U.S. stock market nears milestone heaven

NEW YORK — The stock market, which has been melting up most of this record-breaking year, is on the cusp of achieving a troika of major milestones.

Dow 16,000 is within easy reach for the first time. The Standard & Poor's 500 is fast approaching 1800. And the Nasdaq composite is nearing 4000 for the first time since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000.

Whether those psychologically potent numbers are a sign of a healthy bull market — or indicate a stock market bubble — is a matter of opinion.

"Up is a beautiful thing," says Bob Doll, chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management. "Big round numbers don't ... scare me."

But milestones do attract the attention of investors, including many who might feel pressured to get in the market after missing out on the gains because they've been on the sidelines.

"Dow 16,000 will grab headlines," says Alan Skrainka, chief investment officer at Cornerstone Wealth Management, adding that chasing returns in an undisciplined way is a "bad idea."

Keeping up with the market has been tough. The S&P 500 is up 26.1% in 2013 and notched 36 record closes as of Friday, the most since 1998, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Doll says the path of least resistance for stocks is up, citing continued improvement in the U.S. and global economies.

Optimists say the Federal Reserve's investor-friendly bond-buying program, which stimulates the economy by keeping borrowing costs low, is likely to continue under Janet Yellen if she replaces Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke — as expected. "I don't think you can deny there's a 'Yellen Effect,' " says Chris Bouffard, chief investment officer of the Mutual Fund Research Center.

The S&P 500 is trading at 16 times its earnings over the past four quarters, putting valuations in line with historical averages. "The market," says Ed Yardeni, chief investment strategist at Yardeni Research, "is not cheap. But it's not overvalued."

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Still, a growing crowd warns that the stock market is getting ahead of itself.

Richard Suttmeier, chief market strategist at ValuEngine.com, says the Fed's easy-money policies, which received an endorsement from Yellen at her confirmation hearing Thursday, are creating the conditions for a dangerously frothy market. The Fed's $85 billion in monthly bond purchases is inflating asset prices, he says. "There's substantial risk for a market melt-up, which are often followed by meltdowns."

Even though optimism is rising, sentiment is not excessively bullish like it was at the past market tops, says Craig Johnson, technical market strategist at Piper Jaffray. "I was there in 2000. I was there in 2007. And it does not feel the same," he says, adding that he's sticking to his S&P 500 year-end target of 1,850 — up almost 3% from Friday.

Top Insider Trades: JCP ADC EGHT DWCH

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By Jonathan Moreland, founder of Insider Insights and author of Profit From Legal Insider Trading.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It is a victory for common sense. Tracking the trading behavior of company executives, directors and large shareholders in the stocks of firms they're registered in as "insiders" has proven to be profitable, according to both academic studies and (more importantly) the experience of professional investors.

Below are lists of the top 10 mainly open-market insider purchases and sales filed at the Securities and Exchange Commission Monday, Nov. 25, 2013 as ranked by dollar value. Please note, however, that these are only factual lists, not buy and sell recommendations. Dollar value is only one metric to assess the importance of an insider transaction, and, frankly, often not even the most important metric that determines if an insider transaction is significant. At InsiderInsights.com, we find new investment ideas just about every day using these and more intricate insider screens to determine where we should focus our subsequent fundamental and technical analysis. And while stocks don't (or shouldn't) move up or down based on insider activity alone, insiders tend to be good indicators of when real stock-moving events like earnings surprises, corporate actions, and new products may be in the offing. So use these regular Top Insider Trades columns as the initial research tools they are meant to be, and clic

China's Export Momentum Fades Out

The surprising bounce in July and August exports out of China has now given way to a lackluster September.  If anyone bet the trend of Europeans and Americans importing Made in China would last a government shutdown and European recession, they bet wrong. But the biggest surprise in the downturn is  not these two political drama queens, but China's smaller neighbors.

The outlook for external demand for the fourth quarter remains "murky", judging by Jian Chang of Barclays' estimate.  She said Monday from Hong Kong that uncertainties coming from U.S.  fiscal and momentary policies is a potential problem for China's exports in the months ahead.  It's not that the U.S. isn't importing Chinese goods. We are. It's practically an extension of the American economy. In fact, exports to the U.S. rose 4.2% in September from last September, but they are down from an average growth rate of 5.7% in July and again in August.

