AdviceIQ: Springtime financial cleanup

The weather is finally warm again, and here comes spring cleaning. Clean up your finances, too, before the hectic activity and recreation of summer.

Start with these pointers:

Discuss main financial goals with your spouse or significant other– and write them down. Whether saving for a downpayment on a house, paying off outstanding debt or creating a rainy day fund, everyone has a financial goal or two for the year. Writing down your goals helps you think through the details and outline a plan to meet those goals.

Important aspects of your financial life together include credit scores, future big outlays of cash and potential future income. Make sure, too, that you and your significant other are on the same page concerning these goals.

Track your money. On the left side of a piece of paper write down all your sources of income. Look at your tax forms, such as your W-2 wage statement or Internal Revenue Service form 1040, to accurately assess your income.

On the right side of the same paper, write all your financial obligations. Your paystub quickly tells you how much you shell out for health insurance, put toward your 401(k) retirement plan and set aside for taxes.

Hot Up And Coming Companies To Buy For 2015

Don't forget to include the expense of your other insurance policies, mortgage, car payments, student-loan debt and your other financial obligations throughout the year.

Compare the two sides.

Plan for taxes, savings and life. When looking at your gross income, remember that approximately 30% comes right off the top for taxes (federal and state combined), 20% ideally needs to go toward such savings as an emergency fund and retirement assets and half goes to living expenses.

Your healthy financial plan – and future – hinges on this formula. Further, spending just 30% to 40% of your income during your working years on food, shelter, transportati! on, insurance, kid-related costs, entertainment and the like allows you to maintain your lifestyle in retirement.

Does your inflow exceed your outflow? If not, right the ship.

Insure what's important. Make sure you cover all your important financial assets with insurance, including your house, car and health. You also might want to investigate disability insurance and umbrella policies for further coverage. Disability furnishes you income if you can't work, and umbrella coverage protects you against lawsuits connected with your property.

Do you have enough life insurance? For many families, the most cost-effective life option islevel-term with a 10- to 30-year term. If your life insurance needs recently increased – due perhaps to more children or other change in your lifestyle – revisit your coverage amounts.

Many online calculators can help you determine your needed coverage. If you don't work with an insurance agent, it's fine to shop for term life policies online at such sites as matrixdirect, accuQuote and QuickQuote.

Remember to budget for fun. Include a budget for warm-weather fun, from a trip to a local theatre to a vacation to Florida. In researching my latest book, You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think, I learned that happy retirees take nearly twice as many vacations a year as unhappy retirees. Consumer advocate Clark Howard offers great suggestions for traveling on a budget.

Winter's over. Take this moment to give your finances new life, too.

MORE: David John Marotta on tax brackets and capital gains

MORE: Sterling Raskie on the high price of waiting

MORE: Matthew Illian on the rise of mutual fund power

Wes Moss, CFP, is the chief investment strategist for Capital Investment Advisors and a partner at Wela Strategies, both in Atlanta, and is a member of the AdviceIQ Financial Advisors Network, which is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Congress Handcuffs DEA on Legal Marijuana

Top China Stocks To Invest In Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- In a historic vote, Congress voted to support states on legalized medicinal marijuana. The measure will not allow the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to spend federal funds to interfere with states that have legalized medicinal marijuana.

"The states have spoken, the American people have spoken and now for the first time the U.S. House of Representatives have spoken on allowing medical marijuana," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the sponsor of the measure, in a press conference on Friday.

Rohrabacher had offered the measure because patients and dispensaries in states that had legalized medicinal marijuana continued to be raided by the DEA as state law and federal law collided. Dispensaries had inventory confiscated, including cash, most of which was never returned. Patients with all the proper paperwork were thrown in jail.

>> Read More: Cannabis Legalization From Bloodshed to Regrowth The most egregious case cited is the Kettle 5, a family in Washington arrested for marijuana plants. Even though the family abided by Washington state law, the federal agents took the family car and all the family's medicinal marijuana. The family now faces a sentence of 10 years to life. The approval of the measure is the first time in history that Congress has voted to rein in the DEA from its war on drugs. It also showed a shift in Republicans, who tend to support the DEA and strict law enforcement. Forty-nine Republicans voted as the measure was approved 219-189. The amendment, one of many pieces of marijuana legislation, has been offered seven times since 2003, only to fail each vote.

"Congress has finally caught up with the supermajority of Americans across the nation supportive of protections for medical marijuana patients. This amendment protects people in 32 states and the District of Columbia, comprising an astonishing 60% of the population, who now live in states with medical marijuana laws," said Aaron Houston, a political advisor and strategist at Ghost Group, an operating company that specializes in marijuana technology companies.  >> Read More: Hemp in Kentucky Creates Latest Drug War Battleground "This measure passed because it received more support from Republicans than ever before. It is refreshing to see conservatives in Congress sticking to their conservative principles when it comes to marijuana policy. Republicans increasingly recognize that marijuana prohibition is a failed Big Government program that infringes on states' rights," said Dan Riffle of the Marijuana Policy Project. There are currently 22 states that have legalized medicinal marijuana with Minnesota becoming the latest. The DEA will now have to stand down when it comes to raiding state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries and arresting approved patients. New York could also potentially legalize medicinal marijuana if the legislation comes up for a vote before the session ends June 19. Rohrabacher isn't done yet, saying, "Although it's a crucial moment we have to follow this up and turn this victory into law." -- Written by Debra Borchardt in New York.
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Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2015

Top Net Payout Yield Companies To Watch For 2015: Penn National Gaming Inc.(PENN)

Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and manage gaming and pari-mutuel properties in the United States. It operates approximately 27,000 gaming machines; 500 table games; and 2,000 hotel rooms in 23 facilities in 16 jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The company was formerly known as PNRC Corp. and changed its name to Penn National Gaming, Inc. in 1994. Penn National Gaming, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) is down 16.4% at $6.50 after announcing that no buyout bid will be forthcoming. Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) is down 76.7% at $13.75 after spinning-off its real-estate holdings into a REIT. Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is up 15.5% at $1.53 following the acquisition of its major operations in Wuxi.

• [By Will Ashworth]

  Although Penn National Gaming (PENN) completed the spinoff of its real estate assets on Nov. 1, 2013, Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) shares have traded since mid-October. The only pure-play Casino REIT was created to provide PENN shareholders with two investments: gaming and real estate. Both businesses would be able to focus on what they do best with shareholders better off as a result. I cant argue with the rationale.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-net-payout-yield-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own For 2015

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own For 2015: Siemens AG (SI)

Siemens AG (Siemens), incorporated on August 28, 1996, is a globally operating technology company with core activities in the fields of energy, healthcare, industry and infrastructure. Siemens business activities focus on four sectors, Energy, Healthcare, Industry and Infrastructure & Cities. These sectors form four of Siemens reportable segments. In addition to the four sectors, Siemens has two additional reportable segments: Equity Investments and Siemens Financial Services (SFS). The Energy sector comprises four divisions: Power Generation, Wind Power, Power Transmission and Energy Service. The Healthcare Sector includes four divisions: Imaging & Therapy Systems, Clinical Products, Diagnostics and Customer Solutions; and one sector-led Business Unit, Audiology Solutions. The Industry sector consists of three divisions: Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services; and one sector-led Business Unit, Metals Technologies. The Infrastructure & Cities sector consists of five divisions: Rail Systems, Mobility and Logistics, Low and Medium Voltage, Smart Grid, and Building Technologies. In July 2013 Siemens sold its stake in the Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) joint venture to Nokia and OSRAM Licht AG was spun off from Siemens.

Industry

The Industry Sector offers a broad spectrum of products, solutions and services that help customers use resources and energy. The Sectors integrated technologies and holistic solutions primarily address industrial customers, particularly those in the process and manufacturing industries. The portfolio spans industry automation, industrial software, drive products and services, system integration, and solutions for industrial plant businesses. The Industry Sector consists of three Divisions: Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services. The Sector also includes a sector-led Business Unit, Metals Technologies. In addition to its Sector-lev! el financial result s, Industry also breaks out financial results for the Indust! ry Automation Division and the Drive Technologies Division. The Industry Automation Division offers a range of standard products and system solutions for automation technologies used in the manufacturing and process industries. The Divisions offerings include automation systems and software, motor controls, machine-to- machine communication products, sensors, product and production lifecycle management products, and software for simulating and testing mechatronic systems. The Drive Technologies Division offers products and comprehensive systems across the entire drive train. These offerings are customized to the respective application and include numerical control systems, inverters, converters, motors (geared and gearless), drives and couplings. In addition, Drive Technologies supplies integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines. The Division also offers integrated lifecycle solutions and services for industries such as shipbuilding, cement, m ining, and pulp and paper. The Customer Services Division offers a comprehensive portfolio of services and supports industrial customers.

Energy

The Energy Sector offers a spectrum of products, solutions and services for generating and transmitting power, and for extracting, converting and transporting oil and gas. The Fossil Power Generation Division offers products and solutions for fossil-based power generation. The Division concentrates on products and solutions for gas and steam turbines, turbo generators, heat recovery steam generators including control systems, with an emphasis on combined-cycle power plants. It also develops solutions for instrumentation and control systems for all types of power plants and for use in power generation. The Wind Power Division manufactures wind turbines for onshore and offshore applications, including both geared turbines and direct drive machines. The product portfolio is based on four! product ! platforms, two for each of the onshore and offshore applications. The Oil ! & Gas Div! ision has a comprehensive portfolio of rotating machinery (gas turbines, steam turbines, compressors with associated equipment) and electrical, instrumentation and telecommunication (EIT) solutions. The Power Transmission Division provides customers with turnkey power transmission solutions as well as discrete products, systems and related engineering and services. It covers high-voltage transmission solutions, power and distribution transformers, high-voltage switching and non-switching products and systems, and alternating and direct current transmission systems. The Energy Service Division offers comprehensive services for products, solutions and technologies, covering performance enhancements, maintenance services, customer trainings and consulting services for the Divisions Fossil Power Generation, Wind Power and Oil & Gas. The Wind Power Division is active in both the onshore and the offshore market segments globally. Power Transmission Division is expanding infrastruc ture in emerging countries, equipment replacement and modernization in mature economies, and integration of renewable energies.

