Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 10 Prefered Stocks To Watch For 2015: TiVo Inc.(TIVO)

TiVo Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides technology and services for television solutions, including digital video recorders (DVRs) and connected televisions in the United States and internationally. The company offers subscription-based TiVo service, which enhances home entertainment by providing consumers with a way to record, watch, and control live television, as well as to receive videos, pictures, and movies from cable, broadcast, and broadband sources in one interface. It also provides a platform for advertising and audience research measurement services. TiVo Inc. distributes the TiVo DVR through consumer electronics retailers and its online store at TiVo.com, as well as the TiVo service through agreements with satellite and cable television service providers; and broadcasting companies. As of January 31, 2011, it had approximately 1.5 million subscriptions to the TiVo service. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Alviso, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  TiVo provides software and technology products that allows consumers to access their entertainment at their preferred times at any location. The stock has not done too well in recent times but is now displaying signs of life. Earnings and have decreased over most of the last four quarters while revenues have increased, overall, not pleasing investors. Relative to its peers and sector, TiVo has trailed significantly in year-to-date performance. WAIT AND SEE what TiVo does this coming quarter.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big earnings movers: Chinese internet firm Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NYSE: QIHU) is up 8% at $78.99 on strong earnings and a buoyant outlook. A small biotech firm, Spherix Inc. (NASDAQ: SPEX) jumped 26.7% to more than $14 on earnings. On Tuesday we are scheduled to get earnings from LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) and Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) before markets op! en. After Tuesdays close well hear from Workday Inc. (NYSE: WDAY) and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), among others.

• [By Rex Moore]

  Second screen technology -- also known as "couch commerce" -- is still in its infancy. There are some obvious companies benefiting from this growing trend, such as Disney's (NYSE: DIS  ) ESPN and TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO  ) , both of which use the technology to gain (or hold onto) viewers.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports, includingHewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Nuance Communications, Inc.(NASDAQ: NUAN) and TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO).

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-prefered-stocks-to-watch-for-2015-2.html

5 Best Machinery Stocks For 2015

5 Best Machinery Stocks For 2015: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp (WAB)

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (Wabtec), doing business as Wabtec Corporation, is a providers of value-added, technology-based equipment and services for the global rail industry. It provides its products and services through two business segments: the Freight Group and the Transit Group, both of which have different market characteristics and business drivers. Effective November 18, 2011, Wabtec acquired Fulmer Company, a manufacturer of motor components for rail, power generation and other industrial markets. Effective November 3, 2011, Wabtec acquired Bearward Engineering, a manufacturer of cooling systems and related equipment for power generation and other industrial markets. On June 29, 2011, the Company acquired an aftermarket transit parts business from GE Transportation, a parts supply business for propulsion and control systems for the passenger transit car aftermarket in North America. On February 25, 2011, the Company acquired Brush Traction Gr oup, a provider of locomotive overhauls, services and aftermarket components. In July 2012, it acquired Tec Tran Corp. and its affiliates. In October 2012, it acquired LH Group. Effective July 30, 2013, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp acquired Turbonetics Inc, a manufacturer of turbochargers and components. Effective September 24, 2013, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp acquired Longwood Industries Inc.

The Freight Group manufactures and services components for freight cars and locomotives, builds new switcher locomotives, rebuilds freight locomotives, supplies railway electronics, positive train control equipment, signal design and engineering services, and provides related heat exchange and cooling systems. Its customers include railroads, leasing companies, manufacturers of original equipment, such as locomotives and freight cars, and utilities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Freight Group account! ed for 61% of its total sales, wi th about 75% of its sales in North America and the remainder! to international customers.

The Transit Group manufactures and services components for new and existing passenger transit vehicles, which include subway cars and buses, builds new commuter locomotives and refurbishes subway cars. Customers include public transit authorities and municipalities, leasing companies, and manufacturers of subway cars and buses globally. During 2011, the Transit Group accounted for 39% of its total sales, with about half of its sales in North America and the remainder to international customers. During 2011, about 66% of the Transit Groups sales are in the aftermarket and the remainder in the original equipment market.

The Companys specialty products and electronics include positive train control equipment and electronically controlled pneumatic braking products; railway electronics, including event recorders, monitoring equipment and end of train devices; signal design and engineering services; freight car truck c omponents; draft gears, couplers and slack adjusters; air compressors and dryers; heat exchangers and cooling products for locomotives and power generation equipment, and track and switch products. Its brake products include railway braking equipment and related components for freight and transit applications, and friction products, including brake shoes and pads. Its remanufacturing, overhaul and build products include new commuter and switcher locomotives, and transit car and locomotive overhaul and refurbishment. Its transit products include rail and bus door and window assemblies; accessibility lifts and ramps for buses and subway cars, and traction motors.

The Company competes with Knorr-Bremse AG, Electro-Motive Diesel, GE Transportation Systems and Faiveley Transport.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The board of directors of railroad products manufacturer Wabtec (NYSE: WAB  ) ! was busy! yesterday, announcing it was increasing its quarterly dividend payment by 60% while simultaneously splitting the company's stock.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-machinery-stocks-for-2015.html

What's behind the corporate food frenzy?

The ongoing food frenzy comes down to this: buy or be bought.

"Think of it as a Pac Man for companies," says Michael Silverstein, senior partner at the Boston Consulting Group. If you don't swallow someone else, they may swallow you.

Perhaps that's why even giant Tyson Foods got into the melee Thursday when it offered $50 a share — about $6.8 billion — in an all-cash deal to purchase Hillshire Brands, which makes Jimmy Dean sausage and Ball Park hot dogs. Earlier this week, Pilgrim's Pride offered about $6.4 billion for Hillshire. Never mind that earlier this month, in a possible move to thwart Pilgrim's Pride, Hillshire bid $4.2 billion for Pinnacle Foods.

Some major drivers behind the ongoing food fight are:

• Demand for growth. It's extremely expensive to create and grow new brands — particularly food brands. It's much cheaper to grow by purchasing a company with familiar brands. "They're looking to buy market share rather than build it," says David Lewis, senior vice president at the Astec Analytics division at SunGard Financial Systems.

• Desire to cut costs. When one company talks about "synergies" with another that typically means cost-cutting. The combined food companies can pay less for commodities, transportation and packaging, says Silverstein, "because they have more market power."

• Aim for cheap financing. Interest rates are so low right now that it's easier and cheaper to finance big deals with debt than at just about any other time, notes Gary Stibel, CEO of the New England Consulting Group.

• Lust for scale. Bigger food makers have more power with retailers and suppliers, Stibel says. "To hold on to your seat at the table with Wal-Mart, you'd better have scale."

• Opportunity to expand. Many food makers are eager to expand into adjacent categories "to build awareness across different areas of packaged food," says Farha Aslam, managing director at Stephens Inc.

• Desire to be defensive. Some food makers wa! nt their lead — or to stop certain competitors from gaining market share, Aslam says.

• Urge to merge. Amid the nation's estimated 13,000 food companies, there fewer than 1,000 that are true takeover, merger or acquisition targets, Silverstein says. Uniqueness of brand or product makes them targets. And the universe, he notes, is contracting.

• Need to feed egos. CEOs of major food companies know they'll be remembered for one of two things: the products they create or companies they acquire, Silverstein says. The latter is easier than the former.

• Chance to shine. For many consumers, protein, the chief food category involved in these current merger talks, is back on-trend, Stibel says. Now, for example, there are more nutritionally-focused offerings like antibiotic-free meats. "Protein is no longer the big, bad dude," he says.

3 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Large-Cap Trades for All-Time Gains

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently.

Media General

Media General (MEG) owns and operates broadcast television stations and related Web sites and mobile news applications in the U.S. This stock closed up 5.5% to $18.36 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 1.02 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 371,013

Volume % Change: 201%

From a technical perspective, MEG gapped up sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $17.50 to $17.54 with high volume. This move is now pushing shares of MEG within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if MEG manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $18.51 and then once it clears more key overhead resistance levels at $18.92 to $19.69 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MEG as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $17.86 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 371,013 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then MEG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $23 to its 52-week high at $23.97.

