Mattson Technology: A High-Beta Play On 20nm And Below

Fellow Seeking Alpha contributor Ashraf Eassa and I have both written previously about Ultratech (UTEK), a semiconductor equipment company that we both like for its innovative positions in laser spike annealing (LSA) and advanced packaging lithography ("flip chips"), as well as the potential of its steppers in LED manufacturing. In particular, we have both made the case that advanced annealing technologies are likely to be a critical factor in the move to sub-20nm processes.

Ultratech isn't the only game in town, though, and there are multiple technologies and process steps that are going to play significant roles in the production of FinFETs and 3D circuits. With that, I would take a look at Mattson Technologies (MTSN), as this company has already accomplished the not-so-easy task of gaining meaningful share in the dry strip, rapid thermal processing (RTP), and etch markets despite competing with giants like Lam Research (LRCX), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Tokyo Electron (TOELY.PK).

While 2013 has proven to be a very disappointing year for semiconductor equipment orders (and much like waiting for Godot), I don't believe this stagnation is sustainable. Foundries and chip companies can only delay orders and repurpose older equipment for so long. With that, I believe orders will begin to recover in late 2013/early 2014 and bring Wall Street back to the view that Mattson has the collection of tools and technology to challenge its prior record revenue levels - an achievement that I believe could take the shares to $3 or above.

5 Best Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now

Playing In Three Major Markets

For a small company (a market capitalization of less than $125 million as of this writing), Mattson is surprisingly diverse and holds actually meaningful share in multiple markets. Dry strip and rapid thermal processing are areas where Mattson has had a presence for som! e time now, while entry into the etch market offers the opportunity of a much larger addressable market and, if things go well, larger revenue as well.

Dry Strip

Dry strip is the largest business for Mattson today. Dry strip refers to the cleaning of wafers after photolithography in order to remove photo resist and other residues. As chip producers move to new materials, the challenges in cleaning increase and Mattson appears to have solid tools to address these more complex chips.

The major dry strip product today is Suprema - Mattson's most advanced tool, and one that uses inductively coupled plasma (ICP) technology and vacuum transfer. Two of the company's primary competitors use one but not the other, while the third uses both but charges about 20% more for its tools. According to Gartner, Mattson holds about 22% market share in this roughly $180 million/year market, with Lam Research (which acquired Novellus and dry strip IP from Axcelis (ACLS)) and PSK as the primary competitors.

RTP

Rapid thermal processing (or RTP) is the second-largest business for Mattson at present. RTP is the process of rapidly heating and cooling a wafer to essentially "lock in" the surface material properties. While RTP has historically been done with furnaces or lamps, the move to new chip designs is forcing changes in the RTP market. Put simply, the choice is coming down to millisecond annealing done with flash lamps (the approach used by Mattson) or laser spike annealing (LSA).

Mattson has built a solid business for itself in the RTP market, with about 7% overall share and higher share in the newer, more advanced markets. Applied Materials is the 800-lb gorilla of the space with over 50% market share, and Dainippon Screen is a player as well.

While Mattson has a longer history in this market, the battle between Mattson and Ultratech (and flash annealing versus LSA) will be an interesting one to watch. The engineering papers I have read seem to give the edge to LSA for ! its bette! r minimization of pattern effects (differences in energy absorption that cause nonuniformities in the chip), but Mattson argues that its new Millios tool delivers real advantages at 20nm and below in terms of process temperature flexibility, speed, and performance. To that end, both Samsung and TSMC (TSM) have been evaluating these tools in pilot production lines.

Etch

Last, and for now least, is etch equipment. Etching involves the removal of material from the wafer to create the desired pattern. This is a relatively new market for Mattson, having entered in 2008, and though they are among the top five etch companies, they have only 1% share and are well behind Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, Hitachi High-Tech, and Applied Materials.

Management is hoping that the paradigmE, launched in 2010, will change that and make the company a player in the market (and in the transition to FinFET and 3D NAND, which will expand the etching market meaningfully). Mattson claims that its shielded ICP source leads to less wafer damage with much lower capital and total ownership costs. Importantly, Mattson is targeting the mid-tier dielectric etch markets like spacer etch, pad etch, and so on where its cheaper tools ($2.5 million or so versus $4 million and up for more complex etch tools from Applied Materials, Lam, and Tokyo Electron) can offer an attractive price/value proposition.

Looking For A Bid?

As a small semiconductor tools vendor, the prospect of competing with large rivals like Applied Materials is daunting - AMAT spends more on R&D in one quarter than Mattson has earned in revenue over the last two years. But then Mattson isn't trying to be Applied Materials - AMAT touches virtually every area of the chip fabrication space and must spend aggressively to maintain its position.

Be that as it may, I think the possibility of M&A is relevant. Tokyo Electron acquired FSI International for its surface conditioning equipment, and it is not unthinkable that a larger company wo! uld consi! der Mattson for its dry strip and RTP technology. Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) all lack RTP technology for FinFET, though Lam's position in dry strip and TEL's need to integrate past deals could be limiting factors for now.

A Buy To Be Sold

I'm not suggesting that Mattson is a stock to buy today with the notion of retiring with it. Semiconductor equipment spending should accelerate significantly over the next couple of years, but then it will decline again as it always has. Moreover, there's a risk here too of foundries and NAND customers reusing/repurposing prior generations of equipment in lieu of new purchases.

Even so, I believe Mattson can retest its previous revenue high-water mark ($287 million) during this next cycle, which means more than doubling revenue from today's level. Moreover, an operating efficiency initiative launched back in 2011 has reduced operating expenses and should improve the company's peak free cash flow potential - up to a high-teens free cash flow margin by my estimation.

Accordingly, I'm looking for a big spike in revenue and free cash flow from 2013 to 2017, followed by another sharp decline. With that, I see a DCF-based fair value of $3.00 per share today, though I freely admit DCF analysis in semiconductor equipment is tricky and stretching the recovery timeline out just a year takes about $0.25 out of the target price.

The Bottom Line

Mattson is already well off of its bottom and it is very reasonable to ask how this company will compete with (let alone seriously challenge) the likes of Lam, Applied Materials, and so on. For that, I would turn to the company's history - a history that has seen the company build its share in dry strip from 5% in 1993 to 22% in 20 years and establish at least a toehold in the RTP segment.

