Top 5 Cheapest Companies For 2015: Altra Holdings Inc.(AIMC) Altra Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Altra Industrial Motion, Inc., designs, produces, and markets a range of mechanical power transmission and motion control products worldwide. The company provides industrial clutches and brakes for elevators, forklifts, lawn mowers, oil well draw works, punch presses, and conveyors; open and enclosed gearing products for conveyors, ethanol mixers, packaging machinery, and metal processing equipment; and engineered couplings for extruders, turbines, steel strip mills, and pumps. It also offers engineered bearing assemblies for cargo rollers, seat storage systems, and conveyors; power transmission components for conveyors, lawn mowers, and machine tools; and engineered belted drives for pumps, sand and gravel conveyors, and industrial fans. The company sells its products under the Warner Electric, Boston Gear, TB Wood?s, Kilian, Nuttall Gear, Ameridrives, Wichita Clutch, Formsprag Clutch, Bibby Transmissions, Stieber, Matrix, In ertia Dynamics, Twiflex, Industrial Clutch, Huco Dynatork, Marland Clutch, Delroyd, Warner Linear, and Bauer Gear Motor brands through its sales force, industrial distributors, and independent sales representatives. It serves aerospace, energy, food processing, general industrial, material handling, mining, petrochemical, transportation, and turf and garden markets. The company is headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Seth Jayson]
When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Altra Holdings (Nasdaq: AIMC ) . source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://ww! w.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-cheapest-companies-for-2015.html
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Among the shares expected to see active trade in Wednesday's session are those of Michael Kors Holdings Ltd., Toll Brothers Inc. and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. Michael Kors (KORS) is projected to report fiscal-fourth-quarter earnings of 68 cents a share, according to a consensus survey by FactSet. Analysts at Wedbush reiterated the stock's outperform rating and raised its 12-month price target to $108 from $100.  Getty Images  Enlarge Image Toll Brothers (TOL) is forecast to post fiscal-second-quarter earnings of 27 cents a share. The stock is rated underperform with a price target of $28 at Sterne Agee. Cracker Barrel (CBRL) is expected to report earnings of $1.22 a share in the fiscal third quarter. DSW Inc. (DSW) is seen posting first-quarter earnings of 48 cents a share. Palo Alto Networks Inc. (PANW) is forecast to report earnings of 10 cents a share in the fiscal third quarter. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. (PLKI) is expected to report first-quarter earnings of 45 cents a share. After Tuesday's closing bell, Workday Inc. (WDAY) reported an adjusted first-quarter loss of 13 cents a share, narrower than the loss of 15 cents a share projected by analysts. Shares of the enterprise cloud-application company rose 6.2% in after-hours trading. 3D Systems Corp. (DDD) said late Tuesday that is will be offering about 6 million shares in a secondary offering. 3D Systems dropped 4.6% in extended trading. More MarketWatch news: Van Doorn: Dividend stocks that offset inflation in retirement Apple's best close in almost 2 years Penny-stock email pitches surge in 2013
When the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) issued its weekly purchase applications report on Wednesday, the group noted without comment that interest rates for a conforming mortgage (less than $417,000) were 4.73%. Interest rates for a nonconforming (jumbo) loan of more than $417,000 had dropped to 4.71%. Jumbo loans have never before carried a lower interest rate than a conforming loan. The difference is not very great, obviously, but the switch indicates that interest-rate volatility in the face of an expected tapering of Fed asset purchases (which include mortgage bonds) makes a jumbo mortgage loan a more attractive opportunity for cash-rich lenders. Conforming loans are more likely to be packaged and sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, while jumbo loans are now more likely to be retained on a lender's balance sheet. Because the banks have more control over their own balance sheets, the interest rate they charge for a jumbo loan reflects the attractiveness of the loan and the borrower more than it reflects bond prices. Home buyers who qualify for a jumbo loan typically have more income and are better candidates to purchase other banking services such as credit cards and brokerage accounts. An executive at Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) told The Wall Street Journal that "the current inversion between jumbo and conforming rates could last 'for the foreseeable future' so long as banks' cost of funds stays at its current level and loan demand doesn't rise sharply." Wells Fargo is the country's leading mortgage lender.
NEW YORK (AP) — When it comes to shopping, more Americans are skipping the stores and pulling out their smartphones and tablets. Still, there's more on the horizon for shopping than just point-and-clicking. No one thinks physical stores are going away permanently. But because of the frenetic pace of advances in technology and online shopping, the stores that remain will likely offer amenities and services that are more about experiences and less about selling a product. Think: Apple stores. Among the things industry watchers are envisioning are holograms in dressing rooms that will allow shoppers to try on clothes without getting undressed. Their homes will be equipped with smart technology that will order light bulbs before they go dark. And they'll be able to print out a full version of coffee cups and other products using 3-D technology in stores. "Physical shopping will become a lot more fun because it's going to have to be," retail futurist Doug Stephens says. More services Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru says stores of the future will be more about services, like day care, veterinary services and beauty services. Services that connect online and offline shopping could increase as well, with more drive-thru pickup and order-online, pick-up-in-store services. Checkout also will be self-service or with cashiers using computer tablets. Some stores are taking self-service further: A store in Seattle called Hointer displays clothing not in piles or on racks but as one piece hanging at a time, like a gallery. Shoppers just touch their smartphones to a coded tag on the item and then select a color and size on their phone. Technology in the store keeps track of the items, and by the time a shopper is ready to try them on, they're already at the dressing room. If the shopper doesn't like an item, he tosses it down a chute, which automatically removes the item from the shopper's online shopping cart. The shopper keeps the items that he or she wants, which ! are purchased automatically when leaving the store, no checkout involved. Nadia Shouraboura, Hointer's CEO, says once shoppers get used to the process, they're hooked. On-demand coupons Some stores like British retailer Tesco and drugstore Duane Reade now are testing beacons, Bluetooth-enabled devices that can communicate directly with your cellphone to offer discounts, direct you to a desired product in a store or enable you to pay remotely. For example, you can walk into a drugstore where you normally buy face cream. The beacon would recognize your smartphone, connect it with past purchasing history and send you a text or email with a coupon for the cream. "The more we know about customers … you can use promotions on not a macro level but a micro level," says Kasey Lobaugh, chief retail innovation officer at Deloitte Consulting. A store could offer a mother 20 percent off on Mother's Day, for example, or offer frequent buyers of paper towels a discount on bulk purchases. 