Twitter

Twitter (TWTR) is a global platform for public self-expression and conversation in real time. This stock closed up 10.6% to $33.77 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 60.29 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 17.65 million

Volume % Change: 241%

From a technical perspective, TWTR exploded higher here above some near-term support at $30.38 with monster upside volume. This stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $29.51 to $30.38. Following that bottom, shares of TWTR have now soared higher and the stock is quickly approaching a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if TWTR manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $33.84 to some more key overhead resistance at $34.10 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in TWTR as long as it's trending above $32 or above Wednesday's low of $31.09 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 17.65 million shares. If that breakout kicks off soon, then TWTR will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from earlier this month that started near $40.

Workday

Workday (WDAY) provides enterprise cloud applications for global human resources and finance in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 2.3% at $84.04 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 7.89 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 2.86 million

Volume % Change: 231%

From a technical perspective, WDAY ripped modestly higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $80.13 and back above its 200-day moving average of $82.97 with strong upside volume flows. This spike higher on Wednesday also pushed shares of WDAY into breakout territory, since the stock took out some more key overhead resistance levels at $82 to $83.16. Traders should now look for a continuation move to the upside for shares of WDAY in the short-term if the stock manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $87.24 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in WDAY as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $82.97 and then once it sustains a move or close above $87.24 with volume that hits near or above 2.86 million shares. If that move starts soon, then WDAY will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $96.50 to $100, or even $105.50.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Big Stocks Getting Big Attention

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for Short-Week Gains

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

3 Convincing Reasons Why Apple Is a Great Buy

Top Tech Companies To Buy For 2015

Apple traded stagnantly in the short term, but is up 25.6% over the last 12 months, while continuing to pay a dividend to shareholders. When I read over some Apple news last night and got myself caught up on the current events of the company, my perma-bullishness towards the company remained intact, as I found three other specific angles as to why it would be a good time to be an Apple shareholder right now.

Aside from continuing to be the most rock-solid company arguably in existence today, here's three niche reasons that I think Apple still remains a good fundamental buy.

1. Apple TV Will Handle Amazon Fire, Roku and Google (GOOG) Chrome

I'm predicting that Apple TV is going to handily take care of Amazon's new offering in the area. Already, comparisons are being made.

Mashable, which is awesome at doing these comps, was the first to put out an article yesterday comparing the different players — you can read the entire article here.

So, while we can see that Amazon is certainly going to be a competitor, there isn't really much that sets it apart from the others, aside from its direct connection with Amazon users and those passionate about the Amazon brand.

Apple is talking about gaming controller support coming on its new Apple TV model, as I've already reported:

Game controller support is going to be crucial if Apple wants to even begin to think about going after Xbox. Not that the games will all be ported over, or even available at first - but, it's definitely the very beginnings of a foray into video games, the key to what is keeping Microsoft in my, and many other, living rooms.

The good thing is that Apple has a head start. The success that the company has had over the years with tablet and mobile has created a loyalty and familiarity for the brand name. When Apple launches its new set-top box (expected in the first half of 2014), it's likely to do exceptionally well and be the de facto choice for many consumers that are already part of the growing constituency of customers that have catalyzed Apple's meteoric rise.

I'm predicting that Apple handles Amazon and company for a couple of reasons. Number 1, I think that Apple's recent comments about Apple TV "not being a hobby" anymore are likely alluding to a bigger, better Apple TV coming down the line this year.

"It's a little more difficult to call [Apple TV] a hobby these days."

-Apple CEO Tim Cook

Further, Apple already has the advantage of having its ecosystem in homes everywhere. There aren't too many people that have a house full of Windows PCs that will go out and buy an Apple TV. Conversely, those already hooked on the Apple brand are more likely to choose Apple simply for the simplicity and brand loyalty.

2. There Are Likely More Buybacks Coming

Since Apple released its first enormous buyback, shareholder incentives have been in the headlines non-stop for the past year for Apple. Catalyzed by one Carl "I'm a shareholder so give me everything" Icahn, the buzz around unlocking more cash continues to haunt Apple. Eventually, it's looking like they're going to have to do something about it. That, in turn, will likely be lucrative for Apple shareholders and continue to boost the stock's price.

AppleInsider reported:

Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray said in a note to investors on Wednesday that he expects Apple to announce an increase for its share repurchase program, as well as its quarterly dividend, in its next earnings report on April 23. Munster said most buy-side investors agree with this line of thinking, representing Wall Street's expectations going into the announcement of March quarter results.

According to Munster, this belief is likely already priced into shares of AAPL, so any announcements come April 23 may not have a significant effect on the company's stock price.

Apple has been under investor scrutiny for sitting on a pile of cash that was at one point near $160 billion. Facing pressure from Wall Street, the company responded by buying back billions of dollars worth of its own shares, and also paying out a quarterly dividend that is currently at $3.05 per common share.

3. A Wide Array of New Products Coming

In addition to the system for vehicles that Apple has just laid out, we're seeing the tip of the iceberg of a new catalogue of Apple products that will be coming down the pipeline this year.

Aside from that, those who read me know that I'm predicting Apple's iTunes Radio to be the only streaming music service that people will give a damn about in a couple years' time. With an expanded catalogue and instant reach to everyone who religiously follows the cult of Mac, it's a shoo-in to knock out Pandora (P) — with others like Spotify likely to follow.

Remember, Apple already dominates the entire music industry with iTunes. Its hostile takeover of streaming radio is next.

Finally, let us not forget about Apple's coming foray into biometrics and watches. I've often argued that the reason that Apple is taking so long for a watch offering is due to the fact that when they do release it, I expect it to be worlds better and worlds more functional than the offerings that we currently have. Its obvious competitor would be the Galaxy Gear smartwatch from Samsung (OTC:SSNLF). I'm predicting Apple's offering — similar to how the iPhone was when it came out - will blow the doors off of anything we've seen so far, in true — old school — Apple fashion.

I continue to contend that Apple is one of the best long-term investments you can put your money in and these three reasons should account for reason to keep your money in the company for quarters to come. The company still has massive growth potential, namely through Mac and ecosystem, and it dominates the music business. With the addition of a Spotify-like service that is being rumored, Apple has nothing but continued room for growth and innovation ahead of it. Apple is going to easily handle Amazon's TV offering, will likely continue to buy back stock, and will make an innovative impact with the new products they have coming down the line. I am bullish long term on Apple.

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Top 5 Growth Companies For 2015

Top 5 Growth Companies For 2015: Checkpoint Systms Inc.(CKP)

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. manufactures and markets identification, tracking, security, and merchandising solutions for the retail and apparel industry worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Shrink Management Solutions, Apparel Labeling Solutions, and Retail Merchandising Solutions. The Shrink Management Solutions segment provides shrink management and merchandise visibility solutions. It offers electronic article surveillance systems, such as EVOLVE, a suite of RF and RFID-enabled products that act as a deterrent to prevent merchandise theft in retail stores; and electronic article surveillance consumables, including EAS-RF and EAS-EM labels that work in combination with EAS systems to reduce merchandise theft in retail stores. This segment also provides keepers, spider wraps, bottle security, and hard tags, as well as Showsafe, a line alarm system for protecting display merchandise. In addition, it offers physical and electronic store monitoring solutions, incl uding fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and digital video recording systems for retail environments; and RFID tags and labels. The Apparel Labeling Solutions segment provides apparel labeling solutions to apparel retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers. It has Web-enabled apparel labeling solutions platform and network of 28 service bureaus located in 22 countries that supplies customers with customized apparel tags and labels. The Retail Merchandising Solutions segment offers hand-held label applicators and tags, promotional displays, and queuing systems. The company serves retailers in the supermarket, drug store, hypermarket, and mass merchandiser markets through direct distribution and reseller channels. Checkpoint Systems was founded in 1969 and is based in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP! ) surged 17.73% to $14.21. The volume of Checkpoint Systems shares traded was 525% higher than normal. Checkpoint announced its intent to extend the filing date of its annual report.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap Checkpoint Systems, Inc (NYSE: CKP) fights shoplifting or retail theft and other forms of "shrink" that costs retailers over $112 billion worldwide last year (according to a study funded by the company), meaning it might be an interesting stock to take a closer look at and to compare its performance with that of SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT) and PowerShares Dynamic Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: PMR). Just how bad can shoplifting or shrink be for a retailer? Troubled retailer J.C. Penney Company, Inc (NYSE: JCP) has just reported that shoplifting took a full percentage point off the department store chain's profit margins during the quarter. Moreover and given that tens of millions of Americans are now facing higher health insurance costs thanks to Obamacare (which will likely impact consumer discretionary spending), retailers will need to find ways to shore up their margins and bottom lines by preventing retail theft with solutions from company's like C heckpoint Systems.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Three months after settling upon a new chief executive officer, it looks like Thorofare, N. J.-based Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP  ) will soon have itself a new CFO as well.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-growth-companies-for-2015.html

A look at glam celebrity weddings of late

PARIS (AP) — As Romeo said: "My bounty is as boundless as the sea … the more I give to thee, the more I have." His modern-day counterparts — the kind with deep pockets — are going all out to offer extravagant, star-studded weddings to their own Juliets.

