHealth, 1-0

Round two: stability
Paying dividends is well and good, but how long have our two companies been increasing their dividends? The same dividend payout year after year can quickly fall behind a rising market, and there's no better sign of a company's financial stability than a rising payout in a weak market (so long as it's sustainable, of course). This round turns out to offer no clear winner. UnitedHealth had a multiyear stretch of flat payouts before its quarterly distributions began in 2010. Intel did not raise its dividend in 2009 at all, but since the company boosted payouts for the second distribution of 2008 to the level it maintained for 2009, its stretch of annual payout growth technically dates back to 2004.

Winner: Intel, 1-1

Round three: power
It's not that hard to commit to paying back shareholders, but are these payments enticing or merely token? Let's take a look at how both companies have maintained their dividend yields over time as their businesses and share prices have grown:

INTC Dividend Yield data by YCharts.

Winner: Intel, 2-1

Round four: strength
A stock's yield can stay high without much effort if its share price doesn't budge, so let's take a look at the growth in payouts over the past five years. If you bought in several years ago and the company has grown its payout substantially, your real yield will likely look much better than what's shown above.

INTC Dividend data by YCharts.

Winner: UnitedHealth, 2-2

Round five: flexibility
A company needs to manage its cash wisely to ensure that there's enough available for tough times. Paying out too much of free cash flow in dividends could be a warning sign that the dividend is at risk, particularly if business weakens. This next metric analyzes just how much of their free cash flows our two companies have paid out in dividends over the past few years:

INTC Cash Div. Payout Ratio TTM data by YCharts.

Winner: UnitedHealth, 3-2

The Dow's health care rep unseats the strongest tech dividend that was left in the tournament. This result is a little bit surprising, but given the importance of health insurance to the American economy, it might not be that surprising to see UnitedHealth pushing its payouts markedly higher in the past few years. Will you be placing your faith in UnitedHealth, or is Intel's stability still worth hanging on to?

If you're an investor who prefers returns to rhetoric, you'll want to read The Motley Fool's new free report "5 Dividend Myths...Busted!" In it, you'll learn which stocks provide premium growth and whether bigger dividends are better. Click here to keep reading.

Nokia Launches Lumia 625

Nokia  (NYSE: NOK  ) has unveiled its largest phone to date, the Lumia 625.

Seemingly built for media consumption, the Lumia 625 features a 4.7-inch LCD screen. Nokia manufactured the screen to produce high brightness, high sensitivity (for those with gloves on), and readability in sunlight. The phone also comes with 4G/LTE Internet access, 1.2GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 processor, and 512MB RAM.

"The transition to 4G is gathering pace. With a super-fast Internet connection, there's a real demand for big, beautiful screens that help bring all the content to life -- this is where the Nokia Lumia 625 arrives with a really competitive price to match," according to product manager Vinay Jayakumar.

Set to launch during the third quarter, the phone will cost customers under $300 before taxes or operator subsidies, the company said, giving its price as "around 220 euros." According to Computerworld, areas including China, Europe, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America will see the phones first. The publication said Nokia did not announce whether it has plans for U.S. shipments.

The phone will run on the Windows 8 mobile operating system. Additionally, Nokia said it will package the phone with its mobile software apps like Maps and Music, an ad-free, subscription-free music streaming and download service.

The Lumia 625 also comes with 8GB of storage (expandable to 62GB with an SD card), a 5-megapixel camera, and in a variety of colors.

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Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now

In the past month, the budget tablet segment experienced a new round of price cuts by major manufacturers. Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS  ) initiated this new price war as the company dramatically slashed the prices of its soon-to-be-discontinued Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets to clear inventory. Other vendors such as Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) have followed suit with more modest price reductions.

Margins are already very thin for tablets, with the exception of Apple's iPad. The most recent round of price cuts could mean that the vendors are selling these tablets at a loss to gain market share.

At some point, investors could reasonably wonder whether there is any point to competing in this market. The non-Apple tablet market has already become fully commoditized, with relatively unknown Chinese vendors offering tablets with specifications equal to the top Android tablets at very low price points. There may be strategic reasons for major American tech companies to keep selling budget Android tablets. However, as an investor, I'm skeptical about the benefits of this strategy in light of the difficulty of merely breaking even in the low-cost tablet market.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Banca Milano(PMII.MI)

Banca Popolare di Milano Societa Cooperativa a r.l. provides banking and financial services primarily in Italy, Europe, the United States, and Asia. The company offers current and savings accounts, mortgage and personal loans, credit cards, finance leases, and factoring services. It also provides commercial, corporate, and investment banking services; treasury services; financial advisory services; brokerage services; bancassurance products; collective and individual portfolio management services; and open and close-ended mutual funds, and hedge funds. As of 30 June 2011, the company operated a network of 770 retail branches, 4 corporate branches, 10 SME units, and 17 private banking centers, as well as 3 direct branches and 28 financial shops. It also offers telephone and Internet banking services. The company was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: North Valley Bancorp(NOVB)

North Valley Bancorp operates as a bank holding company North Valley Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services to businesses and middle income individuals in California. The company accepts various deposit products, including demand deposits, interest bearing demand deposits, regular savings, money market deposit accounts, non-interest bearing deposits, and time deposits. It also provides various loan products comprising commercial loans; real estate commercial, construction, and mortgage loans; installment loans; consumer loans; and home equity loans. In addition, the company issues cashier?s checks and money orders; and sells travelers checks, as well as offers safe deposit boxes and other customary banking services. It operates 25 commercial banking offices in Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, Del Norte, Yolo, Sonoma, Placer, and Mendocino counties. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Redding, California.

