Apple Inc. Plans $12 Billion Bond Offering (AAPL)

The Cupertino-based consumer electronics juggernaut, Apple Inc. (AAPL), announced on Tuesday that it would be marketing a $12 billion bond sale in an effort to keep its overseas cash pile sheltered from the tax man at home.

According to Bloomberg, the company plans to offer a variety of debt notes to prospective bond investors, including: floating and fixed-rate notes with maturities of three and five years, as well as fixed-rate notes with maturities of seven, 10, and 30 years. This massive bond offering comes at a time when many have been scrutinizing Apple for its mind-boggling cash pile overseas, totaling over $132 billion. According to sources, Deutsche Bank (DB) and Goldman Sachs (GS) will be leading the leading the bond offering and a person familiar with the matter also noted that part of the proceeds would be used for distribution payments in light of Apple’s recent dividend increase announcement.

Given that borrowing costs in the bond market are much lower than the taxes that would be levied on Apple if it were to bring home some of its cash from overseas, the debt offering seems like a “no-brainer” for the company; Apple’s chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, elaborated, "To repatriate our foreign cash under current U.S. tax law, we would incur significant tax consequences and we don't believe this would be in the best interest of our shareholders," [see What Can You Buy With Apple's Cash?].

AAPL shares were down $1.76, or 0.30%, as the closing bell rang on Tuesday.

AAPL Dividend Snapshot

As of market close on April 29, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of AAPL dividends.

Top 10 China Companies For 2015

A share price which is up less than 10% is hardly a cause of celebration. However, after a very bad year, that is where Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock will end the year.It was, after all, down over 25% from the start of the year in mid-Apple when it appeared that the maker of the iPhone and iPad had dropped hopelessly behind Samsung in sales, and, perhaps had lost its innovation�edge.

After a period of deep pessimism maybe it did not take very much to bring Apple’s shares back by a modest amount. The largest catalyst was probably the anticipation that it can sell tens of millions of iPhones in China, if it can close a deal with the largest cellular carrier in the world–Chain Mobile. But, no one outside Apple or China Mobile knows the details of the likely partnership. The margins Apple makes on deals with most carriers may shrink because Apple needs China more than China needs Apple.

Another reason for Apple’s rise is that some on Wall St. think it has sold off too much.�Susquehanna Financial Group recently raised its price target on Apple to $650 because it expected iPhone 5S sales to be better than most experts expect.�BMO Capital Markets said Apple’s shares will reach $585, although that is not very much above the current $549 price.�Piper Jaffray made the odd decision to look at Twitter feeds to try to determine demand for the iPhone, and the research firm said the results were positive for Apple. According to Barron’s, the research firm issued a note which said:

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: China Lodging Group Limited (HTHT)

China Lodging Group, Limited, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and manages a chain of hotels in the People?s Republic of China. It operates HanTing Express Hotel that targets knowledge workers and value-conscious travelers; HanTing Seasons Hotel, which targets mid-level corporate managers and owners of small and medium enterprises; and HanTing Hi Inn for budget-constrained travelers. As of March 31, 2011, the company had 473 hotels consisting of 259 leased-and-operated hotels and 214 franchised-and-managed hotels; and 162 hotels under development, including 74 leased-and-operated hotels and 88 franchised-and-managed hotels. China Lodging Group, Limited was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 China Lodging Group (Nasdaq: HTHT  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [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 China Lodging Group (Nasdaq: HTHT  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: Perfect World Co. Ltd.(PWRD)

Perfect World Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, operation, and licensing of online games primarily in the People?s Republic of China, the United States, and the Rest of Asia. It develops online games based on its game engines and game development platforms. The company?s 3D massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) include Perfect World, an adventure and fantasy game with traditional Chinese settings; Legend of Martial Arts, an adventure story of Chinese swordsmen set in an ancient kingdom; and Perfect World II, which is set in a similar content and graphic background as Perfect World. It also offers Zhu Xian that is based on martial arts focused adventure set in a fantasy world; Chi Bi, a war story developed based on ancient Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms; Hot Dance Party, a 3D online casual game; Pocketpet Journey West, a 3D MMORPG based on the classical novel of Chinese literature, Journey to the West ; Battle of the Immortals, a mysterious adventure, which enables game players to travel between eastern and western cultures, and adventures in historic sites and turf wars; and Fantasy Zhu Xian, a 2D turn-based MMORPG based on the Internet fantasy novel Zhu Xian. It also involves in the production and distribution of films, as well as television advertising activities. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin Chen]

  Two companies that seem on an unstoppable path of profits are Giant Interactive� (NYSE: GA  ) and NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES  ) .�Meanwhile, Shanda Games� (NASDAQ: GAME  ) and Perfect World� (NASDAQ: PWRD  ) haven't done as well.

• [By CRWE]

  Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:PWRD), a leading online game developer and operator based in China, will release unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012, after the market closes on Monday, August 27, 2012.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Tuesday
  Perfect World (NASDAQ: PWRD  ) logs in with its quarterly results on Tuesday.

  Online gaming is hot in China, but Perfect World has seen better days. Analysts see revenue sliding 15% for the quarter, with earnings taking an even bigger 46% hit. Despite the uninspiring fundamentals, shares of Perfect World did hit a fresh 52-week high this past week. There are some potentially promising games in the pipeline, so clearly the market thinks Perfect World will turn things around.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Perfect World Co (NASDAQ: PWRD) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.43 per share on revenue of $142.11 million.

  TICC Capital (NASDAQ: TICC) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $28.43 million.

Top Food Stocks To Own Right Now: Ctrip.com International Ltd.(CTRP)

Ctrip.com International, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides travel services for hotel accommodations, airline tickets, and packaged tours in the People?s Republic of China. It also sells independent leisure travelers bundled package-tour products, which include transportation and accommodation, as well as guided tours covering various domestic and international destinations. In addition, the company offers Internet-related advertising, aviation casualty insurance, and air-ticket delivery services. Further, it sells Property Management System, a hotel information software; travel guidebooks, which provide information for independent travelers; and VIP membership cards that allow cardholders to receive discounts from various restaurants, clubs, and bars. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  The company has a current ratio of 10.85% which is higher than the ones registered by E-Commerce China Dangdang, Vipshop Holdings Limited, Asure Software, Inc. and Monster Worldwide, Inc. But for investors looking for a higher ROE, Bitauto Holdings and Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (CTRP) could be better options.

• [By Yiannis Mostrous]

  Ctrip.com International (CTRP)

  With a 48% market share, Ctrip.com holds the crown as China's leading online travel agency, offering a one-stop shop for booking hotels, flights, and packaged tours.

