Top Stocks For 3/11/2012-5

Stockholders Need Not Take Action At This Time

NEW YORK–(CRWENewswire)– Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:TRH) (�Transatlantic�) today confirmed that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Validus Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE:VR) to acquire all of Transatlantic�s outstanding shares of common stock.

As previously announced on June 12, 2011, Transatlantic entered into a definitive merger agreement with Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG (NYSE:AWH - News) (�Allied World�), under which Transatlantic and Allied World would combine in a merger of equals, with stockholders of Transatlantic receiving 0.88 Allied World common shares for each share of Transatlantic common stock (together with cash in lieu of any fractional shares).

Consistent with its fiduciary duties, Transatlantic�s Board of Directors, in consultation with its external legal and financial advisors, will carefully consider and evaluate the Validus proposal in due course and will inform Transatlantic stockholders of its position. Transatlantic advises stockholders to not take any action at this time and to await the Board�s recommendation.

Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Moelis & Co. LLC are acting as financial advisors and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting as legal counsel to Transatlantic.

About Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.

Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. (TRH) is a leading international reinsurance organization headquartered in New York, with operations on six continents. Its subsidiaries, Transatlantic Reinsurance Company�, Trans Re Zurich Reinsurance Company Ltd. and Putnam Reinsurance Company, offer reinsurance capacity on both a treaty and facultative basis — structuring programs for a full range of property and casualty products, with an emphasis on specialty risks.

Visit � www.transre.com � for additional information about TRH.

Additional Information about the Proposed Merger with Allied World and Where to Find It

Allied World has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (�SEC�) a registration statement on Form S-4 that includes a preliminary joint proxy statement of Transatlantic and Allied World that also constitutes a prospectus of Allied World in connection with a proposed merger between Transatlantic and Allied World. This communication is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Transatlantic or Allied World may file with the SEC or send to their shareholders in connection with the proposed merger. Investors and security holders are urged to read the registration statement on Form S-4, including the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus filed and other relevant documents that will be filed with the SEC (including the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus), as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed merger. All documents, when filed, will be available free of charge at the SEC�s website (www.sec.gov). You may also obtain these documents by contacting Transatlantic�s Investor Relations department at Transatlantic Holdings, Inc., 80 Pine Street, New York, New York 10005, or via e-mail at investor_relations@transre.com; or by contacting Allied World�s Corporate Secretary, attn.: Wesley D. Dupont, at Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG, Lindenstrasse 8, 6340 Baar, Zug, Switzerland, or via e-mail at secretary@awac.com. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval.

Participants in the Solicitation

Transatlantic, Allied World and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in any solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed merger. Information about Transatlantic�s directors and executive officers is available in Transatlantic�s proxy statement dated April 8, 2011 for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus related to the proposed merger, which was filed by Allied World with the SEC on July 7, 2011. Information about Allied World�s directors and executive officers is available in Allied World�s proxy statement dated March 17, 2011 for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus related to the proposed merger, which was filed with the SEC on July 7, 2011. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, may be contained in the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the merger when they become available. Investors should read the joint proxy statement/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions.

Contact:

Investors:
Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.
Thomas V. Cholnoky, 1-212-365-2292
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
investor_relations@transre.com

or

Georgeson Inc.
Donna Ackerly, 1-212-440-9837
dackerly@georgeson.com

or

Media:
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Steve Frankel/Matt Sherman
1-212-355-4449
sfrankel@joelefrank.com
msherman@joelefrank.com

or

Brainerd Communicators
Anthony Herrling/JoAnne Barrameda
1-212-986-6667
Ex. 738 (Herrling)/ex. 749 (Barrameda)
herrling@braincomm.com
barrameda@braincomm.com

Source: Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

The Untraditional Path of Becoming a Great Investor

How does one become a successful investor?

If you're a young, you probably think it goes like this: Go to an Ivy League School. Work for Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS  ) . Retire rich.

And that might work. But I interviewed someone last week who didn't take any of those routes and still became a hugely successful investor.

In an exclusive interview, I asked famed value investor Mohnish Pabrai how he learned to become a great investor. Here's what he had to say (transcript follows).

Morgan Housel: You didn't attend Harvard Business School, you're not a Goldman Sachs alum, you don't have a traditional Wall Street pedigree, and yet you're a successful investor. Can you tell me about the learning process you took that let you become a successful investor?

Mohnish Pabrai:�Yeah, well that's a good question, and I would say that Buffet says that I'm a better investor because I'm a businessman, and I'm a better businessman because I'm an investor. So I came at investing after many years as an entrepreneur and a CEO running a business. And in fact, the reason why value investing appealed to me is because when you start a business or when you run a business, you will spend maybe 3%-5% percent of your time on figuring out the strategy and direction and the approach the business is going to take. Then the rest of the time is the heavy lifting of actually making things happen.

I always enjoyed the three to five percent of time more than the rest of it. The rest of it was fine too, but the figuring out part was more interesting. When I looked at value investing, especially looking at it from the lens that Buffet had looked at it, basically I found that you use the same analytics, the same part of your brain as an entrepreneur or CEO. The only difference is that 3%-5% of time becomes 70% of your time. And so that was very appealing to me in the sense that I loved the fact that I would get to spend more time on the parts of the business that I enjoyed the most.

And the second is that you get leverage. So one of the things about the investing business is it has more leverage than pretty much any industry. You are basically leveraging brain cells. And you're leveraging brain cells even more than a software developer or anyone else does because you're converting what I would say thoughts in to cash. That's always nice.

So I like the leverage. I like the fact that you could have somebody else run the business, do all the heavy lifting and you could figure out just which ones you wanted to partner with or be in. And so those are the reasons why it was interesting to me, and that's why I came at it from a different direction.

End transcript.�

Futures Opening Print

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Let's face it, the credit crisis has devoured just about everything we touch and see. Things we thought could never be affected are getting affected. From job loss to losing a home, every American is feeling the pinch. It also has had a big effect on the volume of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's electronic mini S&P futures, called the ES.

Over many years of watching the S&P, MrTopStep has seen all levels of cause and effect. When the markets were busy and all the big boys like Louis Bacon of Moore Capital, Paul Jones of Tudor, Bruce Kovner from Caxton and George Soros were all pumping orders into the S&P pit that they were are not doing it for fun. In the '87 crash every one of the guys we just named sold the S&P days or weeks before.

Generally after a steep decline, volume will drop. As the stock market starts to recover the public starts buying again and the institutions and big banks start making prices again. When that happens, program trading picks up and the volumes jump. It works for everyone all the way down to the guy picking up the phone in the S&P pit. When everyone is trading, liquidity jumps and open interest rises. Our desk knows all about how that worked back then and how it works today.

In the late 80s and 90s every desk in the S&P futures was doing orders. It didn't matter if it was a big or a small order, someone was putting them into the pit. Then in the late 80s the CME came up with its first order routing system. It was the open outcry system of buying and selling with your hands in the pit. Brokers trading with other brokers, brokers trading with locals and locals trading with other locals all helped make up the bid/offer. Sure you could get some bad fills, but you knew there was going to be a bid to hit or an offer to lift.

In 1989-90, program trading volume started to increase in the S&P futures; everyone wanted to do S&P index arbitrage. It was the craze of the day. By 1995 program trading had become a predominant factor in the S&P futures. It could no longer be overlooked by professional traders. In 1996 electronic trading was introduced. Open outcry volumes were already going down, but as Globex took more volume away from the pit trade, program traders started to automate. The initial cost was high, but it also took out the human error factor.

As the pit dried up, electronic ES volumes started to jump. We know from running a desk what "busy" looks like in the S&Ps when everyone is trading. Going into the credit crisis in 2007, overall volume was two to three million e-minis a day. As the crisis dragged on, volumes jumped to over four to five million contracts a day. You could feel and see the liquidity building up. This buildup was not at all like in the past. In October of 2009, the volume in the CME's e-mini S&P futures jumped to an all-time high of 6.9mil contracts. As big Wall Street firms went out of business, it drove up the volumes but with the record volume came record liquidation. The more firms and trading desks went out of business, the lower the volumes went. It was a volume bubble in the S&P and it has never recovered.

The credit crisis has not only knocked out some of the big players on Wall Street but it has also affected the retail trader. The absence of this volume is a key factor in why the S&P floats up and down. After a volume spurt, the S&P has to rebuild itself and more stops have to be placed. The space that used to be filled with professional traders, hedge funds and banks and retail traders has been taken up by the algorithms and program trading. This is why the S&P goes from buy stops to sell stops all day long.

In the old days it was big order flow that got things going in the S&P pit and today it's the algos chasing stops. As traders we need to follow the news, but we also have to be on the lookout for where the closest set of stops are...

Until the government comes up with an agreement over the fiscal cliff, the S&P is going to be hanging in the wind. As of today there are seven days left on Congress' calendar before it adjourns for the rest of the year. As we have said many times, the S&P hates uncertainty and that is exactly where are are at today. We also have pointed out that the S&P tends to be weak Monday through Wednesday and firm up Thursday and Friday. With that in mind, we lean to selling rallies.

As always, use stops and keep an eye on the 10-handle rule. Don't forget to catch MrTopStep on The Closing Print video found under the OptionsTV page (top bar). We report directly from the SPX pits, wrapping up the day and positioning for trade tomorrow.

OptionsProfits can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/OptionsProfits

MrTopStep can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/MrTopStep

For LIVE futures chat, more information on the 10-handle rule and futures educational content CLICK HERE FOR A SEVEN-DAY FREE TRIAL.FREE for a limited time only: Get TheStreet Ratings #1 Stock Report NOW!

