Boomers working to stay employed during golden…

Most Baby Boomers intend to work after retirement age or never retire at all. But some are making backup plans just in case they're forced to retire before they're ready because of health problems, job loss or other unexpected reasons, a new survey shows.

About 65% of Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) plan to work after age 65 or don't plan to retire. The top reasons for working in their golden years: income and health benefits.

Lots of Boomers are being proactive to stay employed: 26% have a backup plan for retirement income in case they are forced into full retirement sooner than they expected; 65% say they're staying healthy to continue working; 41% are keeping their job skills current; 16% are networking and meeting new people; 14% are scoping out the job market for possible opportunities.

"With so many Baby Boomers planning to work longer and retire later, they are taking steps to stay marketable," says Catherine Collinson, president of the non-profit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, which commissioned the national survey of 4,143 full-time and part-time workers conducted this winter by Harris Poll.

Although many Baby Boomers want to shift from full time to part time as they transition to retirement, only 21% say their employers have programs that would accommodate them.

"Most Baby Boomers are envisioning a transition into retirement which involves reducing hours to afford them more time to enjoy life or involves encore careers that are more personally satisfying or less demanding," she says. "The vast majority say their employers do not have policies in place to accommodate this type of transition, so it's likely they'll have to change employers or explore something entrepreneurial."

Retirement plans and preparations vary by age groups:

• Baby Boomers have a median household retirement savings of $127,000 up from $75,000 in 2007. However, Boomers don't think that's enough to live comfortably in retirement. About 36% plan to rely on S! ocial Security as their primary form of income when they retire, up from 26% in 2007.

• Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1978) started saving for retirement at age 27. And 84% of those offered a 401(k) or similar plan by their employer are participating in it, saving about 7% of their annual salaries. They think they'll need $1 million in retirement savings. Right now, they have a median household retirement savings of $70,000. "They have some catching up to do, but they still have time to do it, if they make a concerted effort right now," Collinson says.

Roughly two out of three of them expect their primary source of income to be self-funded accounts, such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, IRAs or other outside savings, she says.

• Millennials (those born after 1978) started saving for retirement at age 22. And 71% of those offered a 401(k) or similar plans are participating, tucking away 8% of their annual salaries. They have a median household retirement savings of $32,000. "These are an emerging generation of super savers," Collinson says.

They have "lofty aspirations" with 60% planning to retire before or at age 65, she says. Millennials recognize that their retirement will be different from their parents', and they don't expect to their primary income to be from defined benefit plans (traditional pensions) or Social Security, she says.

Bank of America Corp Halts Dividend Increases; Suspends $4B Buyback Program (BAC)

Bank of America Corp (BAC) released devastating news today as far its stock is concerned. The company will be forced to suspend its buyback program and dividend raises after it was discovered that the bank’s capital levels are lower than previously thought.

To be clear, the firm will continue to pay out a dividend of $0.04 per share, but will not be able to raise that payout as it previously wished to do. The error was attributed to an incorrect calculation regarding some key metrics dating back to its acquisition of Merrill Lynch.

This news comes just weeks after investors cheered the news that the company’s capital plan was approved by the Federal Reserve. That plan included a $4 billion buyback and a 25% increase to its quarterly dividend. Due to the material change this miscalculation has brought up, the company will be forced to re-submit its capital plan to the Fed before it can commence any action regarding dividend raises.

Though its dividend is quite minor, the news that the company is forced to suspend payouts and buybacks reflects very poorly on the stock, especially in a very scrutinized space. Just weeks ago, Citigroup (C) was put through the ringer after its capital plan was rejected by the Fed; its stock dropped 6.3% the day of the announcement.

BAC fared little better today, as it dropped $1.00 or 6.27%. This drop came on volume of more than 340 million shares, more than three times the average daily volume for the stock. Investors may want to note that C has yet to recover from its capital plan failure, suggesting BAC may have a few tough trading weeks ahead, barring any unexpected news.

BAC Dividend Snapshot

Best Restaurant Companies To Buy Right Now

As of Market Close on April 28, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of BAC dividends.

States where the most children go hungry

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 49 million people in the United States lived in households struggling to find enough food to eat. Nearly 16 million are children, who are far more likely to have limited access to sufficient food than the general population. While 15.9% of Americans lived in food-insecure households, 21.6% of children had uncertain access to food.

Feeding America — the largest hunger relief charity and network of food banks in the U.S. — created Map the Meal Gap, a study measuring food-insecurity among the general population and children at the state and county levels. While hunger remains a problem nationally, some areas of the country had nearly double the national rate. Food-insecurity rates among children were as high as 41% in Zavala County, Texas. At the state level, New Mexico led the nation with 29.2% of children living in food-insecure households.

According to Ross Fraser, Director of Media Relations at Feeding America, children are of course more vulnerable to poverty and food-insecurity because they can't work. "You have a lot of people with large families who live in poverty, and children can't change their financial circumstances," he said.

The situation may also be considerably worse than it seems. Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been sharply reduced since November 2013, after the data for the report was collected. Prior to the cut, 45% of all SNAP beneficiaries were children, according to Feeding America.

The states with the highest child food-insecurity rates are clustered in particular regions, and tend to be sparsely populated. These include states along the Mexican border, such as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, as well as states like Mississippi. In general, they have fewer highways, less public transportation.

It is relatively easy to get on a bus and get to a food bank in a big city, explained Fraser. However, it's different "if you're living in the middle of nowhere in ! Wyoming, where there is no public transportation and you might be a hundred miles from the nearest food pantry, and you don't have a working car, and there's not a grocery store within miles and miles."

Not surprisingly, states where children have limited access to adequate meals had high poverty and unemployment rates. The 10 states with the highest child food-insecurity rates identified by Feed America had poverty rates, as well as child poverty rates, in excess of the national rate. In Mississippi the poverty rate for children was 35%, well above the national rate of 23%. Eight of the 10 states had unemployment rates exceeding the national rate of 6.6% in 2012.

According to Feeding America, prevalence of a number of chronic illnesses is higher among people living in food-insecure households. When it is difficult to find adequate meals on a regular basis, the chances of negative health outcomes go up. Fraser explained that "you have to have a healthy and nutritious diet in order to have a healthy active lifestyle — whenever that's compromised, you put that at risk." The problem can be even more severe for children. "The lack of adequate nutrition can literally change the architecture of a child's brain," Fraser pointed out.

Incidence of diabetes and obesity was especially high in the states with high rates of food-insecurity. "People who live in homes that are food-insecure have twice the rate of type 2 diabetes," said Fraser. Five states with the highest food-insecurity among children — Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, and North Carolina — had obesity rates above the national rate of 27.1%.

To identify the states with the highest rates of child food-insecurity, 24/7 Wall St. relied on Feeding America's report on state, county and congressional district level food-insecurity in the United States. The report measured limited access to adequate food based on a model incorporating factors such as food costs, unemployment, and poverty rates. For children, the model incl! uded elig! ibility for various school lunch programs. The model relied on 2012 data from the USDA, Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. We also considered 2012 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is from 2012 and 2013.

These are the states where the most children go hungry.

10. North Carolina

> Child food-insecurity: 26.7%
> Child poverty rate: 26.0% (10th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 9.2% (tied-5th highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 15.3% (17th highest)

Like many of the states with high food-insecurity among children, smaller, rural communities were more likely to struggle to limited access to food. More than 20% of individuals living in Hyde County, for example, had uncertain or inadequate access to food in 2012, among the highest rates of any county in the U.S. Poor food-security also placed people at a greater risk of negative health outcomes. In a recent Gallup poll, more than 13.2% of North Carolina residents reported that they had been diagnosed with diabetes, among the nation's highest rates. North Carolina had among the worst poverty rates in 2012, with 18% of residents living below the poverty level, compared to 15.9% nationwide. The unemployment rate was also particularly bad, at 9.2% in 2012, worse than all but a handful of states.

9. Oregon

> Child food-insecurity: 27.3%
> Child poverty rate: 23.0% (20th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 8.8% (tied-11th highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 20.1% (the highest)

More than one in five Oregon residents relied on food stamps in 2012, the highest rate in the nation. Given the importance of government assistance for families in the state, the high rate of child food-insecurity, 27.3%, may not be surprising. Some have argued that historically high housing costs — Oregon's median home price was $223,900 in 2012, compared with just $171,900 nationwide — have driven up the h! omeless r! ate in the state. According to Children First for Oregon, a non-profit, nearly 4% of Oregon public school students were homeless in recent years, nearly the highest rate nationwide. Unlike many of the states with high food-insecurity, residents tended to be in good health. Obesity, diabetes and hypertension were all below the national rate.