While I think Ultratech should do well in RTP with its LSA tools (which is definitely a threat to Mattson), there are multiple foundries out there, and I believe Mattson will get its share! of busin! ess as well. Moreover, I also like the fact that Mattson provides exposure to three market segments likely to benefit from the migration to sub-20nm processes.

I think Mattson is an interesting high-reward/high-risk opportunity in the equipment space, with roughly 50% upside once orders start to materialize. To that end, investors have to weigh the risk of further delays in new orders but remember as well that waiting to see orders in hand before buying will leave money on the table.

Source: Mattson Technology: A High-Beta Play On 20nm And Below

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in UTEK over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

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Fiduciary Designations For Financial Advisors

Top Safest Companies To Watch For 2014

Most investment professionals spend countless hours in sales and technical training, but little time is devoted to developing their expertise related to the investment fiduciary standards of care. Two designations offered by the Center for Fiduciary Studies offer financial advisors the opportunity to enhance their fiduciary knowledge and demonstrate that they are serious about their fiduciary responsibilities. The Center for Fiduciary Studies offers the designations of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA).

The Standards
According to the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies, more than five million people have the legal responsibility of prudently managing someone else's money. Simply put, there are a lot of fiduciaries out there. Considering the multitude of people involved in the investment management process and the trillions of dollars at stake, one would expect that the profession would require investment fiduciaries to be informed of, and abide by, the same standards of practice as professionals in other fields such as doctors, lawyers and accountants.

While such standards have not been the norm in the past, recent cases of fiduciary negligence and resulting legislation has placed the focus on fiduciary responsibility and the need to be trained in it. As with most other professional designations, obtaining the AIF and AIFA requires some study time and successfully completing an exam.

The AIF Designation
The Center for Fiduciary Studies offers classroom and web-based training programs for those aspiring to obtain the AIF designation. The classroom-based program is a three-day course with instructors from the Center for Fiduciary Studies staff. A one-day course combines both classroom and web-based instruction, and the web-based program can be completed over 180 days. Those new to the field of fiduciary study may want to consider the benefits of the lively discussions that can occur in the classroom setting and the opportunity to ask questions.

Twenty-Two Prudent Practices
The AIF program provides detailed instruction on how to comply with the fiduciary standards of care and introduces the participant to the 22 Prudent Investment Practices developed by the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies. These practices combine "the minimum requirements of pertinent legislation with industry best practices." A fiduciary can be confident that he or she is meeting his or her obligations by holding to these practices. A client will benefit from using the expertise of an advisor with the AIF designation because the advisor will be held to a standard of excellence to which others may not adhere.

The AIFA Designation
The AIFA program, the next level of fiduciary expertise, is a three-day classroom course offered to graduates of the AIF program. This program expands upon each of the "prudent practices" and teaches attendees how to evaluate a fiduciary's compliance with the practices, which qualifies them to certify an organization's conformance with a "fiduciary standard of excellence," as defined by the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies. By obtaining this certification, such an organization shows its retirement plan participants, investors or donors that it holds itself - and its management of their money - to the highest of standards.

While graduates of the two programs can acquire an appreciation for and knowledge of prudent investment practices, they also gain credibility with their achievement. The investment advisory business is highly competitive and prospects often evaluate multiple advisors before making a choice. By spending the time and money on further education, advisors demonstrate their desire to obtain the expertise necessary to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to their clients.

Public Perception
As the public's awareness of fiduciary responsibilities has grown, so too have opportunities for consulting on fiduciary matters. The AIFA is well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities. For organizations that wish to ensure their investment processes meet a fiduciary standard of care, AIFAs can perform consulting engagements to identify areas of non-conformance and opportunities for improvement.

For example, if you have ever had the opportunity to witness the workings of an investment committee of a small charitable organization or small businesses retirement plan, you probably observed the lack of a structured process with defined steps for decision making. The AIFA assessment approach offers a unique method to help bring structure and organization to a process that may otherwise be vulnerable to a rogue committee member or an overzealous investment service provider.

For organizations that are confident in their conformity with a fiduciary standard of care, those with an AIFA designation can provide an assessment that results in a Certification of Fiduciary Excellence. This certification can be used by the organization to demonstrate a high level of stewardship, which requires the interests of those participants be placed above the organization's own, to potential donors, retirement plan participants or other interested parties.

The Rewards for Continuing Education
With more money than ever being entrusted to fiduciaries of charitable endowments, retirement plans and investment advisors, the public wants to know that its money is being prudently managed. The growing awareness of fiduciary duties accelerates each time a highly publicized case of fiduciary misconduct is unveiled, such as the case involving the Enron retirement plans.

In the case of Enron, fiduciaries - including the company's top executives and board of directors - failed to comply with their fiduciary obligations to put plan participants' interests above their own. Among many fiduciary failures documented by a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor, they imprudently invested matching contributions in company stock, misled employees about the health of the company and encouraged them to invest in more Enron stock, even as they knew the company was in decline. By these actions and others they devastated their employees' retirement funds.

The Bottom Line
In response to growing awareness of fiduciary duties, lawmakers passed the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which shines the spotlight on fiduciary advisors with provisions that require annual audits by a prudent expert for eligible investment advice arrangements offered to retirement plan participants. AIFAs are qualified to perform these audit services.

Growing public awareness, increased regulation and the massive amount of money entrusted to fiduciaries have created the perfect storm for advisors who, through the AIF and AIFA designations, can establish themselves as fiduciary experts.

How We Paid Off $89,000 in Debt and Saved Our Marriage

Courtesy Mary R. Around the time my husband Larry and I had been married for more than 30 years, we finally faced the reality of our financial situation: We owed $88,557 in credit card debt. We had been living from paycheck to paycheck because my husband was switching careers and had been looking for work for about a year. Even though I was working, we had to use our savings to cover our living expenses, and eventually relied on credit cards to make ends meet. We even had to take out a payday advance loan once or twice. We weren't behind on any payments and we weren't thinking about bankruptcy or anything like that. But we were tired of living hand-to-mouth. The debt just kind of crept up on us. We'd always used credit cards, but using them more for that year sent the balances up high. My husband was doing the budgeting and bill paying the best he could, and I really wasn't engaged in the process for a long time. I don't blame him at all for the situation, though, because I should have been more responsible about our money and looked into what was going on. The Split It wasn't any one thing that sent us to get help, it was just that we didn't want to live from paycheck to paycheck anymore and we could tell we would never pay off our debt by making the minimum payments. We went to ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions, a nonprofit credit counselor, for help. Some of the debt was in my name, some in his, and some in both of ours. They negotiated with our creditors for lower interest rates and set up our debt management plan. But then it got more complicated because we separated. It wasn't the debt that caused our marriage problem; it was that we weren't communicating with each other. We lost our house to foreclosure during this time because once we separated, neither one of us could afford the house payments.

