Cisco Sales Lag Even Most Minimal Expectations

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) reported fourth fiscal quarter and full-year 2013 results after markets closed on Wednesday. For the quarter the networking giant reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.53 and $12.1 billion in revenues. In the same period a year ago, Cisco reported EPS of $0.48 on revenue of $11.88 billion. First-quarter results compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for EPS of $0.51 and $12.36 billion in revenue.

We noted in our preview of Cisco's earnings earlier today that the bar had been set very low for this quarter. Still, Cisco failed to jump over the revenue expectation bar even though it did beat the EPS estimate.

The company does not provide any outlook information until its conference call at 4:30 p.m. The consensus estimates for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 call for EPS of $0.52 on revenues of $12.6 billion. Full-year 2014 estimates call for EPS of $2.10 on revenues of $50.78 billion. The consensus estimates are lower than they were at the end of the company's fourth quarter in July.

The company's CEO said:

While our revenue growth was below our expectation, our financials are strong, our strategy is strong and our innovation engine is executing extremely well.

Cisco boosted its $82 billion stock buyback plan by $15 billion. The company said there is now $16.1 billion left in the program.

The company noted that it completed its acquisitions of Sourcefire Inc. and Composite Software during the quarter.

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Net income slipped 4.6% compared with the same period a year ago and EPS fell 5.1%. At best this was a poor showing for the networking giant.

Shares of Cisco are down about 3% in after-hours trading, at $23.30 in a 52-week range of $17.62 to $26.49. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of around $26.50 before today's results were announced.

Will Tesla Continue to Outperform with the Opening of the West Coast Supercharger Corridor?

With shares of Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) trading around $161, is TSLA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Tesla Motors designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and electric vehicle powertrain components. The company also provides services for the development of electric powertrain systems and components, and sells electric powertrain components to other automotive manufacturers. It markets and sells its vehicles through Tesla stores as well as over the Internet. Consumers and companies are looking to save at the pump, and what better way to do so than with electric vehicles?

Tesla's West Coast Supercharger Corridor is officially open for business. Tesla announced the opening of the network via an official blog post Wednesday, and the kickoff is just one more check on Musk's to-do list as he works to create a Supercharger network that spans the U.S. from coast to coast. Though the CEO still has a long way to go to meet his final goal, the West Coast Supercharger network now connects a new slew of stations that will allow Model S travelers to journey between San Diego, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia — all for free.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Tesla Motors stock has been exploding higher in the past several months. The stock is currently trading near all-time high prices and looks ready to continue. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Tesla Motors is trading in between its rising key averages, which signals neutral price action in the near-term.

Source: Thinkorswim

Taking a look at the implied volatility and implied volatility skew levels of Tesla Motors options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Tesla Motors Options	76.54%	40%	38%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a significant amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
November Options	Average	Average
December Options	Average	Average

As of Thursday, there is average demand from call and put buyers or sellers, all neutral over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral over the next two months.

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter Over Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Tesla Motors’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Tesla Motors look like and, more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	105.62%	113.95%	-1.27%	-66.67%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	1420.08%	1762.78%	677.88%	-13.13%
Earnings Reaction	14.34%	24.39%	-8.77%	8.92%

Tesla Motors has seen mixed earnings and rising revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been buzzing about Tesla Motors’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Tesla Motors stock done relative to its peers – General Motors (NYSE:GM), Toyota (NYSE:TM), and Ford (

target=”_blank”>NYSE:F

) — and sector?

	Tesla Motors	General Motors	Toyota	Ford	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	376.9%	30.32%	38.73%	32.43%	34.82%

Tesla Motors has been a relative performance leader, year to date.

Conclusion

Tesla Motors offers electric vehicles that consumers and companies are opting for over other luxury vehicles. The company recently announced the opening of its West Cost Supercharger Corridor. The stock has been exploding higher recently and is now trading near all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising, which has left investors upbeat about the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Tesla Motors has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Tesla Motors to continue to OUTPERFORM.

Volatile gas prices give drivers whiplash

NEW YORK (AP) — Local gasoline prices are swinging up and down ever more drastically, a result of a national fuel system that is operating with a shrinking margin for error.

Jumps of 20 cents per gallon or more in a single day are becoming more common, for example, according to an AP analysis of daily and weekly price changes at 120,000 U.S. gasoline stations tracked by GasBuddy.com. Sixty-three times this year ,at least one U.S. metro area has seen such a change. Like the 24-cent increase Decatur, Ill., drivers saw on Jan. 26, or the 24-cent increase in Superior, Wis., on April 30, and the 28-cent increase in Henderson, Ky., on Sept. 19.

Not since 2008 have there been so many 20-cent changes. Last year those happened 58 times. In 2011 they happened just 21 times, and in 2010 just 7 times.

"There's more and more feast or famine," says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service and GasBuddy.com.

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The problem, analysts say, is a fuel system increasingly vulnerable to short-term shocks. That's because refiners try to keep stocks of gasoline low to save money, just as other manufacturers aim to operate on a "just-in-time" inventory schedule.

The nation has about 26 days' worth of gasoline demand in storage, compared with 30 to 40 days' worth during much of the 1980s and 1990s, according to the Energy Department. Also, there are 143 operating refineries, about half the total from 1980, so, if one has a problem, supplies quickly drop.

That price whiplash has a cost. Spikes in gasoline prices are more damaging to the economy than a slow rise in prices because they undermine consumer confidence, economists say.

Drivers may be pleasantly surprised when prices slide lower, like they have recently — the national average is at $3.28, its lowest level of the year. But they don't know when the price might bounce back up! , and increases are almost always sharper than decreases. That makes it harder to budget for the daily commute, or know whether dinner out or a new appliance will be affordable.

These dramatic local price swings are happening despite relatively stable oil prices and a national average gasoline price that has hovered around $3.50 per gallon for three years.

In 2008, the last time local prices were this volatile, oil spiked to $145 a barrel in July, then plunged below $40 in late December as the global financial crisis sent energy markets reeling. The national average gasoline price ranged from $1.62 to $4.11 a gallon.

Nowhere is it more frustrating to buy gas than in Kokomo, Ind., a flat, unassuming blue-collar city surrounded by farmland some 45 miles north of Indianapolis that regularly sees 10-cent or 20-cent price changes in a single day. On average, the price changes 5 cents there every day and 16 cents every week, the highest in the nation, according to GasBuddy.com.

Jim Brooks, who works at a Chrysler transmission plant in town, does his best to fill up elsewhere. "If I don't have to buy gas in Kokomo, I don't," he said recently at Manjas Marathon station in Kokomo during a lunch break. He bought a soda and some chips, but not gasoline.

Gas station owners set their prices based on how much it cost to buy the last shipment of wholesale gasoline, how much the next shipment will cost, and what competitors are doing. Stations typically make very little on gasoline, because they set the price as low as possible to attract people into their more profitable convenience stores.

The price they pay for wholesale gasoline is determined by deals between refiners and distributors that are usually based on benchmarks set on exchanges, such as the New York Mercantile Exchange.

When supplies are quick to rise or fall, it means more of what frustrates drivers: Gasoline prices that seem to jump around a few cents every time they fill up, for no rhyme or reason. This year 5! 7 U.S. me! tro areas have averaged price changes of at least a dime over a week. Last year just 38 cities did, and in 2011 it was just 29 cities.

Volatility is most pronounced in the four neighboring states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Of the biggest 50 one-day swings in gasoline prices over the past three years, 41 were in those four states. Michigan is also plagued by especially high volatility. Flint, Mich., is second only to Kokomo in average daily price changes this year.

Analysts say a major upgrade underway at BP's enormous Whiting Refinery in northwest Indiana that processes 413,000 barrels of oil per day and serves much of the region is partly to blame. Construction has kept output lower, especially during the first half of 2013.

When output at a local refinery falls, fuel terminals must be filled with gasoline from refineries further away. That raises shipping costs, and it lowers supplies throughout the region.

California was a trouble spot in 2012. Prices spiked there last fall to a record $4.67 per gallon after an Exxon refinery in Southern California briefly lost power at a time when a Chevron refinery in Richmond, Calif. was operating at a lower rate following a fire.

Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy policy expert at the University of California-Davis, suggests that refiners should be required by regulators to keep a minimum level of refined fuel in inventory, as is done in Europe, to help protect against sharp price spikes.

That might help people like Mike Barnett, who spends about $250 a day on fuel for his small business in Kokomo, installing underground lines for telecom companies. He puts just a quarter or half a tank of gas in his vans and trucks when the price gets high and then waits for a better deal.