MORE: States with the highest (and lowest) taxes

8. Texas

> Child food-insecurity: 27.4%
> Child poverty rate: 25.8% (11th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 6.8% (16th lowest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 14.3% (23rd highest)

There were nearly seven million children living in Texas in 2012, more than any state except California. Of that number, more than 27%, or 1.9 million, had difficulty finding adequate meals over the course of the year. The problem was even worse in some small rural communities. More than 40% of children living in Zavala County, were considered food-insecure — by far the worst rate nationwide. While smaller communities tend to be more vulnerable, residents of larger communities often struggled with food-security as well. Of 15 counties with at least 100,000 food-insecure children, four were in Texas. More than one fifth of the under-18 population struggled to find adequate meals in each of these four counties. Limited access to crucial needs was hardly limited to food in Texas. No state had a greater percentage of its residents living without health insurance — 22.5% in 2012.

7. Florida

> Child food-insecurity: 27.6%
> Child poverty rate: 25.4% (13th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 8.8% (tied-11th highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 15.2% (18th highest)

Miami-Dade County was one of just 15 counties nationwide where more than 100,000 children suffered from food-insecurity. Florida had a relatively high unemployment rate in 2012 — 8.8%, compared with a 8.1% national rate in 2012. Household income, on the other hand, was just $45,040 in 2012, considerably lo! wer than ! the national median of $51,371. Like Texas, Florida residents had among the lowest rates of health insurance — 20.1% of residents were uninsured in 2012. Low health insurance coverage only makes matters worse when limited access to food is already producing poor health outcomes. Floridians were more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes and to have previously suffered a heart attack than Americans in most other states.

MORE: Ten states with the lowest unemployment

6. Arkansas

> Child food-insecurity: 27.7%
> Child poverty rate: 28.5% (3rd highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 7.5% (22nd lowest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 15.5% (14th highest)

Like several states with poor food-security for children, Arkansas struggles with low median incomes and high poverty rates. A typical household in the state earned just over $40,000 in 2012. One in five state residents was living in poverty that year, higher than all but a handful of states. Poverty was even worse among children. Nearly 30% of residents under age 18 were living in poverty that year, third-highest nationally. Poor food-security can lead to poor health outcomes, such as obesity. More than 32% of Arkansas residents were obese last year, among the highest rates nationwide.

5. Nevada

> Child food-insecurity: 28.1% (tied-4th highest)
> Child poverty rate: 24.0% (17th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 11.5% (the highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 12.6% (19th lowest)

Food-insecurity among children is often reflected by participation in various school lunch programs. At least half of Nevada children were eligible for reduced lunch programs, actually lower than the nation rate — 80% of American children are eligible nationally. However, Nevada's state government has recognized that at least 20 rural schools did not know about these programs or were unable to participate due to lack of resources. Among the larger counties where data was available, Clark County, which! includes! the city of Las Vegas, was home to 124,600 children living in food-insecure households, among the highest figures for all U.S. counties. A poor job market may also have contributed to food-insecurity. The unemployment rate in Nevada was 11.5% in 2012, the worst rate in the country.

MORE: The fattest states in America

4. Georgia

> Child food-insecurity: 28.1% (tied-4th highest)
> Child poverty rate: 27.2% (6th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 9.0% (8th highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 16.5% (tied-9th highest)

Like many states where child food-insecurity was prevalent, Georgia struggles with high poverty rates. Nearly one in five individuals in the state lived below the poverty line in 2012, including 27% of children, both among the worst rates nationwide. Residents also relied more heavily on food stamps than in most other states, with 16.5% collecting SNAP benefits in 2012, compared with 13.6% nationwide. Health outcomes were also poor in the state, with diabetes and obesity rates both higher than the national rate. The unemployment rate was also quite high, at 9% in 2012, worse than all but a handful of states. Muscogee and Fulton counties had unemployment above 9% and food-insecurity rates of roughly 20%.

3. Arizona

> Child food-insecurity: 28.2%
> Child poverty rate: 27.0% (7th highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 8.3% (14th highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 14.5% (22nd highest)

Nearly 250,000 children lived in food-insecure households in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, more than in all but a few counties nationwide. The food-insecurity rate in the county was 24.6%, actually lower than the statewide rate, which was more than 28% in 2012. Like most states suffering from food-insecurity, Arizona struggles with high poverty rates and a relatively high unemployment rate. The child poverty rate was 27% that year, and 8.3% of the workforce was unemployed, both among the worst nationwide.

MORE: Ten sta! tes where! inequality has soared

5 Best Quality Stocks To Own Right Now

2. Mississippi

> Child food-insecurity: 28.7%
> Child poverty rate: 34.7% (the highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 9.2% (tied-5th highest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 19.4% (2nd highest)

Mississippi was home to the county with the highest food-insecurity rate in the nation, Humphreys County, where 33% of all residents were unable to reliably find three adequate meals a day. Mississippi continued to lead the nation with a poverty rate of more than 24.2% in 2012. The poverty rate for children was even higher, at 35% — the highest rate nationwide. Low incomes in the state help explain the high poverty rates. A typical Mississippi household made less than $37,095 in 2012, a lower median income than any other state. Mississippi had the highest obesity rate of any state in 2012, and residents were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and have previously had a heart attack than the vast majority of Americans.

1. New Mexico

> Child food-insecurity: 29.2%
> Child poverty rate: 29.3% (2nd highest)
> 2012 Unemployment rate: 7.1% (22nd lowest)
> Pct. with SNAP benefits: 16.5% (tied-9th highest)

Nearly 30% of children were living in food-insecure households in New Mexico, the highest rate in the country. While unemployment was actually lower than the national rate, at 7.1% in 2012, the state has struggled with a low median income and high poverty rates. More than 20% of all individuals, and nearly 30% of children, lived below the poverty line in 2012, both second-worst in the nation. New Mexico's poverty problem is among the nation's oldest and most severe. According to the USDA, the state is designated as an area of "persistent poverty" with the problem extending back to at least the 1970 Census.

24/7 Wall St. is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and comm! entary. I! ts content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now

�According to�GuruFocus list of 52-week lows, these Guru stocks have reached their 52-week lows.

Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (TLK) Reached the 52-Week Low of $34.63

The prices of Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (TLK) shares have declined to close to the 52-week low of $34.63, which is 33.3% off the 52-week high of $50.61. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero) Tbk is owned by five Gurus we are tracking. Among them, two have added to their positions during the past quarter. Two reduced their positions.

PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk provides telecommunication services to the individual and home customers, companies, and institutions in Indonesia. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (persero) Tbk has a market cap of $84.07 billion; its shares were traded at around $34.63 with a P/E ratio of 19.50 and P/S ratio of 3.24. The dividend yield of Telekomunikasi Indonesia (persero) Tbk stocks is 3.73%. Telekomunikasi Indonesia (persero) Tbk had an annual average earnings growth of 0.30% over the past 10 years.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Rewards Nexus Inc (ERNI)

Rewards Nexus Inc., formerly NIS Holdings Corp., incorporated on June 21, 2004, through its subsidiaries, operates in the loyalty/rewards industry. The Company has launched the Earn IQ rewards program, a consumer loyalty platform-coupled with marketing and advertising services for various industries.

The Company provides consumers with opportunities to interact and engage with online and mobile products. It primarily focuses on various business sectors, including the customer loyalty management market, the gift card industry, the online food ordering industry, and the marketing consulting industry

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Rewards Nexus Inc (OTCMKTS: ERNI), MyEcheck Inc (OTCMKTS: MYEC) and ITonis Inc (OTCMKTS: ITNS) fell 29.6%, 18.92% and 9.09%, respectively, last Friday. Moreover, some of these small cap stocks are already making big moves again this morning - perhaps in part because they have all been the subject of recent paid promotions. So where are these small cap heading this week and for the long term? Here is a quick reality check:

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: China Teletech Holding Inc (CNCT)

China Teletech Holding, Inc., formerly Guangzhou Global Telecom, Inc., incorporated on March 29, 1999, is a distributor of pre-paid calling card and integrated mobile phone handsets and a provider of mobile handset value-added services. The Company serves as one of principal distributors of China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile products in Guangzhou City. The Company is also developing an on-line refill platform with China Mobile to develop its on-line business in the Guangdong Province. On March 30, 2012, the Company acquired China Teletech Limited.