However, we both were really committed to the debt management plan, so we set up a system where I deposited my part of the payment into his account and the funds were transferred to the debt management fund. Our payment was around $2,800 a month. The Sacrifices Thankfully, we were both employed by the time the debt management plan started in 2009. As soon as we got on the plan, our payments were lower than they had been, so that helped. But we knew we had to make changes because we had mismanaged our money for a long time. The biggest thing was that we downsized -- a lot. I moved into an apartment that was half the price of the first one I found, and Larry moved into a small place, too. We sold a lot of furniture when we split up, and I got rid of my car and drove a car my mom sold to me instead. I made interest-free payments to her. I got rid of cable TV and just learned how to live within a budget. While we were separated, I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class and that was another positive life change. I learned to manage my own budget carefully while we were separated, figured out which bills to pay with each paycheck and how much I had to live on after making the debt management payment. Reconciliation We were separated for about 20 months and then we reconciled. My husband went to Dave Ramsey's class with me, and together we learned to be intentional about our finances. Recombining our households also made it easier for us to find money to pay down what we owed. We finished paying off all our debt in May and now all of the money we used to spend on the debt management plan goes into our savings and retirement accounts. We've been living only on cash and an ATM card from our bank since 2009 and we never intend to use a credit card again. (We don't want one at all because we don't ever want to be tempted to use it and accumulate debt again.) Building a New Future -- Together Best of all, we were able to buy five acres of land with our grown kids. They live in a house on the property and we're slowly building a home for us on the land, too. When it's ready, we'll sell the mobile home we're living in now. It's like a dream come true. I can't say it was easy, but four years came and went and we survived it -- paid off our debts -- and it was well worth the effort. On top of all that, we recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary.

Who she is: Smith is an ex-small business accountant who dedicates her time to helping entrepreneurs manage and make more money. Her debt wake-up call: "Three years ago ... I started thinking about what my life would be like as I got old and grey. I [had] just finalized a painful divorce and found myself with a mountain [$14,000] of debt. Not exactly what I pictured for myself at 25 years old," she says.

Hot Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now

Despite a report which showed that new home sales in the U.S. are at a 5-Year high, the stock market was largely lower on Wednesday.

The losses, however, were modest and the Nasdaq actually finished slightly positive on the day. Investors dumped commodities and U.S. Treasuries on the session while the U.S. Dollar rose.

Volume remained well-below 3-month averages despite a spate of earnings reports released on Tuesday after the close and prior to Wednesday's opening bell. Volatility expectations rose on the session despite only small losses for the Dow and S&P 500, which remain near all-time highs.

Related: Earnings Expectations for the Week of July 22

Major Averages

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 27 points, or 0.17 percent, to close at 15,541.

The S&P 500 lost around 6 points, or 0.38 percent, to finish at 1,686.

The Nasdaq added less than a point, or 0.01 percent, to 3,580.

New Home Sales

New home sales rose for a third consecutive month in June, up 8.3 percent to 497,000 from 459,000 in the previous month. This came in ahead of consensus estimates which expected new home sales to be 483,000.

Commodities

Prices for crude oil were lower on Wednesday. At last check, NYMEX crude futures were down around 2 percent to $105.15. Brent contracts had lost 1.26 percent and were last trading at $107.05. Natural gas fell 1.20 percent on the day to $3.70.

Precious metals were also lower on the session. Near the close of equities, COMEX gold futures had lost a little better than 1 percent to $1,319.30 while silver was down 0.86 percent to $20.08. Copper lost 0.44 percent on the day and was last trading at $3.1840.

Bonds

Long-term U.S. Treasury prices fell sharply on the session. Heading into the closing bell, the iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSE: TLT) was down 1.25 percent to $107.54. The fall in prices pushed yields up on Wednesday.

Yields for U.S. Treasuries were as follo! ws on Wednesday afternoon: The yield on the 2-Year Note was 0.35 percent while the 5-Year Note was yielding 1.38 percent. The 10-Year Note yield was last at 2.58 percent and the 30-Year Bond was yielding 3.65 percent.

Currencies

The U.S. Dollar was moderately higher on the session. Late in the day, the PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish ETF (NYSE: UUP), which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of foreign currencies, was up 0.41 percent to $22.28.

The closely watched EUR/USD pair fell 0.29 percent on the day. Other movers included the USD/JPY, which rose 0.72 percent and the AUD/USD, which fell better than 1.50 percent.

Related: Earnings Scheduled for July 24, 2013

Volatility and Volume

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) rose again on Wednesday despite only modest losses for the S&P 500. Late in the day, the VIX was trading up a little less than 6 percent to 13.38.

Volume remained well below average with around 96.5 million SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: SPY) shares trading hands compared to a 3-month daily average of 96.5 million.

Stock Movers

Shares of VMWare (NYSE: VMW) had soared around 18 percent heading into the close after the company reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter earnings results.

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) jumped more than 10 percent near the close after the company's second-quarter earnings results.

Shares of video game-publisher Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) were up around 8 percent on Wednesday after the company released its fiscal first-quarter earnings results after the closing bell on Tuesday.

Hanesbrands (NYSE: HBI) rose almost 8 percent on the session after the company agreed to acquire Maidenform Brands (NYSE: MFB) for $23.50 per share in cash, or around $575 million. Maidenform shares traded up almost 23 percent on the news.

Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) rose more than 10 percent late in the day after the company's second-quarter results topped Wall Str! eet expec! tations.

Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) after beating quarterly estimates and raising its outlook for fiscal 2013.

Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT) lost almost 19 percent on the session after the company said it won't file a NDA for its drug, eteplirsen, until the first half of next year.

Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM) lost 15 percent after the company's president and CEO resigned after an audit committee found irregularities in his expense submissions.

Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) fell 15 percent after the chip maker's fiscal second-quarter financial results.

Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) was lower by around 7 percent in the wake of the company's fiscal Q2 results and lowered full-year guidance.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) fell almost 7 percent after reporting disappointing quarterly earnings results.

Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX) traded down a little more than 2 percent after reporting a 66 percent decline in its fourth-quarter earnings. The stock recouped most of its earlier losses in afternoon trading.

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Hot Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Iamgold Corporation(IAG)

IAMGOLD Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties worldwide. It primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, copper, niobium, diamonds, and other metals. The company holds interests in eight operating gold mines, a niobium producer, a diamond royalty, and exploration and development projects located in Africa and the Americas. Its advanced exploration and development projects include the Westwood project in Canada; and the Quimsacocha project, which consists of 3 mining concessions covering an aggregate area of approximately 8,030 hectares in Ecuador. The company was formerly known as IAMGOLD International African Mining Gold Corporation and changed its name to IAMGOLD Corporation in June 1997. IAMGOLD Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Christopher Barker]

  Although I have not shed my long-standing contention that Yamana Gold offers one of the more deeply discounted vehicles for long-term gold exposure, lately my outlook for IAMGOLD has turned particularly bullish. With a looming spin-off of a 10% to 20% stake in the company's reliably profitable Niobec niobium mine, and the recent sale of its interest in a pair of high-cost gold operations in Ghana for $667 million, IAMGOLD finds itself in terrific financial shape to execute an aggressive $1.2 billion expansion imitative at existing operations.

  Considering the $1.6 billion net asset value (after tax) that IAMGOLD recently assessed for the Niobec mine alone, and a presumed hoard of more than $1.2 billion (in cash, cash equivalents, and gold bullion held for investment), at a market capitalization of $6.9 billion I find extreme comfort in the market's resulting valuation for IAMGOLD's 15.2 million ounces of attributable gold reserves.

Hot Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Goodwin]

  The shares closed at $88.19, down $1.1, or 1.23%, on the day. Its market capitalization is $77.08 billion. About the company: Siemens AG manufactures a wide range of industrial and consumer products. The Company builds locomotives, traffic control systems, automotive electronics, and engineers electrical power plants. Siemens also provides public and private communications networks, computers, building control systems, medical equipment, and electrical components. The Company operates worldwide.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in mining, milling, processing, and marketing molybdenum products in the United States and Canada. The company?s principal properties include the Thompson Creek Mine and mill in Idaho; a metallurgical roasting facility in Langeloth, Pennsylvania; and a joint venture interest in the Endako Mine, mill, and roasting facility in British Columbia. It also holds interests in development projects comprising the Davidson molybdenum property and the Berg copper-molybdenum-silver property located in northern British Columbia; the Howard?s Pass property, a lead and zinc project situated in the Yukon territory-northwest territories border; and the Maze Lake property, a gold project located in the Kivalliq district of Nunavut. The company produces molybdenum products, primarily molybdic oxide and ferromolybdenum, as well as soluble technical oxide, pure molybdenum tri-oxide, and high purity molybdenum disulfide. As o f December 31, 2010, its consolidated recoverable proven and probable ore reserves totaled 462.2 million pounds of contained molybdenum in the Thompson Creek Mine and the Endako Mine. The company was formerly known as Blue Pearl Mining Ltd. and changed its name to Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. in May 2007. Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Christopher Barker]

  My recent survey of bargain-basement stock valuations among gold miners identified Thompson Creek Metals as a glaring opportunity for value investors. The miner sports two world-class molybdenum mines with 534 million pounds of reserves between them, along with an array of attractive development projects in the pipeline. Foremost among those is the Mt. Milligan copper and gold project, where Thompson Creek expects to launch itself into the ranks of intermediate gold producers with production commencing in late 2013.

  With 6 million ounces of gold reserves, accompanied by 2.1 billion pounds of copper, Mt. Milligan will deliver about 262,100 ounces of gold per year for the first six years of a 22-year mine life, averaging 194,500 ounces annually over that entire span. Although 25% of that gold production is already spoken for through a gold stream agreement with Royal Gold (Nasdaq: RGLD  ) , Thompson Creek Metals is sure to enjoy a powerful cash-flow explosion.

Hot Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Newmont Mining Corporation(Holding Company)

Newmont Mining Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and production of gold and copper properties. The company?s assets or operations are located in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, it had proven and probable gold reserves of approximately 93.5 million equity ounces and an aggregate land position of approximately 27,500 square miles. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Hot Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

Goldcorp Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of precious metal properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. It produces and sells gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. The company was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Smith]

  Although its name does little to denote this, Goldcorp is a well-positioned silver play for 2011, according to the analysts we surveyed.

  “The name is one that people tend to think of it as gold, but it's in the top 20 of silver producers globally with about 13 million ounces a year ,” says Peter Sorrentino of Huntington Funds.

  Morningstar analyst Min Tang-Varner recently raised her fair value estimate for Goldcorp by $12 a share to $48 after the company reported a 28 per cent rise in revenue for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with the year before.

  This, despite 4 per cent decline gold production, as revenue received a boost from $1,239/oz realized gold prices and $19.15/oz silver prices.

  Tang-Varner tells investors that the reduction of Goldcorp's cash cost by $100/oz from the prior quarter to $260/oz due to higher silver, copper and zinc production and the run-up in their prices, was “rather extraordinary.”

  Sorrentino says Goldcorp is a stock that investors would be “wise to consider” if they were looking for a name that would be discovered suddenly as a major silver play, without feeling that they were overpaying for it.

  Goldcorp also prices everything that it does in Canadian dollars, which should reduce currency risks for investors in Canada.

• [By Christopher Barker]

  Every ship needs an anchor, and for gold investors looking to navigate the admittedly rough seas of the gold mining industry, I can think of no greater anchor than Goldcorp. With the important caveat that some of the company's substantial challenges faced during 2012 could present further selling pressure in early 2013 as forward production guidance takes a bit of a haircut, I agree with Credit Suisse analyst Anita Soni that any such weakness may present a meaningful buying opportunity. I won't go into great detail here, since investors can access my premium research report on Goldcorp for further discussion of the substantial long-term investment opportunity in the shares of this quality producer.