Hip-hop star Kanye West may uphold glam-set tradition this week with a wedding to TV reality star Kim Kardashian. The office of the mayor of Florence and the Chateau of Versailles say the couple will celebrate in palatial, centuries-old venues in Italy and France. The potential bride and groom, however, are staying mum. It would be the first marriage for him, the third for her.

Despite the hype preceding celebrity wedding vows, the special moment and the after-parties are often locked in secrecy, with photographs going exclusively to the highest bidder.

And love itself is often less immortal than Shakespeare had in mind. Kardashian's second marriage to basketball star Kris Humphries lasted 72 days.

A look at some of the more glamorous celebrity weddings of late:

The TV marraige: Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries

There were few secrets about the Kardashian-Humphries marriage in August 2011: It was televised. Fans had to wait until October to see the two-part special on E!, but the Kardashians posted a stream of updates on their blogs and websites.

Humphries proposed on bended knee with a 20.5-carat ring by spelling out "Will you marry me?" in rose petals. Among the 440 guests at the California wedding were boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard, Lindsay Lohan and Eva Longoria.

This photo, supplied by OK magazine shows the cover photo of OK magazine's latest issue on newsstands Friday, July 13, 2007, showing Eva Longoria and Tony Parker during th! eir wedding in Paris,France, on Saturday, July 7, 2007.(Photo: Bob Davis, AP)

The fantasy: Eva Longoria-Tony Parker

Longoria, who found fame on the TV soap "Desperate Housewives," and NBA star Tony Parker married in 2007 at a Paris church that was once frequented by royalty. It was stage two of a weekend extravaganza — all hidden from view, even by black umbrellas at the church. Stage one was a civil ceremony conducted by then-Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. The Baroque 17th-century Vaux-le-Vicomte chateau near Paris opened its gates for the grand finale where guests swept across its marble-floored ballroom. The couple divorced in 2011.

Top European Companies To Invest In 2015

Model-actress Elizabeth Hurley, left, greets Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, winner of the British reality TV show "Celebrity Big Brother," at a dinner party in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, March 6, 2007. Indian business man Arun Nayar and Hurley who got married in a private civil ceremony at a 15-century castle, Saturday in Winchcombe in western England, are in India for traditional wedding celebrations.(Photo: AP)

The fairytale: Liz Hurley-Arun Nayar

The wedding of actress-model Liz Hurley and businessman Arun Nayar began in Britain and moved through several cities in India over six days. The blessing and party in 2007 at Sudeley Castle west of London drew the likes of Elton John, arriving by helicopter, Kate Moss and actor Hugh Grant, Hurley's ex. From there the wedding moved to Mumbai for celebrations that ended at the Maharaja of Jodphur's palace for a traditional Hindu ceremony, some 60 guests in tow. Secrecy was so tight that gues! ts' cellp! hones were banned, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. The couple divorced in 2011.

The never-ending kiss: Katie Holmes-Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise arrived for his 2006 wedding at a 15th-century Italian castle accompanied by flag bearers in medieval costumes as he walked down a stone ramp, drums rolling. Bride Katie Holmes wore Armani and the designer was among the guests in Bracciano outside Rome, along with Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey and Victoria Beckham. Italian singer Andrea Bocelli serenaded the couple, and fireworks lit the sky. Despite the lavish accoutrements, the couple exchanged vows in a former stable decorated with white flowers in a Scientology ceremony. Then came their "never-ending kiss" — so long that guests shouted for them to stop, Giorgio Armani recounted later. The couple divorced in 2012.

In this photo released by Rogers and Cowan, actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes pose in their wedding attire, in this Nov. 18, 2006, file photo, at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle overlooking Lake Bracciano outside of Rome.(Photo: Robert Evans, AP)

The $60 million bash: Vanisha Mittal-Amit Bhatia

Bollywood stars were flown in from India along with chefs for the most opulent, secretive wedding blowout that France has seen in a long time. The Indian steel mogul Lakshmi Mittal paid 55 million euros ($60 million at the time) — then about the price of an Airbus A320 — to fete the 2004 marriage of his daughter Vanisha to investment banker Amit Bhatia, according to Paris-Match magazine. The six-day event began at the Tuileries Gardens, proceeded to the Chateau de Versailles then continued at the Vaux-le-Vicomte chateau. Some 1,500 guests from around the world received silver-encased, 20-! page invi! tations, Indian newspapers reported.

Three's a charm: Kim Kardashian-Kanye West

After two divorces, that may be the logic for 33-year-old Kardashian, who has a daughter, named North, with the 36-year-old West. The couple, Kardashian family in tow, is in Paris this week, shopping at Givenchy.

Their expected wedding pre-party could be lavish enough for a Sun King. The Chateau de Versailles — former digs of King Louis XIV — says the couple are hosting guests there Friday evening on a private visit.

And Florence mayor's office says they'll marry Saturday at the imposing 16th-century Belvedere Fort, next to the city's famed Boboli Gardens. A spokeswoman says they rented the fort for 300,000 euros ($410,000), and a Protestant minister will preside.

Kardashian's spokeswoman Ina Treciokas continues to have no comment on either plan.

The couple's silence has raised questions. Is this a calculated strategy to raise the all-important celebrity wedding buzz? Or are they just having so much fun in Paris that they've forgotten the worldwide publicity machine?

Time to wait and see.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the Met Gala on May 5.(Photo: Mike Coppola, Getty Images)

The best and worst excuses for calling in sick

Summer is almost here and summer Fridays are the best days at work. They usually mean casual dress, less work and shorter hours. However, the best are half-day Fridays — or not showing up at all! That allows you to enjoy the beach, golf course or your bed because of the eighteen tequila shots you had with the interns from Florida State the night before.

Here are some do's and dont's on how to get out of work on that summer Friday but still get that bonus you so rightfully deserve.

DO lay the groundwork. If you know you are going to be "sick" the next day, make sure everyone knows the day before that you aren't feeling well. After you cough up a lung, when they ask if you are OK, say, "I would go home but I love this job and I hate missing work." Show real dedication to this illness and you will be rewarded with a day at the beach.

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Also — and this part is important — make sure you follow through with the lie. When you go back to work, don't come back looking all refreshed. If you fell down the stairs and had a slight concussion, wear a bandage and accidentally call your boss the name of an actor he or she looks most like. If you say you eloped, buy a fake wedding ring. And then take the next Friday off to get an annulment. If you say you were sprayed by a skunk, make you sure the only shower you take that weekend is with cheap perfume.

A guy I worked with once claimed to be sick all weekend but when he came to work on Monday, his face was the color of a character from "Jersey Shore." I said, "I didn't know that lying out in the sun all weekend was the best way to treat a staph infection!"

He knew he was caught and his face would have turned even more red but that was impossible, given his sunburn.

DO NOT go on social media if you are out "sick." Ever. You would think you don't have to tell people this — ! but YOU DO.