"You just can't come and get gas like you used to," he said.

AP Business Writer Tom Murphy contributed to this report

4 Health Care Stocks Under $10 to Watch

 DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

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.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

Rockwell Medical

Rockwell Medical (RMTI) manufactures hemodialysis concentrate solutions and dialysis kits, and it sells, distributes and delivers these and other ancillary hemodialysis products primarily to hemodialysis providers in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 5.3% to $5.17 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $4.89-$5.25

52-Week Range: $3.16-$8.59

Tuesday's Volume: 1.15 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.26 million

From a technical perspective, RMTI bounced sharply higher here right above some near-term support levels at $4.81 to $4.65 with decent upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of RMTI within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if RMTI manages to take out its 200-day moving average at $5.24 and then once it clears more near-term resistance at $5.94 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RMTI as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $4.81 to $4.65 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.26 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then RMTI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $8 to $8.50.

LCA-Vision

LCA-Vision (LCAV) provides fixed-site laser vision correction services through its LasikPlus vision centers. This stock closed up 4.4% to $4 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $3.85-$4.04

52-Week Range: $2.67-$4.60

Tuesday's Volume: 162,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 47,256

From a technical perspective, LCAV bounced sharply higher here right above some near-term support levels at $3.75 to $372 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of LCAV within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if LCAV manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.04 to $4.26 and then once it takes out its 52-week high at $4.60 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LCAV as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $3.75 to $3.72 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 47,256 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then LCAV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.19 to $7.

GenMark Diagnostics

GenMark Diagnostics (GNMK) is a molecular diagnostics company, engages in the development, manufacturing, marketing, sale, and support of instruments and molecular tests based on its proprietary eSensor detection technology in the U.S. This stock closed up 1.7% to $9.89 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $9.24-$9.95

52-Week Range: $6.38-$16.00

Thursday's Volume: 562,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 385,008

From a technical perspective, GNMK bounced modestly higher here with above-average volume. This stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months, with shares moving between $8.75 on the downside and $10.71 on the upside. This bounce is starting to push GNMK within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above the upper-end of its sideways trading chart pattern. That breakout will hit if GNMK manages to clear some near-term overhead resistance levels at $10.04 to $10.50 and then once it takes out more resistance at $10.71 with high volume.

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Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GNMK as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of $9.24 or around $9 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 385,008 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then GNMK will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $12 to $13.50.

Organovo

Organovo (ONVO) develops three-dimensional bioprinting technology for creating functional human tissues on demand for research and medical applications. This stock closed up 6% to $5.94 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $5.26-$5.99

52-Week Range: $1.80-$8.50

Thursday's Volume: 3.56 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.91 million

From a technical perspective, ONVO ripped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $4.97 with heavy upside volume. This move is starting to push shares of ONVO within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if ONVO manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6 to $6.50 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ONVO as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $4.97 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.91 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ONVO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $7.50 to its 52-week high at $8.50. Any high-volume move above $8.50 will then put its all-time high at $10.90 within range for shares of ONVO.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

The 7 States With the Highest Gasoline Tax

The price of gasoline is constantly on people's minds. The prices you see on those gas-station signs everywhere you drive are tough enough to swallow, but what you may not know is the extent to which gas taxes contribute to those prices.

The federal tax is $0.184 per gallon, and states add their own taxes to bring the average tax up to $0.306 per gallon. Some states go far above average, so which states hit your wallet the hardest? Let's take a look at who has the highest gasoline taxes.

Rank

State

State Gasoline Tax Per Gallon

Total Gasoline Tax Per Gallon

1	California	$0.501	$0.685
2	Hawaii	$0.487	$0.671
3	Michigan	$0.409	$0.593
4	Indiana	$0.401	$0.585
5	Illinois	$0.391	$0.575
6	North Carolina	$0.378	$0.562
7	Washington	$0.375	$0.559

Source: American Petroleum Institute.

As you'd expect, higher taxes correlate with higher gasoline prices and lower taxes with lower prices.

Source: GasBuddy.com.

Governments use gas taxes to maintain and upgrade roads and transportation infrastructure, but there are a few problems. For one, these taxes generally aren't linked to inflation. The federal gas tax has been the same since 1993, so the revenue pays for less and less. Second, as cars grow more efficient and use less gasoline, tax revenue will decline, further challenging transportation infrastructure funding.

States transportation budgets are underfunded and need to raise revenue, either by raising gasoline taxes (Connecticut, Maryland, Wyoming, New Hampshire) or finding other ways to come up with revenue to maintain roads. The problem that lawmakers are running into is that to fund transportation needs, the gasoline tax would have to rise significantly, which would give consumers massive sticker shock. In Missouri, for example, the state has estimated that it would have to increase the gasoline tax by $0.20-$0.25 to fund its transportation needs. Instead of doing what would be politically unpopular, lawmakers in Missouri and Virginia are increasing sales taxes to fund transportation. This is a less visible tax, but it separates the funding of roads from those who actually use them, and as such I'm not a fan.

As we work through our list of the states with the lowest tax burden at the pump, note that the data is current as of April 24 but that some states have passed laws that will either decrease (Virginia) or increase (California, Connecticut, Maryland, Wyoming, New Hampshire) their taxes going forward. Those changes aren't reflected in the current numbers but will be discussed where relevant.

1. California
California is at the top, with $0.501 per gallon in taxes on gasoline. This figure is based on a $0.36-per-gallon excise tax, a $0.02-per-gallon underground storage fee, a 2.25% state sales tax, and an average of county sales taxes. Combined with the $0.184 federal tax, this all adds up to $0.685 per gallon. As you might expect, California has some of the highest gasoline prices in the country, with an average cost of $3.919 per gallon, according to AAA.

And the rate is going even higher, as California's transportation budget is underfunded. In March, the state Board of Equalization passed a $0.035 increase to the gasoline tax, which goes into effect July 1. Once in place, drivers in California will pay roughly $0.72 per gallon in taxes.

2. Hawaii
Hawaii currently has the second highest gasoline tax at $0.487 per gallon, based on a $0.17 state excise tax, a $0.10-per-gallon environmental response tax, and average county taxes. With high taxes and a hard-to-reach location, Hawaii has the highest current average gasoline price in the country of $4.364, according to AAA.

3. Michigan
Michigan comes in at $0.409 per gallon and a current average gas price of $3.812. This is based on a $0.19 excise tax, a $0.00875 environmental regulation fee, and a 6% sales tax. There was talk earlier in the year over increasing the gasoline tax, but the legislature doesn't appear willing to go through with raising it, as the governor is opposed.

4. Indiana
Indiana's tax is $0.401 per gallon, with an average gasoline price of $3.675. This figure is based on an $0.18-per-gallon excise tax, a $0.01 underground storage tank tax, and a 7% sales tax.

5. Illinois
Illinois is next, with $0.391 per gallon and a current average gas price of $3.898, based on a $0.19-per-gallon excise tax, a $0.011 underground storage tank tax, and a 6.25% sales tax.

6. North Carolina
North Carolina charges $0.378 per gallon and has a current average gasoline price of $3.450. This figure is based on a $0.375 excise tax and a $0.0025 inspection tax.

7. Washington
Finally, we have Washington, at $0.375 per gallon and a current average price of $3.647.

Foolish bottom line
We all feel the pinch at the pump, but don't expect prices to drop anytime soon. Gas taxes will probably head higher all over the country over the next few years as the U.S. struggles to pay to upgrade the country's declining infrastructure. Get ready to crack open that wallet a little wider.

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Can Facebook Keep Meeting Its High Expectations?

With shares of Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) trading around $55, is FB an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Facebook is engaged in building social products in order to create utility for users, developers, and advertisers. People use Facebook to stay connected with their friends and family, to discover what is going on in the world around them, and to share and express what matters to them with the people they care about. Developers can use the Facebook platform to build applications and websites that integrate with Facebook to reach its global network of users, building personalized and social products. Advertisers can engage with more than 900 million monthly active users on Facebook — or subsets of its users — based on information they have chosen to share.