3-D Printing Within 10 years, 3-D printing could make a major disruption in retail, Deloitte's Lobaugh predicts. Take a simple item like a coffee cup. Instead of producing one in China, transporting it and distributing it to retail stores, you could just download the code for the coffee cup and 3-D print it at a retail outlet or in your own home. "That starts a dramatic change in terms of the structure of retail," Lobaugh said. And while 3-D printing today is primarily plastic, Lobaugh says there are tests at places like MIT Media Lab and elsewhere with other materials, including fabric. Right now a few stores offer rudimentary 3-D-printing services, but they are very limited. He predicts the shift will come in 10 to 20 years. Order yourself Steve Yankovich, head of innovation for eBay, thinks someday buying household supplies won't take any effort at all. He says someday a connected home could be able to use previous customer history and real-time data the house reco! rds to se! nse when a light bulb burns out, for example, and order a new one automatically. Or a washing machine will order more detergent when it runs low. "A box could show up on porch with this disparate set of 10 things the connected home and eBay determined you needed to keep things running smoothly," he says. "It's called zero-effort commerce." Holograms EBay recently bought PhiSix, a company working on creating life-size 3-D models of clothing that can be used in dressing rooms to instantly try on different colors of clothing or different styles. You can see 30 or 40 items of clothing realistically without physically trying them on. EBay's Yankovich says the technology can be used in a virtual dressing room as well, showing what the clothes look like when you are, say, walking down the street or hitting a golf club. Some companies have been testing this already. British digital agency Engage created a Virtual Style Pod that scanned shoppers and created a life-size image onto which luxury clothing from brands like Alexander McQueen and DKNY were projected. The Pod was displayed in shopping centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Best Forestry Stocks For 2015: NTN Buzztime Inc (NTN) NTN Buzztime, Inc. (Buzztime), incorporated in 1984, is an interactive entertainment network. The Company provides media, advertising and consumer marketing services. The Company's games, as of December 31, 2011, were available in over 3,900 locations in the United States and Canada, where they are shown on approximately 20,000 screens daily. The Company has over 2.4 million registered users and over 52 million games is played each year. The Company generates revenues by charging subscription fees for its service to its Network Subscribers and also from the sale of advertising aired on in-venue screens, as well as in conjunction with customized games. Approximately 34% of the Company's Network Subscriber venues, as of December 31, 2011, were related to national and regional restaurants and includes Wild Wings, Black Angus, Hooters, Native New Yorker and Old Chicago. In October 2011, the Company acquired the Stump! Trivia hosted live trivia business. The Compa ny's Buzztime Network system uses a 900 mega hertz (MHz) wireless Playmaker, a hand-held radio frequency device with a monochrome liquid crystal display (LCD) display and sealed keypad that players use to enter choices and selections. The Playmakers have been manufactured primarily by a non-affiliated manufacturer in Taiwan and are a rugged combination of hardware and firmware optimized for hospitality environments. The Company also offers the Buzztime Mobile Playmaker, an application that allows its players to interact in-venue with its game content using iPhones, iPod Touches and Android phones. The Company's primary product is the distribution of a variety of multi-player interactive games that entertain and challenge a player's skill and knowledge while prompting the customer of the hospitality venue. The Company provides premium trivia competitions during evening hours, particularly in the restaurants and sports bars. In addition to game interaction, ! other consumer features available on the Playmaker include player ! chat and real-time sports scores transmitted directly to the units. The Company has developed and produced a number of interactive sports games, including predicts the Play sports games. Predict the Play sports games call for participants to predict the outcome of events before they happen, primarily in an intensive play-by-play method. One such game in this category is QB1, a live, play-along football game. In addition to the Company's Predict the Play games, the Company offers a series of pre-event prediction games. Race Day consists of two game play components: one predictive before the race and one trivia during the race. The Company offers a suite of Playmaker only games. This suite of games is independent of the Buzztime Network and they are played directly on the Company's wireless Playmakers rather than on one of the television screens in the hospitality venue. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has Playmaker Poker, Acey Duecey, Crystal B all and Shark Attack Playmaker only games. The Company competes with Touchtunes Interactive Networks, The Answer Is . . . Productions Inc. and Livewire/Incredible Technologies, Inc. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Damian Illia]
Another initiative introduced in the guest experience business model is the installment of tablets in all of its restaurants to provide exclusive social gaming opportunities. Teaming up with NTN Buzztime Inc. (NTN) Buffalo uses Beond tablets to allow guests order food and drinks, play games, and pay their bill. Also, the three-year collaboration with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has enabled the company to be an authorized hangout for the NCAA March Madness sports series, increasing visibility as a brand and attracting more customers to their outlets. These efforts, along with more intense advertising initiatives, new point-of-sales programs, improved supply chain and remodeling of its! restaura! nts are expected to boost sales, and strengthen the business in the long run. Buffalo Wild Wings has selected the NCR Corp. (NCR) Aloha Online Ordering solution for its locations to help drive its takeout ordering business. The NCR technology will enable Buffalo to handle both on and off-premise transactions within one system. source from Top Penny Stocks:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-forestry-stocks-for-2015.html
BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- On the off chance you're just checking in your portfolio after sitting out of the market for the last five months, you haven't missed much.
>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar Since the calendar flipped to January, the S&P 500 has climbed a whopping 2.4%. Breakneck gains those aren't, particularly when compared to the nonstop rally of 2013. But even those paltry returns are wishful thinking for most investors; while the big indices are sitting just a few points shy of all-time highs, the average stock in the S&P has pulled back double-digits from their highs.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that the biggest gains this year haven't come from picking the right stocks. They've come from avoiding the wrong ones.
And as summer approaches, a growing list of names is looking very wrong. Today, I'll show you five big "toxic stocks" you need to unload before the next leg down.
>>5 Dividend Stocks Ready to Pay You More in 2014 Just to be clear, the companies I'm talking about today aren't exactly junk. By that, I mean they're not next up in line at bankruptcy court. But that's frankly irrelevant; from a technical analysis standpoint, sellers are shoving around these toxic stocks right now. For that reason, fundamental investors need to decide how long they're willing to take the pain if they want to hold onto these firms in the weeks and months ahead. And for investors looking to buy one of these positions, it makes sense to wait for more favorable technical conditions (and a lower share price) before piling in.
For the unfamiliar, technical analysis is a way for investors to quantify qualitative factors, such as investor psychology, based on a stock's price action and trends. Once the domain of cloistered trading teams on Wall Street, technicals can help top traders make consistently profitable trades and can aid fundamental investors in better planning their stock execution.
>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now So without further ado, let's take a look at five "toxic stocks" you should be unloading.
Lockheed Martin
Up first is defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin (LMT), a $52 billion name that's been rallying hard for the last year. Over the trailing 12 months, Lockheed is up more than 52%. But the buying frenzy in LMT could be coming to an end thanks to a classic reversal pattern that's been forming in shares since the middle of February.
Lockheed Martin is currently forming a double top, a bearish reversal pattern that looks just like it sounds. The double top is formed by a pair of swing highs that max out at approximately the same price level. The sell signal comes when the trough that separates the two highs gets violated. For LMT, that breakdown level is right at $155. If $155 gets taken out, it's time to be a seller.
Momentum, measured by 14-day RSI, provides some foreshadowing for downside in LMT. While price was steady over the two tops in this stock, our momentum gauge failed to do the same. That's a big red flag. Short sellers should keep a protective stop at the 50-day moving average.
Gentex
Mid-cap car component maker Gentex (GNTX) is another name that's looking toxic this week -- only that's nothing new for this stock in 2014. Shares of GNTX have been making their way lower all year, dragged down by weakness in the automotive sector as a whole. But this week, a bearish continuation pattern is pointing to even more downside from here.
GNTX is currently forming a descending triangle, a bearish price setup that's formed by downtrending resistance above shares and horizontal support to the downside at $28.50. Basically, as Gentex bounces in between those two technical levels, shares are getting squeezed closer to a breakdown below that $28.50 price floor; when that happens, we've got our sell signal.