The U.S. aside, the biggest cliff dive in Chinese demand came from southeast Asia markets.  Exports to southeast Asia (ASEAN countries) fell 9.8% from September 2012, down from an average expansion of 26% in July and August.  Tighter financial conditions in southeast Asia over the summer — thanks to concerns about Fed "tapering" — coupled with a general deterioration in domestic demand all affected China's exports to these economies.

Then there is Europe, the one part of the world whose equity markets seem to believe there is growth in the E.U.  The MSCI Europe index is up 12.39% year-to-date, while the International Monetary Fund expects euro zone GDP to end the year down 0.43% and the European Union, which includes countries that are not in the euro — like the U.K. — showing growth of only 0.02%.

Export growth to the European Union slipped into modest contraction territory (-1% year over year), after two months of growth (+2.5% y-o-y).

Nonetheless, September exports to the advanced economies are still doing much than in the first half (E.U.: -3.9% y-o-y; U.S.: +1.7%). Furthermore, given that a large part of China's exports to these economies are electronics which are assembled using inputs from other North Asian economies, they may have been affected by regional holidays, Chang says.

All told, China's September exports declined by 0.3% y-o-y, against consensus forecast of a 5.5% gain and compared to the 6% average growth in July-August.

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"We think the decline is likely exaggerated by two technical factors. First, a high base from the dubious trade reporting that started last June," says Chang.  Many China watchers have argued for years that the Chinese government exporters invent numbers to make their businesses look more robust than reality. Beijing has since cracked down on this practice, as China slowly tries to become a more transparent economy.

Chang estimates that such ficitional reporting may have boosted export growth by 2.6 percent points in September 2012. Plus there were two fewer working days this September versus last year in three of China's key trading partners – Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. All three account for about 20% of China's exports and led to lower export figures on Monday.

Meanwhile, China's import growth showed more resilience thanks to government investments.

September imports rose 7.4% from September 2012 levels, slightly above expectations. But the recent uptick is mostly due to government spending on large projects than the Chinese consumer and private sector, Chang says.

As an investment, China continues to be a bummer.

The iShares FTSE China (FXI) exchange traded fund is down 5.5% this year.  The MSCI China Index is doing better, also down at 1.62% in the red.  The MSCI Emerging Markets index is down 3.92%.

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Fracking linked to radioactive river water in Pa.

River water in western Pennsylvania has elevated levels of radioactivity, some of it from fluids discharged after natural gas extraction, says a Duke University study today that's likely to stir more controversy over the booming business of "fracking."

Radium levels were about 200 times greater in sediment from a creek where wastewater was discharged from a treatment plant than in sediment upstream, according to the peer-reviewed study in the Environmental Science & Technology journal. The amount exceeded thresholds for safe disposal of radioactive waste.

"We were surprised by the magnitude of radioactivity," says co-author Avner Vengosh, geochemistry professor at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "It's unusual to find this level," he says, urging that other sites be investigated and that such water not discharged.

Treatment plants can remove much of the radioactivity and chemicals -- but not all, the Duke study says. Between August 2010 and November 2012, researchers sampled sediment from Blacklick Creek, where wastewater was discharged by the Josephine Brine Treatment Facility about an hour east of Pittsburgh and compared it with stream water above and below the disposal site. It found that some of the effluent came from Marcellus Shale fluids, which are naturally high in salinity and radioactivity.

The study is the latest in a bevy of research into the environmental impacts -- both water and the air -- of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. In this process, which has contributed to a surge in U.S. natural gas production, water mixed with sand and potentially toxic chemicals is blasted underground to break apart shale rock and release the gas.

An earlier Duke study, released in June by some of the same authors, found that drinking water wells near fracking sites in northeastern Pennsylvania were six times more likely to be contaminated than other wells. Other research has linked earthquakes to wells where fracking's wastewater is injected deep underground.

But other research has found little harm from fracking. Duke and federal scientists, in a study released earlier this year, found no evidence that shale gas production in Arkansas caused groundwater contamination. A Department of Energy study this year also found no proof that fracking chemicals tainted drinking water aquifers at a western Pennsylvania drilling site.

Scientists attribute the mixed research results to varying geology and industry practices nationwide. Fracking fluids are sometimes reused or disposed of in deep injection wells, but in some cases, they are treated and released into public waterways.

Years of such disposal have created "potential environmental risks for thousands of years to come," says Vengosh, adding that the water will need to be cleaned.

