Friday, January 2, 2015

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now

Today, I put in a buy order for the Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter�� 14th position. What makes this stock so different from past picks?

In the past, the Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter has never bought a stock that doesn�� file with the SEC. This month ��if we get our order filled ��the model portfolio will finally own a net-net that doesn�� file with the SEC.

Some net-nets don�� file with the SEC. But a lot of net-nets do. And if the idea was just to assemble a random collection of net-nets ��we wouldn�� need to lift this restriction.

But my idea for the Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter has been to try to find the single best, single safest net-net each month. And buy that stock using a real brokerage account.

What makes a net-net the ��ingle best, single safest��net-net?

There are a lot of ways to measure this. But probably the simplest way to separate safe net-nets from unsafe net-nets is the number of consecutive years of profits. A net-net that has been profitable in 15 of the last 15 years is usually a better net-net to buy than one that lost money last year.

Top 10 High Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now: Barrett Business Services Inc.(BBSI)

Barrett Business Services, Inc. provides business management solutions in the United States. The company offers human resource management services in areas comprising payroll processing, employee benefits and administration, human resource management, risk management, and workers? compensation coverage areas. It also provides professional employer organization services, which include employee benefits, health insurance, workers? compensation coverage, workplace safety programs, federal and state employment laws compliance, labor and workplace regulatory requirements, and related administrative services; and payroll administrative services, such as payroll processing, payroll taxes, and human resource consulting services. In addition, the company provides staffing services, including on-demand or short-term staffing assignments, contract staffing, long-term or indefinite-term on-site management, direct placement, and human resource administration services. It serves elect ronics manufacturers; various light-manufacturing industries; forest products and agriculture-based companies; transportation and shipping enterprises; food processing; telecommunications; public utilities; general contractors in various construction-related fields; and professional services firms. Barrett Business Services, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    The much smaller Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ: BBSI  ) has done even better, soaring 154% over the last 12 months.

    While that might suggest the opportunity to invest in them has passed, I believe their biggest gains are still ahead. While tentativeness among employers about whether the economy is really improving is helping employers to hire more temp workers, the coming implementation of Obamacare will fuel it further. Even with the employer mandate portion of the law being pushed out past the midterm elections to 2015 instead of going into effect on January 1, that just means more companies will be hiring more temp workers for a longer period of time to get below the thresholds the health-care law imposes.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Calpine Corp (CPN)

Calpine Corporation (Calpine) is an independent wholesale power producer in the United States. The Company owns and operates primarily natural gas-fired and geothermal power plants in North America and has presence in wholesale power markets in California, Texas and the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The Company has invested in clean power generation. It is developing, constructing, owning and operating an environmentally responsible portfolio of power plants. Its portfolio is primarily consists of two types of power generation technologies: natural gas-fired combustion turbines, which are combined-cycle plants, and renewable geothermal conventional steam turbines. The Company is a owner and operator of industrial gas turbines, as well as cogeneration power plants. The Company sells wholesale power, steam, capacity, renewable energy credits and ancillary services to its customers, including utilities, independent electric system operators, industrial and agricultural companies, retail power providers, municipalities and power marketers. It purchases natural gas and fuel oil as fuel for its power plants and engage in related natural gas transportation and storage transactions. The Company also purchases electric transmission rights to deliver power to its customers. In February 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of a natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant located in Guadalupe County, 30 miles northeast of San Antonio, Texas.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 93 power plants, including two under construction, with an aggregate generation capacity of approximately 28,155 megawatts and 584 megawatts under construction. Its generation capacity includes 77 natural gas-fired power plants, 15 geothermal plants and one photovoltaic solar plant. The Company is a consumer of natural gas in North America. The Company sells a substantial portion of its power and other products under power purchase agreements (PPAs) with a duration greater than ! one year.. The contracted sale of power, steam and capacity from its cogeneration power plants, combustion turbine power plants and geothermal power plants, as well as the sale of renewable energy credits (RECs), from its geothermal and solar power plants, provide a stable source of revenue. The Company produces power for sale to utilities, municipalities, retail power providers, independent electric system operators, large end-use industrial or agricultural customers or power marketers. Its cogeneration power plants produce steam for sale to customers for use in industrial or heating, ventilation and air conditioning operations. The Company provides capacity for sale to retail power providers. It provides ancillary service products to wholesale power markets. It sells RECs from its Geysers Assets in northern California, as well as from its small solar power plant in New Jersey.