The Company operates its business through its subsidiaries in China: Guangzhou Renwoxing Telecom Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Global Telecommunication Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Rongxin Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Rongxin Investment Co., Ltd. The Company also engages in the business of wholesale and distribution of mineral water, as well as trading of wine in China. The Company has cooperative distribution relationships with Panasonic, Motorola, LG, GE, Bird, Samsung corporations for their mobile handsets.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch)-- Hong Kong stocks rose early Thursday, as China Mobile Ltd. shined on news of iPhone pre-orders hitting 1 million units. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) added 0.6% to 23,032.09. Market heavyweight China Mobile (HK:941) (CHL) rallied 0.9%, as the world's largest mobile carrier said it has received more than 1 million pre-orders for the iPhone before it goes on sale in the carrier's stores on Friday, at a time when Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Tim Cook visited Beijing for future cooperation between the two giants. Telecom equipment shares also advanced, with ZTE Corp. (HK:763) (ZTCOF) rising 1.2%. Meanwhile, China Mobile's smaller rivals slipped, as China Unicom (HK:762) (CHU) dropped 0.7%, and China Telecom (HK:738) (CNCT) fell 0.5%. China South City Holdings (HK:1668) , a developer of logistics and trade centers, surged 56%, after the company announced that Internet giant Tencent Holdings (HK:700) (TCTZF) would invest about 1.5 billion Hong Kong dollars ($195 million) for an almost 10% stake in the developer in order to expand their business online, including e-commerce and online payment services. Tencent Holdings (HK:700)

Top Solar Companies To Watch In Right Now: NII Holdings Inc.(NIHD)

NII Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides wireless communication services under the Nextel brand name to businesses and individuals in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Its services include mobile telephone service; Nextel Direct Connect service, which allows subscribers to talk to each other on a push-to-talk basis for private one-to-one calls or on group calls. The company also provides value-added services, including text messaging services; mobile Internet services; e-mail services; location-based services, such as the use of global positioning system technologies; digital media services; and a set of applications available via its content management system and the Android open application market. In addition, it offers business solutions, such as security, work force management, logistics support, and other applications to improve productivity; and international roaming services. NII Holdings, Inc. sells its products and services through direct sales representatives, indirect sales agents, retail stores, kiosks, and Website. The company was formerly known as Nextel International, Inc. and changed its name to NII Holdings, Inc. in December 2001. NII Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Reston, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The search for bullish trading ideas isn't exactly a simple task today, given the bearish environment. That makes the solid bullishness from NII Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:NIHD) just that much sweeter. In fact, the chart looks so good and so healthy - in spite of Monday's marketwide drubbing - NIHD may be worth a shot.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Latin American mobile telecom NII Holdings (NASDAQ: NIHD  ) reported earnings Thursday, featuring revenues down 13%, to $1.41 billion for the first quarter of 2013, and a $208 million consolidated net loss�-- but that wasn't all NII had to report. It's also got itself a new Chief Executive Officer.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: QUALCOMM Incorporated(QCOM)

QUALCOMM Incorporated engages in the development, design, manufacture, and marketing of digital wireless telecommunications products and services. The company operates in four segments: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT), Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL), Qualcomm Wireless and Internet (QWI), and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI). The QCT segment develops and supplies code division multiple access (CDMA)-based integrated circuits and system software for wireless voice and data communications, multimedia functions and global positioning system products. The QTL segment grants licenses to use portions of its intellectual property portfolio comprising patent rights useful in the manufacture and sale of wireless products, such as products implementing cdmaOne, CDMA2000, WCDMA, CDMA TDD, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and/or OFDMA standards and their derivatives The QWI segment consists of Qualcomm Internet Services that provides content enablement services for the wireless industry and pu sh-to-talk and other products and services for wireless network operators; Qualcomm Government Technologies, which offers development, hardware, and analytical services to the United States government agencies involving wireless communications technologies; Qualcomm Enterprise Services that provides satellite and terrestrial-based two-way data messaging, position reporting, wireless application services, and managed data services to transportation and logistics companies and other enterprise companies; and Firethorn, which builds and manages software applications that enable mobile commerce services. The QSI segment makes strategic investments to support the worldwide adoption of CDMA- and OFDMA-based technologies and services. QUALCOMM Incorporated primarily operates in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Perhaps the biggest wild card of them all is speculation that a buyer could swoop AMD up without anyone noticing. This buyout is not even really a rumor, but as Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM), ARM Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: ARMH) and others want a better way to compete against Intel, we do not view this as impossible.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: IN Media Corp (IMDC)

IN Media Corporation, formerly Tres Estrellas Enterprises, Inc., incorporated on March 5, 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses on providing integrated Internet protocol television (IPTV) services for platform providers for any device from large screen televisions to handheld mobile phones. It provides a combination of hardware, software, manufacturing and content services for platform providers to either complete their offerings or provide an all-in-one solution. On October 16, 2009, the Company executed an agreement between In-Media Corporation (In-Media) and the Company, subsequent to which In-Media was merged into the Company.

The Company�� partnerships with platform providers, such as Comcast, AT&T, DirecTV, provide an installed base of customers, as well as allowing platform providers to be the billing and service interface to customers. The Company is focusing on its first implementation in China through its Chinese distributor, which will include provision of set top boxes (STB)-related system support, reference platforms and technology, and access to over 4,000 titles of Hollywood and Bollywood movies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks IN Media Corp (OTCMKTS: IMDC), Epazz Inc (OTCMKTS: EPAZ) and Polaris International Holdings (OTCMKTS: PIHN) have been busy developing new devices/products or making acquisitions. Moreover, at least two of these small cap stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. Keeping that in mind, will new devices/products or acquisitions help these small caps along with their investors or traders? Here is a closer look:

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Elisa Oyj (ELI1V)

Elisa Oyj is a Finland-based Company engaged in the provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services in Finland and Estonia. The Company operates within two business segments: Consumer Customers and Corporate Customers. The Consumer Customers segment provides consumers and households with telecommunications services, such as voice and data services. The Corporate Customers segment provides to the corporate and community customers voice and data services, ICT solutions and contact center services. All the services are provided under the Elisa and Saunalahti brands. The Company�� global alliance partners are Vodafone and Telenor. The Company operates through its subsidiaries, including Appelsiini Finland Oy, Arediv Oy, Ecosite Oy and Elisa Eesti As, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Ewing]

  A sale would provide the shareholders with cash, while potentially strengthening DNA against larger rivals Elisa Oyj (ELI1V) and TeliaSonera AB. (TLSN) The IPO could be the biggest in Finland, home of Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) and ��ngry Birds��maker Rovio Entertainment Oy, since 2005.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Vivendi SA (VIVHY.PK)

Vivendi SA (Vivendi), incorporated on December 18, 1987, is a communications and entertainment company. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had six business segments: Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, SFR, Maroc Telecom Group, GVT (Holding) S.A. (GVT) and Canal+ Group. Activision Blizzard develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software, online or on other media (such as console and personal computer (PC)). Universal Music Group is engaged in the sale of recorded music (physical and digital media), exploitation of music publishing rights, as well as artist services and merchandising. SFR is engaged in the phone services (mobile, broadband Internet and fixed) in France. Maroc Telecom Group is a telecommunication operator (mobile, fixed and Internet) in Africa, principally in Morocco, as well as in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali. GVT is a Brazilian fixed and broadband operator. Canal+ Group is engaged in publishing and distribution of pay-television mainly in France, in both analog and digital (terrestrially, via satellite or ADSL), as well as film production in Europe. In July 2013, Vivendi SA and Universal Music Group announced the completion of the sale of Parlophone Label Group to Warner Music Group Corp.

On November 13, 2009, Vivendi acquired an aggregate of 29.9% of GVT�� outstanding voting shares from Swarth Investments LLC, Swarth Investments Holdings LLC and Global Village Telecom (Holland) BV. In addition, Vivendi acquired from third parties an additional 8% interest in GVT's outstanding shares. On December 28, 2009, Canal+ Group, Vivendi�� subsidiary, acquired TF1�� 9.9% interest in the capital of Canal+ France. On July 31, 2009, Maroc Telecom acquired 51% controlling interest in Sotelma. On August 27, 2009, CID, a company 40% owned by SFR and 60% by other financial investors, acquired the 62% interest in 5 sur 5.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Rodawig]

  Activision Blizzard (ATVI) is the world's largest and most successful video game developer, and is majority owned (61%) by French telecom and media conglomerate Vivendi (VIVHY.PK). Vivendi has been undergoing a massive strategic review with the intent to reduce debt and unlock the value of its assets that has fueled speculation surrounding ATVI. In conjunction with this, ATVI CFO Dennis Durkin announced on the 4Q12 earnings call

• [By Mike Arnold]

  I normally don't look at charts much, but comparing Orange to its competitors in the French telecommunications market is quite fascinating. As one can see, incumbents Bouygues (BOUYF.PK) and Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) (owner of SFR) saw similar price declines. The market, on the other hand, rapidly bid up the price of new entrant Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK), as a result of forecasts for Iliad to capture significant mobile market share (which it did, around 10%). The wide divergence in price relative to changes in underlying value favor going long the incumbents, including Orange. Because this time it's different.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own 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 Rick Munarriz]

  Finally, we have Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT  ) besting the pros on the bottom line. Despite posting revenue that dipped slightly sequentially and year over year, the provider of Web-based communications services posted an adjusted loss of just $0.13 a share.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Company Dell Inc. (DELL) Chesapeake Energy (CHK) DirecTV (DTV) Loews (L) Walt Disney (DIS) Aon Plc (AON) The Travelers Companies (TRV) Level 3 Communications (LVLT) FedEx (FDX) Bank of New York Mellon (BK)
  Learn more about Mason and his views on the present economy in his second-quarter letter here. See his portfolio here.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Koninklijke KPN NV (KPN)

Koninklijke KPN NV (KPN) is a Netherlands-based telecommunications and information and communication technology (ICT) service provider. It is divided in two business areas: the Netherlands and Mobile International. The Netherlands includes segments: Mobile Consumer, which offers voice, text and data services, and mobile wholesale; Consumer Residential, providing fixed line services; Business, responsible for wireline and wireless voice and Internet, Cloud and integrated packages for corporate clients; NETCO, which offers wireless, copper and fiber network infrastructure and services for retail and wholesale customers; and Corporate Network, which provides solutions for workspace management, connectivity, information security and data centers, cloud-based and traditional software services and consulting. Mobile International consists of segments such as Germany, Belgium, Rest of the world; and iBasis, providing wholesale voice services and terminating of international calls worldwide. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Royal KPN NV (KPN), the former Dutch phone monopoly, surged 13 percent to 1.80 euros as three people familiar with the matter said Telefonica SA is in advanced talks to take over its German mobile-phone business.