Is Apple a Rotten Investment?

Everybody knows about Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and its products. However, the question on investors' minds is what the future holds for the company’s stock price. Apple is currently trading at around $400, far below its highs of more than $700 in September. With that said, is Apple an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY?

C = Catalysts for the Stock's Movement

Apple's strength has always been innovation: creating new products that change the way we work and play. But Apple has failed to introduce a new product since November, and investors believe the company is losing its edge in innovation to competitors. CEO Tim Cook hoped to change this sentiment at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference several weeks ago. He referred to Apple’s new product offerings as "game changers,” but the conference only left investors wanting more. The only two products Cook unveiled were iOS 7, an update to existing iPhone and iPad operating systems, and iRadio, a music streaming service that hardly seems different from Pandora (NYSE:P) or Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Play Music All Access service. While these new products may enhance the synergistic effects of the Apple ecosystem, neither will provide a big boost to Apple's bottom line in the near future.

The average selling price of Apple products has recently been in steady decline. A lower average selling price, especially for the iPhone and iPad, will most likely lead to a lackluster third-quarter earnings announcement. The company's quarter-over-quarter gross profit margin fell 10 percentage points in the second quarter. These declining margins are the result of consumers favoring the cheaper iPhone 4S over the iPhone 5 and the increasing popularity of the lower-margin iPad mini relative to the regular iPad. Increasing competition in the smartphone and tablet space from competitors like Samsung and Google have also reduced Apple's high profit margins.

Apple's share price is likely to remain neutral or even trend downward as we move toward its third-quarter earnings announcement, likely to come in late July. For the past two years, analysts have periodically cut Apple's quarterly estimates several weeks before the earnings announcement; these estimate reductions certainly don't help the share price, and reveal little about the actual performance of the company. Analysts that are highly optimistic on Apple will be few and far between until the company unveils a truly innovative new product.

H = High-Quality Products in the Pipeline?

As one of the most secretive companies on the planet, it is difficult to know for certain what types of features we can expect from Apple in new product offerings. At the All Things Digital conference last month, Cook hinted at entering the wearable technology market, saying it’s an "area ripe for exploration." It is difficult to estimate the success the iWatch or a similar product would have in the marketplace since, so few details are known, but a truly novel product offering is vital to restoring positive investor sentiment.

Another upcoming product release is a lower-priced iPhone, projected to cost $399 without a carrier subsidy. A lower-priced phone is an important weapon for Apple as it battles with another smartphone heavyweight, Samsung, for customers in emerging markets. Apple has lost sales to Samsung recently, but the introduction of a cheaper phone should be successful, especially as smartphones continue to gain popularity in emerging markets. Apple is in talks with China Mobile, China’s largest carrier, to reach a distribution deal that could allow Apple access to 700 million consumers in the Chinese smartphone market.

Let's now use some fundamental analysis to help determine whether Apple is an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY.

E = Exceptional Performance Relative to Peers?

Despite recent sentiment that the company has lost its luster, fundamentals are solid for Apple right now. Apple is sitting on a huge pile of cash that it plans to use to increase stock dividends and help fund a $50-billion share repurchase program. Both financial policy decisions will increase the desirability of the stock. Moreover, because of recent pullback in Apple's share price, new investors will enjoy higher yields from the new dividend and the stock buyback. Apple's dividend is currently yielding an attractive 3 percent, more than that of its competitors Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google.

Apple is cheap to own right now compared to its historical price-to-earnings ratio. It also is cheap to own relative to two other industry giants: Google and Microsoft. Generally, stocks with higher P/E ratios are more expensive because they have higher growth prospects; but if you believe that Apple will regain its innovative edge in the marketplace, it could be a good time to buy. Also, Apple trades at a much lower price to free cash flow multiple relative to its historical numbers and its competitors. It seems undervalued based on a comparison to its chief competitors and historical multiples.

	Apple	Google	Microsoft
Trailing P/FCF*	9.68	22.74	13.86
Trailing P/E	9.61	25.89	17.37
QOQ EPS	-17.95%	12.80%	19.51%
Dividend Yield	3.03%	N/A	2.73%

*Trailing P/FCF = Trailing price to free cash flow.

**Quarter-over-quarter earnings per share.

***All data sourced from Reuters.

T = Technicals Are Weak

Apple is currently trading at around $401, below both its 50-day moving average of $440.20 and its 200-day moving average of $458.38. From the chart below, we can clearly see that Apple has been on a downtrend during the past six months. Investors should wait until the stock's 50-day moving average shows some sort of upward momentum before deciding to go long on Apple.

 

Conclusion 

Apple remains a fundamentally sound company with high-quality products. Despite its poor stock price performance, CEO Tim Cook has emerged from Steve Jobs's shadow while articulating a strong vision for the company. Cook and Jony Ive, Apple’s chief designer, need to release a blockbuster product this fall in order to change investor sentiment. While there is short-term downside based on Apple's shrinking average selling price and gross margins, there is tremendous medium-term upside, as Apple is due for at least one big product release this autumn.

In the short-term, investors should pay close attention to Apple's plans to increase its global marketing presence and the introduction of a lower-priced iPhone later this year. Apple and Samsung share a duopoly in the smartphone market, and establishing a strong presence in emerging markets is paramount to Apple's future financial success. Apple may see its profit margins take a hit, but the increased volume from selling lower-priced iPhones should more than make up for lower margins.

Domestically, the Fed's decision on whether to continue or halt its quantitative easing program exposes Apple to some downside risk. If the Fed ends its bond-buying program too abruptly, it’s likely that consumer sentiment will plummet, with consumers opting for lower-cost alternatives to Apple products, thus reducing company profits further.

For investors who were reluctant to buy Apple last year because of its high price, now may be a great opportunity to establish a long position in the stock; many believe that Apple's stock will hit a fresh 52-week low at around $360 before the company's fourth quarter begins. Apple definitely looks like a second-half story. For now, investors should wait until the price falls a bit before buying and see how Apple’s third quarter ends up. So for now, Apple is a WAIT AND SEE.