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Facebook plans to offer 70 million shares of its Class A stock in a sale that includes more than 41 million shares from Chair and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who also will buy Class B shares that carry more voting weight. The secondary offering of stock comes as the social media network prepares to join the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. Its shares fell more than 4 percent in premarket trading Thursday. The Menlo Park, Calif., company said Thursday that the Class A shares will be offered mainly to index funds whose portfolios are based on stocks included in the index. The S&P 500 will add Facebook on Friday after markets close. The index is a list of companies that have a market capitalization over $4 billion and is meant to be a snapshot of the U.S. economy.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Facebook stock has been exploding to the upside in recent years. The stock is currently trading near all time highs and looks poised to continue. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Facebook is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Facebook options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Facebook options	42.47%	66%	63%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a significant amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
January Options	Flat	Average
February Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a significant amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Facebook’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Facebook look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	108.33%	58.33%	0.00%	-89.46%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	59.75%	53.13%	37.81%	40.14%
Earnings Reaction	2.44%	29.61%	5.61%	-0.83%

Facebook has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been pleased with Facebook’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Facebook stock done relative to its peers, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), LinkedIn (NASDAQ:LNKD), and sector?

	Facebook	Microsoft	Google	LinkedIn	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	105.30%	35.61%	54.26%	90.86%	61.24%

Facebook has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Facebook looks to provide a valuable social networking experience to its users, developers, and advertisers. The company plans to offer 70 million shares of its Class A stock in a sale that includes more than 41 million shares from Chair and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who also will buy Class B shares that carry more voting weight. The stock has been exploding to the upside and is now trading near all time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been increasing, which has left investors excited about the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Facebook has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Facebook to continue to OUTPERFORM.

Who to tip and how much during holiday season

With all the emphasis on buying for family and friends during the holidays, the idea of tipping people who provide services to you may not be top of mind.

But don't worry, we've got you covered.

Diane Gottsman, the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, offers a holiday tipping guide for who to tip and how much to give this holiday season. From your apartment doorman ($20) to your babysitter (one night's pay), Gottsman said the guide offers suggestions -- not hard-and-fast rules.

"You're going to give what's comfortable with you and what's in your budget," she said.

Generally, you should give an extra holiday tip to people who rely on tips throughout the year and who you see regularly during the year, Gottsman said.

"They have treated you loyally. They have given you good service and you would enjoy receiving future service with them," she said.

Here are some of the people to consider giving a holiday tip to:

1) Barista

You see them every morning and they have your drink ready before you even order it.

2) Mail carrier

Government regulations do not allow U.S. Postal Service workers to receive cash gifts. A non-monetary gift under $20 is appropriate. FedEx drivers can receive tips and gifts, but they should not exceed $75. UPS prefers its drivers to receive gifts, rather than cash, but leaves it to the customer's discretion.

3) Dog walker

A cash gift of one day to one week's pay.

4) Newspaper delivery person

A cash gift of $10-30.

5) Housekeeper

A cash gift of one week's pay.

6) Building handyman

A cash gift of $20-50, if you see them on a regular basis.

7) Nursing home workers

If you have an elderly relative in a nursing home, consider bringing a tray of cookies for the entire staff. Because there is more than one shift, bring a tray for each shift.

8) School bus driver

A $10-20 gift card. If cash gifts are not allowed under the company policy, a nice gift is a pair of drivi! ng gloves.

9) Hair stylist, manicurist, personal trainer, massage therapist

A cash gift equal to one visit.

10) Pool cleaner, lawn maintenance worker

A cash gift equal to one week's pay.

There are some people you should not tip, including doctors, dentists, accountants or anyone who is a salaried employee, Gottsman said. It would be appropriate to give them a small gift, like a tin of cookies, if you happen to see them in December, she said.

A 2012 holiday tipping survey by Consumer Reports found 64% of Americans who use housecleaners tipped them for the holidays with a median of a $50 holiday tip. The least likely to be tipped were garbage collectors, who received a median of a $20 tip.

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Ruling could deal blow to e-cigarette industry

A court ruling to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes in France last week could set a European, if not global precedent and knock the nascent e-cigarette industry off course.

A commercial court in Toulouse ruled on Monday that e-cigarettes (that do not contain tobacco) qualify as tobacco products and should only be sold by registered tobacconists.

French news agency AFP said the court ordered an e-cigarette retailer to stop selling and advertising the products. It argued it was violating the "state monopoly on the sale of tobacco" which states that tobacco products can only be sold at registered outlets in France, where their advertising is also banned.

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Erik Bloomquist, senior global tobacco analyst at Berenberg said it was now important to look at how the EU would treat e-cigarettes when it published revisions to its Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in 2014.

"This (French ruling) could lead to greater regulation of the e-cigarette industry, and yes, in terms of manufacturing and distribution it could put a squeeze on the nascent e-cigarette industry," he said.

He expected the TPD could put more pressure on smaller players than on the big suppliers like BAT or Imperial Tobacco, however.

"It could in fact be more favorable for the majors (large tobacco companies) because the French ruling suggests that the EU or some major countries are not concerned with damaging the nascent e-cig industry," he said. If upheld, the French ruling would mean producers could only distribute their products through regulated tobacconists, meaning business as usual for the larger firms.

Last month, European Union (EU) proposals reported in the British media appeared to show growing concerns among EU officials over the as yet loosely regulated e-cigarette industry with officials even proposing to ban and remove all e-cigarettes from shop shelves.

According to d! etails of a confidential European document reported by the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper, officials in Brussels saw a "risk that electronic cigarettes can develop into a gateway to normal cigarettes."

Concerns have been steadily growing over the boom in the e-cigarette industry since the products have gained in popularity over the last five years.

Although it is still far smaller than the real tobacco industry, industry analysis firm Euromonitor International estimates that the e-cigarette industry is worth in excess of $2 billion globally (the same size as the global small cigars market).

Big tobacco companies have been quick to capitalize on the smokeless product that markets itself as a "healthy" alternative to real cigarettes too. BAT (British American Tobacco) launched its mainstream e-cigarette, Vype, in the U.K. in July and Marlboro maker Philip Morris plans to enter the market in 2014.

The EU does not regulate e-cigarettes in the same way it regulates cigarettes and cigars as they do not contain tobacco. But the revised EU rules could change that. The EU will decide in which regulatory categories e-cigarettes will be placed; they currently fall between the regulatory boundaries relating to tobacco, medicinal and consumer lifestyle products.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Responding to the ruling, a spokesman for British American Tobacco told CNBC that the industry welcomed regulation of e-cigarettes and other inhaled nicotine products " to ensure consumer safety and product quality, as well as the appropriate level of innovation, marketing and distribution freedoms required to enable this important category to grow."

BAT spokesman Will Hill also noted that the ruling was only made in a local court and was not a national ruling. "It is important consumers do not face legal restrictions on where they can use these products," he said.

E-cigarettes have ! certainly! proved an alluring draw for smokers literally who have been put out in the cold by European smoking bans in bars and restaurants. Euromonitor International reported that in 2011 the top 3 e-cigarette markets were the U.S., Russia and Germany which together accounted for 60 percent of the global value of sales.

Follow Ellyatt on Twitter: @HollyEllyatt

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

America’s Disappearing Restaurant Chains

Some of the country's once iconic brands — in retail, consumer products and beer — are now shells of their former selves. Some of America’s restaurants, too, are not what they used to be. In the past 10 years, several of the nation’s biggest restaurant chains have lost more than 50% of their sales and have closed hundreds of locations nationwide.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed data provided by food industry consulting and research firm Technomic to determine the 10 large restaurant chains with the biggest decline in locations and sales between 2002 and 2012. Notably, Bennigan’s sales plunged by more than 90% between 2002 and 2012. In 2002, there were 1,688 TCBY's in the U.S. As of last year, there were just 500.

Click Here To See The Nine Disappearing Restaurants

According to Technomic executive vice president Darren Tristano, many of these struggling restaurants suffer from extremely stiff competition in their segments. The majority of these are full-service restaurants. This segment in particular, explained Tristano, is extremely competitive. Companies like LongHorn Steakhouse, Don Pablo's, and Fazoli's, have been hurt by the success of companies like Olive Garden and LongHorn. They have also lost market share to non-full service companies like Chipotle and Domino's.

Nearly all of these declining restaurant brands face an aging image and business model, Tristano explained. "Today, if you're not updating your restaurant within, say five to eight years of the previous update, you're falling out of favor."

Unlike their competition, these brands have not been able to make these necessary changes. "The underlying issue here is that as restaurants begin to decline, they struggle to have the level of working capital needed to invest in the brand. Once you start to be in a defensive mode, you stop investing in the brand, and you start cutting your losses," Tristano said.

