Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

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

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Michael Page International(MPI.L)

Michael Page International plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialist recruitment consultancy in the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company sources permanent, contract, temporary, and interim talent for multi-nationals, and small and medium enterprises. It provides services in the areas of accounting, actuarial, tax, and treasury; agency; buying and merchandising; construction; consultancy, strategy, and change; design and education; engineering and manufacturing; executive search; facilities management; financial services and banking; health and social care; hospitality and leisure; human resources; insurance; legal; life sciences; logistics; marketing; mining and resources; oil and gas; policy; procurement and supply chain; property; public sector; retail operations and retail banking; sales; secretarial; and technology. The company was formerly known as Michael Page Group Plc and changed its na me to Michael Page International plc in February 2001. Michael Page International plc was founded in 1976 and is based in Weybridge, the United Kingdom.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: V.F. Corporation(VFC)

V.F. Corporation designs and manufactures, or sources from independent contractors various apparel and footwear products primarily in the United States and Europe. The company offers apparel, footwear, outdoor gear, skateboard-inspired and surf-inspired footwear, backpacks, luggage, handbags and accessories, outdoor apparel, travel accessories, and women?s active wear primarily under the Vans, The North Face, JanSport, Eastpak, Kipling, Napapijri, Reef, Eagle Creek, and lucy brands; and denim and casual bottoms, and tops principally under Wrangler, Lee, Riders, Rustler, and Timber Creek by Wrangler brands. Its products also include occupational, athletic, and licensed apparel primarily under the Red Kap, Bulwark, Majestic, MLB, NFL, and Harley-Davidson brands; men?s fashion sportswear, denim bottoms, sleepwear, underwear, as well as handbags, luggage, backpacks, and accessories principally under the Nautica and Kipling brands; and denim and casual bottoms, sportswear, acce ssories, men?s apparel and footwear, and women?s sportswear primarily under the 7 For All Mankind, John Varvatos, Splendid, and Ella Moss brands. The company sells its products to specialty stores, department stores, national chains, and mass merchants primarily through its sales force, independent sales agents, and distributors. V.F. Corporation was founded in 1899 and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nicole Seghetti]

  1. VF (NYSE: VFC  )
  Through economic (and consumer waistline) recessions and expansions, the company behind North Face apparel and 7 For All Mankind jeans has increased its dividend for an impressive 40 years! VF pays a modest 1.9% dividend yield, but don't let that dupe you. The company has increased its dividend by 248% over the past decade, outpacing the Consumer Price Index nearly tenfold.

• [By Sue Chang]

  VF Corp. (VFC) �is likely to report earnings of $3.78 a share in the third quarter.

• [By Mark Lin]

  It is an open secret that most of our branded shoes are manufactured in China because of lower labor costs. However, China's position as a global low-cost production hub could change in the future as the nation faces inflationary wage pressures. Footwear and apparel brands like Nike (NYSE: NKE  ) , VF Corp (NYSE: VFC  ) and Under Armour (NYSE: UA  ) are seeking alternative ways of staying cost competitive in light of such trends.

Best Medical Stocks To Buy Right Now: DLF Ltd (DLF)

DLF Limited is engaged in the business of colonization and real estate development. The Company�� primary business is development of residential, commercial and retail properties. The operations of the Company span all aspects of real estate development, from the identification and acquisition of land, to planning, execution, construction and marketing of projects. The Company is also engaged in the business of generation of power, provision of maintenance services, hospitality and recreational activities and life insurance. The development business of the Company includes Homes and Commercial Complexes. The Homes business caters to three segments of the residential market: Super Luxury, Luxury and Premium. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the sale of its 74% stake in the insurance joint venture with Prudential Financial, Inc. to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) and its group entities.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Unit Corporation(UNT)

Unit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the contract drilling, oil and natural gas, and mid-stream businesses in the United States. The company?s Contract Drilling segment engages in land contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells for oil and natural gas companies in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana, and North Dakota. Its Oil and Natural Gas segment is involved in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties located primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota, as well as in Arkansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and a small portion in Canada. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had approximately 121 gross proved undeveloped wells. The company?s Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas. It operates 3 natural gas treatment plants, 10 operating processing plants, 35 active gathering systems, and 934 miles of pipeline in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company operates a fleet of 127 drilling rigs. Unit Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Having said that, I can’t find anything in the article archives about Unit Corp. (NYSE: UNT). Unit describes itself as a diversified energy company engaged in the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas, the acquisition of producing oil and natural gas properties, the contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells, and the gathering and processing of natural gas.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Brown(n)