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc each slipped at least 1 percent as crude declined after the U.K. parliament rejected a motion for military action against Syria. Royal KPN (KPN) NV slid 3.4 percent after America Movil SAB said it may withdraw its takeover bid if opposed by the company�� independent foundation. Hermes International SCA climbed 2.1 percent after reporting operating profit that surpassed analysts��estimates.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  KPN (KPN) surged 16 percent to 2.32 euros as America Movil offered 2.40 euros a share for the company. The price -- a 20 percent premium to KPN�� close yesterday -- would value the stake that America Movil doesn�� already own at 7.2 billion euros ($9.6 billion). The Mexican mobile-phone operator has a 29.8 percent holding in KPN. An agreement between the two companies to limit America Movil�� stake to 30 percent expired after KPN agreed last month to sell its German business E-Plus to Telefonica SA.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Own Right Now: Verizon Communications Inc.(VZ)

Verizon Communications Inc. provides communication services. The company operates through two segments, Domestic Wireless and Wireline. The Domestic Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data services; and sells equipment in the United States. The Wireline segment provides voice, Internet access, broadband video and data, Internet protocol network, network access, long distance, and other services in the United States and internationally. The company serves consumer, business, and government customers, as well as carriers. As of December 31, 2010, its network covered a population of approximately 292 million and provided service to a customer base of approximately 94.1 million. The company was formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation and changed its name to Verizon Communications Inc. in June 2000. Verizon Communications Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alyssa Oursler]

  When investors looks for dividends, they often opt for venerable blue-chips like Verizon (VZ), Procter & Gamble (PG) or McDonald’s (MCD). But it’s important to remember that size — or the size of the company, that is — isn’t everything.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Shares of Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) have declined by 0.4% this afternoon on little news. But over the past few months, the company has found itself constantly making news headlines. Verizon's potential buyout of Vodafone's stake in the companies' joint venture, its fight with AT&T for dominance of the American consumer, and Sprint's ongoing buyout saga have clouded Verizon's long-term outlook. But Verizon did recently finish its rollout of its 4G LTE network, which now covers more than 99% of those who once had Verizon's 3G service. Today's move lower is unexplainable, and investors shouldn't be too concerned with it, as the company is financially strong and continues to lead telecommunications companies into the next generation of service.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Shares of AT&T (NYSE: T  ) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) rose an astonishing 1.38% and 1.12%, respectively, today despite being two of only seven Dow components ending the day in the black. The index itself lost more than 175 points today, or 1.07%. The likely cause for the move higher was an announcement made yesterday by AT&T that it would be reporting a non-cash gain of $7.6 billion from its pension plan due to better-than-expected performance of the company's pension during 2013. Verizon recently reported a similar event when it said that it would report a $6 billion gain from its pension obligation. What this essentially means is that the amount each company will need to add to its employee's pension funds has just dropped by a massive amount, and thus, more money can be used for business operations, or given back to shareholders.�

10 Worst “Strong Sell” Stocks This Week — RCII INFI QSII and more

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This week, these ten stocks have the worst year-to-date performance. Each of these also rates an “F” (“strong sell”) on Portfolio Grader.

Share prices of RentACenter, Inc. () are down 22.1% since the first of the year. Rent-A-Center operates in the rent-to-own industry in the United States. As of April 24, 2014, 18.7% of outstanding RentACenter, Inc. shares were held short. .

Since January 1, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. () has fallen 22.1%. Infinity Pharmaceuticals researches and develops cancer drugs. .

Shares of Quality Systems, Inc. () have dipped 22.3% since the first of the year. Quality Systems develops and markets healthcare information systems. Trade volume is up 199.2% from the previous week. The stock’s trailing PE Ratio is 133.70. .

Since January 1, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. () has plunged 23.6%. American Eagle Outfitters designs, markets, and sells its own brand of low-price clothing, accessories, and personal care products for young adults. The stock has a trailing PE Ratio of 26.40. .

Since the first of the year, the price of Clean Energy Fuels () is down 29.2%. Clean Energy Fuels sells natural gas fueling solutions to its customers mainly in the United States and Canada. As of April 24, 2014, 19.9% of outstanding Clean Energy Fuels shares were held short. .

5 Best Quality Stocks To Own Right Now

The price of Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. () is down 31.2% since the first of the year. Alpha Natural Resources produces, processes and sells steam and metallurgical coal. As of April 24, 2014, 22.5% of outstanding Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. shares were held short. .

Since the first of the year, Weight Watchers International, Inc. () has tumbled 35.5%. Weight Watchers is a provider of weight management services, operating globally through a network of company-owned and franchise operations. As of April 24, 2014, 19.1% of outstanding Weight Watchers International, Inc. shares were held short. Shares of the stock are being traded at a very rapid pace, up 120.3% from the week prior. .

The price of UTi Worldwide () has fallen 39.5% since the first of the year. UTi Worldwide is a supply chain services and solutions company. As of April 24, 2014, 10% of outstanding UTi Worldwide shares were held short. .

Shares of Walter Energy () have slumped 46.6% since the first of the year. Walter Energy is a producer and exporter of metallurgical coal for the global steel industry. As of April 24, 2014, 13.3% of outstanding Walter Energy shares were held short. .

Shares of Aeropostale, Inc. () have slipped 47.1% since January 1. Aeropostale is a mall-based specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories. As of April 24, 2014, 28.5% of outstanding Aeropostale, Inc. shares were held short. .

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

4 Potential Suitors for Onyx

Editor's Note: This article was edited to incorporate breaking news that Pfizer is not planning a bid for Onyx Pharmaceuticals.

The "people familiar with the matter" are out in full force spouting off about who's bidding for Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ONXX  ) , reports Reuters and The Wall Street Journal complete with an update that Pfizer  has decided not to put in a bid.

The insiders -- most likely Onyx's bankers -- release the confidential information to help drive up the price. You'll recall that Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) recently made an unsolicited bid for $120 per share that Onyx rejected before putting itself on the auction block. The more potential bidders, the higher Amgen has to raise its bid, assuming, of course, that Amgen believes what's reported in the press.

Top 10 Communications Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now

The news flow also encourages shareholders to hold the course; shares currently trade well above the $120 offer. The bidding process will take awhile, and if shares fall, it's easier for bidders to justify a lower final offer.

Of course shares fell when Pfizer was taken out of the list today, so the unnamed sources might have other agendas.

Here's a look at the potential suitors, assuming the bankers are telling the truth, of course.

Obvious
It's not surprising to see Amgen in the mix of bidders given its initial interest. With its oncology focus, Onyx would be a nice fit. At $10 billion, buying Onyx would be the largest purchase Amgen has made since it bought Immunex more than a decade ago. With more than $20 million in the bank, though, Amgen can certainly afford it.

Big pharma
The two big pharma being mentioned by the insiders, Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY  ) , are the two obvious choices given their focus on oncology.

Bristol has build much of its medicine bag and pipeline through acquisitions in a strategy it calls "string of pearls," so acquiring Onyx would just be adding another pearl -- albeit a rather large one. A knock on a big pharma company buying Onyx is that it would have to work with Onyx's partner, Bayer, co-marketing their cancer drug Nexavar, but that shouldn't phase Bristol given that it's worked with Sanofi selling Plavix and more recently hocking diabetes drugs with AstraZeneca.

Onyx would have been an interesting fit with Pfizer. They're competitors of sorts since Pfizer's Sutent works in basically the same way as Onyx's Nexavar. But the companies have found separate niches with Sutent getting most of its sales from kidney cancer and Nexavar focused on liver cancer, even though it's also approved for kidney cancer. Onyx and Pfizer also have a partnership for another cancer drug in development, palbociclib, so buying Onyx would save Pfizer the having to pay the royalty if the drug is approved. I guess the hassle of having two related drugs outweighed the advantage of losing the royalty payment.

Dark horse
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD  ) , the final name mentioned by the insiders, has been slowly building out its oncology franchise through multiple acquisitions and even an academic partnership.

Gilead has six oncology drugs in the pipeline, but hasn't gained FDA approval for an oncology drug yet. Purchasing Onyx would give it a couple of marketed products and thus a built in sales force.

Gilead doesn't have the cash to make the purchase, though. At the end of the first quarter, the biotech only had less than $2 billion in the bank. Of course, capital is still cheap, so issuing bonds to pay for the purchase is an option.

Buy?
I could see any of the  three companies mentioned eventually buying Onyx. Of all the companies, Gilead could benefit the most from purchasing Onyx, although I think it's probably the least likely to pull the trigger.