Brands like Bennigan's, Fazoli's, and Tony Roma's have made serious attempts to modernize and restructure. In some cases, they have added a few restaurants. Their efforts may not be enough at this point. They are certainly nowhere close to where they were a decade ago.

In some cases, these declining restaurants are in segments that no longer have the level of demand they once did. Sales of buffet-style restaurant Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses dropped by 60% as self-serve restaurants have fallen out of favor.

Based on sales data provided by Technomic, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 restaurant chains that had a 50% or greater decline in the number of U.S. store locations operating from 2002 to 2012. In order to identify the chains that were once the biggest, they had to have U.S. sales of at least $250 million in 2002 and experience a 50% or greater declines in sales over the same period. All sales figures and units are U.S.-only, and are for both company-owned and franchised restaurants.

These are America's disappearing restaurant chains.

Why GM's Pick of Barra as New CEO Is a Stroke of Genius

Top Low Price Stocks To Buy Right Now

Qilai Shen, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesGM Global Product Development Chief and soon-to-be CEO Mary Barra. DETROIT -- Kettering University President Robert McMahan was traveling in China a few months ago when he bumped into one of the university's board members at an airport in Shanghai. Mary Barra, the busy global product development chief at General Motors Co. (GM), might have just said hello and turned back to her phone. Instead, she had a long discussion with McMahan's teenage son about his education and his efforts to learn Mandarin. "I turned to my son after she left and said, 'I put a month's pay on the fact that you just met the next president and CEO of GM,'" McMahan said. "Even he, as a 16-year-old, was impressed by her approachability." McMahan can keep his pay. On Tuesday, GM's board named Barra, a 33-year company veteran, as its next CEO, making her the first woman to lead a major car company. Barra replaces Dan Akerson, who moved up retirement plans by several months to help his wife, Karin, battle advanced cancer. When Barra starts her new job Jan. 15, she will lead a company that's made nearly $20 billion since emerging from bankruptcy in 2010, much of it from the cars and trucks she helped develop. But she still faces challenges of paring down GM's costs and winning over buyers in international markets such as India and South America. Akerson, 65, said he had planned to stay at least until spring, but his wife's diagnosis changed that. He said the board unanimously picked Barra from several internal candidates because of the breadth of her experience, her management record, her people skills and her understanding of GM's operations. "This is an executive who has a vision of where she wants to take the organization," he said. Since February 2011, Barra has held what many say is the most important job at GM. She joined the company in 1980 as an engineering student at Kettering -- then known as General Motors Institute -- and became a plant manager, executive director of engineering and head of human resources. Along the way, she earned a reputation as a manager who made tough decisions, yet was able to get people to follow her lead and work as a team, according to current and former GM executives. Noting her talent, GM sent her to Stanford University to get an MBA. The 51-year-old executive has been in charge of design, engineering and quality for all GM vehicles and has shepherded most of the company's recent new vehicle introductions. Under her command, GM rolled out brawny new full-size pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the Chevrolet Impala full-size car, which earned the highest score for a sedan in testing by Consumer Reports magazine. During her tenure, GM's quality scores rose in surveys done by J.D. Power and Associates. She also streamlined the organization, eliminating positions and putting one engineer in charge of each vehicle. "I don't see any reason why she won't be a huge success," said Ed Whitacre, a former CEO and chairman who promoted Barra to head human resources. Akerson hinted at Barra's promotion earlier this year when he told a women's business group in Detroit that a "car gal" would someday run one of the Detroit Three automakers. But he made it clear Tuesday that she wasn't picked because she's a woman. "Mary's one of the most gifted executives I've met in my career," he said. Tasks Ahead Among Barra's biggest tasks is executing plans designed to cut costs and putting out better products, Akerson said. One big step in getting there: making more vehicles off the same underpinnings, or platforms, that can be sold in multiple markets, such as the Chevrolet Cruze compact car. In 2009, GM had 30 different vehicle platforms, adding to manufacturing complexity and cost. Under Barra's leadership, it's moving to build nearly 90 percent of its cars and trucks off five or fewer platforms by the end of this decade, Akerson said. In an October interview with The Associated Press, she said GM is also moving to build vehicles with more common parts to trim costs where customers won't notice. As product development chief, Akerson challenged Barra to bring vehicles to market faster. She responded with swift introductions of the Cadillac ATS, a BMW 3-Series competitor, and the Impala. When the midsize Chevy Malibu didn't sell well, Barra's team gave it new looks, more interior space and a new engine with better gas mileage -- all in less than a year. "She is polished, soft-spoken, invariably polite, but firm and goal-focused. She will have a learning curve, but will be an excellent CEO," said Bob Lutz, a retired GM vice chairman who once led product development. Barra grew up near Pontiac, Mich., in a car-oriented family. Her father was a die maker who retired from GM after 39 years. GM's previous two CEOs, Akerson and Whitacre, came from outside the auto industry and lacked the experience that Barra has, said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. "There's nobody with more years of honest 'car-guy' credentials than she has," Gordon said. "She's the one to do the breakthrough." Akerson took over GM in September 2010, as the company prepared to return to the public stock markets. During his tenure, GM has made billions of dollars in profits and is sitting on $26.8 billion in cash. Its profit margins in North America are healthy. Akerson had been waiting for GM to officially shed the derisive moniker of "Government Motors" when the government sold the last of the GM shares it got as part of a bailout in 2008 and 2009. That happened Monday, clearing the way for the Barra announcement. The GM board also decided to separate the positions of chairman and CEO. Barra gets a board seat, but director Theodore Solso will succeed Akerson as chairman. Solso, a GM board member since June 2012, is the former chairman and CEO of engine maker Cummins Inc. (CMI). -.

Neurometrix Bullishness Officially Becomes a Paradigm Shift (NURO)

My recent love affair with Neurometrix Inc. (NASDAQ:NURO) hasn't exactly been a veiled secret. I first pointed out this diabetes-diagnostics stock was working on a technical breakout effort in early October, and I penned two more bullish-progress reports on NURO in November. Yet, the Neurometrix rally is still in its infancy, when you take a step back and look at the bigger weekly chart.

For those not familiar with it, NURO makes diabetic-neuropathy equipment. Neuropathy is, in simplest terms, damage done to nerve cells due to a chronic ailment. Diabetes is one such ailment, causing a specific form of neuropathy.  Neurometrix Inc. has designed and now manufactures and sells two pieces of medical equipment to treat diabetes-born neuropathy... the NC-Stat/DPN Check, and the Sensus device. The NC-Stat measures the extent of (or existence of) neuropathic damage, while the Sensus device uses electrotherapy to reduce or eliminate pain in diabetics' lower legs and feet.

The hardware is secondary at this point, however. Oh, the Sensus and the DPN Check devices remain the meat and potatoes for the company, and is the long-term core any stock-related commentary that could be made. Right now, however, the big news is the encouraging shape of the Neurometrix chart, which has gone from good to great over the course of the past month or so.

If you happened to catch my very first commentary (and/or any of the subsequent commentaries) on NURO, then you may recall this stock signaled a brewing breakout by (1) crossing above the 100-day moving average line for the first time in months, and (2) by pushing above a key falling, straight-line resistance. I pointed out more technical progress from Neurometrix Inc. a couple more times in November. You can see how that progress got started, and then followed through, ever since I made the initial call.

So what? It's a decent daily-chart breakout, but the effort may be coming to a close soon. That's just it. While the daily chart of Neurometrix may look like it's already petering out (even today's bullish surge has given up most of the ground it's gained), taking a step back and looking at a weekly chart of NURO underscores how this past month's action is not only a short-term phenomenon, but also a long-term paradigm shift for the better. Take a look.

Almost needless to say, this is the best progress and the most bullish interest we've seen for Neurometrix Inc. in years. It's also the first time in years we've seen NURO trade above the 200-day moving average line (green) in years. It is, in simplest terms, a new era for the company and the stock.... the chart's redirection is too stark and too persistent to be much else.

The catalyst was growing credibility and marketability for the company's devices, though presentations at a handful of industry trade shows didn't hurt. Thing is, that credibility and name-recognition can only grow in the future.

Bottom line? Take the bullish technical clues form NURO at face value.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter.

Stephen Colbert to Ford CEO: Mustang’s tops for…

Mustangs, government bailout, Detroit bankruptcy and anti-union sentiment were squeezed into a tongue-in-cheek interview with Ford CEO Alan Mulally who was a guest Thursday night on the Colbert Report.

Mulally was in New York and appeared live on the show with irreverent comedy talk show host Stephen Colbert.