Majesco Entertainment Shares Got Crushed: What You Need to Know

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of video game developer Majesco Entertainment (Nasdaq: COOL  ) certainly cooled down this morning, falling as much as 12.1% on pretty average trading volume.

So what: Privately held Impulse Technology just filed a patent infringement lawsuit against six game developers for controlling in-game actions by manipulating a Wii Remote or Wii Balance Board. The technology is the heart and soul of Majesco's chart-topper Zumba Fitness, so it's understandable if investors see a threat in this legal action.

Now what: That being said, Majesco hardly stands alone. Co-defendants include resource-rich giants Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS  ) and Konami (NYSE: KNM  ) , and of course Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) itself. Nintendo has slapped away at least three lawsuits similar to this one and is likely to defend the honor of its Wii innovations again. But you can't blame Impulse for trying -- the patent in question expires in 2014, so the time to extract value from it would be right now. In short, this lawsuit isn't likely to hurt Majesco beyond the cost of lawyering up.

My Advice to Cisco: Double the Dividend and Cut the Conference Calls

I think it was Warren Buffett who said that in the long term the market is a weighing mechanism but in the short term the market is a voting mechanism. Sometimes, the investment community just doesn't bond with a company or a CEO and the market as a "voting mechanism" produces a horrible drubbing at the polls.

That has been the story of late with Cisco (CSCO) which has taken a horrible beating shortly after most of its recent earnings releases. Ironically, the news has really not been particularly bad. In the latest quarter, results beat estimates, there was strong growth in important segments and the trailing bad news was that sales to public sector entities declined (which should have not been a surprise to anyone other than analysts recovered from comas shortly before the conference call).

CSCO still has overwhelmingly dominant market shares in routers and servers and all sorts of other strong businesses in tech segments that promise strong growth. CSCO still makes enormous margins on its sales. The days of assured double digit growth are probably over, but this is a company which, when net cash is backed out, is trading at less than 8 times earnings.

I tend to be a deep value investor and my holy grail is "private market value" by which I mean the amount an intelligent investor would be willing to pay for the whole company. In calculating this, I have generally treated balance sheet cash as being worth its face value and then tried to separately value the enterprise.

This approach may prove accurate in the long term but in the short term the market is not voting my way. The valuations of Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL) and Cisco (CSCO) make no sense if the companies are given appropriate credit for balance sheet cash. In the short term, there may be some logic to this as there is not an immediately apparent mechanism for shareholder monetization of this value. These companies are too big to be taken over by a private entity. The only tech companies big enough to take them over would face a blistering antitrust inquiry. I am sure that the Chinese sovereign wealth fund would have an interest, but the United States government would certainly hesitate before approving such a deal.

On the other hand, dividends are starting to play a more important role in valuation by attracting investors who are frustrated with low bond yields. It is also probably the case that whatever management says about a company's long term prospects, investors who have been burned in two nasty crashes in one decade will be skeptical.

Dividends, on the other hand, are a kind of "statement" that management is confident of long term prospects. Once granted, there is considerable pressure on management to increase the annual payout and enormous pressure not to decrease the dividend. Shareholders, thus, may gain a degree of confidence that a management which approves a large dividend is also a management which does not foresee a major calamity. It is interesting that the one large tech company which has increased its dividend significantly of late, Intel (INTC), has been rewarded in the market.

CSCO commenced dividends very recently at the level of 6 cents per share per quarter. A doubling of that dividend would produce an annual payout of 48 cents or a yield of 2.8% on the current price of $16.93. While not as high a yield as that of INTC, it would be significant and it would tend to put somewhat of a floor under the stock. Combined with a statement that the company intends to increase the dividend by between 5 and 10 percent per year, it would attract yield oriented investors.

CSCO can readily afford such action. With 5.5 billion outstanding shares, the increase would cost $1.3 billion a year and produce a total dividend expense of $2.6 billion a year. CSCO has $ 26 billion of net cash and throws off over $8 billion of cash flow per year (I use income plus depreciation and amortization plus increase in deferred earnings minus capex and acquisitions).

If CSCO were spending every last cent on expansion like a start-up or an early stage growth company, there might be an argument for holding onto the cash but that has not been the case for a long time. CSCO's primary use of the cash has been to buy back its own stock at prices much higher than the current market.

And stop the conference calls. For a while at least. The investment community will read the worst into anything John Chambers says. It is not his fault, it may not be the investment community's fault: it is just one of those things.

Short of hiring someone like Jim Carrey or Dane Cook to do the conference call for them, there is no way that these conference calls will be a pleasant experience for CSCO. CSCO has a great business and some other companies have figured out that it is a great business and are trying to steal market share. There is no good way to describe how you are going to deal with that problem during a quarterly conference call. If you say you are going to cut prices, but will make more money in the long run because you will drive the competitors out, you may be met with a subpoena the next morning. If you say you will maintain margins, investors will get concerned that you are about to lose market share. If you try to divert attention to new and growing businesses, that will raise eyebrows because you are not addressing your most important markets.

CSCO should seriously consider simply filing its financials at the SEC and letting the numbers (and the increasing dividends) do the talking.

There is a path for CSCO. It may or may not be the path I am describing here but I am confident that there is a value story here and I remain long.

Disclosure: I am long CSCO, INTC, MSFT, AAPL.

FAP Turbo – Is This The Best Automated Forex Trading System

FAP Turbo is a vastly improved automated Forex trading system. FAP Turbo is a significant upgrade from its predecessor “FAP”, which was an acronym for “Forex Autopilot”. FAP Turbo is a vast improvement on FAP, which was a medium to long term trend trader that worked on the Euro/US dollar forex spread only. In contrast to this, FAP Turbo uses advanced mathematical algorithms to predict market movements and to find the best entry and exit strategies. It is meant to mechanically analyze trading information. FAP Turbo can work full 24/5 without trader intervention. It is known for it is almost 95% positive return on investment.

FAP Turbo is one of the most legitimate products on the market. It is certainly the only software that stream a live Forex Trading account to their website. That’s right… if you visit their website right now you can view their software in action. I do not know of any other Automated Forex Trading System that has the confidence to back their trading claims with a live feed. These accounts are updated every fifteen minutes in real time, so you can see how they work firsthand.

Sure you will have to put in some work to figure it out, but that is true of forex in general. Here’s the point: If FAP Turbo is the best Forex trading system around, then isn’t it better to learn on the best system, rather than messing around with other systems and then trying to switch over later? Naturally, anyone who has been trading on forex for some time now may want to start trading with a small amount to limit costly losses during the ‘training’ phase… especially when starting with new software like FAP Turbo. This software can be programmed to make allowance for a small amount of money as little as $50 to be used to trade. See more about best forex trading robots compared below.

Compared to typical Forex drawdown rates of 10 percent to 20 percent, FAP Turbo’s drawdown rate is low. This explains why the equity graph of this software is as smooth as shown on its website. This program has a 95% winning rate, and can be used by anyone with an interest in investing in the Forex market. It’s essential objective is to pitch a solution for people who want to deal the Forex market with zero human implementation.

The reason for its popularity is that FAP Turbo offers a reliable system with a proven success record. In my view it is more profitable and less risky than its competitors. It is regarded by many as the best and most reliable Forex trading system currently on the market.

FAP turbo is rated by many Forex Traders as the best forex trading system around. It has become the trading standard and all new forex trading systems are benchmarked against it. No doubt more advances will be made, and it may well be the case that FAP Turbo may be toppled from its superior position in future. However, any competitors should take note that FAP Turbo has a formidable team comprising of expert Forex Traders as well as experienced mathematicians. The product has also been around for almost 9 years and the current release represent a major upgrade of what was already an impressive product. Any new currency trading software will therefore be compared with FAP Turbo… and it will have to outperform it if it want to break into this market. FAP Turbo has set the bar to entry quite high…

Finally, bear in mind that FAP Turbo is not a get-rich-quick program so do not expect it to turn you into a millionaire overnight. In fact, what makes this software attractive to many traders is the fact that it provides a steady and reliable profit stream and is focused on long-term market trends; thus, you are assured that it can be trusted to continue earning money over the long haul. As long as your computer is on, the program is running, and you’re connected to the internet, FAP Turbo is scanning the Forex Market and making trades for you. Once you set up the program, you don’t have to do anything with it.

FAP turbo is without a doubt the best Forex software program in market trading. At a very affordable and reasonable price you can ensure and secure your money earning with this program.

Learn more about Automated Forex Trading. Stop by Craig Alderidge’s site where you can find out all about FAP Turbo!