Another indicator, relative strength (not to be confused with RSI), is the side signal that's pointing to downside in GNTX in May. Relative strength has been trending lower since January, indicating that this name isn't just moving lower -- it's also woefully underperforming the broad market in 2014. When $28.50 gets violated, GNTX is a sell.
Thermo Fisher Scientific
You don't have to be an expert technical trader to figure out what's going on in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) -- a quick glance at the chart should tell you just about everything you need to know about where this $46 billion scientific equipment maker is heading in the near-term.
TMO is currently bouncing its way lower in a textbook downtrending channel. The setup is formed by a pair of parallel trend lines: a resistance line above shares, and a support line below them. Those two lines on the chart provide traders with the high-probability range for Thermo Fisher's shares to stay within. When it comes to trend channels, up is good and down is bad; it's really as simple as that. And as shares bounce off of trend line resistance for a sixth time in this short span, it makes sense to sell the bounce.
Waiting for that move down before clicking "sell" is a critical part of risk management, for two big reasons: Ot's the spot where prices are the highest within the channel, and alternatively it's the spot where you'll get the first indication that the downtrend is ending. Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're confirming that sellers are still in control before you unload shares of TMO.
Regions Financial
$14 billion banking stock Regions Financial (RF) is another name that looks toxic to your portfolio in May. Shares of RF have spent the last five months establishing a classical head and shoulders top pattern, an indication that this name could have much lower ground ahead of it. And now, Regions' bears are getting a second chance at a low risk entry to bet against shares.
The head and shoulders pattern is a setup that indicates exhaustion among buyers. The setup is formed by two swing highs that top out at approximately the same level (the shoulders), separated by a higher high (the head). The sell signal comes on a move through RF's neckline, which is currently right above $10. That means that the sell signaled in Regions last week.
Since then, shares of RF have pulled back to re-test newfound resistance at that $10 neckline level. While a pullback might look bullish at first, it's actually quite the opposite -- a bounce lower off of that $10 level in the next few sessions serves as confirmation that sellers still outnumber buyers here. If you're looking to short this name, selling the bounce provides a high reward-to-risk scenario.
Northern Trust
Not surprisingly, we're seeing the exact same setup in shares of another banking name: Northern Trust (NTRS). Like Regions, Northern Trust is currently forming a head and shoulders pattern, but the big difference here is that the setup hasn't triggered yet. For NTRS, the sell signal comes on a breakdown below the stock's $58 neckline.
Why the significance at $58? Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to keep buyers and sellers in mind. Patterns like head and shoulders setups and double tops are a good way to quickly describe what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.
That horizontal $58 neckline level in NTRS is the spot where there's previously been an excess of demand for shares; in other words, it's a price where buyers have been more eager to step in and buy shares at a lower price than sellers were to sell. That's what makes a breakdown below support so significant -- the move means that sellers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess demand at the at price level.
For the best risk/reward tradeoff, wait for the next move lower before selling Northern Trust.
To see this week's trades in action, check out the Toxic Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.
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>>3 Stocks Under $10 Triggering Breakouts
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At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.
Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation. Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji
 Related BZSUM Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets Drift Higher Amid A Flurry Of Weekend M&A Activity Mid-Day Market Update: Campbell Soup Slides After Weak Forecast; InterMune Shares Spike Higher Markets moved higher Monday after a weak morning to recover lost ground from last week's sharp sell off. Major Averages The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 20.55 points, or 0.12 percent, to 16,512.00. The S&P 500 climbed 7.22 points, or 0.38 percent, to 1,885.00. The Nasdaq Composite gained 35.23 points, or 0.86 percent, to close at 4,126.00. Top Stories Sunday night AT&T (NYSE: T) and DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) officially announced intentions for AT&T to acquire DirecTV. The deal assigns DirecTV a $67.1 billion enterprise value. DirecTV shareholders will receive most of the payout in AT&T stock and about a third in cash. The United State Attorney General Eric Holder announced indictments against five Chinese officers for online espionage. These are the first charges of their kind and have gotten a mixed response from domestic markets. Stock Movers Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ: RYAAY) shares were up nearly 6.97 percent into the close to $54.53 after the company reported full-year results. Ryanair's net profit for the year ended March 31 slipped to 522.8 million euros ($716 million), versus a year-ago profit of 569.3 million euros. Shares of InterMune (NASDAQ: ITMN) got a boost, shooting up 12.82 percent to $38.71 after the company presented Phase 3 ASCEND study of Pirfenidone in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Leerink upgraded the stock from Market Perform to Outperform. Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN) were down 12.01 percent to $70.64 after the company's board rejected the new $119 billion takeover offer from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). LifeLock (NYSE: LOCK) was also down, falling 17.57 percent to $10.70 after the company announced Friday that it had halted its mobile wallet service, shocking the street. Provectus Biopharmaceuticals (NYSE: PVCT) was also down, falling 3.38 percent to $3.01, letting out some air after the company's opening on the NYSE Friday. Commodities Energy prices were mostly down Tuesday, with WTI and Brent mixed. Near the close of equities, WTI crude futures were up 0.59 percent to $102.62. Brent futures dropped 0.36 percent to $109.36. Natural gas was last up 1.36 percent on the day. Precious metals were mostly flat for the day. At last check, COMEX gold futures were up 0.06 percent to $1,294.20. Silver contracts gained just 0.16 percent to $19.36 near the close of equities. Global Markets Asian markets were mostly down last night. The Shanghai index fell 1.05 percent with Hong Kong's Hang Seng down 0.04 percent. Japanese markets were also down, with the Nikkei dropping 0.64 percent. European markets were mixed on the day. The Euro Stoxx index, which tracks 50 eurozone blue chips gained 0.09 percent percent. London's FTSE gave up 0.16 percent, and France's CAC added 0.30 percent. Currencies The US dollar once again tanked on the expectation that the Federal Reserve will not reduce its stimulus. The PowerShares ETF (NYSE: UUP) that tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of foreign currencies fell 0.02 percent to 21.39. The closely watched EUR/USD pair gained 0.712 percent to $1.371. The other big mover on the day is the USD/RUB, which fell 0.6 percent. Volume and Volatility After a week of heavy volume, trading normalized Tuesday. Only 50.89 million shares of the S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY) traded hands, compared to a three month average of 117.16 million. After leaping higher mid-morning, volatility died down for the day. The CBOE measure of S&P 500 (VIX) fell 0.32 percent to 12.40. Posted-In: China Eric Holder Europe Gold Japan SilverEarnings News Commodities Forex Econ #s Economics After-Hours Center Markets Analyst Ratings Movers Best of Benzinga © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Most Popular Weekly Highlights: Apple's Rumored 3D Printer, Apple/Beats Deal And More Surface Mini Rumor Roundup Stocks To Watch For May 19, 2014 #PreMarket Primer: Monday, May 19: DirecTV Rises On Offer From AT&T; AstraZeneca Rejects Pfizer Bid Shares Of Dish Respond To Rumors Of Verizon Soft Talks UPDATE: Raymond James Upgrades AT&T Following Acquisition Announcemnt Related Articles (AZN + BZSUM) Ligand-AstraZeneca Collaborate - Analyst Blog Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Monday May 19, 2014 Market Wrap for May 19: Markets Finish Higher On M&A Monday Mid-Day Market Movers Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets Drift Higher Amid A Flurry Of Weekend M&A Activity ISI Says A