Do not go on Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare and update your status. Don't tweet, "My first hole in one — drinks on me!!" Or "The view at East Hampton beach is amazing. And I don't mean the water — if you know what I mean." If you are feeling well enough to tweet, you are able to go to work. More likely, you will get drunk and do something stupid.

Once, I had a friend call out of work because he was visiting his grandmother who was on her death bed. However, at 3am the night before he checked in on Foursquare at Marquee. His status was, "Bottles and Models!!! Marquee! BOOM!!" I texted him and asked if his grandmother requested that he go to Marquee to celebrate her life.

He deleted his status before anyone else noticed.

DO call or e-mail at the correct time—and keep it vague. If you are going to call your boss and leave a voicemail, call an hour before he gets in. Don't call too close to the time because if he is the drill sergeant type or the overly caring type, he may call you back.

If you are e-mailing your boss or texting him, also do it an hour before. Don't do it at 2am when you are in the back of an Uber leaving the Meatpacking district with a bunch of Hungarian girls going to your penthouse for the after-party. Stay up until 6am and then send the email. Also, keep it vague. If you get overly specific it can backfire on you.

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For example, my friend was on a date. It got later and later and turned into a sleepover. His date suggested that he text his boss and tell him he had eaten some bad fish and he wasn't going to make it to work the next day. The next morning he heard a buzz buzz at 5:30am. He looked at his phone and the text from his boss said, "You have worked with me for ten years. We have been on 100 client dinners. You have never once ordered fish. Get your drunk a-- to work."

My friend was the first! one on t! he desk.

DO use a great excuse. Sometimes you are blessed to work with very cool and understanding people like I was. If you are and have an excuse that only you can get away with — use it.

It was August 15th, 2007. I saw that the next day was the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. I am huge Elvis fan. I had no plans to be out but I couldn't let this go to waste. I told my boss, "Tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of Elvis's death. I am going to be out tomorrow in mourning. Just think of it as my version of Yom Kippur. I won't be in synagogue or fasting but I will be watching Viva Las Vegas, listening to Suspicious Minds and eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches while wearing a white sequined suit."

One time I got a voicemail from a guy who worked for me. "Raj. I did something pretty stupid last night. After we went out to dinner, this girl came over. She gave me something. I smelled it. I ate it. I don't what it is. But I feel funny." I called him back and said, "No problem as long as you promise me two things: First, that you aren't dying because I don't feel like interviewing people. And second, promise to tell me the whole story in detail tomorrow."

This winter has been brutal and summer is almost here! If you have worked hard all year, you deserve a Friday or two off to play hooky and enjoy the weather. Just follow this advice so the Friday you take off isn't your last!

Raj Malhotra (Raj Mahal is his stage name) is a former Wall Street trader-turned-stand-up-comedian.

© CNBC is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

5 Ways Military Families Struggle With Money Matters

This Memorial Day, we celebrate the millions of men and women in uniform who work hard to defend the U.S. and keep us safe. But increasingly, military personnel are turning to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to defend themselves and their families from troubling practices among financial institutions.

Source: User DVIDSHUB via Flickr.

Back in March, the CFPB's Holly Petraeus, wife of Iraq-war commander David Petraeus, and her Office of Servicemember Affairs issued a report on the complaints that military personnel and their families brought against financial institutions. The report highlights more than 14,000 complaints since the CFPB started handling consumer complaints back in 2011, reflecting the extent to which military families have trouble in working with financial institutions and having their specific needs met. In particular, complaints have risen by almost 150% from 2012 to 2013, and the report highlighted several areas of greatest concern for our military personnel in handling their money matters.

1. Mortgages
The CFPB has addressed 4,700 mortgage complaints, making up about a third of its total military complaint volume. Most of those complaints deal with situations in which military personnel aren't able to make payments and therefore ask for help with loan modifications or have to deal with collection efforts and foreclosure proceedings. In particular, many financial institutions remain ignorant of programs designed specifically to help military personnel, including those who need help relocating pursuant to a permanent change of station order. With military members enjoying certain protections, the CFPB notes that financial institutions should be more aware of those protections in their dealings with military customers.

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2. Debt collection
The CFPB has taken debt-collection complaints for less than a year now, but already, it has had 3,800 complaints filed. Military personnel face a wide variety of issues on the collection front, with the most common being collection agencies trying to collect a debt that the service member doesn't actually owe. Questionable communication tactics and illegal threats from debt collectors are also frequent issues for which the CFPB received complaints. Just like their civilian counterparts, military personnel have to deal with aggressive debt collection agencies that take full advantage of how busy members of the military are, hoping that they'll just pay rather than questioning the debt and taking advantage of their rights. Some have said that debt collectors threaten to contact their commanding officers or bring their cases before a court-martial for demotion or removal of security clearance.

3. Credit cards
Credit-card complaints made up 1,700 of those that the CFPB received, with billing disputes being the most prevalent. In addition to common issues among civilian and military personnel, the CFPB noted that card companies often fail to follow the provisions of the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act, which affords special protection to members of the military during periods of deployment. As a result of these mistakes, service members often have to have errors on their credit histories remedied, causing further hassle and hardship.

4. Bank accounts and service
About 1,500 military-personnel complaints relating to bank accounts and services went to the CFPB, with nearly half of all complaints relating to opening, closing, or managing accounts. In particular, the complex patchwork of fees and charges led to a huge number of complaints both in account management and in deposit and withdrawal issues, with transaction holds, overdrafts, and ongoing service fees raising concerns among many military personnel. Despite efforts to make fees more transparent, the CFPB has clearly seen ongoing difficulty among those in the military in navigating those fees and figuring out how to avoid them.

5. Other complaints
The CFPB has recently started taking complaints in several new areas, including money transfer and payday loan services. Although relatively few complaints have come in, these are areas that affect military members especially hard, as distances between family members often require money-transfer services while the difficulty that those left behind face in dealing with personal finances makes payday loans look attractive. Military members face the threat of scams from fraudulent money-transfer entities as well as sky-high fees on payday loans that can be difficult to understand.

Need to file a complaint? Here's how.
Both military and civilian personnel have the right to file financially related complaints with the CFPB. To get more information, visit the CFPB website here. By doing so, you can defend yourself and your family from financial institutions who aren't treating their customers the right way.

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China’s World Quest for Energy

On Wednesday, China and Russia signed a 30-year natural gas deal that’s worth an estimated $400 billion. Starting in 2018, Russia is to export up to 1.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a year to China, equal to more than 15 percent of China’s current demand.

China would become Russia’s second-largest market for natural gas, after Germany. The deal, which came after about 15 years of talks, calls for at least $75 billion in spending on pipelines and other infrastructure on both sides of the Russia-China border.

The agreement seems to be a win-win. It enables Russia to both significantly boost gas exports and diversify away from Europe. The two fields expected to provide most of the gas to China are in Russia’s East Siberia region. Without China as a customer, the fields likely wouldn’t be developed. The deal also strengthens Russia’s hand amid the threat of European sanctions over Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, even though Russia is Europe’s largest single gas supplier.

For China, this is yet another way to meet its steadily rising demand for energy at what is likely an attractive price, while easing some of its dependence on unstable sources.

China’s agreement with Russia is just the latest in a long line of actions taken in recent years to secure new energy sources. China is willing to use a variety of methods to meet that goal. China now has operations, investments or projects all over the rest of the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Africa, North America and South America.

For example, China is Iraq’s biggest oil customer and a major investor in its oil fields. Yet China otherwise maintains a very low profile there. In contrast, China is actively involved with Venezuela and Ecuador, both with anti-U.S. governments. China also has significant properties in Africa.

In early May, China brought a huge, $1 bi! llion deepwater drilling rig to waters in the South China Sea that have long been the subject of a dispute with Vietnam. This happened only six months after the two countries announced that they would seek ways to jointly develop oil and gas fields.

Also along for the ride was a Chinese flotilla of support vessels, including several naval warships. Increasing tensions subsequently included ships from both countries ramming each other and the Chinese naval forces using water cannons against the Vietnamese.

In 2000, China used only half as much energy as the U.S. In 2009, it became the world's biggest energy user. It consumed 10.1 million barrels of oil per day last year, one-ninth of the world's total. Now China also is the foremost oil importer, and it now burns as much coal as the rest of the world combined.