Healthcare

The Healthcare Sector offers customers a comprehensive portfolio of medical solutions across the treatment chain-ranging from medical imaging to in-vitro diagnostics to interventional systems and clinical information technology systems-all from a single source. In addition, the Sector provides technical maintenance, professional and consulting services, and, together with Financial Services (SFS), financing to assist customers in purchasing the Sectors products. The Healthcare Sector includes four Divisions: Imaging & Therapy Systems, Clinical Products, Diagnostics and Customer Solutions. The Sector also includes one sector-led Business Unit, Audiology Solutions. In addition to its Sector-level financial results, Healthcare also separately breaks out financial results for the Diag! nostics D! ivision.

The Imaging & Therapy Systems Division provides large-scale! medical ! devices for diagnostic imaging and for image-guided therapies. Imaging equipment includes computed tomographs, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, angiography systems for diagnostics, and positron emission tomography. The Clinical Products Division mainly comprises the business with ultrasound and X-ray equipment including mammography. The Diagnostics Division offers products and services in the area of in-vitro diagnostics. The Divisions product portfolio represents a comprehensive range of diagnostic testing systems and consumables, including offerings for clinical chemistry and immunodiagnostics, molecular diagnostics, hematology, hemostasis, microbiology, point-of-care testing and clinical laboratory automation solutions. The Customer Solutions Division provides healthcare information technology (HIT) systems. It is responsible for the Sectors service business and customer relationship management on a global level.

Equity Investments

The Equity Investments comprises equity stakes held by Siemens that are accounted for by the equity method, at cost or as current available-for-sale financial assets and for strategic reasons are not allocated to a Sector, SFS, Centrally managed portfolio activities, Siemens Real Estate (SRE), Corporate items or Corporate Treasury. Its main investments within Equity Investments are its stake of 50% in BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgerate GmbH (BSH), its stake of 17% in OSRAM Licht AG (OSRAM) as well as its 49% stake in Enterprise Networks Holdings B.V. (EN).

Financial Services

Financial Services provides a variety of financial services and products to other Siemens units and their customers and to third parties. SFS has three strategic pillars: supporting Siemens units with finance solutions for their customers, managing financial risks of Siemens and offering third-party finance services and products. SFS business can be ! divided i! nto capital business a nd fee business. The Commercial Finance Business Unit offers! a compre! hensive range of solutions for equipment financing, leasing, rental and related financing for equipment supplied by Siemens or third-party providers. The Venture Capital Business Segments main task, together with Siemens Sectors, is to identify and finance young companies worldwide. The Treasury Business Unit operates the global Corporate Treasury of the Siemens Group, with SFS employees thereby managing liquidity, cash and financial risks (interest, foreign exchange, commodities) on behalf of Corporate Treasury. The Financing & Investment Management Business Unit manages fee-based receivables and offers investment management services. The Insurance Business Unit acts primarily as an insurance broker for Siemens and external customers.

Infrastructure & Cities

The Infrastructure & Cities Sector offers a range of technologies for the sustainability of metropolitan centers and urban infrastructures worldwide, such as integrated mobility soluti ons, building and security systems, power distribution equipment, smart grid applications and low and medium-voltage products. The Sector consists of five Divisions: Rail Systems; Mobility and Logistics; Low and Medium Voltage; Smart Grid; and Building Technologies. The Rail Systems Division comprises Siemens rail vehicle business, encompassing the entire spectrum of rolling stock-including high-speed trains, commuter trains, passenger coaches, metros, people movers, light rail vehicles, locomotives, bogies, traction systems and rail-related services. The Mobility and Logistics Division primarily provides products, solutions (including IT solutions) and services for rail transportation operating systems, such as central control systems, interlockings and automated controls. The Division also provides offerings for road traffic, including traffic detection, information and guidance systems.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tommy St! ubbington! ]

  Siemens AG (SI) (DE:SIE) lost over 1%.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Companies building electrical grids and supplying components see this as one of only a few growth venues in a slow-moving electrical industry. General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) has already movedinto solar with power plants, inverters, and thin-film manufacturing. Siemens (NYSE: SI  ) is the other big competitor in the electrical grid industry and it makes inverters and is making small investment in solar, although it isn't a big player so far.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Siemens (SI) has fallen 1.2% after it fired 15,000 workers in an attempt to catch General Electric (GE).

  Johnson Controls(JCI) has dropped 3% to $41.26 after it was downgraded to Underweight from Overweight.

• [By Dan Burrows]

  As for strategic positioning, STM is an enviable place. Major customers include Apple, General Electric (GE) and and Siemens (SI). It’s also moving into or already a leader in some hot new markets.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-industrial-conglomerate-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Fresh Start Private Management Inc (CEYY)

Fresh Start Private Management, Inc. (FSPM), incorporated on January 28, 2008, is an alcohol treatment and rehabilitation company. The Company has developed a patented treatment that delivers target therapeutic levels of Naltrexone that significantly reduce patients' cravings for alcohol.

The program is administered on an outpatient basis with patients need not missing more than a day of work and can receive treatment without co-workers or even family members being aware. The Company operates in the Unites States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Fresh Start Private Management Inc (OTCMKTS: CEYY), 7 Star Entertainment Inc (OTCMKTS: SAEE) and Refill Energy, Inc (OTCMKTS: REFG) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters thanks to paid promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a properly disclosed promotional or investor relations campaign, but unwary investors or traders could find themselves in trouble if they are not careful. So do these three small caps have what it takes to remain hot? Here is a quick reality check before you invest or trade:

  Fresh Start Private Management Inc (OTCMKTS: CEYY)is Expecting Exponential Revenue Growth

  Small cap Fresh Start Private Management is an alcohol treatment and rehabilitation company on the leading edge of alcohol addiction treatment. On Friday, Start Private Management rose 13.99% to $0.044 for a market cap of $5.19 million plus CEYY is down 92.7% since last March according to Google Finance.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-promising-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

It’s Payday for These 3 Dividend Stocks

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on May 28 Allstate (ALL), SunTrust Banks (STI) and CBOE Holdings (CBOE) will all trade ex-dividend for their respective upcoming dividends. Allstate will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.28 on July 1, SunTrust will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.20 on June 16 and CBOE Holdings will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.18 on June 20.

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As a percentage of ALL’s recent stock price of $58.43, this dividend works out to approximately 0.48%, so look for ALL stock to trade 0.48% lower — all else being equal — when ALL shares open for trading on Wednesday. Similarly, investors should look for STI to open 0.52% lower in price and for CBOE to open 0.36% lower, all else being equal.

Below are dividend history charts for ALL, STI, and CBOE, showing historical dividends prior to the most recent ones declared.

Allstate Corp. :

SunTrust Banks, Inc. :

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CBOE Holdings Incorporated :

In general, dividends are not always predictable, following the ups and downs of company profits over time. Therefore, a good first due diligence step in forming an expectation of annual yield going forward is looking at the history above for a sense of stability over time. This can help in judging whether the most recent dividends from these companies are likely to continue. If they do continue, the current estimated yields on annualized basis would be 1.92% for Allstate Corp., 2.07% for SunTrust Banks, Inc., and 1.43% for CBOE Holdings Incorporated.

In Tuesday trading, Allstate Corp. shares are currently up about 0.1%, SunTrust Banks, Inc. shares are up about 0.7%, and CBOE Holdings Incorporated shares are up about 0.8% on the day.

Perdue's next frontier: organic

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) — While the labeling on some of the packages in the poultry section of your local supermarket might leave you wondering, there is probably one you can understand — organic.

Perdue, like most companies, is expanding its offerings to meet growing customer interests. Because of that, organic chicken is currently the chicken producer's biggest growth area.

"Words like 'organic' have meaning," said Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms, "because there are stringent regulations."

According to Perdue, organic chicken accounts for about 5% of the poultry the company sells today. It might not sound like much, but that makes Perdue the largest organic young chicken processor in the nation, according to Michael Sheats, director of the Agricultural Analytics Division at the United States Department of Agriculture. Perdue Farms has the ability to process more than 100,000 birds a day at its Milford, Delaware, plant.

As recently as 2011, though, the Salisbury-based company didn't even offer organic chicken. A few successful years of selling its Harvestland No-Antibiotics-Ever chicken, however, prompted the company to take the even bigger step toward organic.

Perdue explained that after a dozen years of research, in 2007, with the Harvestland brand, the company was able to offer consumers poultry that did not receive daily antibiotics. In the past, he said, chickens were administered growth-promoting antibiotics regularly.

Creating a way to raise chickens without the use of antibiotics, according to Joe Forsthoffer, director of corporate communications for Perdue, took some time.

"It's not just not using antibiotics," Forsthoffer explained. "It's developing a growing program where you create an environment where you don't need antibiotics."

Perdue Farms did that though, and with the release of the Harvestland brand, began offering No-Antibiotics-Ever chicken. That now accounts for 35% of the chicken the company sells.

"It's now nationwide, wit! h $200 million in sales," Perdue said. "It's done very well. That gave us a clue as to what the consumer is interested in."

The Harvestland brand success pushed Perdue Farms to purchase Coleman Natural, the country's largest producer of organic chicken, in 2011.

The organic chicken produced by Coleman Natural — much of it in Pennsylvania — is raised without antibiotics on a diet of organic corn- and soybean-based feed in an environment free of pesticides and herbicides. The birds look just like the chickens raised at the traditional chicken farms here on Delmarva but take a little longer to reach maturity.

"They're a little slower growing," Perdue explained.

The birds are kept in chicken houses but are given the freedom to move into outdoor enclosures and have access to "enhancements," such as roosts or hay bales, according to Perdue.

Because antibiotics aren't an option, growers have found other ways to ensure the birds stay healthy, according to Forsthoffer. He said natural remedies such as herbs — particularly oregano — and probiotics are used instead.