In today's economy, application software plays a pivotal role due to the growth of mobile as well as cloud software. Unlike the olden times when all the applications were confined to a few types of computers, presently the application of softwares has become more varied. Due to the development in technology, software can work and be accessed more efficiently through mobile, internet, and cloud functions. Adobe Systems (ADBE) is the one which has created a revolution in this technology field. This San Jose, Calif.-based company offers a line of software and services used by professionals, marketers, knowledge workers, application developers, enterprises and consumers for creating, managing, delivering, measuring and engaging with content and experiences across multiple operating systems, devices and media. Adobe has three business segments: Digital Media, Digital Marketing, and Print and Publishing. The company distributes its products through a network of distributors, value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators, independent software vendors (ISVs), retailers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Adobe is one of the largest software companies in the world. The firm's flagship offering in its digital media business is Adobe Creative Cloud, which allows customers to download the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite products (like Photoshop). The firm also continues to focus on digital marketing solutions. Performance at a Glance Adobe's Document Services ARR grew from $143 million exiting the fourth quarter to $164 million exiting quarter one. Total Document Services subscriptions – spanning EchoSign, Create PDF Online and related services – grew to nearly 1.8 million. The company's cash flow from operations was $252 million, and deferred revenue grew by $52 million to a record $881 million. Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen explained that the unexpectedly strong sales came from rapid adoption of Adobe's new cloud-based software suites. The shift away from straight-up license purchases and into renewable contract subscriptions is also working out better than planned. "We achieved a significant milestone with our transition to the cloud in our first quarter with more than half of Adobe's total revenue coming from recurring sources such as Creative Cloud subscriptions and Adobe Marketing Cloud adoption," said CFO Mark Garrett. Further, this application software giant is targeting its Q2 share count to be 508 million to 510 million shares, net non-operating expense to be between $16 million and $18 million on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis, and Q2 tax rate of 28% to 29% on a GAAP and 21% on a non-GAAP basis. These targets will yield a Q2 GAAP earnings per share range of 6 cents to 12 cents, and a Q2 non-GAAP earnings per share range of 26 cents to 32 cents. On March 10, 2014, Department of Defense (DoD) has entered into a three-year Joint Enterprise Licensing Agreement with Adobe which will result in expanded access to Adobe software across branches and departments. The agreement provides the U.S. Army, U.S Air Force and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) the ability to standardize on Adobe Creative Cloud products, Adobe Acrobat, and capabilities of Adobe Experience Manager. Adobe expects to have nearly 3 million paid CC individual and team subscriptions by the end of fiscal 2014. This means it will need to add over 30,000 paid users per week in 2014, 40% more than the 2013 weekly subscription rate of 21,000. This would give the company total annual recurring revenue of approximately $1.6 billion from CC. The company has also disclosed that it expects to end the year with over $2.5 billion of digital media revenue at a growth rate of 20% year over year. Furthermore, Adobe expects revenues from its digital marketing cloud to grow by 20% year over year. Adobe Muse When I think of Adobe, the first things that come to mind are Flash, and Acrobat—or more precisely the Reader utility used to view the PDF documents created by Acrobat. When I think of creating content with Adobe Creative Cloud, I think of PhotoShop and Illustrator. I was not aware that Adobe even had a dedicated product for designing websites, and was surprised to find that Adobe Muse is among the suite of tools available with a Creative Cloud subscription. Muse is the new kid on the block when it comes to the tools in Adobe's Creative Cloud suite. It has been around for less than two years, but Adobe has iterated major revisions roughly every three months—making significant strides in features and performance over a relatively short period of time. Altering Business Model Adobe is mainly known for its software, such as Photoshop, but the company has been embracing the cloud and significantly altered its business model over the past few years. The company has shifted from selling software licenses to selling subscriptions to its Creative Cloud, a service that delivers all of Adobe's software for a monthly fee. Along with this shift, Adobe has been pushing into other areas as well, and one of these is a service that allows broadcasters to deliver video to any device while utilizing an advanced advertising and analytics system. NBC teamed up with Adobe in 2012 for the London Olympics, but the back end of the system was handled by Google's (GOOGL) YouTube. This year, Microsoft's Azure cloud is providing the muscle, and if everything goes as planned, the experience should be much smoother for viewers. Adobe's push into media services seems to be paying off, and the Olympics could lead to more business for the company. Final Thoughts Cloud technology has caught up with people's desire to stream events live on any device, and the Sochi Olympics will provide Adobe a ground to prove. By providing live streams to cable subscribers, NBC has given people a real reason to stay with cable instead of cutting the cord, and big sporting events may end up being cable's savior in a world where streaming services seem to be taking over. Adobe's Creative Cloud project is the main catalyst to deliver strong results. The company has an amazing pipeline of innovation that will deliver in the coming months, as well as plans to differentiate itself by further integrating its Cloud businesses. Adobe has attractive valuation and strong exposure to the growing trends in the industry. The company remains committed to its long-term targets, and therefore I am pretty bullish that this application software giant won't let its valued customers as well as investors down on the long run. | Currently 0.00/512345 Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes) | |
 Subscribe via Email  Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment: More GuruFocus Links | Latest Guru Picks | Value Strategies | | Warren Buffett Portfolio | Ben Graham Net-Net | | Real Time Picks | Buffett-Munger Screener | | Aggregated Portfolio | Undervalued Predictable | | ETFs, Options | Low P/S Companies | | Insider Trends | 10-Year Financials | | 52-Week Lows | Interactive Charts | | Model Portfolios | DCF Calculator | RSS Feed  | Monthly Newsletters | | The All-In-One Screener | Portfolio Tracking Tool |  MORE GURUFOCUS LINKS | Latest Guru Picks | Value Strategies | | Warren Buffett Portfolio | Ben Graham Net-Net | | Real Time Picks | Buffett-Munger Screener | | Aggregated Portfolio | Undervalued Predictable | | ETFs, Options | Low P/S Companies | | Insider Trends | 10-Year Financials | | 52-Week Lows | Interactive Charts | | Model Portfolios | DCF Calculator | | RSS Feed | Monthly Newsletters | | The All-In-One Screener | Portfolio Tracking Tool | ADBE STOCK PRICE CHART  62.2 (1y: +40%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='ADBE',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1369026000000,44.29],[1369112400000,44.02],[1369198800000,43.17],[1369285200000,42.77],[1369371600000,42.43],[1369717200000,42.91],[1369803600000,42.6],[1369890000000,43.19],[1369976400000,42.91],[1370235600000,43.46],[1370322000000,44.39],[1370408400000,43.84],[1370494800000,43.57],[1370581200000,44.12],[1370840400000,44.09],[1370926800000,43.12],[1371013200000,42.72],[1371099600000,43.3],[1371186000000,42.84],[1371445200000,43.39],[1371531600000,43.36],[1371618000000,45.78],[1371704400000,44.895],[1371790800000,44.77],[1372050000000,43.6],[1372136400000,44.37],[1372222800000,45.68],[1372309200000,45.93],[1372395600000,45.56],[1372654800000,46.235],[1372741200000,46.03],[1372827600000,46.42],[1373000400000,47],[1373259600000,46.625],[1373346000000,47.26],[1373432400000,47.25],[1373518800000,47.99],[1373605200000,48.39],[1373864400000,48.12],[1373950800000,47.485],[1374037200000,48.04],[1374123600000,48.19],[1374210000000,48.07],[1374469200000,48.28],[1374555600000,48.07],[1374642000000,47.8],[1374728400000,47.79],[1374814800000,47.64],[1375074000000,47.17],[1375160400000,47.36],[1375246800000,47.28],[1375333200000,47.7],[1375419600000,47.45],[1375678800000,47.63],[1375765200000,47.39],[1375851600000,47.1],[1375938000000,47.51],[1376024400000,47.18],[1376283600000,47.2],[1376370000000,47.14],[1376456400000,46.84],[1376542800000,45.87],[1376629200000,45.4],[1376888400000,44.89],[1376974800000,45.07],[1377061200000,45.14],[1377147600000,45.68],[1377234000000,45.77],[1377493200000,46.06],[1377579600000,45.5],[1377666000000,45.53],[1377752400000,45.93],[1377838800000,45.75],[1378184400000,45.88],[1378270800000,46.93],[1378357200000,46.731],[1378443600000,46.87],[1378702800000,47.25],[1378789200000,48.02],[1378875600000,48.2],[1378962000000,47.64],[1379048400000,47.76],[1379307600000,48.14],[1379394000000,48.14],[1379480400000,52.58],[1379566800000,51.869],[1379653200000,52.31],[1! 