Indeed, global energy demand, primarily from other emerging markets as well as China, continues to rise. Another source of potentially increasing energy demand is India, the world’s second most populous nation, not far behind China, but currently just the 10th largest economy.

Last week, voters in India ousted the long-dominant Congress Party from power. The winner in a landslide was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP’s Narendra Modi, the nation's first Hindu nationalist prime minister, campaigned on a promise to revive India's economic growth. With a majority in parliament, he's expected to enact numerous pro-growth policies. Of course, the growth will take a while to develop. But growth inevitably increases demand for energy, particularly oil.

Meanwhile, many major oil-producing nations face various production constraints. Examples: Iran, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria and Venezuela. The U.S. is a dramatic exception: We’re responsible for more than half of the world’s total oil-production increase over the last five years. But we don’t export our crude oil, at least not yet.

The price China is paying for Russia’! ;s gas wa! s not disclosed. The agreement is said to include a pricing formula linked to crude oil. But some reports suggest that the new China-Russia agreement really only specifies the amounts of gas to be shipped, so that construction of the pipeline could begin.

Shortly before the deal was officially announced, it was reported that the two nations had failed to agree on price. But if Putin had left China without the expected agreement, his negotiating position with Europe would have been significantly weakened. Then the agreement was signed, with or without a specific price. According to some analysts, the implied terms will give China a steady supply of Russian gas at 25-40 percent less than the current cost of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from overseas.

The China-Russia agreement seems to offer good news and bad news for the global LNG market. The good news is that it suggests strong global demand for LNG.

The possible bad news is the future impact on global LNG prices, and therefore the viability of the many LNG export plants planned in the US, Canada and elsewhere to ship cheap natural gas to foreign markets, including Asia. There's a huge spread between the low prices of North American natural gas and the high-priced LNG that's shipped to Asia.

With ongoing global energy-demand increases, supply constraints and possibilities for production disruptions, China’s energy ambitions likely will have significant political, economic and other implications for the rest of us.

                                  

Mortgage rates fall - lowest since October

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Mortgage rates are at their lowest level since October.

The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan fell to 4.14% from 4.2% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Interest rates have been pushed down as investors, skittish about the economy, have abandoned stocks for U.S. Treasuries, according to Mike Fratantoni, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association.

But lower mortgage rates have not boosted the housing market.

Applications for mortgages used to purchase homes have been running about 10% behind the pace of a year ago, according to Mortgage Bankers Association stats.

There are several reasons why.

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In some markets, home sales have been hurt by shortages of inventory, leaving buyers with few homes to choose from.

Further, lending standards continue to be strict. And that is leaving some potential homebuyers on the sidelines.

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There are some positive signs for housing, according to Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist.

In April, the number of permits to build new houses and the number of new homes that started to be built rose more than expected, he said.

Lower rates have also spurred a slight increase in refinance applications, but those are still well off year ago levels.

!

The average rate for a 15-year mortgage, a popular loan for refinancing, fell to 3.25% from 3.29% a week earlier.

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Disclosure: I'm long Lannett Company, Anika Therapeutics and Buffalo Wild Wings.

"Human nature hasn't changed much in 5,000 years. There's this thing of greed versus fear. The market's going up, you're not worried. All of a sudden it starts going down and you start saying, 'I remember my uncle told me, you know, somebody lost it all in the Depression. People were jumping out of windows.' … People start to think about these things with the market going down. These ugly thoughts start coming into the picture. Gotta get 'em out. You have to wipe those out and you–you either believe in it or you don't."  – Peter Lynch, Frontline, 1996

While the great Peter Lynch, who compiled one of the best track records in history with Fidelity's Magellan fund, uttered those words nearly two decades ago, any successful investor knows that they're still true today. The market–and your portfolio–will always have their ups and downs. But if you believe in your stocks (and the market's long-term track record in general), you don't bail on equities when times get tough; in fact, as Lynch said in that same interview, you're probably best off adding to your holdings when the seas get choppy.

The same can be said when it comes to investment strategies. As hedge fund guru Joel Greenblatt explained in his Little Book that Beats the Market, no strategy can beat market all the time. If one did, people would load into it as soon as it was discovered, pushing up the prices of the stocks it identified to unreasonable levels, and killing the strategy. But, as Greenblatt also notes, over the long term you can beat the market with sound investing strategies–if you stick with them through the ups and downs, and perhaps even have the intestinal fortitude to increase your allocations to them when they're scuffling.

That's the trick, of course–and it's a difficult one to master. As Lynch noted, humans are emotional creatures, and we can get particularly emotional when our money is involved. When our stocks or the broader market start declining, or a strategy stops working in the short-term, the wait for a rebound can seem interminable. Every bone in your body will be telling you to sell, sell, sell, that if you stick with your approach, you'll lose it all–your retirement money, your kids' college tuition, you name it.

But if you have studied and learned from great strategists like Lynch and Greenblatt, and you've examined research showing how poor market-timing decisions crush many investors' portfolios over the long haul, you can stay calm during such difficult periods. That's why, instead of being panicked about some of my worst-performing strategies so far in 2014–my Motley Fool and Martin Zweig-based approaches, both down between 12% and 13% year-to-date–I'm actually bullish on them.

Despite their recent struggles amid the market's rotation from momentum and growth stocks to safer, dividend-paying stocks, both of these strategies have excellent long-term track records.

A 10-stock portfolio picked using the Fool-based model (inspired by the writings of Fool co-creators Tom and David Gardner) has averaged annualized returns of 14.8% since its mid-2003 inception versus 6.0% for the S&P 500. A 10-stock portfolio picked using the Zweig-based model, meanwhile, has averaged annualized returns of nearly 10% since its mid-2003 inception. (Return figures through May 14.)

Keep in mind that it's not just that a good strategy returns to form after a rough stretch–very often that's when it will generate some of its best returns, as investors warm to the bargains they've been ignoring while the strategy has struggled. That's what I've often seen with my Guru Strategies.

My Greenblatt-based 10-stock portfolio, for example, lagged the broader market in 2011 and 2012, but then roared back last year, returning more than 51%. This year, while the S&P is up about 2%, the portfolio is up more than 8%. Had I given up on the strategy after 2012, I would've missed out on some huge gains.

In my extensive study of history's most successful investors, I've found the same to be true in their careers. Lynch's Magellan fund lost 22.6%–more than four times the S&P's loss–in 1981, for example, and was in the red again in 1982, a year in which the S&P 500 rose more than 21%. But the trouble was temporary, and the rebound tremendous: Magellan gained 82.8% in 1983.

So while my Zweig- and Fool-based models are struggling in 2014, I expect they'll bounce back strong. When the tide will turn, no one knows for sure. That's while I'll stay disciplined and keep investing in stocks they approve of, like these four.

Anika Therapeutics
Massachusetts-based Anika Therapeutics develops therapeutic products for tissue protection, healing and repair based on hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring polymer found throughout the body that enhances joint function and coats, protects, cushions and lubricates soft tissues. Shares have bucked the downward biotech tend this year, thanks to better than expected first quarter earnings and the FDA's approval of Monovisc, its single injection treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain.

Anika Therapeutics a favorite of both my Zweig- and Lynch-based models. The Fool-based model likes its strong recent growth in earnings per share and sales (362% and 123%, respectively, last quarter); rising profit margins (13.08% two years ago, 16.48%, last year, and 27.41% this year); 0.46 P/E-to-growth ratio, and lack of any long-term debt. The Zweig-based strategy likes that its earnings growth is strong and accelerating (362% last quarter, vs. an average of 72% in the three previous quarters, vs. 47% long term), and that it has no long-term debt.

Lannett Company
This 72-year-old Philadelphia-based company makes generic prescription pharmaceutical products for customers throughout the United States. The $1.3-billion-market-cap firm gets strong interest from my Fool-based model. Lannett was hit hard by the recent biotech slump–too hard, according to this approach. It likes that Lannett grew EPS by 390% and sales by 84% last quarter, and that its profit margins have been rising (-0.26% two years ago, 3.21% last year, and 8.82% this year). It also likes that Lannett's debt/equity ratio is less than 1%.

