Saturday, January 31, 2015

Hot Energy Companies To Buy For 2014

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This week, seven media stocks are improving their overall ratings on Portfolio Grader. Each of these stocks is rated an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”).

Best Gas Companies To Buy For 2015: Pioneer Exploration Inc (PIEX)

Pioneer Exploration Inc. (Pioneer) is an exploration-stage company. The Company is primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties.

As of August 31, 2012, the Company has not generated any revenue. As of August 31, 2012, the Company does not have any manufacturing facilities, operations, suppliers, products, or customers.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Metrospaces Inc (OTCMKTS: MSPC), LEEP INC (OTCMKTS: LPPI) and Pioneer Exploration Inc (OTCMKTS: PIEX) have been getting some attention lately due to either promotions or share trading activity. Unfortunately, there are still unanswered questions about these three ��ark horse��stocks which make it more difficult for investors and traders alike to evaluate. With that in mind, let�� try to shine the light on what we know about all three small caps:

Hot Energy Companies To Buy For 2014: OriginOil Inc (OOIL)

OriginOil, Inc., incorporated on June 1, 2007, is a technology company. The Company is primarily involved in research and development activities, and sales of pilot and demonstration equipment. The Company has developed an energy production process for harvesting algae and cleaning up oil and gas water. To develop the energy and ancillary markets, the Company sells smaller-scale equipment, such as the Algae Appliance. The Company�� process, CLEAN-FRAC, represents a generation of water treatment that is chemical free. The Company's water cleanup technology, Electro Water Separation (EWS), is a chemical-free process that extracts organic contaminants from large quantities of water. Its products include EWS Algae, EWS Algae A4, EWS Algae A60, EWS Algae A200, EWS Petro P160, and EWS Aqua Q60.

The Company intends to embed its technology into larger systems through licensing and joint ventures. The Company is in the process of pursuing secondary licensing opportunities outside of energy, including aquaculture. EWS Algae A4 is an entry-level algae harvester designed to make it easier and faster for producers and researchers to try and buy the Company's harvesting technology. EWS Algae A60 is a pilot scale algae harvester providing a low energy, chemical-free, continuous flow wet harvest system to dewater and concentrate the microalgae. EWS Petro Model 160 is designed to remove organics, such as crude oil, and suspended solids and bacteria from process water, such as produced or frac flowback water at a continuous flow rate of one barrel per minute or 160 liters per minute in continuous, chemical free operation. EWS Aqua Q60 is a commercial fish farming pond water treatment system, designed to clean pond water of ammonia, bacteria and aquatic animal pathogens in a continuous loop.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Today, OOIL�has shed (-3.12%) down -0.01 at $.31 with 95,929 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 2:04PM�EDT October 15, 2013).

    OriginOil, Inc. previously reported it has signed its first pay-per-barrel agreement with Industrial Systems, Inc. (ISI) for a water treatment system integrating OriginOil�� process as the first stage of treatment.

    Delta, Colorado-based ISI has agreed that it will operate the Model P160 as part of its overall frac flowback water cleanup service, and pay OriginOil a fee for each barrel processed.

Hot Energy Companies To Buy For 2014: CVR Refining LP (CVRR)

CVR Refining, LP, incorporated on September 17, 2012, is an energy limited partnership with refining and related logistics assets that operates in the mid-continent region. As of January 8, 2013, the Company owned two of only seven refineries in the underserved Group 3 of the PADD II region of the United States. It owns and operates a 115,000 barrels per day (bpd) coking medium-sour crude oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas and a 70,000 bpd medium complexity crude oil refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma capable of processing 20,000 bpd of light sour crude oils (within its 70,000 bpd capacity). In addition, it also controls and operates supporting logistics assets, including approximately 350 miles of owned pipelines, over 125 owned crude oil transports, a network of strategically located crude oil gathering tank farms, and over six million barrels of owned and leased crude oil storage capacity. On December 15, 2011, the Company�� subsidiary Coffeyville Resources, LLC (Coffeyville Resources) acquired Wynnewood Energy Company, LLC, formerly Gary-Williams Energy Corporation.

The Company�� Coffeyville and Wynnewood refineries are located approximately 100 miles and 130 miles from the crude oil hub at Cushing, Oklahoma. As of January 8, 2013, the Company gathered approximately 50,000 bpd of price-advantaged crudes from its gathering area, which includes Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas. The Company also has 35,000 bpd of contracted capacity on the Keystone and Spearhead pipelines that allows it to supply price-advantaged Canadian and Bakken crudes to its refineries. As of January 8, 2013, the Company had 145,000 bpd pipeline system that transports crude oil from its Broome Station tank farm to its Coffeyville refinery, as well as a total of 6 million barrels of owned and leased crude oil storage capacity, including approximately 6% of the total crude oil storage capacity at Cushing.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Citigroup’s Faisel Khan and team are going full bull on US refiners after upgrading Phillips 66 (PSX), HollyFrontier (HFC), CVR Refining (CVRR) and Alon USA Partners (ALDW) to Buy.� They explain why:

  • [By alicet236]

    CVR Refining LP (CVRR) Reached the Five-Year Low of $22.11

    The prices of CVR Refining LP (CVRR) shares have declined to close to the five-year low of $22.11, which is 42.2% off the five-year high of $35.98. CVR Refining LP is owned by two Gurus we are tracking. Among them, zero have added to their positions during the past quarter. Zero reduced their positions. CVR Refining LP is an independent downstream energy limited partnership with refining and related logistics assets that operates in the mid-continent region. CVR Refining LP has a market cap of $3.25 billion; its shares were traded at around $22.11 with a P/E ratio of 5.20 and P/S ratio of 0.52. The dividend yield of CVR Refining LP stocks is 14.65%.

  • [By Robert Rapier] In last week’s issue I discussed the basics of the refining sector. Today I will provide an overview of four MLPs that hold refining assets.

    To review, the refining sector was very profitable in 2012 thanks to unusually high crack spreads, which for many US refiners are approximated by the price differential between Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oils. For a more thorough explanation of this phenomenon, please refer to last week’s issue.

    After years of trading at a $1 to $3 per barrel discount to WTI, Brent began fetching a premium a few years ago as a glut of crude developed in the mid-continent area of the US. In 2011 the Brent-WTI price differential increased to more than $25/bbl, and it remained historically high in 2012.

    But pipeline capacity started to catch up this year, and the share prices of refiners retreated as the glut began to dissipate and the Brent-WTI differential shrank. In Q3 2012, the Brent-WTI differential averaged $17.43/bbl, but by Q3 of this year, the differential had fallen to $4.43/bbl. This promises bad news for refiners about to report Q3 earnings.

    Many analysts downgraded the refining sector in Q3, but as the differential fell below $5/bbl it was hard to imagine that the news could get much worse. With poor Q3 results largely priced in, the differential subsequently rose back above $10/bbl, signaling better refining margins moving into Q4.

    Refiners began to post earnings this past week, and as expected they were weak. Valero (NYSE: VLO) reported slightly higher revenues year-over-year, but net earnings fell more than 50 percent from a year ago. Nevertheless, they beat the extremely pessimistic expectations of analysts, and Valero shares rose on the news.

    Phillips 66’s (NYSE: PSX) refining unit actually posted a loss, but its chemical business turned in a solid quarter which more than compensated for the disappointing refining results.

    The rest of the refine
  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Icahn Enterprises (NASDAQ: IEP) led all MLPs in 2013 with a capital gain of 136 percent. IEP is an unconventional MLP involved in nine primary business segments: Investment, Automotive, Energy, Gaming, Railcar, Food Packaging, Metals, Real Estate and Home Fashion. IEP invests in energy-related companies such as CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR) and American Railcar Industries (Nasdaq: ARII), but nearly 60 percent of its assets are invested in the automotive sector and in investment funds. Since 2000, IEP has achieved an average annual return of 23.8 percent, and units currently yield 4.4 percent. MLP Profits subscribers had a chance at a 58 percent capital gain between the Sept. 9 Buy recommendation for IEP and its Dec. 16 liquidation from the Aggressive Portfolio.

Hot Energy Companies To Buy For 2014: Statoil ASA (STO)

Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Company�� segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a joint venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Development and Production Norway

Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Company�� field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, while its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.

Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Company�� licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-operated fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Company�� total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and partner-operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Company�� producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.