"It's more of a homeopathic approach," he said.

With the addition of Coleman Natural, Perdue Farms now offers three categories of chicken: organic, No-Antibiotics-Ever and chicken that was not treated with growth-promoting antibiotics. All of the birds are raised on an all-vegetarian feed that does not include animal byproducts such as blood and bone meal, according to Forsthoffer.

"We found it produced a better-tasting Perdue chicken," he said.

Although the organic and the No-Antibiotics-Ever chickens are the only birds verified to have been given no antibiotics, Forsthoffer said Perdue tries to limit as best it can the antibiotics all of the company's birds receive.

Human antibiotics are only used when a flock comes down with an illness, something that happens with about 5% of Perdue's chickens. Aside from that, Ionophores — used to prevent intestinal parasites — are the only ant! ibiotics ! the chickens are given, according to Forsthoffer.

Ionophores are classified by the Food and Drug Administration as an antibiotic and are therefore not given to Perdue's organic and No-Antibiotics-Ever flocks, Forsthoffer said. He added the parasite preventative is not used in human medications and is not associated with antibiotic resistant infections in humans.

While organic chicken only accounts for about 5% of Perdue's poultry sales, it's the fastest growing portion of the company's business.

"It's growing at 30% to 40%," Perdue said.

The increase in demand for organic chicken is being seen nationwide, according to Bill Roenigk, chief economist with the National Chicken Council.

"It is growing, and it's growing more quickly than the overall industry," Roenigk said, adding a strong indicator of that is the fact that large chain stores, particularly Wal-Mart, are pushing the product.

He said consumers are more willing to buy organic poultry now that the USDA is regulating it. Years ago, when organic chicken first began showing up on shelves, the USDA hadn't yet created standards for it, so shoppers had no federal guarantee that what they were buying was really organic.

The USDA began certifying poultry as organic in 2000.

"If they saw the USDA organic label, they were pretty sure of what they were getting," Roenigk said.

Perdue Farms is working to keep up with the increased interest.

"As long as it's growing, we want to continue to produce to that demand," Perdue said.

The company, however, cannot just begin turning all of its poultry farms into organic operations. According to Forsthoffer, getting a farm certified as organic is a lengthy process, as it has to go three years with no herbicides or pesticides before it can qualify.

Another drawback to producing organic chicken is the price. Perdue said the rules and regulations — such as the farm certification process — associated with growing organic birds made the cost to the c! ompany do! uble what it was for non-organic chicken. Even the feed for the birds costs twice as much as it does for a traditional chicken operation, as chicken certified as organic has to be fed organic corn grown from non-genetically modified seeds.

"When corn was $8 a bushel, organic corn was $16 a bushel," Perdue said. "The organic feed component is a limiting factor in growing the business."

The agribusiness division of Perdue Farms, however, is working to interest more farmers in growing organic corn and soybeans so grain procurement will be easier. In the meantime, the higher cost of producing organic poultry is passed on to the consumer. Much of the Coleman Natural poultry ends up in higher-end grocery stores.

"Because it's higher priced, it's going to be in areas where people are willing to pay," Perdue said.

According to Roenigk, organic chicken costs consumers two to three times as much as conventionally raised chicken does. The weak economy of recent years has limited the number of people able to afford it, which is why Roenigk believes the demand for products such as antibiotic-free chicken — which costs less than organic — has grown.

"A lot of consumers seem to find that a good compromise from a cost standpoint," he said.

Roenigk said the growth of the organic market will depend on the economy.

"It's going to depend on people's disposable income," he said, adding he feels the market for the slightly cheaper specialty products such as antibiotic-free chicken will continue to grow.

He called Perdue's move to offer organic, specialty and conventional chicken is smart strategy, adding, "What you want to do is give consumers options."

Both Roenigk and Perdue agree organic chicken is becoming more popular among consumers, as evidenced by the number of organic poultry products featured weekly by supermarkets.

Forsthoffer believes social media has helped with that. He said organic products are attractive to younger consumers who are active online! .

"! With the organic and the antibiotic-free, it's very much word of mouth," he said. "They're a community and they share ideas."

As Perdue Farms continues to produce organic chicken, its researchers, too, will be sharing ideas. Perdue said the move to organic is a learning process, and researchers are still busy studying its advantages.

"We want to be a learning organization," Perdue said. "There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes."

Estate Planning 101: Don't forget digital assets

Estate planning is one of the most difficult aspects of personal finance. As humans, we tend to procrastinate on dealing with our own mortality and often focus on seemingly more important issues facing us today. However, estate plans play a significant role in reducing frustration for loved ones, especially in the digital age.

While most people realize that estate plans should be created to help distribute physical property such as real estate or jewelry, there is a growing need to consider intangible property. The Internet is increasingly becoming the main storage of our financial lives. A recent survey from Pew Research revealed that 51% of American adults bank online, and 32% bank using their mobile phones. In fact, with almost nine out of 10 Americans using the Internet, there are a wide variety of digital assets that should be included in estate plans.

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Invest In 2015

"Digital assets hold both financial and sentimental value to family and friends that should be addressed in the estate planning and administration process," said James Lamm, an estate planning and tax attorney, to Ally Bank. "The first challenges are finding the person's digital property and identifying which digital property is valuable or significant. Additional obstacles with digital property that you don't have with traditional property are passwords, encryption, computer crime laws, and data privacy laws. Any one of them can make it practically impossible to do anything with the digital property unless you've planned ahead."

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In order to protect your digital assets, Lamm and Ally Bank recommend including them in a will or trust and designating a fiduciary to execute your wishes. You should also include an enhancement in your e! state plan that grants your fiduciary access to your online accounts and data in the event of your incapacity or death.

Taking inventory of your digital assets is the first step people should take in this process. Make sure to include usernames and passwords for your electronic devices, bank accounts, utility accounts, email accounts, insurance plans, and any other significant online accounts you use throughout the year. If there is certain information that you do not want disclosed to family and friends, you need to provide instructions in your estate plan on how that information should be handled. Since a will eventually becomes public, it should merely contain instructions on where to find your usernames and passwords, such as a safe deposit box.

Even social media websites such as Facebook should be included in your inventory list if they hold sentimental value. For example, users of Facebook can have their profile memorialized upon their death by having someone send a valid request to the company. Verified immediate family members may even request the removal of a loved one's account from Facebook.

Wall St. Cheat Sheet is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Want Stability? Try 200 Years of Growth

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Peter Lynch always said that boring companies are worth investigating because they are often underfollowed despite having solid businesses that have strong growth. And because they don't attract attention, they may be undervalued.

That brings us to The Valspar Corporation (VAL). As boring as it is, it has a pretty deep reach, due to its 206-year-old history. VAL stock is in the coatings and paints business. Most people attribute coatings to things like varnishes and stains, but coating applications involves rather sophisticated chemical techniques.

Coating aren't just applied to wood; they’re also used in the manufacturing space, as well as in agriculture, transportation, metals, and appliances. Even construction equipment requires various types of coatings. Paints are what you'd expect, and don't have quite the same depth of market penetration.

VAL stock manufactures materials, but it also handles the high-margin distribution business. Distribution is where the big money is, provided your operation is efficient and has multiple centers from which deliveries can be made with haste, and that you stock your products properly. In the last two centuries Valspar has had plenty of time to optimize its network.

The company reported solid earnings this week. Net income rose 12% year-over-year to $86 million (or 99 cents per share). However, if you back out one-time charges, it was actually $1.07 per share, which beat analyst estimates by three cents. The income jump came on a sizable 10% revenue increase.

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The Coatings side drove the ship with a 12% sales increase. Some of this came as a result of continued improvement in housing, although I believe the housing market is seeing more strength from speculation. Not that it matters to Valspar. Coatings are coatings, no matter how the house sells. Over on the Paints side, revenues increased 8%. Some of this was driven by a new deal Valspar struck with Ace Hardware to offer its products in its 3,000 stores.

While gross margins increased to 33.7%, operating expenses increased 14%. I prefer to see those expenses increase no faster than sales, which makes that number something to watch for. VAL stock has $116 million in cash offset by about $1.1 billion in debt.

The company is also moving its "reserve interior and exterior paints" into Lowe's (LOW) exclusively. To quote the CEO, "Valspar Reserve outperforms competitive products at similar price points based on attributes that matter most to consumers. Reserve incorporates our most advanced color technology and offers best-in-class durability." He certainly seemed excited by this move, and I don't blame him. Getting shelf space at the second-largest home retailer in the country is a terrific move.

VAL stock trades at about 18 timesFY14 estimates of $4.08. Even accounting for the 1.4% yield, it's a tad bit pricey at 14% long-term EPS growth. But let's look at competitors. PPG Industries (PPG) trades at 21 times earnings on 11% long-term growth. Sherwin-Williams (SHW) trades at 24x earnings on 14.6% long-term growth. Akzo Nobel (AKZOY) trades at 16 times earnings on 11% growth.

Basically, if you want to get into the coatings and paint stock business, VAL is the least expensive and closest to fair value, with solid growth ahead.

As of this writing, Lawrence Meyers did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. He is president of Asymmetrical Media Strategies, a crisis PR firm, and PDL Broker, Inc., which brokers financing, strategic investments and distressed asset purchases between private equity firms and businesses. He also has written two books and blogs about public policy, journalistic integrity, popular culture, and world affairs. Contact him at pdlcapital66@gmail.com and follow his tweets at @ichabodscranium.

Chattanooga's super-fast publicly owned Internet

Chattanooga's Electric Power Board has automatically upgraded connection speeds for customers at no charge each of the past four years.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Chattanooga, Tenn., may not be the first place that springs to mind when it comes to cutting-edge technology. But thanks to its ultra-high-speed Internet, the city has established itself as a center for innovation -- and an encouraging example for those frustrated with slow speeds and high costs from private broadband providers.