• [By Shareholders Unite]

  The Chinese travel agency Ctrip (CTRP) has been one of our best performers in the past 12 months. The shares more than tripled since we first suggested a buy at $13.69 almost exactly a year ago.

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: China Life Insurance Company Limited(LFC)

China Life Insurance Company Limited provides life, annuities, accident, and health insurance products in China. Its individual life insurance and annuity products consist of whole life and term life insurance, endowment insurance, and annuities. The company also engages in the writing of life insurance business. In addition, it offers group life insurance products, including group annuity products, and group whole life and term life insurance products to enterprises and institutions, as well as universal life products. Further, the company provides short-term insurance products comprising short-term accident insurance and short-term health insurance products; accident insurance products, such as individual accident insurance and group accident insurance; and health insurance products, including defined health benefit plans, medical expense reimbursement plans, and disease specific plans. It distributes its products through its direct sales representatives and exclusive ag ents, as well as through intermediaries comprising insurance agencies and insurance brokerage companies, non-dedicated agencies, bancassurance arrangements, travel agencies, and hotels and airline sales counters. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Beijing, China. China Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Life Insurance (Group) Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanin Aegea]

  I have heard many people comment about the insurance policies for cars, houses, life, assets, etc. The arguments always revolve around the same issue: Is it really necessary? What are the chances to be hit by a Hurricane, or to meet a sudden death? Well, nobody really knows. Some individuals however, sleep better when they know a policy backs their life investments. Here, I will look into three insurance companies that concentrate on different policies, or geographies. These are: China Life (LFC), and Conseco (CNO).

• [By Daniel Inman]

  China Life Insurance Co. (HK:2628) � (LFC) �rose 2.7% after China�� largest life insurer by premiums reported that it had made a 7.5 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) profit in the third quarter, reversing a 2.2 billion yuan loss in the same period last year.

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: Sina Corporation(SINA)

SINA Corporation provides online media and mobile value-added services (MVAS) in the People?s Republic of China. It provides advertising, non-advertising, and free services through SINA.com, Weibo.com, and SINA Mobile. SINA.com offers free interest-based channels that provide region-focused format and content, including news, sports, automobile-related news, finance, entertainment, luxury, technology, digital, tools, collectibles, video, music, and wireless application protocol, as well as interactive platform for fashion-conscious users to share comments and ideas on a range of topics, such as health, cosmetics, and beauty. The company's microblogging platform, Weibo.com, enables its users to follow the hottest topics being discussed online, as well as discussions related to people they know. Weibo accounts consist of celebrities, commercial enterprises, government entities, and grass root Internet users. Its SINA Mobile service allows users to receive news and informatio n, download ring tones, mobile games and pictures, and participate in dating and friendship communities. The company also offers SINA Game, which serves as an interactive platform that provides users with downloads and gateway access to popular online games; SINA eReading, a shop for book reviews; SINA.net, an enterprise solutions platform to assist businesses and government bodies; and SINA Mall, an online shopping Website. In addition, it provides a platform for Chinese bloggers; photo-sharing platform; free email, VIP mail, and corporate email for enterprise users; audio and video-based instant messaging tools; proprietary search technology; and classified advertising services, as well as hosts topic-specific discussion forums in Chinese language; and creates user-maintained and supported online communities. The company has strategic cooperation agreement with China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited. SINA Corporation was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the Peop le?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Celebrities have a funny way of lifting a platform's visibility. Twitter was doing fine as a place for tech-forward folks to share short messages, but it really took off once entertainers took to pecking out 140-character missives. The same scenario played out in China with SINA's (NASDAQ: SINA  ) Weibo. The moment top athletes, rockers, and movie stars took to Weibo, it became the undisputed micro-blog of choice for the world's most populous nation.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Over the past 12 months, shares of Qihoo 360 are up more than 200%, compared with gains of about 46% at Sina Corp. (NASDAQ: SINA) and about 20% at Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), two other booming Chinese Internet players.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of SINA (NASDAQ: SINA  ) have skyrocketed today by as much as 21% after Alibaba acquired an 18% stake in its Weibo subsidiary.

• [By Kevin Chen]

  You may know that the Chinese government keeps its tech companies on a short leash. However, Chinese regulations shouldn't scare you out of your investments because the government-company relationship is a two-way street. Just look at the history of Baidu� (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) , SINA� (NASDAQ: SINA  ) , and Sohu� (NASDAQ: SOHU  ) .

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: 51job Inc.(JOBS)

51job, Inc. provides integrated human resource services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. . The company provides recruitment related advertising services, including print advertising services through 51job Weekly, which is a city-specific recruitment advertising publication that is published once a week and is distributed as an insert in local newspapers and/or on a stand-alone basis; and online recruitment services through its Website, www.51job.com. It also offers other human resource related services, such as business process outsourcing, which consist of social insurance and welfare payment processing, regulatory compliance, and payroll processing; and executive search services, as well as conducts training seminars in the areas of business management, leadership, sales and marketing, human resource, negotiation skills, financial planning and analysis, public administration, manufacturing, secretarial, and other skills for the general public and corporate cl ients. In addition, the company provides campus recruitment services; conducts salary, employee retention, and other human resource related surveys; organize and host annual human resource conferences and events, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities for human resource professionals; and provides assessment tools to assist human resource departments in evaluating capabilities and dispositions of job candidates and existing employees, aiding employee placement, and allocating employee resources, as well as hiring and support services to employers on select recruitment projects. It provides recruitment and other human resource related services to employers through its sales offices, as well as through its sales and customer service call center. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Rooney]

  51job (JOBS), an online job search website similar to Monster.com (MWW), has surged more 60% this year.

  But there is one notable Chinese dot-com stock that's sitting out the big rally. Shares of Renren (RENN), the social network known as China's Facebook (FB, Fortune 500), are down 3% for the year.

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  China's LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) defaulted on a scheduled payment on $23.8 million in convertible senior notes yesterday, sending shares of the vertically integrated solar power company tumbling.