The concern for shareholders of the potential buyers isn't whether they should buy, but whether they'll overpay. Getting in a bidding war for a company that's already increased in value over 75% this year can be dangerous.

I think there's probably some room to go higher. My Foolish colleague Sean Williams did a good job breaking down Onyx's assets, coming up with a potential price of $145 per share based on 2.5 times peak sales, which seems reasonable to me, but whether a potential acquirer will see it that way remains to be seen. It's possible that Pfizer is dropping out because the cost is too high.

A deal probably gets done, but counting on other companies makes it hard to asses the risk-reward, making it hard to recommend buying Onyx at this point.

A better investment strategy is to pick great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" not only shares stocks that could help you build long-term wealth, but also winning strategies that every investor should know. Click here to grab your free copy today.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Invest In Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Sigma Designs (SIGM) is tumbling on Thursday after posting a net loss and lower revenue in its year-ending quarter.

By midday, shares had slipped 8.8% to $4.38.

The servers and systems chipmaker reported a net loss of 13 cents a share in the three months to January. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected profits of a penny a share.

Revenue of $38.5 million fell short of expectations for $42.62 million. Must Read: Warren Buffett's 10 Favorite Growth Stocks STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more. TheStreet Ratings team rates SIGMA DESIGNS INC as a Sell with a ratings score of D. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation: "We rate SIGMA DESIGNS INC (SIGM) a SELL. This is driven by a few notable weaknesses, which we believe should have a greater impact than any strengths, and could make it more difficult for investors to achieve positive results compared to most of the stocks we cover. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its weak operating cash flow and generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself." You can view the full analysis from the report here: SIGM Ratings Report STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Jinpan International Limited(JST)

Jinpan International Limited engages in the design and manufacture of cast resin transformers for voltage distribution equipment. Its cast resin transformers allow high voltage transmissions of electricity to be distributed to various locations in lower, more usable voltages. The company provides medium voltage cast resin transformers for various end uses and applications, including industrial, infrastructure, and municipal projects, such as factories, real estate developments, airports, and subway systems. It also offers switchgears, which enable operators of a power distribution network to switch equipment in and out of the network; line reactors that limit current, filter waveforms, and attenuate electrical noise and harmonics associated with the inverter and driver output of wind powered turbines; and unit substations, which are integrated assemblies comprising high voltage switchgear, a transformer, a low voltage switchgear, a power meter, and a power factor compensat ion device interconnected with cables or buss bars. The company?s unit substations function as miniature power distribution stations and are used in applications related to the construction and maintenance of city power networks. Jinpan International sells its products in the People?s Republic of China, the United States, and Europe. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Haikou, the People's Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Jinpan International Ltd (Nasdaq:JST), a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of cast resin dry type transformers, recently reported that its subsidiary Hainan Jinpan Electric Co. Ltd. successfully developed a 40,000KVA / 35KV cast resin dry type power transformer. The Company has shipped the transformer to the customer’s site in China’s Anhui province for installation in a transformer substation that will deliver power to gas liquification systems.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MCG Capital Corporation(MCGC)

MCG Capital Corporation is a private equity firm specializing in investments in middle market companies. The firm does not prefer investments in highly cyclical and volatile industry sectors and businesses with significant volatility exposure. It seeks to invest in small to mid sized companies. The firm prefers to invest in acquisitions, growth financings, organic growth, recapitalization, and leveraged buyouts. It invests in companies based in the United States. The firm seeks to invest upto $75 million in debt and equity in companies having revenues between $20 million and $200 million and EBITDA between $3 million and $25 million. It seeks to invest in the form of senior debt, including amortizing, bullet maturity, term loans, and revolving credit facilities; institutional sub debt, including junior capital; second lien debt, that includes term loans on sole source and participant basis; secured and unsecured subordinate loans structured as current interest, deferred in terest, and equity linked components; mezzanine debt and equity that includes minority equity investments. The firm may invest in minority or control equity positions. It was formerly known as MCG Credit Corporation. MCG Capital Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Arlington, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Equities Lab]

  The stocks that currently pass the stock screen in order of market cap are Frontier Communications Corp , Crown Media Holdings (CRWN), Vonage Holding (VG), MCG Capital Corp (MCGC), 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (FLWS), MTR Gaming Corporation (MNTG), Alaska Communications (ALSK), and Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN).

Hot Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In Right Now: China Ceramics Co. Ltd.(CCCL)

China Ceramics Co., Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of ceramic tiles used for exterior siding, interior flooring, and design in residential and commercial buildings primarily in the People's Republic of China. It offers porcelain tiles, glazed tiles, glazed porcelain tiles, rustic tiles, and ultra-thin tiles under the Hengda, Hengdeli, TOERTO, and WULIQIAO brand names. The company primarily sells its products through a distributor network, as well as directly to property developers. China Ceramics Co., Ltd. is based in Jinjiang City, the People's Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  China Ceramics Co (NASDAQ: CCCL) shares fell 2.40% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.63. China Ceramics shares have dropped 35.27% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 19.70% in the same period.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Star Gas Partners L.P.(SGU)

Star Gas Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, operates as a home heating oil distributor and services provider in the United States. It provides its services to residential and commercial customers to heat their homes and buildings. As of March 31, 2011, the company served approximately 408,000 full-service residential and commercial home heating oil, and propane customers. It also sold home heating oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel to approximately 40,000 customers. In addition, Star Gas Partners installed, maintained, and repaired heating and air conditioning equipment, as well as provided ancillary home services, including home security and plumbing to approximately 11,000 customers. Kestrel Heat, LLC operates as the general partner of the company. Star Gas Partners, L.P. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Stamford, Conn.-based Star Gas Partners (NYSE: SGU  ) is about to get a new CEO.

  The company (which, despite the name, actually spends more time delivering oil than gas for home heating), announced Tuesday that Chief Executive Officer Dan Donovan intends to retire on Sept. 30. When that happens, Chief Operating Officer Steve Goldman will move up to take the CEO's chair.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Tenet Healthcare Corporation(THC)

Tenet Healthcare Corporation, an investor-owned health care services company, operates acute care hospitals and related health care facilities. The company?s general hospitals offer acute care services, operating and recovery rooms, radiology services, respiratory therapy services, clinical laboratories, and pharmacies. It also provides intensive care, critical care and/or coronary care units, physical therapy; and orthopedic, oncology, and outpatient services; tertiary care services, such as open-heart surgery, neonatal intensive care, and neuroscience; quaternary care in areas, including heart, liver, kidney, and bone marrow transplants for children; gamma-knife brain surgery; and cyberknife surgery for tumors and lesions in the brain, lung, neck, and spine. As of June 30, 2011, it operated 49 acute care hospitals, and a critical access hospital with a combined total of 13,420 licensed beds primarily serving urban and suburban communities in 11 states of the United State s. The company also owns an interest in a health maintenance organization and operate various related health care facilities, including a long-term acute care hospital and various medical office buildings; revenue cycle management and patient communications services businesses; physician practices; captive insurance companies; and other ancillary health care businesses, such as including ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic imaging centers, and occupational and rural health care clinics. In addition, Tenet Healthcare Corporation owns an interest in a management services subsidiary that provides network development, utilization management, claims processing, and contract negotiation services to physician organizations and hospitals that assume managed care risk. Tenet Healthcare Corporation was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  The biggest concern for hospital operators is doubtful account provisions. These bad debt write-offs stem from patients who are uninsured and need treatment, but who are unable to pay the bill. Unlike insurers, hospital operators can't turn away patients in need of treatment, which means they can eat quite a bit of treatment revenue each year. HCA Holdings (NYSE: HCA  ) and Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC  ) , the two largest hospital operators in the U.S., know this all too well. In 2012, HCA wrote off nearly $3.8 billion in revenue because of patients' inability to pay, a tad more than 10% of its full-year revenue, while Tenet's doubtful account provision totaled $785 million, or nearly 8% of its total revenue. This doubtful account revenue is the main drag on hospital expansion.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of acute care and specialty hospital operators�Vanguard Health Systems (NYSE: VHS  ) and Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC  ) vaulted higher by as much as 70% and 10%, respectively, after Tenet announced a deal to buy Vanguard Health Systems.

Google: Visionary value?

More than 300 million people conduct over one billion searches on Google (GOOG)  every day; it is rapidly emerging as the dominant consumer technology company of the early 21st century.

Google's momentum coincides with Larry Page's ascent as the undisputed leader of the company. He has made Google formidably and relentlessly focused.

As futurist Ray Kurzweil has argued, the pace of change in technology is not just linear. It is exponential — or accelerating. I believe much of Page's focus on relentless innovation ties in with this important fundamental belief about this pace of technological development.

Why am I convinced Kurzweil's vision lies at the heart of Google's and Page's philosophy? In January, Google hired Kurzweil, a phenomenally accomplished entrepreneur and futurist who had never worked for anyone but himself, as director of engineering at Google.

Google is, of course, best known for its search business. But the sheer number of businesses Google is involved in borders on breathtaking.