Development and Production International

Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.

The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in Brazil and the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.

The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Company�� Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It runs two refineries, two gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.

Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ownership with Petoro. The Company is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Company�� methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.

Technology, Projects and Drilling

Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    We see the greatest share price discounts to�sum-of-the-parts valuation for BG (BRGYY), Statoil (STO) and Repsol (REPYY), while ExxonMobil (XOM) still trades at small premium to our SoP valuation. The Gordon growth model approach points to Total and BP being clearly the cheapest of the supermajors. Chevron is penalised by its ongoing capital intensity in 2017; for reference, if we had used 2018 estimates it would emerge as one of the better value stocks in the sector.

  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    Prospecting these fields is a technical and expensive undertaking. For firms like Noble that own advanced ultra deepwater drilling rigs, that can mean some serious profits. Already, Noble has been capitalizing on this trend towards deeper waters, as seen with its recent deal with Norway�� Statoil (STO) to prospect the harsh North Sea.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

ITT Educational Services: How Big a Threat is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

Last week, ITT Educational Services (ESI) filed an 8-K disclosing that it was being investigated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to determine whether it broke any rules in how it marketed loans.

Reuters

The filing, however, hasn’t had much of an impact. Shares of ITT Educational Services have dropped just 3.4% this week but have gained 95% so far in 2013. Corinthian Colleges (COCO), on the other hand, has dropped 27% this year, while DeVry Education (DV) has gained 50% and Apollo Education (APOL) has advanced 30%.

So why don’t investors care about the announcement? First of all, investors have known this was coming. Second, no one believes it will result in a damaging fine. William Blair’s Timo Connor explains:

We view as unlikely a severely punitive settlement against ITT Education from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) related to its continuing investigation of marketing practices on third-party student lending programs, and we believe the risk is a manageable one for ITT. We continue to like the company's competitive positioning in capacity-constrained, growing educational markets like drafting, electronics, IT, and nursing, and believe the stock will distance itself from legacy student loan issues in the coming years…

Connor‘s optimism also stems from previous penalties assessed by the CFPB: The median fine has been $3.9 million, or just 0.4% of ITT Educational Services market cap, Connor says.

Shares of ITT Educational Services have gained 1.8% to $33.87 today at 1:09 p.m., while Corinthian Colleges has risen 1.7% to $1.79, DeVry Education advanced 0.6% to $35.48 and Apollo Education has ticked down 0.1% to $27.17.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now

Shares of biotech�Dynavax Technologies� (NASDAQ: DVAX  ) �plunged 30% this morning after the company provided an update on its experimental hepatitis B vaccine Heplisav. According to its press release, the company met with the Food & Drug Administration, and the regulatory agency has stated that Dynavax simply doesn't have enough data to confirm the safety of the vaccine.

This can't come as a total surprise to investors who have been tracking Dynavax over the last few months. Back in November, the FDA's advisory committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of the vaccine's efficacy. The major problem, however, was the lack of data to support the drug's safety in the broad age range that the company was seeking approval for (ages 18-70). The committee voted 8-5, with one member abstaining, that the company needed more safety data. A Complete Response Letter from the FDA quickly followed in February, and a lack of safety data was again cited as the main reason for the rejection.

Hot Valued Companies To Own In Right Now: KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals Inc (KYTH)

KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated in June 2004, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription products for the aesthetic medicine market. The Company�� initial focus is on the facial aesthetics market. The Company�� product candidate, ATX-101, is a injectable drug in Phase III clinical development for the reduction of submental fat, which commonly presents as an undesirable double chin. Based on clinical trials conducted, ATX-101 has exhibited results in the reduction of submental fat. ATX-101 contains a synthetic form of sodium deoxycholate. In the United States and Canada, the Company is conducting two pivotal Phase III trials of ATX-101 for the reduction of submental fat. The Company initiated this pivotal Phase III clinical program, with planned enrollment of 1,000 patients, in March 2012.

In Europe, Bayer, its collaborator outside the United States and Canada, recently completed two pivotal Phase III trials of ATX-101 for the reduction of submental fat. In these multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal trials involving 723 patients, ATX-101 resulted in a reduction in submental fat, as assessed by a validated clinician scale and a patient satisfaction scale.

ATX-101 contains a synthetic form of sodium deoxycholate. ATX-101 is designed to be a locally-injected drug that causes proximal, preferential destruction of adipocytes, or fat cells, with minimal effect on surrounding tissue. Upon subcutaneous injection under the skin, ATX-101 disrupts cell membranes in protein-poor tissues, such as fat, while being attenuated by interactions with protein-rich tissue, such as skin, muscle and blood vessels. This attenuation by protein-rich tissue results in the preferential destruction of adipocytes by ATX-101. The destruction of adipocytes, or adipocytolysis, elicits a natural response, in which macrophages are attracted to remove cellular debris and fat particles t! hrough the lymphatic system. The macrophages also emit low levels of chemical messengers, known as cytokines, which attract fibroblasts, another cell type, to the area. Fibroblasts produce collagen, and it is believed that new collagen production, or neocollagenesis, promotes retraction of the skin in the areas of fat reduction. The fat removal process with ATX-101 is incremental with each treatment, thereby allowing for control of the aesthetic outcome.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (KYTH) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel prescription products for the aesthetic medicine market. This stock closed up 12.2% to $31.99 in Monday's trading session.

    Monday's Volume: 221,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 72,572

    Volume % Change: 220%

    From a technical perspective, KYTH ripped sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $26.92 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of KYTH into new all-time-high territory above its previous all-time high at $31.93, which is bullish technical price action.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KYTH as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $28.28 and then once it sustains a move or close above its new all-time high at $32 with volume that hits near or above 72,572 shares. If we get that move soon, then KYTH will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $35 to $37.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KYTH) shares jumped 28.69% to $43.15 in pre-market trading after the company reported positive ATX-101 top line phase III trial results for the reduction of submental fat.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]


    One stock that's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (KYTH), which is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel prescription products for the aesthetic medicine market. This stock has been on a bullish run in 2013, with shares up by 48%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last month, with shares moving between $40.55 on the downside and $47.85 on the upside. Shares of KYTH are now starting to spike higher off some near-term support at $42.54 a share. That move is quickly pushing KYTH within range of triggering a major breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KYTH if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $47.50 to its all-time high of $47.85 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 199,029 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then KYTH will set up to enter new all-time high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $55 to $57, or even $60 a share.

    Traders can look to buy KYTH off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $42.54 a share, or at $40.55 a share. One can also buy KYTH off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  • [By John Udovich]

    On Tuesday, small cap biotech stock Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: KYTH) surged around 25% after announcing that its ATX-101 REFINE-1 and REFINE-2 Phase III trials met all primary and secondary endpoints for the reduction of so-called double chins; but if investors missed out on that rally, small caps Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc (NASDAQ: ZLTQ), Solta Medical Inc (NASDAQ: SLTM) and Cynosure, Inc (NASDAQ: CYNO) each have a piece of the aesthetic market as well. In the case of Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, its ATX-101 can be injected to deal with double chins���meaning its less invasive than liposuction as the drug dissolves fat cells but leaves other tissue alone. JP Morgan has noted:

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Elan Corporation PLC (ELN)

Elan Corporation, plc (Elan), incorporated in December 1969, is a neuroscience-based biotechnology company. The Company is focused on discovering and developing advanced therapies in neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. Elan�� business focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer�� disease and Parkinson�� disease; autoimmune diseases, including MS and Crohn�� disease and neo-epitope based targets for treatments across a range of therapeutic indications. Tysabri is a treatment for MS and Crohn�� disease that the Company markets and distributes with Biogen Idec. On September 16, 2011, Elan sold its EDT business to Alkermes, Inc. In November 2011, Elan launched a collaboration with the University of Cambridge, England, the Cambridge-Elan Centre for Research Innovation and Drug Discovery (Cambridge-Elan Centre). On December 21, 2012, the Company completed the demerger of Prothena Corporation plc. In April 2013, it closed the TYSABRI (natalizumab) Collaboration Transaction with Biogen Idec.