"I love that new guest smell," Colbert said at the top of the show in announcing his upcoming guest, promoting a segment with the caption "Mustang Sally."

Mulally was in New York to unveil the all-new 2015 Mustang that will go on sale next fall. An exuberant Colbert described Mulally as "an icon of American capitalism."

The CEO played straight man to Colbert's quips about the power of a Mustang to attract the opposite sex and his labeling of General Motors and Chrysler as Bolsheviks for taking government assistance in 2009 when they filed for bankruptcy.

Mulally's attempts to take the high road included an explanation that the best way to help now-bankrupt Detroit is by hiring people and bringing work back to America.

Colbert's solution: pulling out the gold fillings of pensioners.

Mulally is not the first Detroit auto exec to trade barbs with Colbert. In April, 2012, former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz appeared to promote his book Icons and Idiots. The interview ended in an impromptu push-up contest.

Ex-LPL, Schwab Recruiter Opens Office to Help Advisors Go Indie

Veteran recruiter Al McIntee is relying on his 13 years of experience with LPL Financial (LPLA), Charles Schwab (SCHW) and Cetera Advisor Networks to start a new business for advisors who want to go independent or change their business model.

The number of options for advisors has gone way up over the past decade or so, and reps need someone to help them with “the exhaustive discovery work,” says McIntee, 46, who worked as an advisor for Merrill Lynch (BAC) when he started in the field.

For instance, there are the numerous regulatory and financial considerations that go along with understanding whether or not it’s worthwhile to form your own RIA, he explains. “Many financial advisors think the hybrid-RIA model may be right for them, and I can help demystify what independence is,” said McIntee in a phone interview with ThinkAdvisor.  

The average third-party industry recruiter aims to put advisors in touch with five broker-dealers. “They do a high-volume business and need to place advisors where they can collect the highest fees. It can be very impersonal, and a lot of the work is done online.”

Rather than helping advisors simply switch firms, McIntee says he tailors his services. “I can look at their books of business and discuss the merits of forming their own RIA or working with a corporate RIA and of staying with a hybrid model vs. going RIA only,” he shared.

In addition, issues like software programs for portfolio management and client relationships, back-office integration and licensing have to be carefully discussed.

“Advisors want some flexibility. They need to understand what model is right for their book of business,” explained McIntee, whose office is located in the Greater San Diego area. “A generic recruiter typically tries to get an advisor in touch with four or five broker-dealers and hope that one sticks.”

Current Operations

McIntee, who is meeting with several potential clients in New York this week, says his sweet spot is working with wirehouse advisors who want to go independent or IBD reps "looking to find better mousetraps." This includes working with reps who may have a good percentage of their business in separately managed accounts, for instance, and with clients who need collateralized lending.

“I want to do the legwork for the advisor,” he explained. “Also, reps can get paralysis analysis when they are poring over spreadsheets. I can look at their mix of business and goals and narrow the search down to two or three of the top firms after doing lots of due diligence.” The work is “platform agnostic,” he adds.

His target reps and teams have about $400,000-$500,000 in yearly fees and commissions or more and at least $50 million in assets under management. In general, recruiters receive about 5%-7% of an advisor’s trailing 12-month production after a recruiting deal is signed — about 3% or 4% up front. The recruiting broker-dealer pays these fees, not the advisor, according to McIntee. Custodial firms typically pay recruiters 5-6 basis points for assets under management that are moved to them.

Working with a recruiter means an advisor’s confidentiality can be protected during the process, so an existing broker-dealer won’t find out a rep is looking around and getting ready to move.

“There are recruiters that will tell advisors just what they want to hear,” McIntee cautioned. “I can decipher the white noise, since I know what drives profitability. I can get advisors the top transitional assistance, as I know how margins and technology work."

5 Stocks With Awful Operating Margin Growth — SYUT CTEL HKTV NYNY IMMU

Popular Posts: 8 “Triple A” Stocks to Buy5 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now17 Oil and Gas Stocks to Sell Now Recent Posts: 5 Stocks With Crummy Sales Growth — NAVB CTEL HKTV CUR IMMU 5 Stocks With Awful Operating Margin Growth — SYUT CTEL HKTV NYNY IMMU 5 Stocks With Great Sales Growth — INSY IDCC AGM HGSH ESGR View All Posts

This week, these five stocks have the worst ratings in Operating Margin Growth, one of the eight Fundamental Categories on Portfolio Grader.

Synutra International, Inc. () manufactures infant formula and other nutritional products. SYUT gets F’s in Earnings Growth, Earnings Momentum, Analyst Earnings Revisions, Equity, Cash Flow, and Sales Growth as well. The stock currently has a trailing PE Ratio of 768.30. .

City Telecom (H.K.) Ltd. () provides fixed telecommunications networks and international telecommunications services for residential and corporate customers. CTEL also gets F’s in Earnings Growth and Sales Growth. .

Top 5 Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now

Hong Kong Television Network Ltd. Sponsored ADR () engages in the provision of multimedia production and contents distribution business, and other multimedia related activities in Hong Kong. HKTV gets F’s in Earnings Growth and Sales Growth as well. .

Empire Resorts, Inc. () is a gaming and resort management company. NYNY also gets F’s in Earnings Growth and Equity. .

Immunomedics, Inc. () develops, manufactures, and sells diagnostic imaging and therapeutic products. IMMU gets F’s in Earnings Growth, Equity, Cash Flow, and Sales Growth as well. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now

The price-to-earnings ratio has its supporters and detractors, but this simple statistic can be an easy way for investors to gauge how cheap an average stock is on the fly. For some stocks, however, the P/E ratio is a misleading statistic -- particularly when earnings betray a poor business model. With stocks' rise this year and earnings on the upswing, however, is the P/E ratio a suitable fit in the medical device industry, particularly as many device stocks have soared in 2013?

Using data compiled by stock screening site Finviz.com, here are three of the cheapest medical device stocks in the industry as sorted by the P/E ratio. Are these picks worth your investment -- or is this simple statistic hiding lagging financials and flailing companies? Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll tells you what you need to know about the device industry's cheapest pickings below.

While you can certainly make huge gains in biotech and pharmaceuticals, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Johnson & Johnson(JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. The Consumer segment provides products used in baby care, skin care, oral care, wound care, and women?s health care fields, as well as nutritional, over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and wellness and prevention platforms under the brands of JOHNSON?S, AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, JOHNSON?S Adult, NEUTROGENA, RoC, LUBRIDERM, DABAO, LISTERINE, REACH, BAND-AID, CAREFREE, STAYFREE, SPLENDA, TYLENOL, SUDAFED, ZYRTEC, MOTRIN IB, and PEPCID AC. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, antipsychotic, contraceptive, dermatology, gastrointestinal, hematology, immunology, neurology, oncology, pain management, and virology. Its principal products include REMICADE for the treatment of immune me diated inflammatory diseases; STELARA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis; SIMPONI, a treatment for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; VELCADE for the treatment of multiple myeloma; PREZISTA and INTELENCE for treating HIV/AIDS patients; NUCYNTA for moderate to severe acute pain; INVEGA SUSTENNAtm for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults; RISPERDAL CONSTA for the management of bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia; and PROCRIT to stimulate red blood cell production. The Medical Devices and Diagnostics segment primarily offers circulatory disease management products; orthopaedic joint reconstruction, spinal care, and sports medicine products; surgical care, aesthetics, and women?s health products; blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery products; professional diagnostic products; and disposable contact lenses. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Ne w Brunswick, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Pfizer's blood thinner, Eliquis, was approved late last year. The drug, which Pfizer sells with Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY  ) , has multibillion-dollar potential because the current offering, warfarin, is difficult to use. While doctors are clamoring for a replacement, drugmakers developed three. In addition to Eliquis, there's also Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ  ) Xarelto and Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa. The blood thinner market is so large, I think there's plenty of room for all three.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) also delivered quarterly results, beating estimates on both the top and bottom lines -- yet shares are nonetheless flat this afternoon. Johnson posted ex-item earnings of $1.48 per share on revenue of $17.88, topping expectations of $1.39 in EPS and $17.72 billion in revenue. But despite beating the Street, the management team did note a number of times during the conference call that the company is experiencing pricing pressure from the government and insurance payers. Additionally, the company cited changes in the "dynamic global macroeconomic environment" as a reason to be concerned about revenue growth.�

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: EntreMed Inc (ENMD.PH)