Chattanooga rolled out a fiber-optic network a few years ago that now offers speeds of up to 1000 Megabits per second, or 1 gigabit, for just $70 a month. A cheaper 100 Megabit plan costs $58 per month. Even the slower plan is still light-years ahead of the average U.S. connection speed, which stood at 9.8 megabits per second as of late last year, according to Akamai Technologies.

"It's really altered how we think of ourselves as a city," said Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. "We're a midsized, southern city -- for us to be at the front of the technological curve rather than at the tail end is a real achievement."

As federal officials find themselves at the center of controversy over net neutrality and the regulation of private Internet service providers like Comcast (CMCSA, Fortune 500) and Time Warner Cable (TWC, Fortune 500), Chattanooga offers an alternative model for keeping people connected. A city-owned agency, the Electric Power Board, runs its own network, offering higher-speed service than any of its private-sector competitors can manage.

The problem with fiber networks is that they're hugely expensive to install and maintain, requiring operators to lay new wiring underground and link it to individual homes. Since 1996, cable operators have invested $210 billion in broadband networks and other infrast! ructure, according to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

Since there's little competition in the broadband industry, some industry experts believe that there's little incentive for broadband providers to dramatically beef up their bandwidth and drastically improve their infrastructure.

Chattanooga's project started in 2008 with the goal of building a "smart" power grid for the city, capable of rerouting electricity on the fly to prevent outages in addition to carrying Internet traffic.

"It just didn't look like the private sector was going to bring true, high-speed connectivity to this market," EPB spokeswoman Danna Bailey said.

The city had to contend with lawsuits from Comcast and local cable operators as it worked to get the network up and running. But aided by an $111 million stimulus grant from the Department of Energy, the service was up and running by September 2009. The EPB currently has around 5,000 business customers along with 57,540 households, which have access to "triple play" bundles of video, phone and Internet service just like they would from a private provider.

"Deploying a network for telecommunications is not fundamentally different from deploying a network for power," said Benoit Felten, a broadband expert with Diffraction Analysis. "Chattanooga is the prime example of that, and it's absolutely worked."

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The Federal Communications Commission recognizes the potential of muncipality-run broadband, saying earlier this year that it will push for the repeal of state and local laws supported by the cable industry that make it harder for cities to set up their own networks.

Chattanooga officials say the network has helped spark a burgeoning local tech scene and the relocation of a number of businesses, drawn by both the fast Internet and the reliability ! offered b! y the smart grid.

Hunter Lindsay, CEO of IT services firm Claris Networks, said he moved his 85-person company from Knoxville to Chattanooga "just because of the network."

"It's logical for every city to do it, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen," Lindsay said.

Berke said Chattanooga regularly receives inquiries from other cities both in the U.S. and internationally that are interested in setting up their own networks. The city recently set up a task force to figure out how to bring the network to poorer families and make sure the community gains the maximum benefit.

"People understand that high-speed Internet access is quickly becoming a national infrastructure issue just like the highways were in the 1950s," Berke said. "If the private sector is unable to provide that kind of bandwidth because of the steep infrastructure investment, then just like highways in the 1950s, the government has to consider providing that support."

To Many Chinese, Cars Like Tesla's Model S Appear To Be Unmanageable

Elon Musk's announcement of a deal with Hanergy to build supercharging stations in China may have temporarily drawn attention away from Tesla's lack of progress in setting up an adequate network of charging stations. But it appears that he may be overlooking another important issue: What is the attitude of ordinary Chinese car owners toward pure electric cars?

In order to drive up the popularity of the Model S, Musk and his sales team have thus far been targeting the rich to be Tesla's first batch of customers. And selling their cars to these early adopters with deep pockets who want to be the first to show off their hi-tech toys looks like a smart move.

But eventually the mass market should be the key objective, and practical concerns appear to weigh heavily on the minds of many Chinese drivers. It seems that a great deal of work still needs to be done before many Chinese families would commit to buying a new technology car.

Putting aside Musk's aspiration to put new technology into practice, perhaps some sort of marketing research of testing the trend could be a useful indicator.

Last Friday, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers issued a press release announcing the launch of a new energy car promotion center in Beijing. The mission of the center is to exhibit the history of pure electric cars and explain the country's preferential policies, as well as the distribution of recharging stations.

Although the announcement itself was nothing exciting, it hints at something more interesting that comes up if you talk to ordinary drivers. By chance, I chatted with a friend in Guangzhou, surnamed Liu, about the general acceptability of pure electric cars in China now. The first word he threw to me is "trouble." Regardless of the price of these cars, there are still a lot of pragmatic questions that have yet to be answered, he said.

From recharging to durability to safety, carmakers have not yet provided much information on how to drive a pure electric car (be it a model from BYD or Tesla) like driving Toyota's Corolla, Ford's Focus or General Motor's Buick.

No one knows how long the transformation from petrol-engine cars to pure electric wheelers will eventually take, but if the transition from pickup trucks to small family cars is any indication – we could be looking at about 20 years for the same dynamics to unfold.

Detroit Electric car charging (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Liu, whose family just welcomed a baby girl, is a holiday driver. Driving his own car for work would only consume most of his commute time to sit in traffic. He said buying a pure electric car is not even a topic among his circle of friends. For ordinary car-owners, it boils down to practicality.

Liu explained that whenever he or his friends think of the new technology that might expose them to some unresolved issues or hang-ups, they will immediately drop the idea out of hand no matter how appealing the underlying technology may be.

Since Musk or Tesla started to garner so much attention from the Chinese media, many Chinese are like bystanders waiting to see if this American car firm can eventually succeed. But before that happens, innovators like Musk and his team may find that overcoming ordinary consumers' resistance will be a lot harder than building a few more charging stations.

Follow me on Twitter @WongKandy and on Forbes.

Nothing Sells Like Team Spirit at MetLife

The finances of all too many New Jerseyans ended up like so much flotsam and jetsam after Hurricane Sandy blew its gale-force winds through the Garden State two years ago.

But just as a threefold cord is not quickly severed, holistic financial plans afforded their owners greater durability at that challenging time, says Bellaria Jimenez, managing director of MetLife Solutions Group, a large financial services group with offices throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

Many investment advisors “never instructed their clients about flood insurance or having an emergency fund. There were people displaced for a long period of time who didn’t have business interruption insurance,” she tells ThinkAdvisor in an interview.

Jimenez works on the management side of the MetLife affiliate, cultivating a team-selling approach to make sure that the kinds of lapses common at the time of Hurricane Sandy do not occur among clients of her firm’s 264 advisors.

The absence of a holistic approach can be a liability to clients — “not registering the account in the right manner could result in state tax issue,” Jimenez cites as one example.

Top 5 Machinery Stocks To Watch For 2015

But it also limits business opportunities for the advisor — just as it exposes the client to preventable losses, so too does it expose the advisor to the loss of a client.

The root of the problem, Jimenez says, is that the complexity of client needs today is too great to be serviced by a single advisor. As she inventories the matter:

“Education costs are so high now — going to college is almost as expensive as having a mortgage. Longevity increases mean you have to make sure your money doesn’t outlive you. And since people are living longer, health costs are becoming a bigger issue, so long-term care insurance is becoming key to financial planning. And because we’re living longer, we have to make sure we are keeping up with inflation,” she says.

But she continues, noting that the once high proportion of Americans who had pension plans has given way to a small sliver who own them today.

“That means most people have to fund their own retirement; if they’re business owners, they have to plan their own retirement.

“And there are a lot of changes in society,” Jimenez continues. “People are getting married later in life; they’re having kids later in life. They have to plan for a college education while planning for their own retirement.

“And this sandwich generation has to take care of their parents who are living longer while taking care of their kids who are going to college [right at the time] they’re planning for their own retirement. So advisors have to understand a complex picture.”

This view of the increasing complexity of reality and consequent need for advisors to specialize in college planning, retirement planning, investment accumulation or insurance — together with the greater profitability of advisor teams — has fueled MetLife Solution Group’s efforts beginning three years ago to encourage its advisors to partner with one another.

The firm had seven teams three years ago, but today has 17 teams, with four advisors on average. Jimenez’s goal is to have half the firm’s advisors on board a team.

She acknowledges that some advisors are simply not interested in joining a group. But she warns of the business risk of not doing so.

“The reality is client have all these other needs. They’re going outside. So you’re really exposing your clients to other advisors and other philosophies. That can expose you to losing that client,” she says.

 The advisors who are embracing her firm’s team selling approach, however, are discovering stickier relationships with clients, increased contact with clients (through other team members), increased referrals and ultimately a different and more holistic view of the client.

For example, Jimenez says her teams’ clients are now less likely to be “confused about something—among financial advisors, that happens often,” she says. “A client has a question for an advisor in the field [who can’t quickly return the call] and gets frustrated. But now there’s someone there to answer the phone.”

So how does an investment advisor who get the message — that his clients are seeking insurance advice on the outside — proactively pair with another advisor?

Jimenez recommends partnering on a couple of cases, a process she says usually takes a year.

“There’s got to be synergy; it’s not like an arranged marriage,” she says.

“Because we're a big organization, we have the advantage of knowing all our advisors and can make arrangements internally. But most of the time we’re actually getting people coming to us and saying they’d like to work as team.”

That signals the start of a long learning process, where the advisors have to adopt a service model and learn to become a “we” rather than an “I” — to market as a team and talk to clients about the team.

To further that end, MetLife Solutions Group has developed a playbook for each of its teams to foster a shared vision that all members can reference. As the advisors expand their collaboration, they grow together and come to genuinely experience a team outlook, Jimenez says.

“One of the key things we’re seeing is the accountability has drastically changed, which is helping all the advisors working together,” she says. “As a sole practitioner, you hold yourself accountable. But in a team, everyone is…building toward a goal together. Peer accountability is very different—you don’t want to let your team down.”

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Check out Are You a David or a Goliath? How Advisors Can Hone Their Innovation Skills on ThinkAdvisor.