• [By Paul Ausick]

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

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: Baidu Inc.(BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. provides Chinese and Japanese language Internet search services. Its search services enable users to find relevant information online, including Web pages, news, images, multimedia files, and blogs through the links provided on its Websites. The company also offers online community-based products and entertainment platforms; an instant messaging service; and a consumer-oriented e-commerce platform. In addition, it designs and delivers online marketing services and auction-based P4P services that enable its customers to reach users who search for information related to their products or services. The company serves online marketing customers consisting of small and medium sized enterprises, large domestic corporations, and Chinese divisions or subsidiaries of multinational corporations primarily operating in the medical, machinery, education, franchising, electronic products, e-commerce, ticketing, tourism, information technology, consumer products, real estate, entertainment, and financial services industries. It sells its online marketing services directly, as well as through its distribution network. The company was formerly known as Baidu.com, Inc. and changed its name to Baidu, Inc. in December 2008. Baidu, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Carlson, CEO and Portfolio Manager, Horizon Investment Services]

  One of my favorites is Baidu (BIDU), the Chinese search-engine company. You may recall I selected Baidu as one of my favorite turnaround stocks at the beginning of 2013.

• [By Kevin Chen]

  Analyzing�IBM� (NYSE: IBM  ) , Baidu� (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) , Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) ,�Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) , and Nokia (NYSE: NOK  ) , Kevin calculates the return on research capital, or RORC. You can calculate this number yourself by taking this year's gross profit and dividing it by last year's R&D expenditures.

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc.(ASIA)

AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. provides telecommunications software solutions and information technology (IT) products and services to telecommunications carriers and other enterprises in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers business and operation support systems product suites, including OpenBilling, a billing solution for telecommunications operators; OpenCRM, a CRM solution suite for telecommunications operators; OpenBOSS, a carrier-class business operation support system solution; OpenBI, a carrier-class operating analysis and decision support system platform; OpenPRM, a system that calculates, manages, and reconciles payment for intercarrier network access. It also provides network management solutions comprising NetXpert, a data and Internet protocol network management solution; and OpenXpert, an integrated telecommunications network management system. In addition, the company offers service applications products, such as Mail Center, an online messaging softwa re; Spam Patrol software for real time anti-spam control; and Net Disk, a network hard disk product, which facilitates Internet-based file transfer, sharing, and management, as well as supports other functions, such as data processing of short message folders and synchronization of mobile devices. Its service applications products also include Internet Short Messaging Gateway, a business support platform for value-added short messaging services; and Device Management Platform that enables mobile operators to manage various mobile devices and perform remote mobile device management, such as remote diagnosis and parameter setup. In addition, it offers software enhancement and maintenance, system integration, and other value-added IT consulting and planning services. The company was formerly known as AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. in July 2010. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republ ic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Chinese telecom software provider AsiaInfo-Linkage (NASDAQ: ASIA  ) announced this morning that it has agreed to be acquired by�a private investor consortium led by CITIC Capital Partners for approximately $890 million.

• [By Bloomberg News]

  ��he prospects of Chinese equities are positive for the long-term, but near-term there are some execution risks with regard to implementing reforms,��said Teresa Chow, a Hong Kong-based money manager who helps oversee about $1.5 billion at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd. ��ainland investors seem to have more reasonable expectations.��

• [By Kana Nishizawa]

  ��he market is still optimistic about the detailed reform plan�� said Teresa Chow, a fund manager at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. ��ince Hong Kong and China markets are underweighted by many fund managers, some of them might want to increase their weighting.��

• [By Jonathan Burgos]

  ��arkets are entering a period of uncertainty,��said Yoji Takeda, Hong Kong-based head of Asian equities at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. ��here�� a policy vacuum in Japan and the government isn�� going to come up with new policies until parliament resumes sessions in September. While the possible tapering of U.S. stimulus has been more or less priced in, people tend to be a little bit cautious until it happens.��

Top 10 China Companies For 2015: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Industrials stocks gained Friday, with ATA (NASDAQ: ATAI) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), with shares up 22 percent, and Korn/Ferry International (KFY), with shares up 12 percent. In trading on Friday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.36 percent.

Is Viacom a Worthwhile Investment?

With shares of Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB) trading around $79, is VIAB an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Viacom is an entertainment content company that connects with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online, and mobile platforms around the world. The company operates in two segments: Media Networks and Filmed Entertainment. Viacom’s Media Networks segment provides entertainment content and related branded products for consumers in targeted demographics attractive to advertisers, content distributors, and retailers. The company’s Filmed Entertainment segment produces finances and distributes motion pictures and other entertainment content under the Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies brands.

Viacom delivered a profit for the latest quarter but it missed Wall Street's expectations. However, the company did beat the revenue expectations. A revenue beat is almost always a positive sign to investors in the company since it reflects high growth out of the business.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

Viacom stock has been on an explosive run over the last couple of years. The stock is now trading at all-time high prices and does not seem ready to slow down. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Viacom is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

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

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Viacom Options	21.34%	0%	0%

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

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
August Options	Flat	Average
September Options	Flat	Average

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

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

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

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

	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	32.99%	-10.28%	142.10%	25.69%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	13.95%	-5.88%	-16.14%	-17.02%
Earnings Reaction	6.47%*	2.98%	1.71%	2.58%

Viacom has seen increasing earnings and improving revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been excited about Viacom’s recent earnings announcements.

* As of this writing

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Viacom stock done relative to its peers, Twenty-First Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA), Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), CBS (NYSE:CBS), and sector?

	Viacom	Twenty-First Century Fox	Comcast	CBS	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	50.51%	42.04%	22.22%	43.19%	39.71%

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

Conclusion

Viacom is a provider of entertainment services through its television, film, online, and mobile platforms. A recent earnings release has investors optimistic about the company. The stock has been on a euphoric move higher in the last few years and does not seem ready to slow down. Over the last four quarters, investors have been excited about the company as earnings have been increasing and revenue figures have been improving. Relative to its peers and sector, Viacom has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Viacom to continue to OUTPERFORM.

Tech stocks: Social stocks quiet ahead of Twitt…

Stocks in social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, Groupon and Yelp are mixed in midday trading as Twitter prepares to make its Wall Street debut.

Daily deals site Groupon is down more than 4%, while Yelp has plunged nearly 6%. Both LinkedIn and Facebook are down slightly.

Twitter is expected to announce its official price for the launch of its initial public offering on Wednesday before trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.

For those investors wanting a slice of Twitter, here's a primer on how to snag some shares. But as USA TODAY's Matt Krantz suggests, it's best to hold off for now.

Meanwhile, shares of Activision are up nearly 2% in pre-market trading as the publisher is fresh off launching the latest title from its flagship Call of Duty franchise.

The company announced Call of Duty: Ghosts, available Tuesday, sold more than $1 billion into retail stores on its first day. However, the publisher did not disclose how much revenue was earned through copies sold to consumers.

The game faces stiff competition from Take-Two Interactive's blockbuster Grand Theft Auto V, which generated $800 million in revenue on its opening day, and raked in $1 billion in three days.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter.