The Company�� natural gas-fired power plants primarily utilize two types of design: 3,515 megawatts of simple-cycle combustion turbines and 23,043 megawatts of combined-cycle combustion turbines and a small portion from natural gas-fired steam turbines. Its Geysers Assets are a 725 megawatts fleet of 15 operating power plants in northern California. It leases the geothermal steam fields from which it extracts steam for its Geysers Assets. The Company has leasehold mineral interests in 110 leases comprising approximately 29,019 acres of federal, state and private geothermal resource lands in The Geysers region of northern California. Its leases cover one contiguous area of property that comprises approximately 45 square miles in the northwest corner of Sonoma County and southeast corner of Lake County. Across the fleet, it also has a variety of technologies, including approximately 868 megawatts of capacity from its power plants acquired in the Conectiv Acquisition which have conventional steam turbine technology. The Company also has approximately four megawatts of capacity from solar power generation technology a! t its Vine! land Solar Energy Center in New Jersey.

The Company has 24 natural gas-fired power plants, including two under construction, with the capacity to generate a total of 6,194 megawatts in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) region, which extends from the Rocky Mountains westward. In addition, it owns and operate 15 geothermal power plants located in northern California capable of producing a total of 725 megawatts. The majority of these power plants are located in California, in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) region; the Company also owns a power plant in Arizona and one in Oregon. The Company has 12 natural gas-fired power plants in the TRE NERC region with the capacity to generate a total of 7,239 megawatts, all of which are physically located in the ERCOT market. It has a total of 31 power plants with 7,914 megawatts of peaking capacity located in the RFC, Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) and Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) NERC regions. The Company has 19 operating power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 4,491 megawatts in Eastern PJM. In addition, it has one operating power plant, with the capacity to generate 503 megawatts, located in Western PJM. The company has a total of eight natural gas-fired power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 1,439 megawatts in the NPCC NERC region. Five of these power plants are located in New York.

The Company has 50% ownership interests in two Canadian power plants, with the total capacity to generate 1,088 MW (544 megawatts net attributable to Calpine), located in the NPCC NERC region in Ontario, Canada. The Whitby cogeneration facility is a 50 megawatts facility located in Whitby, Ontario and the Greenfield Energy Centre is a 1,038 megawatts facility located in Courtright, Ontario. The Company has three natural gas-fired power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 1,481 megawatts operating within the M! RO NERC r! egion. The Company has one operating natural gas-fired power plant with the capacity to generate 1,134 megawatts located in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) NERC region. SPP is an RTO approved by FERC that provides independent administration of the electric power grid. SPP manages an energy-only location based real-time wholesale energy market. The Company has 10 natural gas-fired power plants with the capacity to generate a total of 4,949 megawatts operating within the Southeastern Electric Reliability Council (SERC) and the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC) NERC regions.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    The first risk NextEra faces is its extraordinarily high levels of debt. It's true that cash flow from electricity generation is steady, but so is the interest it pays on the $28.2 billion in debt the company carries on its balance sheet. Electric utilities don't have much choice when it comes to upgrading or expanding their operations in order to reduce their long-term operating costs other than to take on debt to fund projects. The danger is that sometimes this debt can even put previous darlings out of business. U.S. electric utility Calpine (NYSE: CPN  ) , for example, was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2005, weighed down by $17 billion in debt at the time. Calpine's collapse had a lot to do with the weakness in the energy market generated by Enron's collapse a few years prior, but it has also failed to regain its luster since reemerging from bankruptcy.�

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    In trading on Tuesday, utilities shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.18 percent. Top decliners in the sector included Calpine (NYSE: CPN), down 1.41 percent, and Exelon (NYSE: EXC), off 2.19 percent.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Yesterday, small cap geothermal stock U.S. Geothermal Inc (NYSEMKT: HTM) produced a geyser of a return when it surged 26.79%, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock verses the performance of other geothermal stocks like small cap Ormat Technologies, Inc (NYSE: ORA) and mid cap Calpine Corporation (NYSE: CPN).�First of all, I should mention there are some other geothermal stocks out there like Alterra Power Corp (CVE: AXY) and Ram Power Corp (TSE: RPG) who have their primary listing on Canadian exchanges with secondary ones on the OTC���meaning they may not be a good deal for American investors or easy to invest in. Second, U.S. Geothermal Inc itself is a good geothermal proxy as its�focused on developing, owning, and operating clean, sustainable electric power from geothermal energy resources and its�operating geothermal power projects at Neal Hot Springs, Oregon; San Emidio, Nevada; and Raft River, Idaho plus El Ceibillo, an advanced stage, geothermal prospect located within a 24,710 acre energy rights concession area near Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    It’s not all bad news, however. Two utilities should benefit from this trend, Calpine (CPN) and Dominion Resources (D), although the advantage may already be priced into Dominion’s shares, Byrd says.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc (BMSN)

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc., incorporated on October 6, 1998, is a development stage company. The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Regen BioPharma ,Inc., is engaged in the development of regenerative medical applications which it focuses to license from other entities up to the point of completion of Phase I and or Phase II clinical trials after which it would either attempt to sell or license those developed applications or, alternatively, advance the application further to Phase III clinical trials.

The Company has begun development of HemaXellerate, a cellular drug designed to heal damaged bone marrow. HemaXellerate I (TM) is a patient-specific composition of cells that have been demonstrated to repair damaged bone marrow and stimulate production of blood cells based on previous animal studies.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    A quick look at Amanasu Techno Holdings Corp reveals no revenues; net losses of $5k (most recent reported quarter), $18k and $3k and net income of $12k for the past four reported quarters; and $6k in cash to cover $361k in current liabilities at the end of September ��meaning the company is a long way off from its capital raising goals.

    Bio Matrix Scientific Group Inc (OTCMKTS: BMSN) Plans a Special Dividend

    Small cap Bio Matrix Scientific Group is a biotechnology company focused on identifying undervalued regenerative medicine applications in the stem cell space and rapidly advancing these technologies through pre-clinical and Phase I/ II clinical trials. On Friday, Bio Matrix Scientific Group surged 42.31% to $0.0074 for a market cap of $21.84 million plus BMSN is down 32.11% over the past year and down 95.9% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    If you're a small cap enthusiast looking for some budding ideas, you may not need to look any further than China GengSheng Minerals, Inc. (NYSEMKT:CHGS), Bio Matrix Scientific Group Inc. (OTCMKTS:BMSN), and MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd. (NASDAQ:MTSL). All three have either pushed themselves to the brink of a breakout, if they haven't started one already. Here's a closer technical look at MTSL, BMSN, and CHGS, and what it's going to take to get them going if they're not going already.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mobileye NV (MBLY)

Mobileye N.V., incorporated in 2001, designs and develops software and related technologies for camera-based advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The Company�� software algorithms and EyeQ system on a chip (SOC) perform detailed interpretations of the visual field in order to anticipate possible collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, animals, debris and other obstacles. Its products are also able to detect roadway markings such as lanes, road boundaries, barriers and similar items, as well as to identify and read traffic signs and traffic lights. The Company operates in two segments: the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) segment and the AM segment. The OEM segment supplies the software algorithms and EyeQ chip that are the core technology of the complete ADAS to the Tier 1 companies that are the system integrators for the automotive industry. In the AM segment, the Company sells a complete system, which includes its software algorithms and EyeQ chip, as well as the camera and other necessary components.

The complete system offers a variety of ADAS functions to end, including commercial fleet owners, fleet management system providers, new vehicle dealers and importers. Its software activity is divided into algorithms, which are the engines for extracting meaningful information from video; and application software. Its visual interpretation algorithms consist of road signs interpretation, object detection, range and time-to-contact (TTC) to targets, motion-based measurements, pattern recognition and lighting functions. Road signs interpretation consists of lane markings, curbs, road edge, barriers, and other information that allows high-level control systems to make sense of where the host car is located relative to the roadway. Object detection includes pattern recognition of vehicles, pedestrians and (large) animals for collision avoidance.