Buffalo Wild Wings
Founded in 1982, Minnesota-based Buffalo Wild Wings is a restaurant/bar chain with more than 1,000 locations across all 50 states in the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico. It gets strong interest from the Zweig-based strategy, thanks in part to its strong, accelerating growth. EPS grew 71% last quarter, up from average of 41% in the previous three quarters, up from 22% long term (I use an average of the 3-, 4- and 5-year EPS growth rates to determine a long term rate).

The Zweig model also likes that sales growth–not one-time factors–has driven earnings growth over the long term (25% long term sales growth rate, using an average of the 3-, 4- and 5-year sales growth rates). And it likes that Buffalo Wild Wings' debt/equity ratio of just 7% is far below the restaurant industry average of 158%.

WSFS Financial
Delaware-based WSFS ($600-million-market-cap) is more than 180 years old, making it the seventh-oldest bank continuously operating under the same name in the United States. It operates more than 50 offices, mostly in Delaware and Pennsylvania though it has one office each in Virginia and Nevada as well.

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Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Caterpillar Inc.(CAT), Boeing Co.(BA) and Motorola Solutions Inc.(MSI)

Caterpillar’s third-quarter earnings fell 44% as the maker of mining and construction equipment said weak demand for mining equipment continued to weigh on results. Results missed expectations, and the world’s largest seller of bulldozers, excavators and wheel loaders lowered its full-year guidance, sending shares down 5% to $84.74 premarket.

Boeing’s third-quarter earnings rose 12% as strength in its commercial aircraft business offset weaker profits at its defense division. The company raised its per-share earnings estimate for the year as results beat views. Shares edged up 2.8% to $125.90 premarket.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Baoye Group Co Ltd (BKG)

Baoye Group Company Limited is engaged in the provision of construction service, manufacture and distribution of building materials and development and sale of properties. The Company three segments: construction, which includes provision of construction services; property development, which includes development and sale of properties, and building materials, which includes manufacture and distribution of building materials. Its subsidiaries include Zhejiang Baoye Construction Group Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Curtain Wall Decoration Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Infrastructure Construction Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Guangyi Construction and Decoration Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Real Estate Group Co., Ltd., Shaoxing Baoye Four Seasons Garden Real Estate Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Building Materials Industrialisation Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Baoye Steel Structure Co., Ltd. and others. During the year ended 31 December 2011, the Company acquired three parcels of new land in Wuhan, Shanghai, and Henan. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Berkeley Group Holdings Plc (BKG) surged 8.3 percent after saying first-half profit rose 22 percent. London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSE) climbed 2.4 percent after Bank of America Corp.�� Merrill Lynch unit recommended buying the stock. Givaudan SA (GIVN) lost 1.3 percent after Nestle SA said it will sell $1.27 billion of shares in the world�� largest flavorings maker.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Tile Shop Holdings Inc (TTS)

Tile Shop Holdings, Inc., incorporated on June 21, 2012, is a specialty retailer of manufactured and natural stone tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories in the United States. The Company sells over 4,500 products from around the world, including ceramic, porcelain, glass, and stainless steel manufactured tiles and, marble, granite, quartz, sandstone, travertine, slate, and onyx natural tiles. It purchases its tile products and accessories directly from producers. The Company manufactures its own setting and maintenance materials, such as thinset, grout, and sealers under its brand name. The Company operates 70 stores in 22 states, with an average size of 23,000 square feet. It also sells its products on its Website. In January 2014 Tile Shop Holdings Inc launched its first retail store in Oklahoma City.

The Company offers a complete assortment of tile products, generally sourced directly from producers, including ceramic, porcelain, glass, and stainless steel manufactured tiles, and marble, granite, quartz, sandstone, travertine, slate, and onyx natural tiles. The Company also offers a range of setting and maintenance materials, such as thinset, grout and sealers, and accessories, including installation tools, shower and bath caddies, drains, and similar products.

The Company competes with Home Depot, Tile America, World of Tile, Century Tile, and Floor and Decor, Dal-Tile and Florida Tile.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Tile Shops Holdings (TTS) came public back in 2012 and was initially a hot deal, doubling in the months after the deal was priced. It has been pretty much downhill from there, and the shares have lost half their peak value and are back near the offering price.

Best Income Companies To Buy Right Now: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV (CBI)

Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (CB&I) is one of the integrated engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services providers and process technology licensors, delivering solutions to customers primarily in the energy, petrochemical and natural resource industries. CB&I consist of three business sectors: Steel Plate Structures, Project Engineering and Construction, and Lummus Technology. Through these business sectors, the Company offers services both independently and on an integrated basis.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had more than 900 projects in process in more than 70 countries. On February 13, 2013, it acquired The Shaw Group Inc. (Shaw).

Steel Plate Structures

Steel Plate Structures provides engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction services, including mechanical erection services, for the hydrocarbon, water and nuclear industries. Projects include above ground storage tanks, elevated storage tanks, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tanks, pressure vessels, and other specialty structures, such as nuclear containment vessels. Customers include international energy companies, such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell; national energy companies, such as ADNOC (Abu Dhabi), CNOOC (China) and Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia); and regional energy companies, such as Kinder Morgan (United States) and Suncor (Canada).

Project Engineering and Construction

Project Engineering and Construction provides engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction services for upstream and downstream energy infrastructure facilities. Projects include LNG liquefaction and regasification terminals, gas processing plants, refinery units, petrochemical complexes and a wide range of other energy-related projects. Customers include international energy companies, such as British Petroleum, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell; national energy companies, such as Ecopetrol (Colombia) and ORPIC (Oman); and regio! nal energy companies, such as Dominion (United States), Gazprom (Russia), Nexen (United Kingdom), and Woodside (Australia).

Lummus Technology

Lummus Technology provides licenses, services, catalysts and equipment for the hydrocarbon refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Customers include international energy companies, such as Chevron and Shell; national energy companies, such as Pemex (Mexico), Petrochina (China), Rosneft (Russia) and Sabic (Saudi Arabia); and regional refiners and chemical and gas processing companies, such as China Coal (China), IRPC (Thailand), Kazakhstan Petrochemical (Kazakhstan), and Williams Energy Services (United States).

Power provides a range of services, including design, EPC, technology and consulting services, primarily to the fossil and nuclear power generation industries. Plant Services provides electric power refueling outage maintenance, turnaround maintenance, routine maintenance, offshore maintenance, modifications, capital construction, off-site modularization, fabrication, reliability engineering, plant engineering, plant support and specialty services. Additionally, it provides services to restore, rebuild, repair, renovate and modify industrial and electric power generation facilities, and offers predictive and preventive maintenance services. Environmental & Infrastructure (E&I) provides full-scale environmental and infrastructure services for government and private-sector clients. These services include program and project management, design-build, engineering and construction, sustainability and energy efficiency, remediation and restoration, science and technology, facilities management and emergency response and disaster recovery. Fabrication and Manufacturing is a worldwide supplier of fabricated piping systems primarily to the electric power, petrochemical and refinery industries, supporting both external clients and other Shaw business sectors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  That’s why the stocks to buy could be the construction and engineering firms that focus on building energy infrastructure. Here are three of the best stocks to buy for America’s upcoming infrastructure boom:

  3 Stocks To Buy Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI)

  While it�� not based in Chicago and it doesn�� build bridges, Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI) could be one of the best energy infrastructure stocks to buy for building out America�� shale boom. The firm is a petrochemical construction powerhouse and has been involved in a variety petroleum-related projects — including the design and construction of some of the world�� largest onshore and offshore pipeline projects, LNG facilities and refineries.