4 Reasons to Sell Dividend Stocks

As a long-term buy-and-hold investor, most of my evaluation efforts are aimed at determining when to buy a stock. Sometimes it is necessary to sell a stock and we need to be equally adept at identifying those times. I have stated on numerous occasions that I have one hard and fast sell rule for my individual dividend stocks: When an individual stock held as a dividend investment lowers its dividend, immediately sell it. However, there are other times it makes sense to sell. Consider these:

Significant Price Run-up Distorting Dividend Fundamentals

When you buy a dividend stock at a depressed level it will eventually return to its norm. However, at its normal level the dividend fundamentals could be so bad that you would be better off putting the money to work somewhere else. For this evaluation, my primary indicator is the NPV MMA Differential. When this metric goes negative, it in effect is saying you are better off putting the money into a market account for the next 20 years. When this occurs I look for a way to exit the position and retrieve my original investment, leaving the portion attributable to capital appreciation. Examples of stocks that I hold with these characteristics (or close to it) are:

3M Co. (MMM) | Yield: 2.60% | NPV MMA Diff: (117)

Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) | Yield: 2.87% | NPV MMA Diff: (108)

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) | Yield: 3.82% | NPV MMA Diff: 302

Illinois ToolWorks Inc. (ITW) | Yield: 3.09% | NPV MMA Diff: 317

Dividend Freeze Leading to Poor Dividend Fundamentals

When a company fails to raise its dividend (dividend freeze), the dividend fundamentals quickly deteriorate if its yield is low. It is easier to be patient when the yield is higher and the stock is still earning its way. However, as dividend growth investors, ultimately we expect our dividends to grow: Below are several stocks that failed to raise their dividends at the expected time:

Paychex Inc. (PAYX) | Yield: 4.89% | Dividend Flat Since: 07/2008

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) | Yield: 5.74% | Dividend Flat Since: 02/2009

Progress Energy Inc. (PGN) | Yield: 5.88% | Dividend Flat Since: 01/2009

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG) | Yield: 5.56% | Dividend Flat Since: 02/2009

Historical Performance Is Not Indicative of Expected Results

Sometimes historical results are indicating the stock is a good investment, but something just doesn’t seem right. In situations like this there is probably a reason for the uneasiness and it is in our best interest to understand why we feel that way. Usually we know something that is not reflected in the financials.

This recently occurred with my AFLAC Inc. (AFL) position. I had been closely watching AFL since the time it first failed to raise its dividend. For a stock with a yield as low as AFL, dividend growth is paramount for its long-term success. My model’s calculated dividend growth rate was higher than what I expected going forward, at least for the near term. Its annual dividend growth has been declining since 2008, with 2010 growth only 3.6% (considering 2 dividends at $0.28 and two at $0.30). This was the only single digit increase in the last 10 years. When considering AFL’s most recent increase, the NPV MMA differential is under-performing its target. AFL has a large exposure to hybrid bonds (particularly European banks) and exposure to European sovereign debt. This makes them more risky than many other Financial Services companies. I have been looking to reallocate a portion of my financial Financial Services holdings (currently in excess of 10%) and I considered AFL one of my weaker financial stocks, so I sold it.

Substantial Change in the Business

Sometimes the world changes and what you were selling yesterday at a premium you can’t give away today. This phenomenon has been played out since the beginning of time. Rock gatherers were replaced with club makers who were replaced with spear makers who were replaced with arrow makers who were replaced with musket makers who were replaced with rifle makers, and so on. We see this happening today with the print media. Companies like Courier Corporation (CRRC) that publishes, prints and sells books, and Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI) an international media company that owns USA Today, have struggled recently as people have moved from print media to online. Both companies were unable to continue the string of consecutive dividend increases.

Other times a catastrophe will shake a company to its very foundation. This has been most evident with the recent oil disaster in the Gulf. BP was not prepared for a situation like it faced. As the damage claims mounted, investors lost confidence in management to stop the oil flow and began to sell off the stock. A dividend cut soon followed.

Buy-And-Hold Not Buy-And-Forget

All investors need to be vigilant and keep a close watch on their investments. There are few certainties in an uncertain world. Things change and adjustments must be made. Buy-and-hold is a successful investment strategy; buy-and-forget is a recipe for disaster.

Disclosure: Long MMM, EMR, GPC, ITW, PAYX, LLY, PGN, TEG. See a list of all my income holdings here.

Adobe Up 6%: FYQ4 Rev, EPS Beat; Q1, Year Views Miss

Adobe (ADBE) this afternoon reported fiscal Q4 revenue and profit per share that topped analysts’ expectations, but offered a view for this quarter that was below consensus.

Revenue in the three months ended in November rose fractionally, year over year, to $1.15 billion, yielding EPS of 61 cents, excluding some costs.

Analysts on average had been modeling $1.1 billion and 56 cents.

The revenue figure came in above the projected range of $1.08 billion to $1.13 billion the company had offered.

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said the company’s subscriptions to its “Creative Cloud” suite of software were higher than the company expected, with paid subs rising to 326,000, yielding revenue on an annualized basis of $153 million.

CFO Mark Garrett said the company was confident that “fiscal 2013 will be the pivotal year for the transition.”

Adobe ended the fiscal year with $1.43 billion in cash and equivalents, up from $989.5 billion a year earlier.

Adobe management will host a conference call with analysts at 5 pm, Eastern time, and you can catch the webcast of it here.

Adobe shares are up 63 cents, or 1.8%, at $36.16 $1.70, or almost 5%, at $37.23 in late trading.

Update:�Adobe management on the conference call projected Q1 revenue of $950 million to $1 billion, and EPS in a range of 26 cents to 32 cents. That is below the consensus for $1.07 billion and 56 cents.

For the full year, the company sees revenue of $4.1 billion, and EPS of $1.40. Again, that is below the consensus for $4.46 billion and $2.37 per share.

For the moment, shares are not falling on the weaker forecast, they are adding to gains, currently up over 6% in late trading at $37.70.

One thing that may be encouraging to users is that management said it expects the number of Creative Cloud subscribers at the end of next fiscal year to be about 1.25 billion, and that as a result, it will “effectively transition approximately $690 million of reported perpetual revenue to subscription next year, and to exit the year with a total annual run rate of approximately $685 million.”

Celebrity Retirement Scorecard: Bill Clinton

Who is making it? Who is not? We've concocted retirement scorecards for some showcase retirees in entertainment, politics and sports. See the full list here.

Loser: William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton
Former occupation/notable position held: 42nd President, United States of America
Activities during retirement: Philanthropist, foundation head; public speaker; best-selling author; political albatross
Retirement Report Card Grade: D

In the heat of the Presidential primary battle, now presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama publicly mused that he sometimes didn't know which Clinton he was running against.

America agreed. It wound up hurting Hillary, badly.

The damage the former president was doing to his wife's campaign went high-profile at perhaps the worst popular time, following her unexpected, comeback victory in New Hampshire. His thinly-veiled invocation of race on the South Carolina stump turned a campaign just catching the wind into listing sloop.

No one would ever confuse Bill Clinton with a political or media trainee. So what's to explain his well-documented campaign travails?

It does wash if you look at Bill as a guy finding his way into a new phase of life – not traditional retirement, but a period that requires sublimating a Presidential-sized ego, and finding a new identity.

It can be tough work establishing a new persona when you turn the page. For many traditional retirees, the cocktail party icebreaker "what do you do" becomes loathed if the best they can conjure is, "I'm retired." Bill was in uncharted waters for someone used to having the spotlight trained solely on him.

Look at Bill's public-facing activities since leaving the White House, and you see a similar pattern: worthwhile pursuits, starring Bill Clinton as, well, Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton as a brand is a good thing if it means getting desperately needed dollars to Africa, or delivering what Homeland Security could not to New Orleans. But Brand Bill didn't fly on someone else's Presidential campaign trail. Maybe it did early on, but not during the campaign's latter, critical phase.

The former president gets a "D" for this marking period, with big potential to return to his former, higher-scoring self.

A smart guy once said (paraphrasing) when you're President, they play music every time you enter the room. When you're not, the music stops. Bill would have done well by his wife by remembering these, his own words.

Michael Burnham is CEO of My Next Phase, a consulting firm offering non-financial retirement planning products and services (www.mynextphase.com).

Is Precision Castparts Working Hard Enough for You?

Margins matter. The more Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, comparisons to sector peers and competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Precision Castparts' competitive position could be.

Here's the current margin snapshot for Precision Castparts and some of its sector and industry peers and direct competitors.

Company	TTM Gross Margin	TTM Operating Margin	TTM Net Margin
Precision Castparts	30.6%	24.4%	16.5%
Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL  )	29.2%	18.2%	13.2%
United Technologies (NYSE: UTX  )	27.9%	15.0%	8.4%
Honeywell International (NYSE: HON  )	24.4%	10.4%	7.5%

Source: S&P Capital IQ. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Unfortunately, that table doesn't tell us much about where Precision Castparts has been, or where it's going. A company with rising gross and operating margins often fuels its growth by increasing demand for its products. If it sells more units while keeping costs in check, its profitability increases. Conversely, a company with gross margins that inch downward over time is often losing out to competition, and possibly engaging in a race to the bottom on prices. If it can't make up for this problem by cutting costs -- and most companies can't -- then both the business and its shares face a decidedly bleak outlook.

Of course, over the short term, the kind of economic shocks we recently experienced can drastically affect a company's profitability. That's why I like to look at five fiscal years' worth of margins, along with the results for the trailing 12 months, the last fiscal year, and last fiscal quarter. You can't always reach a hard conclusion about your company's health, but you can better understand what to expect, and what to watch.

Here's the margin picture for Precision Castparts over the past few years.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Because of seasonality in some businesses, the numbers for the last period on the right -- the TTM figures -- aren't always comparable to the FY results preceding them. To compare quarterly margins to their prior-year levels, consult this chart.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

Here's how the stats break down:

• Over the past five years, gross margin peaked at 32.8% and averaged 28.9%. Operating margin peaked at 26.1% and averaged 22.9%. Net margin peaked at 16.9% and averaged 15.1%.
• TTM gross margin is 30.6%, 170 basis points better than the five-year average. TTM operating margin is 24.4%, 150 basis points better than the five-year average. TTM net margin is 16.5%, 140 basis points better than the five-year average.

With recent TTM operating margins exceeding historical averages, Precision Castparts looks like it is doing fine.

If you take the time to read past the headlines and crack a filing now and then, you're probably ahead of 95% of the market's individual investors. To stay ahead, learn more about how I use analysis like this to help me uncover the best returns in the stock market. Got an opinion on the margins at Precision Castparts? Let us know in the comments below.

