Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of December

 Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, many with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

BankFinancial	BFIN	12/9/2013	3.5%
Laclede Group	LG	12/9/2013	3.7%
Telus Corp	TU	12/9/2013	4.0%
Ameren Corp	AEE	12/9/2013	4.4%

Parkway Properties	PKY	12/10/2013	4.2%
Mercury General	MCY	12/10/2013	5.1%
El Paso Electric Co.	EE	12/11/2013	3.0%
Sotherly Hotels Inc	SOHO	12/11/2013	3.0%
Validus Holdings Ltd.	VR	12/11/2013	3.0%
BRE Properties	BRE	12/11/2013	3.1%
Quality Systems	QSII	12/11/2013	3.1%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. Most of the lists are free.
Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List

Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia
A Great Stocking Stuffer!

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Dividends Markets Trading Ideas

Originally posted here...

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How Good was the Earnings Season?

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2014

MoneyShow's Jim Jubak takes a critical look at the earnings season and shares his thoughts on what it may mean for 2014.

"Earnings for the third quarter are coming in above expectations!" Well, that's how excited you might be if you weren't really paying attention to where expectations were. What we've got, with about 90% of the S&P 500 companies reporting, is, we've got earnings growth, year over year, about 3.7%. That is, indeed, better than the 1% that Wall Street was expecting, but 3.7% growth year over year is certainly nothing to write home about.

Now, the thing about projections is they always start off relatively optimistic and then get, well, more pessimistic or realistic, whatever you want. So, right now, fourth quarter, Wall Street is saying, "Oh, 7% earnings growth." A month ago, they were saying 10%, so we're already starting to come down. I think we'll continue to come down further, so we're looking at maybe another quarter that sort of looks like this one, which is either exciting or not exciting, good or bad news, depending on how you feel about 3.7% earnings growth. It's really not much to look at when you're looking at an S&P that's at a historic high.

Okay, for 2014, right now, the expectations are for about 11% earnings growth. That would be a pretty good year. If you look at that and say, "Oh, okay, so S&P price right now, earnings growth of 11%, it works out to about a 14.8 PE on projected earnings," which really doesn't sound too bad for this market. It would imply that there's room for this market to move up. The question is, of course, how good that projected 11% growth is. The more that comes down, the more that the PE goes up, and the less reasonable the pricing here seems.

So, a lot of this, of course, depends on what your view of the future is. My view of 2014 is that with the Fed beginning the taper and probably bringing its purchase of treasuries and mortgage-backed assets to an end sometime in 2014, without another rate cut from the European Central Bank, with growth in China maybe being set down at 7% as opposed to 7.5%, it's hard for me to see 2014 as being a great year. If that's so, then at current levels, when you ratchet down earnings expectations, the market seems fully priced, so you're not necessarily looking for a big collapse in 2014, but it's hard to figure out exactly why, on the fundamentals, US stocks would go up.

This is Jim Jubak for the MoneyShow.com video network.

Shutdown, Schmutdown: Midwest Business Activity Surges

Hot Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images WASHINGTON -- Business activity in the U.S. Midwest surged past expectations in October as new orders hit their highest level since 2004, countering recent evidence of soft economic growth. Weekly unemployment claims also fell, in welcome news for the nation's battered labor market after the impact of a government shutdown on furloughed federal workers diminished. The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago business barometer jumped to 65.9 from 55.7, the strongest reading since March 2011 and well above the most optimistic forecast in a Reuters poll. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The U.S. job market has apparently slackened in recent months, with private-sector employers hiring fewer workers in October after uncertainty caused by budget brinkmanship in Washington dented confidence among both consumers and businesses. Given that backdrop, analysts treated the ISM-Chicago numbers with some skepticism. "The report may be exaggerating the extent of economic growth momentum," said Millan Mulraine, director of research at TD Securities (TD). Financial markets showed little reaction to the figures, with stocks lower on investor caution following recent record highs. Treasury bonds were also down modestly. Other recent data on hiring, factory output and home sales in September have suggested the economy lost a step even before the government shut down. Readings on consumer confidence this month have shown the fiscal standoff rattled households. Anxious to maintain policy support while the economy works through this soft spot, the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday extended its asset purchase campaign at a policy meeting that opted to keep buying bonds at a $85 billion monthly pace. A 16-day partial shutdown of the federal government had pushed up claims in recent weeks as furloughed workers applied for benefits, but this factor appeared to be diminishing. Claims filed by federal employees dropped 29,713 in the week ended Oct. 19 to 14,423. The shutdown ended Oct. 17. In addition, a Labor Department analyst said California, which had been dealing with a backlog, reported no carryover in claims last week from previous weeks. Technical problems as California converted to a new computer system have distorted the claims data since September, which had made it hard to get a clear read of labor market conditions. The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends, increased 8,000 to 356,250. Federal Reserve officials are closely focused on improvements in the labor market, which they have made a condition for tapering their massive bond buying program, while stressing they will wait a considerable period before beginning to raise interest rates after asset purchases have halted. Markets have pushed out their expectations for a rate hike to June 2015, when the chance of a move was priced at 60 percent. Earlier this week, the Fed funds futures contract had signaled a 52 percent chance of a hike in April 2015. The government will publish October's employment report on Nov. 8. Payrolls gained 148,000 in September, with the unemployment rate hitting a near five-year low of 7.2 percent. But if average monthly jobs growth continues at less than 150,000, where it has been over the last three months, that would make it difficult for the jobless rate to fall further.

Hot Financial Companies To Own In Right Now

Despite Walmart's (NYSE: WMT  ) success with prepaid debit cards through partnerships with Green Dot (NYSE: GDOT  ) and American Express (NYSE: AXP  ) , the retail giant has never quite been able to break into the ranks of the big boys through the launch of its own retail bank. Now, an article on Bloomberg makes this conundrum crystal clear: Banks advising the Federal Reserve have lobbied against making such a plan a reality.

Concerns about regulation
According to meeting minutes of the Federal Advisory Council unveiled through a Freedom of Information Act inquiry, the group of 12 banking representatives expressed concern over Walmart's banking ambitions and endorsed more oversight over the retailer's debit card programs.

It's not hard to understand why banks such as BB&T (NYSE: BBT  ) , PNC Financial (NYSE: PNC  ) , and Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS  ) might fear Walmart's entry into full-blown banking. As it turns out, this trepidation is long-lived, and the industry has worked tirelessly over the years to keep the giant retailer out of its neck of the woods.

Hot Financial Companies To Own In Right Now: W.P. Carey & Co. LLC(WPC)

W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides long-term sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. It invests primarily in commercial properties that are each triple-net leased to single corporate tenants, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. The company also operates as an advisor to publicly owned, non-actively traded real estate investment trusts, which are sponsored by it under the Corporate Property Associates brand name, as well as invests in similar properties. As of March 31, 2010, its portfolio comprised full or partial ownership interest in 167 properties that totaled approximately 14 million square feet. W. P. Carey & Co. LLC was founded in 1973 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Real estate investment trust W.P. Carey Inc. (WPC) announced on Tuesday that it has acquired an UK government office facility for $72 million.

  WPC has acquired an office facility from the Department of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) located in Manchester, UK. This office is leased to the DCLG on a 15 year triple net lease and is currently occupied by the UK’s tax department.

  Jennifer Lucas, Director of WPC commented: “The recent staff consolidation into the facility demonstrates that this is an important location for HMRC and supports our proven business model of acquiring key operating assets let to single tenants on long-term net-leases.”