Tysabri

Tysabri, which is an alpha-4 integrin inhibitor, is a therapy for MS, a neurological disorder involving central nervous system dysfunction among adults. Tysabri is approved in more than 65 countries. Tysabri is approved in the United States as a monotherapy for relapsing forms of MS, for patients who have had an inadequate response to, or are unable to tolerate, an alternative MS therapy. In the European Union, it is approved for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in adult patients who have failed to respond to beta interferon or have rapidly evolving, severe RRMS. As of December 31, 2011, there were approximately 64,400 patients on Tysabri therapy worldwide.

In June 2011, the European Commission (EC) approved the inclusion of the anti-JCV antibody status as an additional factor in stratifying patients at risk for developing PML in the Summary of Product Characteristics��(SmPC) for Tysabri in the European Union. The Company has developed a two-step ! enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), STRATIFY JCV, with Biogen Idec. The assay detects anti-JCV antibodies in the blood of patients, and is commercially available in Europe. In January 2012, the FDA cleared the assay for commercial use in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, over 80,000 tests had been administered using the assay. Tysabri is marketed and distributed by Elan and Biogen Idec. The Company�� research group, Neotope, is focused on creating monoclonal antibodies based on neo-epitope targets for the treatment of a range of therapeutic indications.

Beta Amyloid Immunotherapies (AIP)

Beta amyloid immunotherapy includes the treatment of Alzheimer�� disease by inducing or enhancing the body�� immune response in order to clear toxic species of beta amyloid from the brain. The AIP includes bapineuzumab (intravenous and subcutaneous delivery) and ACC-001, as well as other compounds. Bapineuzumab is an experimental humanized monoclonal antibody delivered intravenously that is being studied as a treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer�� disease. It is designed to provide antibodies to beta amyloid directly to the patient (passive immunotherapy).

ELND005, an A� Aggregation Inhibitor

The small molecule ELND005 (Scyllo-inositol) is a beta amyloid anti-aggregation agent. Preclinical data suggest that ELND005 may act through the mechanism of preventing and reversing the fibrilisation of beta amyloid (the aggregation of beta amyloid into clumps of insoluble oligomers). ELND005 may have additional applications in psychiatric indications, such as bipolar disorder. In November 2011, the Company entered into a manufacturing agreement for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredient for ELND005 with Lonza Group AG.

Neotope Biosciences Limited

Neotope Biosciences Limited (Neotope) is the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary that focuses on the discovery and development of antibodies to neo-epitope related targ! ets for t! he treatment of a range of indications. It includes amyloidosis, diabetes, cancer and macular degeneration. Neotope�� portfolio of targets includes alpha-synuclein for the potential treatment of synucleinopathies, such as Lewy body dementia and Parkinson�� disease, tau for Alzheimer�� disease and other tauopathies. It also has a program for type 2-diabetes.

Onclave Therapeutics Limited

Elan�� wholly owned subsidiary Onclave Therapeutics Limited (Onclave) was formed to develop assets originating from Elan that have application in oncology related diseases. Onclave�� program, NEOD001, which originated from Neotope, is being investigated for the treatment of AL amyloidosis, which is a fatal disease involving abnormal accumulation of amyloid in organs and tissue. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Onclave filed for orphan drug designation of NEOD001. Onclave�� pipeline includes additional compounds with relevance in diverse cancer indications.

The Company competes with Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Bayer Schering Pharma, Merck Serono, Pfizer, Teva Neurosciences, Inc., Sanofi-Aventis and Novartis AG.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    After months of fighting off the advances of unwanted suitor Royalty Pharma, Irish biotech Elan (NYSE: ELN  ) finally got an offer it couldn't refuse -- from drugmaker Perrigo (NYSE: PRGO  ) .

  • [By Brian Orelli]

    Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) is the leader for the long-acting antipsychotic, selling $1.4 billion worth of Risperdal Consta and $800 million worth of Invega Sustenna last year. Alkermes (NASDAQ: ALKS  ) also benefits from a royalty on both drugs. It developed the extended-release technology in Risperdal Consta, and Alkermes acquired the royalty rights to Invega Sustenna when it bought Elan's (NYSE: ELN  ) drug technology division.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Nektar Therapeutics(NKTR)

Nektar Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing a pipeline of drug candidates that utilize its PEGylation and polymer conjugate technology platforms. The company?s product pipeline consists of drug candidates across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, pain, anti-infectives, anti-viral, and immunology. Its research and development activities involve small molecule drugs, peptides, and other potential biologic drug candidates. The company?s proprietary drug candidates in clinical development comprise NKTR-118, a peripheral opioid antagonist, which has completed Phase II clinical trail for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation; BAY41-6551 that has completed Phase II clinical trail to treat gram-negative pneumonias; NKTR-102, a topoisomerase I inhibitor-polymer conjugate, which is in Phase II clinical trail for multiple cancer indications, including breast, ovarian, and colorectal; and NKTR-105 that is in Phase I clinica l trail to treat solid tumors. Its preclinical products consists of NKTR-119 (Opioid/NKTR-118 combinations) for the treatment of pain; NKTR-181 (abuse deterrent, tamper-resistant opioid) to treat pain; NKTR-194 (non-scheduled opioid) for the treatment of mild to moderate pain; NKTR-171 (tricyclic antidepressant) to treat neuropathic pain; and NKTR-140 (protease inhibitor candidate) to treat HIV. The company has collaboration with Bayer Healthcare LLC to develop BAY41-6551 (NKTR-061, Amikacin Inhale), which is an inhaled solution of amikacin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic; and a license agreement with AstraZeneca AB for the development and commercialization of Oral NKTR-118 and NKTR-119. In addition, Nektar Therapeutics has various license, manufacturing, and supply agreements for its technology with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, such as Affymax, Amgen, Baxter, Roche, Merck, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in San Franc isco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Luke Jacobi]

    Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) were down 23.90 percent to $10.54 after the company reported that the results from Phase 2 trial of NKTR-181 missed primary efficacy endpoint.

  • [By John McCamant]

    Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) is expected to get FDA approval this year for its lead drug naloxegol, a once-a-day pill for opioid-induced constipation (OIC). The drug is licensed to AstraZeneca. NKTR will receive up to $245 million in milestone payments, plus royalties.

  • [By Rich Bieglmeier]

    Wednesday, June 11, 2014 could be a happy or sad day for event traders who follow the Food and Drug Association's (FDA) calendar. Two biotechs with considerable potential are slated to hear from the regulatory body regarding their applications for approval.

    Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OREX)

    The duo hopes to see �thumbs up from the FDA in a little more than a week. If all things go well, it could be party time for shareholders too.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Levadex's approval or rejection could also mean a good or bad day for Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR  ) , which looks to gain from royalty rights based on its contributions to Levadex's development. While impossible to predict, I'm going to go out on a limb and project an approval for Allergan.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.(NBIX)

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders in the United States. It develops drugs for endometriosis, stress-related disorders, pain, tardive dyskinesia, uterine fibroids, diabetes, insomnia, and other neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders. The company?s products in clinical development include Elagolix, a Phase II drug for endometriosis; Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitor (VMAT2), a Phase II drug for movement disorders; CRF2 Peptide Agonist, a Phase II drug for cardiovascular diseases; CRF1 Antagonist, a Phase II drug for stress-related disorders; and Elagolix, a Phase II drug for uterine fibroids. Its research programs comprise G Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) for type II diabetes; VMAT2 for schizophrenia; GnRH Antagonists for men?s and women?s health, and oncology; Antiepileptic Drugs for epilepsy, essential tremor, and pain; and G Protein-Coupled Receptors for other conditions. The company has collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline to develop and commercialize CRF antagonists for psychiatric, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases; Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd. to develop and commercialize Indiplon in Japan; Abbott International Luxembourg S.�r.l. to develop and commercialize elagolix and GnRH antagonists for women?s and men?s health indications; and Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule GPR119 agonists for the treatment of type II diabetes and other indications. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ: NBIX) shares moved up 76.95% to $17.27. The volume of Neurocrine Biosciences shares traded was 4406% higher than normal. Neurocrine Biosciences reported positive results of VMAT2 inhibitor NBI-98854 in Kinect 2 study.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Somaiya and team named Gilead and�Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) their top picks, hile putting Buy ratings on Celgene, Biogen Idec, Alexion (ALXN), Incyte (INCY), Pharmacyclics (PCYC) and Synageva (GEVA). BioMarin (BMRN), Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI) and Amgen (AMGN) earned Neutral ratings.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Yesterday, small cap biopharmaceutical stock Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc (NASDAQ: NBIX) surged 89.69% after announcing positive results for its VMAT2 inhibitor NBI-98854 as a treatment for tardive dyskinesia, meaning investors late to the party or those already in should take a closer look at the stock along with its performance verses that of biotech ETFs like the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index ETF (NASDAQ: IBB) and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEARCA: XBI).