Motion-based measurements include the flow of pixels along a sequence of images due to camera motion provides! three-dimensional (3D) cues that are analyzed in many levels of the system. This analysis includes validation filters for object detection engines (vehicles, pedestrians, animals); separating moving objects from the background; detecting general (not model-based) objects; detecting debris (of at least 10 centimeters in height) from 50 meters away; reconstructing the road profile in order to detect bumps and potholes; generating a 3D map of the visual field using the principle of structure from motion, which is the process of estimating 3D structures from two dimensional (2D) image sequences, and which may be coupled with local motion signals, and fusing 3D and image pattern recognition to aid in scene interpretation, all of which will also support automated-driving functionality.

It has developed multiclass classifiers to enable traffic sign detection, traffic light detection and detection of other structures from the scene that are useful for supporting hands-free driving. Its adaptive high beam control (AHC) is enabled by a set of algorithms that read and interpret the spots of light in the night scene to determine when to turn on or off the high beam. Its aftermarket customers include commercial and governmental fleets, telematics providers and insurance companies. Its Tier 1 customers include Magna Electronics Inc., TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., Autoliv, Inc., Delphi Automotive Plc, Gentex Corporation, Kansei Corporation, Leopold Kostal GmbH and Mando Corporation as well as Bendix Corporation and Mobis Transportation Alternatives, Inc. working jointly with TRW.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tiernan Ray]

    And lastly, Model S will add what’s known as “semi-autonomous driver-assistance system,” or SADAS, which, he contends, will use cameras from sensor maker MobileEye (MBLY).

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Schawk Inc.(SGK)

Schawk, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides graphic services and solutions in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company?s graphic services encompasses a range of creative and executional service offerings, including traditional premedia business services, as well as digital photography, color retouching, large format digital printing, and sales and promotional samples under the Schawk brand name; and digital three-dimensional modeling of prototypes or existing packages for its consumer products clients. Its brand and package strategy and design services include brand consulting and creative design for packaging applications to consumer products companies, food and beverage retailers, and mass merchandisers under the Brandimage and Anthem brands. The company also offers digital promotion and advertising services to the digital communications markets under the Untitled and Real Branding brand names. In addition, it provides software products, such a s graphic lifecycle content management systems comprising digital asset management, workflow management, online proofing, and intelligence performance management modules; and support services, which include implementation, on-site management, validation for regulated environments, and support and training for the marketing services departments of consumer products, pharmaceutical/life sciences, and retail companies. The company serves direct purchasers of graphic services, including end-use consumer product manufacturers of food, beverage, non-food and beverage, and pharmaceutical products; groceries, pharmacies, department, and mass merchant retailers; converters; and advertising agencies. Schawk, Inc. was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    There's no foolproof way to know the future for Schawk (NYSE: SGK  ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Galectin Therapeutics Inc (GALT)

Galectin Therapeutics Inc., formerly Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on January 26, 2001, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in drug development to create therapies for cancer and fibrotic disease. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has two compounds in development, one is to be used in cancer therapy and the other intended to be used in the treatment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease. These two compounds are produced from different natural starting materials, both possessing the property, which lends itself to binding to and inhibiting galectin proteins. GM-CT-01, the Company's product candidate for cancer therapy, is a linear polysaccharide polymer consisted of mannose and galactose that has a defined chemical structure and is derived from a plant source. GR-MD-02, the Company's product for treatment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease with inflammation and fibrosis, is a polysaccharide polymer possessing both linear and globular structures, which also is derived from a plant source.

GM-CT-01 has in development for the therapy of colorectal cancer and is in a Phase I/II clinical trial as a combination therapy with a tumor vaccine in patients with advanced melanoma. Based on the completed Phase I and partially completed Phase II clinical trials, the Company is exploring two additional potential indicia for the use of GM-CT-01 in combination with cancer chemotherapy. There are two additional pathways for the development of GM-CT-01 for use in treatment of cancer. GM-CT-01 was found to be generally safe when studied in a Phase I clinical trial in end-stage cancer patients with multiple tumor types alone and in combination with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), which is an Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved chemotherapy used for treatment of various types of cancer.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

     

    Galectin Therapeutics (GALT) offers drug research and development to create new therapies for fibrotic disease and cancer. This stock closed up 9.6% to $12.06 in Monday's trading session.