N Brown Group plc operates as an Internet and catalogue home shopping company in the United Kingdom. The company principally offers womenswear, menswear, footwear, household, and electrical products, as well as provides insurance services. It also operates in the Republic of Ireland, Germany, and the United States. The company was founded in 1859 and is based in Manchester, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MarketWatch]

  Discussing cloud-computing stocks, the Barron�� article also said: ��ndustry leader Salesforce.com (CRM) � doesn�� earn a profit based on GAAP earnings that includes its stock compensation expense and yet it has a market value of $34 billion. Other hot plays with 2014 price/sales ratios above 10 and no GAAP earnings include Workday, NetSuite (N) , and ServiceNow (NOW) .��

• [By Alex Jordon]

  He already owns a good chunk of NetSuite (N), whose revenue grew 35% last quarter, beating earnings estimates by $0.03 a share. Ellison's been profiting from the cloud while dismissing its significance. With the Salesforce agreement his company is, too. (Fool)

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Transurban Group(TCL.AX)

Transurban Group engages in the development, operation, and maintenance of toll roads in Australia and the United States. It operates various roads, such as CityLink, Victoria in Australia; Hills M2 Motorway, Lane Cove Tunnel, M1 Eastern Distributor, M5 Motorway, and Westlink M7, New South Wales in Australia; and Pocahontas 895 and Capital Beltway Express in the United States. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Yahoo! Inc.(YHOO)

Yahoo! Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences through various devices worldwide. It offers online properties and services to users; and a range of marketing services to businesses. The company?s communications and communities offerings include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, Flickr, and Connected TV, which provide a range of communication and social services to users and small businesses enabling users to organize into groups and share knowledge, common interests, and photos. Its search products comprise Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Local, available free to users to navigate the Internet and discover content. The company?s marketplaces offerings and services include Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Travel, Yahoo! Real Estate, Yahoo! Autos, and Yahoo! Small Business, which allow users to research specific topics, products, services, or areas of interest by review ing and exchanging information, obtaining contact details, or considering offers from providers of goods, services, or parties with similar interests. Its media offerings comprise Yahoo! Homepage, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Toolbar, Yahoo! Entertainment & Lifestyles, Yahoo! Contributor Network, and Yahoo! Pulse, which are designed to engage users with online content and services on the Web. The company also offers marketing services, such as display and search advertising, listing-based services, and commerce-based transactions to advertisers. In addition, it provides software and platform offerings for third-party developers, advertisers, and publishers, such as Yahoo! Developer Network, Yahoo! Open Strategy, Yahoo! Application Platform, Yahoo! Updates, Yahoo! Query Language, and Yahoo! Search BOSS. The company has strategic alliances with Nokia and ABC News, Inc. Yahoo! Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Californi a.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Google has two advantages over most media as a means to deliver a marketing message. The first is its size. Based on comScore data for October, Google sites�had 194.1 million unique visitors in the United States. And this is only traffic to desktop computers. The search company’s reach sits second to Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) sites�by this�comScore�yardstick. Yahoo! had 195.8 million unique visitors in October.

• [By Barbara Kollmeyer]

  Investors also may be looking for follow-up as shares of Facebook Inc. (FB) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) �each rose to new 52-week highs on Tuesday, while Twitter Inc. (TWTR) �reached a fresh all-time high.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  AP/Kathy Willens Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are plenty of times when things don't work out quite as planned. From single-serve coffee giant Green Mountain taking aim at the full-pot business, to Apple paying the price for the iPhone 5c's poor sales, here's a rundown of the week's best and worst in the business world. Facebook (FB) -- Winner Shares of the leading social networking website operator hit new highs on Thursday after it posted another quarter of blowout results. Facebook now sees 1.23 billion unique monthly visitors, 16 percent ahead of where the site's traffic was at a year earlier. Folks are also coming more often, with daily active users up 22 percent. The company has done a great job of monetizing both its desktop site and its mobile app. Online ad revenue soared 74 percent during the quarter. The market was clicking the "Like" button when the report came out, sending the shares 14 percent higher on Thursday. Apple (AAPL) -- Loser These days, Apple lives and dies by the iPhone, and that explains why the stock took a hit on Tuesday after it reported weak sales for its new smartphone. Apple sold a little more than 51 million iPhones during the holiday quarter. This is certainly an impressive number, but analysts were hoping for closer to 56 million devices. The culprit in the shortfall is clearly the iPhone 5c. We know this because it's the one that was readily available after the pricier iPhone 5s sold out during the debut weekend for both products. It was confirmed this week when Apple reported a healthy uptick in average selling prices for its iPhone, implying that the more expensive smartphone was the hotter seller. Apple was trying to make a dent in the entry-level market with the iPhone 5c, but consumers weren't wowed by its pastel colors, its plastic shell, and specs that were inferior to the iPhone 5s, which sold for just $100 more. SodaStream (SODA) -- Winner It was a busy week for SodaStream as it bounced back fr