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Buy For 2015

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Buy For 2015: Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc (FRGI)

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (Fiesta Restaurant Group), incorporated on April 27, 2011, owns, operates and franchises two fast-casual restaurant brands, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants offer a range of tropical and Caribbean inspired food, while the Company's Taco Cabana restaurants offers a range of fresh, authentic Mexican food. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company owned and operated a total of 251 restaurants across four states, which included 91 Pollo Tropical and 160 Taco Cabana restaurants. The Company franchises its Pollo Tropical restaurants internationally. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company had 35 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama and on several college campuses in Florida. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company had eight Taco Cabana franchised restaurants located in Georgia, New Mexico and Texas.

Pollo Tro pical

The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants offer tropical and Caribbean inspired menu items, featuring grilled chicken marinated in the Company's blend of tropical fruit juices and spices. The Company's diverse menu also includes a line of TropiChops (a casserole bowl of grilled chicken, roast pork or grilled vegetables served over white, brown or yellow rice and red or black beans and topped with a range of condiments and sauces), a range of chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, roast pork, grilled ribs and wings offered with a range of salsas, sauces and Caribbean style made from scratch side dishes, including black beans and rice, Yucatan fries and sweet plantains, as well as menu items, such as french fries, corn and salads. The Company also offers Hispanic desserts, such as flan and tres leches, and at certain locations, the Company offers a ran! ge of sangria, wine and beer.

The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants feature signature dining ar eas. In additiona, the Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants ! provide its guests the option of take-out, as well as the convenience of drive-thru windows. The Company's Pollo Tropical restaurants are open for lunch, dinner and late night orders seven days per week. As of December 30, 2012, its company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants were freestanding buildings. The Company's typical free-standing Pollo Tropical restaurant ranges from 2,800 to 3,500 square feet and provide interior seating for approximately 70 guests. As of December 30, 2012 , the Company owned and operated a total of 91 Pollo Tropical restaurants, of which 89 were located in Florida and two were located in Georgia. The Company is franchising its Pollo Tropical restaurants internationally. As of December 30, 2012, the Company had 35 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama and on college campuses in Florida. The Company also has agreements for the future development of franchis ed Pollo Tropical restaurants in Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Guatemala and India.

Taco Cabana

The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants serve Mexican food, including flame-grilled beef and chicken fajitas served on sizzling iron skillets, quesadillas, hand-rolled flautas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, fresh-made flour tortillas, a selection of made from scratch salsas and sauces, customizable salads served in a Cabana bowl, traditional Mexican and American breakfasts and other Mexican dishes. The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants also offer a range of beverage choices, including soft drinks, frozen margaritas and beer.

The Company's Taco Cabana restaurants feature interior dining areas, as well as semi-enclosed and outdoor patio areas. In addition, the Company's Taco Cabana restaurants provide its guests the option o! f take-ou! t. The Company's freestanding Taco Cabana restaurants average approximately 3,500 square feet (exclusive of th e exterior dining area) and provide seating for approximatel! y 80 gues! ts, with additional outside patio seating for approximately 50 guests. As of December 30, 2012, its company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants were freestanding buildings. As of December 30, 2012, the Company owned and operated 160 Taco Cabana restaurants, of which 156 are located in Texas and four in Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) was the Fund's best performing position in the fourth quarter and for all of 2013. Over the past year the stock g ained over 240 percent and added 212 basis points of return. The fast-food chain has con tinued to restructure after spinning off Burger King restaurants and is now successfully ach ieving organic growth. We continue to believe the stock is undervalued and expect further growth ahead.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Fiesta Restaurant Group (Nasdaq: FRGI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) owns, operates and franchises fast-casual restaurants under the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana brand names. This stock closed up 10.5% to $34.73 in Friday's trading session.

  Friday's Volume: 552,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 220,525
  
  Volume % Change: 140%

  From a technical perspective, FRGI ripped sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $30.89 and back above its 50-day moving average of $34.23 with strong upside volume. This move pushed shares of FRGI into breakout te! rritory, ! since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $33.14. Shares of FRGI are now starting to move within range of triggering another key breakout trade. That trade will hit if FRGI manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $35.73 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FRGI as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $34.23 or above $33 and then once it sustains a move or close above $35.75 with volume that hits near or above 220,525 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then FRGI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its all-time high at $38.84. Any high-volume move above that level will then give FRGI a chance to trend north of $40.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-restaurant-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Wintry Weather Blamed for Walmart's Earnings Drop

Steven Senne/AP NEW YORK -- Walmart's first-quarter net income fell 5 percent as the world's largest retailer was hurt by bad winter weather and continues to see its low-income customers struggle in the U.S. and around the globe. The company's performance missed Wall Street's expectations, and it gave a weak second-quarter earnings forecast. Walmart's (WMT) stock fell nearly 3 percent in premarket trading Thursday. The results underscore the big challenges facing Walmart's new CEO, Doug McMillon, who took over the top role on Feb. 1. The retailer is considered an economic bellwether, with the company accounting for nearly 10 percent of nonautomotive retail spending in the U.S. Walmart's latest performance appears to show that many people are having a hard time stretching their money between paychecks. For the period ended April 30, the Bentonville, Arkansas, company earned $3.59 billion, or $1.11 a share. That compares with $3.78 billion, or $1.14 a share, a year ago. Walmart Stores said that bad weather hurt earnings by about 3 cents a share. Its performance was also dinged by a higher-than-expected tax rate. Income from continuing operations was $1.10 a share. Analysts, on average, expected earnings of $1.15 a share, according to a FactSet survey. "Like other retailers in the United States, the unseasonably cold and disruptive weather negatively impacted U.S. sales and drove operating expenses higher than expected," President and CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement. But Walmart has been suffering from weak sales in the U.S. for some time. Sales at U.S. stores open at least a year slipped 0.2 percent in the quarter, the fifth consecutive quarter of decline the metric, considered a key gauge of a retailer's financial performance. Analysts had been expecting the measure to be flat. In the U.S., while jobs are easier to get and the housing market is gaining momentum, these improvements haven't been enough to get Americans to spend. On top of that, the Nov. 1 expiration of a temporary boost in food stamps is hurting its shoppers' ability to spend. Total revenue rose 1 percent to $114.96 billion. Wall Street was calling for higher revenue of $116.43 billion. Revenues Rise McMillon said in a prerecorded call that U.S. sales rose during the second half of the quarter, but that Sam's Club had lower-than-expected sales. While membership income climbed, McMillon said it was mostly because of a fee increase started last year. Total U.S. revenue rose 2 percent to $67.85 billion. Walmart International's sales rose 3.4 percent in the quarter, on a constant currency basis. Walmart, which has 10,994 stores in 27 countries, is facing stiff completion from dollar chains and online king Amazon.com (AMZN). Walmart has been sharpening its focus on everyday low prices at U.S. stores and further pushing that strategy abroad. Walmart also said earlier in the year that it will speed up growth plans for its smaller Neighborhood Markets and Walmart Express stores that cater to shoppers looking for more convenience with fresh produce and meat and household and beauty products. In a call with the media, Walmart executives said super centers are getting bigger purchases on each trip from people stocking up on bulk items, but traffic has been weaker, particularly in the bottom performing 10 percent of its stores. At Neighborhood Markets, on the other hand, traffic is up 4 percent as people buy fill-in items at the smaller stores. For the second quarter, Walmart anticipates earnings from continuing operations in a range of $1.15 to $1.25 a share. Analysts predict earnings of $1.28 a share. The company's shares fell $2.41, or 3.1 percent, to $76.33 in premarket trading just before the market opened.

Rocked By Red Lobster, Darden Stock Down 4%

Bloomberg News

Red Lobster has weighed like a rock in Darden Restaurants' portfolio, but plans to jettison the business are proving a weight on the stock.

Darden Restaurants (DRI) said Friday it will sell the struggling Red Lobster business to Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion in cash. Darden shares were down 3.6% to $48.82 in late afternoon trading following the news, which has some activist investors quite steamed.

Hedge fund Starboard Value pushed Darden for a special meeting and vote on the separation of Red Lobster, announced in December. But the agreement announced Friday doesn't require shareholder approval, fueling consternation among those who agitated for a bigger transaction — the sale of all real estate and reorganization of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and other restaurant businesses.

After taxes and transaction costs, Darden will be left with $1.6 billion in deal proceeds. It plans to use $1 billion to pay down debt and another $500 to $600 million for share repurchases. Red Lobster real estate alone is worth $1.5 billion, according to Howard Penney, an analyst with Hedgeye Risk Management.

"They're giving the [Red Lobster] business away for free," Penney says.

Starboard said in a statement Friday that the Red Lobster deal "woefully undervalues" Red Lobster's real estate, brand and $2.5 billion in revenue. Starboard criticized Darden's board for "the audacity to negotiate a transaction that does not require shareholder approval when a significant majority of Darden's shareholders have formally demanded a special meeting on this very topic."

Barington Capital Group called the transaction price a "fire sale."

Sale-and-lease arrangements for remaining Darden real estate could be in the offing. Darden CEO Clarence Otis Jr. told the Wall Street Journal that in this "very, very robust, very favorable real-estate market," Darden will "assess what that means for our other properties."

One of the Street's ardent Darden bulls, analyst Mark Kalinowski at Janney Montgomery Scott, admitted Friday that "business trends remain lousy, and the ability of activists to generate meaningful change appears to have taken a hit." (See Barron's, "Darden Could Jump 40% On Hedge Fund Plan," Dec. 13, 2013, subscription required and Stocks To Watch: “Darden Restaurants: Breakup Battle Heats Up,” March 26.)

The big question now is if Darden can finally turn things around at Olive Garden. There, Darden has struggled to produce positive same-store sales gains in a competitive and difficult environment: meat, grain, fuel and labor costs have been on the rise, and pasta-and-steak menus are not staples of a healthy daily diet.

The stock, down 4% over the past 12 months, has woefully underperformed the broader market and bakes in skepticism about management's ability to improve sales. Still, the shares aren't exactly on sale at 20 times estimated earnings of $2.46 per share for the fiscal year that ends this month, especially in light of negative sales trends and tepid earnings growth projections.