Industry officials say fracking is safe, when properly managed, because the wastewater is diluted in rivers and municipalities treat it again before providing it as drinking water.

"The real problem is we don't have a good handle on the full range of risks posed by treatment and discharge" of water from oil and gas fields, says Scott Anderson, a drilling expert with the Environmental Defense Fund, a research and advocacy group.

In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fined Fluid Recovery Services, which acquired the Josephine plant in a merger, $83,000 for discharge violations from that facility and two others in Pennsylvania. It required the company, which was bought this year by Aquatech International, to invest $30 million in upgrades before it can discharge more fracking wastewater. The EPA said the facilities stopped such discharges in September. 2011.

"What's lacking is enforced monitoring," Vengosh says, noting that the samples collected by Duke suggest that radioactive water was still being discharged in 2012. He says more research is needed.

Next year, the EPA is expected to release a draft of its own study on fracking's potential impact on drinking water supplies.

S&P Futures to Oil Sink on Shutdown Concern; Dollar Slips

Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures slid and contracts on Asian equity gauges retreated on concern the U.S. government is headed for a partial shutdown amid a political stalemate over the budget. The dollar weakened against the yen while crude oil and copper futures slumped.

S&P 500 futures lost 0.8 percent by 7:22 a.m. in Tokyo, after the measure slid 1.1 percent last week in its first decline this month. Contracts on Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 0.2 percent and Nikkei 225 Stock Average (NKA) futures lost 0.5 percent by 3 a.m. in Osaka. The greenback retreated 0.3 percent to 97.91 yen, while U.S. Treasury futures climbed. West Texas Intermediate oil and copper futures sank 0.8 percent.

The House of Representatives voted 231-192 yesterday to stop many of the Affordable Care Act's central provisions for one year, tying it to an extension of U.S. government funding through Dec. 15. Should the Senate reject the bill today the government could be shut down from tomorrow. Italy's government is on the verge of collapse after allies of former leader Silvio Berlusconi said they'd quit the cabinet. Data on Chinese manufacturing will be released over the next two days.

"Political impacts, with the U.S. government close to shut down, and the Italian coalition fragmenting, will drive currency today," Sharon Zollner, a senior economist in Wellington at ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd., wrote in a note to clients. "But it is the prospect of a technical default by failing to raise the debt ceiling that is of most concern to financial markets."

Boehner's Choices

Should the Senate turn down the House bill, as Democrats have promised to, House Speaker John Boehner would have four main choices -- two of which avert a shutdown. He could pass the Senate bill with mostly Democratic votes or attempt a short-term funding extension to keep the government open past Oct. 1, when fiscal year 2014 begins.

The other two options lead to a shutdown. Boehner could add health-law provisions to the spending bill and ask the Senate to go along, which Senate Democratic leaders have said they would reject, or do nothing and wait to see the political fallout.

Failure to approve funding to keep the government open and to raise the debt ceiling would have a destabilizing effect on the economy, Obama said in a televised statement Sept. 27. Closing the government would cut fourth-quarter economic growth by as much as 1.4 percentage points depending on its length, as government workers are furloughed, according to economists from Moody's Analytics Inc. to Economic Outlook Group LLC.

Aussie, Yen

The Australian and New Zealand dollars were little changed against the greenback. Australia's currency, known as the Aussie, bought 93.10 U.S. cents, set for a 4.6 percent advance in September, the first monthly gain since March. New Zealand's dollar, dubbed the kiwi, weakened 0.1 percent to 82.69 cents, still up 7 percent in the month for the steepest gain among 16 major currencies tracked by Bloomberg.

The yen jumped 1.1 percent versus the dollar last week, the most in more than a month, and touched a one-month high today.

The currency also gained after Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso damped speculation last week that the government will cut the corporate tax rate. A report today will show industrial production in the world's third-largest economy rose 0.5 percent in August from a year earlier, after rising 1.8 percent in July, according to the median of 20 estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

Futures on Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.6 percent in their most recent trading session, while contracts on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dropped 0.8 percent. The Bloomberg China-US Equity Index of the most-traded Chinese stocks in New York lost 0.6 percent Sept. 27, extending the measure's weekly drop to 0.4 percent.

Treasury Futures

HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics may confirm today that their manufacturing purchasing managers' index for China delivered a reading of 51.2 for September, a six-month high. Fifty is the threshold between contraction and expansion. China releases its official manufacturing PMI tomorrow, with economists surveyed by Bloomberg predicting an increase to 51.6, from 51 in August.