How to improve your retirement readiness

Some six in 10 Baby Boomers and Generation Xers are projected to have sufficient financial resources for retirement expenses, according to recent research.

That's the good news from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), a non-partisan research group based in Washington, D.C.

The bad news? Roughly four in 10 early Baby Boomers, those born between 1948 and 1954, late Boomers, those born between 1955 and 1964, and Generation Xers, those born between 1965 and 1974, are projected to run short of money in retirement. Or, more likely, they won't be able enjoy the same standard of living they had during their working years throughout their retirement.

So what's the difference between those who are projected to have enough money in retirement and those who aren't? And, equally important, what can those who are projected to run short in retirement do to improve their retirement readiness?

According to Jack VanDerhei, the research director at EBRI, two big factors are at play. One is whether you are eligible to participate in an employer-sponsored defined contribution plan, a 401(k), at work. That, he says, is one of the most important factors for retirement income adequacy. And the second important factor is your income. The more you have, the more likely you won't run short in retirement. For instance, 86.4% of Americans who have annual income of more than $72,500, the highest income quartile, are projected to have sufficient financial resources in retirement.

Do you have a defined contribution plan at work?

According to VanDerhei, a tad less than one in five (17.2%) Gen Xers with annual income less than $11,700, the lowest income quartile, and no future years of access to a 401(k) plan would have sufficient income in retirement. But more than twice that number, 35.9%, would have sufficient income in retirement if they had 20-plus years of access to a 401(k) plan, VanDerhei says.

His advice to workers who don't have a 401(k): Consider working for an employer tha! t offers a defined contribution or some other type of retirement plan. Yes, many workers can save for retirement on their own with an Individual Retirement Account. But research shows that most workers don't, VanDerhei says.

"You probably don't have much control over which income quartile you're in but having the advantage of working for an employer that sponsors a defined contribution plan would probably be the best thing to do," he says.

Early and late Baby Boomers who are projected to run out of money in retirement and who don't have 20 years of access to a 401(k) plan can also improve their retirement readiness, says VanDerhei. His advice for that cohort: One, contribute to your employer-sponsored retirement, assuming that you have one. Two, contribute at least as much as needed to get the employer's matching contribution. And three, calculate how much you need to accumulate in your nest egg to be able to retire at your planned retirement age and determine how much more you might need to save to reach that goal.

Early and late Boomers who want to increase their odds of not running out of money shouldn't be surprised if, as part of this exercise, they have to re-consider their planned retirement age.

What's your income? The other big factor, all that determines whether you'll run short of money in retirement is your income. Nearly nine in 10 (86.4%) of those in the highest income quartile are projected to have enough money in retirement while just 16.8% of those in the lowest income quartile will have sufficient assets in retirement.

So what can those who are in the lowest two income quartiles, those who earn less than $31,200 per year, do to improve their odds of not running out of money in retirement? "They have to seriously consider ramping up their current contribution rates if they are going to have any chance of (retiring) by age 65," says VanDerhei.

VanDerhei also recommends that those who are projected to run out of money in retirement talk with a professio! nal befor! e pulling the trigger. "Let them help you assess your chances of having a successful retirement at your current savings rate," he says. "There are just too many people who will automatically leave (the workforce) at age 62 or age 65 and then find out in a couple years there's no way they are going to have enough money."

It's better, he says, to work for a couple more years, perhaps at least until your full retirement age, than to it is to re-enter the workforce when you're in your late 60s or early 70s. "It's difficult to get back into the workforce," VanDerhei says.

Robert Powell is editor of Retirement Weekly, a service of MarketWatch.com. Email him at rpowell@allthingsretirement.com.

Finding Success in the DVD Rental Space

The Motley Fool is on the road in Seattle! Recently we visited Coinstar -- now officially renamed Outerwall  (NASDAQ: OUTR  ) -- to speak with CFO-turned-CEO Scott Di Valerio about the 22-year-old company's well-known coin-cashing machines, as well as its more recent acquisition of Redbox, and future initiatives to expand into other aspects of the automated retail market.

In this brief video segment Scott acknowledges that DVD rental revenues are falling, and explains why Redbox is thriving in that environment. The full version of the interview can be watched here.

A full transcript follows the video.

The television landscape is changing quickly, with new entrants like Netflix and Amazon.com disrupting traditional networks. The Motley Fool's new free report "Who Will Own the Future of Television?" details the risks and opportunities in TV. Click here to read the full report!

Austin Smith: I want to talk about the specter in the room of Redbox; obviously your cash-cow business, you've had a lot of success with it, but a lot of the naysayers would say, "You guys are already at 50% market share, and the DVD rental industry is an eroding space."

I'm wondering, what is it about Redbox, and Coinstar in general, that is going to ... what would you say to the naysayers who are looking at this industry and saying, "Well, it's eroding. How are you guys going to maintain relevance?"

Scott Di Valerio: Certainly. One of the key things with the Redbox business is we continue to grow our market share and continue to increase overall rents by focusing on the customer and bringing a great new release product to the customer.

There's not a company that can deliver a new release product at the price point we do, and I think our customers are rewarding us for that. The first quarter of 2013, we have 40 million unique credit card transactions, which was up a million from the fourth quarter of 2012 and up over 6% from the year before, so we're growing our customer base.

We rented nearly 200 million discs in the first quarter, so we're continuing to grow out that business; that was an increase. What we're seeing, the NPD data shows that there's a slowing -- the decline in the physical rental market -- as the market has absorbed the demise of the brick-and-mortar stores, where lots of rentals were going, the national chains, and have converted to Redbox, for the most part.

You're seeing revenues come down in the rental market, but those revenues are coming down in large part because of the price point differential from, when you went to brick-and-mortar, you paid a higher price point than the $1.20 or $1.50 that you do at Redbox.

Apple Shines:19 Dividend Stocks Increasing Payouts

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Just in case investors were wondering what software titan Apple (AAPL) might do with its huge cash stash, CEO Tim Cook delighted shareholders with not only a raise in the dividend, but a share buyback bonanza and a 7-for-1 stock split.

Of course, since it’s earnings season, Apple wasn’t the only dividend stock rewarding investors with increased payouts; utility holding company Southern (SO) also came through, as did insurance sector giant MetLife (MET).

In all, 19 dividend stocks increased their payouts over the past week, including Apple. Here’s a look at the new dividend being paid out to Apple stockholders, as well as other improvements from other dividend stocks in the past couple of weeks.