     

    Monday's Volume: 674,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 222,171

    Volume % Change: 149%

     

    Shares of GALT jumped higher on Monday after Ascendiant initiated coverage on the stock with a buy recommendation.

     

     

    From a technical perspective, GALT spiked sharply higher here with strong upside volume. This stock has been uptrending for the last three months, with shares ripping higher from its low of $3.95 to its recent high of $13.21. During that move, shares of GALT have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GALT within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if GALT manages to take out Monday's high of $12.44 and then once it clears its 52-week high at $13.21 with high volume.

     

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GALT as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $11 or at $10 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 222,171 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GALT will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $13.21, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $15 to $16.

     

Top 10 Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mueller Water Products Inc (MWA)

Mueller Water Products, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2005, is a manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water. The Company�� product portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, pipe fittings, water meters, leak detection and pipe condition assessment which are used by municipalities, as well as the residential and non-residential construction industries. The Company operates in two segments: Mueller Co. and Anvil. Mueller Co. The Company�� valve or fire hydrant products are specified for use in the 100 metropolitan areas in the United States.

Mueller Co.

Mueller Co. manufactures valves for water and gas systems, including iron gate, butterfly, tapping, check, plug and ball valves, as well as dry-barrel and wet-barrel fire hydrants and a of pipe repair products, such as clamps and couplings used to repair leaks. The Company offers residential and commercial metering products and systems and leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services. Mueller Co. products are sold through waterworks distributors.

The Company�� fire hydrants consist of an upper barrel and nozzle section and a lower barrel and valve section that connects to a water main. In dry-barrel hydrants, the valve connecting the barrel of the hydrant to the water main is located below ground at or below the frost line, which keeps the hydrant upper barrel dry. It sells dry-barrel fire hydrants with the Mueller and U.S. Pipe Valve and Hydrant brand names in the United States and the Mueller and Canada Valve brand names in Canada. The Company also makes wet-barrel hydrants, where the valves are located in the hydrant nozzles and the barrel contains water at all times. It also makes wet-barrel hydrants, where the valves are located in the hydrant nozzles and the barrel contains water at all times.

Mueller Co. manufactures a variety of intelligent water technology products under the Mue! ller Systems and Hersey Meters brand names that are designed to help water providers accurately measure water usage. These products include water meters, advanced metering infrastructure systems and automated meter reading products, have the capability to measure water usage ranging from small residential flows to large commercial and industrial applications.

Mueller Co. offers leak detection and pipe condition assessment products and services under the Echologics brand name. Other products include pipe repair products, such as clamps and couplings used to repair leaks and municipal castings, such as manhole covers and street drain grates. It sells these products under the Mueller and Jones brand names.

The Company competes with McWane, Inc., American Cast Iron Pipe Company, The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc., A.Y. McDonald Mfg, Sensus, Neptune Technology Group, Inc., Badger Meter, Inc., Aclara LLC and Itron, Inc.

Anvil

Anvil manufactures and sources a range of products, includes fittings, couplings, hangers, valves and related products for use in many non-residential constructions for HVAC, fire protection, energy and oil and gas applications. Anvil's products are sold through distributors who then sell the products to a variety of end users. These distributors are serviced primarily through Anvil's distribution centers.

Fittings and Couplings manufactures threaded and grooved pipe fittings and couplings. Pipe fittings and couplings join two pieces of pipe together. The five categories of pipe fittings and couplings are cast iron fittings, malleable iron fittings and unions, grooved fittings, couplings and valves, threaded steel pipe coupling and nipples. Hangers, manufacture an array of pipe hangers and supports. Standard pipe hangers and supports are used in fire protection sprinkler systems and HVAC applications where the objective is to provide rigid support from the building structure.

The Company competes with Ward Man! ufacturin! g L.L.C., malleable iron fittings, Victaulic Company, Tyco International Ltd., ERICO International Corporation, Cooper Industries plc and Carpenter & Paterson, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE: MWA  ) jumped as much as 17% today after the company released earnings.

    So what: Fiscal-second-quarter revenue jumped 12.6% to $283.1 million and net income was $6.2 million, or $0.05 per share. Analysts only expected revenue to be $270.8 million and earnings of $0.02 per share so this was well ahead of estimates. �

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