Futures on 10-year U.S. Treasuries gained 0.3 percent today, a second day of gains, while contracts on five-year notes rose 0.2 percent. Ten-year yields fell 11 basis points, or 0.11 percentage point, to 2.62 percent in the five days ended Sept. 27.

Treasuries are little changed this quarter, according to the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Bond Index. Investors should expect $23.5 billion in selling of equities and buying of bonds as pension fund managers rebalance their portfolios at the end of the third quarter, Ramon Verastegui, head of engineering and strategy at Societe Generale SA in New York, wrote in a Sept. 25 note.

Consumer Data

A Commerce Department report Sept. 27 showed consumer spending in the U.S. rose in August for a fourth consecutive month, climbing 0.3 percent.

Separate data at the end of last week showed confidence among consumers declined to a five-month low in September as Americans' views on the economy dimmed. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of sentiment decreased to 77.5 this month from 82.1 in August, compared with a median estimate for a drop to 78 seen by economists in a survey.

Italian government bonds declined Sept. 27, extending a weekly loss, as the nation auctioned 6 billion euros ($8.1 billion) of debt maturing in 2018 and 2024. Yields on the country's 10-year securities climbed nine basis points to 4.42 percent. Italy's Rome-based Treasury sold 3 billion euros of the 2024 bonds at an average yield of 4.5 percent, more than the 4.46 percent at a previous auction held Aug. 29.

Oil Slides

Italy's leaders stopped short yesterday of dissolving Prime Minister Enrico Letta's five-month old administration, invoking procedure after the defection led by Deputy Premier Angelino Alfano. Berlusconi said he will push for snap elections, while Letta has said he plans a confidence vote in parliament Oct. 2 to seek a new majority.

WTI crude oil slid to $102.07 a barrel, headed for the lowest close since July 3. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council agreed on a resolution to find and destroy Syria's chemical weapons. The agreement does not specify how the UN will determine whether President Bashar al-Assad's administration has complied.

Gold rose 0.2 percent to $1,339.37 an ounce in early trading, after gaining 0.8 percent last week. The precious metal has lost 4 percent in September, the first monthly drop since June, and added 8.5 percent this quarter, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Silver gained 0.2 percent today.

Copper futures tumbled for the first time in four days today. The S&P GSCI Spot Index (SPGSCI) of raw materials prices fell 0.1 percent Sept. 27, capping a weekly decline of 0.4 percent.

Total Gains 2% as Barclays Upgrades on Lower Capital Spending

Shares of French oil giant Total (TOT) have gained 1.9% t $58.27 this morning after Barclays upgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Underweight.

Associated Press

Barclays’ Lydia Rainforth and team explain their reasoning:

Total's Capital Markets Day presentation did enough to convince us that it can control capex more than we had previously anticipated. In doing so, it also set out a more credible path to returning the company to cash flow neutrality post both capex and dividends potentially as soon as 2015. There remain challenges to delivering the 2017 operating cashflow aspiration, as evidenced by an implicit reduction in prior cashflow assumptions over the 2015-2017 period, but the coming 12 months should see Total show both improved production and cashflow with the start up of a number of key projects scheduled. It is this combination of improved operational momentum we forecast for Total together with much better visibility on capex and free cash flow, which drives our upgrade on the stock to Equal Weight…

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Total’s strength comes as U.S oil majors have stalled today. Exxon Mobil (XOM) has ticked down 0.1% to $87.69 , Chevron (CVX) has fallen o.4% to $125.07 and ConocoPhillips (COP) has dropped 0.3% to $70.35.

Futures: Opening Print and S&P Levels to Watch

Asian markets closed mostly higher and all 12 European markets are trading higher. This morning's economic calendar starts with the Empire State Manufacturing Survey and the industrial production numbers. Tomorrow starts with CPI, Treasury int'l capital, housing market index and the first day of the FOMC. The rest of the week has 9 different numbers and a boatload of Fed speak. With the S&P back near its high, both data and headlines will matter.

The rally in the S&P has been breaking the hearts of the bears for years. This is the stuff that kills market timers like Bob Prechter and Bert Dohmen. They get run over all year calling highs, calling for the apocalypse, and then they go quiet when the markets start going back up again. Until the Fed declares its full intentions to shut down the bond-buying program,why fight it?