Software, hardware, mobile devices and media giant Apple (AAPL) raised its quarterly dividend 8% to $3.29 per share payable May 15 to shareholders or record May 12. Apple also announced a 7-1 stock split, effective June 2.
AAPL Dividend Yield: 2.33%

Pressure-sensitive materials producer Avery Dennison (AVY) raised its quarterly dividend 21% to 35 cents per share payable June 18 to shareholders of record June 4.
AVY Dividend Yield: 2.88%

Chemical products manufacturer Celanese (CE) raised its quarterly dividend 39% to 25 cents per share payable payable on May 16 to shareholders of record May 5.
CE Dividend Yield: 1.69%

Pineville, Louisiana-based utility holding company CLECO (CNL) raised its quarterly dividend 10.3% to 40 cents per share payable on May 15. No record or ex-dividend date for the payment was released.
CNL Dividend Yield: 3.13%

Hotel, convention and resort real estate investment trust LaSalle Hotel Properties (LHO) raised its quarterly dividend 34% to 37.5 cents per share payable July 15 to shareholders of record June 30.
LHO Dividend Yield: 4.66%

Developer, manufacturer and printing supplies distributor Lexmark (LXK) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 36 cents per share payable June 13 to shareholders of record May 30.
LXK Dividend Yield: 3.45%

Mid-stream energy asset manager Marlin Midstream Partners (FISH) raised its quarterly dividend 1% to 35.5 cents per share payable May 6 to shareholders of record May 1. At nearly an 8% dividend yield, FISH is the highest yielder of this week’s dividend stocks.
FISH Dividend Yield: 7.85%

Insurance, annuity products, and employee benefit programs company MetLife (MET) raised its quarterly dividend 27% to 35 cents per share payable June 13 to shareholders or record May 9.
MET Dividend Yield: 2.74%

Gas exploration and distribution company Noble Exploration (NBL) raised its quarterly dividend 28% to 18 cents per share payable on May 19 to shareholders of record May 5.
NBL Dividend Yield: 0.98%

Self-administered healthcare facilities real estate investment trust Omega Healthcare Investors (OHI) raised its quarterly payout 2% to 50 cents per share payable May 15 to shareholders of record April 30.
OHI Dividend Yield: 5.63%

Birmingham, Alabama-based bank holding company Regions Financial (RF) raised its quarterly payout 66.7% to 5 cents per share payable July 1 to shareholders of record June 13.
RF Dividend Yield: 1.18%

Utilities holding company Southern Company (SO) raised its quarterly payout 15% to 52.5 cents per share payable June 6 to shareholders of record May 5.
SO Dividend Yield: 4.55%

National retail chain Stein Mart (SMRT) raised its quarterly dividend 50% to 7.5 cents per share payable July 18 to shareholders of record July 3.
SMRT Dividend Yield: 2.3%

The biggest increase among our dividend stocks this week came from commercial banking organization SunTrust (STI), which raised its quarterly dividend 100% to 20 cents per share payable June 16 to shareholders for record May 30.
STI Dividend Yield: 2.07%

Home heating oil distributor and services company Star Gas Partners (SGU) raised its quarterly dividend 6% to 8.75 cents per share payable May 9 to shareholders of record May 1.
SGU Dividend Yield: 5.43%

Floor maintenance and cleaning service company Tennant (TNC) raised its quarterly dividend 11% to 20 cents per share payable June 6 to shareholders of record May 30.
TNC Dividend Yield: 1.29%

Personal property and casualty giant Travelers (TRV) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 55 cents per share payable June 30 to shareholders of record June 10.
TRV Dividend Yield: 2.50%

Natural gas energy giant Williams Partners (WPZ) raised its quarterly dividend 1% to 90.45 cents per share payable May 9 to shareholders of record May 2.
WPZ Dividend Yield: 7.01%

Bank holding and financial company Webster Bank (WBS) raised its quarterly dividend 33% to 20 cents per share payable June 16 to shareholders of record June 2.
WBS Dividend Yield: 2.63%

Marc Bastow is an Assistant Editor at InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing he is long SO and AAPL. For more dividend stocks increasing payouts, see previous weeks' lists of Companies Increasing Dividends.

Should Retail Target the Shale?

While companies in related industries benefit by drilling for dollars and transporting supplies and finished products, could retailers also benefit from the domestic energy boom by expanding in the oil patch? 

Large companies like Wal-Mart Stores  (NYSE: WMT  ) , McDonalds (NYSE: MCD  ) , and Home Depot (NYSE: HD  ) could profit from the excess cash that oil-field workers and their families can afford to spend. 

Let's build something together
Home Depot made an exception to its strategy with the recent opening of a new store in Williston, North Dakota. The company had put a hold on its brick and mortar expansion, as it was instead targeting growth from online sales and its "integrated retail" strategy. 

Although this is only one store, could this be the beginning of a change of pace for Home Depot? As the shale oil and gas gushes out of the ground, cold hard cash flowing into the company's coffers might be hard to pass up. 

Home Depot doesn't really need a lot of help right now. However, the company might want to plan for the future and profit from the petrodollars being generated in North Dakota and Texas. The stock is reasonably priced at a P/E of around 20. Home Depot's EPS has been increasing at double-digit rates over the last half-decade as the company has benefited from operating improvements initiated by management and a rebirth in the housing market. One thing that could be temporarily holding back Home Depot from expanding is its high debt load, which currently stands at 100% of equity. 

Everyday low prices
Wal-Mart is also focused on online as it tries to take away some of the market share of e-commerce giants like Amazon.com. However, the Bakken region proved too tempting to pass up for the Bentonville, Arkansas company as well--the world's largest retailer and private employer has also opened a store in Williston, ND. Wal-Mart is well represented in Texas too with 493 stores, which is 10% of its domestic total. 

The company recently announced that it will get into the money transfer business in a big way by undercutting the fees that its competitors in the field charge today.

All of this has probably come as a bid to counteract a slowdown which has occurred over the past year or so for the company. An economy stuck in neutral and the expiration of the payroll tax holiday in 2013 probably hurt the lower-income consumer that Wal-Mart targets. Its EPS and revenue growth have taken tumbles and the company is looking for ways to reverse its course. Perhaps more expansion in the shale might help matters.

McDonald's isn't lovin' it
The fast food giant McDonald's has been reporting declining same-store sales for some time now, likely for the same reasons as Wal-Mart. The disposable income of its generally lower-wage customers has been dropping while the company was emphasizing its higher-priced Extra Value meals. McDonald's has since reversed course and developed an ad campaign that features the Dollar Menu.