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Yes, say the folks at Nomura, who recommend buying�Celgene (CELG), Receptos
    (RCPT), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX), and Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN), in that order. Analyst M. Ian Somaiya and team explain why:

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Prima BioMed Ltd (PBMD)

Prima BioMed Ltd is a biotechnology company is engaged in the development and commercialization of medical therapies with a focus on oncology. Its product candidates in development include Cvac, an autologous dendritic cell vaccine for ovarian cancer, monoclonal antibodies for multiple tumour types, and an oral formulation for the human papilloma virus (HPV), vaccine. Its product candidate Cvac is a dendritic cell therapy, for which it is conducting a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Cvac is designed to target the tumour antigen mucin-1, which is expressed at high levels on different tumour types. It also has two preclinical product development programs. In May 2011, Prima BioMed GmbH, a 100 % owned subsidiary of Prima BioMed Ltd, was incorporated in Germany. In May 2011, Prima BioMed Middle East FZLLC, a 100 % owned subsidiary of Prima BioMed Ltd, was incorporated in the United Arab Emirates. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Prima Biomed (NASDAQ: PBMD) shares dipped 38.59% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.44 after the company reported top-line analysis of CVac Phase 2 trial.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Stemline Therapeutics Inc (STML)

Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (Stemline), incorporated on August 8, 2003, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics that target both cancer stem cells (CSCs) and tumor bulk. The Company is developing two clinical-stage product candidates, SL-401 and SL-701, for which it holds global marketing rights. The indication for SL-401, a biologic-drug conjugate, is acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The indications for SL-701, a synthetic peptide vaccine, are pediatric and adult brain cancer. It has a platform, StemScreen, for the discovery of CSC-targeted compounds, from which it has discovered or validated several of its clinical and preclinical product candidates. Stemline�� StemScreen consists of StemScreen-1 and StemScreen-2 for the identification of CSC-directed compounds.

SL-301 is a small molecule gamma-secretase inhibitor that inhibits Notch, a pathway expressed by CSCs and tumor bulk of multiple cancer types. SL-101 is a monoclonal antibody-based (mAb -based) compound that targets CD123 and has shown in vitro activity against certain hematologic cancers. SL-201 is a small molecule active against certain hematologic and solid tumor types. SL-601 is a mAb-based compound that targets a cell surface marker on bladder CSCs, which is also expressed on a variety of other solid tumor types. It has also in-licensed certain intellectual property directed to mAb-based therapeutics to validated oncology targets, including Glypican-3, Tie-1, CD133, Frizzled, Smoothened and Patched.

SL-401 - An IL-3R-Directed Compound Targeting Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Bulk

SL-401 is a clinically active biologic-drug conjugate consisting of human interleukin-3 (IL-3) genetically linked to a truncated version of diphtheria toxin. SL-401 targets the IL-3 receptor (IL-3R), which is overexpressed on both the CSCs and tumor bulk of multiple hematologic cancers, including AML. SL-401 has demonstrated preclinical in vit! ro and in vivo activity against both leukemia blasts (which includes tumor bulk) and CSCs of a range of human leukemia cell lines and primary leukemia cells from patients.

SL-701

SL-701 is a clinically active synthetic peptide vaccine that targets several epitopes on CSCs and tumor bulk of brain cancer. In two completed Phase 1/2 clinical trials, SL-701 demonstrated single agent anti-tumor activity in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed brainstem glioma (BSG) and other high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and in adult patients with refractory or recurrent GBM, and other HGGs.

StemScreen-1

StemScreen-1 is a drug discovery platform designed to identify CSC-targeted compounds based on the isolation of CSCs and evaluation of CSC gene expression profiles. CSCs are isolated from primary tumor tissue or cell lines, and then subjected to gene expression analysis using a variety of technologies, including microarray. A control tissue, such as normal bone marrow is analyzed as a comparator against the gene expression profile of the isolated CSCs. These data are then interfaced with an information base of compounds and their mechanisms of action (that is which gene products and pathways they impact). It has utilized StemScreen-1 to discover a number of its preclinical drug candidates. These include SL-201, SL-301, and SL-601. In addition, SL-401 demonstrated activity against CSCs as determined by both an in vitro colony formation and in vivo animal implantation assay, thereby validating certain StemScreen-1 anti-CSC assays.

StemScreen-2

StemScreen-2 is a high throughput drug discovery platform it is developing to discover anti-CSC compounds. StemScreen-2 utilizes a cell-based assay that can track and follow CSCs in their natural state during high throughput screening. In particular, StemScreen-2 utilizes a CSC-specific promoter linked to a reporter as a method for identifying and following CSCs in their native environment of surrounding tumor b! ulk. In t! his way, StemScreen-2 enables the identification of compound hits, in a high throughput manner, with anti-CSC activity.

The Company competes with Boston Biomedical, Inc., Eclipse Therapeutics, Inc., OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Verastem, Inc., Astellas Pharma US, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd., Geron Corp., GlaxoSmithKline plc, ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd, Macrogenics Inc., Amgen, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Roche Holding AG, Sanofi U.S. LLC., Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Clavis Pharma ASA, Ambit Biosciences Corporation, Celgene Corporation, Eisai Co. Ltd., Celator Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Eisai Co., Inc., Roche Holding AG, Novartis AG and Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Keith Speights]

    Best-performing biotech IPO
    Stemline Therapeutics� (NASDAQ: STML  ) has only traded publicly this year, but what a year it's been. The stock's performance ranks Stemline as the best-performing biotech IPO so far in 2013. This week has been pretty good also, with shares moving up by 28%.

  • [By David Zeiler]

    3. Stemline Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: STML): This biotech develops drugs that target cancer stem cells and tumors. Stemline went public January 29 at $10 a share and rose just 11.78% on its first day. But STML has climbed steadily since, and currently trades at $37.46, up 274.6% from its IPO price.

  • [By Jay Silverman]

    Some of the biggest leaders in that field, and there have been dozens in fields, if not more this year, such as Bluebird (BLUE) and Stemline Therapeutics (STML) and have all pulled back to significantly lower levels; even below, in Bluebird's case, the price that had actually opened up as an IPO, even though it's above its IPO price.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now: Redpoint Bio Corp (RPBC)

Redpoint Bio Corporation (Redpoint), incorporated in August 1995, is a development-stage biotechnology company. The Company leverages discoveries in the molecular biology of taste to discover and develop taste modulators for the food and beverage industries. Its food and beverage program has been focused on identifying flavor modifiers that improve the taste of ingredients. In June 2009, the Company announced that it had identified an all-natural sweetness enhancer, RP44. RP44 is Reb-C (rebaudioside C), a component of the stevia plant.

Sweetness Enhancer Program

Redpoint announced that it had identified RP44, an all-natural sweetness enhancer, in June 2009. In January 2010, it disclosed that RP44 is Reb-C (rebaudioside C), a component of the stevia plant. RP44 is derived from material found in the side stream of the Reb A production process. A purified component of stevia known as Reb A has received regulatory approval in the United States. Unlike Reb A, RP44 has a low intrinsic level of sweetness and therefore is not useful as a sweetener.

Diabetes and Obesity Drug Discovery Program

The Company�� initial programs focused on the modulation of the TRPm5 ion channel, a signaling element in taste sensation, in order to discover compounds that modulate the taste of food and beverage products. Redpoint initiated a program designed to leverage the research it had already conducted on the discovery of modulators of the TRPm5 ion channel to further explore opportunities for the discovery of diabetes or obesity therapeutics. TRPm5 modulators discovered at Redpoint have been shown to elicit the secretion of hormones known to play roles in metabolism in relevant model systems.