10 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: Verifone Systems Inc.(PAY)

Verifone Systems, Inc. designs, markets, and services electronic payment solutions in North America and internationally. It provides system solutions, including countertop electronic payment systems that accepts magnetic, smart card, contactless/ radio frequency identification(RFID) cards, and near field communication(NFC) enabled mobile phones; secure PIN pads that support credit and debit transactions; and wireless system solutions that support Internet protocol-based code division multiple access, general packet radio service, bluetooth, and wireless fidelity technologies. The company also offers products for consumer-activated functionality at the point of sale; contactless/NFC payment solutions consisting of contactless readers primarily for consumer-activated transactions with contactless cards, tokens, and NFC-enabled mobile phones; and Gemstone family of products comprising integrated electronic payment systems for petroleum companies. In addition, it provides serv er-based payment processing software and middleware; unattended and self-service payments hardware and software integration modules, such as vending machines, ATMs, ticketing kiosks, petroleum dispensers, public transportation turnstiles and buses, self-checkout, bill payment, and photo finishing kiosks; retail bank branch solutions; mass transportation solutions; and network access solutions. Further, the company offers client services, customized application development, advertising publishing, taxi payments and advertising, cardholder data security, annual software maintenance program, and repair services. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, petroleum companies, large retailers, taxi fleets, government organizations, healthcare companies, independent sales organizations, and advertisers. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: BB&T Corp (BBT)

BB&T Corporation (BB&T) is a financial holding company. BB&T conducts its business operations primarily through its commercial bank subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company (Branch Bank), which has offices in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C and Indiana. In addition, BB&T�� operations consist of a federally chartered thrift institution, BB&T Financial, FSB (BB&T FSB), and a number of nonbank subsidiaries, which offer financial services products. BB&T�� operations are divided into six business segments: Community Banking, Residential Mortgage Banking, Dealer Financial Services, Specialized Lending, Insurance Services, and Financial Services. Branch Bank provides a range of banking and trust services for retail and commercial clients in its geographic markets, including small and mid-size businesses, public agencies, local Governments and individuals, through 1,779 offices as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, BB&T announced the acquisitions of Liberty Benefit Insurance Services, Atlantic Risk Management Corporation and the Precept Group. In April 2012, it acquired the life and property and casualty insurance operating divisions of Roseland, New Jersey - based Crump Group Inc. On July 31, 2012, it acquired BankAtlantic.

As of December 31, 2011, the principal operating subsidiaries of BB&T included Branch Banking and Trust Company, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; BB&T Financial, FSB, Columbus, Georgia; Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Clearview Correspondent Services, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Regional Acceptance Corporation, Greenville, North Carolina; American Coastal Insurance Company, Davie, Florida, and Sterling Capital Management, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina. Branch Bank�� principal operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation, BB&T Investment Services, Inc., BB&T Insurance Services, Inc., Stanley, Hunt, DuPree! & Rhine (a division of Branch Bank), Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, Inc., Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, Lendmark Financial Services, Inc., CRC Insurance Services, Inc. and McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc.

Community Banking

BB&T�� Community Banking serves individual and business clients by offering a range of loan and deposit products and other financial services. As of December 31, 2011, Community Banking had a network of 1,779 banking.

Residential Mortgage Banking

Residential Mortgage Banking segment retains and services mortgage loans originated by Community Banking, as well as those purchased from various correspondent originators. Mortgage loan products include fixed and adjustable rate Government and conventional loans for the purpose of constructing, purchasing or refinancing residential properties. Substantially all of the properties are owner occupied. BB&T retains the servicing rights to all loans sold. Residential Mortgage Banking earns interest on loans held in the warehouse and portfolio, fee income from the origination and servicing of mortgage loans and recognizes gains or losses from the sale of mortgage loans. BB&T�� mortgage originations totaled $23.7 billion in 2011. BB&T�� residential mortgage servicing portfolio, which includes both retained loans and loans serviced for third parties, totaled $91.6 billion in 2011.

Dealer Financial Services

Dealer Financial Services originates loans to consumers on a prime and nonprime basis for the purchase of automobiles. Such loans are originated on an indirect basis through approved franchised and independent automobile dealers throughout the BB&T market area and nationally through Regional Acceptance Corporation. This segment also originates loans for the purchase of boats and recreational vehicles originated through dealers in BB&T�� market area. In addition, financing and servicing to dealers for their inventories is provided through a ! joint rel! ationship between Dealer Financial Services and Community Banking.

Specialized Lending

BB&T�� Specialized Lending consists of eight business units that provide specialty finance products to consumers and businesses. The internal business units include Commercial Finance that contains commercial finance and mortgage warehouse lending; and, Governmental Finance that is responsible for tax-exempt Government finance. Operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance which provides equipment leasing within BB&T�� banking footprint; Sheffield Financial, a division of FSB Financial, a dealer-based financer of equipment for both small businesses and consumers; Lendmark Financial Services, a direct consumer finance lending company; Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, which includes AFCO and CAFO, insurance premium finance business units that provide funding to businesses in the United States and Canada and to consumers in certain markets within BB&T�� banking footprint, and Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, a commercial mortgage banking lender providing loans on a national basis.

Insurance Services

BB&T Insurance Services provides property and casualty, life and health insurance to businesses and individuals. It also provides small business and corporate products, such as workers compensation and professional liability, as well as surety coverage and title insurance. In addition, Insurance Services also underwrites a limited amount of property and casualty coverage.

Financial Services

Financial Services provides personal trust administration, estate planning, investment counseling, wealth management, asset management, employee benefits services, corporate banking and corporate trust services to individuals, corporations, institutions, foundations and Government entities. Financial Services also offers clients investment alternatives, including discount brokerage services, equities, fixed-rate and variable-rate annuiti! es, mutua! l funds and governmental and municipal bonds through BB&T Investment Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Branch Bank. Financial Services includes Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, a brokerage and investment banking firm. Scott & Stringfellow provides services in retail brokerage, equity and debt underwriting, investment advice, corporate finance and equity research and facilitates the origination, trading and distribution of fixed-income securities and equity products in both the public and private capital markets. Scott & Stringfellow also has a public finance department that provides investment banking services, financial advisory services and municipal bond financing. Scott & Stringfellow�� investment banking and corporate and public finance areas conduct business as BB&T Capital Markets. This segment includes BB&T Capital Partners that is a group of BB&T-sponsored private equity and mezzanine investment funds that invest in privately owned middle-market operating companies. Financial Services also includes the Corporate Banking Division that originates and services corporate relationships, syndicated lending relationships and client derivatives.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Elissa]

  BB&T Corporation is a full-range financial company that provides commercial and retail services. Unlike other banks, BB&T is organized by community banks, and each group has a regional president. This enables simple changes that affect clients in a local area.