  W.P. Carey shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Tuesday. The stock is up 27% YTD.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Build-to-suite properties real estate investment trust (REIT) W.P. Carey (WPC) raised its quarterly dividend 1.2% to 87 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 31. This marks the 51st consecutive annual dividend increase for WPC.
  WPC Dividend Yield: 5.67%

Hot Financial Companies To Own In Right Now: United Overseas Bank Ltd (U11.SI)

United Overseas Bank Limited provides financial products and services. The company�s Group Retail segment offers deposits, loans, investments, credit and debit cards, and insurance products to individuals and small enterprises; wealth management and restricted products, such as structured notes, funds of hedge funds, and insurance plans to the wealthy and affluent customers; and investment management, asset management, and estate planning services to the high net worth individuals and investors. United Overseas Bank�s Group Wholesale segment provides current accounts, deposits, lending, cash management, and cross-border payments; and asset, ship, trade, and structured finance to the medium and large enterprises, corporations, financial institutions, and government-linked companies and agencies. It also offers lead managing, equity underwriting, and corporate advisory services; solution-based structures to meet clients� financing requirements in structuring, underwriting , and arranging syndicated loans, leveraged buy-outs, and project and structured finance; and underwriting and lead managing bond issues. The company�s Global Markets and Investment Management segment offers treasury products and services comprising foreign exchange, money market, fixed income, derivatives, margin trading, futures broking, gold products, structured products, and banknote services, as well as engages in asset management, proprietary investment, and liquidity and capital funds management activities. United Overseas Bank�s Other segment is involved in insurance and property-related businesses. As of March 15, 2012, the company had a network of approximately 500 offices in 19 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific, western Europe, and North America. The company was formerly known as United Chinese Bank and changed its name to United Overseas Bank Limited in 1965. United Overseas Bank was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Top Gold Companies To Buy Right Now: Apartment Investment and Management Co (AIV)

Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco), incorporated on January 10, 1994, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is engaged in the ownership and operation of a portfolio of apartment properties. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, AIMCO-GP, Inc. and AIMCO-LP Trust, it owns majority interests in AIMCO Properties, L.P., which it refers to as the Aimco Operating Partnership. The Company conducts substantially all of its business and owns substantially all of its assets through the Aimco Operating Partnership. As of December 31, 2011, Aimco�� portfolio of owned and/or managed properties consisted of 518 properties with 93,694 apartment units.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired limited partnership interests in 12 real estate partnerships that owned 15 properties and in which its affiliates served as general partner. During 2011, it acquired a vacant, 126-unit property located in Marin County, north of San Francisco, California. During 2011, it acquired 50% interest in entities that owned four contiguous properties with 142 units located in La Jolla, California. During 2011, it sold 67 consolidated properties. During 2011, the Company owned general and limited partner interests in real estate partnerships that owned approximately 123 properties.

Property Operations

The Company�� owned real estate portfolio consists of two business components: conventional and affordable property operations. Its conventional property operations consist of market-rate apartments with rents paid by the resident and included 198 properties with 62,834 units in which it held an average interest of 93% as of December 31, 2011. The Company�� affordable property operations consist of apartments with rents that are generally paid, in whole or part, by a government agency and consisted of 172 properties with 20,612 units in which it held an average interest of 59% as of December 31, 2011. The Compa! ny�� property operations are organized into two geographic areas, the West and East.

Portfolio Management

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� affordable portfolio included 172 properties with 20,612 units. As of December 31, 2011, its conventional portfolio included 198 properties with 62,834 units in 33 markets.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Apartment Investment & Management Co. (NYSE: AIV  )
  When long-term lending rates began rising dramatically just a few weeks ago, anything related to the housing sector dove, including apartment rental community operator Apartment Investment & Management, better known as AIMCO. Investors who sold may have made a big mistake, as rental communities look to be stronger than ever as the housing sector gets caught in a nasty catch-22.

Hot Financial Companies To Own In Right Now: Five Oaks Investment Corp (OAKS)

Five Oaks Investment Corp., incorporated on March 28, 2012, focused on investing in, financing and managing a leveraged portfolio of Agency and Non-Agency residential mortgage-backed securities, or RMBS, residential mortgage loans and other mortgage-related investments. The Company invests in both Agency RMBS and Non-Agency RMBS.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� portfolio consisted of Agency RMBS and Non-Agency RMBS. The Company is managed by Oak Circle Capital Partners LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Five Oaks Investment Corp. (NYSE: OAKS) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse.

  Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Hot Financial Companies To Own In Right Now: Penns Woods Bancorp Inc.(PWOD)

Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Jersey Shore State Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals, partnerships, non-profit organizations, and corporations in Pennsylvania. It accepts various time, demand, and savings deposits, including Super NOW accounts, statement savings accounts, money market accounts, fixed rate certificates of deposit, club accounts, checking accounts, and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers loan products, such as secured and unsecured business and consumer loans that include financing commercial transactions, as well as construction and residential mortgage loans, and revolving credit loans with overdraft protection. Its loan products comprise agricultural loans; commercial loans; real estate loans, including construction and land development, farmland, one-to-four family residential, multi-family, and commercial or industrial loans; and consumer loan products consisting of second mortgages, automobile financing, small loan requests, overdraft check lines, and PHEAA referral loans. In addition, the company provides insurance, securities brokerage, financial planning, safe deposit, automated teller machine, Internet, and telephone banking services, as well as annuity and mutual fund investment products. Penns Woods Bancorp operates 12 branch offices in Lycoming, Clinton, and Centre counties in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1934 and is based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Hot Financial Companies To Own In Right Now: Walker Crips Weddle Beck(WCW.L)

Walker Crips Group plc, an integrated financial services company, offers investment management services in the United Kingdom. Its services include stock broking, fund management, administrating individual savings accounts, and managing clients? deposits in the course of conducting investment business. The company?s services also comprise corporate finance, pension management and advice, corporate trustee services, structured investments design, and personal financial services; and securities trading, ISA/CTF, custody, deposit, and nominee services. In addition, it provides financial advice to individuals, partnerships, and companies; unit trust fund management to private and corporate clients; and corporate broking, as well as pension administration services. Walker Crips Group plc was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Fast-food drive-thrus are getting slower

As if the fast-food industry doesn't have enough headaches, now it's got a new one: It's getting too slow.

Never mind that its first name is "fast." The amount of time that consumers are spending waiting in lines at fast-food drive-thru windows is getting longer, not shorter, mostly due to the growing complexity of new products that the major fast-food chains are selling.

This, according to 2013 Drive-Thru Performance Study conducted for QSR Magazine, a fast-food industry trade publication. The study, to be released today, also says that industry giant McDonald's posted its slowest-ever drive-thru time in the 15-year history of the drive-thru study — requiring an average 189.5 seconds for the typical drive-thru customer to go from order to pickup. That's roughly nine seconds longer than the industry average, reports the study conducted this summer by Insula Research.

The importance of the drive-thru business to the $299 billion fast-food industry cannot be overstated. Many major chains do 60% to 70% of their business at the drive-thru. That's even nudged so-called fast-casual chains like Panera to move into the drive-thru arena and increase the number of drive-thrus it opens.

The industry issue that's slowing down service: menu bloat. Fast food's ongoing market-share battle is forcing big chains to roll out more premium and more complex products more often. "The operational pressures to assemble those items are slowing down the drive-thru," says Sam Oches, editor of QSR.

For example, Taco Bell told QSR that its Cantina Bell bowls sometimes have up to 12 ingredients — which are much more complex to assemble than, say, a Doritos Locos Taco.

There's another factor at work, too: accuracy.

"The one thing that angers a customer most is to not get the right food," says Oches. "It's possible to be too fast."

Consumers get so upset when they find the wrong kind of burger — or the wrong toppings — in their bags, that many fast-food sellers are either! slowing down the process or adding additional order-accuracy checks to assure correct orders. Some chains are "doubling down" on order accuracy, says Oches.

"Customers will be patient if you give them hot, accurate orders," says Oches.

Even then, 2013 has not been the industry's best year in order accuracy, either. Order accuracy for drive-thru meals for the industry was at 87.2% this year vs. 88.8% last year. The chain ranking highest in accuracy: Chick-fil-A at 91.6%. The lowest was Burger King at 82.3%.

But Chick-fil-A customers paid for that industry-leading accuracy at the other end — they waited in the drive-thru line longer than anyone this year: 203.9 seconds, on average. By comparison, Wendy's was the fastest drive-thru, at an average 133.6 seconds, says Oches.

Top 5 China Companies To Buy For 2014

But even Wendy's has seen some increase in the time it takes to fill an order. Way back in 2003, Wendy's posted the industry's best-ever average order time of 116 seconds.

No one's since come close to that, says Oches. Not even Wendy's.

Beer sales starting to foam

Hoist one for the brewski makers.

After several difficult years brought on by the recession and evolving consumer beer-drinking habits, the beer industry reversed its downward trend last year to post both volume and dollar sales gains in the U.S. market, says a just-released report from Technomic, the research specialist.

Even then, while that upward momentum continues in 2013, it is slowing, the report says.

It's been a tough slog for the beer industry in recent years as many Millennials and other adults have increasingly favored specialty wines and distilled spirits. Just as Millennial tastes in foods have evolved away from the pedestrian, so, too, have their tastes in alcoholic beverages.

"As consumer preferences evolve, the beer market landscape is changing," says Eric Schmidt, director or research at Technomic. Much of the industry momentum continues to come from imported and craft beers, flavored malt beverages and cider, he says.