The Company competes with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Givaudan SA, Symrise, Firmenich, Senomyx, PureCircle Ltd, GLG Life Tech Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., Metabolex, Inc., OSI Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline! , Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Greenfield Farms Food Inc (OTCMKTS: GRAS), International Stem Cell Corp (OTCMKTS: ISCO) and Redpoint Bio Corporation (OTCMKTS: RPBC) have all been getting some extra attention lately in various investment newsletters. However, none of these small cap stocks appear to have been the subject or paid promotions or investor relations activities. So does that make any of them good bets for traders and investors alike? Here is a quick look and a reality check:

Monday, January 26, 2015

Hot Performing Companies To Watch For 2014

Despite a few strong earnings reports today, the markets are muted today. Since the Federal Open Market Committee began its two-day meeting this morning, speculation over what the Fed plans to do with interest rates is tempering stocks' gains. My colleague Alex Dumortier noted a few items investors should be paying attention to over the next few days.

As investors struggle to decide whether they should be buying or selling today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is up a meager nine points, or 0.06%, at 1 p.m. EDT. The S&P 500 is slightly higher, up 0.17%. The NASDAQ on the other hand, is performing rather well, higher by 0.58%.

Let's take a look at a few of the components that are holding back the Dow today.

Despite having recently been upgraded by Longbow Research from "neutral" to "buy," shares of�Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) are down 0.35% today. The main reason shares are falling today is the poor earnings report released by Cummins (NYSE: CMI  ) this morning. The company reported that sales dropped 19% in the company's engine and turbine unit. Cummins also blamed the poor results on weak oil, gas, and mining demand -- areas in which Caterpillar also operates.�

Best Building Product Stocks For 2015: CytRx Corporation(CYTR)

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company, engages in the development of human therapeutics, specializing in oncology. Its drug development pipeline includes INNO-206, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas and is in Phase Ib/2 clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors; and tamibarotene that is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer and acute promyelocytic leukemia. The company also develops Bafetinib, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and advanced prostate cancer, as well as in pharmacokinetic clinical trial for brain cancer. CytRx Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    What do Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACUR) and CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR) have in common? Yes, they're both biotech stocks, though that's not the most relevant answer right now. The best answer regarding the commonality between CYTR and ACUR at this point is that both are actionable, even of for totally different reasons/totally different directions. A closer look at each is merited.

Hot Performing Companies To Watch For 2014: CPFL Energia SA (CPFE3)

CPFL Energia SA is Brazil-based holding company engaged in the distribution, generation and commercialization of electric energy in Brazil. The Company is involved in the generation of electric energy through hydroelectric plants, small hydropower plants and thermoelectric power stations. Through eight distribution subsidiaries, as of December 31, 2011, it served 559 municipalities and distributed electrical energy to approximately 6.9 million clients in Brazilian states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Parana and Minas Gerais. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a number of subsidiaries, such as Companhia Paulista de Forca e Luz, Rio Grande Energia SA, CPFL Geracao de Energia SA, CPFL Comercializacao Brasil SA and CPFL Jaguariuna SA, among others. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Patricia Lara]

    Tractebel leapfrogged Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, CPFL Energia SA (CPFE3) and Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) in the fourth quarter to become the biggest utility after sidestepping pressure to cut rates because its contracts don�� expire for at least 14 years. Florianopolis, Brazil-based Tractebel has gained 11 percent in the past year, less than Sabesp�� 36 percent rally, which is the most of any utility on the Bovespa index.

Hot Performing Companies To Watch For 2014: Key Tronic Corporation(KTCC)

Key Tronic Corporation, doing business as KeyTronicEMS Co., together with its subsidiaries, provides electronic manufacturing services (EMS) to original equipment manufacturers primarily in the United States, Mexico, and China. Its EMS services include product design, surface mount technologies for printed circuit board assembly, tool making, precision plastic molding, liquid injection molding, automated tape winding, prototype design, and full product builds. The company also manufactures keyboards and other input devices for personal computers. Key Tronic markets its products and services primarily through its direct sales department aided by field sales people and distributors. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Computer Peripherals: This industry rose 2.21% by 10:15 am ET. The top performer in this industry was Key Tronic (NASDAQ: KTCC), which gained 0.3%. Key Tronic's trailing-twelve-month ROE is 14.57%.

Hot Performing Companies To Watch For 2014: Dollar General Corporation(DG)

Dollar General Corporation operates as a discount retailer of general merchandise in the southern, southwestern, midwestern, and eastern United States. The company offers consumables, including paper towels, bath tissue, paper dinnerware, trash and storage bags, laundry, and other home cleaning supplies; packaged food and perishables; beverages and snacks, such as candies, cookies, crackers, salty snacks, and carbonated beverages; over-the-counter medicines and personal care products; and pet supplies and pet food products. It also provides seasonal products consisting of decorations, toys, batteries, small electronics, greeting cards, stationery, prepaid cell phones and accessories, gardening supplies, hardware, and automotive and home office supplies; home products comprising kitchen supplies, cookware, small appliances, light bulbs, storage containers, frames, candles, craft supplies, and bed and bath soft goods; and apparel products, such as casual everyday apparel for infants, toddlers, girls, boys, women and men, as well as offers socks, underwear, disposable diapers, shoes, and accessories. In addition, the company holds a license to Bobbie Brooks clothing, as well as the Fisher Price brand for various items of children's clothing. As of May 25, 2011, it operates approximately 9,500 stores in 35 states. The company was formerly known as J.L. Turner & Son, Inc. and changed its name to Dollar General Corporation in 1968. Dollar General Corporation was founded in 1939 and is based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ted Cooper]

    On the other hand, the combination with Dollar Tree could ease competitive pressures as the company builds a larger store base to compete with Dollar General (NYSE: DG  ) and fend off Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) . The combined company will have more than 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, leapfrogging Dollar General as North America's largest discount chain. The additional scale ��and operating synergies with Dollar Tree ��could help boost Family Dollar's bottom line.

  • [By David Chulak]

    Haven�� you ever wanted to know whether Warren Buffett shops at Walmart (WMT) and Dollar General (DG) or whether he uses Geico insurance? I know a great new product is coming to the market, but has Bill Gates been using an iPhone? Does Michael Dell use Dell (DELL) products? Does Exxon (XOM) CEO Rex Tillerson wear a ski mask if he�� low on gas and has to pull into a Shell (RDS.A) oil gas station? Does anyone in the Walton family actually shop at Walmart? Do they ever go into a Whole Foods (WFM) or Kroger (KR)? These questions, as slightly humorous as they may be, may actually be more important to know than some of the nonsense that gets delivered to us through Wall Street.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Deep discounter�Dollar General (NYSE: DG  ) announced today that it has completed $200 million in share repurchases under the buyback program begun in December 2011.

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Stephen Penwell, Morgan Stanley�� director of North American equity research, says his firm did a report that featured companies whose profit margins had risen even as global economic events such as the European debt crisis had intensified. They included discount chain Dollar General Corp. (DG), Dunkin��Brands Group Inc. (DNKN) and Web services firm Rackspace Hosting Inc. (RAX)

Hot Performing Companies To Watch For 2014: PC-Tel Inc.(PCTI)

PCTEL, Inc. provides propagation and optimization solutions for the wireless industry. It designs and develops software-based radios (scanning receivers) for wireless network optimization; and develops and distributes antenna solutions. The company?s scanning receivers, receiver-based products, and interference management solutions are used to measure, monitor, and optimize cellular networks. It offers various antenna products for worldwide interoperability for microwave access antennas, land mobile radio antennas, and precision global positioning systems antennas that serve applications in telemetry, radio frequency identification, WiFi, fleet management, and mesh networks. The company?s antenna solutions address public safety, military, and government applications; supervisory control and data acquisition, health care, energy, smart grid, and agricultural applications; and indoor wireless, wireless backhaul, and cellular applications. PCTEL, Inc. supplies its products to public and private carriers, wireless infrastructure providers, wireless equipment distributors, value added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers through distributors and direct sales force. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

    I'm perfectly happy recycling past investment ideas, and PCTEL (PCTI) treated me quite well indeed when I owned the stock about a decade ago. Since that time, though, the company has gone through a significant transformation and is really only the same in name only. Different isn't always better, but I do believe that PCTEL now operates a collection of businesses with interesting growth and margin potential. PCTEL does not appear to be tremendously undervalued today on a cash flow basis, but with almost $3 per share in cash on the balance sheet further acquisitions could improve its growth prospects further.