• [By Michael Brush]

   BB&T (BBT) has a dividend yield of 2.5%

  The regional bank has 1,800 branches in the Southeast and Washington, D.C. Even during the worst of the credit meltdown, BB&T was profitable. The company used its financial clout to attract customers from competitors and purchase the assets of a failed bank in Florida from regulators.

  As the economy improves and loan business grows, Wordell believes the bank could see annual earnings as high as $3.50 a share, from $1.21 recently. Wordell expects the bank to raise dividends as earnings and loan quality improves.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  BB&T (NYSE:BBT) owns the commercial banking subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company, and has posted a gain of 16% since last March. BB&T stock gets an “A” grade for operating margin growth, an “A” grade for earnings growth, a “B” grade for earnings momentum, an “A” grade for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past months, and a “B” grade for cash flow.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Questar Corporation(STR)

Questar Corporation operates as an integrated natural gas holding company. The company develops and produces natural gas and crude oil from its properties located in the Rocky Mountain region, primarily in the Pinedale, Moxa Arch, Vermillion, and Uinta producing areas. It also provides interstate natural gas-transportation and underground-storage services in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado; and wellhead automation and measurement services for Rockies oil and gas producers. The company owns and operates approximately 2,568 miles of interstate pipeline with total firm-capacity commitments of 4,983 Mdth per day transporting natural gas from Rocky Mountain producing areas to other pipeline systems, distribution systems, and other utility systems; the Overthrust Pipeline in southwestern Wyoming and the eastern segment of Southern Trails Pipeline, a 487-mile line that extends from the Blanco hub in the San Juan Basin to just inside the California state line near the Arizona border; the White River Hub facilities that connect with 6 interstate-pipeline systems and a processing plant near Meeker, Colorado; the Clay Basin storage facility, an underground-storage reservoir in the Rocky Mountain region; and gathering lines and processing facilities, which provide gas-processing services for third parties near Price, Utah. In addition, it distributes natural gas as a public utility in Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and a small portion of southeastern Idaho. Questar Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Leeds]

  A growing population (7 billion), and an increasingly sophisticated diet among China and other developing nations have led to rapidly increasing demand for food around the world. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, China's per capita intake of calories, protein, and fat were below the world average in 1975, but are now well above the world average. Expect this trend to accelerate in China, as well as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and other developing nations.

  The problem is that there's not even close to enough food, while challenging agricultural environments routinely wipe out crops.

  That's where Monsanto (MON 0.00%) comes in. It enables more food to be produced on smaller parcels of land with less water usage and limited crop loss. Global demand for MON's products and services just keeps growing.  I am expecting its $20 billion in assets and constant net earnings ($1.6 billion in 2011) to translate into further gains in the share price. My price outlook:  $94.

• [By Peter Leeds]

  Libya without Ghadafi, much like Iraq after the removal of Hussein, will be much less stable. A power vacuum will cause Libya's already divided tribal nation to fragment into warring factions, set on competing for power and settling old scores. Meanwhile, America, Russia, and China will jostle for influence in this oil-rich flashpoint.

  This will create higher oil prices, greater volatility, and a higher risk premium built into costs of the commodity. Due to less reliable overseas oil supplies, America will look to further increase exploration and production from friendlier sources, such as Canada.

  I am expecting Questar (STR 0.00%) to be a big beneficiary of this trend. It is a leading producer and distributor of natural gas to the American domestic market. It is profitable ($36 million in Q3), and had strong 33% growth in third quarter earnings per share, year over year. It also sports a nice 3% dividend. My price outlook: $31.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Bassett Furniture Industries Incorporated(BSET)

Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, marketing, import, and retail of branded home furnishings in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Wholesale, Retail, and Investments and Real Estate. The Wholesale segment engages in the design, manufacture, sourcing, sale, and distribution of furniture products and accessories to a network of 89 Bassett Home Furnishings stores, including independently-owned and company-owned retail stores; and independent furniture retailers. This segment is also involved in wood and upholstery operations. The Retail segment operates 39 licensee-owned stores and 49 company-owned and operated stores in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The Investments a nd Real Estate segment consists of retail real estate related to licensee stores; equity investments in Zenith Freight Lines, LLC; and investments in marketable securities; investment in the Fortress Value Recovery Fund I, LLC. Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated was founded in 1902 and is based in Bassett, Virginia.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: MHI Hospitality Corporation(MDH)

MHI Hospitality Corporation, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership and operation of upper upscale and midscale hotels in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States. As of March 15, 2006, the company operated seven upper upscale and midscale hotels with 1,673 rooms under the brand names ?Hilton? and ?Holiday Inn?. It also owns leasehold interests in the commercial spaces of the Shell Island Resort, a condominium resort property. The company has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. MHI Hospitality has strategic alliance agreement with MHI Hotels Services LLC. The company was founded in 1957 and is based in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Focus Metals Inc (FMS.V)

Focus Graphite Inc., mid-tier junior mining company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Quebec, Canada. It focuses on producing technology graphite for clean energy applications. The company principally holds a 100% interest in the Lac Knife graphite property that consists of 57 mining claims covering an area of approximately 3,000 hectares located to the south of Fermont, Quebec. It also has interests in the Kwyjibo rare earth elements and copper project, located to the north of Lac Manitou; and the Romer & Labrador Trough project for the discovery of gold, platinum, palladium, copper, zinc, and nickel in northern Quebec. In addition, the company, through its investment in Grafoid Inc., focuses on producing commercialized graphene for industrial, infrastructural, medical, military, and other sectoral applications. The company was formerly known as Focus Metals Inc. and changed its name to Focus Graphite Inc. on May 24, 2012. Focus Graphite Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Ottawa, Canada. The company operates as a subsidiary of 360House.com, Inc.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Fresenius Medical Care Corporation (FMS)