• Add Precision Castparts to My Watchlist.
• Add Rockwell Collins to My Watchlist.
• Add United Technologies to My Watchlist.
• Add Honeywell International to My Watchlist.

Alcoholic No More

If you ask me, I believe that it’s useless to quit alcohol drinking without having some psychotherapy at the very least. Since you have been ill with alcohol dependency, stopping the dependency would mean breaking the condition, and this implies psychotherapy. And if you think that it stops there, think again: the process is barely starting. As soon as it’s over, you’ll wish you never got into the habit in the first place. That, I really hope, might be adequate to deter you from it next time.

Detoxification might be the first thing they treat you with in an alcohol rehabilitation center but group therapy and psychotherapy are sure to follow. That is the thing about alcohol rehabilitation centers – they try combo treatments all the time, and often with good results too. That is why you can be sure that things will work out for you in there.

If you are going to stop drinking, you need also to acquire some relapse prevention skills. Of course, these need to wait for the appropriate time before you apply them, but you must begin to learn them also while you are being cleansed of the syndrome. For a fact, they are going to come in handy when you are eventually done.

One of the most common ways of stopping alcohol drinking these days is alcohol an alcohol rehabilitation center. A lot of people go there when they finally realize that they are no longer running their lives. Others have to be helped there, though. Which category do you fall into? If you don’t have the answer to that on hand, you may have been deceiving yourself the entire time, thinking you are ready to stop drinking. You might want to reevaluate at this time.

If you cannot find a group to join of people who are trying to stop drinking, then start searching. There are lots of such groups out there to help you. Sincerely, it is actions like that that eventually help you to break the habit. Without them, you are just another talker… and talk is cheap. Or haven’t you heard?

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Javelin Pharmaceuticals Inc. ($ JAV) Up 60% after Receiving A Binding acquisition Commitment From Hospira Inc. ($ HSP)

by Sarah Devin

Beacon Contributing Writer

Javelin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX: JAV) is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based specialty pharmaceutical company, engaged in research, development and commercialization of products for the pain management market. Javelin soared in yesterday�s trading, closing up 60.45% at $2.15; volume surged from a daily average of 1.06 million to 23.44 million, spurred by news the company received a binding acquisition offer from Hospira Inc. (NYSE: HSP).

According to the terms of the offer, Hospira and its wholly owned subsidiary Discus Acquisition Corp. will enter into a merger agreement with Javelin. The deal also includes a loan and security agreement and intellectual property security agreements, with Discus commencing an all cash tender offer in order to acquire all of Javelin�s outstanding shares in the market. The shares have been valued at $2.20 per share, subject to certain conditions.

Javelin has already entered into a similar merger agreement with Myriad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MYRX). Javelin CEO Martin Driscoll said the company has already sent a notice of intent to Myriad to terminate the merger agreement. Per the agreement, both companies have five business (until April 16) days to renegotiate the offer. An ideal situation for Javelin would be that Myriad comes up with a better offer than the one by Hospira.

Awaiting possible renegotiation will drive speculation, though so far there�s no hint as to whether Myriad will sweeten the deal. Javelin�s board of directors has said that the Hospira offer is a �superior proposal,� but the speculation should see some volatility in Javelin shares throughout this week. If in case Myriad does change its terms of offer, we might see a takeover battle ensuing, with possibility of some solid profit making opportunities for traders.

Shares of Javelin took a slow start this morning, up .47% to $2.16 in early trading.

Are You Watching This Trend at CACI International?

Margins matter. The more CACI International (NYSE: CACI  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong CACI International's competitive position could be.

Here's the current margin snapshot for CACI International over the trailing 12 months: Gross margin is 30.5%, while operating margin is 8.0% and net margin is 4.5%.

Unfortunately, a look at the most recent numbers doesn't tell us much about where CACI International has been, or where it's going. A company with rising gross and operating margins often fuels its growth by increasing demand for its products. If it sells more units while keeping costs in check, its profitability increases. Conversely, a company with gross margins that inch downward over time is often losing out to competition, and possibly engaging in a race to the bottom on prices. If it can't make up for this problem by cutting costs -- and most companies can't -- then both the business and its shares face a decidedly bleak outlook.

Of course, over the short term, the kind of economic shocks we recently experienced can drastically affect a company's profitability. That's why I like to look at five fiscal years' worth of margins, along with the results for the trailing 12 months, the last fiscal year, and last fiscal quarter (LFQ). You can't always reach a hard conclusion about your company's health, but you can better understand what to expect, and what to watch.

Here's the margin picture for CACI International over the past few years.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Because of seasonality in some businesses, the numbers for the last period on the right -- the TTM figures -- aren't always comparable to the FY results preceding them. To compare quarterly margins to their prior-year levels, consult this chart.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

Here's how the stats break down:

• Over the past five years, gross margin peaked at 34.6% and averaged 31.6%. Operating margin peaked at 7.5% and averaged 6.8%. Net margin peaked at 4.1% and averaged 3.6%.
• TTM gross margin is 30.5%, 110 basis points worse than the five-year average. TTM operating margin is 8.0%, 120 basis points better than the five-year average. TTM net margin is 4.5%, 90 basis points better than the five-year average.

With recent TTM operating margins exceeding historical averages, CACI International looks like it is doing fine.

Over the decades, small-cap stocks, like CACI International have provided market-beating returns, provided they're value priced and have solid businesses. Read about a pair of companies with a lock on their markets in "Too Small to Fail: Two Small Caps the Government Won't Let Go Broke." Click here for instant access to this free report.

• Add CACI International to My Watchlist.

Gold, Silver Down on Lower China GDP

Gold and silver were lower Friday morning as Q1 2012 earnings reports filtered in, China reported weaker-than-expected Q1 GDP and concerns about eurozone debt linger.

Spot gold was lower, down 0.32% bid at $1,669.90 as of 11 a.m., having traded as high as $1,676 and as low as $1,663.30 an ounce, according to Kitco market data. The London afternoon reference price was set at $1,666.50, $3 an ounce lower than Thursday’s afternoon reference price.

Spot silver was showing a loss of 0.96% gain, bid at $32.07. The morning high as of time of writing was $32.43 and the low was $31.82. Friday’s reference price was set at $32.365 an ounce in the London a.m., more than 85 cents an ounce higher than Thursday’s price fix.

U.S. consumer prices rose 0.3% in March, while core prices, excluding food and energy, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2%, the latter in line with market expectations and the former 0.1% above. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen 2.7% year-over-year, down from 2.9% in February, the Labor Dept. reported. Core CPI has risen 2.3% during the past 12 months, while hourly wages adjusted for inflation fell 0.1% on average in March.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary reading of U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly dropped slightly, from 76.2 in March to 75.7 for April. The survey’s barometer of current economic conditions dripped from 86 to 80.6, its lowest level since December, though its consumer-expectations metric rose to 72.5 from 69.8.

DJIA and bank index components Wells Fargo and JP Morgan both reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, while Google, in addition to registering impressive revenue and bottom-line growth, declared a stock split that includes creating a new class of non-voting common shares.

Running above 9% for most of 2011, China’s Q1 GDP fell to 8.1% growth, below market expectations of 8.4%. China watchers are taking heart from March data, including positive readings on retail sales, industrial activity and bank lending that lead them to believe the Chinese economy isn’t going to fall precipitously and that Beijing’s recent credit-easing measures will foster faster growth in subsequent quarters.

Gold bullion prices were set to close out the week on the plus side and were hovering around $1,680 an ounce, a level last seen 10 days ago, BullionVault reported in its London Gold Market report.

“We have now closed well above the short-term bear channel,” technical analysts at bullion bank Scotia Mocatta commented. “The previous resistance level at $1,656 should provide some support,” they add, citing current resistance at $1,680.

Dublin-based Goldcore has examined recent seasonal trends in gold prices. Here’s what it found:

• April and May have been positive months for gold in terms of returns.
• April has returned 1.4% per annum in the course of the current bull market since 2000.
• May has returned 1.75% per annum in the course of the current bull market since 2000.
• Interestingly, the last month of Q1 and Q2, March and June, have been negative in terms of returns.
• March in particular has seen the poorest returns for any month in the last 11 years, with average falls of 0.6%.

Gold and silver trusts were moving lower in U.S. stock exchange trading.

The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:GLD) was down around 0.4%.
The iShares Gold Trust (NYSE:IAU) was down more than 0.35%.
The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE:SLV) was lower, down around 1.4.

Gold and silver mining ETFs were heading south.

The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:GDX) was showing losses approaching 1%.
The Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:GDXJ) was showing losses of around 1.5%.
The Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE:SIL) was down around 1.3%.

Gold mining shares were broadly lower, though Eldorado Gold, Kinross Gold and Newmont Mining were breaking ranks.

Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM) was showing losses of more than 1.5%.
Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX) was down some 1.2%.
Eldorado Gold (NYSE:EGO) was around 0.35% higher.
Goldcorp (NYSE:GG) was showing losses of nearly 0.7%.
Kinross Gold Corp. USA (NYSE:KGC) was up more than 0.4%.
Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) was up between 0.1%-0.2%.
NovaGold Resources (NYSEAMEX:NG) was down nearly 0.6%.
Yamana Gold (USA) (NYSE:AUY) was down around 1.15%.

Silver mining shares were mixed.

Coeur d’Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE) was showing losses of more than 2.1%.
Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) was down nearly 1.5%.
Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS) was showing losses of nearly 0.8%.
Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW) was down around 1.1%.
Silver Standard Resources (NASDAQ:SSRI) was nearly 1.6% lower.