Things have stabilized somewhat for McDonald's. However, perhaps the company should look into growing near the shale wells too as competition heats up, especially in the breakfast arena, from the likes of Taco Bell of Yum! Brands. 

Foolish conclusion
Will retailers take advantage of the shale boom like the energy and transportation companies are already doing?

It appears that some large companies are dipping their toes into the Bakken shale. Home Depot and Wal-Mart have recently opened stores in North Dakota and they are already well represented in another big oil patch, Texas. McDonald's has stores there too.

Perhaps Wal-Mart and McDonalds might need to dive in and further expand in order to reverse weaknesses in their businesses. Home Depot is doing fine right now, but oil profits might be too hard to pass up in the future.

(NYSE: WMT  )  

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(NYSE: WMT  )

Why Simpson Manufacturing (SSD) Stock Finished Higher On Friday

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Simpson Manufacturing Co.  (SSD) finished up 2.12% to $33.31 on Friday after a ratings upgrade to "buy" from "neutral" at DA Davidson.

The upgrade for the company, which designs, engineers and sells products constructed from wood, came one day after it released its 2014 first quarter earnings report.

The company reported net sales of $168.3 million, a 9.1% increase from the $154.3 million reported during the first quarter of 2013.

Simpson had net income of $12.1 million for the first quarter, compared to $4.8 million for the same quarter in 2013. Diluted net income was 25 cents per common share for the quarter, versus 10 cents per common share during the first quarter of 2013. Must Read: Warren Buffett's 10 Favorite Growth Stocks SELL NOW: If you own any of the 900 stocks that TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified as a 'Sell'...you could potentially lose EVERYTHING in the next 6-12 months. Learn more. TheStreet Ratings team rates SIMPSON MANUFACTURING INC as a Buy with a ratings score of B. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation: "We rate SIMPSON MANUFACTURING INC (SSD) a BUY. This is driven by a few notable strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, impressive record of earnings per share growth, expanding profit margins and good cash flow from operations. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we feel they are unlikely to have a significant impact on results." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: SSD's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 3.1%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 10.8%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share. SSD's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.00 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Along with this, the company maintains a quick ratio of 3.31, which clearly demonstrates the ability to cover short-term cash needs. SIMPSON MANUFACTURING INC has improved earnings per share by 33.3% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, SIMPSON MANUFACTURING INC increased its bottom line by earning $1.05 versus $0.87 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.39 versus $1.05). 47.33% is the gross profit margin for SIMPSON MANUFACTURING INC which we consider to be strong. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 4.78% is above that of the industry average. Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 204.48% to $34.59 million when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, SIMPSON MANUFACTURING INC has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of -4.94%. You can view the full analysis from the report here: SSD Ratings Report STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet's Stocks Under $10 has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months.Learn more.

Stock quotes in this article: SSD 

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own For 2015

You can thank the manufacturing sector for China's rapid rise to among the world's elite economies. Exports and cheap labor defined China's thriving economy during its unrivaled growth years, with lower-cost manufacturing the source of every "Made-in-China" product sold in advanced economies. Manufacturing's been the country's lifeblood -- so what happens when it runs out of steam?

We're seeing that happen right now. China's manufacturing sector and exports both have slowed recently, with the country's troubling credit crunch and high lending rates adding to the woes of Chinese manufacturers. Is China's manufacturing revolution over, and if so, what's left for investors to profit off of in the world's second-largest economy?

Manufacturing can't dig out of its rut
China's purchasing managers' index fell again in June, according to a report by HSBC�and Markit, the reading's lowest mark in�nine months. The country's PMI currently stands solidly in contraction territory with a score of 48.2, nearly 2 percentage points lower than the reading of 50 that marks neither contraction nor expansion in the sector.

Best 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 Sector�� 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-level financial results, 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 Division�� 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, mining, 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 infrastructure 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 Sector�� 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 Diagnostics Division.

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 Division�� 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 Sector�� 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 into capital business and 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 Segment�� 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 employee�� 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 solutions, 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 Andrew Tonner]

  Nokia's (NYSE: NOK  ) historic turnaround might have just gotten a bit more complicated. As the company continues to attempt to rise from the ashes of its famous "burning platform," it appears the landscape might be changing at one of its most useful weapons. According to reports, Siemens (NYSE: SI  ) , its 50/50 partner in its networking venture, is now openly shopping its stake in Nokia-Siemens Networks. Especially since there are several intriguing options possibly on the table, what could this move means for the Finish handset maker and its shareholders? In this video, Fool contributor Andrew Tonner breaks down the particulars of this potential billion-dollar deal in the making.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  First, Nokia signed a definitive agreement to buy out the other half of its Nokia Siemens Networks joint venture, paying Siemens (NYSE: SI  ) $2.2 billion in the process. Then, the rumor mill pointed to Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) buying Nokia's handset business.

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own For 2015: Smiths Group PLC (SMGKF.PK)

Smiths Group plc is a technology company. It has five divisions: Smiths Detection, Smiths Medical, John Crane, Smiths Interconnect and Flex-Tek. The Company and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture, sale and support advanced security equipment, including trace detection, millimeter-wave, infrared, biological detection and diagnostics; mechanical seals, seal support systems, engineered bearings, power transmission couplings and specialist filtration systems, and medical devices aligned to specific therapies, principally airway, pain and temperature management, and vascular access. It also develops, manufactures, sells and supports specialized electronic and radio frequency products for the global wireless telecommunications, aerospace, defense, space, medical, rail, test and industrial markets, and engineered components, including ducting, hose assemblies and heating elements. In May 2011, it acquired the entire issued share capital of SDBR Comercio De Equipamentos De Seguanca LTDA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Lauchheimer]

  Currently, three main companies supply security equipment to the TSA - Safran (SAFRY.PK), Smiths (SMGKF.PK), and Level-3 Holdings (LLL). All three of these companies sell the whole range of their products to the TSA, with an ETD offering included. Recently, however, a new company, Implant Sciences Corporation (IMSC.PK) received approval from the TSA to begin selling their ETD equipment to airport security professionals. This approval has opened the door for IMSC to begin taking some market share away from the more established players in the US and beyond.