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10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now

As the markets opened this morning, they quickly fell in the red, but an unexpected move by Standard & Poor's gave investors confidence to push stocks higher. The credit-rating agency uprgaded the U.S.' debt rating from "AA+ negative" to "AA+ stable." This is a sign that the agency sees less risk ahead for the economy and the U.S. government.�

The news has helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) recover from steeper losses to a minor six-point drop by 12:55 p.m. EDT, while the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) sits at breakeven. And the Nasdaq holds a slight lead, up 0.2%. But even on such a yawn-worthy day of trading, some stocks are lagging the market.

Despite my colleague Dan Caplinger's prediction that Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) will announce an increase to its dividend on Wednesday, shares of the Cat are down 0.9% today. The company is also one of the Dow's most hated stocks: Short interest in the company is at 4%, and Sean Williams explained over the weekend why investors don't much care for the stock right now, knocking its price down 6.2% year to date to make it the worst-performing component on the blue-chip index. Sean noted that weak coal and precious-metal prices have really hurt the heavy-equipment manufacturer, but Sean feels Caterpillar is a good bet for the long-term investor, and I must agree with him.�

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Auramex Resource Corp (AUX.V)

Auramex Resources Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada and Mexico. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, zinc, cobalt, nickel, and copper deposits. It holds interests in the Brandywine property covering approximately 1,500 hectares located in the north of Vancouver, Canada; the Magenta property consisting of approximately 6,000 hectares situated in Sinaloa State, Mexico; and the Bear River property comprising approximately 41,000 hectares located in the Skeena Mining Division near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada. The company is based in North Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Okp Holdings Limited (5CF.SI)

OKP Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, operates as an infrastructure and civil engineering company in Singapore. Its Construction segment engages in constructing urban and arterial roads, expressways, flyovers and buildings, vehicular bridges, airports infrastructure, and oil and gas-related infrastructure for petrochemical plants and oil storage terminals. The company�s Maintenance segment provides re-construction work on roads, road reserves, pavements, footpaths and kerbs, guardrails, drains, signboards, bus bays, and shelters. It also engages in property development; and provides technical management and consultancy services, and property rental services. The company was founded in 1966 and is based in Singapore. OKP Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Or Kim Peow Investments Pte. Ltd.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2014: Knick Explor (KNX.V)

Knick Exploration Inc. engages in the identification and exploration of mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for gold deposits on its properties located in the Val-d�Or, Quebec and West Timmins, Ontario. Its principal project is the East-West property covering 184 hectares in Dubuisson Township, Quebec. The Company is headquartered in Val-d�Or, Canada.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Oppenheimer Holdings Inc.(OPY)

Oppenheimer Holdings Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a middle-market investment bank and full service broker-dealer. It offers full-service brokerage services covering various investment alternatives, such as exchange-traded and over-the-counter corporate equity and debt securities, money market instruments, exchange-traded options and futures contracts, municipal bonds, mutual funds, and unit investment trusts. The company also provides financial and wealth planning services; margin lending; securities lending; and online equity investing and discount brokerage services. In addition, it offers asset management services for equity, fixed income, large-cap balanced, and alternative investments offered through vehicles, such as privately managed accounts, and retail and institutional separate accounts. Further, the company provides strategic advisory services and capital markets products; institutional equity sales and trading; equity research; equity options and derivatives; convertible bonds; and event driven sales and trading services. Additionally, it trades in non-investment grade public and private debt securities, mortgage-backed securities, sovereign and corporate debt, and distressed securities; provides fixed income research, public finance, and municipal trading services; and is involved in proprietary trading and investment activities. The company also participates in loan syndications and operates as underwriting agent in financing transactions; trades syndicated corporate loans in the secondary market; offers various trust services; and provides mortgage services to developers of commercial properties. It serves high-net-worth individuals and families, corporate executives, small and mid-sized businesses, endowments and foundations, and institutions in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Southern Pacific Resource Corp (STP.TO)

Southern Pacific Resource Corp. engages in the exploration and development of in-situ oil sands properties located in northern Alberta, Canada; and development and production of heavy oil, conventional oil and gas, natural gas, and bitumen in western Canada. The company�s principal properties include 100 % working interests in STP-McKay oil sands leases covering approximately 59 sections or 37,760 acres of oil sands leases located in the Athabasca oil sands in north-eastern Alberta; and STP-Senlac thermal heavy oil asset that includes 3 sections of 100 percent owned lands and approximately 2 net sections of other lands located to the west of Unity, Saskatchewan. It also owns 85% working interests in 377 sections or 241,280 gross acres of oil sands mineral rights outside of the McKay Block in the Athabasca oil sands of Alberta. The company was formerly known as Southern Pacific Development Corp. and changed its name to Southern Pacific Resource Corp. in March 2006. Souther n Pacific Resource Corp. was incorporated in 1953 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Western Asset Global Partners Income Fund Inc. (GDF)

Western Asset Global Partners Income Fund Inc. operates as a close-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and advised by Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC. The fund is sub-advised by Western Asset Management Company. It primarily invests in the fixed income markets across the globe. The fund invests in high-yield U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities and high-yield foreign sovereign debt securities. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Lehman Brothers U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Cap Index and the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global Index. The fund was formerly known as Salomon Brothers Global Partners Income Fund Inc. Western Asset Global Partners Income Fund was founded in 1993 and is based in the United States.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: EXFO Inc (EXFO)

EXFO Inc. provides next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireline and wireless network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. It offers field-test platforms, including FTB-1 platform, a single-slot modular platform to fiber-optic, copper, Ethernet, fiber-to-the-home, and multiservice testing applications; FTB-200 compact platform, which include singlemode and multimode optical time-domain reflectometers, automated optical loss test sets, SONET/SDH analyzers up to 10 Gbit/s, and gigabit Ethernet and 10 gigabit Ethernet testers; and FTB-500 platform for datacom testing, OTDR analysis, optical loss, and Ethernet testing. The company also provides wireless test equipment comprising 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE protocol analyzers that allow engineers to troubleshoot networks in order to find the source of errors and fix them. In addition, it offers wireline/wireless service assurance systems, including Brix System that delivers end-to-end quality of service and experience visibility, as well as real-time Internet protocol service monitoring and verification for next-generation networks. Further, EXFO Inc. provides IQS-600 platform to run various 100 optical test modules using a single controller unit; high-performance test modules; PSO-200 optical modulation analyzer; protocol analyzers for use in protocol analysis to verify correct network behavior; network simulators for regression and load testing applications; and mobile communications intelligence tools for police, armed forces, and other governmental organizations to fight organized crime and terrorists. The company sells its products through its direct sales force, sales representatives, and distributors. EXFO Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Quebec, Canada.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Blackrock MuniEnhanced Fund Inc. (MEN)

BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc. is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc. It is co-managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock Investment Management LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It invests primarily in long-term, investment grade municipal obligations. BlackRock MuniEnhanced Fund, Inc. was formed in 1988 and is domiciled in United States.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Level 3 Communications Inc.(LVLT)

Level 3 Communications, Inc. engages in the communications business in North America and Europe. It offers network and Internet services, including transport services, high speed Internet protocol services, dedicated Internet access, virtual private network services, and dark fiber services, as well as managed modem, an outsourced, turn-key infrastructure solution; and colocation services. The company also provides various media services, comprising Vyvx services that provide audio and video feeds over fiber or satellite; content delivery network services; media delivery services to customers seeking to manage, protect, and monetize content delivered over the Internet; a range of local and long distance voice services, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and traditional circuit-switch based services; and VoIP Enhanced Local, a VoIP service that enables broadband cable operators, IXCs, VoIP providers, and other companies operating their own switching infrastructure to launch IP-based local and long-distance voice services through a broadband connection. Level 3 Communications? media services also consist of SIP Trunking, a VoIP-based local phone service; Local Inbound service that terminates traditional telephone network originated calls to Internet Protocol termination points; Primary Rate Interface, a TDM local phone service that could be configured in various ways; Long Distance services portfolio comprising local and long distance transport and termination services; and Toll Free services portfolio, which terminate toll free calls that are originated on the traditional telephone network. As of December 31, 2010, its network encompassed approximately 68,000 intercity route miles in North America and an intercity network covering approximately 13,000 miles across Europe. Further, it sells coal primarily through long-term contracts with public utilities. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  The first stock on our list illustrates the kind of amazing gains investors can make in a penny stock in a very short amount of time. Integrated communications service company Level 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) has skyrocketed 23% in the past week. And it is up 88% since the start of 2011. The stock continues to break to new 52-week highs, and potential investors should also note the company’s year-over-year quarterly revenue growth of 2% last quarter.

10 Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Joy Global Inc.(JOYG)

Joy Global Inc. engages in the manufacture and servicing of mining equipment for the extraction coal, copper, iron ore, oil sands, and other minerals worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Underground Mining Machinery and Surface Mining Equipment. The Underground Mining Machinery segment produces continuous miners, longwall shearers, powered roof supports, armored face conveyors, shuttle cars, flexible conveyor trains, roof bolters, battery haulers, continuous haulage systems, feeder breakers, conveyor systems, high angle conveyors, and crushing equipment, as well as longwall mining systems consisting of powered roof supports, an armored face conveyor, and a longwall shearer. This segment also rebuilds and services equipment, and sells replacement parts and consumables in support of installed base. The Surface Mining Equipment segment produces electric mining shovels, walking draglines, and rotary blasthole drills for open-pit mining operations. This segment also sells used electric mining shovels; and provides logistics and life cycle management support services, including equipment erections, relocations, inspections, service, repairs, rebuilds, upgrades, used equipment, new and used parts, enhancement kits, and training, as well as offers electric motor rebuilds and other products and services to the non-mining industrial segment. In addition, it offers wheel loaders, as well as jack-up rigs and ancillary equipment for the oil and gas drilling industries. Joy Global Inc. sells its products primarily to global and regional mining companies. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Collins]

  Joy Global (NASDAQ: JOYG), a manufacturer of surface and underground mining equipment, is expected to increase revenues by 18.5% this year versus a 2% decline in 2010 (October FY). It has an order backlog of $1.8 billion, and S&P expects it to continue to see both higher orders and backlog.?

  Ford Research rates JOYG a “strong buy” and S&P’s rates it a “four-star buy” with a target price of $98. The stock has found support on its 50-day moving average since the major breakout at $63 in August. The technical target for JOYG is $100.

Senate Introduces Lifetime Income Disclosure Act

Taking a cue from the Department of Labor, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill Wednesday that would allow workers in retirement plans to receive an annual statement of how their lump-sum savings translate into a lifetime stream of monthly income.

The Lifetime Income Disclosure Act was introduced by Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Bill Nelson, D-Fla. and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

The companion bill, H.R. 2171, was previously introduced in the House by Reps. Rush Holt, D-N.J., Tom Petri, R-Wis., Ron Kind, D-Wis. and Dave Reichert, R-Wash.

In early May, DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration announced that it was seeking public input on a proposed rule on lifetime income illustrations given to participants in defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) and 403(b) plans.

10 Best Small Cap Stocks For 2014

“We are looking for the best ideas on how to show people what their lump-sum retirement savings look like when they are spread out over all the years of retirement,” said Phyllis Borzi, assistant secretary of Labor for EBSA.

The American Council of Life Insurers issued a statement saying that the “vital” lump-sum information “would make it easier for workers to understand how their savings will address their month-to-month living expenses.”

The legislation “represents a major step forward in helping workers address their retirement security needs,” ACLI said. “Taken together, the Lifetime Income Disclosure Act and the DOL draft proposal show there is tremendous momentum behind efforts to give retirement plan participants a leg up in their retirement planning.”

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Check out DOL Seeks Input on Lifetime Income Illustrations Plan on AdvisorOne.

Top Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now

Chinese semiconductor maker Spreadtrum (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) has received a buyout offer valued at up to $1.5 billion from Tsinghua Unigroup, a subsidiary of Chinese government-owned Tsinghua Holdings, Spreadtrum announced today.

Spreadtrum produces chipsets for smartphones and feature phones, as well as for other electronics products. Spreadtrum's turnkey mobile platforms provide the workings of many of the so-called white label brand mobile devices running Google's Android mobile operating system found in low-priced emerging-market smartphones.

Tsinghua Unigroup's businesses include high-technology, bio-technology, real estate, and urban infrastructure construction. Tsinghua Holdings is a state-owned corporation funded by China's Tsinghua University.

Tsinghua proposes paying $28.50 for each American depositary share of Spreadtrum, up to $1.5 billion worth. The per-share offer represents a premium of 20% to its closing price on Thursday. Each ADS represents three ordinary Spreadtrum shares. Tsinghua's offer is non-binding. Spreadtrum shares soared as much as 17% after the announcement.