BEER MAN: Shiner Oktoberfest a treat for the season

But craft beers — which typically have distinct flavor and are produced in smaller quantities — went ballistic. Craft beer sales grew a whopping 14.4% and now account for 6.3% of the beer category. And the category's jet-propelled growth is continuing in 2013, the report says.

Total beer volume increased 1.2% to 2.8 billion cases – driving retail sales up 3.5% to $62.3 billion in 2012, Technomic reports. By comparison, volume decreased 1.3% in 2011. The main drivers for the sales boost: growth in the super premium categories such as Blue Moon and in retro-hip brands like Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Perhaps just as important: the mainstream domestic beer category's rate of decline slowed in 2013, says Schmidt. Light beer remained the largest category and volume grew slightly as Bud Light was flat, Coors light grew and Bud Light Plantinum added 20,000 cases to the market, he says.

Some of that growth may have been fueled by increased ad spending by beer makers! , says the report. Beer marketing spending in major media outlets grew 6.5% to $1.3 billion in 2012. Television accounted for more than two-thirds of the spending.

BEER MAN: New Glarus scores win with Strawberry Rhubarb

At the same, time beer drinkers are:

• Opting for pricer beer. Super-premium domestic, craft, imported beer and cider categories together added 44.9 million cases to the market.

• Selecting more cider. The major beer makers continued diving into the category in 2013, including Heineken with Strongbow, Anheuser-Busch InBev with the rollout of its Stella Artoise Cidre and the debut of Mike's Hard Smashed Apple.

• Drinking more beer at restaurants. On-premise sales of beer grew 2.5% last year.

Kabe Exploration Announced Loan Agreement with Phoenix Group Capital Markets (OTCMKTS:KABX, OTCMKTS:CLNO)

Kabe Exploration, Inc (KABX)

Today, KABX surged (+25.00%) up +0.0020 at $.0100 with 309,514 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:06PM EDT July 9, 2013).

Kabe Exploration, Inc. previously reported it has secured a bridge loan with Phoenix Group Capital Markets, a UK holding company, through its wholly owned micro-cap investment fund. The bridge loan was secured with restricted stock for operating capital purposes. The company had previously entered into a $5,000,000 Reserve Equity Financing Agreement with Phoenix Group in a term sheet announced in May. "This bridge loan affirms the level of investment confidence we are seeing from the professional investment community," said Erik Ulsteen, the company's CE

Kabe Exploration, Inc (KABX) 5 day chart:

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO)

Today, CLNO has surged (+0.04%) 0.000 at $.259 with 229,233 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 3:24PM EDT July 9, 2013).

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CLNO) (www.cleantechtransit.net ) through its Discovery Carbon subsidiary, develops emissions offset strategies for companies, municipalities, and countries. Today, CLNO has surged (+0.04%) 0.000 at $.259 with 229,233 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 3:24PM EDT July 9, 2013). Earlier this morning (July 8), this company hit as low as $.222 and as high as $.265.

Could it be because of CLNO previously announced it plans to change its name to EQCO2, Inc. and also the plan for a 1 for 5 forward stock split for its common stock? (July 5) Cleantech announced that the process for both is underway and is expected to occur before the end of July.

FYI – (July 5) Cleantech Transit, Inc. Files SEC form 8-K http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=9389837

FYI – (July 3) Cleantech Transit, Inc. Files DEF 14C http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=9386382

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO ) 5 day chart:

ANGO Beats on Earnings, Loss Narrows - Analyst Blog

AngioDynamics' (ANGO) adjusted earnings of 7 cents per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents and increased more than twofold year over year. Adjusted earnings in the reported quarter exclude one-time expenses such as product recalls, Quality Call to Action program expenses, LC Beads, acquisition and restructuring charges.

The N.Y.-based therapeutic and diagnostic devices maker reported a net loss of $0.9 million (or 2 cents per share) compared with a net loss of $7.0 million (or 27 cents per share) in the year-ago quarter.

For fiscal 2013, adjusted earnings of 35 cents per share (up 66.7% year over year) beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 34 cents. Results achieved the higher end of the company's guidance. AngioDynamics reported a net loss of $0.6 million (or 2 cents per share) in fiscal 2013 versus a net loss of $5.1 million (or 21 cents per share) in fiscal 2012.

Revenue Analysis

Revenues declined 2% to $90.0 million on a pro forma basis, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $89 million. Pro forma results include the Navilyst acquisition and exclude the LC Beads sales. Results were lower due to difficult year-over-year comparisons. However, management is upbeat with the increased adoption of the company's latest offering, AngioVac.

Geographically, U.S. revenues dropped 6% on a pro-forma basis to $71.3 million and accounted for roughly 79% of total sales. International sales increased 14% to $18.8 million, led by strong results in Fluid Management, Vascular Access across the board and microwave performance.

For fiscal 2013, adjusted revenues edged down 0.8% to $342 million below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $346 million. Results surpassed the guidance provided by the company.

Segment Results

The company's larger Vascular business continues to disappoint with revenues dipping 4% on a pro forma basis to $75 million in the quarter. Within Vascular, revenues from the Periph! eral Vascular unit inched down 1% year over year to $48.0 million due to soft Fluid Management and Venacure EVLT sales, partially offset by solid AngioVac sales. Vascular Access revenues dropped 10% on a pro forma basis to $27 million in the quarter, as the lack of a tip location capability continues to affect the business.

Revenues from the Oncology/Surgery division (15% of total revenue) surged 18% to $13.5 million on a pro forma basis. Growth was driven by strong sales of microwave offerings and lower RF cannibalization along with impressive sale of NanoKnife in the U.S. (up 30%).

Supply Agreement revenues were $1.6 million in the reported quarter, down 31% on a pro forma basis.

Margins

Gross margin fell to 49.1% from 53.3% a year ago, primarily due to negative capacity variances driven by tempered demand in the latter half of the fiscal. Management does not expect cost reduction until the second and third quarter of fiscal 2014, despite efforts to reduce overhead structure.

Selling and marketing along with general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of sales, was 29.6% versus 37.3% in the prior year quarter. Research and development expenses (as a percentage of sales) edged down to 7.1% from 9.1%. Adjusted operating margin in the quarter was 16.2% versus 16.3% in the year-ago quarter.

Financial Health

AngioDynamics ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $24.0 million, down 36.3% from the year-ago level. Total long-term debt (including current portion) was $142.5 million, down 5%. The company generated healthy cash from operations of $10.8 million and $7 million of free cash flow in the fourth quarter.

Guidance

AngioDynamics divulged its fiscal 2014 guidance. Revenues for fiscal 2014 are expected in the range of $346–$352 million, up 3% at the top range from the previous guidance. This represents a 0.6% increase from the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $347 million.

Adjusted ear! nings per! share are expected in the range of 31–35 cents for the fiscal, taking into account the impact from the medical device tax. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate falls at the lower end of the said band. Excluding amortization, adjusted earnings per share are expected in the band of 61−65 cents.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2014, management expects to generate revenues in the range of $81 million–$84 million, flat year over year at the top end. Adjusted earnings per share are anticipated between 2−4 cents. Excluding amortization, adjusted earnings per share are expected in the range of 10 cents and 12 cents.

The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues and earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 of $85 million and 7 cents, respectively exceed the guided range.

Recent Developments

AngioDynamics has won regulatory approval for two of its port offerings, which came in as a major boost to its vascular access franchise. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have cleared the company's Xcela Plus Port family, with Pressure Activated Safety Valve (PASV) technology. Similarly, Health Canada provided the Medical Device License for its Smart Port CT family of power-injectable ports, featuring Vortex port technology.

The U.S. FDA has also cleared an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to begin a clinical trial of the NanoKnife System for the ablation of focal prostate cancer. The company plans to start patient enrollment in the second quarter of fiscal 2014.

The BioFlo peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) was displayed at the Premier healthcare alliance's 2013 Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition in Jun 2013.

Our Take

We are encouraged with AngioDynamics' better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. We take note of the gains in the Oncology, Peripheral Vascular and international businesses. The company is poised to grow on the back of new products, innovative pipeline, acquisitions as well as managem! ent's e! fforts to leverage operational activities. Shares of this therapeutic and diagnostic devices maker increased 3.4% to $12.34 on Thursday, Jul 11.

However, pressure on the Vascular Access product category is a cause of concern. Moreover, the company expects headwinds in its core business in fiscal 2014. We are cognizant regarding the ongoing macroeconomic difficulties in the medical device industry.