10 Best Telecom Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA)

ThyssenKrupp AG is a Germany-based technology holding company operating in seven business areas. The Steel Europe division produces carbon steel flat products. The Steel Americas division is engaged in production, processing and marketing of high-grade carbon steels. The Materials Services division is engaged in global distribution of materials and the provision of complex technical services for the production and manufacturing sectors. The Elevator Technology division is engaged in the area of passenger transportation systems. The Plant Technology division focuses on specialty and large-scale plant construction. The Components Technology division is engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive, construction and engineering sectors as well as for wind turbines. The Marine Systems division focuses on naval and civil shipbuilding. Apart from its business areas, it provides business services, which are diversified into Business Services and Information Technology (IT) Services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Telekom Austria (TKA) slid 1.6 percent to 5.63 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA) slumped 9.3 percent after Germany�� largest steelmaker raised 882.3 million euros ($1.21 billion) through a share sale. Standard Chartered Plc lost 8.1 percent. Sage Group (SGE) Plc, the U.K.�� biggest software maker, rose 6.8 percent after reporting revenue growth that exceeded analysts��estimates. AZ Electronic Materials SA surged 43 percent after Merck KGaA (MRK) agreed to buy it for about 1.6 billion pounds ($2.6 billion).

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own For 2015: Orkla ASA (ORK)

Orkla ASA is a Norway-based company active in various sectors. The Company�� operations are structured into two segments: Branded Consumer Goods and Other Businesses. The Branded Consumer Goods segment is divided into five units: Orkla Foods, which comprises the Company�� food businesses in the Nordic region and the Baltics; Orkla Confectionery, which comprises five branded consumer goods businesses which serve the Nordic region and the Baltics as their home markets; Orkls Home & Personal consists of five branded consumer goods businesses, including Lilleborg, Lilleborg Profesjonell, the Axellus Group, Pierre Robert Group and House Care; Orkla Food Ingredients cover product categories, including margarine, marzipan, bread improvers and mixes, and yeast, and Orkla International includes branded consumer goods companies outside the Nordic region and the Baltics. The Other Businesses segment covers the Company�� operation in aluminum, real estate and hydropower sectors, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Orkla ASA (ORK), the Norwegian industrial conglomerate transforming itself into a consumer-goods producer, slumped 11 percent to 46.78 kroner, the largest drop since November 2011. The company reported second-quarter pretax profit of 514 million kroner ($86 million), missing estimates of 965 million kroner in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

CEO Q&A: Vanguard's Bill McNabb

F. William McNabb III -- known as Bill at Vanguard -- has been CEO of the Malvern, Pa., mutual fund powerhouse since 2008. He oversees a company with more than $2 trillion in assets and 14,000 employees worldwide. USA TODAY's John Waggoner talked with McNabb about low costs, retirement and Jack Bogle, the company's founder.

Q: Which is more important for investors: Low fees or indexing?

A: The most important thing for investors is cost. Indexing is the purest expression of that. Low-cost actively managed funds can make sense; we offer a number of low-cost active funds.

The real issue in the market place is high-cost funds. All the data suggest that this is so counter intuitive to all consumer purchases. For most consumer goods, the sense is that the more I pay the more I get something in addition. In investments, the data do not suggest that. The best predictor of future performance is cost. Funds in the lowest quartile of cost have outperformed consistently over every time period. So we start with cost, and indexing the purest expression of that.

Q: Aside from high fees, what do you think is the biggest problems investors face in saving for retirement?

A: Two huge challenges are out there. One is access to retirement plans. Many small companies don't offer them because of the complexity of doing so. But given that a large part of growth in employment been in smaller companies, that, to me is, the No. 1 issue: Half of all employees don't have access to a retirement plan. They are forced to save through IRAs or the president's new proposed account. Those are fine, but they are not going to get it done. I think we actually need to do some things to simplify employer-sponsored plans so that it's easy and affordable to get those plans.

The other challenge is savings rates. For those employees who do have access to employer plans, the average savings is 9%. If you combine company contribution plus what employees are setting aside, the number needs to be in 12% to 15% rang! e, assuming you start young and work to 65.

You might say that seems high, but there are some really important things to remember. One is that expected returns for the next 10 years – this is purely Vanguard's opinion – are the low side vs. historical norms. We know roughly what bonds will return, and on the equity side, based on valuations, we come out lower than normal – the 6-9% range, a bit lower than normal. A balanced portfolio will give a little less return than the last 30 years.

The second factor is that people living longer. If you're 65 today, you have a 50% probability live to 90. Many people are going to spend almost as much time in retirement as they did working. And without a hefty amount saved, that gets tough. I presume Social Security will get fixed – it will not take a lot to take system to get reasonably strong for the next 50 years. It won't be politically fun, but can get done. The other option is to assume you're going to work a little longer. No one wants to address that head-on, but when Social Security was created, it was based on retirement age of 65, which was the expected lifespan. People expected to work until they died. The whole idea of retirement is something new in the last 50 years.

Q: Do you see much of Jack Bogle these days?

A: I see him periodically. He still keeps an office on the campus. I see him most frequently in the galley at lunchtime. But he's out doing a lot of writing and speeches. I see (former Vanguard CEO) Jack Brennan fairly frequently. He keeps an office here, he's very busy, doing a lot of work on non-profits corporate boards. He's still available for advice. We share a couple of similar passions: We're both very active in United Way, and we're both very interested in education. I taught first-year Latin – the Jesuits got me started in Rochester, N.Y., and I kept up with it and took ancient Greek in college. I'm a huge believer in the liberal arts. It's great preparation for the real world and gives you a broade! r perspec! tive on live. I went to business school at Wharton, but often find myself looking back at my undergrad and high-school background.

Q: Does Vanguard have any plans for fundamental indexes – i.e., equal-weighted, dividend-weighted, funds?

A: The short answer is no. We don't consider that indexing -- we consider it active management. For many traditional active managers, the big source of their returns are coming from those strategies. Fundamental indexing does it more on an automated basis. There's nothing wrong with the concept, if it's expressed as an active bet, but it's incorrect to say it's a substitute for indexing. It's expressing a bet against the market in one way, shape, or another.

I think that there's way too much product proliferation today, people equate proliferation with innovation, and that's not correct. They're taking the concept of indexing, slicing it thinner and thinner, and that's not good for investors. The real frontiers are around helping people put together building blocks to create diversified portfolio.

Q: Vanguard has been actively courting the adviser business. What percentage of your business is driven by advisers these days, and are there any drawbacks to that?

Probably 30% of our business is adviser-based, which makes us a big player in that market. All we're trying to do is take the low-cost message and say, it matters to your clients, too. We don't see a lot of drawbacks to that. We're not in the payment-for-distribution model, we're only in the fee-based model, and that base is growing rapidly. We love dealing with clients directly, we love dealing with clients through 401(k)s, and we love dealing with clients through advisers, where the goals and needs align.