Top Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Affymetrix Inc.(AFFX)

Affymetrix, Inc. engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and servicing of consumables and systems for genetic analysis in the life sciences and clinical healthcare markets primarily in the United States, Europe, Japan. The company provides integrated GeneChip microarray platform, which includes disposable DNA probe arrays (chips) consisting of nucleic acid sequences, certain reagents for use with the probe arrays, a scanner and other instruments used to process the probe arrays, and software to analyze and manage genomic or genetic information obtained from the probe arrays. It also offers GeneTitan, an instrument system that runs genotyping and gene expression array plates; and GeneAtlas, an instrument for low-to-medium throughput that provides hybridization and array processing with microwell-based labware, as well as a line of multiplex assays to serve the discovery and the validation markets. In addition, the company provides reagent kits, including ExoSAP-IT fo r a reagent for the clean-up of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products used in downstream applications, such as DNA sequencing or single-nucleotide polymorphisms analysis; and HotStart-IT reagents that utilize a novel primer binding protein to inhibit primer dimer formation with results in sensitive and consistent amplification for PCR. Its products are used primarily in genotyping and gene expression applications. The company sells its products directly to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrichemical, diagnostics, and consumer products companies; academic research centers, government research laboratories, private foundation laboratories, and clinical reference laboratories in North America and Europe, as well as through life science supply specialists acting as authorized distributors in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. Affymetrix, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Top Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Digital River Inc.(DRIV)

Digital River, Inc. provides end-to-end global cloud-commerce and marketing solutions. The company offers a range of services that enables its customers to establish an online sales channel. Its services include design, development, and hosting of online stores and shopping carts; store merchandising and optimization; order management; denied parties screening; export controls and management; tax compliance and management; fraud management; digital product delivery via download; physical product fulfillment; subscription management; online marketing, including email marketing; management of affiliate programs; paid search programs; payment processing services; Web site optimization, Web analytics, and reporting; and CD production and delivery services. The company also provides paid search advertising, search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, store optimization, multi-variant testing, and Web analytic and e-mail optimization services. In addition, it offers a range of payment processing services, such as multiple payment methods, fraud management, tax management, cloud-based billing, and other payment optimization services. The company sells its products and services through Internet and direct sales force. It serves software, consumer electronics, and computer and video game product manufacturers, as well as online channel partners, including retailers and affiliates in the United States, Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Korea, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Digital River, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

5 Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2014: Versant Corporation(VSNT)

Versant Corporation engages in the design, development, marketing, and support of object-oriented database management system products to solve complex data management and data integration problems of enterprises. Its flagship product includes the Versant Object Database, an object database management system designed to support multi-user commercial applications in distributed computing environments that enables users to store, manage, and distribute information that cannot be administered through traditional database technologies. The company also provides FastObjects, an object database management system for use as an embedded data management system to be integrated in various products, including medical devices, vending machines, telecom equipment, and defense systems; and db4o, an open source object database that enables Java and .NET developers to store and retrieve application objects with one line of code targeting the embedded device market. In addition, it offers m aintenance and technical support services; and training and consulting services to assist customers in the design, development, training, and management of applications that are built based on its core products. The company?s software is used in strategic distributed applications, such as network modeling and management, fault diagnosis, fraud prevention, and service activation and assurance, as well as in customer billing, scheduling, and other applications. It markets its products principally through its direct sales force, as well as through value-added resellers, systems integrators, and distributors to companies in telecommunications, government and defense, media, technology, financial services, transportation, and healthcare industries in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was formerly known as Versant Object Technology Company and changed its name to Versant Corporation in July 1998. Versant Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Redwood C ity, California.

Top Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: KongZhong Corporation(KONG)

KongZhong Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless interactive entertainment, media, and community services to mobile phone users in the People's Republic of China. It also involves in the development, distribution, and marketing of consumer wireless value-added services, including wireless application protocol, multimedia messaging services, short messaging services, interactive voice response services, and color ring back tones. In addition, it offers interactive entertainment services, such as mobile games, pictures, karaoke, electronic books, mobile phone personalization features, entertainment news, chat, and message boards; and through Kong.net offer news, community services, games, and other interactive media and entertainment services; and sells advertising space in the form of text-link, banner, and button advertisements. Further, the company develops and publishes mobile games, including downloadable mobile games and online mobile games cons isting of action, role-playing, and leisure games. As of December 31, 2009, it had a library of approximately 300 internally developed mobile games. Additionally, it develops online games; and provides consulting and technology services, as well as media and net book services. The company was formerly known as Communication Over The Air Inc. and changed its name to KongZhong Corporation in March 2004. KongZhong Corporation was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research Staff]

  As a Chinese ADR, KONG is the leading provider of 2.5G wireless interactive entertainment, media and community services in terms of revenue to customers of company China Mobile. Institutions snatched up shares at an alarming rate with an increase of 26.7% in institutional ownership over the past three months.

  A consensus of analysts expect earnings to increase by 16.9% in 2011 and 19.6% in 2012. Company earnings are estimated to increase by 62.1% this year.

Top Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now: Unisys Corporation (UIS)

Unisys Corporation provides information technology (IT) services, software, and technology that solve mission-critical problems for clients worldwide. It operates in two segments, Services and Technology. The Services segment provides outsourcing services, including management of customers� data centers, computer servers, and end-user computing environments, as well as specific business processes; systems integration and consulting services, such as assessing the security and cost effectiveness of clients� IT systems and enabling them to design, integrate, and modernize mission-critical applications; infrastructure services consisting of design, warranty, and support services for its customers� IT infrastructure, such as networks, desktops, servers, and mobile and wireless devices; and maintenance services. The Technology segment designs and develops servers and related products consisting of enterprise-class servers, which comprise the ClearPath family of servers and t he ES7000 family of Intel-based servers, as well as operating system software and middleware; and provides data center, infrastructure management, and cloud computing offerings for clients to virtualize and automate their data-center environments. The company serves public sector; financial services; and other commercial markets comprising communications and transportation. Unisys Corporation markets its products and services primarily through direct sales force, as well as through distributors and alliance partners. Unisys Corporation was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

Top Value Stocks For 2015

Top Value Stocks For 2015