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, a dialysis company, provides products and services for patients with chronic kidney diseases. As of May 12, 2011, it provided dialysis care services to 216,942 patients through its network of 2,769 dialysis clinics primarily in North America, Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and Africa. The company also develops and manufactures various dialysis products, including hemodialysis machines, dialyzers, hemofilters, dialysis fluid filters, tubing systems, fistula needles, dialysis related equipment, acute hemodialysis machines, plasma filters, acute tubing systems and cassettes, catheters, and related disposable products for chronic hemodialysis, acute therapy, home therapy, and therapeutic apheresis, as well as dialysis drugs. In addition, it provides laboratory services. Fresenius Medical sells its products through distributors. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Forsys Metals Corp Com Npv(FSY.TO)

Forsys Metals Corp., an exploration stage company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Namibia. The company primarily explores for uranium and gold ores. Its flagship project is the Valencia Uranium project that covers an area of approximately 735.6 hectares located south-west of the town of Usakos in central-west Namibia. The company was formerly known as Forsys Technologies Inc. and changed its name to Forsys Metals Corp. in June 2005. Forsys Metals Corp. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Today's 3 Best Stocks

It was yet another one of those head-scratching up days where the economic data pointed one way, but earnings optimism was enough to push the broad-based S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) to another record closing high.

The culprit that certainly had all the potential to drag us lower was U.S. home sales data from the National Association of Realtors. Their report showed that U.S. home sales fell 1.2% in June to an annualized rate of 5.08 million homes – well below estimates that had called for an annualized rate of 5.25 million homes. I don't think there's any way to dance around how spoiled consumers have become with historically low lending rates, such that when we see a 100 basis point bump higher, mortgage applications dry up at an incredibly fast clip.

The one bright spot here was home prices, which soared 13.5% from the year-ago period. Homebuilders are being smart about their inventory and understand that low inventory levels are their only bargaining chip at the moment to keep prices up.

Despite the disappointing housing sector news, the S&P 500 used last week's earnings optimism to trudge higher by 3.44 points (0.20%) and close at 1,695.53, another all-time record.

Leading the pack today -- and we certainly haven't seen this name often in the gainers column this year -- is gold miner Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM  ) , which tacked on 5.8% following gold's biggest advance of the year, up $40 an ounce. Gold tends to be an inflationary hedge against downside risk in the market, so with the markets generally moving upward in a straight line, gold has taken a beating. However, weakness today in the U.S. dollar, coupled with the fact that Newmont ties its dividend to the price of gold, was enough to send shares markedly higher. As long as Newmont stays prudent with how much it's spending on new projects, it could represent quite a bargain here, even with gold only marginally above $1,300 an ounce.

Shares of medical-device maker Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX  ) jumped 3.6% after the company announced on Friday that it had launched a clinical trial to evaluate if occipital nerve stimulation using its Precision System can safely treat chronic migraine when used with existing anti-migraine medications. Migraines are still a largely misunderstood disease, and the current medication available could definitely get better, leaving the door wide open for Boston Scientific should this trial prove fruitful. With Boston Scientific shares cresting $10 for the first time in three years shareholders are certainly pumped, but I'd reserve that optimism until its bottom line profits catch-up with its now loftier valuation.

Finally, software and hardware solutions developer for the logistics industry Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI  ) advanced 3.9% despite no company-specific news. The story here could be more related to short-sellers than anything else. Pitney Bowes is consistently among the S&P 500's most short-sold companies, meaning any slight rally can be exacerbated by short-sellers covering their positions. While today's move certainly gave optimists the upper hand, it does nothing to change the long-term investing thesis that Pitney Bowes' revenue is shrinking, and it's already had to slice its dividend in half to conserve its free cash flow. In my book it's still a stock to steer clear of.

Gold has outshined the stock market with strong returns since 2000, but more recently has given way to big declines. Is today's resurgence a sign that gold prices may be on the mend? The Motley Fool's new free report "The Best Way to Play Gold Right Now" dissects the recent volatility and provides a guide for gold investing. Click here to read the full report today!

The Best U.S. Bank Stock for the Next 20 Years

Last month, the World Bank released a report claiming a dramatic shift in capital and investment away from the developed world and into the emerging markets. As this trend accelerates, only one U.S. mega bank appears ready to capitalize.

The case for globalization in three charts

Source: World Bank.

This chart clearly demonstrates a marked change in the long-term trend in global investment dollars. From 1965 to 2000, high-income, developed economies attracted the vast majority of global investment. Over the 10-year span since then, the developing world has nearly completely caught up. Take particular note of the steep decline in the high income trend during the period from 2007-2009; for developing economies, the same period showed hardly a blip in the trend.

Source: World Bank.

The scale of the change is even more apparent when shown as a percentage. This chart even more clearly shows the stability in global investments from 1965 to 2000, followed by the dramatic change. Clearly, an unprecedented amount of investment is now flowing into the emerging markets.

Source: World Bank.

With the change in the global investment trend to developing markets, banks must now adapt to capture the changing reality. Since 2000, the savings rate of developing economies has, once again, rapidly approached the level of developed economies.

Taken together, this change represents a fundamental shift in the long-term core banking marketplace. Gross investment in the emerging markets increased over 400% to $6 trillion from 2000 to 2010. The World Bank forecast this trend to continue through at least 2030.

With global investment dollars increasingly in emerging markets, banks too must focus on those markets to win the loan, M&A, capital market, deposit, and asset management opportunities today, and more importantly, tomorrow.

Citigroup: The global U.S. megabank
Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) , with operations in over 90 countries, is unabashedly the bank most focused on building a global business. Overall, international businesses contributed 58% of the bank's $78 billion in total 2012 revenues. 

For Q1 2013, Citi's global consumer banking business reported revenue of $4.9 billion, nearly equal to the $5.1 billion reported by its North American consumer unit. This corresponds with loan balances, where international consumers represent 49% of total loans, or $142 billion. 

This strategy stands in stark contrast to rival bank Wells Fargo's (NYSE: WFC  ) . Per Wells' website, the company only has three international locations, all of which are in Western Europe. In its 2012 annual report, the bank states that it offers services in 37 countries; this number is misleading, however, because the services it provides are geared toward assisting U.S. customers with international operations. Wells is focused on the domestic business through and through.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) has a strong global presence, but as CEO Brian Moynihan continues to reshape the company in the aftermath of the financial crisis, its focus on global business is decreasing.

