Arbitration panels made up entirely of people without financial industry ties are likely to become the norm in customer cases against brokerage firms under a new rule.
On Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved a proposal by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. that would make an all-public panel the default option for choosing the three arbitrators deciding cases involving a claim of $100,000 or more.
Previously, the plaintiff and defendant could select a process that guaranteed that at least one industry arbitrator would serve on their panel. Alternatively, one of the parties could require an all-public panel.
5 Best Up And Coming Stocks To Own For 2015: 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 Bryan Murphy]
Were it the first time, or even the second time, it happened, it might be dismissible. A third time though? As they say, the third time is the charm. If the old saying applies in the worlds of small cap stocks (and it usually does), then Prima Biomed Ltd. (NASDAQ:PBMD) just kick-started what could be a trade-worthy rally.
5 Best Up And Coming Stocks To Own For 2015: Skilled Healthcare Group Inc.(SKH)
Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, hospices, home health providers, and a rehabilitation therapy business. Its skilled nursing facilities provide specialty care, such as chemotherapy, enteral/parenteral nutrition, tracheotomy care, and ventilator care, as well as offers various services, including room and board, special nutritional programs, social services, recreational activities, and related healthcare and other services. These skilled nursing facilities include Express Recovery, a unit that provides skilled nursing care and rehabilitation therapy for patients recovering from conditions, such as joint replacement surgery, and cardiac and respiratory ailments. The company?s assisted living facilities provide residential accommodations, activities, meals, security, housekeeping, and assistance in the activities of daily living to seniors who are independent or who require some support , but not the level of nursing care provided in a skilled nursing facility. Skilled Healthcare Group also offers ancillary services, such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as rehabilitation therapy service to third-party skilled nursing operators. In addition, the company offers hospice services comprising palliative and clinical care, education, and counseling with a focus on the physical, spiritual, and psychosocial needs of terminally ill individuals and their families. As of December 31, 2010, it owned or leased 78 skilled nursing facilities and 22 assisted living facilities, together comprising 10,830 licensed beds in California, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, and New Mexico. The company has a joint venture with APS?Summit Care Pharmacy, LLC that operates a pharmacy in Austin, Texas. Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. is based in Foothill Ranch, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based Skilled Healthcare (NYSE: SKH ) needs a new CEO.
On Monday, the assisted living facilities operator announced that Chief Executive Officer Boyd Hendrickson plans to retire from the company at the end of this year. A search for a replacement is now under way.
Hot Bank Companies To Invest In 2015: GTSI Corp.(GTSI)
GTSI Corp., together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology (IT) hardware and solutions to federal, state, and local government customers, as well as to prime contractors in the United States. It offers IT infrastructure solutions, including data center consolidation and optimization solutions, server and desktop virtualization solutions, cloud computing solutions, network modernization solutions, unified communications and collaboration solutions, database and software development solutions, asset management solutions, and financial services solutions. The company also provides various services comprising software development and maintenance, program and project management, database development and maintenance, and legacy systems modernization services. In addition, it offers computer hardware, software, and peripheral products, as well as provides technical support and assistance services. The company markets and sells its computer hardware and software, and solutions through GTSI.com. It has strategic partner relationships with Cisco, Hewlett Packard, Crossmatch Technologies, Microsoft, Dell, Oracle, Net App, and Hitachi. GTSI Corp. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
I would never assume that $1 of retained earnings at GTSI (GTSI) was worth $1. It�� not.
So it would be hard to buy GTSI on an earnings basis. I didn��. I bought it for the Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter�� model portfolio simply based on its cash, receivables, and stake in another company. Those 3 things meant the company�� liquidation value was higher than the price I paid for the stock.
5 Best Up And Coming Stocks To Own For 2015: Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc.(RSTI)
Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing of laser-based products worldwide. The company offers laser macro products to machine tool and automotive markets for cutting and welding of metals. It also provides laser marking products to semiconductor and electronics markets for the marking of integrated circuits, wafers, solar cells, electronic components, and smart cards, as well as to automotive markets for the marking of labels and car components. In addition, the company offers laser micro products for fine welding, fine cutting, micro structuring, and drilling applications in medical devices, semiconductor and electronics, photovoltaic, dental, and jewelry markets; and for perforating and scribing of paper and foils in packaging and paper industries. Further, it provides components to laser industry. The company sells its products in approximately 65 countries to original e quipment manufacturers, systems integrators, and industrial end-users. Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc. was founded in 1975 and is based in Plymouth, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Stoffel]
Rofin-Sinar (NASDAQ: RSTI ) , Coherent (NASDAQ: COHR ) , Newport (NASDAQ: NEWP ) , and JDS Uniphase (NASDAQ: JDSU ) all offer fiber-optic lasers as well.
5 Best Up And Coming Stocks To Own For 2015: SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)
SPDR Trust, Series 1 (the Trust) is a unit investment trust. The Trust is an exchange-traded fund created to provide investors with the opportunity to purchase a security representing a proportionate undivided interest in a portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the common stocks, in substantially the same weighting, which comprise the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Price Index (the S&P Index). Each unit of fractional undivided interest in the Trust is referred to as a Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt (SPDR).
The Trust utilizes a full replication approach. With this approach, all 500 securities of the Index are owned by the Trust in their approximate market capitalization weight.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Philip Saglimbeni]
Unfortunately, performance for shares of FRAN has been relatively weak since the company's initial public offering of stock a little over two years ago. FRAN has significantly underperformed many of its peers as well as the general indices by a wide margin. The following is a breakdown of the equity's performance since its IPO on July 21, 2011 compared to the S&P 500 (SPY) index:
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Thousands of professional investors have their performance gauged against the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC ) . That fact, along with the inability of many of those investment managers to match up to the benchmark, has led millions of investors to accept market-matching performance through the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: SPY ) and similar index funds and ETFs.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Parker�previously predicted that the S&P 500 would end 2013 around 1,600. He raised the S&P 500 earnings estimates to $105.50 from $103.00 for 2013 and up to $112.00 from $110.00 for 2014. The SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEMKT: SPY) would have an implied valuation of up to over $184.00 in 2014 versus $165.80 as of Wednesday.