Hot Performing Companies To Watch For 2014: Aegon NV(AEG)

AEGON N.V. provides life insurance, pensions, and asset management products and services worldwide. The company?s life insurance products include traditional, term, universal, whole, and other life insurance products sold as part of defined benefit pension plans, endowment policies, post-retirement annuity products, and group risk products; supplemental health insurance products comprise accidental death, other injury, critical illness, hospital indemnity, medicare supplement, and student health; specialty lines consists of travel, membership, and creditor products; and long term care insurance products for policyholders who require care due to a chronic illness or cognitive impairment. It also offers a range of savings and retirement products and services, including mutual funds, and fixed and variable annuities, savings accounts and investment contracts, segregated funds, guaranteed investment accounts, and single premium immediate annuities, as well as investment advice to individuals. In addition, the company offers employer solutions and pensions, such as retirement plans, pension plans, and pension-related products and services; investment products, including onshore and offshore bonds, and trusts; reinsurance products and solutions to life insurance and financial services companies; general insurance products comprising house, car, and fire insurance; and asset management products and services, including general account assets, unit-linked funds, and third party activities. AEGON N.V. markets its products through independent and career agents, financial planners, registered representatives, independent marketing organizations, banks, broker-dealers, benefit consulting firms, wirehouses, affinity groups, institutional partners, independent managing general agencies, and specialized financial advisors, as well as through online, direct, and worksite marketing. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherl ands.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Will Ashworth]

    Assuming it delivers on its outlook for 2014, its current free cash flow yield is a very enticing 20%. This isn�� a growth stock, but its brands still possess hidden value. As cheap stocks go, it�� very attractive.

    Cheap Stocks to Buy: Aegon (AEG)

    It�� not often that you can buy a $19 billion market cap for under 10 bucks. Aegon�� a Dutch insurance company that�� had a rough ride over the past few years, and its stock�� suffered as a result. In the late ’90s AEG stock traded around $60 — it hasn�� been anywhere close since. However, it�� got some good assets that should bear fruit in the years to come. Aegon has 12,000 employees in the Americas doing business primarily under the Transamerica brand, which has been a part of AEG since 1999.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now

The Motley Fool's health-care show Market Checkup focuses this week on obesity, one of America's largest health-care concerns. Recently classified as a disease, obesity leads to serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Currently 35% of adults in the U.S. are classified as obese, but more troubling, one out of three children is as well. All told, obesity adds $190 billion in medical costs to the system, but efforts to tackle this growing problem are increasing.

In this video, health-care analysts David Williamson and Max Macaluso discuss the impact government-mandated changes may have on promoting a positive change on American lifestyles and whether investors in the affected companies should be concerned about these new regulations.

Rising health-care costs continue to be a hotly debated topic, and even legendary investor Warren Buffett called this trend "the tapeworm that's eating at American competitiveness." To learn more about what's happening to the health-care system -- and how to potentially profit from this trend --�click here�for free, immediate access.

Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2015: Minerva Neurosciences Inc (NERV)

Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a portfolio of product candidates to treat patients suffering from central nervous system (CNS), diseases. The Company�� product candidates are MIN-101, a compound it is developing for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, and MIN-117, a compound it is developing for the treatment of patients suffering from depressive disorder (MDD). In addition, the Company�� portfolio includes MIN-202, a compound it is co-developing for the treatment of patients suffering from primary and secondary insomnia, and MIN-301, a compound it is developing for the treatment of patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. Its product candidates include MIN-101, MIN-117, MIN-202 and MIN-301.

MIN-101 is a molecule behaving as an antagonist of 5-HT2A and sigma2 receptors, which the Company is developing for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. MIN-117 is a molecule behaving mainly as an antagonist on 5-HT1A receptors and as an inhibitor of both serotonin and dopamine reuptake, which it is developing for the treatment of patients with MDD. MDD is a subtype and a severe form of depression, with 6% of MDD patients committing suicide. In addition, an available therapy has several side effects, including cognitive impairment, sexual dysfunction and sleep disorders that lead many patients to discontinue therapy. MIN-301 is a soluble recombinant form of the Neuregulin-1b1 (NRG-1b1), protein, which it is developing for the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease

MIN-202 is a molecule acting as a selective orexin 2 receptor antagonists, which the Company is co-developing for the treatment of patients with insomnia. Insomnia can be the primary condition for patients or a secondary symptom of another medical or psychiatric condition, such as MDD or schizophrenia. It intends to evaluate MIN-202 as a treatment in primary insomnia, as well as secondary insomnia as an adjunctive t! herapy with an antidepressant for the treatment of mood disorders. Unlike many therapies that activate sleep-promoting neurotransmitters, MIN-202 is specifically targeted towards inhibiting the activity of the neurons that promote wakefulness. The Company is co-developing MIN-202 with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Minerva Neurosciences, Inc.(NASDAQ: NERV) shares rose 58.33% to $9.50 in pre-market trading following positive study results.

    Frontline Ltd. (NYSE: FRO) shares jumped 14.84% to $2.94 in pre-market trading following positive comments from Karen Finerman on CNBC.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc (AGIO)

Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on August 7, 2007, is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is intend to apply its deep understanding of metabolism, coupled with the Company�� ability to create medicines that can inhibit or activate metabolic enzymes, to fundamentally change the way cancer and inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are treated. The Company has identified and validated novel and druggable targets in both cancer and IEMs. The Company�� two advanced cancer programs are targeting mutations in the enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, referred to as IDH1 and IDH2. The Company�� drug candidates are selective for the mutated forms of IDH1 and IDH2 found in cancer cells versus the normal forms of IDH1 and IDH2 found in all other cells.

The Company focused on developing medicines to address IEMs, with a novel approach to these orphan diseases for which no effective or disease-modifying therapy is available. The Company has also de-validated and terminated numerous programs, including many that have been reported in scientific journals. In the Company�� IEM portfolio, it uses an equally rigorous set of validation techniques.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

     

    Another stock that insiders are moving into here is Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO), which focuses on the development and commercialization of therapeutics in the field of cancer metabolism and inborn errors of metabolism in the U.S. Insiders are buying this stock into major strength, since shares are up big so far in 2014 by 79%.

     

     

    Agios Pharmaceuticals has a market cap of $1.4 billion and an enterprise value of $1.5 billion. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a price-to-sales of 53.91 and a price-to-book of 11.51. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 48.1%, and for next year it's pegged at 15%. This is a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $162.27 million and its total debt is zero.

     

    A director just bought 2,300 shares, or about $100,000 worth of stock, at $43.98 per share.

     

    From a technical perspective, AGIO is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been selling off after a failed breakout attempt for the last few weeks, with shares moving lower from its high of $50.37 to its intraday low of $42.15 a share. That move is quickly pushing shares of AGIO within range of tagging its 50-day moving average of $40.27 a share.

     

    If you're bullish on AGIO, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above its 50-day at $40.27 and then once it breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance at $45 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 419,691 shares. If that breakout starts soon, then AGIO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at its all-time high of $50.37 a share. Any high-volume move above that level will then give AGIO a chance to tag $55 to $60 a share.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    Sangamo Biosciences (NASDAQ: SGMO) shot up 16.32 percent to $22.81 announced the publication in the NEJM of the first-in-man study of genome editing using its ZFN technology. Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO) got a boost, shooting up 27.72 percent to $40.41 after the company reported quarterly results. BJ's (NASDAQ: BJRI) was also up, gaining 21.04 percent to $33.48 after the company was upgraded toa Buy rating at Buckingham research.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    3. We see 23+ partnered pipeline assets and are most positive on Phase I/II MOR202 anti-CD38 for myeloma with data in 2015, and others such as Acceleron Pharma (XLRN), Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO), Epizyme (EPZM), Concert Pharmaceuticals (CNCE) (just started Phase I for next-gen Revlimid).

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO) got a boost, shooting up 29.08 percent to $40.84 after the company reported quarterly results.

    Stage Stores (NYSE: SSI) was also up, gaining 13.47 percent to $22.41 after the company reported Q4 results and announced the sale of its Steele's off-price division to a new retail unit of Hilco Global.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Medical Care Technologies Inc (MDCE)

Medical Care Technologies Inc., formerly AM Oil Resources & Technology Inc., incorporated on February 27, 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the development and maintenance of secure medical information systems used by healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. The Company operates in three business segments: Medical Management Software Systems, Medi-Clinics and Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Products.