In 2012, the bank's Global Banking, Global Markets, and Global Wealth and Investment Management segments contributed $47.2 billion to company revenues, or about 56%.However, since Moynihan took the company's helm in 2010, the bank has sold positions in lenders in Brazil, China, and Mexico, as well as sizable consumer loan portfolios from around the world (a more complete list can be seen here).

The largest U.S. bank, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) , is better-positioned than Wells or Bank of America, but still lags Citi. In contrast to Wells and Bank of America, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently stated that he aims to grow the bank abroad, but prefers stable organic growth instead of more aggressive growth through M&A. As such, Citi's lead in the global market should remain intact for the foreseeable future.

Well-positioned for the long term
The World Bank's report takes a very long view, forecasting trends though 2030. And while long-term forecasts are at best educated guesses, investors should still consider Citi, the best-positioned U.S. megabank to take advantage of continued globalization. Look to growth in Citi's Global Consumer Banking unit to outpace the broader industry for confirmation of this trend.

Citigroup's stock looks tantalizingly cheap. Yet the bank's balance sheet is still in need of more repair, and CEO Michael Corbat still needs to prove himself. Should investors be treading carefully, or jumping on an opportunity to buy? To help figure out whether Citigroup deserves a spot in your portfolio, I invite you to read our premium research report on the bank today. We'll fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Citigroup, and what areas Citigroup investors need to watch going forward. Click here now for instant access to our best expert's take on Citigroup.

News Flash: Mortgage Rates Will Head Higher

Only once before in recorded history have mortgage rates been more volatile than they are right now. Want to guess when that was? Try November 2008, a mere two months after the fall of Lehman Brothers triggered the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The following chart illustrates this point. It shows that the rate on a conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has fluctuated an average of 6.38% in each of the past four weeks. And all together, rates have skyrocketed by nearly a third since the beginning of May.

What's causing the angst?
The source of the volatility is common knowledge at this point -- that is, the Federal Reserve. This past week, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke testified once again to the effect that the central bank could begin moderating its support for the economy, which consists of monthly bond purchases, later this year if growth and employment pick up and inflation remains muted.

Now, to be clear, these are big "ifs." As Bernanke noted, "because our asset purchases depend on economic and financial developments, they are by no means on a preset course."

What's more interesting, in turn, is the impact that the rising rates have had on the mortgage and therefore housing industries. As I've discussed before, common sense seems to dictate that a rapid increase in rates would result in a precipitous decline in demand for new mortgages. But we've since come to find out that this hypothesis is only partially true.

On the one hand, the volume of applications to refinance existing mortgages has indeed gone over a cliff. According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association, the figure has fallen by 55% over the past 10 weeks alone. And for the three months ended June 30, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) , the nation's largest mortgage originator by far, reported that the proportion of mortgage applications related to refinancing fell from 72% at the end of last year all the way down to 54% today.

On the other hand, and here's where it gets interesting, we've seen little perceptible impact on purchase-money mortgage originations. If anything, in fact, the exact opposite has occurred, as purchase-money volume at both Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) picked up last quarter by 46% and 44%, respectively -- by means of context, JPMorgan is the nation's second largest mortgage originator.

Suffice it to say, this has been a huge relief to homebuilders, who have only recently begun to fully recover from the crisis. D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI  ) and PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM  ) , for instance, the nation's two largest homebuilders, recently reported year-over-year increases of 33% and 23%, respectively, in quarterly deliveries. It's no surprise, in turn, that shares of both companies have outperformed the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) over the past five years.

DHI Total Return Price data by YCharts

Mortgage rates will head higher
The observation that higher mortgage rates aren't putting an undue damper on the demand for purchase-money mortgages, and thus housing, is very good news. This is because mortgage rates are bound to go even higher. It's inevitable.

If you ignore the distraction of surging rates for the moment, you can't help acknowledging that mortgages are still dirt cheap. The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage since 1971 is 8.61%. At the end of last week, it was 4.37%, or roughly half the long-run average.

At this point, it's no longer a question if the Fed will reduce its support for the economy, but rather when it will do so. And when it does, given the mechanics of the bond market and the precise nature of the central bank's support over the past few months, mortgage rates will continue their ascent.

For you, the average Joe or Jane, the net result is simple: If you've been on the fence about buying a home, it's probably as good of a time as any to make up your mind.

The best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014

The Article 77 hearing in Justice Barbara Kapnick's courtroom in Manhattan may have gotten off to a slow start, but a lot of action has taken place in only two days. The question of whether or not�Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK  ) acted reasonably in negotiating the $8.5 billion settlement between 22 institutional investors and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) has been asked, with some very interesting opening arguments from BONY and AIG (NYSE: AIG  ) , the settlement's biggest detractor.

Commentary not very positive for B of A
Since the hearing is about BONY's judgment, the bank's attorney, Matthew Ingber ticked off several points indicating that the decision to settle was fair and reasonable, based on the information the bank had at its disposal at the time. As Mark Palmer of BTIG Research�notes, though, much of that information has since been invalidated.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation(BMTC)

Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation operates as the holding company for The Bryn Mawr Trust Company, which provides various commercial and retail banking services. The company accepts demand, time, and savings deposits; and makes commercial, real estate, and consumer loans, as well as other extensions of credit, including leases. It offers wealth management services, such as trust administration and fiduciary, custody, investment management and advisory, employee benefit account and IRA administration, estate settlement, tax, financial planning, and brokerage services. The company also provides casualty, property, and allied insurance, as well as life insurance, annuities, medical insurance, and accident and health insurance for groups and individuals. In addition, it offers title search and abstract services; mortgage services; and equipment leasing services. As of December 31, 2009, the company had nine full service branches and seven life care community offices in Montgomery, De laware, and Chester counties. Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Reese]

  Time Warner Cable, Inc. (NYSE:TWC): On 3/31/11 Viking Global Investors reported holding 7,721,684 shares with a market value of $550,864,908. This comprised 4.75% of the total portfolio. On 6/30/11, Viking Global Investors held 9,058,812 shares with a market value of $706,949,697. This comprised 5.92% of the total portfolio. The net change in shares for this position over the two quarters is 1,337,128. About the company: Time Warner Cable, Inc. offers cable television subscription services.? The Company also offers Internet access and voice over Internet protocol telephone services.