• [By Jim Jubak]

  On February 25, Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI) reported earnings of $1.91 a share. Excluding a big tax benefit (72 cents) and acquisition costs (11 cents), adjusted earnings came to $1.19 a share. That was 3 cents a share above Wall Street projections.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Arcadis NV (ARCAD)

Arcadis NV is a Netherlands-based international engineering and consultancy firm, providing consultancy, design, engineering and management services in infrastructure, water, environment and buildings. The Company develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. The Company divides its business into four business lines: Infrastructure, which encompasses services for transportations, land development, energy and mining; Water, focused on water planning, wastewater and water management and consulting services; Environment, focused on activities that protect the environment and enhance sustainability, and Buildings, related to homebuilding as well as commercial and industrial buildings and facilities construction. Additionally, it works in partnership with UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency for human settlements. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Companies like Expedia Inc. (EXPE), which provides online travel booking services, and Arcadis NV (ARCAD), a Dutch designer of bridges and dikes, are likely to increase profit at a faster pace than larger firms during an improving economy, Duret said. Smaller companies are also less leveraged, with U.S. mid-caps holding 46 percent less debt per share than firms listed on the S&P 500, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Walter Bau AG (WTB)

Walter Bau AG is an international construction group based in Augsburg, southern Germany. The Company's core construction-related services are planning, financing, project development and facilities management. It is active in the fields of turnkey construction, civil engineering, international construction and transportation infrastructure. Its subsidiary, DYWIDAG-Systems International markets the Company's products and systems worldwide, particularly in the field of post-tensioning and geotechnics, as well as special civil engineering processes. Walter Bau also provides operation and financing solutions, as well as developing commercial and residential real estate projects. Facilities Management is offered by DYWIDAG Service GmbH. Its Logistics Competence Center in Augsburg bundles the Company's Germany-wide activities as a general contractor in the planning, construction and support of distribution centers. The Company commenced insolvency proceedings in April 2005. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and Rio Tinto Group, the world�� biggest mining companies, fell at least 3 percent. Whitbread Plc (WTB) dropped 2.8 percent after UBS AG downgraded the owner of the Costa Coffee chain. British Land Co., the U.K.�� second-largest real estate investment trust, advanced 1.2 percent after saying it bought commercial property in London for 470 million pounds ($707 million).

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Whitbread Plc (WTB) added 4.1 percent to 3,114 pence, its largest advance since September 2012. Oriel Securities Ltd. raised its rating on the shares to buy from hold, citing improvement in the U.K. hotel market.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Stanley Black & Decker Inc.(SWK)

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. manufactures tools and engineered security solutions worldwide. The company?s Security segment provides a range of mechanical and electronic security products and systems, as well as various security services consisting of security integration systems, software, and related installation, maintenance, monitoring services; automatic doors, door closers, and exit devices; healthcare storage and supply chain solutions; patient protection products; hardware; and locking mechanisms. This segment sells its products to retailers; educational, financial, and healthcare institutions; and commercial, governmental, and industrial customers through direct sales forces and third party distributors. Its Industrial segment offers mechanics tools and storage systems, including wrenches, sockets, electronic diagnostic tools, tool boxes, and industrial storage and retrieval systems; engineered healthcare storage and retrieval systems; hydraulic tools and accessor ies; plumbing, heating, and air conditioning tools; assembly tools and systems; and specialty tools. This segment sells its products to industrial customers through third party distributors and direct sales forces. The company?s Construction & Do-It-Yourself segment manufactures hand tools, including measuring and leveling tools, planes, hammers, demolition tools, knives and blades, saws, chisels, and consumer tackers; consumer mechanics tools; storage units comprising plastic and metal tool boxes; and pneumatic tools and fasteners for use in construction, remodeling, furniture making, pallet and manufacturing applications. This segment sells its products to professional end users and consumers through retailers, including home centers, mass merchants, hardware stores, and retail lumber yards. The company was formerly known as The Stanley Works and changed its name to Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. in March 2010. Stanley Black & Decker was founded in 1843 and is based in New B ritain, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Others, however, gave back six months of gains in one week. That was the case for Select Comfort (SCSS), which plunged 29% to $18.60 this week after missing earnings forecasts and cutting guidance for the second time in 2013. Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), meanwhile, fell 15% to $77.16 after it beat earnings but lowered its guidance. It blamed weak margins in its security business, emerging markets and…wait for it…the government shutdown.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK), Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE: SWK), US Bancorp (NYSE: USB), Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC), Pepsico, Inc. (NYSE: PEP), American Express Company (NYSE: AXP), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) Economic Releases Expected: US Beige Book, Canadian manufacturing sales, US CPI

  Thursday

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Opus International Consultants Ltd (OIC)

Opus International Consultants Limited is a supplier of multidisciplinary consultancy and project management services across a range of disciplines including, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, and planning, environmental, architectural and property management. The Company operates in four segments: New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Services supplied support asset development and asset management activities of the Company�� clients. Asset management services include property management and asset maintenance services predominantly using our engineering and environmental specialists. Asset development services include civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, planning, environmental and architectural work. Effective September 3, 2013, Opus International Consultants Ltda majority-owned unit of Opus Group Bhd acquired Stewart, Weir & Co Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [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.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Eagle Materials Inc (EXP)

Eagle Materials Inc., incorporated on January 27, 1994, manufactures and distributes gypsum wallboard and also manufactures and sells cement. Gypsum wallboard is distributed throughout the United States with particular emphasis in the geographic markets nearest to its production facilities. The Company sells cement in six regional markets, including northern Nevada and California, the greater Chicago area, the Rocky Mountain region, the Central Plains region and Texas. Its gypsum wallboard business is supported by its recycled paperboard business, while its cement business is supported by its concrete and aggregates business. The Company operates in Cement and Concrete and Aggregates, and Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard segments. As of March 31, 2013, the Company operated six cement plants (one of which belongs to its joint venture company), five gypsum wallboard plants, one recycled paperboard plant, seventeen concrete batching plants and four aggregates facilities. The Company�� products are used in the construction and renovation of houses, roads, bridges, commercial and industrial buildings and other, newer generation structures like wind farms.

Cement, Concrete and Aggregates Operations

The Company�� cement production facilities are located in or near Buda, Texas; LaSalle, Illinois; Laramie, Wyoming; Sugar Creek, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Fernley, Nevada. The Company�� cement subsidiaries are wholly-owned except the Buda, Texas plant, which is owned by Texas Lehigh Cement Company LP, a limited partnership joint venture owned 50% by the Company and 50% by Lehigh Cement Company LLC, a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement AG. Its LaSalle, Illinois plant operates under the name of Illinois Cement Company; the Laramie, Wyoming plant operates under the name of Mountain Cement Company; the Fernley, Nevada plant operates under the name of Nevada Cement Company and its Sugar Creek, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma plants operate under the name Central Plains Cement Com! pany. The Company produces and distributes ready-mix concrete from Company-owned sites north of Sacramento, California; Austin, Texas and the greater Kansas City area. The Company�� activities in its frac sand business are in the Utica, Illinois area and in south Texas. The Company sells aggregates to building contractors and other customers engaged in a variety of construction activities.

Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard Operations

The Company owns five gypsum wallboard manufacturing facilities. As of March 31, 2013, the Company�� gypsum wallboard production totaled 1,950 million square feet. Total gypsum wallboard sales were 1,909 million square feet during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013). The Company also manufactures alternative products, including containerboard grades (such as linerboard and medium) and lightweight packaging grades (such as bag liner). In addition, recycled industrial paperboard grades (tube/core stock and protective angle board stock) are produced to maximize manufacturing efficiencies. The Company�� manufactured recycled paperboard products are sold to gypsum wallboard manufacturers and other industrial users.

The Company competes with USG Corporation, National Gypsum Company and Koch Industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top decliners in the sector included Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), off 6.3 percent, and Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP), down 4.3 percent.

  Top Headline
  Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) announced its plans to buy Furiex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FURX) for up to $1.46 billion. Forest will pay around $95 per share, or around $1.1 billion in cash. Forest Labs will also pay up to $30 per share, or around $360 million in a contingent value right. The deal is projected to close in the second or third quarter of 2014.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Cement and building materials maker�Eagle Materials� (NYSE: EXP  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.10 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top decliners in the sector included Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), off 6.3 percent, and Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP), down 4.3 percent.