Kalinowski maintains his Buy rating and $54 price target on Darden. And for patient investors, Darden's 4.4% dividend yield is attractive.

Google fielding 'take-down requests' after privacy ruling

Google has already received requests from people to remove their unsavory online profiles after an EU court ruling.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Google is already receiving demands from people to remove links from its search results just days after Europe's highest court said people worried about their privacy have the "right to be forgotten" on the Internet.

The European Court of Justice on Tuesday found Google and other search engines control information and are responsible for removing unwanted links if requested. In the ruling, the court decided that Google results linking to a newspaper's notice about a Spanish man's social security debts in 1998 were no longer relevant and must be deleted.

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Google can, however, decline requests the company believes are in the public interest to remain in its search results.

Google declined to say how many people have requested information to be taken down as a result of the ruling. But some of the people who have requested that Google remove unsavory Web pages about them demonstrate the murky situation Google finds itself in: A politician, a poorly reviewed doctor and a pedophile are among the first to have issued take-down requests.

A person with knowledge of the requests said a man convicted of possession of child pornography has requested that Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) remove links to Web pages about his conviction. A former politician has also requested that the search engine remove links to a news article about his behavior while he was holding office. And a physician has requested that links to a review site be removed.

Google has not yet taken the links down. The company said it first needs to dev! elop a procedure to handle a potential flood of requests for removal.

"The ruling has significant implications for how we handle take-down requests," a Google spokesman said. "This is logistically complicated -- not least because of the many languages involved and the need for careful review. As soon as we have thought through exactly how this will work, which may take several weeks, we will let our users know."

Google is used to handling take-down requests. The search engine said it received more than 25 million requests from companies claiming Google results linked to material that infringes on copyrights. Google also receives thousands of requests from governments to take down links to websites that violate laws. Google complies with fewer than half of the government take-down requests but does not specify its compliance rate for copyright-related requests.

But copyright and many other laws are considerably clearer-cut that the test of "relevance to public interest," which Google will now need to abide by in the European Union.

"The court's vague opinion is opening the door to everyone and anyone with an unfortunate photo, commentary or review from lining up at the search engine's door," according to Craig Newman, a managing partner at law firm Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP. "The court, unfortunately, didn't speak in plain English and dumped the job of interpreting its words on the search engines."

Ruth Collard, a partner at the British law firm Carter-Ruck, expects Google to reject the politician and the pedophile's requests.

"The politicians and convicted criminals might have an uphill task to demonstrate that the 'fair balance' should come down on their side, due to the public interest issues involved," Collard said. "The doctor might have a better argument, if he could demonstrate that the reviews in question are inaccurate or unfair."

Innocent people with mug shot photos or other potentially damaging information c! ould bene! fit from the ruling. But it also opens the door to people who exercised poor judgment who simply want those records expunged from the Internet.

If a search engine declines a removal requests, a person would then have to go to the local regulator and have each case go to the courts.

Morgan Stanley Names New Head of Private Wealth

Morgan Stanley (MS) said Wednesday that Eric Benedict to lead its Private Wealth Management, which focuses on ultra-high-net-worth clients. The group includes 350-plus advisors serving clients with $20 million or more of investable assets.

Last month, Morgan Stanley restructured its wealth management operations, which went from three divisions to two and from 12 regions to eight.

In February, the firm tapped Shelley O’Connor to lead its advisor force. She reports to Greg Fleming, the leader of Morgan Stanley’s wealth and investment management businesses. The company's chairman and CEO is James Gorman.

In the most recent quarter, Morgan Stanley's 16,426 advisors had average yearly fees and commissions (or production) of $881,000, and average assets under management of $118 million. Overall, its wealth management operations have a total of $1.94 trillion of client assets.

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Check out Alt Mutual Fund Use Up Sharply at Wirehouses on ThinkAdvisor.

IVA Worldwide Fund First Quarter 2014 Quarterly Review

The IVA Worldwide Fund Class A (NAV) ("the Fund") ended the quarter on March 31, 2014 with a return of 2.41% compared to the MSCI All Country World Index ("Index") return of 1.08%. Since inception on October 1, 2008, on an annualized basis, the Fund returned 11.85% versus the Index return of 8.59% for the same period.

The first quarter of 2014 began with a pullback in equity markets with the MSCI All Country World Index falling -5.7% through February 4. We were able to demonstrate our resiliency in down markets with our portfolio's return of -2.1% during the same period. Our exposure to cash helped protect the portfolio on the downside and we also benefited from continued strong stock selection, especially in Japan. Our cash exposure rose to 35.3% at quarter-end, up from 31.7% on December 31, while our equity exposure decreased to 51.3% at quarter-end, down from 52.8% on December 31. We trimmed or sold a few equities, some in the consumer discretionary sector and some in Japan, which we believe are close to full valuation. We are comfortable with our cash exposure today given the risks we see in the market and full equity valuations. As long-term investors who attempt to deliver absolute returns to our clients, we will continue waiting patiently for the opportunity to buy securities that we view as undervalued rather than compete on a relative basis over the short-term by buying securities today that we think are fully valued and risk permanent impairment of capital.

This quarter was marked by strong stock selection as our equities averaged a gain of 4.9% versus the Index1 at 1.1%. Our U.S. stocks added the most to our return, 1.7%, with our equities there averaging a gain of 7.0% versus those in the benchmark at 1.6%. Our performance was led by good returns from a few technology and large-cap energy stocks. Our stocks in France also outperformed and added 0.7% to our return. On a relative basis, good stock picking in Japan benefited us this quarter as it was the worst performing country in the Index. Our Japanese stocks averaged a return of 0.9% versus those in the benchmark at -5.6%. We own a unique portfolio of stocks in Japan, very different from the Index, consisting mostly of cash-rich small and mid-caps, non-exporters, and misunderstood businesses. A number of emerging market stocks were among our worst performers this quarter. Collectively, our stocks in South Korea, China, and Malaysia detracted -0.3% from our return. By sector, in addition to our technology stocks performing well, averaging a gain of 8.6% versus the Index at 1.8%, and contributing 0.8% to our return, our energy stocks also outperformed with average gains of 8.5% versus those in the benchmark at 1.0%. They added 0.6% to our return this quarter, helped by good performance from a top 10 position. Conversely, consumer staples was the only sector to marginally detract from our return, one basis point (0.01%).

Hot Gas Companies To Invest In Right Now

Over the quarter, gold bullion bounced back averaging a return of 6.5% and added 0.2% to the Fund's return. We view gold as a possible hedge against extreme outcomes (deflation, inflation, continued low or negative real interest rates) and believe that a modest allocation is still warranted.

We did not find any new opportunities in fixed income this quarter. Our corporate bond exposure (6.7% at quarter-end) averaged a gain of 1.4%, while our sovereign bonds averaged a return of 0.3%. Our sovereign bond exposure fell to 3.6% at quarter-end from 5.7% on December 31. We trimmed exposure to the Singapore dollar government bonds and sold the Hong Kong dollar government bonds. We are concerned about China and devaluation of the Chinese currency, the renminbi, and how that could potentially affect the Hong Kong banking system and ultimately the Hong Kong dollar peg. Therefore, we believed there was more downside than upside in holding the Hong Kong dollar government bonds. As of March 31, 2014, our currency hedges were: 57.1% Japanese yen, 44.5% euro, and 29.3% South Korean won, and together they detracted about -0.1% from our return.

Emerging market stocks have been weak for a while as economic growth in some of those countries has slowed and as some of the currencies have weakened. Over the past year we found a few opportunities within China (through Hong Kong listed equities). For the most part, these position sizes have been small since we expect the Chinese economy to face some difficulties. It is our view that most emerging markets remain bifurcated as many of the companies we view as lower quality (some banks and utilities) have come down a lot in price while what we consider the higher quality businesses (consumer and service oriented, domestic companies) are trading at high valuations. We look for the same attributes in emerging market companies that we do in developed country stocks, such as a strong balance sheet, sustainable earnings power, non-capital intensive, and the ability to exercise pricing power. However, we face a few additional challenges when investing in emerging markets, such as understanding the banking systems, regulations, and the currencies. We also have concerns with the lack of corporate governance and the level of fixed asset investment in China. As a result, we are proceeding cautiously in the region as we look for opportunities that meet our criteria. At quarter-end, our direct emerging market equity exposure totaled 5.4%, primarily through stocks in South Korea, Malaysia, and China (through Hong Kong listed equities). We also own a number of global companies that derive a significant portion of their revenue from emerging markets.

Finding new opportunities is difficult these days, but we see some small pockets of undervalued stocks. In Japan, discounts have narrowed but we believe there are still some under-researched and misunderstood companies there, especially in the small-cap area. In Europe, we are struggling to find new opportunities as many of the companies we view as high quality are expensive. In the U.S., we view equities as fully priced, however, we believe there are still some opportunities in large caps, particularly in the software industry. In conclusion, we see a number of risks in global equity markets today that we are not willing to ignore. These ultra-low, manipulated interest rates cannot stay low forever, corporate profit margins cannot rise forever, and we cannot continue to see pedestrian economic growth alongside demanding equity valuations. We are not willing to be fully invested on the basis that this time is different, and we certainly cannot anticipate when interest rates might rise. As always, we are very focused on individual stock picking, absolute returns, and staying disciplined with our investment approach. 1 The benchmark equity return excludes gold mining stocks.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. The performance data quoted represents past per - formance and current returns may be lower or higher. Returns shown are net of fees and expenses and assume reinvestment of dividends and other income. The investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. To obtain performance information current to the most recent month-end, please call 1-866-941-4482.

Maximum sales charge for the A shares is 5.00%. C shares include a 1% CDSC Fee for the first year only. The expense ratios for the fund are as follows: 1.27% (A Shares); 2.02% (C Shares); 1.02% (I Shares).

MSCI All Country World Index (Net) is an unmanaged index comprised of 44 country indices comprising 23 developed and 21 emerging market country indices and is calculated with dividends reinvested after de duction of withholding tax. The Index is a trademark of Morgan Stanley Capital International and is not available for direct investment.

