Michael Bay's newly released film Pain and Gain took the top spot�at the domestic box office this weekend, narrowly beating out the competition by pulling in $20 million in sales.
The Mark Walhberg-led film, distributed by Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA ) subsidiary Paramount Pictures, pulled in enough to also rank third in worldwide sales this weekend despite making its U.S.-exclusive debut, according to data from media measurement firm Rentrak.
The movie beat out the Tom Cruise science-fiction thriller Oblivion, distributed by Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) subsidiary Universal. Oblivion pulled in more than $17 million this weekend domestically and another $12.8 million outside the U.S. to rank second worldwide with more than $30 million in global sales. The film has now recorded more than $198 million in revenue during its cumulative run, with an estimated production budget of $120 million.
The worldwide leader, however, smashed the U.S. competition this weekend, even though it won't launch in America until next weekend. Disney's (NYSE: DIS ) Iron Man 3, the latest entry in the Marvel film franchise, pulled in more than $195 million in its international debut. The film has almost topped its reported $200 million budget�already, and its U.S. launch on May 3 should only add to its impressive sales figure. Iron Man 3's two previous installments have each made more than $500 million at the box office.
Hot Japanese Companies To Watch For 2015: PDF Solutions Inc.(PDFS)
PDF Solutions, Inc. provides infrastructure technologies and services for the design and manufacture of integrated circuits (IC) in Asia, the United States, and Europe. It offers manufacturing process solutions that include process research and development, and process integration and yield ramp; volume manufacturing solutions; and design-for-manufacturability (DFM) solutions, such as logic DFM, circuit level DFM, memory DFM, and pdBRIX Physical IP solutions. The company also offers characterization vehicle (CV) infrastructure, which includes CV test chips, pdCV analysis software, and pdFasTest electrical wafer test system; Yield Ramp Simulator software that analyzes an IC design to compute its systematic and random yield loss; and Circuit Surfer software, which estimates the parametric performance yield and manufacturability of analog/mixed-signal/RF blocks. In addition, it provides pdBRIX platform, which includes software for identifying and developing a set of physical IP building blocks that are tailored to a given manufacturing process and target product application; dataPOWER YMS platform that collects yield data, loads, and stores it in an integrated database and allows product engineers to identify and analyze production yield issues; FDC software, which provides fault detection and classification capabilities to identify sources of process variations and manufacturing excursions by monitoring equipment parameters; and YA-FDC service and software platform that allows online modeling to create real-time virtual measurements of final product attributes during processing. PDF Solutions sells its technologies and services through direct sales force, sales representatives, and strategic alliances to integrated device manufacturers, fabless semiconductor design companies, and foundries in the microprocessors, memory, graphics, image sensor solutions, and communications segments. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Jo se, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
PDF Solutions (NASDAQ: PDFS) shares reached a new 52-week low of $12.91. PDF Solutions updated the status of certain contracts and announced the effect of the change in status on previously deferred costs and expected revenues.
Top 5 International Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kaiser Aluminum Corp (KALU)
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, incorporated on February 20, 1987, is engaged in the production of semi-fabricated specialty aluminum products. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated 11 focused production facilities in the United States and one in Canada. The Company operates in fabricated products business segment. In addition to the Fabricated Products segment, it has two business units, Secondary Aluminum and Corporate and Other. The Secondary Aluminum business unit sells value added products, such as ingot and billet, produced by Anglesey Aluminium Limited, in which it has a 49% equity investment and which owns and operates a secondary aluminum remelt and casting facility in Holyhead, Wales. Its Corporate and Other business unit provides general and administrative support for its operations. Through its 12 focused production facilities in North America, it manufactures rolled, extruded, and drawn aluminum products to serve four market applications: aerospace and high strength products (Aero/HS products), general engineering products (GE products), extrusions for automotive applications (Automotive Extrusions), and other industrial products (Other products).
The Company�� Fabricated Products segment produces rolled, extruded, and drawn aluminum products used principally for aerospace and defense, automotive, consumer durables, electronics, electrical, and machinery and equipment applications. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its North American manufacturing facilities produced and shipped approximately 585.9 million pounds of fabricated aluminum products. The Company�� Aero/HS products include heat treat plate and sheet, as well as cold finish bar, seamless drawn tube, hard alloy extrusions, and billet that are manufactured to demanding specifications for the global aerospace and defense industries. It makes aluminum plate, sheet, extruded shapes, and tube for aerospace applications, and it manufactures a variety of specialized rod and bar products that are incorporated! in diverse applications.
The Company�� GE products are standard catalog items sold to metal distributors. Its GE products consist of 6000-series alloy rod, bar, tube, wire, sheet, plate and standard extrusions. The 6000-series alloy is an extrudable medium-strength alloy that is heat treatable and extremely versatile. The Company�� GE products have a range of uses and applications, many of which involve further fabrication of these products for numerous transportation and other industrial end market applications where machining of plate, rod and bar is intensive. The Company�� products are used in the enhancement and production of military vehicles, semiconductor manufacturing cells, numerous electronic devices, after-market motor sport parts and tooling plate. Its rod and bar products are manufactured into rivets, nails, screws, bolts and parts of machinery and equipment.