Sure there have been some S&P corrections, but until the program is fully removed we won't know what the markets are made of. The end of bond buying might, like every other supposed reason for a crash, scare everyone into selling, only to watch the market go back up. If there is a lesson learned, it's that being a buyer of the S&P has paid off far better than being a seller.

Our view:

The current price action in the S&P is for a small pullback or selloff early in the day, followed by more of the low-volume upside grind we have been seeing for the last two weeks. In most cases the two days leading up to the Fed's announcement are slow. But with the S&P up so much last week, who's to say the gains will not continue?

The current thinking is that the ES could rally right up to the meeting and then sell off during. What we do know is the S&P continues to prove the crowd wrong.

Our call:

Sell the early rally and buy weakness and open the Ned Davis S&P cash study. The September quad witching stats are bullish all week and it's all buy stops up from 1697 to 1712.

As always, use sto! ps and keep an eye on the 10-handle rule. Don't forget to catch MrTopStep on The Closing Print video found under the OptionsTV page (top bar). We report directly from the SPX pits, wrapping up the day and positioning for trade tomorrow.

OptionsProfits can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/OptionsProfits

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More Bad News for JPMorgan: It Owes Customers $309 Million

Alamy JPMorgan (JPM) is having a very bad day. Just hours after it was announced that the bank would be fined $920 million for its "London Whale" trading loss fiasco (not the mere $700 million or $800 million first reported), news came down that it must also pay customers $309 million for bad credit card practices, plus $80 million in fines. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced today that JPMorgan Chase and Chase Bank have agreed to pay refunds totaling $309 million to more than 2.1 million customers. The joint action with the Office of Comptroller of Currency "found that Chase engaged in unfair billing practices for certain credit card 'add-on products' by charging consumers for credit monitoring services that they did not receive." Sound familiar? It should. The marketing of credit card add-on products was actually the subject of the CFPB's very first enforcement action, which forced Capital One to reimburse customers $150 million. Clearly, this sort of misbehavior is something the agency takes seriously. Thursday's order finds that, from October 2005 to June 2012, JPMorgan charged customers between $7.99 and $11.99 a month for identity theft protection and fraud monitoring services. But according to the CFPB, those services were only "partially performed" or not performed at all. Even worse: In some cases those monthly fees caused some customers to exceed their credit limits, which resulted in even more fees. The good news for Chase is that it knew this was coming: It had already stopped marketing the services on its credit cards as of 2011, and issued refunds last year. (If you're still a Chase customer, you should have received the refund as an account credit, and if you've since left the bank you should have received a check.) This order is more of a formality intended to ensure that Chase fully pays the money it owes customers. And, the CFPB's order also includes a $20 million civil penalty, which is on top of a separate $60 million fine levied by the OCC.

Massachusetts Regulator Finds Custody Infractions Among Switching Advisors

Of the 139 advisors that switched from federal to state registration in Massachusetts under the Dodd-Frank Act, only three had been examined by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the years before the law took effect, and the state has found custody infractions among the switching advisors it has examined.

So says a new report released by Massachusetts securities regulator William Galvin. The Massachusetts Securities Division so far has examined half of the Massachusetts-based advisors that switched.

The state says investment advisors’ custody of clients’ funds or securities has been a “common deficiency.”

To this end, Galvin released a policy statement Thursday to make clear that the investment advisors who register with the Division in the wake of the Dodd-Frank Act must follow the “stricter” state rules on reporting when they have custody of client funds.

“In many instances, advisors unknowingly possessed custody of clients’ trust assets due to the advisor or a related person’s position as a trustee of the trust,” according to the report. “Many of the advisors deemed by the Division to have custody failed to disclose that in their regulatory filing, nor have they had a surprise independent audit as required by state rules."

“With the recent Madoff scandal we have all seen the risks that can occur when an adviser abuses custody authority,” said Galvin, in a statement.

The policy statement sets out the Division’s custody requirements and specifically states that the Division does not follow the SEC exemption from custody for appointments of supervised persons of an advisor as executors, conservators or trustees that arise as a result of family or personal relationship with the decedent, beneficiary or grantor.

Advisors directly deducting advisory fees from client accounts are deemed to have custody unless they comply with certain additional requirements, the policy statement says.

The policy statement says that state-registered investment advisors “must comply with the custody rules as spelled out in the federal Investment Advisers Act of 1940, specifically Rule 206(4)-2 which requires, among other things, an annual surprise audit of advisors by an independent public accountant.”