Google generates the bulk of its revenue by delivering online advertising. It's the cash cow that allows Google to experiment with a wide range of other efforts.

Today's advertising includes videos, text, images and other interactive advertisements that run on computers and mobile devices, including smart phones and handheld computers, such as netbooks and tablets.

Businesses use Google's AdWords program to promote their products and services with targeted advertising. Its DoubleClick advertising technology creates a real-time auction marketplace for the trading of display ad space.

YouTube provides a range of video, interactive, and other advertisement formats for advertisers to reach their audience.

Google Mobile provides mobile-specific features to mobile device users, including search by voice, search by sight and search by location.

Google Chrome OS is an open source operating system with the Google Chrome Web browser as its foundation. Google also helped develop the Android mobile software platform — the #1 rival to the dominance of the Apple iPhone.

Google's "open source' approach has paid off; Google is now the number one mobile platform in the United States, with 52% market share at the end of April, according to comScore. The number of Google Play app downloads stands at more than 48 billion.

Thanks to Larry Page's commitment to dominating the Internet, Google has been diversifying into a wide range of other businesses. In 2011, they acquired Zagat, the restaurant-rating agency. In 2012, Google acquired Motorola Mobility. And Google's Shopping business has managed to list more than 1 billion products.

Google Fiber is a big and long-term bet by management, and one that potentially can transform the company's future and reshape the entire Internet. Google X, its "moonshot" research lab, is developing wearable computers and driverless cars.

Individually, each of these non-core ventures has an uncertain future. But taken together, the potential of any single, unexpected breakout product could provide a huge boost. As Google co-founder Sergey Brin put it in Google's May conference call, "The best way to predict the future is to make it."

Perhaps surprisingly, hedge funds weren't focused much on Google until Stan Druckenmiller — George Soros' former chief investment officer — picked Google as his #1 stock for the next 12 months at the Ira Sohn investment conference in April. Druckenmiller pointed out that no other U.S. company was as well positioned as Google in its market.

Google's cash hoard has ballooned to over $50 billion, even as $1 billion in spending on capital expenditures shows that Google is "investing with discipline but confidence."

With Google trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.5, the stock is not cheap. But then again, it never has been.

That said, Google's share price pulled back recently from the all-time high of $915 on May 15. So now is a particularly good time to buy Google's stock to take advantage of Google's enormous future upside.

Halliburton Company Turns to Profit in Q1; Beats Estimates (HAL)

Before Monday’s opening bell, Halliburton Company (HAL) reported higher first quarter financial results that came in above analysts’ estimates. 

HAL’s Earnings in Brief

HAL posted Q1 earnings of $622 million, or 73 cents per share, compared to a loss of $18 million or 2 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue increased to $7.35 billion from $6.97 billion last year. On average, analysts expected to see earnings of 71 cents per share and $7.24 billion in revenue. HAL noted that it expects its earnings to grow by 25% in the second quarter.

CEO Commentary

Dave Lesar, chairman, president and CEO of HAL commented:  ”I am pleased with total company revenue of $7.3 billion, which was a record first quarter for Halliburton. Operating income of $970 million was 8% higher than adjusted operating income in the first quarter of 2013, and was the result of our double-digit growth in the Eastern Hemisphere.”

HAL’s Dividend

HAL paid its last 15 cent dividend on March 26.  We expect the company to declare its next dividend in May.

Stock Performance

Halliburton shares were up 61 cents, or 1.00% during premarket trading Monday. The stock is up 20% YTD.

HAL Dividend Snapshot

As of market close on April 17, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of HAL dividends.

Why Banks Keep Messing Up With Homeowners

The following video is from Thursday's installment of The Motley Fool's Financials show, in which analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson highlight for investors the most important stock news from the financial sector.

In this segment, Matt discusses further accusations against banks that, in terms of foreclosures, they aren't adhering to what was set out in the National Mortgage Settlement. Matt and David talk about why this is concerning, and why it could potentially be a major impediment to progress, as big banks such as Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) continue to recover from the financial crisis.

Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, Financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

The relevant video segment can be found between 0:00 and 1:35.

For the full video of today's Financials show, click here.

Weibo Debut Clouds Outlook For Tech IPOs

Everyone's buzzing today about the trading debut of Weibo, following a performance by the Sina microblogging unit that was filled with mixed signals. Potential investors in the company will inevitably have many questions about Weibo's future, as it seeks to carve out a secure and profitable place for itself in China's competitive social networking (SNS) space. But from the bigger perspective, this mixed performance is the latest sign that the window of positive sentiment towards Chinese Internet IPOs is closing fast in New York, though it could remain open for perhaps another few weeks.

The exact amount of remaining time in that window is quickly becoming a key focus point, as a number of companies line up to make major offerings before sentiment falls into squarely negative territory. Major e-commerce companies JD.com and Jumei.com have both filed for offerings to raise up to $1.5 billion and $400 million, respectively; and media reported this week that e-commerce leader Alibaba could make its first filing next week for a mega New York IPO that is likely to be the world's largest Internet offering since Facebook listed in 2012.

I'll return shortly to the prospects for these major IPOs, as well as many smaller ones, but first let's start with a look at the details that are leading most observers to call Weibo's IPO decidedly mixed. The fact that the company was able to salvage even a mixed IPO is actually a positive result, since all of the signs before its trading debut were quite negative.

The company had originally planned to raise up to $500 million, but had to keep scaling back the number due to flagging demand. In the end it raised less than 60 percent of that target, taking in $286 million. (English article; Chinese article) The offering also priced at the bottom of its original range at a final price of $17 per American Depositary Share (ADS). That gave Weibo a relatively disappointing valuation of just under $3.5 billion, only slightly higher than the figure when Alibaba signed a landmark deal a year ago to buy 18 percent of the company.

All those negative signs certainly didn't point to a promising debut. But Weibo defied the trends and saw its shares climb as high as 44 percent before finally closing up a healthy 19 percent. The debut isn't quite as spectacular as previous recent ones for other Chinese Internet firms, but it does indicate there's still demand out there for these companies.

From a broader perspective, this kind of debut indicates that interest in Weibo from large institutional investors was probably weak, but that smaller retail and hedge fund investors looking to make a quick profit is still strong. That's not really the kind of market that listing candidates want to see, since longer-term institutional investors are an important stabilizing factor that helps to support a company's stock and act as a draw for smaller investors who like to follow the big money.

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So what does all this mean for the current pipeline of Chinese IPOs? I do think that smaller companies looking to raise $100 million or less should be able to move forward and list in the next 3 weeks. Such amounts are relatively small, and many investors who like these firms tend to be shorter-term buyers I described above. Among the bigger offerings, I do think that Jumei might have to scale back its offering, and either JD.com or Alibaba might be forced to delay and wait to see if sentiment improves by the end of this year.

Bottom line: The mixed performance for Weibo's IPO shows that big institutional buyers have lost interest in Chinese Internet firms, which could delay mega listing plans for JD.com or Alibaba.

Doug Young is a former China company news chief for Reuters who teaches financial journalism at Fudan University in Shanghai. To read more of his commentaries on China tech news, click on www.youngchinabiz.com.

Morgan Stanley profits up on lending, cost cutting; adviser force stable

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's first-quarter profit jumped 66% from the year-earlier period as income from lending soared and the firm continued to cut back on expenses.

The firm posted a quarterly profit of $423 million, up from $255 million in the year-earlier period, driven mainly by increases in fee revenue and net interest income. and a 6% reduction in non-compensation expenses.

The wealth management unit's profit margin was 19% in the quarter, and Ruth Porat, Morgan Stanley's chief financial officer, said that given the first-quarter trends, executives remain optimistic the firm will be able to meet its target of profit margins of 22% to 25% in the wealth management business by year-end.

“We still feel very good about that and hold that as something that we are looking to deliver and that doesn't assume any benefit from rates and the environment,” she said Thursday on a quarterly earnings conference c

Google shares plunge after results miss estimates

Google is involved in plenty of high-tech ventures, from Google Glass to its broadband-on-steroids fiber network.

But its core business — online advertising — can drive revenue up 19%, as it did in the first quarter of 2014, and still disappoint Wall Street.

The world's largest Internet search provider reported first-quarter revenue Wednesday of $15.4 billion, up from $12.95 billion in the first quarter of 2013. Profit came in at $6.27 per share, compared with $6.00 a share in the same period last year. Google was expected to make a profit of $6.40.

Google stock plummeted nearly 6% after the market closed, dropping to $524.33. In regular trading Wednesday, Google shares had gained 3.8% to $556.54, ahead of the results.

Many companies would be satisfied with such a revenue increase, but for Google "it's an average quarter from a great company," says Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners, which has a "hold" on the stock.

The first-quarter results make sense, he says, because the company's ad revenue is typically seasonal, he says. "It doesn't do as well in the first half of the year as the second half year, just because people are looking for holiday stuff and back-to-school shopping" and might click on ads as they use Google's search engine, he says.

Paid clicks, a measure of the number of times ads from Google websites and other sites were clicked on during the period, rose 26%. However, the cost per click, or CPC, which measures the revenue generated when ads are clicked on, fell about 9%.