EntreMed, Inc. (EntreMed), incorporated in 1991, is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. EntreMed's drug candidate is ENMD-2076, an Aurora A and angiogenic kinase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer. ENMD-2076 has completed Phase I studies in patients with advanced solid tumors, multiple myeloma and leukemia and is completing data for a multi-center Phase II study in patients with platinum resistant ovarian cancer. The Company�� other product candidates have includes MKC-1, ENMD-1198 and 2-methoxyestrdiol (2ME2, Panzem) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

ENMD-2076 is a novel orally-active, Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor with potent activity against Aurora A and multiple tyrosine kinases linked to cancer and inflammatory diseases. ENMD-2076 is relatively selective for the Aurora A isoform in comparison to Aurora B. Aurora kinases are key regulators of the process of mitosis, or cell division, and are often over-expressed in human cancers. E NMD-2076 exerts its effects through multiple mechanisms of action, including anti-proliferative activity and the inhibition of angiogenesis. ENMD-2076 has demonstrated significant, dose-dependent preclinical activity as a single agent, including tumor regression, in multiple xenograft models (such as breast, colon, leukemia), as well as activity towards ex vivo-treated human leukemia patient cells.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Galena Biopharma Inc (GALE.PH)

Galena Biopharma, Inc. (Galena), formerly RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, incorporated on April 3, 2006, is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies addressing unmet medical needs using targeted biotherapeutics. The Company is pursuing the development of cancer therapeutics using peptide-based immunotherapy products, including its main product candidate, NeuVaxTM (E75), for the treatment of breast cancer and other tumors. NeuVax is a peptide-based immunotherapy intended to reduce the recurrence of breast cancer in low-to-intermediate HER2-positive breast cancer patients not eligible for trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech/Roche). On January 19, 2012, the Company initiated enrollment in its Phase 3 PRESENT clinical trial for NeuVax (E75 peptide plus GM-CSF) vaccine in low-to-intermediate HER2 1+ and 2+ breast cancer patients in the adjuvant setting to prevent recurrence (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01479244). The Preven tion of Recurrence in Early-Stage, Node-Positive Breast Cancer with Low to Intermediate HER2 Expression with NeuVax Treatment study is a randomized, multicenter, multinational clinical trial that will enroll approximately 700 breast cancer patients. The Company�� Phase 2 trial of NeuVax achieved its primary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS). On April 13, 2011, the Company completed its acquisition of Apthera, Inc.,(Apthera).

The Company focuses to start a Phase 2 trial comparing NeuVax in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) versus trastuzumab, alone, in a 300-patient, randomized study in the adjuvant breast cancer setting. The Company's second product candidate, Folate Binding Protein-E39 (FBP), is a vaccine, consisting of the peptides E39 and J65, aimed at preventing the recurrence of ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancers. On February 14, 2012, the Company announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in two gynecological cancers: ovari an and endometrial adenocarcinomas. Folate binding protein! h! as very limited tissue distribution and expression in non-malignant tissue and is over-expressed in more than 90% of ovarian and endometrial cancers, as well as in 20% to 50% of breast, lung, colorectal and renal cell carcinomas.

In April 2011, the Company acquired Apthera Inc and its NeuVax product candidate. The Company focuses on developing a pipeline of immunotherapy product candidates for the treatment of various cancers based on the E75 peptide, the advanced of which is NeuVax, which is targeted at preventing the recurrence of breast cancer. NeuVax has had positive Phase 1/2 clinical trial results for the prevention of breast cancer recurrence in patients who have had breast cancer and received the standard of care treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy as indicated). The Company had also initiated its Phase 3 PRESENT clinical trial of NeuVax for the prevention of breast cancer recurrence in early-stage low-to-intermediate HER2 breast cancer patients. NeuVax directs killer T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells that express HER2/neu, a protein associated with epithelial tumors in breast, ovarian, pancreatic, colon, bladder and prostate cancers. NeuVax is comprised of a HER2/neu-derived peptide called E75. E75 is a nine-amino acid sequence that is immunogenic (produces an immune response) and GM-CSF is a commercially available protein that acts to stimulate and activate components of the immune system such as macrophages and dendritic cells.

The Company also develops novel applications for NeuVax based on preclinical studies and phases 2 clinical trials which suggest that combining NeuVax and trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech/Roche) can increase antigen presentation by tumor cells by promoting receptor internalization and subsequent proteosomal degradation of the HER2 protein. The Company also is pursuing additional therapeutic indications for NeuVax that are in Phase 1/2 clinical trials. RXI-109, is a dermal anti-scarring therapy that ! targ! ets! conne! ctive tissue growth factor (CTGF) and that may inhibit connective tissue formation in human fibrotic disease.

The Company competes with Roche Laboratories, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Bayer HealthCare AG, Sanofi-Aventis, US, LLC, Amgen, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Renovo Group plc, CoDa Therapeutics, Inc., Sirnaomics, Inc., FirstString Research, Inc., Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Capstone Therapeutics, Halscion, Inc., Garnet Bio Therapeutics, Inc., AkPharma Inc., Promedior, Inc., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eyegene, Derma Sciences, Inc., Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, Pharmaxon, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marina Biotech, Inc., Tacere Therapeutics, Inc., Benitec Limited, OPKO Health, Inc., Silence Therapeutics plc, Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rosetta Genomics Ltd., Lorus Therapeutics, Inc., Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Arrowhead Research Corporation, Regulus Therapeutics Inc. and Santaris.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: StemCells Inc (STEM)

StemCells, Inc. (StemCells), incorporated in August 1988, is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of stem cell therapeutics and related tools and technologies for academia and industry. The Company is focused on developing and commercializing stem and progenitor cells as the basis for therapeutics and therapies, and cells and related tools and technologies to enable stem cell-based research and drug discovery and development. The Company�� primary research and development efforts are focused on identifying and developing stem and progenitor cells as potential therapeutic agents. The Company has two therapeutic product development programs, including its CNS Program, which is developing applications for HuCNS-SC cells, its human neural stem cell product candidate, and its Liver Program, which is characterizing the Company�� human liver cells as a therapeutic product.

CNS Program

The Company in its CNS Program, is in clinical development with its HuCNS-SC cells for a range of disorders of the central nervous system. The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord and eye. In February 2012, the Company had completed a Phase I clinical trial in Pelizeaus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in the brain.

The Company�� CNS Program is focused on developing clinical applications, in which transplanting HuCNS-SC cells protect or restore organ function of the patient before such function is irreversibly damaged or lost due to disease progression. The Company�� initial target indications are PMD, and more generally, diseases in which deficient myelination plays a central role, such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis; spinal cord injury, disorders in which retinal degeneration plays a central role, such as age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. The Company�� product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a purified and expanded composition of normal human neural stem cells. Its HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transp! lanted.

Liver Program

Liver stem or progenitor cells offer an alternative treatment for liver diseases. A liver cellular therapy or cell-based therapeutic provide or support liver function in patients with liver disease. The Company held a portfolio of issued and allowed patents in the liver field, which cover the isolation and use of both hLEC cells and the isolated subset, as well as the composition of the cells themselves.

The Company�� range of cell culture products, which are sold under the SC Proven brand, includes iSTEM, GS1-R, GS2-M, RHB-A, RHB-Basal, NDiff N2, and NDiff N2B27. Its iSTEM is a serum-free, feeder-free medium that maintains mouse embryonic stem cells in their pluripotent ground state by using selective small molecule inhibitors to block the pathways, which induce differentiation. RHB-A is a defined, serum-free culture medium for the selective culture of human and mouse neural stem cells and their maintenance and expansion as adherent cell populations. RHB-Basal is a defined, serum-free basal medium. When supplemented with specific growth factors, this media is formulated for the propagation and differentiation of adherent neural stem cells. RHB-Basal can also be tailored to specific-cell type requirements by the addition of customer preferred supplements.

The Company�� NDiff N2 is a defined serum-free scell culture supplement for the derivation, maintenance, expansion and/or differentiation of human and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and tissue-derived neural stem cells supplement. Its NDiff N2-AF is a serum-free and animal component-free version of NDiff N2. Its NDiff N2B27 is a defined, serum-free medium for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells to neural cell types. NDiff N27-AF is a serum-free and animal component-free version of NDiff N27. Its GS1-R is a serum-free media formulation shown to enable the derivation and long-term maintenance of true, germline competent rat embryonic stem cells without the add! ition of ! cytokines or growth factors. Its GS2-M is a defined, serum- and feeder-free medium for the derivation and long-term maintenance of true, germline competent mouse iPS cells.