379912400000,51.8],[1379998800000,51.42],[1380085200000,51.87],[1380171600000,52.1],[1380258000000,52.03],[1380517200000,51.94],[1380603600000,52.43],[1380690000000,51.52],[1380776400000,50.88],[1380862800000,51.57],[1381122000000,50.82],[1381208400000,49.58],[1381294800000,49.45],[1381381200000,51.165],[1381467600000,52.19],[1381726800000,52.63],[1381813200000,51.93],[1381899600000,51.91],[1381986000000,52.065],[1382072400000,52.63],[1382331600000,53.08],[1382418000000,53.17],[1382504400000,53.06],[1382590800000,54.21],[1382677200000,53.81],[1382936400000,53.93],[1383022800000,54.86],[1383109200000,54.1],[1383195600000,54.22],[1383282000000,54.61],[1383544800000,55.39],[1383631200000,54.79],[1383717600000,54.88],[1383804000000,53.168],[1383890400000,54.84],[1384149600000,56.18],[1384236000000,56.24],[1384322400000,57.55],[1384408800000,57.17],[1384495200000,57.35],[1384754400000,56.6],[1384840800000,55.77],[1384927200000,55.94],[1385013600000,56.23],[1385100000000,56.41],[1385359200000,56.95],[1385445600000,56.7],[1385532000000,56.91],[1385704800000,56.78],[138596400
A ho-hum interest rate environment can lull borrowers into thinking that cheap money will be with us, well, nearly forever and one might think talking about rates isn't relevant. But savers, borrowers and market watchers are wise to prepare for changes in the wind, even if huge rate increases aren't on near-term forecasts. High school grads heading to college should bank on higher rates ahead for college loans. "I expect interest rates on federal education loans to continue to rise each year for the next several years, especially as the Federal Reserve board stops manipulating interest rates," said Mark Kantrowitz of Edvisors.com. As of July 1, federal student loan rates will edge up. Rates overall will be up 0.8% compared to current rates. Federal Stafford Loans for undergraduate students will be 4.66% — up from 3.86%. Federal Stafford Loans for graduate students will be 6.21% — up from 5.41%. Federal Grad PLUS and Federal Parent PLUS Loans will be at 7.21% — up from 6.41%. The higher rates add about $46 to $49 a year to borrowing costs for every $10,000 in student loans borrowed on a 10-year term. Total costs would increase by $460 to $492 over a 10-year repayment term of the loans, Kantrowitz said. Last year, federal student loan rates were unusually low, with nowhere to go but up, Kantrowitz said. But by next year, he predicts rates could be higher than 6.8% on the Stafford loan and higher than 7.9% on PLUS loans. Kantrowitz said he predicted rates would start heading up when Congress switched the way student loan rates are handled. Now interest rates are fixed, but each year's loans are at a new fixed rate. Congress changed the interest-rate formula in August, retroactive to July 1, 2013. Feel like your credit card debt is under control because you can make the minimum payments? Or ready to borrow more because you found a limited-time offer at 0%? Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com, said shoppers wo! uld be wise to pay down their credit card debt now to avoid higher interest rates in the future. When overall rates climb higher, rates will jump on variable-rate credit cards and the minimum payment goes up too. "2014 may be your last hurrah for paying down that debt in an environment with the tailwind of lower interest rates rather than the headwind of rising rates," McBride said. McBride said he would not be surprised to see credit card rates climb in the next year or so. "You better have a game plan for paying it back," McBride said. Rates for savers haven't shown much sign of life for quite some time, but that can could change too. "The lift-off on short-term rates by the Fed is still close to a year away (give or take a few months)," according to a May report by Diane Swonk, chief economist for Mesirow Financial in Chicago. "Lift-off" is the new lingo for the first increase in the Fed's short-term interest rates from the current level of zero. Rates could be held low as well by tensions in Ukraine that already led to lower bond yields in the United States and Europe, she noted. Even so, savers can spot slight improvements here and there. In May, the new rate on Series EE savings bonds was set at a fixed rate of 0.5% for 20 years. But if someone held that bond for 20 years, the bond would double in value and the effective rate would be just over 3.5% compounded semi-annually. Though that rate is low, savers are getting a far better rate than the 0.1% they got on Series EE bonds from November through the end of April. That was the lowest fixed rate ever set for Series EE bonds. But the upside again for truly long-term savers who bought those 0.1% bonds in recent months is if you'd wait until 2033 or longer to cash that bond, you would see the bond double in value and get a much higher effective rate. The key is the bond must be held up to the original maturity of 20 years to get that higher rate of return. New Series I s! avings bo! nds, if bought from May through October, will earn a composite rate of 1.94% for six months. Series I bonds fluctuate based on inflation. The earnings rate for Series I bonds is a combination of a fixed rate that applies for the life of the bond, and the semi-annual inflation rate. The fixed rate on I Bonds issued from May 1 through Oct. 31 is 0.1%. But that fixed rate is lower than what savers got in the past. The fixed rate was 0.2% on I Bonds issued from November through April 30. So over the long run, those would be slightly better bonds for savers to hold on to. The initial composite rate for I bonds issued then was 1.38% — including the fixed rate at 0.2%. Rates for savings bonds are set each May 1 and Nov. 1. Savings bonds held less than five years are subject to a three-month interest penalty. Both series I and EE bonds may be redeemed after 12 months and have an interest-bearing life of 30 years. Contact Susan Tompor at stompor@freepress.com
INDIA India's Opposition Wins Election by Landslide Election Result Pushes Rupee and Sensex Higher New Indian Government Will Inherit Slow Output and High Inflation Indian Central Bank Could Come Under Pressure From New Government The largest democracy in the world finished its five week long election process. The final results will be a surprise to no one as the BJP had a strong campaign. In January polls favoured them to win a majority after the party's leader was hitting all the right notes on the campaign trail. The opposition is on track to win by a landslide and score a majority in the lower house. The optimism surrounding the potential BJP win aligned with a strong market rally that pushed the currency and the stock market higher. The INR appreciated the whole week to finish at 58.55 after starting the week close to 60 USD/INR. The expectation is for the new government to deliver on its promise of economic growth. Narendra Modi the BJP's candidate has promised a strong economic revival. The main challenge will be to turn campaign rhetoric against the political establishment into a reality for all Indians. The economic growth goals could put the new government on a collision course with the Reserve Bank of India. The market has given a lot of credit to Governor Raghuram Rajan for steering India's economy in the last year as inflation, output and the rupee have been concerns. The interaction between the central bank and the newly elected government is one of the most anticipated partnerships by market participants. A good working relationship will go a long way of boosting India's credentials abroad and create optimism surrounding the country's growth goals. A rivalry could mean a return to the vicious cycle that has engulfed India in the post credit crisis years. JAPAN College Grad Employment Rises to 94.4 Percent Four Largest Banking Groups Report Increase in Profits in 2013 GDP Grows 5.9 Percent on Pre Tax Hike Shopping Japanese Growth Beats Forecasts Wholesale Prices Rise 4.1 Percent in April BOJ Could Be Called Into Action if Japanese Exports Continue To Fall Japan had on net a very positive week. Inflation continues to rise which will help the economy reach its 2 percent inflation goal. Gross Domestic product surprised to the upside. The GDP rose 1.5% in the first quarter of 2014. The forecasts called for a 1% increase. The major driver for the increase was the introduction of the sales tax hike in April. The higher tax prompted consumers to expedite large purchases to avoid paying the extra tax. Consumer spending accounts for 60% of GDP so the real question is what effect it will has going forward after the new higher sales tax.
