Apple's� (NASDAQ: AAPL ) �latest earnings release might be disappointing to investors, but there's one particular shareholder who won't be pleased. Carl Icahn has been pushing Apple to implement a share repurchase program in excess of $50 billion for this fiscal year, but the company just disclosed that it repurchased $5 billion of stock in the fiscal first quarter. That's just a tenth of the repurchase activity that Icahn wants.
Last fiscal year, Apple repurchased nearly $23 billion in stock, of which $12 billion came from an accelerated repurchase program. At current levels, Apple is on track to repurchase $20 billion worth of shares this fiscal year. However, if the earnings figures cause Apple to begin trending lower, the board could be opportunistic and boost repurchase activity in the coming weeks -- which would be even more accretive to current shareholders.
In the following video, Evan Niu discusses Apple's latest buyback activity with Ashraf Eassa.
Top Heal Care Companies To Own In Right Now: Ishares Trust Dow Jones United States Financial (IYG)
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the financial services sector of the United States equity market and is a subset of the Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index. The Index includes companies in sectors, such as banks and investment management/brokers.
The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]
So, for now, the US stock market is the best overall market. So continue holding the stocks you have, which are mostly doing very well. If you want to buy new positions and increase your stock allocation, the following ETFs are among the strongest ETFs, and we recommend them for purchase: SPDR KBW Bank (KBE)
Consumer Discretionary SPDR (XLY)
Merrill Lynch Retail HOLDRS (RTH)
iShares Dow Jones US Financial Service (IYG)
PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment (PEJ)
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Top 10 US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PostNL NV (PNL)
PostNL NV is a Netherlands-based Company active in delivery sector. The Company is engaged in the delivery of documents, small packages and standard parcels. The Company�� business is organized into three segments: Mail in the Netherlands, responsible for mail services in the Netherland, documents management, direct marketing and fulfillment services, and operating over 2,600 shop-in-shop post offices; Parcels, providing parcel services in the Netherlands and Belgium for both domestic and cross-border parcel distribution, and International, operating in the postal markets of the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and focusing on domestic addressed mail services. The Company also provides marketing and communication services, fulfillment solutions and e-commerce related solutions. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
PostNL (PNL) sank 11 percent to 2.48 euros, the biggest decline since Jan. 14. The Amsterdam-based company said sales in the second-quarter were 1.03 billion euros ($1.37 billion), falling short of the 1.04 billion euros predicted by analysts on average. PostNL forecast addressed mail volume in 2013 will drop as much as 11 percent, greater than its previous forecast of no more than 10 percent.
Top 10 US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Diamondcorp PLC (DCP)
DiamondCorp plc is a United Kingdom-based diamond producer. The Company�� 74%-owned Lace diamond mine is located 200 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg in the Free State Province of South Africa. The project comprises the Lace kimberlite. Approximately 33 million tons of kimberlite have been outlined in the main Lace pipe between the 240 meter and the 855 meter level, containing an estimated 13.3 million carats of diamonds at an average estimated grade of 40 carats per hundred tons (cpht). Its subsidiaries include Diamondcorp Holdings Limited, Botswana Diamondcorp Limited, Lace Diamond Mine (Pty) Limited, which is engaged in diamond exploration, Soapstone Investments (Pty) Limited and DCP Exploration (Pty) Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aimee Duffy]
Winners
Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL ) �trounced analyst expectations on the top and bottom lines, and recorded a distribution coverage ratio of 1.21 times payouts, allowing the partnership to boost its distribution. DCP Midstream Partners' (NYSE: DCP ) �distributable cash flow popped 40% year over year, and the partnership completed its Eagle Ford dropdown transaction with parent company DCP Midstream, boosting its stake in the lucrative South Texas shale play. Boardwalk Energy Partners' (NYSE: BWP ) �operating revenue and net income increased 5% and 10% year over year. More importantly, distributable cash flow popped 24%, though the partnership elected to hold the distribution flat quarter over quarter. Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP ) �had no distribution increase either, but things are looking better than they have in a while. Production in the Eagle Ford Shale is driving growth at ETP, and the partnership is reorganizing into an operation that is stronger and more diverse than ever before.
Given the current state of U.S. energy production, most midstream companies are winners these days. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP ) got things started off on the right foot, reporting in mid-April and beating expectations on revenue and EPS. Here are some highlights from around the industry:Very strong results here, now let's take a look at some midstream companies that didn't perform as well.