As of this writing, Andrew Burger did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Adrian Ash of BullionVault contributed to this report.

Think You Have What It Takes to Be a Hedge Fund Player?

Hedge fund investing is a little like VIP clubbing; it�s hard to resist the art of the game, the aura of exclusivity — not to mention the possibility of smoking hot returns in a down market. The lure is understandable. After all, hedge fund investors cashed in big in that nasty little bear market at the beginning of the decade. Besides, hedge funds are the play that make you feel like a player.

But hedge funds also have a lot of significant drawbacks. Unless your returns are high, asset and profit participation fees can eat your lunch. Transparency and liquidity also are problems, although the Dodd-Frank Act and Europe�s new alternative investment fund managers� rule are aimed at increasing both.

For most investors, a direct hedge fund stake probably is not the best strategy. In the past couple of years, exchange-traded funds that seek to replicate hedge fund performance have cropped up. All hedge fund ETFs offer greater liquidity because they trade over a major exchange, just like stocks. They also offer investors lower fees and have a smaller initial buy-in.

Hedge fund ETFs are not all alike. They use different trading ideas to try to replicate the performance of hedge funds. Some might follow emerging-market stocks, others will invest in futures contracts or other ETFs, some will short stocks or play with derivative instruments like credit default swaps. Simply put, these funds hedge their bets — and so should you.

As with all investments, it�s wise to weigh risk against the potential rewards. Even the oldest hedge fund ETFs have been around for only about three years and don�t have a proven track record. New regulations could have a dampening impact on these ETFs down the road, and returns have been underwhelming this year, so set your expectations accordingly.

Still, if you�ve got a yen for the investor�s version of being ushered past the velvet rope at New York�s exclusive Provocateur club, check out these four hedge fund ETFs:

IQ Real Return ETF (NYSE:CPI). This ETF aims to replicate the price and yield performance of the IQ Real Return Index, which focuses on investments that provide a hedge against inflation. With a market cap of nearly $34 million, CPI has a current dividend yield of a scant 0.02% and a year-to-date return of 2%. The ETF has been trading around $26 all year.

Wisdom Tree Global Real Return ETF (NYSE:RRF). This is a new actively managed ETF (launched in July 2011) that aims to be a hedge against inflation over long-term investment horizons. RRF invests in fixed-income securities. With a market cap of about $4.8 million, RRF has a current dividend yield of just 0.05%; its return since inception is about -9%. At $47.66, RRF is trading about 6% above its low of about $45 last month.

IQ Hedge Fund Multi-Strategy Tracker ETF (NYSE:QAI). This ETF seeks to replicate the price and yield performance of the IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Index, which tracks the return characteristics of the hedge fund universe. With a market cap of $173 million, QAI has a modest current dividend yield of 1.5% and has been trading around $27 all year.

IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (NYSE:MNA). This ETF seeks to match the price and yield performance of the IQ Merger Arbitrage Index developed by IndexIQ, which seeks to identify global investment opportunities in acquisitions and mergers. With a market cap of $23.4 million, MNA has a current dividend yield of 0.5% and a year-to-date return of -1.3%. At $24.33, the ETF is trading about 5% above its low in August.

As of this writing, Susan J. Aluise did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Renren Shares — 3 Pros, 3 Cons

Renren (Nasdaq:RENN) is called the �Facebook of China.�� So it should be no surprise that its initial public offering has been red-hot.

On Wednesday, Renren issued 53.1 million shares at $14 each.� In early morning trading, the shares hit $20.79, up 39%.

Like Facebook, Renren got its start in China�s university system.� It was a great way to quickly build a community.� By late 2007, Renren opened the site to the general public.�

The main target is now young urban professionals.� No doubt, this is an attractive demographic for advertisers. But is Renren a good investment?� Let�s take a look at the pros and cons:

Pros

China�s top social network. Renren has roughly 117 million users, and it has access to Facebook-like features, including news feed updates, instant messaging, photo sharing, games, music downloads, and videos.�

Renren also has built other social networking sites.� For example, nuomi.com is for social commerce and jingwei.com is focused on business purposes, similar to LinkedIn.

Strong growth. Renren is adding about 2 million activated users each month.� The engagement also is high.� On average, users spend about seven hours on the platform every month month.�

Network effect.� This is a powerful concept.� As a social network gets larger, it should attract even more users, since it’s the �in� place.� This virtuous cycle creates lots of velocity in user traction and makes it extremely difficult for competitors to keep up.� Also, as users put more of their information on a social network, it gets more costly to move elsewhere.

Cons

Fickle consumers.� So far, Renren has done an excellent job in evolving its platform and keeping it relevant.� But this is extremely hard to keep up.� As seen with sites like MySpace and Friendster, user enthusiasm may diminish.� And when this happens, the consequences can be severe.

Competition. Renren faces tough rivals.� And as the company expands into unfamiliar areas, it will further increase the competitive pressures.� If not executed right, the company could get distracted and experience a falloff in growth.

Just some of the rivals include Tencent, kaixin001.com and Sina (NASDAQ:SINA).� There�s even buzz that Facebook will team up with Baidu (Nasdaq:BIDU) to get a piece of the Chinese social networking market.�

Accounting issues.� Just a few weeks ago, Renren�s prospectus indicated that its monthly user base grew by 29%.� Well, it was a typo.� The real number was 19%.

What�s more, Renren�s chairman of the audit committee, Derek Palaschuk, resigned a few days before the offering.� He is the CFO of another company that is being accused of an accounting scandal.

Verdict

Renren says it has a �geek� culture, which is constantly striving to innovate.� For example, the company recently launched a check-in system, in which users can indicate their locations.� There are also plans to launch mobile games.

Renren is also having much success with monetizing its user base.� A key is its use of �social ads.�� These allow advertisers to target users based on interests, which are based on the interactions on the site.� Often, the conversion rates are higher than typical banner ads.�

But the fact is that Renren is trading at an extreme valuation of over 100 times its 2010 revenue.� And of course, the competitive pressures are serious.

In light of the risks, the cons outweigh the�pros on the stock.

Tom Taulli�s latest book is �All About Short Selling� and his Twitter account is @ttaulli.� He does not own a position in any of the stocks named here.

Outlook for Healthcare Is Optimistic

Are healthcare stocks getting stronger, or just getting a lift from a positive market trend? Many have focused on the 2010 elections changing control in Congress and the potential repeal, or at least changes, to the healthcare reform bill. Much of the rhetoric only creates temporary moves in the sector and the stocks. The case for investing in healthcare takes time to research the potential developments and opportunities.

The assumption from most analysts is that 2011 promises to be more of the same. The FDA will maintain its restrictive hold on the production of new drugs and services, thus limiting the expansion of the pharmaceutical sector. Pressure on Medicare and insurance reimbursement payments will remain and could get even tougher with the new regulations. Under current economic conditions, the expansion of elective services isn’t likely to expand. The providers are likely to exert even greater push-back to insurance companies and government controls. All said, sounds like a great environment for investing.

Uncertainty is one of, if not the biggest, deterents to money staying in stocks. If analysts and investors can’t foresee reasonable and predictable outcomes, they tend to look elsewhere for opportunities. This will put pressure on the sector, as well as increased volatility. As with any investment opportunity, you have to measure the risk taken versus your risk tolerance. Taking on more risk than you can withstand ends in a negative result.

Scanning the landscape, two of the industry groups within the healthcare sector which look attractive are the Providers (IHF) and the Medical Devices (IHI). Both are worth exploring for opportunities within the sectors or through the ETFs themselves as a diversified approach to putting money to work.

The iShares DJUS Healthcare Providers Index ETF (IHF) has been in a solid uptrend since September. The opportunity of the healthcare reform bill was put to this sector. Adding millions of uninsured individuals to the roles increases their potential revenue. Assuming they can maintain profitability under the reimbursement guidelines, the sector will continue to see top and bottom line growth. They will continue to put pressure on both the insurance companies as well as the government to maintain profitability. There are 37 stocks in the ETF and they are worth scanning to define the leaders and the opportunities looking forward. The uptrend is in play and unless there are some significant changes on the horizon, the trend should continue.

The iShares DJ US Medical Devices Index ETF (IHI) is in a similar uptrend, but has experienced more volatility as a result of the increased tax on new sales of equipment. The demand in the US for new equipment could slow initially as a result of the tax and budget cuts, but the outlook remains promising. As with the providers, scanning the ETF for the leaders is recommended. There are 27 stocks in the fund to review for opportunities. St. Jude Medical (STJ) is one of the attractive stocks in the iShares DJ US Medical Devices Index ETF.

What about the global picture? It stands to reason that as emerging markets develop, the demand for quality healthcare increases. This brings demand for new hospitals and equipment to provide the needed and desired care for the populous. Thus, one area of optimism is in global healthcare stocks. iShares S&P Global Healthcare Index ETF (IXJ) offers one way to take advantage of this opportunity. The fund has 82 stocks around the globe. The one area of concern is the over-weighting in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors accounting for 77.4% of the fund. The global outlook for these sectors is better, but you still need to give them consideration given the allocation in those stocks to the US markets. Scanning the individual stocks gives you options as well.

The outlook for the healthcare sector is optimistic. The volatility factor in the sector will increase if the political landscape takes on the task of reforming the current bill. But, one thing is certain, with an aging population in the US, the demand for care will not decline any time soon. Do your homework and find the opportunities that fit your risk profile before you put your money to work.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

ECB Plans to Hold Firm in Debt Crisis Policy

The European Central Bank (ECB) had no plans to announce at its Thursday meeting that it would launch any additional bond-buying measures or take any other action to combat the debt crisis in the euro zone, holding steady against calls for more action.