The Company also markets a number of antibody reagents for use in cell detection, isolation and characterization. These reagents are also under the SC Proven brand and it includes STEM24, STEM101, STEM121 and STEM123. Its STEM24 is a human antibody that recognizes human CD24, also known as heat stable antigen (HSA), a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of many human cell types, including immature human hematopoietic cells, peripheral blood lymphocytes, erythrocytes and many human carcinomas. Its CD24 is also a marker of human neural differentiation. Its STEM101 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes the Ku80 protein found in human nuclei. Its STEM121 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes a cytoplasmic protein of human cells. Its STEM123 is a human-specific mouse antibody that recognizes human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

The Company�� Other products marketed under SC Proven include total cell genomic DNA (gDNA), RNA and protein lysate reagents purified from homogenous stem cell populations for intra-comparative studies, such as Epigenetic fingerprinting, Southern, Western and Northern blots, PCR, RT-PCR and microarrays. This range of purified stem cell line lysates includes mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells propagated in SC Proven 2i inhibitor-based GS2-M media and mouse ES cell-derived and fetal tissue-derived neural stem (NS) cells propagated in SC Proven RHB-A media.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  When an investor thinks of spinal-related stem cell stocks, usually a name like Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR) or StemCells Inc (NASDAQ: STEM) comes to mind. And well they should. STEM has logged some amazing breakthroughs in the field of spinal cord repair, while CUR has done the same. Not all back problems are spinal cord related though. In fact, most back problems - and therefore the most opportunity - are bone and disc related problems. That's where a young gun like BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX) can step in and make stem cell waves. BRTX has developed an approach to rejuvenate and revive failing spinal discs, potentially ending pain for millions of back-pain sufferers, and circumventing expensive spinal surgeries that are in increasing burden on insurance companies.

• [By John Udovich]

  The results of a recent Pew Center Poll regarding attitudes towards abortion and various forms of stem cell research could be a good sign for the stem cell industry along with small cap stem cell stocks like StemCells Inc (NASDAQ: STEM), NeoStem Inc (NASDAQ: NBS), Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR),�International Stem Cell Corp (OTCMKTS: ISCO) and BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX). Basically, Americans think that having an abortion is a moral issue with 49% of American adults believing abortion is morally wrong, 23%�view it not as a moral issue and and 15% view it as morally acceptable. However and when Americans were asked about issues surrounding�human embryos, such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization, as a matter of morality, their views were different.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Myriad Genetics Inc (MYGN)

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Myriad) is a molecular diagnostic company. The Company is focused on developing and marketing predictive medicine, personalized medicine and prognostic medicine tests. It performs all of its molecular diagnostic testing and analysis in its own reference laboratories. These technologies include the cornerstone technologies of biomarker discovery, high-throughput deoxyribo nucleuc acid (DNA) sequencing, ribo nucleic acid (RNA) expression and multiplex protein analysis. The Company uses this information to guide the development of new molecular diagnostic tests that are designed to assess an individual's risk for developing disease later in life (predictive medicine), identify a patient's likelihood of responding to drug therapy and guide a patient's dosing to ensure optimal treatment (personalized medicine), or assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recurrence (prognostic medicine).

As of June 30, 2012, the Company had launched nine commercial molecular diagnostic tests. The Company markets these tests through its own approximate 385-person sales force in the United States. The Company also markets its BRACAnalysis, COLARIS, and COLARIS AP tests through its own European sales force and have entered into marketing collaborations with other organizations in selected Latin American, European and Asian countries. The Company also generates revenue by providing companion diagnostic services to the pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries and medical research institutions utilizing its multiplexed immunoassay technology.

Molecular Diagnostic Tests

The Company's molecular diagnostic tests are designed to analyze genes, their mutations, expression levels and proteins to assess an individual's risk for developing disease later in life, determine a patient's likelihood of responding to a particular drug, assess a patient's risk of disease progression and disease recurrence and measure a patient's exposure to drug therapy to ensu! re optimal dosing and reduced drug toxicity. The Company's BRACAnalysis test is a analysis of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes for assessing a woman's risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. BRACAnalysis accounted for 81.7% of the Company's total revenue during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. Its The Company's COLARIS test is an analysis of the MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 genes for assessing a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer or uterine cancer.

The Company's COLARIS AP test detects mutations in the APC and MYH genes, which cause a colon polyp-forming syndrome known as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), a more common variation of the syndrome known as attenuated FAP, and the MYH-associated polyposis signature (MAP). The Company's MELARIS test analyzes mutations in the p16 gene to determine genetic susceptibility to malignant melanoma. The Company's OnDose test is a nanoparticle immunoassay that is designed to assist oncologists in optimizing 5-FU (fluorouracil) anti-cancer drug therapy in colon cancer patients on an individualized basis. The Company's PANEXIA test is a comprehensive analysis of the PALB2 and BRCA2 genes for assessing a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer later in life. The Company's PREZEON test is an immunohistochemistry test that analyzes the PTEN gene and assesses loss of PTEN function in many cancer types.

The Company's Prolaris test is a 46-gene molecular diagnostic assay that assesses whether a patient is likely to have a slow growing, indolent form of prostate cancer that can be safely monitored through active surveillance, or a more aggressive form of the disease that would warrant aggressive intervention, such as a radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. The Company's TheraGuide 5-FU test analyzes mutations in the DPYD gene and variations in the TYMS gene to assess patient risk of toxicity to 5-FU (fluorouracil) anti-cancer drug therapy.

Companion Diagnostic Services and Other Revenue

! Through M! yriad RBM Inc., the Company provides biomarker discovery and companion diagnostic services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical researches industries utilizing its multiplexed immunoassay technology. The Company's technology enables the Company to screen large sets of clinical samples from both diseased and non-diseased populations against the Company's menu of biomarkers. The Company's companion diagnostic services consist of Multi-Analyte Profile (MAP), Multiplexed Immunoassay Kits and TruCulture.

The Company has compiled a library of over 550 individual human and rodent immunoassays for use in its multi-analyte profile (MAP) testing services. The Company has also developed RodentMAP, a panel for use in pre-clinical animal studies and OncologyMAP, which measures cancer-related proteins to assists researchers accelerate the pace of discovery, validation and translation of cancer biomarkers for early detection, patient stratification and therapeutic monitoring. The Company has developed multiplexed immunoassay kits that enable its customers to leverage its technology services with their in-house capabilities. The Company's internally developed multiplexed immunoassay kits include all of the components necessary for a customer to perform a test on their own Luminex instrument. TruCulture is a simple, self-contained whole blood culture that can be deployed to clinical sites around the world for acquiring cell culture data without specialized facilities or training.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN  ) , almost one month after a landmark ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court both undermined and supported the company's claim of patents for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, has filed suit against a company it says has infringed on those patents.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Earlier this week, Roche Holding Ltd. (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) made big news by winning the FDA's approval to administer a breast cancer drug before surgical removal of a breast tumor ... the first time the Food and Drug Administration has believed surgery (then followed by drugs and chemo) wasn't the best approach. Earlier in the year, a company called Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN) made a big splash, helped along by celebrity Angelina Jolie, who - using a DNA test from the genetic-testing company - elected to undergo a double mastectomy because her diagnostic's scores she was at a greater risk of breast cancer. Aside from being good for MYGN and RHHBY shareholders, both Roche Holding and Myriad Genetics are doing good work for cancer patients (and pre-cancer patient) too. Yet, there's another smaller company close to entering the same breast cancer fight that made big news of its own today... MetaStat Inc. (OTCMKTS:MTST). Indeed, this off-the-radar company in many ways has more potential than Myriad or Roche do, just by the virtue and capability of its underlying science.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: Organovo Holdings Inc (ONVO.PK)

Organovo Holdings, Inc. (Organovo), formerly Real Estate Restoration & Rental, Inc., incorporated in 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company has developed and is commercializing a platform technology for the generation of three-dimensional (3D) human tissues that can be employed in drug discovery and development, biological research, and as therapeutic implants for the treatment of damaged or degenerating tissues and organs. On December 28, 2011, Real Estate Restoration and Rental, Inc.�� (RERR) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, pursuant to which RERR merged with its, wholly owned subsidiary, Organovo (Merger Sub). On February 8, 2012, the Company merged with and into Organovo Acquisition Corp. (Acquisition Corp.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo, with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo Holdings (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, Organovo acquired the business of Organovo, Inc.