The views expressed in this document reflect those of the portfolio manager(s) only through the end of the period as stated on the cover and do not necessarily represent the views of IVA or any other person in the IVA organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and IVA disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for an IVA fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any IVA fund. The securities mentioned are not necessarily hold - ings invested in by the portfolio manager(s) or IVA. References to specific company securities should not be construed as recommendations or investment advice.

An investor should read and consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and ex - penses carefully before investing. This and other important information are detailed in our prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained by calling 1-866-941-4482 or visit - ing www.ivafunds.com. The IVA Funds are offered by IVA Funds Distributors, LLC.

Also check out: IVA Worldwide Fund Undervalued Stocks IVA Worldwide Fund Top Growth Companies IVA Worldwide Fund High Yield stocks, and Stocks that IVA Worldwide Fund keeps buying

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Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015

White Lodging, a company that manages hotels for nationwide brands such as Marriott, Holiday Inn and Sheraton, is investigating a possible data breach at 14 properties.

The suspected credit and debit card breach occurred between March 20 and Dec. 16 at restaurants, lounges and other food and beverage outlets at those properties, the company said in a statement this afternoon.

The hotels, which White Lodging manages under agreements with the owners, are located in various cities, including Chicago, Austin, Denver and Indianapolis. White Lodging runs as a separate entity from the hotel brands.

Guests who didn't use their credit cards at the outlets or who charged items directly to their room accounts were not affected, the company said.

At one hotel, the Radisson Star Plaza in Merrillville, Ind., the breach could have gone beyond food and beverage outlets and into the property management system that manages guests' credit card information.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE)

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. produces, distributes, and markets non-alcoholic beverages in Europe. It provides a range of beverage categories, including energy drinks, still and sparkling waters, juices, sports drinks, fruit drinks, coffee-based beverages, and teas. The company primarily offers its products under Coca-Cola, Diet Coke/Coke light, Fanta, Coca-Cola Zero, Capri Sun, Schweppes, Sprite, Chaudfontaine, MinuteMaid, and Dr. Pepper brands. It provides its products to customers and consumers through licensed territory agreements in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE  ) -- the regional bottler of pop that rules over Western Europe -- hosed down its near-term prospects last month.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Non-alcoholic beverage distributor Coca-Cola Enerprises (CCE) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to 25 cents per share, payable on Mar. 20 to shareholders of record as of Mar. 7.
  CCE Dividend Yield: 2.25%

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.80 per share on revenue of $2.16 billion.

  Autoliv (NYSE: ALV) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.34 per share on revenue of $2.06 billion.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Alkaline Water Company Inc (WTER)

The Alkaline Water Company Inc., formerly Global Lines Inc, incorporated on June 6, 2011, is a developer of electrolysis beverage process, packaged and branded as Alkaline84. Alkaline84 is the Company's flagship product designed to encourage daily consumption of Alkaline Water through a consumer oriented bulk delivery system. The Company is engaged in the development of a national retail bulk distribution network delivering Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) to consumers everywhere. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its packaged Alkaline84 branded beverage products.

Alkaline84 is available in two sizes: three liters and one gallon. Alkaline84 is a pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with 84 trace minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline84 is available for consumer sales at a number of major retail locations across the southwestern United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, WTER has shed (-4.26%) down -0.020 at $.450 with 2,336,294 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:28PM EDT September 17, 2013).

  The Alkaline Water Company Inc. previously reported that Ms. Brande Roderick has agreed to join the Company’s Advisory Board and will undertake an active role in upcoming public relations and awareness campaigns.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap OTC drinking water stocks Glacier Water Services, Inc (OTCMKTS: GWSV), AWG International Water Corp (OTCBB: AWGI) and Alkaline Water Company Inc (OTCBB: WTER) all offer a product that many consumer, investors and traders alike might take for granted, but everyone needs to have. However, you can build a better mouse trap when it comes to drinking water or at least that what these three small caps are attempting to do with their own unique strategies:

Hot Services Stocks To Buy Right Now: WhiteWave Foods Co (WWAV)

WWF Operating Company, incorporated on March 14, 1988, is a consumer packaged food and beverage company. The Company manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy products throughout North America and Europe. The Company operates in two segments: North America and Europe. The North America segment offers products in the plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy product categories throughout North America. Europe segment offers plant-based food and beverage products throughout Europe. The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dean Foods Company (Dean Foods).

The Company�� brands distributed in North America include Silk plant-based foods and beverages, International Delight and LAND O LAKES coffee creamers and beverages, and Horizon Organic dairy products, while its European brands of plant-based foods and beverages include Alpro and Provamel. The Company sell its products to a variety of customers, including grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and convenience stores, as well as various away-from-home channels, including restaurants and foodservice outlets, across North America and Europe. The Company sells its products in North America and Europe primarily through its direct sales force and independent brokers. The Company utilizes five manufacturing plants, two distribution centers, and three co-packers across the United States. Additionally, it has four plants across Europe in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, each supported by an integrated supply chain.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Staying in the food and beverage industry, shares of�WhiteWave Foods� (NYSE: WWAV  ) finished up 8% after a strong earnings report this morning. The parent of Silk soy milk and other organic products said sales jumped 36%, to $830.2 million, driven by its acquisition of Earthbound Farms earlier in the quarter. That figure was much better than the $786.9 million Wall Street expected. WhiteWave also posted earnings of $0.22 per share, ahead of estimates at $0.19, and lifted its full-year guidance above expectations to $0.95-$0.98. Finally, the company said it plans to launch a joint venture in China by the end of the year, which should drive profits further. Propelled by the joint venture, tailwinds from growth in organics and its recent acquisition, shares could easily move higher.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  After being spun off from its parent company, Dean Foods (NYSE: DF  ) , health-oriented food purveyor White Wave Foods (NYSE: WWAV  ) offered the market a nearly pure play on plant-based food items, one of the fastest growing areas within the industry. The spinoff was originally priced rather high, though the company is certainly growing. Now, the secondary offering is coming to a close and the spinoff is nearly complete while the company posts strong preliminary results. Even at its premium price, is White Wave Foods a buy after the spin-off is completed?

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Dairy pure-play Dean Foods (NYSE: DF  ) is flirting with its 52-week high after an encouraging earnings report released earlier this week. As it so often goes in special situations, investors deemed the company relatively uninteresting after a high profile spin-off of plant-based food segment WhiteWave (NYSE: WWAV  ) and divestiture of Morningstar -- purveyor of staples such as International Creamer. Skeptics cited declining milk consumption and heavy debt as detractors to the stock, but, post spin-off, Dean Foods is a cash-generating, inexpensive pick in an otherwise difficult sector. With the recent earnings report in mind, let's take a closer look.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  So this isn't a case like that of�WhiteWave Foods (NYSE: WWAV  ) , which tried to snooker consumers by calling the sugar in its milk the creatively contrived name "evaporated cane juice." Rather, this is a company saying sugar's sugar and telling consumers how much the drink contains -- as the FDA requires it to do -- but it is still facing financial loss regardless.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Attitude Drinks Inc (ATTD)

Attitude Drinks Incorporated (Attitude), incorporated on May 10, 1988, is a brand-development company. The Company focuses on the non-alcoholic single serving beverage business, developing and marketing of milk based products in two segments: sports recovery and functional dairy. The Company does not directly manufacture its products but instead outsources the manufacturing process to third party packers.

Attitude has developed its second product, which is branded as Phase III Recovery is a milk-based protein drink which is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors. The Company�� co-packer for its dairy based product is O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc. in Batavia, New York. This product contains 35 grams of protein that are inherent in filtered milk. The product is packaged as a retort-processed shelf stable dairy-based 100% milk-based sports recovery drink in both chocolate and vanilla flavors.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company and Pepsico Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Attitude Drinks Inc (OTCMKTS: ATTD), Axiologix, Inc (OTCMKTS: AXLX) and Unisource Corporation (OTCMKTS: USRC) have all been getting some attention lately in investment emails or investor alerts thanks in part to paid promotions. And while there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed paid promotions or investor relations activity, such activity can backfire on unwary investors or traders. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three small cap stocks to help you decide whether they are truly hot or not:

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: PureSafe Water Systems Inc (PSWS)

PureSafe Water Systems, Inc., incorporated on March 9, 1987, is engaged in the design and development of its technology to be used in the manufacture and sale of water purification systems both in and outside the United States. The Company�� PureSafe First Response Water System (PureSafe FRWS) is self-contained and purifies most types of contaminated fresh or service water, including seawater that may be found at a first response emergency site. This system is mobile, by helicopter or transported by truck.