- [By Tyler Crowe]
Perhaps bigger players like Occidental were able to hog the limited takeaway capacity, but this won't be a good reason for slowed production very soon. Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE: MMP ) and DCP Midstream (NYSE: DCP ) both have pipelines coming on line within the next couple of months that will have takeaway capacity of 225,000 and 350,000 barrels per day, respectively. Once these pipelines come on line, there should be much more room for LINN's production.�
Top 10 US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: GrowLife Inc (PHOT)
GrowLife, Inc., formerly, Phototron Holdings, Inc., incorporated on March 7, 2001, sells and distributse mini-hydroponic greenhouses (Phototron Units) and horticultural seeds, mineral nutrient solutions, growing mediums and germination kits. On February 14, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger (Merger Agreement) with PHI Merger Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary (MergerCo), and Phototron, Inc., (Phototron). On March 9, 2011, MergerCo was merged with and into Phototron and Phototron became its wholly owned subsidiary. In May 2011, it announced the launch of its wholly owned direct selling hydroponic gardening subsidiary, GrowLife Inc. In April 2012, it merged with SG Technologies Corp. A newly formed subsidiary of the Company was merged with and into SG Technologies Corp. On July 23, 2012, the Company acquired Greners.com, related to the online retail business operated by Greners.
The Company designs and manufactures indoor mini-hydroponic greenhouses capable of growing almost any herb, vegetable, flower, fruit or terrestrial plant better, stronger and faster than traditional farming methods. Its Phototron Units, consisting of 21 inch x 39 inch units and 21 inch x 51 inch units, provide between 18,900 and 36,000 lumens of light. Phototron Units also allow users to control what a plant receives, grow crops densely, avoid using pesticides, increase yields and automatically water plants.
The Company also formulates and sells horticultural seeds, mineral nutrient solutions, growing mediums and germination kits to facilitate hydroponic gardening through the use of its Phototron Units. In addition, it designs and manufactures replacement parts for its Phototron Units to facilitate customization of the units. It owns a mailing list and have a customer base exceeding 50,000 people. Its re-order program, which involves the sale of nutrients and related products and replacement parts for Phototron Units, represents 50% of its revenue.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Its been a rather eventful week for news from the marijuana sector and small cap marijuana stocks like GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: GWPH), Tranzbyte Corp (OTCMKTS: ERBB) and Growlife Inc (OTCMKTS: PHOT) as one of these stocks gets endorsed by Morgan Stanley while another appears on CNBC���more signs of legitimacy for an investment�sector that�� full of pumps, dumps and other unsavory types of activities. Just consider the following small cap marijuana stock or pot industry news:
- [By Dan Burrows]
Medical Marijuana Inc. (MJNA) is up just under 100% so far this year and — get this — MJNA stock is actually the big-time laggard in the group. Next up comes Growlife (PHOT), as PHOT stock has gained “only” 150%. Indeed, when it comes to medical marijuana stock, anything less than a three-fold gain is small beer.
- [By Dan Burrows]
From questions regarding the accuracy of publicly-available information about these companies��operations to potential illegal activity, these marijuana stocks have incurred the wrath of federal regulators for good reason:
GrowLife (PHOT) FusionPharm (FSPM) CannaBusiness Group (CBGI) Advanced Cannabis Solutions (CANN) Petrotech Oil and Gas (PTOG) Marijuana Stocks Asking for TroubleBut it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:
- [By Bryan Murphy]
The last few days have been nothing less than incredible for stocks like Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCMKTS:CBIS), Medbox Inc. (OTCMKTS:MDBX), Growlife Inc. (OTCBB:PHOT), and Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA). MJNA shares have jumped 90% since last Friday. PHOT is up 51% for the same timeframe. CBIS has grown 150%, while MDBX is up 112%. The reason? It's largely the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado - a law that went into effect as of January 1st. The legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois on the same day didn't hurt either. And truth be told, the event-based rally from the likes of Medbox and Cannabis Science makes basic sense - it's a landmark shift in the way this country views and treats marijuana. On the flipside, before wading any deeper into stocks like Medical Marijuana or Growlife, current and would-be owners might want to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Top 10 US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Synnex Corporation(SNX)
SYNNEX Corporation provides distribution and business process outsourcing (BPO) services to resellers, retailers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Distribution Services and Global Business Services (GBS). The Distribution Services segment distributes information technology (IT) products, including IT systems, peripherals, system components, software, networking equipment, consumer electronics, and complementary products in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. This segment also offers contract assembly services, such as systems design, build-to-order, configure-to-order, and assembly capabilities; value-added services comprising kitting, reconfiguration, asset tagging, and hard drive imaging for government and healthcare sectors; and specialized services in print management, renewals, and networking. The GBS segment offers a range of BPO services, including customer management, renewals management, back of fice processing, and IT outsourcing on a global platform comprising technical support, demand generation, and marketing and administration services through voice, chat, Web, email, digital print, and social media. SYNNEX Corporation also provides logistics services, such as outsourced fulfillment, virtual distribution and direct ship to end-users; financing services consisting of net terms, third party leasing, floor plan financing, letters of credit backed financing, and arrangements; marketing services comprising direct mail, external media advertising, reseller product training, targeted telemarketing campaigns, national and regional trade shows, database analysis, print on demand services, and Web-based marketing; and online and technical support services. The company was formerly known as SYNNEX Information Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to SYNNEX Corporation in October 2003. SYNNEX Corporation was founded in 1980 is headquartered in Fremont, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jayson Derrick]
After the closing bell on Thursday, SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) reported its first quarter results. The company announced an EPS of $1.25, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 million. Revenue of $3.02 billion beat the consensus estimate of $ 2.77 million. Net income for the quarter rose to $38.46 million from $33.391 million in the same quarter last year while operating margin slipped 22 bps year over year to 2.05 percent. Synnex issued guidance and expects its second quarter revenue to be $3.1 billion to $3.2 billion, above the consensus estimate of $3.01 billion. The company is also guided its EPS to be $1.34 to $1.38, above the consensus estimate of $1.14. Shares hit new 52 week highs of $79.44 before closing the day at $76.94, up 23.26 percent.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Shares of SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) were down 5.46 percent to $69.89 after the company issued a downbeat outlook for the third quarter. It expected adjusted earnings of $1.45 to $1.50 per share on revenue of $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion. Analysts were projecting earnings of $1.53 per share on revenue of $3.29 billion.