The JPY was stuck in a tight range this week and could not pierce the 102 level for too long. The currency finished the week at 101.56 USD/JPY after a good GDP print and uncertainty about the Bank of Japan's next move. Next Week in Asia: Reserve Bank of Australia Meeting Minutes Bank of Japan Interest Rate Decision and Monetary Policy Statement Chinese Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) Next week in Asia there will be a release of the Reserve Bank of Australia's minutes from their May 6 meeting. The minutes are released two weeks after the interest rate decision to avoid introducing more market moving information at the same time. There is a low level of probability that there will be surprises on the minutes as the meeting held rates at 2.5%. The expectation in the market has shifted to the effect the newly announced budget could have on the economy before the RBA commits to any policy changes. The Bank of Japan has been under pressure to act since the start of the year. After being the most proactive central bank of 2013 with the bold policy change that gave Abenomics a running start not much has been done by the BOJ. The economy continues to struggle even though it has seen incredible growth in Q1, but boosted by a transitory sales tax hike which increased consumption. Exports continue to fall even with the benefits of a lower yen. The BOJ is probably going to wait for another major central bank to act first with the ECB being the most likely candidate after its President's comments this month. Chinese manufacturing has been steadily contracting for the past four months. Next week's HSBC/Markit Purchase Managers Index will probably confirm the downward trend. The Chinese president Xi Jinping commented last weekend that the country needs to get used to slower growth. The comments were taken as a negative to the question of further stimulus. Japanese Government Task Force Recommends Corporate Tax Cuts – MarketPulse Japan College Grad Employment Rises to 94.4 Percent – MarketPulse India's Opposition Wins Election by Landslide – MarketPulse India Election Result Pushes Rupee and Sensex Higher – MarketPulse China Sees Increase in Bad Loans – MarketPulse JPY Rises As Europe and America Dissapoint – MarketPulse Japan 4 Large Banking Groups Report Increase in Profits in 2013 – MarketPulse Japan GDP Grows 5.9 Percent on Pre Tax Hike Shopping – MarketPulse Japanese Growth Beats Forecasts – MarketPulse Japanese Wholesale Prices Rise 4.1 Percent in April – MarketPulse Indian Central Bank Could Come Under Pressure From New Government – MarketPulse Australia's Tough Budget Big on Spending Cuts – MarketPulse Five Points on The Australian Budget – MarketPulse India Stocks Hit Record High on Election Optimism – MarketPulse Australia New Budget Aims to Halve Deficit – MarketPulse China's Slowdown Deepens – MarketPulse Chinese President Tell Country to Get Used to Slow Growth – MarketPulse BOJ Could Be Called Into Action if Japanese Exports Continue To Fall – MarketPulse Hong Kong and Singapore At Risk of Higher Fed Rates – MarketPulse New Indian Government Will Inherit Slow Output and High Inflation – MarketPulse The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited. Posted-In: Forex Markets Originally posted here... Most Popular Livestream Video Service Down What To Do With Apple Stock Ahead Of Split Warren Buffett Reveals His Latest Gems In 13F The Most Overvalued S&P 500 Stock Is...? Union Pacific Reports 2 for 1 Stock Split; Boosts Capital Spending to $4.1B in 2014 Best Stocks Under $5 Right Now Related Articles () Updated Research Report on Qualcomm - Analyst Blog Honeywell to Power Biofuel Facility - Analyst Blog Zacks #1 Ranked Technology Mutual Funds - Best of Funds AT&T's CNG Vehicles Touch 8000 Mark - Analyst Blog Marsh & McLennan Boosts Investor Yield - Analyst Blog Herd Mentality and Investing - Weekend Wisdom
DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.
>>Hedge Funds Hate These 5 Stocks -- Should You?
Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.
Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.
>>5 Big Stocks to Trade for Gains This Summer
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside.
Whiting USA Trust I
Whiting USA Trust I (WHX) is a REIT. The trust was founded in 2007 and is based in Austin, Texas. This stock closed up 2% to $2.96 in Thursday's trading session.
Thursday's Range: $2.82-$2.97
52-Week Range: $2.32-$6.70
Thursday's Volume: 591,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 389,848
From a technical perspective, WHX bounced notably higher here right above some near-term support at $2.75 to $2.68 with above-average volume. This spike higher on Thursday is quickly pushing shares of WHX within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if WHX clears some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.98 to $3.11 with strong upside volume flows.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in WHX as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $2.75 or at $2.68 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 389,848 shares. If that breakout gets underway soon, then WHX will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from April that started at $5.25.
iBio
iBio (IBIO), a biotechnology company, focuses on the commercialization of its proprietary plant-based protein expression technologies in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 7.6% to 47 cents per share in Thursday's trading session.
Thursday's Range: $0.43-$0.48
52-Week Range: $0.28-$0.85
Thursday's Volume: 406,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 232,626
From a technical perspective, IBIO ripped higher here back above its 200-day moving average of 45 cents per share with above-average volume. This stock recently formed a triple bottom chart pattern at 40 cents, 42 cents and 42 cents per share. Following that bottom, shares of IBIO have now started to spike higher off those support levels and it's now moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if IBIO manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at 48 cents per share to its 50-day moving average of 50 cents per share with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in IBIO as long as it's trending above those major support levels at 42 or at 40 cents per share and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 232,626 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then IBIO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at 54 cents per share to 60 cents per share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give IBIO a chance to tag 68 cents per share. Cytokinetics
Cytokinetics (CYTK), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics that modulate muscle function for the potential treatment of serious diseases and medical conditions. This stock closed up 6% to $4.71 in Thursday's trading session.