The C ompany has collaborative research agreements with Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer) and United Therapeutic Corporation (Unither). As of March 31, 2012, it has five federal grants, including Small Business Innovation Research grants and developed the NovoGen MMX Bioprinter (its first-generation 3D bioprinter). The Company is engaged in the development of specific 3D human tissues to aid Pfizer in discovery of therapies in two areas of interest. In addition, in October 2011, it entered into a research agreement with Unither to establish and conduct a research program to discover treatments for pulmonary hypertension using its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter technology. Additionally, under the research agreement with Unither, the Company granted Unither an option to acquire from the Company a worldwide, royalty-bearing license in certain intellectual property created under the research agreement solely for use in the treatment or prevention of pulmonary hypertension and all other lung diseases.

The Company�� NovoGen MMX Bioprinter is an aut! om! ated device that enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) living tissues comprised of mammalian cells. A custom graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates the 3D design and execution of scripts that direct precision movement of the dispensing heads to deposit cellular building blocks (bio-ink) or supporting hydrogel. The Company is using a third party manufacturer, Invetech Pty., of Melbourne, Australia, to manufacture its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter. Its bioprinting technology and surrounding intellectual property and commercial rights serve as a platform for product generation across multiple markets that employ cell- and tissue-based products and services.

The Company competes with Organogenesis, Advanced BioHealing, Tengion, Genzyme, HumaCyte and Cytograft Tissue Engineering.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: CEL-SCI Corp (CVM)

CEL-SCI Corporation (CEL-SCI), incorporated on March 22, 1983, is engaged in the business of Multikine cancer therapy; New cold fill manufacturing service to the pharmaceutical industry, and ligand epitope antigen presentation System (LEAPS) technology, with two products, hemagglutinin type 1 and neuraminidase type 1 (H1N1) swine flu treatment for H1N1 hospitalized patients and CEL-2000, a rheumatoid arthritis treatment vaccine.

Multikine

CEL-SCI's Multikine, is being developed for the treatment of cancer. It is a cancer immunotherapy drugs called Combination Immunotherapy because it combines active and passive immunity in one product. It is the only cancer immunotherapy that both kills cancer cells and activates the general immune system to destroy the cancer. Multikine target the tumor micro-metastases for treatment failure. Multikine is also applicable in many other solid tumors.

New Manufacturing Facility

CEL-SCI's facility manufactures Multikine for CEL-SCI's Phase III clinical trial. CEL-SCI offers the use of the facility as a service to pharmaceutical companies and others, particularly those that need to fill and finish their drugs in a cold environment. Fill and finish is the process of filling injectable drugs in a sterile manner.

LEAPS

CEL-SCI's patented T-cell Modulation Process uses heteroconjugates to direct the body to choose a specific immune response. The heteroconjugate technology, referred to as LEAPS, is intended to stimulate the human immune system to fight bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, as well as autoimmune, allergies, transplantation rejection and cancer. Administered like vaccines, LEAPS combines T-cell binding ligands with small, disease associated and peptide antigens.

Using the LEAPS technology, CEL-SCI has created a peptide treatment for H1N1 (swine flu) hospitalized patients. This LEAPS flu treatment is designed to focus on the conserved, non-changing epitopes of the di! fferent strains of Type A Influenza viruses, including swine, avian or bird, and Spanish Influenza. CEL-SCI's LEAPS flu treatment contains epitopes.

Top Medical Stocks To Own Right Now: EntreMed Inc (ENMD)

EntreMed, Inc. (EntreMed), incorporated in 1991, is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. EntreMed's drug candidate is ENMD-2076, an Aurora A and angiogenic kinase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer. ENMD-2076 has completed Phase I studies in patients with advanced solid tumors, multiple myeloma and leukemia and is completing data for a multi-center Phase II study in patients with platinum resistant ovarian cancer. The Company�� other product candidates have includes MKC-1, ENMD-1198 and 2-methoxyestrdiol (2ME2, Panzem) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

ENMD-2076 is a novel orally-active, Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor with potent activity against Aurora A and multiple tyrosine kinases linked to cancer and inflammatory diseases. ENMD-2076 is relatively selective for the Aurora A isoform in comparison to Aurora B. Aurora kinases are key regulators of the process of mitosis, or cell division, and are often over-expressed in human cancers. ENMD-2076 exerts its effects through multiple mechanisms of action, including anti-proliferative activity and the inhibition of angiogenesis. ENMD-2076 has demonstrated significant, dose-dependent preclinical activity as a single agent, including tumor regression, in multiple xenograft models (such as breast, colon, leukemia), as well as activity towards ex vivo-treated human leukemia patient cells.

Bitcoin tops $1000 as ‘cryptocurrency’ gains ac…

Happy Thanksgiving Bitcoin.

The value of the so-called cryptocurrency surged above $1,000 as it becomes easier to use as a way to pay and easier to access for investors looking for an alternative to gold.

One Bitcoin was briefly worth $1.073 on Wednesday, up from less than $100 earlier this year, according to Mt. Gox, which hosts and operates a popular Bitcoin trading platform. Later in the day it dropped back to $930.

"Bitcoin is just starting to break out into the mainstream," said Eric Tilenius, executive-in-residence at Scale Venture Partners, who has a small percentage of his investment portfolio in the digital currency.

The latest to jump on the Bitcoin roller coaster is Gyft, a mobile gift card company backed by Google Ventures. The start-up will give four percentage points back on gift-card purchases made on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday using Bitcoin. The rewards come in the form of "Gyft points" that can be exchanged for new gift cards from more than 200 retailers, including Gap, Target and Amazon's Zappos.

Bitcoin is a digital currency and payment method that is not regulated by any government. Instead, software controls how many Bitcoins are produced, leaving it less prone to the whims of central banks, some of which have caused inflation in the past by printing too much paper currency.

The Bitcoin software first emerged in 2009 via a person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then, many other developers have jumped on board to support the currency and make it more accessible to consumers and investors.

Bitcoin is already accepted by online organizations like Reddit and WordPress, but it has gained wider acceptance recently.

Billionaire Richard Branson said last week that his space start-up Virgin Galactic will accept payment in the virtual currency. The University of Nicosia, a private school in Cyprus, is now accepting Bitcoin for tuition and other school fees. Companies can even reimburse employee expense reports in Bitcoin th! rough start-up Expensify.

Part of the attraction of accepting Bitcoin is that the transactions may have lower fees than those charged by networks including Visa and MasterCard for credit and debit card payments.

"The card networks charge 1% to 3% per transaction, which is a lot of money to many merchants with thin profit margins," said Tyler Moore, an assistant professor in computer science at Southern Methodist University who has researched Bitcoin. "Bitcoin is a new entrant that may disrupt the dominance of the payment networks. That's one reason why people are so excited about it."

But what's really driving Bitcoin's value is rising interest in the digital currency among investors, Moore and Tilenius said.

The rate at which new Bitcoins are produced is controlled by computer code, rather than human beings at central banks, so there's no concern about over-supply. Indeed, over time the software will reduce the number of Bitcoins produced (or mined in the terminology of the market) and ultimately stop it altogether.

"Right now, about 25 new Bitcoins are mined every 10 minutes. That will be halved, then halved again and again," said Moore.

10 Best Gold Stocks For 2014

With such fixed supply, and rising demand, the value of Bitcoins should almost by definition climb, he explained.

Beyond pure supply-and-demand economics, Bitcoin is gaining a following among investors who are looking for things that may hold their value in the face of risks such as inflation and currency devaluations.

"Money has two primary purposes: as a medium of exchange, and as a store of value," Tilenius said. "While many people focus on Bitcoin as a new medium of exchange, I believe it's real value lies as a store of wealth: Bitcoin is a new asset class."

Tilenius compared Bitcoin to gold, which surged in value as the Federal Reserve and other central banks loosened monetary policy a lot in the ! wake of d! ot-com crash in 2000 and the global financial crisis of 2008.

Gold also benefited as new investment tools, such as exchange-traded funds, made the precious metal easier to hold for more investors. Tilenius says the same thing is happening with Bitcoin now.

Coinbase is a new digital wallet that makes it easier for consumers and merchants to buy, use and accept Bitcoin.

SecondMarket offers a Bitcoin Investment Trust with a $25,000 minimum investment, while BTC China is bringing Bitcoin to the masses in the world's most populous nation.

"It used to be that you had to be quite a geek to go through all the motions to own Bitcoin. Now, with the rise of services like these anyone can easily own Bitcoin," Tilenius said.