Top 10 US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Exide Technologies (XIDEQ)
Exide Technologies, incorporated on November 23, 1966, is engaged in stored electrical energy solutions, and is a manufacturer and supplier of lead-acid batteries for transportation and industrial applications in the worldwide. Exide operates in four business segments: Transportation Americas, Transportation Europe and ROW, Industrial Energy Americas, and Industrial Energy Europe and ROW. The Company�� operations in the Americas as well as Europe and Rest of World (ROW) represented approximately 42% and 58%, respectively, during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013), net sales.
Transportation
The Company�� transportation batteries include starting lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries for cars, trucks, off-road vehicles, agricultural and construction vehicles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, marine, and other applications including Micro-hybrids. The Company�� principal batteries sold in the transportation markets are represented by brands: Exide, Exide Extreme, Exide NASCAR Select, Centra, DETA, Orbital, Fulmen, and Tudor, as well as other brands under various private labels. The market for transportation batteries is divided between sales to aftermarket customers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Transportation segments represented approximately 61% of the Company�� net sales in fiscal 2013. Within the transportation segments, aftermarket and OEM net sales, including original equipment service (OES) represented approximately 72.1% and 27.9% of fiscal 2013 net sales, respectively.
Some of the Company�� aftermarket customers include Pep Boys, Bosch, Tractor Supply, Canadian Tire, ADI, ATR International, and GroupAuto International. In addition, the Company is also a supplier of authorized replacement batteries for OEMs including the BMW Group, Fiat Group, Honda, Iveco, John Deere, PSA Group, Scania, Volvo Trucks, Toyota, Volkswagen Group, Renault-Nissan, PACCAR, and many others. Some of the Company�� OEM customers include t! he BMW Group, Fiat Group, International Truck & Engine, the PSA group (Peugeot S.A./Citroen), Case/New Holland, John Deere, Renault, Nissan, Scania, Volvo Trucks, Volkswagen Group, Chrysler, Toyota, Jaguar, Land Rover, among others.
In the Americas, the Company sells aftermarket transportation products through various distribution channels, including mass merchandisers, auto parts outlets, wholesale distributors, and battery specialists. The Company sells its OEM transportation replacement products principally through dealer networks. The Company�� Americas operations include a network of 74 branches which sell and distribute batteries and other products to the Company�� distributor channel customers, battery specialists, national account customers, retail stores, and OEM dealers. In addition, these branches collect spent batteries for the Company�� recycling facilities. These operations supply recycled lead for approximately 75 to 80% of Exide�� Transportation and Industrial Energy products manufactured in North America. The recycling facilities also recover and recycle battery acid as well as plastic materials that are used to produce new battery covers and cases.
In Europe and ROW, the Company sells OEM batteries to the light vehicle, light commercial vehicle and commercial vehicle industries. The commercial vehicle industry includes truck manufacturers as well as construction and agriculture vehicle manufacturers. Exide supplies its OEM batteries directly to the assembly plants of its customers. The Company also delivers service and replacement batteries into this segment. Those are either distributed by the OEM customers themselves or delivered directly to the service points through the Exide logistics network. The Company also supplies advanced lead-acid batteries for microhybrid vehicles equipped with carbon dioxide reducing technologies such as Start & Stop with and without regenerative braking systems. It sells Europe and ROW aftermarket batteries primarily th! rough aut! omotive parts and battery wholesalers, mass-merchandisers, auto centers, service installers, and oil companies. Battery specialists sell and distribute batteries to a network of automotive parts retailers, service stations, independent retailers, and garages throughout Europe.