Neither results were as good as expected, Gillis says. "Paid clicks were a little less than people were looking for, and the losses (in CPCs) were a little greater," he says. "If you have people paying less for your product, your clicks, as has happened now for about 10 quarters in a row, that's not a healthy trend."

Like other companies, Google is facing challenges in converting mobile advertising into revenue, he says. "A lot of businesses got disrupted by peop! le using smartphones instead of desktops, and Google is one of them."

Google's investments in other ventures — including cloud computing, wearables and expansion of Google Fiber — also point to potential down the road, says Colin Sebastian, an analyst with R.W. Baird & Co. "Google invests early and innovates early," says Sebastian, whose firm has an "outperform" ranking on the stock.

On Tuesday, the company did a one-day sale of its Google Glass Explorer edition, and the $1,500 wearable computing glasses sold "really fast," the company said. That same day, the company purchased drone maker Titan Aerospace.

Sebastian calls the first-quarter performance "a very slight miss. Google does not provide guidance, so there is typically quite a bit of volatility on their earnings reports."

Eventually mobile will become more profitable and more important in ad revenue, said Google senior vice president and chief business officer Nikesh Arora on a conference call with analysts after the market close.

Mobile ads will become more valuable because they can be location-based and contextual, something that will make it more likely a shopper will make a purchase based on an ad. "A whole bunch of building blocks have to come into play ... for that gap to close," he said. "That journey is just beginning on the mobile side."

Bernstein Upgrades Citi To Buy Amid ‘Increasing Confidence’ In Its Execution

Citigroup (C) was gaining ground again Tuesday, following its Monday rally on better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, thanks to an upgrade from Sanford Bernstein.

Analyst John McDonald and his team upped their rating on the stock to Outperform from Market Perform, and increased their target price by $5 to $57. They write that the move comes as they have increased confidence in Citi's ability to improve core efficiency and get on track to achieve a 0.9% return on assets—and on their belief that the firm has addressed the Fed's concerns, which puts it on the path to increasing the amount of cash it returns to shareholders.

They note that investors will need some patience to see all this happen, but see downside limited by growing book value and the company’s modest valuation. They applaud Citi's upbeat first-quarter, which they believe demonstrated "progress on core expense controls, largely stable credit (ex-known items in Mexico), and continued growth in capital levels and book value per share."

Read more highlights from the note below:

Credit costs decline sequentially on lower losses and steady reserve release. Citigroup’s provision declined by ~$100m q/q to $1.97b due to a decline in net charge-offs by roughly the same amount, as reserve release remained flattish to slightly up vs. last quarter. Adjusting for charges in 1Q related to the  PEMEX Mexico supplier fraud and a 4Q change in loss treatments at CitiFinancial and Mortgage, NCOs declined 4% q/q to $2.28b mostly on improved mortgage losses in Holdings, while Citicorp losses increased slightly on LatAm portfolio growth and seasoning. Consolidated net reserve releases of $646m remained steady q/q, with Citicorp’s net reserve release of $320m coming in bigger than expected on a ~$200m release from N.A. consumer (card). Looking ahead, we model some additional room for consolidated NCOs to fall further, driven by US mortgages, partially offset by seasoning in International consumer. However, we model all-in provision expense to increase modestly ahead as reserve releases in US card and mortgage tail off. We have total reserve release shrinking from $646m in 1Q to $422m in 2Q and down to $179m by 4Q14.

Continuing to build capital and book value, and consume DTA. The company’s Basel III capital grew 30bps sequentially to 10.4%, as a $6.3b build in Basel III capital more than offset $27b of RWA growth. Citi reduced its DTA by ~$1.1b in the quarter, providing further proof that this asset can consistently help build regulatory capital. The company also reported strong growth in its Basel III supplemental leverage ratio, which was up 20bps sequentially to 5.6%, well above the 5.0% proposed regulatory minimum for 2018. Management estimates that the adoption of the Fed’s recently announced SLR rules would have a flat to modestly positive impact on the 5.6% ratio. Citi’s TBV grew ~2% in the quarter from $55.31 to $56.40 and we model tangible book value to end 2014 at $60.50 and 2015 at $66.52.

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Management declares CCAR issues fixable, and sets its sights on 2015 return. Management indicated, based on its initial discussions with the Fed, that the regulator’s rejection of Citi’s 2014 capital plan is neither a reflection of a problem with its business model nor its ability to generate capital, but relates more to deficiencies in Citi’s models and processes around stress testing. As expected, the company could not comment further on the precise details of what it needs to fix, as it has not received the detailed written feedback from the Fed explaining its rejection and it is currently engaged in an ongoing confidential dialogue with its regulators. That being said, management did note that it is focusing 100% of its attention on getting the right people, processes and models in place to create a permanent, “industrial strength” solution that will lay the groundwork for many years of capital return, beginning with its 2015 submission. We continue to model for the company to maintain its current $0.01 per quarter dividend and its annual buyback run-rate of $1.2b through CCAR year 2014 (i.e. until 1Q15) and then ramp up capital return to $6b in share repurchases and a $0.12 per quarter dividend in CCAR year 2015, representing a ~9% dividend payout ratio and a ~40% total payout ratio.

IRS: File your taxes now, ignore Heartbleed bug

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Millions of people are filing their taxes just as governments grapple with Heartbleed, the worst privacy-killing Internet bug ever.

Is your information at risk? It depends on where you live.

The IRS said its systems weren't vulnerable to the computer bug, so U.S. folks are instructed to keep filing their taxes. But if you want a look at the potential dangers, just turn your attention to the United States' northern neighbor.

Related story: Change these passwords right now

Canada's taxing authority slammed on the brakes -- taking down its website for a few days -- after realizing its computers were exposed. Sure enough, there was a breach.

On Monday, the Canada Revenue Agency discovered that someone had exploited the Heartbleed bug to tap into its systems for six hours and grab the Social Insurance Number of 900 taxpayers. The agency has since brought its website back online, with Canadian revenue commissioner Andrew Treusch assuring it's now "safe and secure."

There's no sign the same thing has happened at the IRS. But with so many people filing taxes via big tax preparers and local independent accountants, there's cause for concern.

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The nation's largest tax preparers say they dodged the bullet. Intuit (INTU), maker of the popular TurboTax software program, said it wasn't affected by Heartbleed. But just in case, the company has taken security measures to make sure no one can trick your computer into visiting a fake TurboTax website.

H&R Block (HRB) said it's still reviewing its computer systems but has "found no risk to client data." It isn't clear whether the H&R Block was ever vulnerable or if it was, then patched it. The tax preparer told CNN its websites weren't using the vulnerable version of OpenSSL, the program that encrypts sensitive information for security purposes.

&nb! sp; Heartbleed: 'Secure' internet wasn't safe

However, there's no way to make sure you weren't spied on while filing your taxes, even if the chances were probably slim. The way Heartbleed works -- poking a hole in the way people communicate online -- is complicated. And it affects a lot of the equipment used by websites, big employers and small businesses everywhere. That means online communication might not have been safe at work or at home. It's difficult to be certain you were never exposed.

Small businesses aren't likely to upgrade their systems anytime soon, so it's worth asking your accountant if they've reviewed their computer system. It's not an easy task.

If you filed online, your best bet is to check that the website you use doesn't rely on the vulnerable version of the OpenSSL program -- or at least patched it right away. Some companies are issuing statements online to guide customers.

Related story: Heartbleed 101

Tom Cross is the director of security research at Lancope, which makes hardware that helps companies investigate breaches. He offers this as consolation: Most major websites moved fast to fix this.

But the reality is that the bug left many systems exposed for more than two years now. And the last week has provided a brief window that's especially unsafe because now the vulnerability is known publicly.

There is another option though. You can just file your taxes the old way: slip the check into an envelope, lick it shut and drop it into a mailbox.

That's the advice of Darren Hayes, a cybersecurity researcher. It sounds odd coming from someone who teaches computer science at Pace University. But he said, "The more you know tech, the more tech you shy away from sometimes."

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Seats in the economy section of large planes can vary in width -- some planes offer seats that are 17 inches wide while others offer a roomier 19 inches.

LONDON (CNNMoney) Airbus is calling on the airline industry to require wider seats on long-haul flights, citing a new study that found that just an extra inch of room vastly improves in-flight comfort and sleep quality.

The study from The London Sleep Centre found that seats, with a width of 18 inches, led to a 53% improvement in passenger sleep quality compared to the 17-inch standard offered by many airlines.

Airbus, part of the pan-European aerospace conglomerate EADS (EADSF), is hoping that all airlines will adopt the 18-inch standard for long-haul flights.

Airbus' call seemed more like a missive aimed at its rival across the ocean, Boeing (BA, Fortune 500), which makes planes with narrower seats, said U.S.-based airline consultant Jay Sorensen from IdeaWorksCompany.