  Top Headline
  Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) announced its plans to buy Furiex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FURX) for up to $1.46 billion. Forest will pay around $95 per share, or around $1.1 billion in cash. Forest Labs will also pay up to $30 per share, or around $360 million in a contingent value right. The deal is projected to close in the second or third quarter of 2014.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Amcol International Corp (ACO)

AMCOL International Corporation (AMCOL), incorporated on December 3, 1959, is focused on the development and application of minerals and technology products and services to various industrial and consumer markets. It operates in five segments: performance materials, construction technologies, energy services, transportation and corporate. Its performance materials segment previously referred to as its minerals and materials segment is a supplier of bentonite related products. Its construction technologies segment previously referred to as its environmental segment provides products for non-residential construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. Its energy services segment previously referred to as its oilfield services segment offers a range of patented technologies, products and services for both upstream and downstream oil and gas production. Its transportation segment serves domestic subsidiaries, as well as third parties, is a dry van and flatbed carrier and freight brokerage service provider.

Performance Materials Segment

The Company supplies chromite and leonardite, and operates more than 25 mining or production facilities worldwide. It mines chromite, an iron chromium oxide, from open cast mines in South Africa and transport it to our nearby processing facility. Its primary uses include metalcasting, drilling fluid additive, and agricultural applications. Its performance materials segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and investments in affiliates and joint ventures throughout the world. It consists of four product lines: metalcasting; specialty materials; basic minerals, and pet products. Its principal products are marketed under various registered trade names, including VOLCLAY, PANTHER CREEK, PREMIUM GEL, ADDITROL, ENERSOL, and Hevi-Sand.

The Company�� metalcasting products include blended mineral binders containing sodium and calcium bentonite and organic additives sold under the trade name ADDITROL. I! n the ferrous casting market, the Company specializes in blending bentonite of various grades by themselves or with mineral binders containing sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, seacoal and other ingredients. It also has a line of formulated additives that introduce silicon and carbon in the melt phase of the casting process. In the steel alloy casting market, it sells a chromite product with a particle size distribution specific to a customer�� needs.

The Company�� specialty materials products contain bentonite and synthetic additives offering solutions for consumer and industrial applications. It also offers products for bio-agricultural applications. The markets and applications of its specialty materials products include fabric care, personal care, basic materials and pet products. It supply high-grade, agglomerated bentonite and other mineral additives used in fabric care products. It manufactures adsorbent polymers and purified grades of bentonite for sale to manufacturers of personal skin care products. The adsorbent polymers are used to deliver high-value actives in skin-care products. Microsponge and Poly-Pore are the principal trade names under which these products are sold. Its basic minerals product line supplies minerals to a variety of markets and industrial applications, including drilling fluid additives, ferro alloys and other industrial.

The Company�� pet products include sodium bentonite-based scoopable (clumping), traditional and alternative cat litters, as well as specialty pet products sold to grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and pet specialty stores throughout the United States. It is primarily a private-label producer of cat litter, and its products are marketed under various trade names. These products are sold solely in the United States from three principal sites from which it package and distribute finished goods. Its transportation segment provides logistics services and is a component of its capability in supplyi! ng custom! ers on a national basis.

Construction Technologies Segment

The Company�� construction technologies segment serves customers engaged in a range of construction projects, including site remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well and horizontal drilling. Its construction technologies segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout the world. This segment consists of four product lines: building materials; contracting services; drilling products, and lining technologies.

The Company sells lining and other products for a variety of applications, most of which are directed to preserving or remediating environmental issues. It helps customers protect ground water and soil through the sale of geosynthetic clay liner products containing bentonite. It market these products under the BENTOMAT and CLAYMAX trade names principally for lining and capping landfills, mine waste disposal sites, water and wastewater lagoons, secondary containments in tank farms, and other contaminated sites. It also provides associated geosynthetic materials for these applications, including geotextiles and drainage geocomposites.

The Company�� lining technologies product line also includes specialized technologies to mitigate vapor intrusion in new building construction. It also provides reactive capping technologies and solutions to contain residual contamination, reduce costs associated with ex-situ remedies, and aid in environmental protection. Products offered include Liquid Boot, a liquid applied vapor barrier system; REACTIVE CORE-MAT, an in-situ sediment capping material; ORGANOCLAY, which absorbs organic containments, and QUIK-SOLID, a super absorbent media.

The Company offer a variety of active and passive waterproofing and greenroof technolog! ies for u! se in protecting the building envelope of non-residential constructions, including buildings, subways, and parkway systems. Its products include VOLTEX, a waterproofing composite comprised of two polypropylene geotextiles filled with sodium bentonite; ULTRASEAL, an advanced membrane using a active polymer core, and COREFLEX, featuring heat-welded seams for protection of critical infrastructure. In addition to these membrane materials, it also provides roofing products and a variety of sealants and other accessories required to create a functional waterproofing system.

The Company drilling products are used in environmental and geotechnical drilling applications, horizontal directional drilling, mineral exploration and foundation construction. The products are used to install monitoring wells, facilitate horizontal and water well drilling, and seal abandoned exploration drill holes. VOLCLAY GROUT, HYDRAUL-EZ, BENTOGROUT and VOLCLAY TABLETS are among the trade names for products used in these applications. It also offer a range of drilling products used in the excavation of foundations for large buildings, bridges and dams; these products include SHORE PAC and PREMIUM GEL. Contracting services, which involve installation of products, are occasionally offered to customers for select projects.

Energy Services Segment

The Company�� energy services segment provides services to improve the production, costs, compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in the oil and gas industry. Operating as CETCO Energy Services, it offer a range of patented technologies, products and services for all phases of oil and gas production, transportation, refining, and storage throughout the world. It provide both land-based and offshore water treatment, well testing, pipeline separation, nitrogen, coil tubing and other services to the oil and gas industry. The Company provides its services through subsidiaries located in Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Ki! ngdom, an! d the United States, principally in the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding on-shore area. Its principal services include water treatment, coil tubing, well testing, nitrogen services and pipeline. The Company helps customers comply with regulatory requirements by providing equipment, technologies, personnel and filtration media to treat waste water generated during oil production.

The Company's coil tubing services utilize metal piping, which comes spooled on a large reel. It provide both equipment and operating personnel to perform services ranging from acid stimulation, reverse circulation, cementing, pressure control, nitrogen injection, and other operations that involve pumping fluids into a well. Horizontal wells and shale completions are a large component of its operations. It provide equipment and personnel to help customers control well production, as well as to clean up, unload, separate, measure component flow, and dispose of fluids from oil and gas wells. Nitrogen services are provided in jetting wells that are loaded with fluid; stimulating wells, including fracturizing and acidizing; displacing completion fluids prior to perforating; inflating flotation devices for offshore installations, and pressure testing and other maintenance activities.

Transportation Segment

The Company operates a long-haul trucking business through Ameri-Co Carriers, Inc., and a freight brokerage business through Ameri-Co Logistics, Inc. primarily for delivery of finished products throughout the continental United States. These services are provided to its subsidiaries, as well as third-party customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  In trading on Friday, Basic Materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by 0.78 percent. Top gainer in the sector was AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO), up 9 percent.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO  ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 26. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict AMCOL International's revenues will grow 1.6% and EPS will wither -16.9%.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Invest In 2015: Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL (CBN)

Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL is a Lebanon-based joint stock company that operates in the construction materials industry sector. The Company is engaged in the production and sale of white cement. The Company is a 65.99% owned by Holcim (Liban) SAL. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CanadianValue]

  Nigeria�� reformed banking system has provided many foreigners with an attractive means to invest in the fast-growing domestic economy. The banking industry is important, not only because of the rise of microfinance, but because of the move by banks into consumer banking. Until recently, banks were mainly financing large businesses or the government through bond purchases. Following a banking crisis in 2008, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) conducted an audit of the commercial banking sector. All banks that failed the audit had their CEOs replaced. The state-owned Asset Management Corporation (AMCON) was created to purchase non-performing loans and recapitalize the unhealthy banks. A recent review of the country�� banks by the IMF showed a dramatic increase in profits for the industry in 2012, while the capital adequacy ratio was above the minimum requirement of 10% and non-performing loans were below the mandated threshold of 5%5.