Thursday's Range: $4.35-$4.72
52-Week Range: $3.96-$14.28
Thursday's Volume: 1.21 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 1.51 million
From a technical perspective, CYTK spiked sharply higher with decent upside volume. This stock recently gapped down sharply from its high of $13.26 to below $5 with heavy downside volume. Following that gap down, shares of CYTK continued to slide lower to its recent 52-week low of $3.96. Shares of CYTK have now started to rebound off that $3.96 low and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if CYTK manages to take out Thursday's intraday high of $4.72 to some more near-term overhead resistance at $4.78 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CYTK as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $4.35 or above its 52-week low of $3.96 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.51 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CYTK will set up to re-test or possibly take out its gap-down-day high of $5.45. Any high-volume move above $5.45 will then give CYTK a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone that started at $13.26. To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.
RELATED LINKS:
>>3 Stocks Spiking on Unusual Volume
>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love
>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar
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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.
DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- There isn't a day that goes by on Wall Street when certain stocks trading for $10 a share or less don't experience massive spikes higher. Traders savvy enough to follow the low-priced names and trade them with discipline and sound risk management are banking ridiculous coin on a regular basis.
>>5 Big Stocks to Trade for Gains Just take a look at some of the big movers in the under-$10 complex from Thursday, including Rexahn Pharmaceuticals (RNN), which is exploding higher by 19%; Synthetic Biologics (SYN), which is jumping higher by 17%; Skilled Healthcare Group (SKH), which is trending to the upside by 12%; and Ambient (AMBT), which is ripping higher by 12%. You don't even have to catch the entire move in lower-priced stocks such as these to make outsized returns when trading.
One low-priced stock that recently ripped higher was integrated mining player Pretium Resources (PVG), which I highlighted in April 24's "5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar" at around $6 per share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of PVG were trending sideways and consolidating for the last three months or so, with the stock moving between $5 on the downside and $7.49 on the upside. This stock was just starting to spike higher above support at $5.50 and it's was quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above its 200-day at $6.21 and its 50-day at $6.32 a share.
>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now Guess what happened? Shares of Pretium Resources triggered that breakout a few trading sessions later. This stock ran sharply once those key moving averages were taken out with decent volume, and shares of PVG tagged a recent a high of $7.70 a share. That represents a very nice gain in a tough market environment of right around 30%. Low-priced stocks are something that I tweet about on a regular basis. I frequently flag high-probability setups, breakout candidates and low-priced stocks that are acting technically bullish. I like to hunt for low-priced stocks that are showing bullish price and volume trends, since that increases the probability of those stocks heading higher. These setups often produce monster moves higher in very short time frames.
>>Hedge Funds Hate These 5 Stocks -- Should You? When I trade under-$10 names, I do it almost entirely based off of the charts and technical analysis. I also like to find under-$10 names with a catalyst, but that's secondary to the chart and volume patterns.
With that in mind, here's a look at several under-$10 stocks that look poised to potentially trade higher from current levels.
Adamis Pharmaceuticals
One under-$10 biopharmaceutical player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Adamis Pharmaceuticals (ADMP), which is engaged in the development and commercialization of specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology products in the therapeutic areas of respiratory disease, allergies, oncology and immunology. This stock is off to a decent start in 2014, with shares up 6.5%. If you glance at the chart for Adamis Pharmaceuticals, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $4.66 to its intraday high of $6.99 a share. During that uptrend, shares of ADMP have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Shares of ADMP have recently crossed back above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. That move has now pushed shares of ADMP within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ADMP if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.90 to $7.25 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average action of 159,259 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ADMP will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9 to $10 a share.
Traders can look to buy ADMP off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right around its 50-day moving average of $5.97 a share. One can also buy ADMP off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Charles & Colvard
An under-$10 jewelry player that's starting to push within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Charles & Colvard (CTHR), which manufactures, markets and distributes moissanite jewels and finished jewelry featuring moissanite worldwide. This stock has been destroyed by the sellers so far in 2014, with shares off by 52%. If you take a look at the chart for Charles & Colvard, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last six months, with shares sliding lower from around $6 to its recent 52-week low of $1.87 a share. During that move, shares of CTHR have making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of CTHR have started to rebound higher off that $1.87 low and it's now moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.
Market players should now look for long-biased trades in CTHR if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.49 to $2.52 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average action of 148,820 shares. If that breakout kicks off soon, then CTHR will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.75 to its 50-day moving average of $2.92 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give CTHR a chance to tag $3.25 to $3.50 a share.
Traders can look to buy CTHR off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right around $2.15 or at $2 a share. One can also buy CTHR off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Gordmans Stores
One under-$10 apparel stores player that's starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Gordmans Stores (GMAN), which operates department stores under the Gordmans name in the U.S. Its merchandise selection includes a range of apparel, footwear and home fashions products, as well as accessories. This stock has been hit hard by the bears so far in 2014, with shares down sharply by 38%. If you take a glance at the chart for Gordmans Stores, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a triple bottom chart pattern at $4.31, $4.33 and $4.43 a share. This bottom is coming after shares of GMAN downtrended badly over the last six months, with the stock falling from over $10 to its recent low of $4.31 a share. Shares of GMAN are now starting to bounce higher off those near-term support levels and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GMAN if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $5.02 to $5.03 a share and then once it takes out its 50-day moving average of $5.16 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 86,113 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then GMAN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $5.55 to around $6.50 a share.
Traders can look to buy GMAN off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below $4.43 or $4.31 a share. One can also buy GMAN off strength once it starts to push above those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Actuate
Another under-$10 technology player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Actuate (BIRT), which provides software solutions and services to corporate and government customers worldwide. This stock has been under the control of the sellers so far in 2014, with shares off by 47%. If you look at the chart for Actuate, you'll see that this stock recently gapped down sharply from over $5.50 to its 52-week low of $3.41 a share with heavy downside volume. Following that move, shares of BIRT have started to rebound off that $3.41 low and it's now moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.
Market players should now look for long-biased trades in BIRT if it manages to break out above some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.03 a share to its gap-down-day high of $4.10 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average action of 509,657 shares. If that breakout starts soon, then BIRT will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from earlier this month that started at $5.50 a share.
Traders can look to buy BIRT off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support around $3.77 a share. One can also buy BIRT off strength once it starts to move above those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Elbit Imaging
One final under-$10 real estate player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Elbit Imaging (EMITF), which is engaged in commercial and entertainment centers, hotels, medical, residential projects and fashion apparel businesses in Israel, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and internationally. This stock has been destroyed by the sellers so far in 2014, with shares down big by 83%.
If you take a glance at the chart for EMITF, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at 16 cents to 17 cents per share. Following that bottom, shares of EMITF have now started to bounce off those support levels and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in EMITF if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of 21 cents per share to some more key resistance at 24 cents per share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.15 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then EMITF will set up re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at 28 cents to 30 cents per share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give EMITF a chance to make a run into its previous gap-down-day zone from February that started at 90 cents per share.
Traders can look to buy EMITF off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right around those double bottom support zones at 17 to 16 cents per share. One can also buy EMITF off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
To see more hot under-$10 equities, check out the Stocks Under $10 Setting Up to Explode portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.