The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). While we prefer to remain on the sidelines on AngioDyanmics, other medical instrument companies such as Cepheid (CPHD), Globus Medical (GMED) and MAKO Surgical (MAKO) warrant a look. All these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Toyota Opens Mechanic Training Facility to Bolster Quality Control

Mechanics work on a Prius at a newly completed Toyota service center in Tajimi, central Japan, on Monday. -- AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama

TAJIMI, Japan (AP) -- Toyota (NYSE: TM  ) is opening a training facility for mechanics complete with a test course that simulates 13 driving conditions including cobblestones and bumpy roads as part of the automaker's efforts to avoid a repeat of its recall fiasco.

A ceremony with Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda and government officials was held at the 9 billion yen ($90 million) Tajimi Service Center Monday in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, near Toyotacity, where the car maker is headquartered.

Toyoda said quality must remain a priority even as the company becomes ever more global, with buyers driving on a range of road conditions. The center will initially train about 2,600 mechanics year, and eventually 4,800 mechanics a year, the company said.

Toyota has about 120,000 mechanics around the world and those numbers are expected to grow with sales expanding in emerging markets.

Toyota's reputation for quality was tarnished by massive global recalls that started five years ago. The automaker announced recall after recall, spanning almost every model in its lineup, totaling more than 10 million vehicles being recalled.

At the facility, Shinto priests in robes waved branches and hurled specks of paper before an altar with offerings of cabbage and oranges in a purification ceremony. Executives, dealers and officials lined up to bow and clap in what Toyota said was a prayer that its cars would stay safe.

The renewed focus on checking up on defects even after a vehicle has been delivered highlightsToyota's determination to stop recalls from spiraling out of control -- not just in development and design stages but also after production and years of use.

"No vehicle is used in the same way, and all sorts of things happen that cannot be anticipated at the development stage," Toyoda said. "It is impossible to build a vehicle that will never break down."

Toyoda pointed to one problem with Prius hybrid braking, which the company had initially deemed safe, but upon testing had been found to work 0.06 seconds slower than the previous model, and customers were not feeling comfortable.

The new facility might not end recall problems once and for all, but will help the automaker respond more quickly, Toyoda told reporters.

"When something happens next time, we will be faster with our response and then people can trust our vehicles more as safe," he said.

Other automakers have similar training and test-course facilities, and Toyota also has other training centers. But the Tajimi center is among the biggest for any automaker, with a 1.3-kilometer (0.8-mile) track with 13 different kinds of road conditions, including cracked, bumpy and wet surfaces.

It is dotted with big "Safety First" signs. A four-story building has classrooms and areas where car-maintenance checkups can be practiced. Tajimi has one of the hottest temperatures in Japan, but gets snow in the winter, allowing mechanics to study what severe weather does to cars.

Toyota, which makes Lexus luxury models and the Camry sedan, has sprung back from the recall disaster and re-emerged as the world's top automaker, growing in new markets such as China and Indonesia, while regaining sales share in the U.S

"Toyota has been taking longer in model development to be more careful and strengthen quality controls," said Nomura Securities Co. auto analyst Masataka Kunugimoto.

Despite the recall problems, Toyota boasts among the highest quality standards in the industry, he said.

Still, the arrival of new kinds of vehicles such as hybrids means maintenance crews must be trained to spot abnormal vehicle responses, diagnose problems and research new kinds of service technology, according to Toyota.

Training is also mental and involves instilling the right "customer-first" spirit in the mechanics in 135 nations so they won't let a quality failure get by, it said.

In 1935, when Toyota's G1 truck was riddled with problems, company founder Kiichiro Toyoda, Akio Toyoda's grandfather, rushed around to personally fix breakdowns and apologize to customers, Toyoda said to drive home the message of quality.

American Adam J. Crawford, from Arizona, among the instructors at the center, acknowledged he wasn't sure he could really avoid massive recalls by training people who fix cars, but he said he was hopeful.

"If I can instill in him a desire and a true want to have good quality in everything he does, from an oil change to an engine overhaul, then I think we can keep our customers happy and we can keep the quality of our vehicles very high," he said.

link

Whole Foods Market Hasn't Gone Sour

Shares of Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM  ) dropped more than 10% this morning after the organic grocer reported its fiscal fourth-quarter results. So, naturally, you'd think Whole Foods' numbers were horrible, right?

The thing is, the quarter actually wasn't all that bad.

Keeping in mind that Whole Foods had one less week in Q4 this year, sales still managed to increase 2% from the same period last year, to roughly $3 billion, or roughly in line with average expectations for revenue of $3.04 billion. On a comparable 12-week basis, sales jumped 11%, thanks both to Whole Foods' opening 12 new stores during the quarter, and a solid comparable-store sales increase of 5.9%.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods' earnings once again outpaced sales growth, increasing 6%, to $0.32 per share, and beating estimates by $0.01. Gross profit also increased over the same year-ago period, this time by 37 basis points, to 35.6% of sales.

Whole Foods Market grocery department, Image source: Whole Foods

So what's the problem?
If you're searching for the culprit for today's drop, look no further than Whole Foods' revised 2014 outlook.

Remember, last quarter, Whole Foods told investors to expect fiscal 2014 sales growth of 12% to 14%, comparable-store sales growth of 6.5% to 8%, and earnings growth of 17% to 18%.

Now, however, Whole Foods has nudged those expectations downward, and is targeting full-year 2014 sales growth of 11% to 13%, comps in the range of 5.5% to 7%, and earnings growth of "just" 12% to 15%.

Those numbers are still solid, but you can't blame investors for taking a step back considering shares closed yesterday around 44 times trailing earnings, and 37 times next year's estimates. After today's drop, Whole Foods stock currently sports lofty trailing and forward earnings multiples of 40.3 and 33.8, respectively.

But, as a Whole Foods shareholder myself, does that mean I'll be running for the hills? Absolutely not.

After all, the company's been talking for the past several quarters about moderating expectations, especially as they need to continue focusing on lower-priced (and, therefore, lower-margin) products to maintain its value proposition for increasingly cost-conscious consumers. If they don't, those consumers might be tempted to instead roll down the aisles of their friendly neighborhood Safeway or Kroger store to save a few bucks.

Come to think of it, this feels almost exactly like a repeat of Whole Foods' fiscal first-quarter results back in February, when weak guidance spoiled an otherwise solid report. When shares continued to fall through April, that drop ultimately turned into a fantastic buying opportunity, for which investors have been rewarded with a 40% return, even after today's drop. 

And sure, Whole Foods stock isn't particularly cheap right now; but when has it ever been? Remember, Whole Foods' average trailing price to earnings ratio over the past five years is a lofty 33.7, but take a look at how it has performed relative to the broader market over the same period:

WFM Total Return Price data by YCharts

In short, I wouldn't back up the truck at today's levels. But I also certainly won't be selling anytime soon.

Remember, despite its lowered guidance over the short term, Whole Foods pays a nice little dividend, and is still targeting 1,000 locations in the U.S. alone over the long term, or nearly triple the 367 stores it operates as of today.

And if it's any consolation, Whole Foods increased that quarterly dividend today by 20%, to $0.12 per share, and also added another $500 million to its outstanding share repurchase authorization to bring the new total to $800 million -- none of which has been used at this point.

In the end, while Whole Foods stock may trade at a premium, I'm still convinced Whole Foods itself is a superior business for which that premium is well deserved. If shares continue to languish from here, rest assured that I'll be happily adding to my position.

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Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Analysts Weigh In (Again...)

More analysts weighing in dominates the latest news about Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NYSE: AMD). I should add that AMD has been in our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio since last summer and we are down around 5.7% as of today due to the bears coming out after the last two earnings reports. Nevertheless, it's a mixed picture as there has been both good and bad news along with bullish and bearish analysts about the stock lately. Just consider the following:

Oppenheimer Downgrades AMD From Perform to Underperform. On Monday, Oppenheimer downgraded Advanced Micro Devices from Perform to Underperform, saying:

"Despite notable near-term strength in gaming console sales and signs of stabilization in the PC market, we believe structural challenges are mounting. AMD PC/graphics sales are likely to continue falling faster than PC units as INTC leverages its vast manufacturing/cost advantage to aggressively and profitably capture low-end share. Meanwhile, NVDA's competitive graphics position remains as dominant as ever. GM are likely to structurally decline going forward as management chases low-margin gaming revenue while being forced to compete aggressively in the core PC segment. We are tweaking our sales estimates higher, but lowering our bottom-line assumptions. We see little valuation support and would be sellers here."

