Hot Gas Utility Companies To Invest In 2014

Based on a review of "preliminary financial results," embedded systems solutions provider Spansion (NYSE: CODE  ) has lowered its second quarter 2013 revenue and earnings guidance, the company announced today.

Spansion's Q2 revenues, scheduled to be released "on or around July 31, 2013," were expected to range between $200 million and $220 million. However, due in large part to market weakness in Japan, according to Spansion, revenue expectations have been revised downward, and should fall between $193 million to $197 million for the quarter.

Non-GAAP, second quarter earnings estimates are now expected to range from $0.25 to $0.27 per share, as opposed to earlier guidance suggesting Spansion's Q2 earnings per share would fall between $0.16 and $0.23. The revised earnings for the recently concluded quarter are adjusted for "two one-time items related to foreign exchange and taxes that add approximately $0.10 to earnings per share," Spansion said.

Top 5 Up And Coming Stocks To Own Right Now: Alkermes Inc.(ALKS)

Alkermes plc, an integrated biotechnology company, develops medicines that enhance patient outcomes. The company has a diversified portfolio of approximately 20 commercial drug products and a clinical pipeline of product candidates that address central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as addiction, schizophrenia, and depression. It manufactures and commercializes VIVITROL for alcohol and opioid dependence; RISPERDAL CONSTA for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder; INVEGA SUSTENNA for the treatment of schizophrenia; AMPYRA to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis; and BYDUREON for the treatment of type II diabetes. Alkermes? pipeline includes extended-release injectable and oral products for the treatment of prevalent, chronic diseases, such as central nervous system disorders, addiction, and diabetes. The company was founded in 1987 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Alkermes (ALKS) is engaged in developing, manufacturing and commercializing medicines designed to yield better therapeutic outcomes and improve the lives of patients with serious diseases. This stock closed up 2% to $33.63 in Monday's trading session.

  Monday's Volume: 3.14 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 1.51 million
  
  Volume % Change: 98%

  From a technical perspective, ALKS trended up here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $34.30 with heavy upside volume. This move also pushed shares of ALKS into new 52-week-high territory, since the stock hit an intraday high of $34.74.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ALKS as long as it's trending above $31.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above Monday's high of $34.74 with volume that hits near or above 1.51 million shares. If we get that move soon, then ALKS will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $40 to $43.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Alkermes (NASDAQ: ALKS  ) also joined the party by announcing on Thursday that its experimental major depressive disorder therapy ALKS-5461 had received a fast track designation from the Food and Drug Administration. A fast track designation helps a biotechnology company by expediting its review process once it files for a new drug application so this is great news for Alkermes shareholders and MDD patients. In mid-stage trials ALKS-5461 met its primary endpoint of a change from the baseline in depressive symptoms according to the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale when tested in a group of 142 patients. ALKS-5461 holds unique promise since most MDD drugs are really a one-size-fits-all type medication.

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: Indus Motor Company Ltd (INDU)

Indus Motor Company Limited is a Pakistan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture of automobiles and trucks. The Company is a joint-venture between the House of Habib, Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation for assembling, progressive manufacturing and marketing of Toyota-branded vehicles in Pakistan. It also acts as the sole distributor of Toyota-branded vehicles in Pakistan. In addition, the Company also acts as the sole distributor of Daihatsu-branded vehicles in Pakistan and has a license for assembling, progressive manufacturing and marketing of these vehicles in Pakistan. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aubrey Pringle]

  The S&P 500 added 0.4 percent to 1,704.76 at 4 p.m. in New York. The benchmark index is less than five points below its record high of 1,709.67 reached on Aug. 2. The S&P 500 Equal Weighted Index, which strips out biases related to market value, jumped 0.5 percent to a record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) increased 34.95 points, or 0.2 percent, to 15,529.73 today. About 5.1 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, 14 percent below the three-month average.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Alcoa Inc. (AA) will unofficially start the second-quarter U.S. earnings season after the market closes today, when the biggest U.S. aluminum producer becomes the first company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) to report results.

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: Vanguard Consumer Staples Etf (VDC)

Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (the Fund), formerly known as Vanguard Consumer Staples VIPERs, is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) US Investable Market Consumer Staples Index (the Index). The Index is an index of stocks of large, medium and small United States companies in the consumer staples sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). This GICS sector is made up of companies whose businesses are less sensitive to economic cycles. It includes manufacturers and distributors of food, beverages and tobacco, as well as producers of non-durable household goods and personal products. It also includes food and drug retailing companies, as well as hypermarkets and consumer supercenters.

The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index. The Fund also may sample its target Index by holding stocks that, in the aggregate, are intended to approximate the Index in terms of key characteristics, such as price/earnings ratio, earnings growth and dividend yield.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Versace, Editor, PowerTrend Brief and PowerTrend Profits]

  That, to me, says they're going to favor inelastic goods over elastic ones, so when you think of the things that we need each and every day, toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, household cleansers, that sort of thing, that's what brings me into (XLP) and (VDC).

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Invest In 2014: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

The Bank of Nova Scotia (the Bank) is a diversified financial institution. As of October 31, 2011, the Bank offered a range of products and services, including retail, commercial, corporate and investment banking to more than 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. The Bank has four business lines: Canadian Banking, International Banking, Scotia Capital and Global Wealth Management. In January 2012, the Company closed its acquisition of 51% of Banco Colpatria. In April 2012, the Company through Scotia Capital Inc. acquired Howard Weil Incorporated. In April 2013, Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a 50% interest in Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Horizonte SA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  TD Rating: 7.5

  Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

  Dividend Yield: 3.9%

  The last of the major Canadian banks is Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS). Not known for its Canadian retail banking, its biggest calling cards are its businesses outside of Canada in Latin America and Asia. Analysts expect it to deliver a 9.1% increase in adjusted net income in the fourth quarter to C$1.6 billion, 47% of which will come from outside of Canada.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Tuesday, Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE: BNS  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed, kneejerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Friday

  Earnings Expected From: Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG), Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE: BNS), American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) Economic Releases Expected:�French trade balance, Swiss CPI, US non-farm payrolls, US unemployment rate

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