Automotive products consist of extruded aluminum products for many North American automotive applications. The variety of extruded products that the Company supplies to the automotive industry include extruded products for bumper systems, anti-lock braking systems and structural components and drawn tube for drive shafts. For some Automotive Extrusions, it performs limited fabrication, including sawing and cutting to length. Other products consist of extruded, drawn, and cast aluminum products for a variety of North American industrial end uses, including consumer durables, electrical/electronic, machinery and equipment, light truck, heavy truck and truck trailer applications.
The Company competes with Alcoa Inc., Constellium, SAPA, and Norsk Hydro ASA.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
This week a few companies answered the call and rewarded their shareholders with higher cash dividends:
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) engages in regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $0.63 per share. The dividend is payable March 15, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 4.7%.
Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, develops, and manages real estate portfolio, as well as performs certain real estate-related services. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 66.7% to $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable February 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) generates and distributes electric energy, as well as distributes natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Utility Energy and Non-Utility Energy. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.3900 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.
BlackRock Inc. (BLK) is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 14.9% to $1.93 per share. The dividend is payable March 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.4%.
ONEOK Inc. (OKE) operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. January 15th the company increased its quarterly dividend 5.3% to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable February 18, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.5%.
Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI) is a real es
Top 5 International Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ishares S&P Midcap 400 Index Fund (IJH)
iShares S&P MidCap 400 Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor�� MidCap 400 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for the S&P 400/Citigroup Growth and Value Index series. The components stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The component stocks have a market capitalization between $1 billion and $4 billion (which may fluctuate depending on the overall level of the equity markets), and are selected for liquidity and industry group representation.
The Index is adjusted to reflect changes in capitalization resulting from mergers, acquisitions, stock rights, substitutions and other capital events. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Moreover,�my guess is that the switch will be a wash for investors as funds and ETFs that track the S&P 500 will dump their positions in Advanced Micro Devices and SAIC Inc while those that track the S&P Mid Cap 400 will be obligated to take up positions in both. A quick look at the performance of the iShares S&P 500 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IVV) verses the iShares Core S&P Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: IJH) reveals the following:
Top 5 International Stocks To Buy Right Now: Medical Marijuana Inc (MJNA)
Medical Marijuana Inc. (MJNA), incorporated on May 23, 2005, is the publicly held company vested in the medical marijuana and industrial hemp markets. The Company is comprised of a diversified portfolio of products, services, technology and businesses solely focused on the cannabis and hemp industries. These products range from patented based cannabinoid products, to whole plant or isolated high value extracts specifically manufactured and formulated for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries. In March 2013, it sold certain equipment and inventory, web domain names, phone numbers, and all existing and pending agreements with hemp production and processing facilities to CannaVEST Corp.
The Company�� services are varied, ranging from medical clinic management to the capitalization and development of existing industry business and product leaders. Services include development of cannabinoid based health and wellness products, and the development of medical grade compounds. MJNA provides over 50 and patented cannabinoid delivery methods that are more socially and medically acceptable than smoking.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Getty Images Once upon a time, AT&T (T) urged its customers to "reach out and touch someone" with a long-distance phone call (which Ma Bell could charge extra for at the time). Those were simpler times. Today, in our post-9/11 world, if you reach out by phone, you may end up touching more people than you bargain for. And those people may have guns, badges and court-approved wiretap warrants. Top States for Wiretapping This is especially true in Nevada, Colorado, California and New York. A recent report by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts said these four states issue the majority of wiretap authorizations in America (measured proportionate to their populations): Nevada authorized 38.2 wiretap authorizations per 500,000 residents Colorado authorized 12.4 per 500,000 California authorized 11.7 per 500,000 And New York State authorized 10.7 per 500,000 Rounding out the top 10 states for state-sanctioned wiretapping are Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri and New Jersey -- in that order. In each state, state and federal law enforcement sought and received authorizations to conduct more than six wiretaps per 500,000 residents. (In case you were wondering, that office points out that it is not authorized to collect and report data on NSA wiretaps regulated by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978). According to Pew Research, which analyzed the report, 90 percent of the wiretaps authorized in 2013 were authorized to investigate "criminal drug-related offenses." The 3,576 total wiretaps authorized resulted in 3,744 arrests (more than the number of wiretaps authorized). But the conviction rate from these wiretaps was less than 19 percent -- just 709 convictions. (Curiously, AO also notes that in all of 2013, only one application for a wiretap was turned down.) If that sounds bad, it is. According to a 2010 annual statistical report filed by the Justice Department's Executive Office for United States Attorneys, the average convicti
- [By Dan Burrows]
But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:
- [By John Udovich]
The SEC has halted trading of small cap marijuana stock Growlife Inc (OTCMKTS: PHOT) after a relatively brief trading halt for�Advanced Cannabis Solutions, Inc (OTCMKTS: CANN), but Tranzbyte Corp (OTCMKTS: ERBB), Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS: CBIS) and Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA) are still very much alive. However and as I have noted (repeatedly)�in the past (see here), Medical Marijuana Inc has a�former CEO who has been indicted for a multi-state mortgage fraud scam/ponzi scheme while Medbox Inc (OTCMKTS: MDBX) is another marijuana stock with some ��ssues��that were summed up nicely in a Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation article cleverly entitled: Tinkerer, Lawyer, Hustler, Lies: One Man�� Path to a Dope Fortune. Obviously, investing in marijuana stocks is not for conservative. Nevertheless, there is�still plenty of good or bad news for investors in the marijuana sector to inhale, including the following:
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