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Piper Jaffray Companies(PJC)

Piper Jaffray Companies provides investment banking, institutional brokerage, asset management, and related financial services to corporations, private equity groups, public entities, non-profit entities, and institutional investors in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company raises capital through equity financings; provides advisory services, primarily relating to mergers and acquisitions for its corporate clients; underwrites debt issuances; and offers financial advisory and interest rate risk management services. Its public finance investment banking capabilities focus on state and local governments, as well as healthcare, higher education, housing, hospitality, transportation, and commercial real estate industries, as well as operates in business and financial services, clean technology and renewables, consumer, and industrial growth, as well as media, telecommunications, and technology industries. The company also offers equity and fixed income advisory and t rade execution services for institutional investors, and government and non-profit entities; and is involved in proprietary trading, as well as has equity sales and trading relationships with institutional investors. In addition, it provides asset management services to separately managed accounts, private funds or partnerships, and open-end and closed-end registered investment companies or funds; and offers an array of investment products comprising small and mid-cap value equity, and master limited partnerships focused on the energy industry, as well as fixed income. Further, the company engages in merchant banking activities, which comprises proprietary debt or equity investments in late stage private companies, and investments in private equity and venture capital funds, as well as other firm investments and forfeiture of stock-based compensation. Piper Jaffray Companies was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Investment banker Piper Jaffray (NYSE: PJC  ) expanded its municipal debt business Wednesday, when it purchased Seattle-Northwest Securities in a transaction valued at approximately $21 million.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of investment banking and asset management firm Piper Jaffray (NYSE: PJC  ) sank as much as 11% after reporting disappointing second-quarter earnings results.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Cembre(CMB.MI)

Cembre S.p.A. and its subsidiaries engage in the manufacture and sale of electric compression connectors and related installation tools in Europe. Its products include electrical connectors for copper and aluminum cables; crimping and cutting tools, including mechanical, hydraulic, cordless hydraulic, hydraulic heads, die selector, and bench press tools; hydraulic pumps, hydraulic units, wire strippers, and accessories; cable accessories, such as terminal blocks, plastic and metal cable glands and accessories, and cable ties and clips; and identification and labeling products and software for railway applications. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Brescia, Italy. Cembre S.p.A. is a subsidiary of Lysne S.p.A.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Alta Natural Herbs & Supplem (AHS.V)

Alta Natural Herbs & Supplements Ltd. engages in the manufacture and conversion of dietary supplements and neutraceuticals for the natural health products industry primarily in Canada. It operates as a contract manufacturer/converter of raw material powders, including conversion from powders to capsules, and to bottling and packaging. The company's neutraceuticals primarily include herbal, botanical, and marine-based neutraceuticals. Alta Natural Herbs & Supplements Ltd. was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Richmond, Canada.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Photon Group Ltd(PGA.AX)

Photon Group Limited provides marketing and communications services in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe. The company offers integrated marketing services, including retail marketing and merchandising, advertising, public relations, graphic design, digital printing, production of sales promotion material, communications planning, events management, direct marketing, and market research services. Its International Agencies segment provides specialized marketing services, which comprise public relations, communications strategy, and research and data analytics. The company?s Australian Agencies segment offers marketing services to Australian clients, including advertising, direct marketing, promotional campaigns, consumer research, public relations, and stakeholder communications. Its Australian Field Marketing segment provides outsourced merchandising and point-of-sale marketing services. The company?s Search Marketing segment offers U.S. facing search marketing services. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Surry Hills, Australia.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Vision-Sciences Inc.(VSCI)

Vision-Sciences, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and markets products for endoscopy primarily in the United States and Europe. The company operates through two segments, Medical and Industrial. The Medical segment designs, manufactures, and sells endoscopy-based products, including flexible endoscopes, and sheath or EndoSheath disposable for ear, nose and throat (ENT), Urology, and pulmonology markets. This segment sells its endoscopy systems and related products to various end users consisting of ENT doctors, urologists, gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, bariatric surgeons, pulmonologists and other airway management doctors in hospitals, medical clinics, and physicians? private offices. The Industrial segment designs, manufactures, and markets flexible borescopes under the Machida brand to various users, primarily in the aircraft engine manufacturing and aircraft engine maintenance industries. This segment offers various products comprising modular, slim levers, knobs, battery operated portable flexible borescopes, industrial videoscopes, and portable video processors primarily for use in the inspection of aircraft engines, casting parts, and ground turbines. The company sells its products through direct sales representatives in the United States and independent distributors internationally. Vision-Sciences, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Orangeburg, New York.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: China Biologic Products Inc.(CBPO)