Reuters reported Thursday that despite calls in financial markets for the central bank to boost its crisis-fighting measures by buying Spanish sovereign bonds, policymakers at the ECB had no such plans as they prepared for the meeting in Barcelona.

It was expected that demonstrators would be protesting the country’s austerity measures outside the meeting, but officials were considered more likely to praise Spain’s efforts to cut its deficit than to announce any policy action such as a restart of the ECB’s Securities Markets Program (SMP).

Despite increases in Spanish bond yields to 6%, for the last 7 weeks the ECB has let its bond program lapse. Should yields rise to 7%, that is considered unsustainable and could possibly trigger some sort of action. However, Germany’s Bundesbank has resisted any move by the ECB to cut interest rates or restart its bond-buying program, and it is unlikely the central bank will go against that position.

"The euro crisis has not escalated to such an extent recently that [ECB President Mario Draghi] would want to take on the Bundesbank on that," Berenberg Bank economist Holger Schmieding commented in the report concerning the bond-buy program.

RBS economist Nick Matthews was quoted saying, "I think the reactivation of the SMP will occur only at a point at which the situation has deteriorated significantly and I think the pressure would have to be greater than that we've seen in recent weeks."

An interest rate cut at some point in the year is a possibility should Draghi feel an increased risk of the rest of the euro zone following the U.K. back into recession; recent purchasing managers' index scores have indicated that the euro zone is suffering amid cutbacks from austerity and reduced consumer spending. The ECB has never before reduced its main rate below 1%—but Draghi has not ruled out such an action.

Schmieding said, "He will probably emphasize the downside risks to growth without getting close to signaling a rate cut for June. A June cut is not likely but it is not impossible and he will likely keep the options open when asked about it."

Sell Waste Management?

In the following video, Fool analysts Blake Bos and Austin Smith discuss three reasons that investors in Waste Management might consider selling the stock.

Investors need to stay aware of changing trends that affect the amount of trash people generate, Blake says, including a trend toward greener products.

With current economic conditions, Waste Management may also be bumping up against its ceiling in terms of what it can charge cash-strapped municipalities for waste disposal, Austin says.

Investors should keep an eye on Waste Management's push to mine its own own resources for energy, such as natural gas. This strategy leaves the company more susceptible to commodity price changes and could potentially shrink margins.

Lastly, Waste Management's position as dominant market leader puts it in an almost monopoly-like position but also restricts its potential avenues for growth.

See more in the following video.

These areas of concern may be among the reasons Waste Management's stock price has dragged, leaving many investors wanting more. But there are also many reasons to like the stock. If you're wondering whether this dividend dynamo is a buy today, you should read our premium analyst report on the company today. Just click here now for access.

5 Reasons to Worry About Next Week

It may be a new year, but we're still lugging around many of the same old problems.

There's fiscal uncertainty in Europe. Investors don't trust some corporations. Tim Tebow has backed his way into the playoffs.

Well, there's nothing we can do about Tebowmania beyond letting itself play out this weekend, but there is something we can do about calling out the companies that aren't carrying their weight if we want stocks to come back strong in 2012.

There are still plenty of companies posting lower earnings than they did a year ago. Let's go over a few of the names that are expected to go the wrong way on the bottom line next week.

Company	Latest Quarter EPS (estimated)	Year-Ago Quarter EPS	My Watchlist
Alcoa (NYSE: AA  )	$0.01	$0.21	Add
Schnitzer Steel (Nasdaq: SCHN  )	$0.23	$0.64	Add
SMSC (Nasdaq: SMSC  )	$0.33	$0.52	Add
Zep (NYSE: ZEP  )	$0.16	$0.27	Add
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  )	$0.93	$1.12	Add

Source: Thomson Reuters.

Clearing the table
Let's start at the top with Alcoa.

The aluminum giant revealed plans yesterday to scale back its smelting capacity by 12%. Alcoa will get there by closing an aluminum smelter in Tennessee, trimming operations at a Texas facility, and making a few global moves.

Cutting costs in order to cope with weak aluminum prices is a painful strategy, but the financials bear out the problem. Three months ago, Wall Street figured that Alcoa's bottom line would match the $0.21 a share it earned a year earlier. The pros have been slashing their estimates, and now Alcoa will be lucky if it's even profitable.

Schnitzer Steel Industries recycles ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal. Things seemed to be going well last year. There was one quarter that found 78% of Schnitzer's ferrous sales volume exported to buyers in China, South Korea, Turkey, and elsewhere. Healthy overseas demand was good enough to result in double-digit sequential gains in revenue and operating income.

Well, things aren't looking so hot right now. The same analysts that were banking on Schnitzer earning $0.95 a share this quarter have whittled down their projections to a mere $0.23 a share. Maybe it'll find a commiserating partner next week in Alcoa.

The pros haven't been having a change of heart with SMSC. They've been stuck at $0.33 as their per-share target for months. The seller of silicon-based integrated circuits issued guidance four months ago calling for adjusted earnings to clock in between $0.30 a share and $0.37 a share during the period, and it has given company watchers little reason to veer from that original projection.

Zep hasn't been aiming to please lately. You have to go back six quarters to find the last time that the maker of cleaning and maintenance solutions has beaten Wall Street's bottom-line expectations.

JPMorgan Chase is the banking giant that's brave enough to report earnings before most of its financial heavyweight peers report the following week. Fellow Fool Sean Williams is bullish on the prospects of this country's major money center banks in 2012, but I'm still gun-shy.

Either way, JPMorgan is wrapping up fiscal 2011 the wrong way if we go by the 17% decline in profitability that the prognosticators are targeting.

Why the long face, short-seller?
These companies have seen better days. The market has rewarded many of these stocks with reasonable gains over the past year, but they still haven't earned those upticks.

The good news here is that Wall Street already expects these companies to deliver shrinking bottom lines. In other words, the bad news is already baked into the shares.

The more I think about it, the less worried I become.

If five reasons to worry aren't enough, here's one more. There's a single shocking truth about your retirement that you may not know. It's part of a free report that won't be around forever so check it out now.

3 Things You Should Know About Small Business: Dec. 13

What's happening in small business today?

1. Things to consider before picking a franchise. Today's franchises come in all shapes and colors, from organic gardening to furniture repair. Franchises can offer a clear business plan and solid support system, but business owners should make sure the franchise they choose is right for them.

See if (NFS) is traded within the Action Alerts PLUS portfolio by Cramer and Link

Before signing on the dotted line, according to Business News Daily, business owners should consider how much experience in the chosen industry is needed to run the franchise, if there is a need for your franchise and whether it is recession proof. 2. Black small-business owners optimistic about 2012. Black small-business owners are more than twice as likely than their white counterparts to plan enhanced employee benefits -- including providing more access to 401(k) plans -- over the next year or two, according to a survey by Nationwide Financial(NFS) and Harris Interactive. The survey, released today, polled 501 small-business owners in early August.Twenty four percent of black owners plan to add a 401(k) plan or some other employee self-funded plan, versus 11% of all small-business owners, the survey found. Other findings include:

• 28% are likely to add health insurance (vs. 11%)
• 19% are likely to add life insurance (vs. 6%)
• 16% are likely to add a company-funded defined-benefit pension plan (vs. 5%)
• 14% are likely to add disability insurance (vs. 6%)

Plans to add employees benefits could mean a growing sense of optimism. Approximately 38% of black business owners expect their business to grow in the next year, compared with 21% of all other small-business owners. They are also twice as likely as other business owners to believe the U.S. economy will improve in the next 12 months.

Also, 25% of black business owners plan to increase employee salaries in the next 12-24 months. About 18% plan to hire more full-time workers, the survey found.

Still it will be rough road ahead. Approximately 44% expect the economy to be even worse next year, resulting in 40% saying they plan to hire part-time workers or independent contractors instead of full timers, the survey found.

See if (NFS) is traded within the Action Alerts PLUS portfolio by Cramer and Link

3. Two government research programs get the go-ahead. Congress agreed to reauthorize two research programs meant for small businesses that have been successful but were set to expire this month. According to The Washington Post, House and Senate committees compromised to extend the Small Business Innovation Research program and Small Business Technology Transfer program for at least six more years. The programs require government agencies to set aside a portion of their annual research budgets for contracts and grants to small businesses. Last year the SBIR program distributed approximately $2.5 billion in funding to small businesses, according to the Post, citing government data, vs. $1.7 billion in early-stage investments made by the entire venture capital industry. The agreed-upon amendment will be attached to the final National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the annual budget for the Department of Defense. To follow Laurie Kulikowski on Twitter, go to: http://twitter.com/#!/LKulikowskiTo submit a news tip, send an email to: tips@thestreet.com.Follow TheStreet on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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Take a Look at My "Cheat Sheet" of Undervalued Stocks