The downgrade did push AMD shares down nearly 3%, but the stock bounced back around 1.67% on Tuesday and analyst opinions remain all over the place as Yahoo! Finance lists 6 Strong Buys, 2 Buys, 15 Holds and 6 Underperforms. 

Zacks Maintains a Hold. Zacks recently reiterated its "neutral" rating on Advanced Micro Devices and a $3.75 price target, adding:

"Its third quarter earnings were better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, driven by solid execution and cost control. The company's new products, strength in graphics, increased game console wins, advancements in 32nm manufacturing and position in China remain positives. But at the same time, Intel remains a strong competitor with superior strategy, technological prowess and the clout that may be expected of the market leader. While AMD may be able to carve out its own niche, its relatively low cash position and significant leverage indicate that it is could be running out of time." 

Cramer is Still a Believer. For what his opinion is worth, CNBC's Mad Money host Jim Cramer recently commented in a Lightening Round about AMD saying: "They had a bad quarter, but I still believe in it." Bullish Call Activity. Earlier this month, Schaeffer's Options Center noted that approximately 17,000 contracts traded in one day on AMD with less than 100 being puts. In fact, more than 10,200 calls traded at the January 2014 4 strike – meaning someone or some someones are counting on shares hitting the $4 level by then – something that has not happened since October 17th or the day before earnings came out and sent shares into a bearish trend. Share Performance. Advanced Micro Devices is up 52.1% since the start of the year and up 60.1% over the past five years, but it has been an up and down ride for investors and traders alike:

Moreover, the most recent technical chart as some bearish trend lines to it:

Nevertheless and at the very least, investors and traders alike should keep watching the stocks as where there is volatility, there are usually profits to be made.

SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) has an open position in AMD. To find out what other open positions SCN EO currently has, and to learn why so many traders and investors are relying on this premium subscription service, click here to find out more.

T-Mobile's Consumer-Friendly Policies Putting Pressure On Rivals

By Jeff Bailey

If T-Mobile (TMUS) is half as disruptive to Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) in the mobile phone business as recent articles in the New York Times and Bloomberg Businessweek suggest, those larger carriers could be in trouble.

T-Mobile's self-promoting CEO John Legere is delighting in introducing consumer-friendly policies that could gain his company considerable market share, or at least force his larger rivals to match his terms to keep their customers.

VZ Market Cap data by YCharts

Remember, however, trashing the other guy's profits doesn't assure you of any profits. Sometimes, the price cutter in an industry simply screws it up for everyone, himself included. Ask Jeff Bezos at Amazon (AMZN), a company we refer to at YCharts as the Suicide Bomber of Retail. Yes, Amazon ran Borders out of business and is trashing the results of Barnes & Noble (BKS) and Best Buy (BBY), but the online retailer has little in the way of profits to show for its accomplishments.

AMZN Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

Investors don't seem to mind. They either think Amazon will find a way to turn huge profits, or they're so dazzled by its fabulous and disruptive service they aren't thinking at all.

AMZN data by YCharts

Legere could become the guy who changed the mobile telecom industry but didn't build a fabulous fortune doing so. But there's no doubt consumers could benefit hugely. Everyone, it seems, hates their mobile provider.

Special Offer: YCharts Pro's Peter Lynch Universe Model Portfolio has logged a 27% average annual return over the last 20 years compared to 7% of the S&P 500. Click here to discover the stocks in its current portfolio and get access to institutional level analytical tools and charts.

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Jeff Bailey, The editor of YCharts, is a former reporter, editor and columnist at the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. He can be reached at editor@ycharts.com. Read the RIABiz profile of YCharts. You can also request a demonstration of YCharts Platinum.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- This week's news that the Federal Reserve is not yet ready to cut back on stimulus programs has sent the S&P 500 to new record highs, and left many investors with the idea that it is too late to move into new positions in U.S. assets.

At the same time, we have seen pronounced weakness in many foreign markets as declining economic data have added an element of uncertainty and increased risk. [Read: 5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar]

But for those with longer-term time horizons, there are examples of cheap dividend exchange-traded funds with international exposure that are designed to generate income and able to weather any near-term volatility that might be seen as the market adjusts to new central bank stimulus projections.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Popular Inc.(BPOP)

Popular, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of retail and commercial banking products and services primarily to corporate clients, small and middle size businesses, and retail clients in Puerto Rico and Mainland United States. It offers deposit products; commercial, consumer, and mortgage loans, as well as lease finance; and finance and advisory services. The company also offers trust and asset management, brokerage and investment banking, and insurance and reinsurance services. As of December 31, 2010, it owned and occupied approximately 94 branch premises and other facilities in Puerto Rico; and 119 offices, including 20 owned and 99 leased in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, California, Florida, and Texas. Popular, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Popular (NASDAQ: BPOP) shares tumbled 5.54 percent to $27.48 after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from Equal-weight to Underweight.

  Pacific Coast Oil Trust (NYSE: ROYT) down, falling 7.13 percent to $16.70 after the company priced a public offering by Pacific Coast Energy Company LP and other selling unitholders of 13,500,000 trust units at a price of $17.10 per unit.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: WebMediaBrands Inc(WEBM)

WebMediaBrands Inc., an Internet media company, provides content, education, and career services to media and creative professionals through a portfolio of vertical online properties, communities, and trade shows. The company operates mediabistro.com, a blog network that provides content, education, community, and career resources about media industry verticals, including new media, social media, Facebook, TV news, sports news, advertising, public relations, publishing, design, mobile, and the semantic Web. Its mediabistro.com also includes a job board for media and business professionals focusing on various job categories, such as social media, online/new media, publishing, public relations/marketing, advertising, sales, design, and television. The company also operates a network of online properties, including AdsoftheWorld, DynamicGraphics, LiquidTreat, BrandsoftheWorld, Graphics.com, StepInsideDesign, Creativebits, and GraphicsDesignForum that provide content, educatio n, community, career, and other resources for creative and design professionals. In addition, it offers community, membership, and e-commerce offerings comprising a freelance listing service, a marketplace for designing and purchasing logos, and premium membership services. Further, the company provides online and in-person courses, panels, certificate programs, and video subscription libraries for media and creative professionals. Additionally, it organizes various trade shows that include Semantic Technology Conference, Monetizing Social Media, Social Media Optimization Conference, Social Gaming Summit, and Virtual Goods Summit. The company was formerly known as Jupitermedia Corporation and changed its name to WebMediaBrands Inc. in February 2009. WebMediaBrands Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in New York, New York.

Best Performing Companies To Own For 2014: TranSwitch Corporation(TXCC)

Transwitch Corporation designs, develops, and supplies semiconductor and intellectual property solutions for voice, data, and video communications equipment. The company provides integrated multi-core network processor system-on-a-chip (SoC) and software solutions for fixed, 3G and 4G mobile, VoIP, and multimedia infrastructures. It offers converged network infrastructure products, including infrastructure VoIP processors comprising Entropia series of processors for wire-line and wireless carrier equipment; EoS/EoPDH mappers and framers for formats and data speeds in the access portion of the network; tributary switches that enable traffic to be switched or re-arranged; and carrier Ethernet solutions consisting of Ethernet controllers and switches, as well as circuit emulation and clock recovery devices. The company also provides FTTx protocol processors, such as mustang, a system-on-chip solution for EPON optical network unit equipment; COLT processor, a system-on-chip so lution for the optical line terminator equipment; and Diplomat-ONT product, an integrated SoC solution for GPON ONU applications, as well as access VoIP processors and access controllers. In addition, it offers broadband customer premises equipment, including multi-service communications processors comprising Atlanta processor, a multi-service SoC for customer premises equipment that supports toll-quality telephone voice, fax, and routing functionality; and HDMI, displayport, HDP, and Ethernet IP cores for consumer electronics, home network equipment, and industrial and automotive applications. The company serves public network systems OEMs, WAN and LAN equipment OEMs, Internet-oriented OEMs, and communications test and performance measurement equipment OEMs, as well as government, university, and private laboratories. It sells its products through direct sales force, independent distributors, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Advance Auto Parts Inc(AAP)

Advance Auto Parts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items. It operates in two segments, Advance Auto Parts (AAP) and Autopart International (AI). The AAP segment operates stores, which primarily offer auto parts, including alternators, batteries, chassis parts, clutches, engines and engine parts, radiators, starters, transmissions, and water pumps; accessories comprising floor mats, mirrors, vent shades, MP3 and cell phone accessories, and seat and steering wheel covers; chemicals consisting of antifreeze, freon, fuel additives, and car washes and waxes; and oil and other automotive petroleum products. This segment also provides battery and wiper installation, battery charging, check engine light reading, electrical system testing, video clinics and project brochures, loaner tool programs, and oil and battery recycling services; and sells its products through online. The AI segm ent operates stores that offer replacement parts for domestic and imported cars, and light trucks to customers in northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, as well as to warehouse distributors and jobbers in North America. As of January 1, 2011, the company operated 3,369 AAP stores, including 3,343 stores located in the northeastern, southeastern, and Midwestern regions of the United States under the Advance Auto Parts and Advance Discount Auto Parts trade names; 26 stores situated in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands under the Advance Auto Parts and Western Auto trade names; and 194 stores under the Autopart International trade name in the United States. It serves do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, or commercial customers. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Roanoke, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Investors really like Advance Auto Parts (AAP) deal to buy a chain of repair shops–so much so that a stock that finished yesterday in the low 80s is now trading in the mid-90s.

  Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

  Reuters has the details on the deal:

  Advance Auto Parts Inc will buy 1,418 outlets of the Carquest chain to boost its auto repair operations to complement its car parts business, sending its shares up as much as 20 percent to a record high.

  Advance Auto, which sells products such as batteries, air fresheners and engine parts, said it would buy General Parts International Inc for just over $2 billion, creating the largest North American retailer of auto parts.

  General Parts is the biggest operator of the Carquest chain, which runs auto repair shops and car parts stores. General Parts also owns Worldpac, the No.1 supplier of replacement parts for imported car and truck brands.

  Reuters notes that the finished product will be the largest supplier of auto parts by sales, just beating out Autozone (AZN).

  Credit Suisse analyst Simeon Gutman and team call the deal a “smart strategic acquisition.” They write:

  The acquisition would solve two important issues for AAP. First, it has struggled in the DIFM segment, primarily due to a weaker and less accessible distribution network. General Parts has one of the most established distribution networks in the country (~40 DCs vs. AAP’s 10) and long standing relationships with mechanics nationwide. More importantly, WORLDPAC (estimated $1 billion in sales) is the leader in foreign parts with AAP owning the number three player and we see synergies from AI flooding into WORLDPAC.

  A meaningfully positive aspect of the transaction is targeted annual cost savings of roughly $160 million within three years (~6.1% of acquired sales). This seems relatively consistent with previous DIY Auto deals. The deal is expected to be 20%+ accretive to FY 14 ca

• [By P.I.A.]

  路 AutoZone is the largest company of its kind with 5,201 stores, and its plan is to continue growing square footage. It currently has 362 stores in Mexico, with 21 opened during the recently concluded quarter four. Of its foremost competitors, O'Reilly and Advance Auto Parts (AAP), it is the only one with an expanding international presence in Mexico.

• [By Ben Eisen]

  Given that outlook, he sees ten stocks in the consumer discretionary sector that qualify as bargains at the moment, including some of the very stocks that are expecting downbeat holiday results. They include: Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP) , AutoNation, Inc. (AN) , Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) , Carmax, Inc. (KMX) �, Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) �, PetsMart, Inc. (PETM) �, Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) , Staples, Inc. (SPLS) �, Target Corp. (TGT) �, and Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) .

• [By Ning Jia]

  Reuters Description: Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (Advance), incorporated on August 1, 2001, is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items primarily operating within the United States. The Company operates in two segments: Advance Auto Parts (AAP), and Autopart International (AI). The AAP segment is comprised of its store operations, which operate under the trade names Advance Auto Parts and Advance Discount Auto Parts.The AI segment consists of the operations of Autopart International, Inc. which operates under the Autopart International trade name. The Company�� stores carry a product line for cars, vans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks.The Company serves both do-it-yourself (DIY), and do-it-for-me (Commercial), customers. Its Commercial customers consist primarily of delivery customers for whom the Company delivers product from its store locations to it Commercial customers��places of business, including independent garages, service stations and auto dealers. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired B.W.P. Distributors, Inc.
  

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: LifePoint Hospitals Inc.(LPNT)

LifePoint Hospitals Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the United States. The company?s hospitals provide a range of medical and surgical services comprising general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, rehabilitation services, and pediatric services, as well as specialized services, such as open-heart surgery, skilled nursing, psychiatric care, and neuro-surgery. Its hospitals also offer outpatient services, including one-day surgery, laboratory, x-ray, respiratory therapy, imaging, sports medicine, and lithotripsy. As of December 31, 2009, LifePoint Hospitals owned or leased 47 hospitals with a total of 5,552 licensed beds in 17 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. (NasdaqNM:LPNT) operates independently of HCA Inc. as of May 11, 1999.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  The fun wasn't just limited to the big three hospital operators. Lifepoint Hospitals (NASDAQ: LPNT  ) stock jumped 5% on the CMS news, reflecting a $109 million market cap expansion. Likewise, Vanguard Health Systems (NYSE: VHS  ) shares climbed 5%, bumping its market cap up by�$55 million.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Uranium Resources Inc.(URRE)

Uranium Resources, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and mining of uranium properties, using the in situ recovery or solution mining process. It owns developed and undeveloped uranium properties in South Texas; and undeveloped uranium properties in New Mexico. The company?s primary customers include utilities who utilize nuclear power to generate electricity. Uranium Resources, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Lewisville, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  You know, were it just Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:URRE) or just Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT:URG) or just Uranerz Energy Corp. (NYSEMKT:URZ) making a decided bullish move, I might be able to dismiss it. Similarly, if URZ had only been moving higher for one or two days (or only URG or only URRE), it might be easy to not be impressed. Neither of those situations has been the actual case, however. All three stocks have been moving upward for several days now, quite a bit, on noticeably higher volume. There's something "going on", as it were, and if prior group-wide movements are any clue, it's the kind of move worth tapping into.

• [By John Udovich]

  Since the start of the week, small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) more than doubled for investors, something that has not happened for investors in uranium stocks like Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ). To recap: USEC Inc closed at the $6 level on Friday, but then it surged to the $15 level on Monday only to open at the $10 level on Tuesday when it ultimately closed at $12.46. So what in the world is going on with USEC Inc and is it time to revisit nuclear fuel and uranium stocks?

How to use CPAs to attract new business

Paul Saganey

As I have built my practice through strategic and professional partnerships, I am often asked: How do I effectively work with CPAs?

Advisers understand the benefits of having a revenue-sharing relationship with top accounting firms. Conversely, more and more CPAs have been getting licensed as advisers, so that in addition to working as accountants they can act as financial planners and avoid sharing/losing out on additional revenue.

Though the trend of CPAs seeking financial advisory licenses does exist, many successful CPAs believe teaming up with top financial advisers is their best way to bring optimum services to their clients. Some CPAs have learned the hard way and some realized early on it is more advantageous for them to have a revenue-sharing relationship with a financial adviser than to risk reaching a complexity ceiling alone. Many CPAs come to this realization on their own, or by learning about the services their clients are missing out on by not working with an adviser.

That said, when seeking a revenue-sharing partnership, it is imperative that you be in a position to explain to a CPA the benefits of entering into a partnership rather than going it alone. These relationships are not about educating each other; they are about working together to build a successful full-service offering. The best partnerships are formed when each side recognizes their own (and each other's) strengths and weaknesses. As advisers, you need to recog

Budget deal will costs air travelers a little more

Airline tickets could get more expensive, but the Transportation Security Administration would continue to guard exit lanes at airports, under the budget deal the House will vote on Thursday.

Both provisions dealing with TSA have been contentious, but one is strongly opposed by the airlines and the other is supported by airports.

Lawmakers have long eyed the TSA's security fees added to the price of each ticket as an easy source of revenue to reduce the federal deficit, including in President Obama's budget blueprint. The White House supported the deal for "targeted fee increases and spending cuts."

The congressional budget deal would change the fees from $2.50 per leg of a connecting flight capped at $5 per trip, to a flat $5.60 each way on a trip. This would generate an estimated $12.6 billion over the next decade, which the legislation says will be deposited in the general government fund.

Airlines fought the increase, fearing that any hike in fares could discourage travel. The group Airlines for America, which represents the largest carriers, distributed air-sickness bags at Washington's Reagan National Airport after the Thanksgiving holiday, arguing the higher fees are a tax that would make passengers "sick."

Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, said the group recognized that Congress had to make tough budget choices and that TSA airport staffing is important. But airlines hope lawmakers will consider more changes to overhaul how the industry is taxed and the way fees are used, she said.