China Biologic Products, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of human plasma-based biopharmaceutical products to hospitals and inoculation centers in the People?s Republic of China. It offers Human Albumin for the treatment of shock caused by blood loss trauma or burn; raised intracranial pressure caused by hydrocephalus or trauma; oedema or ascites caused by hepatocirrhosis and nephropathy; and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, as well as for the prevention and treatment of low-density-lipoproteinemia. The company also offers Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin for the prevention of measles and contagious hepatitis; Human Immunoglobulin and Human Immunoglobulin for Intravenous Injection products for original immunoglobulin deficiency, secondary immunoglobulin deficiency, and auto-immune deficiency diseases; and Thymopolypeptides Injection that is used in the treatment of various original and sec ondary T-cell deficiency syndromes, auto-immune deficiency diseases, and a range of cell immunity deficiency diseases, as well as assists in the treatment for tumors. In addition, it provides Human Rabies Immunoglobulin primarily for passive immunity from bites or claws by rabies or other infected animals; Human Tetanus Immunoglobulin for the prevention and therapy of tetanus; and Placenta Polypeptide that is used for the treatment of cell immunity deficiency diseases, viral infection, and leucopenia caused by various reasons, as well as assists in postoperative heating. The company?s products under development comprise Human Prothrombin Complex Concentrate; Human Coagulation Factor VIII; Human Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (PH4) for Intravenous Injection; Human Fibrinogen; Varicella Hyperimmune Globulins; and Human Immunoglobulin for Intravenous Injection. The company is based in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: McMoRan Exploration Company (MMR)

McMoRan Exploration Co. engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and natural gas in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and onshore in the Gulf Coast area of the United States. It is involved in lifting oil and natural gas to the surface; and gathering, treating, and processing hydrocarbons to extract liquids, such as ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasolines from natural gas. The company also provides exploration and production technologies, including the incorporation of 3-D seismic interpretation, offshore drilling to total depths, and horizontal drilling. As of December 31, 2012, it owned or controlled interests in 1,003 oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, and onshore Louisiana and Texas covering approximately 511,000 net acres. The company had estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves totaling 219.9 billion cubic feet equivalent. McMoRan Exploration Co. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisi ana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Smith]

  As we move into June, the company's attention is being directed to the combination of starting its huge Grasberg copper and gold facility in Indonesia, following a pair of accidents, and buttoning up its purchase of Houston-based energy producer Plains Exploration and Production Company. At the same time, its preparing to close on its planned acquisition of McMoRan Exploration (NYSE: MMR  ) , an event that's expected to occur early next week.

• [By David Smith]

  The pending purchases
  Aside from its current core metals operations, Freeport is in the process of acquiring a pair of independent oil and gas producers, Plains Exploration & Production (NYSE: PXP  ) and McMoRan Exploration (NYSE: MMR  ) . In December, Freeport announced that it would pay 0.6531 shares of its common stock and $25 in cash for each outstanding share of Plains. In addition, for McMoRan it stated that it would pay $14.75 in cash and 1.15 units of a royalty trust that will hold a 5% overriding royalty interest in McMoRan's shallow water and ultra-deepwater prospects.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  While it has diversity among metals, the company is also in the final stages of adding even more diversity among commodities. It has pending deals to acquire both McMoRan Exploration (NYSE: MMR  ) and Plains Exploration and Production (NYSE: PXP  ) . When the deals close, Freeport will shift its revenue mix from 100% mining related to around 75% mining and 25% oil and gas. That makes the company a truly diversified economic indicator as copper, oil, and natural gas are much more important to our economy than aluminum.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  While there was a lot of grousing, the miner was returning to its roots as a multiline resources company -- it will also be purchasing McMoRan Exploration (NYSE: MMR  ) , a driller it had spun out in the 1990s -- after a series of mishaps and deadly accidents at its huge Grasberg mine, it could be the drilling operations that Freeport relies upon to see it through.

Best High Tech Companies To Own In Right Now: Cascadero Copper Corp (CCD.V)

Cascadero Copper Corporation, a development stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in British Columbia, Ontario, and Argentina. It primarily focuses on gold, silver, copper, and base metal properties. The company holds 100% interest in the Toodoggone project with 75 converted mineral tenures comprising 31,409.35 hectares located in the Toodoggone River region of north central British Columbia. It also holds the right to acquire a 100% interest in 18 gold properties in the Sudbury, Timmins, and Swayze areas of Ontario. In addition, the company holds 50% interest in 14 project areas consisting of 226,000 hectares located in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca in Argentina. Cascadero Copper Corporation was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in North Vancouver, Canada.