They say stocks "climb a wall of worry." Well, investors now have something new to worry about. Concerns are growing that profit margins may have peaked for many companies in 2011 and could slip a bit in 2012 and 2013. It's a valid concern. In past economic cycles, companies operated in an ultra-lean fashion during periods of economic weakness, but needed to spend more money on staff and raw materials when the economy starts to strengthen. If profit margins have indeed peaked and earnings-per-share (EPS) growth is hard to muster, then investors are likely to focus on other metrics that help point the way toward value. My favorite litmus test for a stock's value is in the area of free cash flow (defined as operating income minus capital spending). Every dollar of free cash flow goes right to the cash balance, giving a company even greater flexibility in terms of dividends, stock buybacks and acquisitions. Perhaps of greater import, free cash flow yields (defined here as the free cash flow divided by the market capitalization -- though some prefer to use enterprise value) are so much higher than actual yields on government or corporate bonds. Any time you can find a company with free cash flow yields in excess of 10%, you need to take notice. I've found 15 of them. Actually, I found more than 50 of these free cash flow yield powerhouses, based on 2010 results. I narrowed the list down to companies that are likely to post robust free cash flow in 2011 (when results are announced) and 2012 as well. How do I know what free cash flow will look like?  No one has a crystal ball, but all of these companies are expected to post EPS that is higher in 2011 and even higher in 2012. Free cash flow and EPS aren't always in sync, but it's the closest correlation we can find. By using EPS as a measuring stick, we can see that each of the 15 stocks in the table below trades for less than 10 times projected 2012 earnings. All of these companies are thus inexpensive in two ways. The fact that they are expected to boost profits in what is expected to be a tough 2012 speaks to the resilience of their business models. You'll note three names at the bottom of the table that speak to a clear theme. Each firm can count on recurring revenue to keep profits -- and free cash flow -- at peak levels. In the case of Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX), a reliance on long-term outsourcing contracts surely helps build confidence that near-term results won't fluctuate. My colleague Adam Fischbaum laid out the merits of Xerox's business model back in November. [See Adam's article here.] In a similar vein, Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) can count on steady demand for its existing portfolio demand of biotech drugs while it invests in the next generation of potential blockbuster drugs. AGCO (Nasdaq: AGCO), which makes tractors and other farm equipment, should benefit from the ongoing profits generated in the agriculture sector. Yet one other stock holds the greatest appeal for me... Hertz Global Holdings (NYSE: HTZ) The economic slowdown of 2008 was a wake up call for Hertz -- and the entire rental car industry., The industry lacked discipline in earlier years, offering too many cars, and price wars became inevitable. In some markets, it was possible to rent cars for just $25 a day. Adding insult, the used car market slumped badly in 2008, and these firms were hard-pressed to generate much cash when it came time to sell cars after a year or two of service in their rental fleets. The tough times brought a silver lining. Hertz, along with rivals Avis Budget (NYSE: CAR), Dollar Thrifty (NYSE: DTG) and privately-held Enterprise Rent-A-Car, sharply reduced the number of cars they bought. Scarcity has a way of boosting prices, and that's just what happened as rental car prices rose higher and higher during the next two years. Equally important, used car prices have risen in value, so these firms now collect more money when it comes time to sell vehicles. Those trends led to impressive results for industry leader Hertz, which saw a 30% jump in free cash flow in 2010 to $2 billion. Results have been solid in 2011 as well. In the third quarter, Hertz posted an 89% jump in operating income (to $296 million) on an 11% rise in sales (to $2.4 billion). The year ahead is unlikely to present further robust growth, as the U.S. and European economies remain in a weakened state. But Hertz's free cash flow should remain prodigious. The fact that this company's $5 billion market value is less than the $5.8 billion in free cash flow generated during the past three years highlights a clear disconnect. Sporting a 38% trailing free cash flow yield, and a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple below 10, this stock looks to have 30% to 50% upside in the year ahead. Risks to Consider: The greatest risk to free cash flow doesn't come from a slower economy, but from a management decision to sharply boost capital spending. Still, this would simply set the stage for the next round of strong free cash flow in subsequent years. Tips>> The greatest charm of these free cash flow yielding stocks is their defensive nature.

Top Stocks For 2011-12-24-17

Harbin Electric, Inc (Nasdaq:HRBN) announced that Institutional Shareholder Services (”ISS”) has recommended that Harbin Electric shareholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Company’s Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of June 19, 2011, as amended (the “Merger Agreement”) with Tech Full Electric Company Limited (”Tech Full Electric”) and Tech Full Electric Acquisition, Inc. ISS is the leading independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory firm and its recommendations are relied upon by thousands of major institutional investment firms, mutual funds and other fiduciaries throughout the country.

Harbin Electric, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, supply, and service of electric motors in the People’s Republic of China and internationally.

Global Hunter (GBLHF.PK)

With its special mechanical and its chemical properties, molybdenum is a preferred material for the most demanding requirements. It has a very high melting point, a low thermal expansion coefficient and a high thermal conductivity and is used in numerous industries because of these properties. Examples of applications of molybdenum are ribbons and wires in the lighting industry, semiconductor baseplates in electronics, glass melting electrodes and furnace hot zones as well as sputter targets in coating technology.

Global Hunter’s focus is on strategic and base metals, with an advanced stage copper oxide project in Chile and a highly prospective molybdenum property in British Columbia, Canada. GBLHF teams are working on developing the Corona de Cobre property in Chile and the Rabbit south property in British Columbia.

Global Hunter Corp. (GBLHF.PK) is pleased to announce initial assay results from its previously announced surface sampling program. The results are encouraging with new gold showings as well as very positive copper oxide assays over wide-spread areas.

Highlights of the entire program
9 mineralized shear and/or alteration zones sampled total of 13.5 kilometers of strike length along know copper bearing shear and alteration zones tested with 205 rock chip samples

Good grades of soluble copper (oxide) over a significantly large area have been identified, however they represent only about 50% of the total copper grade indicating a mixed oxide-sulphide zone. Numerous iron oxide structures have also been mapped but no iron assays have been received to date.

The Company is planning to re-assay samples for iron to determine if iron is present in significant quantities to represent another target.

For more information http://www.globalhunter.ca/homeabout.html

Dynamic Materials Corp. (Nasdaq:BOOM) will announce third quarter financial results after the stock market closes on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Following the release of its financial results, executive management will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast

Dynamic Materials Corporation provides explosion-welded clad metal plates and welding services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Explosive Metalworking, Oilfield Products, and AMK Welding.

Tornier N.V. (Nasdaq:TRNX) announced its third quarter 2011 conference call will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. eastern time following a news release earlier that afternoon which will detail the Company’s financial results.

Tornier N.V. operates as a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets devices for joint replacement and soft tissue repair that enable surgical specialists to improve patients’ lives by restoring motion and physical vitality.

Best Buy: A Bargain You Should Resist

U.S. retail sales have been clocking modest increases in recent months, but Best Buy (NYSE: BBY  ) hasn't been one of the beneficiaries, judging by its latest quarterly results. This gives more credence to the theory that the retailer's best days are behind it.

Best Buy's third-quarter net income fell 29%, to $154 million, or $0.42 per share. Revenue increased 1.7%, to $12.1 billion, and same-store sales inched up a mere 0.3%. Best Buy resorted to discounting to lure customers with sales in mobile computing, TVs, and movies, and unfortunately for Best Buy, many customers went for lower-margin promotional items.

The competitive landscape is brutal; Best Buy shares the electronics space with retailers like RadioShack (NYSE: RSH  ) , Conn's (Nasdaq: CONN  ) , and hhgregg. Meanwhile, hot electronics are widely available from big discounters like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) , Target (NYSE: TGT  ) , and Costco (Nasdaq: COST  ) .

The elephant in the room continues to be Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN  ) . CNBC commentators have been referring to Best Buy as a "showroom" for Amazon for some time now, and I have to admit that is a good way to describe the continued massive threat from the online superstore.

Best Buy's shares are getting slammed today, and, of course, there's a point when the pessimism surrounding a stock can be so overdone that it becomes a great bargain. However, that's not the case if the company in question is losing its competitive edge.

Best Buy is currently trading at just 6 times forward earnings and a PEG ratio of just 1.02. While these multiples sound cheap, make this a "bargain" you can resist. The continued sense that things just keep getting worse for Best Buy's growth and profitability give good reason to wait on the sidelines for signs of forward progress.

Have you heard about the Costco of Latin America? Find out more in our special free report, The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012.

Apple (AAPL) Rumors – HTML 5 Push Alive and Well

Here is your daily Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock news and rumors report for Sept. �29, 2010. A new job posting at Apple’s website calling for a Creative Technology Manager highlights a new initiative to push HTML 5 development with new interactive Web portals much fancier than those made with Adobe Flash. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced the release date for the latest Mac version of its Office suite of software. Finally, Mozilla tells iPhone and iPad users they can stop holding their breath.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) Pushes HTML5 With “Innovative” New Websites: Apple may not be actively trying to keep Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) Flash from operating on its mobile devices powered by iOS 4, but that doesn’t mean the company has stopped its push to popularize HTML 5 as an alternative to Flash. To that end, Apple is putting together a new “creative technology team” to create new interactive HTML 5-based Web portals specifically built for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users. A new job listing on APPL’s website for the Creative Technology Manager says that the group will be “responsible for driving Web-standard (HTML 5) innovation that enhances and redefines the marketing of Apple’s products and services” with work that “includes exploring opportunities with Apple.com, e-mail and mobile/multi-touch experiences on the iPhone and iPad.” Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been particularly outspoken about the need to encourage HTML 5 development on all platforms. Whether or not Apple’s internal development will help encourage developers to shift away to creating interactive content with HTML 5 rather than Flash remains to be seen.

Microsoft Releases Office Mac 2011 at End of October: The latest version of Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) ubiquitous software suite of office tools will be released on Mac platforms on Oct. 26. Office Mac 2011 sports updates for Word, Excel and PowerPoint which can all be purchased separately from the total Office Mac package. The package is also offered in two different SKUs, including Home and Student Edition as well as Home and Business Edition. New features in Office Mac 2011 include a new “Full Screen” view that offers optimized views for writing and reading in Word. The biggest improvements, however, are in stabilizing Office Mac’s previously spotty performance issues.