Medical Management Software Systems

The Company produces a range of medical management software systems, which could be used in a range of healthcare settings to electronically connect the healthcare industry with the consumer. It includes healthcare monitoring devices for glucose monitoring and cardiovascular monitoring and solutions, among others. The primary customers served by the software systems are hospitals and clinics, physicians��office practices, consumers and retail pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers.

The Company have developed the Med-Suite Professional Practice Management information system. The Med-Suite is geared for usage by healthcare providers, such as physicians and nurses in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. The e-management solution addresses the needs of healthcare providers to manage and communicate administrative and clinical data.

The second information systems product developed by the Company is the Tele-Health Suite. Tele-Health functions similarly to a hospital or doctor�� chart and is an interactive record to communicate patient data between healthcare providers and, healthcare providers and patients for treatment support, management and monitoring of the patient�� health.

The CareBox concept is a product designed for persons needing Tele-Health but who do not have access to the necessary computer hardware. The CareBox is a personal Internet communication de! vice that functions as the interface to the subscriber based network. The Company�� network would provide users access to telecommunication, tele-medicine applications and product access. The CareBox is engaged in the development of healthcare service delivery to the individual subscriber.

The CareBox system offers remote, real-time, audio-visual communication between patient and healthcare personnel. It offers a complete medical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment from a remote location. The CareBox processes on-site collections of physiological measurements and provides bi-directional audio-video communication.

The CareBox Bluetooth software requirements installed to mobile computing devices. It is compatible with iPhone, BlackBerry and other mobile cellular phone protocols. It enables wireless upload of personal medical information from medical and wellness monitoring devices.

Using the online facility, healthcare providers (doctors, nurses) could admit and assess patients, and subsequently create and revise individual healthcare plans. Attachments could be made to the CareBox, for monitoring blood-oxygen levels, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, as well as blood glucose levels. If readings are outside normal limits, the system would initiate a pre-programmed response and instruction for client intervention would be given. The system provides continuous monitoring at home for the clients, which serves to lengthen the period of time a person could live independently, while reducing the number of re-admissions to care facilities.

Retail Pharmacies and Retail Medical Clinics

The Company focuses to open professional, and convenience retail pharmacies and also retail medical clinics. Within the pharmacies, it focuses to have over the counter (OTC) drugs, nutritional supplements, herbal products, personal care products, family care products, as well as products, including consumable, seasonal and promotional items. The customers woul! d also ha! ve access to the medical software and hardware systems. It plans to open retail medical clinics, with a specific view to treating patients with telemedicine as well as a traditional treatment format.

Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Products

The Company plans to develop or source and sell pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, and a range of other merchandise, including over-the-counter medicines, herbal products, personal care products, family care products in the planned Medi-Clinics, through the Website, retail pharmacies and through established sales and distribution channels in the People�� Republic of China. It would also offer private label products. Med-Suite, in concert with a person�� secure personal health record, would allow the medical professional to communicate pharmaceutical, administrative, clinical data in a cost-effective manner. The Company plans to use Med-Suite to provide marketing tools for pharmaceutical sales automation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    What�� the Catch With Timios National Corp? According to various disclosures, at least one promoter expects to be compensated up to $140k to talk about Timios National Corp. However, Timios National Corp itself has been fairly quiet with news for the past several months except for financial filings. Probably the most recent relevant filing dates from September and is about an Asset Purchase Agreement with Adobe Title, LLC, whereby HOMS acquired all of the assets and properties of, and assumed certain liabilities, from the latter in consideration of $500,000 plus an earn-out equal to 7.25% of the Gross Revenue up to a maximum of $3,500,000 starting approximately six months from the date of the Agreement and ending on the forty-eighth monthly anniversary of such start date. A quick look at Timios National Corp�� financials reveals revenues of $6,810k (most recent reported quarter), $8,519k, $7,355k and $6,866k for the past four reported quarters along with a net loss of $120k (most recent reported quarter), net income of $329k and $66, and a net loss of $2,073k. At the end of September, Timios National Corp had $776k in cash to cover $3,661k in current liabilities and $6,700k in total liabilities. So its hard to explain the sudden share price decline last Friday.

    Medical Care Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: MDCE) Says Its Well Positioned to Profit From Health Care in Hong Kong

    Small cap Medical Care Technologies Inc, through joint ventures or Chinese subsidiaries, develops a network of family and children's health facilities in the larger urban areas throughout China. Services are geared towards the advancing economic middle-class Chinese families. On Friday, Medical Care Technologies Inc sank 25% to $0.0012 for a market cap of $2,060 plus MDCE is up 1,100% over the past year and up 20% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SPPI)

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercial-stage biotechnology company, primarily focuses on oncology and hematology. The company engages in acquiring, developing, and commercializing a broad and diverse pipeline of late-stage clinical and commercial products. It markets Zevalin, a prescribed form of cancer therapy, radioimmunotherapy; and Fusilev, a novel folate analog formulation and the pharmacologically active isomer of the racemic compound, calcium leucovorin. The company?s drugs in late stage development include Apaziquone, an anti-cancer agent; and Belinostat, a histone deacytelase inhibitor. Its drugs in development also include Ozarelix a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone antagonist, which is in Phase II clinical stage; SPI-1620, a peptide agonist of endothelin B receptors, which is in Phase I clinical stage; and RenaZorb, a lanthanum-based nanoparticle phosphate binding agent, which is in preclinical stage. The company was formerly known as NeoTherapeutics, Inc. and changed its name to Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in December 2002. Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Henderson, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SPPI) shares tumbled 9.77 percent to $8.18 after the company announced an offering of $100 million of convertible notes.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    Eight months ago, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPPI) was a train wreck. Shares had plunged from $12.43 to $7.79 on the heels of bad news, and SPPI wouldn't stop bleeding until it hit a low of $6.92 a few days after the big selloff. That bad news? A warning that its full-year sales (and particularly sales of its cancer drug Fusilev) would be well short of expectations.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 biotechnology player that's starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (SPPI) which develops and commercializes oncology and hematology drug products. This stock has traded off a bit so far in 2014, with shares off by 7.3%.

    If you take a glance at the chart for Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, you'll see that this stock has been uptrending over the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $6.75 to its recent high of $8.50 a share. During that uptrend, shares of SPPI have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This move has now pushed shares of SPPI within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above some key overhead resistance levels.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SPPI if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $8.25 to $8.50 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 1.07 million shares. If that breakout gets underway soon, then SPPI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9.27 to its 52-week high at $10.32 a share. Any high-volume move above $10.32 will then give SPPI a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from March of 2013 that started at $12.47 a share.

    Traders can look to buy SPPI off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its recent double bottom support levels at $7.82 to $7.81 a share or right below its 50-day moving average of $7.69 a share. One can also buy SPPI off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

    Read More: 5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

  • [By Keith Speights]

    Another prime case study for this comes from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SPPI  ) . Spectrum's stock more than doubled from October 2011 through July 2012. However, shares plunged 55% from those highs because business dynamics changed since then. A shortage of a generic rival to Spectrum's lead drug Fusilev was alleviated, resulting in sales slowing down considerably.�

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: FibroGen Inc (FGEN)

FibroGen, Inc. (FibroGen) is a research-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat unmet medical needs. The Company focuses in the areas of fibrosis and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) biology. FibroGen�� products include Roxadustat (FG-4592), which is an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylases (HIF-PHs), in Phase III clinical development for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD), and FG-3019, which is a monoclonal antibody in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), pancreatic cancer and liver fibrosis. The Company�� subsidiaries include FibroGen Europe Oy (FibroGen Europe) and FibroGen China Anemia Holdings, Ltd. (FibroGen China).

Roxadustat is the HIF-PH inhibitor in Phase III clinical development, which acts by stimulating the body�� natural pathway of erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production. Roxadustat represents a new paradigm for the treatment of anemia in CKD patients and offers injectable erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs). 1,449 subjects have participated in 26 completed Phase I and II clinical studies for roxadustat in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company, along with its collaboration partners, Astellas Pharma Inc., (Astellas) and AstraZeneca AB,(AstraZeneca), has designed a global Phase III program to support regulatory approval of roxadustat in both NDD-CKD and DD-CKD patients in multiple geographies.