Top Value Companies To Invest In 2014

"As we have said consistently, airlines and our customers are already overtaxed, and we are disappointed that fees on air travel were increased, and believe those higher taxes will impact demand, jobs and our economy," Medina said.

The TSA money is part of a bipartisan deal for $85 billion deal in spending cuts and fees to r! eplace looming mandatory spending cuts. But conservative House members and senators who oppose greater spending could also oppose the budget deal.

The anti-tax advocacy group Club for Growth opposed the budget proposal for increasing the size of government, even if reducing the deficit at the same time.

"As far as we're concerned, the TSA fees are just the same as any other tax increase," said Barney Keller, a club spokesman. "Saying this bill is deficit reduction is a red herring."

The other TSA provision would require the agency to continue staffing the exit lanes between arriving flights and baggage claim and shouldering the costs. TSA staffs those slots at 155 airports – about one-third of those nationwide – but told the airports in October to take over those positions to save the agency $88 million per year amid federal spending cuts.

Airports opposed the move, saying it would cost them more than $100 million collectively each year. The legislation says TSA "is responsible for monitoring passenger exit points" at the airports where the agency was staffing the slots on Dec. 1.

"I am pleased that the proposed budget agreement would require TSA to continue to monitor exit lanes," said Mark M. Reis, the managing director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the 2014 board chairman of Airports Council International-North America.

Hilton checks back into Wall Street with IPO

Hilton set the price for its initial public offering Wednesday, making the hotel chain the latest company to check back into Wall Street amid a raging 2013 stock market rally and powerful comeback in IPOs.

The company, one of the most recognized brands in the hotel business with more than 670,000 rooms worldwide, sold shares in its initial public offering late Wednesday at $20 a share. The pricing indicated strong demand for the IPO, given that 112.8 million shares were initially expected to be sold between $18 and $21 a share. Shares are expected to start trading on Thursday.

The deal's reception indicates strong interest by investors to get back into the hospitality industry, which had been pummeled during the recession. Investors are hopeful the industry can benefit from the fact demand for hotel rooms has improved along with the economy, but at the same time, hotel operators have resisted adding many new rooms. That combination is a potential winner for the industry in terms of pushing up room rates and increasing occupancy rates, analysts say.

"The (hotel) industry looks good right now," says Greg Leffert, analyst at IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. "Hilton going public is a good sign. It indicates solid supply and demand fundamentals," says John Staszak, analyst at Argus Research.

Investors are interested in Hilton's IPO for a number of reasons including:

• Stable hotel growth forecasted. Hotels are expected to see 5.5% growth in the revenue they collect per available rooms in 2014, says Chad Mollman, equity analyst at Morningstar. Add to that expected 1% room growth and investors are looking at an industry slated to grow by 6.5% in 2014 and again in 2015, he says. The muted room growth is attractive to investors since that means hotels should be able to increase room rates in 2014, says Esther Kwon of S&P Capital IQ. "You'll see rates tick up along with occupancy," she says.

• New business model for the industry. Hotel operators, including Hilton a! nd Marriott, have been aggressively pushing a new "asset light" business model. Rather than tying up billions of dollars owning hotel buildings, the big hotel chains are finding it more lucrative to let someone else own the property and instead collect license fees or management fees to hire staff and operate the property, Mollman says. Hilton owns just 60% of hotels bearing its brand names, a percentage that will decrease over time and make the company more profitable as a result, Mollman says.

• Changes at Hilton following its buyout. Hilton is going public again following its October 2007 buyout by private investor group Blackstone. Shortly after the buyout, the industry was hammered by the recession with revenue per available room falling 15% and the stocks dropping 75% industrywide, Mollman says. Since then, as a private company Hilton has rebuilt itself. Its number of open rooms is up 36% since the 2007 buyout and the number of room in the pipeline -- to be developed but not being built yet -- is up 60% to 185,699 rooms. The deal left Hilton with a hefty load of debt, $14.3 billion. It's not too concerning, though, as cash flow exceeds interest payments by three times and there are no major maturities until 2018, Mollman says.

• IPOs are hot. Investors' appetite for IPOs seems insatiable this year, and Hilton is likely to benefit. Companies have raised $49.9 billion in U.S. IPOs this year, up 19% from the same point last year and the best year for deals in more than a decade, Renaissance says. And the FTSE Renaissance US IPO index, which tracks the stock performance of deals, is up 54% this year vs. 25% for the Standard & Poor's 500 index.

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There certainly are risks with the Hilton IPO. Hilton shares are worth just $16 apiece, Mollman says, making the IPO too rich for most individuals at the IPO price. The new business model could depreciate! the bran! d if not managed carefully, S&P Kwon says. And there's always the risk of a political or health event that could curb travel, The "primary risk in our view would be a downtick in the expected rate of growth for the U.S. economy or, as always, external events like terrorism (or) disease," says Smedes Rose, analyst at Evercore.

Regulators Approve Volcker Rule, the Core of Dodd-Frank

After three years of collaboration, five regulators on Tuesday approved the Volcker Rule, 100-plus pages of rules and regulations at the center of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. The Volcker Rule primarily prohibit banks from engaging in proprietary trading as well as owning, sponsoring, or having certain relationships with a hedge fund or private equity fund.

The rule was adopted jointly by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The Fed and FDIC unanimously voted to adopt the rule, while the SEC passed it by a 3-2 vote. The two Republican SEC Commissioners Michael Piwowar and Daniel Gallagher voted against the rule. Piwowar, who joined the agency in August, told CNBC at the ICI Global Trading and Market Structure Conference in London recently that he would vote against the proposed rule in its current form. “The devil’s in the detail,” he told CNBC. “The question for me has always been: How do you define the terms?”

All five agencies proposed the same common rules in 2011 and 2012. Those proposals generated more than 18,000 comment letters.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the final rule, as part of Wall Street reform, "makes sure big banks can’t make risky bets with their customer’s deposits" by making "it illegal for firms to use government-insured money to make speculative bets that threaten the entire financial system, and demand a new era of accountability from CEOs who must sign off on their firm’s practices." He encouraged Congress to provide the regulators with adequate funding to "effectively and efficiently" implement the rule.

SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White said in a statement that the Volcker Rule “is central to the framework put in place by the Dodd-Frank Act to promote the financial stability of the United States in the wake of the financial crisis.”

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To carry out the mandate of Section 619 of the Dodd Frank Act, “the final rule seeks to focus U.S. banks and their affiliates on customer-directed activities, and to prevent the risks to U.S. taxpayers that can flow from proprietary trading and investments in private funds,” White said. The final rule “has been written to carry out these objectives while maintaining the strength and flexibility of the U.S. capital markets by allowing both domestic and foreign financial firms to continue to participate meaningfully in those markets where they are permitted to do so.”

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson, D-S.D., released a statement that approval of the Volcker Rule was “a key milestone in the full implementation of Wall Street reform,” adding that these trading restrictions “will help improve the integrity of our banking system.”

The final rules become effective April 1, 2014, however the Fed has extended the conformance period until July 21, 2015. The rule will apply to large bank holding companies but not to community banks with less than $10 billion in assets that don’t participate in activities listed under the rule.

Like the Dodd-Frank Act, the final rules provide exemptions for certain activities, including market making, underwriting, hedging, trading in government obligations, insurance company activities, and organizing and offering hedge funds or private equity funds. The final rules also clarify that certain activities are not prohibited, including acting as agent, broker or custodian. /* .premium-promo { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px; float: left; } .premium-promo li, .premium-promo ul { list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .premium-promo li { margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0 0 10px; border-bottom: 1px dotted #ddd; } .premium-promo h3 { text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 11px; } .premium-promo h4 { font-size: 16px; } .premium-promo a { text-decoration: none !important; } .premium-promo .btn { background: #0069a1; border-radius: 4px; display: inline-block; padding: 5px 10px; clear: both; color: #fff; font-weight: bold; } .premium-promo .btn:hover { background: #034c92; } */ The compliance requirements under the final rules vary based on the size of the banking entity and the scope of activities conducted. "Banking entities with significant trading operations will be required to establish a detailed compliance program and their CEOs will be required to attest that the program is reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the final rule," according to the SEC. Independent testing and analysis of an institution’s compliance program will also be required.

As White explained, the final rule “faithfully and strongly implements the statutory prohibitions on proprietary trading by U.S. banks and their affiliates and the limitations on the ability of such entities to sponsor or invest in hedge funds or private equity funds, called ‘covered funds’ in the rule.”