5 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: Loral Space and Communications Inc.(LORL)

Loral Space & Communications Inc. operates as a satellite communications company. The company?s Satellite Manufacturing segment designs and manufactures satellites, space systems, and components used for fixed satellite services, direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting, mobile satellite services, broadband data distribution, wireless telephony, digital radio, digital mobile broadcasting, military communications, weather monitoring, and air traffic management applications in commercial and government sectors. Loral Space & Communications Inc.?s Satellite Services segment provides broadcast, enterprise, and consulting services. This segment owns and leases a satellite fleet that provides high-bandwidth services to broadcasters, cable networks, and DTH service providers. It also offers satellite transmission services for the broadcast of news, sports, and live events coverage enabling broadcasters to conduct on-the-scene transmissions. In addition, this segment operates very smal l aperture terminal (VSAT) networks in North America, and manages various VSAT terminals at customer sites, as well as provides the installation and maintenance of the end user terminal, the VSAT hub, and satellite capacity services. Further, it offers Internet protocol-based terrestrial extension services; Ka-band two-way broadband Internet services; satellite capacity and end-to-end services for data and voice transmission to telecommunications carriers; fixed satellite services to the United States and Canadian governments; and satellite consulting services. The company also owns and operates an X-band satellite, which provides X-band communications services to government users. As of December 31, 2011, it had 12 in-orbit satellites and 2 satellites under construction. The company operates in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Caribbean. Loral Space & Communications Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Altius Minerals Corp (ALS.TO)

Altius Minerals Corporation operates in the mining and resources sector in eastern Canada. It owns various exploration stage royalty interests in properties prospective for nickel-copper cobalt, iron ore, uranium, gold, and other base metals; and holds active mineral exploration agreements targeting various mineral commodities. The company also has investments in junior exploration and development stage companies. Altius Minerals Corporation was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. John�s, Canada.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.(TTWO)

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. publishes, develops, and distributes interactive entertainment software, hardware, and accessories worldwide. The company develops and publishes software titles for various gaming and entertainment hardware platforms, including PlayStation3 and PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems, PlayStation Portable system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, and Wii and DS systems, as well as for the personal computer and games for Windows. It offers products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, which publishes titles under 2K Games, 2K Sports, and 2K Play. The company, through its subsidiary, Jack of All Games, also distributes software, hardware, and accessories in North America. Its proprietary brand franchises include Grand Theft Auto; Sid Meier's Civilization; Max Payne; Midnight Club; Manhunt; Red Dead Revolver; Bully; BioShock; Sid Meier's Railroads!; Sid Meier's Pirates!; Carnival Games; and Top Spin, as wel l as licensed brands comprise the sports games Major League Baseball 2K; NBA 2K; and NHL 2K. The company sells its software titles to retail outlets through direct relationships with large retail customers and third party distributors. Its customers include mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, video stores, electronics stores, toy stores, national and regional drug stores, and supermarket and discount store chains. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Sterman]

  This video game developer has a pair of catalysts in the near future. The first involves the release of Max Payne 3, the latest title in the Max Payne action video game series, slated for launch in March 2012. This has led some analysts, including Brean Murray's Arvind Bhatia, to modestly raise EPS estimates for the current fiscal year that ends in March 2012.
  
  The real catalyst, however, is the fiscal 2013 release of Grand Theft Auto V that has analysts salivating. This title is expected to be a blockbuster, which could singlehandedly push EPS from about $0.20 this year to the $2 to $3 range in fiscal 2013. It's not clear when in 2012 the game will be released, but shares have typically started to move up well in advance of major releases. Though the actual catalyst is a few quarters away, anticipation of the event makes this stock much more timely.

• [By George Putn]

  Take-Two Interactive is another of our speculation plays that we think has some definite bounce back in 2012. The company had an amazing 2010 with "NBA 2K11" and "Red Dead Redemption," but it dropped the ball in 2011 with "LA Noire" and the NBA lockout hurting its follow through on 2K12. Now, 2012 brings the next installment of its amazing "Grand Theft Auto" series. We believe that this game can put through $1B in sales given the type of success of blockbuster hits in video games, and it can be the biggest game in 2012. Look for TTWO retake $20 in 2012.

  Allocation: $1500

  Entry: $14.03

  Target: $15.50, $17.00, and $20

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: People's United Financial Inc.(PBCT)

People?s United Financial, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for People?s United Bank that provides commercial banking, retail and business banking, and wealth management services to individual, corporate, and municipal customers. Its Commercial Banking segment provides commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate lending, and commercial deposit gathering services, as well as equipment financing, cash management, correspondent banking, and municipal banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers consumer and business deposit gathering services; consumer lending products, including residential mortgage, home equity, and indirect auto lending; business lending; and merchant services. Its Wealth Management segment provides trust services, corporate trust, brokerage, financial advisory services, investment management services, and life insurance and other insurance services, as well as private banking services. The company also offers online and telephone banking, and investment trading services, and automated teller machine (ATM) services. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of approximately 341 branches, including full-service supermarket branches, investment and brokerage offices, and commercial banking offices, as well as approximately 518 automated teller machines in Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1842 and is headquartered in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Ggl Diamond Corp. (GGL.V)

GGL Resources Corp. operates as a mineral exploration company. The company holds mineral claims and leases prospective for gold, silver, nickel, base metals, and diamonds in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The company owns approximately 380,000 acres of claims in the providence greenstone belt; and the McConnell Creek porphyry copper and gold property covering approximately 4,800 hectares located in the Quesnel Trough in north-central British Columbia. It also owns interests in the Doyle Lake project; the CH project claims consisting of approximately 140,000 acres; and Fishback property located in Northwest Territories. The company was formerly known as GGL Diamond Corp. and changed its name to GGL Resources Corp. in September 2009 to better represent its assets. GGL Resources Corp. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: SureWest Communications(SURW)