RELATED LINKS:
>>3 Stocks Spiking on Unusual Volume
>>5 Rocket Stocks to Beat a Sideways Market
>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love
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.
Stocks inched further into record territory today despite an underwhelming retail sales report, as the S&P 500 momentarily cracked the 1,900 barrier for the first time but finished up just 0.04% at 1897.45. Elsewhere, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) gained 20 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq dropped 0.3% after yesterday's big rally. In the closely watched retail sales report, the Department of Commerce showed consumer-level purchases increasing just 0.1% in April, below estimates of 0.3%, but March's growth rate was revised upward from 1.2% to 1.5%. Core retail sales, which remove the volatile auto market, remained flat. While April's figure on its own could be discouraging, the jump in retail sales over the past two months still indicates solid economic growth, as has much of the data that's come out in the past few weeks.  Source: Fool Flickr. Among today's big winners was Keurig Green Mountain (NASDAQ: GMCR ) , whose shares jumped 7.6% after Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO ) said it will up its stake in the single-cup coffee brewer from 10% to 16%. Back in February, Coke said it would share its beverage portfolio with Keurig for the upcoming Keurig Cold countertop soda machine and take a 10% stake in the Vermont-based coffee roaster. Coke said, "These incremental purchases demonstrate our continued belief that Keurig Green Mountain has substantial growth potential," and, unlike its initial investment, these shares will be purchased on the open market, which will likely drive Keurig's share price even higher. Soda consumption has been declining domestically and Coke is looking for new ways to juice its growth. The Keurig Cold machine won't be out until 2015, so its popularity remains a question mark, but Coke's willingness to invest another $1 billion into its new beverage partner is certainly a sign of confidence in its future success. Falling back after hours today was watchmaker Fossil (NASDAQ: FOSL ) , which dropped 5% after posting underwhelming guidance in its quarterly report. First-quarter results were better than expected for the fashion-accessory brand, as earnings came in at $1.22 per share, above estimates at $1.17, and revenue grew 14.1%, in part because of an extra week in the calendar, to $777 million, beating the consensus at $770.69 million. Sales grew across the board in the company's wholesale segment, and were particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region and in jewelry sales. CEO Kosta Kartsotis noted progress in the company's international expansion, with "significant increases in both Europe and Asia." Shares dipped, however, as management saw current-quarter EPS of just $0.90-$0.97 against estimates of $1.16. The sell-off seems overdone, however, as the company's full-year earnings guidance of $6.90-$7.30 was in range of estimates of $7.20. With multiple growth channels and a consistent record of beating earnings estimates, Fossil still looks like a solid long-term bet going forward. Are you ready to profit from this $14.4 trillion revolution?
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Office Depot Inc. (NYSE:ODP) will announce first quarter 2014 results for the fiscal period ending March 29, 2014 on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. A conference call to discuss the results will be held that day at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Wall Street anticipates that the specialty-retailer will earn $0.03 per share for the quarter, which is $0.03 more than last year's breakeven quarter. iStock expects Office Depot to miss Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $0.02, a penny less than the current, consensus outlook. Sales, unlike earnings, are expected to rise out-of-hand, but that's because of Office Depot and OfficeMax merger. [Related -Office Depot Inc (NYSE:ODP): $20 Million Reasons To Consider] Office Depot is a global supplier of office products and services. The Company operates in three business segments: North American Retail Division, North American Business Solutions Division and International Division. On the doorstep of earnings, Goldman Sachs says, "Any benefits from the OfficeMax merger are likely to be tempered by organic revenue declines," and "This sector contends with a unique combination of structural pressures on its end market, as paper consumption and office supplies decline, and with competitive challenges associated with e-commerce." Makes you wonder why iStock would even highlight the beleaguered company in a sector face first into headwinds? As iStock was screening companies set to announce their quarterly checkups, ODP triggered a flashback to an article we wrote: Office Depot Inc (NYSE:ODP): $20 Million Reasons To Consider. [Related -Merger Arbitrage Mondays – June 3, 2013] The story was primarily about Office Depot Director, Jeffrey C. Smith who purchased $20 million of ODP stock. At the time, four other insiders pulled out the debit card to buy the company stock too. Intuitively, you have to wonder why anybody chalk up $20 million on a company they know intimately if the ship was about to sink deeper underwater – right? Tuesday morning's news might fill in some of the unknown as to why Mr. Smith felt compelled to buy ODP significantly higher than it is today? Recent earnings history will have to change for Smith's investment to get back on-track as quarterly checkups have been unkind to ODP shareholders. The office supplies retailer has missed Wall Street's mark badly in four of the last seven quarters, averaging 72.23 less than forecasted. Meanwhile, EPS generated just one bullish surprise and two on-target results in last seven quarters. As you might imagine, that track record wasn't good for stock-holders. ODP backpedaled by an average of 10.06% in the three days surrounding five of the last seven earnings announcements, while gaining 2.6 and 13.5% for the pair of green reactions. Overall: Wall Street appears to be betting against Office Depot Inc. (NYSE:ODP) as the company's short position increased by seven million shares in the last month. Meanwhile, Mr. Smith bet $20 million the other way. Although we don't know either way, but our gut tells us that ODP will show some Q1 improvement.
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.
>>3 Hot Stocks Everyone Is Talking About
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 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently.
YPF
YPF (YPF), an energy company, is engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas in Argentina. This stock closed up 10.3% to $31.09 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 11.41 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 1.05 million
Volume % Change: 700%
From a technical perspective, YPF exploded higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $29.06 with monster upside volume. This move pushed shares of YPF into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $29.68 to $30.08. This spike higher on Wednesday is quickly pushing shares of YPF within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if YPF manages to clear Wednesday's intraday high of $31.41 to more near-term overhead resistance at $31.53 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in YPF as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $29.06 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.05 million shares. If that breakout starts soon, then YPF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $33.10 to its 52-week high at $34.24. Clearwater Paper
Clearwater Paper (CLW) manufactures and sells private label tissue and paperboard products in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 1.9% at $62.27 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 386,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 173,102
Volume % Change: 146%
From a technical perspective, CLW trended modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $60 with above-average volume. This spike higher on Wednesday pushed shares of CLW back above its 50-day moving average of $62.11 and it's quickly pushing the stock within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if CLW manages to take out Wednesday's high of $62.32 to some more near-term overhead resistance levels at $63.35 to $63.93 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CLW as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $60 or at $59.07 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 173,102 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then CLW will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $67.31 to its 52-week high of $68.30.
Activison Blizzard
Activison Blizzard (ATVI) publishes online, personal computer, video game console, handheld, mobile and tablet games. This stock closed up 8.8% at $21.01 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 19.42 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 6.44 million
Volume % Change: 259%
From a technical perspective, ATVI rocketed higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $19.99 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of ATVI into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $20.31. This spike higher on Wednesday is now moving shares of ATVI within range of triggering an even bigger breakout trade. That trade will hit if ATVI manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $21.06 to its 52-week high at $21.50 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ATVI as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $19.99 or above more near-term support at $19.12 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 6.44 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ATVI will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $25 to $30. 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:
>>5 Short-Squeeze Stocks Poised to Pop
>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love
>>Must-See Charts: Fight the Selling With These 5 Trades
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.
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) entered into an agreement to acquire Purcell Systems for $115 million.