FG-3019 is the Company�� fully-human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the activity of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a critical common element in the progression of fibrosis and associated diseases. In Phase II IPF clinical studies, FG-3019 demonstrated the stabilization of disease and, in human studies, reversal of lung fibrosis in some patients. In an open-label Phase II pancreatic cancer study of FG-3019 plus gemcitabine and erlotinib, FG-3019 demonstrated a dose-depen! dent improvement in one year survival rate. In 10 Phase I and Phase II clinical studies of FG-3019 to date involving over 340 subjects, FG-3019 has been tolerated across a range of doses studied, and there have been no dose-limiting toxicities observed as of November 13, 2014.

The Company competes with Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Celgene Corporation, Janssen Biotech, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Inc., Sanofi, Novartis and Biogen Idec.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Recent IPO�FibroGen Inc (NASDAQ: FGEN) surged 22.96% today, reportedly after the journal Hepatology published the results of a workshop between the FDA and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) which laid out criteria for a phase three study of a treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of potential small cap or mid cap liver disease stock peers like Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: CNAT), Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ICPT) and Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp (NASDAQ: RPTP) which rose 24.35%, 10.98% and 2.02%, respectively. According to Investors Business Daily, NASH (the more serious version of fatty liver disease) is potentially an enormous market with about 6 million�US patients but the�lack of previous treatments had left it unclear how the FDA would measure success against the disease while FibroGen Inc doesn't yet have a NASH human trial in the works, it has said it hopes to start one for its lead candidate FG-3019 (its in mid-stage trials for pulmonary fibrosis and liver fibrosis due to hepatitis B infection).

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Decision Diagnostics Corp (DECN)

Decision Diagnostics Corp., formerly instaCare Corp., incorporated on March 2, 2001, is a prescription and non-prescription diagnostics and home testing products distributor. The Company distributes brand name prescription and non-prescription diagnostics products, as well as several lines of ostomy, wound cares and post-surgery medical products. The Company through its subsidiaries, PDA Services, Inc. and Decision IT Corp. offers information technology solutions in several medical cares market channels by providing physicians with information at the point of care. The Company's retail prescription business maintains three operating units, which include Licensed wholesale prescription drug distribution business; Licensed distribution of diabetes diagnostics and supplies; and Internet pharmacy/prescription fulfillment.

The Company's software is designed to integrate point of service applications. The Company is also a developer of products that offer solutions in medical care and management by providing physicians with essential information instantaneously as they meet with their patients. In addition, the Company markets its MD@Hand and MD @Work software application, which also leverages the connectivity of smart cell phones devices through the Internet. The Company's applications run on smart phones manufactured by Apple, Palm, Motorola and Samsung.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    Over the past few weeks, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:LXRX) and Decision Diagnostics Corp. (OTCBB:DECN) have dominated the diabetes diagnostics and diabetes treatment landscape. Shares of LXRX jumped 20% on Tuesday following news that one of the key drugs in its pipeline showed more than enough efficacy in its clinical trials. DECN shares are up more than 250% on the heels of an almost-assured victory in its patent lawsuit against industry giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). Anyone looking for a new trade in the diabetes diagnostics space, however, may want to look past overbought Lexicon Pharmaceuticals and Decision Diagnostics at this point, and instead turn their attention to newly-budding Neurometrix Inc. (NASDAQ:NURO).

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Analogic Corp (ALOG)

Analogic Corporation (Analogic), incorporated in November 27, 1967, is a technology company that designs and manufactures advanced medical imaging and security systems and subsystems sold to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and end users primarily in the healthcare and airport security markets. Analogic operate primarily three segments: Medical Imaging, Ultrasound, and Security Technology. Medical Imaging, which primarily includes systems and subsystems for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) medical imaging equipment, Selenium-based detectors for screening and diagnostic applications in mammography. Ultrasound, which designs, manufactures, and distributes ultrasound systems and transducers primarily in the urology, surgery, robotic assisted surgery, anesthesia, and general imaging markets. Security Technology, which includes advanced threat detecting CT systems. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of Ultrasonix Medical Corporation. In September 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired the remaining ownership stake in PocketSonics, Inc.

Medical Imaging

During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company�� medical imaging segment, which accounted for approximately 59% of its net revenue, which consists primarily of electronic systems and subsystems for medical imaging, sold globally to OEM producers of CT, MRI, and digital mammography systems. Products under this consist of: X-Ray Detectors, which converts the x-ray energy in a CT machine to useful analog signals for processing in the DAS.

DAS, which are used to process the signals created by the detectors and feed them as a digital stream to a reconstruction computer to create high resolution images. The DAS is designed with many multi-channel circuit boards that process the analog signals from the detectors and convert them into digital signals through an array of analog to digital.

converters. DMS, which the brains of the CT sys! tem and consists of both the detector array and the DAS in one package. This system provides its OEM customers a level of integration that allows for lower cost and faster time to market. Integrated Gantries, which is a component of the CT system (detectors, DAS, x-ray tube and power supplies), are mounted on a rotating ring assembly called a gantry. It provides integrated gantries to its OEM customers as another level of integration.

For OEM producers of MRI equipment, it also supplies two key components: gradient amplifiers and radio frequency, or RF, amplifiers. It has developed a range of amplifier solutions for its customers ranging from low-magnetic-field systems (< 0.3 Tesla) to ultra high-field systems (> 7.0 Tesla) used in academic research hospitals.

Gradient Amplifier, which is a power systems used to drive a set of coils located inside the MRI system and around the patient. The coils energize the atomic structure of patients��anatomy in order to develop tissue and structure images. Gradient amplifiers must be specifically designed for different MRI field strengths ranging from 0.3 Tesla to >7.0 Tesla. RF Amplifiers, which is a power systems used to control another set of the coils within the MRI system that are used to read-back the signals from the anatomy generated by the gradient coils. These signals are then processed in a reconstruction computer to create images. The RF amplifiers must have a high signal-to-noise ratio to produce the cleanest images.

The Company�� digital mammography products consist primarily of digital mammography selenium-based x-ray detector plates, sold directly to OEM customers for screening and diagnostic applications in mammography. These x-ray detector plates are used by OEMs in mammography systems to convert x-ray signals into high resolution two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) images of breast tissue to aid in the detection of breast cancer. Its detector plates for mammography applications are sold to! medical ! OEMs for use in products worldwide. Its mammography product portfolio consists of: LMAM, which is its large area detector plate, based on selenium technology, is used primarily for European markets and was recently introduced in the United States market. This detector plate is also compatible with systems that can perform tomosynthesis, which creates 3-D images through a series of exposures to more accurately detect lesions in the breast. SMAM, which is its small area detector plate uses the same selenium-based technology as the LMAM detector and is manufactured primarily for the Asian markets. Within its medical imaging segment, it also designs and manufactures precision motion control systems, which it supplies to OEM customers for use in computer-controlled automation systems primarily in the semiconductor and medical markets.

Ultrasound

The Company�� ultrasound segment designs and manufactures procedure-driven ultrasound systems and transducers, principally under the B-K Medical brand. These products are primarily for end-user markets in urology and surgery and accounted for approximately 29% of its net revenue in fiscal year 2012. Its ultrasound systems use acoustic waves to generate real-time images of the body�� internal anatomy that are used for interventional and medical diagnostic procedures. These ultrasound systems are also used for guiding robotic assisted surgical procedures and for guiding prostate cancer treatment employing a procedure called brachytherapy. It also manufactures and sells advanced ultrasound probes and transducers to medical OEMs.

Security Technology

Utilizing the Company�� CT technology, its Security Technology segment designs and manufactures airport security systems and subsystems primarily for checked bag applications and accounted for approximately 12% of its net revenue in fiscal year 2012. These systems generate 3-D images of objects contained within baggage and provide threat analysis of materials conta! ined with! in the bags. The Company sells the checked baggage systems through L-3 Communications Corporation (L-3): eXaminer XLB (High Speed), eXaminer 3DX (Medium Speed) and eXaminer SX (Reduced Size).

The Company competes with General Electric Corporation (GE) and Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Philips), Hitachi Medical Corporation, Fujifilm, Morpho Detection and Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Shares of Analogic Corp. (ALOG) �fell 12% to $85 on light volume after the electronics-component maker reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $1.17 a share on revenue of $141.4 million and forecast flat revenue for the year because of headwinds. Analysts expected $1.20 a share on revenue of $151.7 million, along with a 7% revenue growth for the year.