The Company competes with Johnson Controls, Inc. and East Penn Manufacturing.
Industrial Energy
The Company�� Industrial Energy segments supply both motive power and network power applications. Motive power batteries are used in the material handling industry for electric forklift trucks, and in other industries, including floor cleaning machinery, powered wheelchairs, railroad locomotives, mining, and the electric road vehicles market. The battery technologies for the motive power markets include flooded flat plate products, tubular plate products, absorbed glass mat (AGM) products, and gel electrolyte products. The Company also offers a complete range of battery chargers and related equipment for the operation and maintenance of battery-powered vehicles. Network power batteries are used to provide back-up power for use with telecommunications systems, computer installations or data centers, hospitals, air traffic control systems, security systems, utilities, railway and military applications. Telecommunications applications include central and local switching systems, satellite stations, wireless base stations and mobile switches, optical fiber repeating boxes, cable television transmission boxes, and radio transmission stations. The Company�� strongest network power battery brands, Absolyte and Sonnenschein, offer customers the choice of AGM or gel electrolyte valve regulated battery technologies and deliver among the highest energy and power densities in their class.
In the Americas, the Company distributes motive power products and services through multiple channels. These include sales and service locations owned by the Company that are augmented by a network of indep! endent ma! nufacturers��representatives. The Company serves a wide range of customers including OEM suppliers of lift trucks, industrial companies, retail distributors, warehousing companies, and manufacturers. Motive power customers in the Americas include Toyota, MCFA, NACCO, Sears, Toyota, Walmart, and Target. The Company distributes network power products and services through sales and service locations owned by the Company augmented by a network of independent manufacturers��representatives. The Company�� primary network power customers in the Americas include AT&T, APC, Emerson Electric, and Verizon Wireless.
The Company distributes motive power products and services in Europe through in-house sales and service organizations and utilizes distributors and agents for the export of products from Europe to ROW countries. Motive power products in Europe are also sold to a wide range of customers in the aftermarket, ranging from industrial companies and retail distributors to small warehousing and manufacturing operations. Motive power batteries are also sold in complete packages, including batteries, chargers, and increasingly through on-site service. The Company�� OEM motive power customers include Toyota Material Handling, the KION Group, and Jungheinrich. The Company distributes network power products and services in Europe and batteries and chargers in Australia and New Zealand through in-house sales and service organizations. In Asia, products are distributed through independent distributors. The Company utilizes distributors, agents, and direct sales to export products from Europe and North America to ROW. The Company�� primary Network Power customers in Europe and ROW include Deutsche Telecom, Alcatel, Emerson Electric, Ericsson and Siemens Nokia Networks.
The Company competes with EnerSys Inc., East Penn Manufacturing, Hoppecke, MIDAC, GS/Yuasa, Shinkobe and C&D Technologies.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
A real car wreck on the horizon
Already crashing and burning was lead-acid battery maker Exide Technologies (NASDAQOTH: XIDEQ ) , which confirmed it had hired a restructuring specialist to help it cope with is financial situation ahead of some of its debt maturing this fall. It's shares fell almost 48% on the news.
Top 10 US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Winning Brands Corp (WNBD)
Winning Brands Corporation is a manufacturer of cleaning solutions. The Company offers products in three markets: Consumer, Industrial and Commercial. Its Consumer products include 1000+ Stain Remover; KIND Laundry Detergent; KIND Fabric Softener; KIND Laundry Stain Remover, and CLEAN1 All Purpose. Its Industrial products include TrackMoist Dust Suppressant, and ReGuard-4 Equipment Cleaning for Emergency Responders. Its Commercial products include Professional Wet Cleaning Solutions. The Company owns 100% interests in Niagara Mist Marketing Ltd.
The consumer products are offered for sale through stores in various sectors, such as hardware, paint, convenience, and grocery. The industrial products are targeted for sale through professional property maintenance personnel in the case of TrackMoist and distributors to fire-fighting organizations in the case of ReGuard-4. The commercial products are for use by businesses in their line of work to generate a finished product, with an emphasis on the dry-cleaning sector, such as on cruise ships to perform cleaning of Dry Clean Only garments in substitution of the solvent perchloroethylene (Perc).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Beamz Interactive Inc (OTCBB: BZIC), EHouse Global (OTCBB: EHOS) and Winning Brands Corporation (OTCMKTS: WNBD) were all heading in different directions at the end of last week with the first small cap surging 49.94% while the other two sank 31.28% and 25.32%, respectively, on Friday. Moreover, all three small cap stocks are already heading in different directions again this morning. So where should investors and traders place their bets? Here is a closer look at all three small cap stocks:
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