3 Stocks That Just Aced Their Exams

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We are now well into earnings season with the first big week of the quarter behind us. Although we have several weeks to go, there have already been some interesting results that have led to changes in Portfolio Grader rankings for select stocks.

Source: Flickr

One of the biggest drivers of stock upgrades is a large earnings surprise that catches the Street off guard. Not only does this mean that the fundamentals of the company are improving, but stocks reporting positive surprises usually attract some strong buying that can push the quantitative grade up a notch or two as well.

Here’s a look at three companies that simply delivered on their most recent earnings reports, and whose stocks have gotten fundamental upgrades as a result.

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Upgraded Stocks: United Rentals (NYSE:URI)

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) is in a pretty basic business. URI rents construction and industrial equipment to construction companies, municipalities and other customers. Of course, that equipment includes things such as backhoes, forklifts, earth-moving equipment and portable generators, so … it’s not exactly the most exciting business in the world.

However, the results make URI stock one of the most exciting equities of the current earnings season. United Rentals beat estimates by more than 26% as it posted yet another consecutive positive earnings surprise.

CEO Michael Kneeland expressed confidence that the good times will continue. He told shareholders "We now see solid demand in almost every market, giving us further confidence in our full year outlook.”

Portfolio Grader likes what it see as well and this week upgraded URI stock to an “A,” signaling that URI stock has earned a “strong buy” recommendation.

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Upgraded Stocks: Interactive Brokers Group (NASDAQ:IBKR)

Interactive Brokers Group (NASDAQ:IBKR) had a huge quarter, with the broker and market-maker group’s revenues and profits surpassing Wall Street's expectations.

Earnings per share jumped from 14 cents per share to 34 cents, exceeded consensus estimates by 17%. Revenues were $355 million, compared to just $216 million in the same quarter last year. Margins got a lot fatter this quarter as well — IBKR boasted 61% pretax profit margins, up from 38% in the year-ago quarter. Lastly, customer accounts grew 16% year-over-year to 252,000 as investors and traders continue to return to the stock and bond markets.

Portfolio Grader recognized the strong improvements in the fundamentals and upgraded IBKR stock to an “A” this week, signifying a “strong buy” recommendation.

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Upgraded Stocks: Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD)

Wall Street has continually estimated the reality and strength of the earnings turnaround at Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD). The drugstore chain posted a 150% positive earning surprise in the most recent quarter as business conditions just continue to improve for the company.

Total revenues increased 2.2%, primarily as a result of an increase in pharmacy same-store sales, which improved 2.1% year-over-year. RAD also guided higher and now projects sales of $26 billion to $26.5 billion and EPS of 31 cents to 42 cents, which is above the original analyst estimates.

Last week, RAD stock was upgraded to an “A” and is currently a strong buy.

Louis Navellier is the editor of Blue Chip Growth.

Can Best Buy Win Where J.C. Penney Failed?

The concept of a store-within-a-store has been around for years. It just hasn't been called store-within-a-store -- it's been called a mall. But as brands have become more important to retail than the retailer itself, the stores have gotten smaller, even choosing to be within larger stores.

This concept was supposed to be the savior for J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) , with boutique-style shops lining the store's corridors. But that concept was an abysmal failure for the retailer, and the mastermind behind it -- Ron Johnson -- is now out as CEO. Now, Best Buy (NYSE: BBY  ) is expanding its store-within-a-store concept with the Samsung Experience Shop and Windows Stores, another risky bet for another floundering retailer. 

A whole new ballgame
The big difference between JC Penney's efforts and Best Buy's comes down to the draw of the brands. JC Penney was betting on Levi's, Liz Claiborne, and Joe Fresh as brands to draw in customers, and Best Buy is betting on Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple.

The draw of those three brands, which dominate electronics, will be bigger than any of the brands JC Penney offered. Best Buy is also one of the only major retailers remaining that can carry full product lines where customers can touch, test, and compare electronics products.

For brands, the draw of Best Buy will keep this partnership alive. Samsung and Microsoft see Best Buy as a way to expand in retail without building their own stores. Plus, they can train employees to be knowledgeable in their products, improving the sales experience for consumers. Apple also has a footprint in Best Buy, and that only expands the company's reach into more retail locations beyond its own stores.

Can Best Buy win?
JC Penney showed how risky the store-within-a-store concept can be, but I think Best Buy has a much better chance at success. The company's brand draw is much stronger than JC Penney's, and consumers will get a better, more in-depth experience from Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung-specific sections than they did under the old model.

The success of this model may determine whether Best Buy is a good investment and, potentially, its very survival. Revenue and earnings have dropped dramatically over the past year, so investors have to hope that stores-within-the-store will kick-start sales.

BBY Revenue TTM data by YCharts

The risk Best Buy is taking shows just how much of a paradigm shift we've seen in retail. Even the best retailers have struggled against online competition and only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.

Is T-Mobile Poised to Rise After Earnings?

With shares of T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS) trading around $27, is TMUS an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

T-Mobile offers mobile communications services under the T-Mobile brands in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its service offerings include postpaid and prepaid wireless voice, messaging and data services, mobile broadband, and wholesale wireless services.

T-Mobile reported third quarter 2013 results demonstrating that its un-carrier strategy is successfully delivering results. The company has aggressively focused on eliminating customer pain points and it is subsequently seeing continued growth in its total and branded customer base due to the successful execution of this strategy.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

T-Mobile stock has been surging higher since its initial public offering. The stock is now trading at all-time highs and looks poised to continue. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, T-Mobile is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

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

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
T-Mobile Options	32.84%	0%	0%

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

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

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

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

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on T-Mobile’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for T-Mobile look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	N/A	N/A	-16.67%	-65.50%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	N/A	27.54%	0.82%	3.73%
Earnings Reaction	-2.26%*	4.12%	-0.78%	N/A

T-Mobile has seen mixed earnings and rising revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have conflicting feelings about T-Mobile’s recent earnings announcements.

 * As of writing P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has T-Mobile stock done relative to its peers, Verizon (NYSE:VZ), AT&T (NYSE:T), Sprint (NYSE:S), and sector?

	T-Mobile	Verizon	AT&T	Sprint	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	58.33%	-2.77%	-2.67%	27.93%	21.20%

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

Conclusion

T-Mobile is attempting to revolutionize the communications industry by providing less-restricted products and services to consumers and companies. The company reported third quarter results that left investors happy. The stock has been surging higher since its IPO and looks ready to continue. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising, which has produced conflicting feelings among investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, T-Mobile has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for T-Mobile to OUTPERFORM.