SureWest Communications provides a range of telecommunications services in northern California, the greater Kansas City, and Kansas and Missouri areas. It provides data, video, and voice services to residential and business customers. The company?s data services include high-speed Internet access; video services comprise pay-per-view channels, video on demand (VOD) service, and premium VOD channels, music channels, and an interactive, on-screen program guide; and voice services consist of value-added services, such as voicemail, call waiting, caller identification, and other calling options. The company also offers Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) digital phone; and telecommunications services, including traditional circuit-switched voice, long distance, and various lightly-regulated or non-regulated services, as well as wholesale access services. In addition, it provides business communications services comprising fiber-optics-based high-speed Internet, customized dat a and Ethernet transport services, data center and disaster recovery solutions, traditional landline and VoIP phone services, wireless backhaul, and digital television services to small, medium, and large business customers. As of December 31, 2011, the company served approximately 107,100 residential subscribers; and had approximately 8,000 business customers. SureWest Communications was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Roseville, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vatalyst]

  Shares are trading around $11.50 at the time of writing, as against their 52-week trading range of $7.08 to $17.83. At the current market price, the company is capitalized at $161 million. Its earnings per share during the last year were $0.22, and it paid a dividend of $0.32 (a yield of around 3%).

  Offering internet and communications services regionally in California, Kansas, and Missouri, SureWest operates in the same business space as AT&T (T) . AT&T has a global business, and will find it easier to avoid suffering in an economic downturn than SureWest (particularly as California is the most indebted state in the United States). Investors should opt for AT&T’s better operating margins (15.5% versus 7%), higher dividend yield (6% versus 3%), and realistic price to earnings ratio (8.39 versus 51.73). Sell SureWest Communications shares.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Frozen Food Express Industries Inc.(FFEX)

Frozen Food Express Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides temperature-controlled truckload and less-than-truckload services in the United States. It offers truckload linehaul, dedicated fleets, and less-than-truckload linehaul services, as well as brokerage services, including ocean, air, and domestic and international expedited services. The company primarily transports meat, ice, poultry, seafood, processed foods, candy and other confectionaries, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, cosmetics, films, and Christmas trees. It also leases refrigerated trailers for the storage and transportation of perishable items. As of September 30, 2011, the company operated a fleet of 1,178 tractors and 2,360 trailers. Frozen Food Express Industries, Inc. was founded in 1946 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Legg Mason Inc (LM)

Legg Mason, Inc. (Legg Mason), incorporated in 1981, is a global asset management company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides investment management and related services to institutional and individual clients, company-sponsored mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles. It offers these products and services directly and through various financial intermediaries. The Company provides its asset management services through a number of asset managers, each of which generally markets its products and services under its own brand name and, in many cases, distributes retail products and services through a centralized retail distribution network. Its investment advisory services include discretionary and non-discretionary management of separate investment accounts in a number of investment styles for institutional and individual investors. Legg Mason�� investment products include mutual funds ranging from money market and other liquidity products to fixed income and equity funds managed in a variety of investment styles, other domestic and offshore funds offered to both retail and institutional investors and funds-of-hedge funds. As of March 31, 2012, assets under management were $643.3 billion. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company sold Bartlett & Co., a Cincinnati-based wealth manager.

Asset Managers

The Company conducts its business primarily through 12 asset managers. Its asset managers are individual businesses, each of which generally focuses on a portion of the asset management industry in terms of the types of assets managed (primarily equity or fixed income), the types of products and services offered, the investment styles utilized, the distribution channels used, and the types and geographic locations of its clients. The Company�� asset managers provide a range of separate account investment management services to institutional clients, including pension and other retirement plans, corporations, insurance companies, ! endowments and foundations and governments, and to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, its asset managers also sponsor and manage various groups of the United States mutual funds, including the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds, funds-of-hedge funds and a number of equity, fixed income, liquidity and balanced funds that are domiciled and distributed in countries worldwide, and provide investment advisory services to a number of retail separately managed account programs. Western Asset Management Company is a global fixed income asset manager for institutional clients. Western Asset's operations include investment operations in New York City, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, Australia and Singapore. Western Asset offers a range of products spanning the yield curve and encompassing the bond markets, including a suite of limited duration and core products, emerging market and high yield portfolios, municipal portfolios and a variety of sector-oriented and global products. Among the services Western Asset provides are management of separate accounts and management of mutual funds, closed-end funds, international funds and other structured investment products.

ClearBridge Advisors is an equity asset management firm. ClearBridge Advisors provides asset management services to 29 of the equity funds (including balanced funds and closed-end funds) in the Legg Mason Funds, to retail separately managed account programs, to certain of its international funds and, primarily through separate accounts, to institutional clients. ClearBridge also sub-advises domestic mutual funds that are sponsored by third parties. Royce & Associates is investment advisor to all of The Royce Funds and to certain of the Company�� international funds. In addition, Royce & Associates manages other pooled and separate accounts, primarily institutional. Brandywine Global Investment Management manages fixed income, including global and international fixed income, and equity portf! olios for! institutional and, through wrap accounts, high-net-worth individual clients.

Batterymarch Financial Management manages the United States, international and emerging markets equity portfolios for institutional clients. Permal Group Ltd. is a global funds-of-hedge funds management firm. With a headquarters in London and other offices in New York City, Boston, Dubai, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Nassau, Permal manages products, which include both directional and absolute return strategies, and are available through multi-manager and single manager funds, separately managed accounts and structured products sponsored by a number of financial institutions. Legg Mason Capital Management is an equity asset management business that manages both institutional separate accounts and mutual funds. Legg Mason Capital Management manages 12 Legg Mason Funds, and also sub-advises the mutual fund managed by the joint venture described below and investment products sponsored by its other subsidiaries, including certain of the Company�� international funds.

Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust Company, National Association is a national banking association with authority to exercise trust powers. Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust Company provides services as a trustee for trusts established by its individual and employee benefit plan clients and manages fixed income and equity assets. Legg Mason Investment Counsel, LLC, a subsidiary of Legg Mason Investment Counsel & Trust, manages equity, fixed income and balanced portfolios for high-net-worth individual and institutional clients and a number of its mutual funds. Legg Mason Investment Counsel operates out of offices in New York City, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Easton, Maryland, and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Esemplia Emerging Markets is an emerging markets equities investment manager. Esemplia offers a range of portfolio management strategies, including core long-only and alpha-extension portfolios, to institutional investors worl! dwide, in! cluding pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

Private Capital Management manages equity assets for high-net-worth individuals and families, institutions, endowments and foundations in separate accounts and through limited partnerships. Legg Mason's business in Poland engages in portfolio management, servicing and distribution of both separate account management services and local funds in Poland. The firm provides portfolio management services primarily for equity assets to institutions, including corporate pension plans and insurance companies, and, through funds distributed through banks and insurance companies, individual investors. Legg Mason Australian Equities is an Australian asset management business that offers Australian equity products, Australian property trusts and asset allocation products. As of March 31, 2012, Legg Mason Australian Equities managed assets with a value of $1billion.

United States Mutual Funds

The Company�� United States mutual funds business primarily consists of three groups of mutual and closed-end funds, the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds. The Legg Mason Funds invest in a range of domestic and international equity and fixed income securities. The Royce Funds invest primarily in smaller-cap company stocks using a value investment approach. The Western Asset Funds invest primarily in fixed income securities. The Legg Mason Funds consist of 113 mutual funds and 27 closed-end funds in the United States, almost all of which are sub-advised by its subsidiary asset managers. The mutual funds and closed-end funds within the Legg Mason Funds include 63 equity funds (including balanced funds) that invest in a spectrum of equity securities. The fixed income and liquidity mutual funds and closed-end funds within the Legg Mason Funds include 77 funds. As of March 31, 2012 , the Legg Mason Funds included $114.7 billion in assets, respectively, in their mutual funds and closed-end funds, of which approximate! ly 30% an! d 27%, respectively, were equity assets, approximately 24% and 18%, respectively, were fixed income assets and approximately 46% and 55%, respectively, were liquidity assets.

The Royce Funds consist of 32 mutual funds and three closed-end funds, most of which invest primarily in smaller-cap company stocks. The Royce Funds are distributed through non-affiliated fund supermarkets, its centralized funds distribution operations, non-affiliated wrap programs, and direct distribution. In addition, two of the portfolios in The Royce Funds are distributed only through insurance companies. The Company�� mutual funds business also includes the Western Asset Funds, a family of nine mutual funds and two closed-end funds. The mutual funds are marketed primarily to institutional investors and retirement plans through the Company�� institutional funds marketing group. Western Asset Management Company manages these funds. The funds primarily invest in fixed income securities.

International Funds

The Company, outside the United States, manages, supports and distributes a number of funds across an array of global fixed income, liquidity and equity investment strategies. Its international funds include a range of cross border funds that are domiciled in Ireland and Luxembourg and are sold in a number of countries across Asia, Europe and Latin America. The Company�� international funds also include local fund ranges that are available for distribution in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Poland, Hong Kong and Canada. All of its international funds are distributed and serviced by Legg Mason's global distribution group. Its international funds include equity, fixed income, liquidity and balanced funds that are primarily managed or sub-advised by Batterymarch Financial Management, Brandywine Global, ClearBridge, Esemplia, Legg Mason Capital Management, Private Capital Management, Royce & Associates, Western Asset Management and its global asset allocation team. In a! ggregate,! the Company sponsors and manages more than 220 of these international funds.

Retail Separately Managed Account Programs

The Company is a provider of asset management services to retail separately managed account programs, commonly known as managed account or wrap programs. These programs typically allow securities brokers or other financial intermediaries to offer their clients the opportunity to choose from a number of asset management services. It provides investment management services to a number of retail separately managed account programs sponsored by a number of financial institutions.

Distribution

The Company�� centralized global distribution group distributes and supports its United States and international funds and retail separately managed account program business. The United States-based operations of the Company�� global distribution group support and distribute the Legg Mason Funds, The Royce Funds and the Western Asset Funds, and include its mutual fund wholesalers and its institutional funds marketing group. The Company�� mutual fund wholesalers distribute the Legg Mason Funds through a number of third-party distributors. The Company�� institutional funds marketing group distributes institutional share classes of the Legg Mason Funds and the Western Asset Funds to institutional clients and also distributes variable annuity sub-advisory services provided by its asset managers to insurance companies. Its institutional liquidity funds are primarily distributed by Western Asset's distributors. In addition to its centralized funds distribution group, Royce & Associates' distributors also distribute The Royce Funds. In addition to distributing funds, the wholesalers in the Company�� global distribution operations also support its retail separately managed account program services. These services are provided through programs sponsored by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney's retail business, as well as other financial institutions.

! The international distributors within the Company�� global distribution group offer its investment management services to individual and institutional investors across Asia, Europe and the Americas. These distributors operate out of distribution offices in 18 cities in 14 countries and are the sole distributors of its cross border funds globally and its international local funds in their respective countries. Legg Mason Investments is responsible for the distribution and servicing of cross border and local fund ranges across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Legg Mason Investments has offices in locations including London, Paris, Milan, Geneva, Frankfurt, Madrid, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Miami, Santiago and New York. In addition to Legg Mason Investments, the Company�� global distribution group includes separate distribution operations in Australia, Canada and Japan. In Australia, its distribution operations distribute local and cross border pooled investment vehicles sub-advised by the Company�� asset managers primarily to retail investors, pension plans, fund-of-funds managers, insurance companies and government funds/agencies. In Canada, its distribution operations distribute Legg Mason-managed products primarily to pension plans, endowments, foundations, banks and mutual fund companies and separately managed account programs. In Japan, the Company�� distribution operations distribute domestic investment funds, cross border funds and institutional separate accounts primarily to the retail market, which includes retail banks, private banks, asset managers, funds platforms and insurance companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alexandra Leigh]

  In a Tuesday securities filing, the asset manager Legg Mason reported that it would takepretax charges of $734 million in the most recent quarter, in line with its prior estimate, to account for factors including writing down asset values, and uncertainly around its stock price and the search for a new chief executive. Earlier in January, Reuters reported that the firm had been approached by some of its senior managers and private equity firms, in regards to plans to take it private, which option its board rejected at least until it finds a new chief executive.