As to market making and underwriting, White said the rule “takes a measured, tailored approach to market making and underwriting activities as statutory exceptions to the prohibition on proprietary trading.” Permitted market making activities, she said, “can include trading in a wide variety of financial and derivative instruments, including those for which there is relatively limited liquidity, but only provided the firm is ready, willing, and able on request to provide quotes and respond to trading interest on both sides of the market.”

The prohibition on proprietary trading does not apply to all transactions entered into by a foreign bank and its foreign affiliates. “The final rule will permit these entities to engage in certain limited proprietary trading activity with U.S. firms, but only if the risks of such trading activity are held and managed outside the United States,” White said. “Foreign banks will, for example, be able to conduct cleared transactions through U.S. exchanges and with unaffiliated, regulated U.S. market intermediaries, she explained.

As to the scope of covered funds, the final rule also fulfills the statutory goal of limiting the ability of U.S. banks and their affiliates to sponsor or invest in hedge funds and private equity funds. “The Dodd-Frank Act defined a ‘hedge fund’ and ‘private equity fund’ by reference to regulatory exemptions that are commonly used by such funds,” White said. “The proposal carried forward this definition of a “covered fund,” and included certain commodity pools and foreign funds as well.”

But White said that adoption of the final rule is just the beginning. “Our work… does not end with today’s rule. We begin a new phase of monitoring and responsive engagement to ensure that the Volcker Rule is a strong, workable framework that achieves the objectives set for us.”

Consistent with the agency’s experience in other rulemakings, she said, “questions will arise following today’s action, some of which will require clarification. We must be alert to both unintended impacts and regulatory loopholes as we move forward.”

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Get Free Shipping on Online Holiday Purchases

There's a good chance you can avoid paying shipping costs on holiday gifts purchased online this year. More than 600 retailers already have signed up to participate in Free Shipping Day on December 18.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Do Your Holiday Shopping Online

This year every merchant participating in this annual event will offer free shipping on all orders, with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. Last year, at least one-third of the merchants had minimum purchase requirements. The homepage of Freeshippingday.com lists the participating merchants, however some may not be featured on the site until December 18 because they don't want consumers to know in advance that they'll be offering free shipping (so they'll continue shopping now), says Luke Knowles, creator of Free Shipping Day. He does expect many big-name retailers that have participated in the past but aren't listed on the site now to take part in Free Shipping Day. Also, many retailers will offer special discounts in addition to free shipping.

If you don't want to wait until December 18 to do your holiday shopping or the retailer of your choice isn't participating in Free Shipping Day, you might be able to get free shipping on orders now.

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Some retailers, such as Zappos.com and Nordstrom.com offer free shipping all the time. And several retailers have been running free shipping offers (some with minimum purchase requirements) as part of holiday promotions. You also can find free shipping codes and coupons at FreeShipping.org.

Or you might be able to avoid paying for shipping by having your purchases shipped to a retailer's brick-and-mortar store. Best Buy, Target, Toys"R"Us and Walmart are among the merchants that have free in-store pickup.

Before jumping at a free-shipping deal, though, make sure you're getting the best price for an item. Use a price comparison site, such as Amazon.com or PriceGrabber.com, or the browser add-on PriceBlink to see whether another retailer is offering a similar item at a price that's low enough for you to come out ahead even without free shipping (if it isn't offered).

When rates are low, your nest egg suffers

Q. Once you retire, how do you make your nest egg generate enough money to live with interest rates so low?

A. If you can't take any risk, you really don't have many good choices. The last time you could get a five-year bank CD yielding more than 5% was in 2000, according to Bankrate.com. Since then, savings rates are lower than an ant's basement. The average money market fund yields just 0.01%, according to iMoneyNet. The top-yielding five-year CD in the nation, offered by VirtualBank, yields 2%, according to Bankrate.com.

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Unfortunately, savings rates aren't going to rise any time soon. The Federal Reserve has said that it won't raise short-term interest rates until the unemployment rate falls to 6.5% or lower, and that probably won't happen until 2015.

What's a saver to do? If you really can't take a risk, you just have to wait it out. One solution: Divide your savings into four parts, and buy a one-year CD every three months. Right now, you'll get about 1% from the top-yielding one-year CDs, according to Bankrate.com. As interest rates rise — eventually — your yields will rise every quarter.

You could get a higher yield by investing in a 10-year Treasury note, currently yielding 2.74%. But at that rate, $100,000 would give you just $2,740 in income a year, or $228 a month, for a decade. Better not plan on eating out.

If you hold your bond until it matures, you won't risk losing money, except to inflation. If you sell before it matures, you could lose money if interest rates rise.

If you need higher rates than the 10-year Treasury offers, you'll be taking on additional risk. Although high-quality corporate bonds don't default often, it is a possibility. And low-quality junk bonds have considerably more risk of default — in which case, you'll have to stand in line with the company's other creditors.

You ! can get somewhat higher yields by investing in dividend-paying stocks. AT&T stock, for example, has a 5.08% dividend yield. Verizon yields 4.13%. General Electric yields 2.81%.

The risk? They're stocks, and they could cut their dividends if times are tough. On the other hand, you don't have to put your entire portfolio in dividend-paying stocks. Putting 20% of your portfolio in riskier — but higher-yielding — investments won't send you to the poorhouse if the stock market falls. You'll still have 80% of your portfolio in cash.

Emerging Stocks Advance as Sensex Climbs Amid Bank Rally

Emerging-market stocks rose, snapping a three-day drop, as ICICI (ICICIBC) Bank Ltd. jumped on speculation India's opposition party will take over government. The rand sank amid the longest South African bond slide in 15 years.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index advanced 0.3 percent to 999.13 at 10:27 a.m. in New York, after better-than-estimated U.S. data led it to briefly trim gains. India's S&P BSE Sensex (SENSEX) jumped to a one-month high as ICICI surged 6.5 percent on bets a new government will enact policies to bolster economic growth and curb bad loans. Steelmaker Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA paced a rally in Brazil's Ibovespa. The rand sank as foreign investors dumped South African bonds for an 11th day yesterday, according to JSE Ltd. data compiled by Bloomberg.

India's stocks jumped as an exit poll showed the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party is set to win four of five state elections held in the past month. The U.S. expanded at a faster pace than initially reported and jobless claims unexpectedly fell, sparking bets the Federal Reserve will trim stimulus. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index has slid as much as 16 percent since May 22, when the Fed signaled its asset-buying program could be trimmed if the economy showed improvement.

"Ultimately, any readjustment of Fed activity will have a broader implication on emerging currency and equity markets," Chad Morganlander, a Florham Park, New Jersey-based fund manager at Stifel Nicolaus & Co., which oversees about $150 billion of assets, said by phone. "Until we get through this, all eyes will be on that."

Emerging ETF

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index exchange-traded fund rose less than 0.1 percent to $41.28. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index, a measure of options prices on the fund and expectations of price swings, added 0.1 percent to 26.04.

Brazil's Ibovespa advanced amid speculation that a three-session slump for Brazil's benchmark equity index was excessive. Usiminas, as Usinas de Minas Gerais is known, rose 7.5 percent, while oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR3) contributed the most to the gauge's advance.

Russia's Micex Index extended a five-day drop to 3.4 percent, led by OAO Lukoil (LKOH) and OAO Gazprom. Ukraine's dollar-denominated bonds gained, sending yields to the lowest this week, as President Viktor Yanukovych announced possible investments from China. The PX Index slid to a seven-week low in Prague as Vienna Insurance Group AG plunged 4.2 percent.

India, China

ICICI, India's largest private sector lender, cappped the biggest gain since Sept. 6, while HDFC Bank Ltd. jumped 4.6 percent. The S&P BSE Bankex index of 13 banking stocks gained 4.4 percent to a five-month high. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts upgraded Indian equities to market weight from underweight on Nov. 5, saying the state polls may signal an opposition win in the federal vote, helping spur investment.

China's stocks fell on speculation the benchmark index's rally yesterday to a three-month high was excessive. ZTE Corp. (000063) lost the most in six weeks as investors sold shares of telecom companies after the government gave approval to domestic carriers to start offering service on a fourth-generation wireless network.

The rand slid as much as 1 percent to the lowest level since March 2009. Indonesia's rupiah rebounded from a four-year low after Bank Indonesia said the currency is "undervalued." South Korea's won rose as the nation's bonds fell, pushing the five-year yield to the highest level since June

The premium investors demand to own emerging-market debt over U.S. Treasuries fell two basis points, or 0.02 percentage point, to 335 basis points, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.