The PureSafe FRWS utilizes its technology which consists of water extraction boom that extracts water from the ocean, streams, ponds, pools of floodwater or a failed municipal distribution system. The extracted water is then treated by the application of advanced water treatment technologies which employ multiple stage filtration, multiple stage sanitation (including ozone, chlorine and ultraviolet purification techniques), reverse osmosis membranes, mineralization and final polishing to meet the standard drinking water requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA). Its 2nd prototype (FRWS unit) unit can produce EPA compliant drinking from contaminated fresh or surface water at the rate of 30,000 gallons per day, to provide drinking water to 45,000 people. The unit has a built in generator and water bagging capability at the rate of 30,000 and a half liters bags of water per day

The Company competes with GE, Siemens, Severn Trent, Ecospheres Technology, Lenntech, Testa/Viwa, Lifekeeper, Mobile MaxPure, Bi Pure Water, Rodi, Global Water Group, Nirosoft, LifeStream, and Aquapura Tempest.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ: SODA), an Israeli based developer, manufacturer and marketer of�home beverage carbonation systems, has attracted its share of hype over both its products and its stock, but could other small cap water stocks like Primo Water Corporation (NASDAQ: PRMW), Puresafe Water Systems Inc (OTCMKTS: PSWS) and Alkaline Water Company Inc (OTCBB: WTER) attract a similar following? After all, Sodastream International has managed to create a significant amount of buzz from consumers, investors and even short sellers because it�� the�world's largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of home carbonation systems as its�brands are sold in over 60,000 retail stores in 45 countries. Sodastream International is also up 45.7% since the start of the year, up 70.2% over the past year and up 99.3% since November 2010, but shares did spike up to the $75 level in the middle of 2011 and now trade at the $63 level.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong Ltd (MBR)

San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong Limited is a Hong Kong-based company engaged in the manufacture and distribution of bottled, canned and draught beers. The Company operates in two segments: The Hong Kong operation mainly represents the manufacture and distribution of own brewed beer products and distribution of imported beer products in Hong Kong and overseas, and the mainland China operation mainly represents the manufacture and distribution of own brewed beer products in the southern part of the People�� Republic of China and overseas. Its subsidiaries include Best Investments International Inc., Hongkong Brewery Limited, Ravelin Limited, San Miguel (Guangdong) Limited, Guangzhou San Miguel Brewery Company Limited, San Miguel Shunde Holdings Limited and San Miguel (Guangdong) Brewery Company Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoffrey Seiler]

  This was a solid quarter from Aetna, highlighted by much stronger-than-expected results from its Commercial and Medicaid segments. The rebound in the Medicaid medical benefits ratio (MBR) was particularly notable.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Montalvo Spirits Inc (TQLA)

Montalvo Spirits Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company develops, markets and distributes alcoholic beverages with initial offering being the Montalvo Tequila, primarily in the United States. The Company sells its products through a network of spirits distributors, who are licensed to distribute alcoholic beverages throughout the United States. The Company intends to focus on growing the market share of its initial products, the ultra-premium Montalvo line of tequilas, whose expressions include Plata, Reposado, Anejo and Extra-Anejo. The Company owns the Montalvo brand trademark and have exclusive worldwide master distribution rights to the brands.

The Company�� portfolio of alcoholic beverage brands includes additional spirits categories, as well as beer and wine, through additional importation and distribution contracts of existing brands. In addition, the Company may choose to develop new brands or acquire existing companies with their own brand portfolios. The Company�� subsidiary, Casa Montalvo, has an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Destilidora Huerta Real, S.A. de C.V., the producers of Montalvo Tequila. Montalvo, an ultra-premium tequila brand, is a handcrafted, formulated tequila produced from blue agave plants from the Lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Montalvo is available in four expressions: Plata, Reposado, Anejo and Extra-Anejo.

The Company competes with Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A., Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Beam Inc., Remy Cointreau S.A. and Constellation Brands, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, TQLA surged (+10.80%) up +0.042 at $.431 with 1,344,844 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:09PM EDT� September 24, 2013).

  Montalvo Spirits, Inc. previously reported they have entered into a sales and marketing agreement with Prestige International Exports, LLC (“Prestige”). Prestige will represent the Montalvo Spirits portfolio brands in certain international markets, as well as provide sales and marketing support for Montalvo Tequila and Broken Heart Gin throughout the state of California, and will assist the Company in attempting to secure distribution in additional markets in the U.S.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Drinks Americas Holdings Ltd (DKAM)

Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd., incorporated in February 14, 2005, develops, produces, markets and/or distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for sale primarily in the continental United States. Through its majority-owned subsidiaries, Drinks imports, distributes and markets premium wine and spirits and alcoholic beverages to beverage wholesalers throughout the United States and internationally. The alcoholic products distributed by the Company are KAH Tequila, Old Whiskey River Bourbon (R), Rheingold Beer, Damiana, a Mexican liqueur, Mexicali Beer, Agave 99, Chili Devil Beer, Crazy PigAle and Red Pig Ale. In June, 2011 the Company acquired the rights to distribute and market existing brands and products from Fabrica De Tequilas Finos S.A. de C.V. (Finos) and Cervecera Mexicana, S. de R.L. de C.V. (Cerveceria). In June 2011, the Company acquired the rights to distribute and market existing brands and products through a licensing agreement with Worldwide Beverage Imports, LLC, (WBI). On November 2, 2011, the Company acquired worldwide licensing and distribution rights on both the spirits and beer products owned or licensed by WBI. In June 2013, the Company announced the development of Drinks Americas Consumer Beverage Consulting Division.

The Company owns, distributes or licenses or collects royalties from a number of Spirits Brands to include Old Whiskey River Bourbon, Damiana Liqueur and Rheingold Beer. The Company owns 25% interest in Old Whiskey River Distilling Company, LLC which owns or licenses the related trademarks and trade names associated with the Old Whiskey River products.

The Company compets with Diageo, Allied Domecq, Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman and Bacardi & Company, Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd (OTCMKTS: DKAM), 7 Star Entertainment Inc (OTCMKTS: SAEE), Rising India Inc (OTCMKTS: RSII) and Big Tree Group Inc (OTCMKTS: BIGG) have all been attracting attention thanks to paid promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed and paid for promotions or investor relation activities, but they can backfire on unwary investors and traders alike. So are stock promoters blowing a bunch of hot air regarding these four small cap stocks or are they actually potential winners? Here is a quick reality check to help you decide:

  Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd (OTCMKTS: DKAM) Has One of the Top Beers of 2013

  Small cap Drinks Americas Holdings mission is to identify and invest the majority brand-building resources on beers and spirits with the greatest growth potential. Currently, Drinks Americas is the exclusive United States broker for leading premium authentic Mexican beers currently available in over 32 states, hundreds of chain retailers and restaurants and is on target to be the leading broker for this growing category in each of the markets in which it operates. On Friday, Drinks Americas Holdings rose 2.15% to $0.0095 for a market cap of $280,110 plus DKAM is down 89.3% over the past year and down 94.6% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Last Friday, small cap stocks MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI), USmart Mobile Device Inc (OTCMKTS: UMDI) and Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd (OTCMKTS: DKAM) were all over the place with the first two sinking 54% and 48.05%, respectively, while the last one rose 10.81%. It should be mentioned that all three small cap stocks have been the subject of paid promotions albeit none of these stocks have been over promoted. So where can investors and traders expect these stocks to head this week? Here is a quick look at what you might expect:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Say whatever you want about Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:DKAM), but one thing is undeniable... this company is producing a lot of revenue despite being a very small company. More specifically, the DKAM market cap is abnormally low relative to the sales figures the company is putting up.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Even though you're reading this now, odds are that three weeks ago you'd never even heard of Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:DKAM). And, like so many other young, nano-cap stocks, it would be easy to assume the current strength being exhibited by DKAM is nothing but a short-term phenomenon, meaning there's no particular reason to jump on the stock now. If there was ever a reason to jump onto a micro cap name for a quick trade though, this may be it.

Best Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Beam Inc (BEAM)

Beam Inc. (Beam), incorporated on October 1, 1985, is a premium spirits company that makes and sells branded distilled spirits products in markets worldwide. The Company's principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. The Company's portfolio consists of brands the Company identifies as Power Brands, Rising Stars, Local Jewels and values Creators. The Power Brands are the Company's core brand equities, with global reach in premium categories. Rising Stars are smaller premium brands. Brands identified as Local Jewels act as Power Brands in local markets. Value Creators include a variety of brands. The Company's three reportable segments are the geographic regions, which consists of North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific/South America (APSA). Each segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of distilled spirits products. In May 2012, the Company acquired the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands and certain related assets (Pinnacle assets) from White Rock Distilleries, Inc. In January 2012, Beam acquired Cooley Distillery plc (Cooley), an Irish whiskey producer.

The Company�� Power Brands include Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky, Teacher's Scotch and Pinnacle Vodka. Beam�� Rising Stars brand includes Laphroaig Scotch, Knob Creek Bourbon, Basil Hayden's Bourbon, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Skinnygirl Cocktails and Sourz Liqueurs. The principal markets for the Company's spirits products are the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the Company continues to invest in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, and other geographies.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, Power Brands, Rising Stars, and combined Local Jewels/Value Creators (including non-branded sales) repre! sent approximately 60%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, of the Company's net sales. Approximately 55% of its consolidated net sales were generated in the United States (based on country of destination) during 2012. In the United States, the Company sells its products either to wholesale distributors for resale to retail outlets or, in those states that control alcohol sales, to state governments who then sell them to retail customers and consumers. In the Company's other global markets, the Company uses a variety of route-to-market models, including third party distributors, global or regional duty free customers, other spirits producers and its joint ventures with The Edrington Group Ltd.

The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Constellation Brands, Inc., Davide Campari Milano-S.p.A., Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Remy Cointreau S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  That also means it won't buy rival whiskey distiller Beam (NYSE: BEAM  ) , a rumor that's floated around ever since it was spun off from Fortune Brands. Owning 23% of the North American whiskey market already with a portfolio consisting of brands that include Bushmills,�Crown Royal, and George Dickel (which uses the traditional "whisky" spelling), along with Scotch whiskys such as J&B, and, yes, Johnnie Walker, Diageo is tied for the top spot with Jack Daniels maker Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF-B  ) in the market.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Beam (NYSE: BEAM) shot up 24.41 percent to $83.32 after the company agreed to be acquired by Suntory Holdings for $83.50 per share in cash.

  Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) was also on the rise, gaining 6.16 percent to $8.96 after the company reaffirmed its long-term outlook, announced a $275 million buyback, and lifted its fourth quarter and fiscal year guidance above street consensus.

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  When Diageo�� CEO Ivan Menezes declared last quarter that the company would not be buying Beam Inc. (BEAM) in order to boost its bourbon and tequila portfolio, it became clear that the firm was well off as it is. And I applaud management�� decision to hold back, because this firm�� unmatched spirit portfolio combined with its vast distribution network make it a solid global market leader. Although the company operates in 180 countries, its particularly strong position in the U.S. market is highly beneficial, as this is the most profitable spirits market worldwide. The distribution, handled by 2,800 exclusive salespeople that only attend the company�� namesake brands, is highly profitable, resulting in domestic operating margins of almost 40%. Also, these distributor relationships cover 80% of the company�� U.S. volume, making for a business model that would be very difficult for new market entrants to duplicate.