Hot Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Vodafone Group PLC (VOD)

Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), incorporated in 1984, is a mobile communications company operating across the globe providing a range of communications services. The Company offers a range of products and services, including voice, messaging, data and fixed-line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their total communications needs. Vodafone has a global presence, with equity interests in over 30 countries and over 40 partner markets worldwide. It operates in three geographic regions: Europe, Africa and Central Europe; Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has an investment in Verizon Wireless in the United States. In October 2010, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the business within Vodafone, announced the acquisition of two telecom expense management (TEM) companies, Quickcomm and TnT Expense Management. In November 2011, the Company sold 24.4% interest in Polkomtel in Poland. In March 2012, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone, purchased the operating assets of Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania from the Company. In April 2012, its Netherlands-based division, Vodafone Libertel BV, acquired Telespectrum-DJ. On October 31, 2012, the Company acquired TelstraClear Limited. In May 2013, Vodafone Group Plc announced launch of its carrier services business unit.

In Europe, the Company�� mobile subsidiaries and joint venture operate under the brand name Vodafone. Its associate in France operates as SFR and Neuf Cegetel, and its fixed-line communication businesses operate as Vodafone, Arcor, Tele2 and TeleTu. Vodafone�� subsidiaries in Africa and Central Europe operate under the Vodafone brand, or in the case of Vodacom and its mobile subsidiaries, the Vodacom and Gateway brands. Its joint venture in Poland operates as Polkomtel and its associate in Kenya operates as Safaricom. The Company�� subsidiaries and joint venture in Fiji operate under the Vodafone brand, and its joint venture in Australia operates under the brands V! odafone and 3. The Company�� associate in the United States operates under the brand Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone has an international customer base with 370 million mobile customers across the world as of March 31, 2011. Vodafone also caters to all business segments ranging from small-office-home-office (SoHo) and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporates and multinational corporations. Through its subsidiaries, Vodafone directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores around the world. The Company also has around 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores run through franchise and exclusive dealer arrangements.

The Company�� range of handsets covers all its customer segments and price points, and is available in a variety of designs. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), 14 new handsets were released under its own brand and it shipped 5.8 million. In addition to handsets, it supplies a range of connected smart devices. It supplies the iPhone in 19 markets. During fiscal 2011, the Company launched its USB stick based on 4G/LTE technology in Germany and Verizon Wireless launched in the United States.; Vodafone WebBox; a smartphone roaming data plan that allows the European customers to use their home data plan abroad for only 2 a day to access the Internet, emails and applications; the Android-powered Vodafone 845 and 945 devices; Vodafone TV services; Vodafone 252, which comes pre-loaded with Vodafone M-Pesa for mobile payment services and a prepaid balance indicator that helps customers to keep track of their phone credit to avoid overspending; Vodafone M-Pesa in South Africa, Qatar and Fiji; 3G services in India, and LTE services by acquiring LTE spectrum in Germany.

The Company is a carrier of mobile voice traffic in the world providing domestic, international and roaming voice services to more than 370 million customers. Its networks sent and received over 292 billion text, picture, music and video messages during fiscal 2011. The Company ! serves mo! re than 75 million customers with data services, which allow access to the Internet, email and applications on their phones, tablets, laptops and netbooks. The Company provides a range of data products, including Machine-to-machine (��2M�� connections, which allow devices to communicate with one another via built-in mobile SIM cards; Third party billing; Financial services; Near field communication (��FC��, and Mobile advertising. The Company, as of March 31, 2011, served 5.3 million M2M connections around the world. NFC allows communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. The Company has mobile advertising business in 18 countries with a range of capabilities. Over six million customers use its fixed broadband services in 13 markets to meet their total communications needs. In addition, through Gateway, it provides wholesale carrier services to more than 40 African countries. Other service revenue includes business managed services, such as secure remote network access, and revenue from mobile virtual network operators generated from selling access to its network at the wholesale level. The Company�� enterprise customers range from small-office-home-office (��oHo�� businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises (��MEs��, through to domestic and multinational companies. The Company has 34 million enterprise customers accounting for around 9% of all customers and around 23% of service revenue. The Company focuses on SoHos and SMEs to provide customers with integrated fixed and mobile communications solutions. Vodafone Global Enterprise manages the communication needs of over 560 of the multinational corporate customers. It provides a range of managed services, such as Central Ordering, Device Manager, Spend Manager Solutions, Invoice Manager, Vodafone Neverfail and Telecoms management. The Company offers a range of total communications applications, as well as services for enterprise and consumer customers. Vodafone Alw! ays Best ! Connected software enables customers to stay connected to the Internet on the available connection wherever they are by automatically managing the switching between connection types including mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and LAN. Vodafone PC Backup is an online back-up and restores service that enables users to remotely store data securely and automatically via their Internet connection.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Royston Wild]

  Today I am looking at�Vodafone� (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) �to see how it measures up.

  What are�Vodafone's earnings expected to do?

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Vodafone Group PLC (VOD)

  The guru�� third largest holding was in Vodafone Group where the guru holds on to 20,000,000 shares of the company�� stock. His holdings make up for 4.5% of his total portfolio and 0.41% of the company�� shares outstanding.

• [By Travis Hoium and Erin Miller]

  Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) and has been trying to buy Vodafone's (NASDAQ: VOD  ) 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for years, and now might be the time to make a deal. But Vodafone isn't going to give it up cheap and has been reluctant to accept offers less than $130 billion. In the video below, Erin Miller asks Fool contributor Travis Hoium how he thinks this standoff will end.

Hot Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Softbank Corp (SFTBF)

SOFTBANK CORP. is a Japan-based company that provides digital information services. The Company has six business segments. The Mobile Communication segment provides cellular phone services and sells attached cellular phone terminals. The Broadband and Infrastructure segment provides high-speed Internet access services, Internet protocol (IP) phone service, and contents. The Fixed Communication segment provides transmission services for audio and data, as well as exclusive line and data center services. The Internet Culture segment is engaged in the Internet advertising, broadband portal and auction businesses. The Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) segment sells personal computers (PCs), peripheral devices and software for PC use, as well as provides business-to-business and business-to-customer e-commerce services. The Others segment is involved in the broadcasting media, technology service, media marketing and overseas fund businesses.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- With the yen holding on to its gains and investors cautious as earnings season kicks off, Japanese stocks slid lower Friday after closing the previous day with some late-session gains. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) fell 0.9% to 14,358.28, with the Topix down 0.8%, as the dollar bought 97.36 yen, little changed from 24 hours earlier. The relatively strong yen weighed on some names with high global exposure, as Sharp Corp. (JP:6753) (SHCAF) lost 1%, Pioneer Corp. (JP:6773) (PNCOF) dropped 1.6%, and Bridgestone Corp. (JP:5108) (BRDCF) fell 1.2%. An outlook cut from Canon Inc. (JP:7751) (CAJ) helped send its shares down 1%, while rival Nikon Corp. (JP:7731) (NINOF) lost 1.8%, though Olympus Corp. (JP:7733) (OCPNF) gained 1%. Telecoms were weak, with Softbank Corp. (JP:9984) (SFTBF) falling 2.5%, KDDI Corp. (JP:9433) (KDDIF) down 1.7%, and NTT DoCoMo Inc. (JP:9437) (NTDMF)

Hot Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Stream Group Ltd (SGO)

Stream Group Limited, formerly LongReach Group Limited, is an Australia-based company operating in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The Company is engaged in the design, integration, installation and maintenance of integrated information and communications technology based products and services to the defense, public safety and security sectors, as well as for government, telecommunications and corporate customers, both locally and internationally. The Company together with its subsidiaries is also engaged in the provision of consulting services to certain key defense organizations. In January 2013, the Company sold its C4i business. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Saint-Gobain (SGO) dropped 3.7 percent to 36.87 euros. Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the stock to underweight, similar to a sell recommendation, from equal weight, saying it doesn�� see a recovery yet in the European building industry and the contribution from emerging markets will slow.

Hot Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Eutelsat Communications SA (ETL)

Eutelsat Communications SA is a France-based holding company that provides fixed satellite services. It provides four types of services, including broadcast services, such as direct-to-home and professional broadcasting; broadband services, comprising broadband Internet access; telecoms and data services to ensure permanent communications links from all points of the globe, establish or restore communications in an emergency and multicast content; as well as mobile and maritime communications, such as fleet management and on- and off-shore broadband maritime communications. It operates a fleet of satellites covering Europe, the Middle East, North and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Asia and the Americas. In January 2014, it acquired Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. and together with SES SA have completed the sale to EchoStar Corp. of Solaris Mobile Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Eutelsat Communications SA (ETL) declined 6.2 percent to 21.02 euros after predicting sales will grow by more than 2.5 percent for the year 2013 to 2014. The company, which operates 31 satellites, forecast growth of more than 5 percent for the following two years through June 2016. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its price target for the stock to 24 euros from 33 euros, saying analysts��will probably reduce their estimates following the company�� revised guidance.

Hot Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter results. CalAmp shares jumped 9.90% to $20.54 in the after-hours trading session.

  Analysts expect Xyratex (NASDAQ: XRTX) to post its Q3 earnings at $0.05 per share on revenue of $209.31 million. Xyratex shares gained 0.18% to close at $11.16 yesterday.