Mozilla Not Developing iPhone, iPad Version of Firefox Browser: The Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit development group born out of Netscape, has said that it will not be bringing a full-scale version of its popular Web browser to APPL’s iOS platforms, including the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. After numerous user requests for a full version of the browser, Mozilla released a statement reiterating that it plans to continue developing its current Firefox app for iOS platforms, Firefox Home, but that it would be almost impossible to create a version of the Firefox browser sharing all of the same features as the browser supported by Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Firefox Home allows iOS users to sync their desktop Firefox data like bookmarks and history with their iOS handheld device. Mozilla did say that it is �currently exploring an iPad-specific version of Firefox Home.

As of this writing, Anthony Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.

12 Little-Known Stocks That Will Lead the Mobile Internet Revolution. All my research and proprietary stock picking tools are ringing loud and true right now — mobile Internet is one of the biggest money-making opportunities out there. And these stocks are about to take the Street by storm. Get their names here.

Why Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

In 1993, State Street Global Advisor set in motion Exchange-Trade Fund in the form of SPDR. Subsequently, ETFs gained considerable popularity among investors and attracted a rush of liquidity which is still pouring in to such investments. Being quite similar to mutual funds that already enjoyed popularity at that time, ETFs too became rather one of the most sought after investment choice. Today, not only amateurs, frequent traders and investors also prefer to invest their money in ETFs. All the same, there are many benefits of investing in exchange trade funds for the investors to keep their spirits high for this investment option- Can be Traded like a Stock Exchange trade funds embrace all the best features of stocks. Stock markets are quite unpredictable and the best time to sell might not come back so often. During the trading hours in stock markets, quite often an ETF peaks out and bottoms out, providing traders ample opportunities to trade for profit and keep the investment intact by buying back at the close. ETFs can be traded like equities at market rate during the trading hours; unlike mutual funds that are sold only at day’s closing.

Lower Ratio of Expense Involved

For an investor, an investment option that spends the least and fetches the most is the best. Considering, ETFs are available at low expenditure costs, i.e. around 10 basis point converses to mutual funds that can be bought on expense ratio of 20 basis points, it makes them a viable option for value investors and frequent traders.

Saves on the Brokerage Cost

Because ETFs can be traded through brokerage firms, one can look out for a broker to charges the lowest brokerage fees and expenses on trading of Exchange Traded Funds.

Wide Range of ETFs

ETFs are available in a wide variety which lets an investor diversify their portfolio in various sectors of economy. One can opt for ETFs related to equities, International ETFs, regional ETFs for various markets in Europe, Pacific Rim, Country Specific ETFs to deals in Japan, Australia, UK, and specialized ETFs through which specific industries such as technology, biotech, and energy can be covered.

Tax Benefits

As a cherry on the cake, ETFs are also tax savers as an investor can trade ETFs in large volumes and then redeem taxes at the end. ETFs can also be exchanged with equities to reduce the amount of tax levied on their returns.

Among 60% of Americans who invest in mutual funds, there are hardly any who have a clear picture of what they actually own. Because mutual funds generally deliver a quarterly statement of the current position of the fund, facts remain concealed and the investor is hardly involved in the entire investment process. Disparate of such situation, investors in ETFs enjoy the transparency of the current portfolio position and they can even trade between the trading hours, and not just wait for the closing of a business day to know their place.

Read More:-

Read Full Brokerage Selection Guide

Please visit http://www.comparebroker.com and reveal our hand-picked offerings from Online Discount Brokers, also go through our regularly updated blog section and take informed investment decisions, backed by our in-dept market research.

7 Tips for Buying and Using Gift Cards

Buying gift cards this holiday season is even easier with the growing availability of virtual gift cards. Ordering is done online, and an email is sent to the recipient with the details needed to claim the gift.

Gift cards continue to show significant increases each year. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 81.1% of consumers will buy at least one gift card this year and spend an average of $156.86 on gift cards. The NRF predicts total spending on gift cards will hit $28.8 billion.

It is also a gift that can be easily forgotten. From 2005 through last year, $41 billion on gift cards went unspent, according to The Wall Street Journal.A general purpose card, such as a Visa (V) gift card, is a universal card and can be used wherever Visa debit cards are accepted. Gift amounts can be for any dollar amount between $20 and $200, but there is a $4.95 processing fee associated with each gift. For a general purpose virtual gift card, the recipient simply presents the printed virtual card at the time of purchase. If there is a remaining balance, you will be given a plastic gift card for the remaining value. The American Express (AXP) e-gift card may be used at merchants in the United States that accept the American Express card. Because there is no physical card associated with an e-gift card, it may not be accepted by merchants for in-store purchases.Here are some consumer tips for buying and using a gift card:

• Use them before they expire. Merchant and bank-issued gift cards must now be good for five years, thanks to CARD Act provisions. Reloadable cards can expire five years after the money was last added.
• Research the fees. Read the terms and conditions of the card carefully. Some cards charge fees, such as a monthly fee after 12 months of inactivity.
• If you will not use the card, or would prefer to have the cash, you can resell the card. There are several sites, such as PlasticJungle.com, CouponTrade.com and GiftCardGranny.com, serving as a marketplace to buy, sell or exchange virtual gift cards. Most cards sell at a 5% to 10% discount, or you may get as much as 80% to 90% back for selling. Some cards are worth more than others, and the price can vary between sites.
• There are limitations on where the virtual card can be used. It can't be used on cruise lines, at ATMs or for recurring charges.
Also see: 10 Best Gift Cards for Holiday Shopping >>
• The "valid thru" date for a gift card is the date through which your physical plastic gift card or e-gift card number may be used. This date is required to process transactions at merchants that request an expiration date. Even if the "valid thru" date associated with a card has passed, its available balance remains unchanged and intact. To keep making purchases with your available balance after a card's "valid thru" date has passed, you may have to call customer service.
• Keep the card number and four-digit card security code in a safe place. You will need these to check the balance or report it if it is lost or stolen. If your virtual card is stolen, you might get a replacement with the value equal to the available balance on the card at the time it was stolen.
• Purchases made with virtual gift cards don't have the same protections as credit cards. Merchandise bought with the card is subject to the merchant's return policies. Purchases made with the virtual gift card are similar to those made with cash. You cannot stop payment or lodge a billing dispute on purchases made with the card. Any problems or disputes you have regarding a purchase should be addressed directly with the merchant.

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Top Stocks For 4/6/2012-17

National Health Partners, Inc. (NHPR)

With rapid strides made in the field of medicine, the cost of medical expenditure/treatments has continued to increase. This has resulted in spiraling of healthcare expenses. The purpose of healthcare insurance coverage is to assist an individual to pay for the medical/healthcare expenses incurred as part of treatment by the concerned policyholder. It protects the individual and his/her family financially in the event of an unexpected serious illness or injury that could be invariably expensive or a financial drain on the pocket. In case, if the individual possesses healthcare insurance coverage , he/she is more likely to get the benefits of routine and preventive care management.

National Health Partners, Inc. is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called “CARExpress.” CARExpress is one of the largest networks of hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the country and is comprised of over 1,000,000 medical professionals that belong to such PPOs as CareMark and Aetna. The company’s primary target customer group is the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance of any kind. The company’s secondary target customer group includes the millions of Americans who lack complete health insurance coverage. The company is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

National Health Partners, Inc. recently announced that it has signed a new agreement with a major marketing company that will significantly enhance the growth of its CARExpress membership base.
According to the Company, this deal, in combination with the previous partnership with Xpress Healthcare, will enable the company to build its membership base exponentially, initially generating in excess of an additional 2,000 new members per month. The new campaign is set to launch within the next few weeks and will provide a material positive impact on the company’s 2nd quarter sales.

National Health Partners anticipate that this new marketing agreement will provide a major impact on their overall sales not only for the 2nd quarter, but more importantly for the year. They look forward to building on the profits that they anticipate generating in 2011 that will be driven by substantial growth in sales of theirCARExpress health discount programs. The combination of their substantial growth with their low price-to-equity ratio should reflect itself in the price of their stock over the coming months.

For more information on the company, please visit its website at www.nationalhealthpartners.com.

Mack-Cali Realty Corp. (NYSE:CLI) announced that it will release its first quarter 2011 earnings results before the opening of the market on Thursday, April 28, 2011, and will host a conference call with management the same day at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time. The live conference call can be listened to via the Internet by accessing the Company’s website at www.mack-cali.com and clicking on the link that is titled First Quarter Earnings. The conference call is also accessible by dialing (913) 312-0976 and requesting the Mack-Cali first quarter earnings conference call. It is recommended that participants log on or dial in to the call approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is a real estate investment trust (REIT). It engages in the leasing, management, acquisition, development, and construction of commercial real estate properties in the United States.

Boston Properties Inc. (NYSE:BXP) announced that it will release financial results for the First Quarter 2011 on Monday, May 2, 2011 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company will host a conference call and audio web cast, both open to the general public, at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 to discuss the financial results of the First Quarter and provide a Company update.

Boston Properties, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and development of office properties.

AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) announced that it has given a full redemption notice for May 2, 2011, with respect to its 6.875% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014. The Company will fund the redemption with a new 5 year �200 million senior unsecured term loan with Co�peratieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A., “Rabobank Nederland”.
AGCO Corporation manufactures and distributes agricultural equipment, including tractors, combines, self-propelled sprayers, hay tools, forage equipment and implements, and diesel engines, and related replacement parts worldwide.

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