While this will mean additional costs to registered investment advisors, the “cost is outweighed by the additional protections these measures afford to investors,” the Division said.

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Check out SEC: Don’t Use ‘Protected’ or ‘Guaranteed’ in Fund Names on ThinkAdvisor.

Tuesday Closing Bell: Stocks Open Higher, Hold Onto Gains

September 3, 2013: U.S. markets opened higher on Tuesday morning following Monday's Labor Day holiday with an upbeat reaction to European and Asian PMI reports. ISM data for the U.S. rose unexpectedly and July new construction spending also rose more than expected. House Speaker John Boehner's statement of support for President Obama's call to action in Syria cut into early gains, but did not wipe them out.

European markets closed mixed today, while Asian markets closed higher and Latin American markets closed lower.

Wednesday's calendar includes reports from automakers on August sales, speeches by Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota and San Francisco Fed President John Williams, and the following data releases and events (all times Eastern):

7:00 a.m. – Mortgage Bankers Association purchase applications 8:300 a.m. – International trade 10:00 a.m. – Quarterly services survey 11:30 a.m. – 4-week bill auction 2:00 p.m. – Beige Book

Here are the closing bell levels for Tuesday:

S&P500 1,639.75 (+6.78; +0.42%) DJIA 14,833.73 (+23.65; +0.16%) NASDAQ 3,612.61 (+22.74; +0.63%) 10YR TNOTE 2.858% (-0.5625) Gold $1,412.00 (+15.90; +1.1%) Euro/Dollar: 1.3176 (-0.0016; -0.12%)

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Stocks on the move: Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) is up 31.5% at $5.13 on the announcement that Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) will acquire the Finnish firm's mobile phone business for $7.2 billion. Chinese solar energy stocks are getting a boost again today, with Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) up more than 15.9% and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) up 14.9%.

Big Deals: Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) will pay $130 billion for the 45% stake in Verizon Wireless by Vodafone Group plc (NASDAQ: VOD) in one of the three largest acquisitions ever. Vodafone was involved in two of them.

In all, 49 stocks put up new 52-week highs today, while 55 stocks posted new lows.

5 Stocks Ready to Break Out

 DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Trading stocks that trigger major breakouts can lead to massive profits. Once a stock trends to a new high, or takes out a prior overhead resistance point, then it's free to find new buyers and momentum players that can ultimately push the stock significantly higher.

One example of a successful breakout trade I flagged recently was electronic control devices maker Taser International (TASR), which I featured in Aug. 15's "5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar" at around $9.75 a share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of TASR had just broken back above its 50-day moving average with strong upside volume. This stock had also just started to move above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $9.05 to $9.30 with strong volume. That action was quickly pushing shares of TASR within range of breaking out above some key overhead resistance levels at $9.80 to its 52-week high at $9.87 a share.

Guess what happened? Shares of TASR didn't wait long to trigger that move since the stock entered new 52-week-high territory the following trading session. This stock has done nothing but continue to uptrend higher since entering breakout territory, with shares tagging a recent high of $12.17 a share. That represents a quick gain of 25% in just a few weeks for anyone who bought the breakout on TASR. I still believe this stock has tremendous upside going forward, but shares could be due for a breather after that big run in August.

Breakout candidates are something that I tweet about on a daily basis. I frequently tweet out high-probability setups, breakout plays and stocks that are acting technically bullish. These are the stocks that often go on to make monster moves to the upside. What's great about breakout trading is that you focus on trend, price and volume. You don't have to concern yourself with anything else. The charts do all the talking.

Trading breakouts is not a new game on Wall Street. This strategy has been mastered by legendary traders such as William O'Neal, Stan Weinstein and Nicolas Darvas. These pros know that once a stock starts to break out above past resistance levels, and hold above those breakout prices, then it can easily trend significantly higher.

With that in mind, here's a look at five stocks that are setting up to break out and trade higher from current levels.

Sonus Networks

One networking player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Sonus Networks (SONS), which provides networked solutions for communications service providers and enterprises in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. This stock has been red hot so far in 2013, with shares up 104%.

If you take a look at the chart for Sonus Networks, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways for the past month, with shares moving between $3.25 on the downside and $3.72 on the upside. Shares of SONS have been finding support over the last month each time the stock has pulled back to its 50-day moving average. This stock is now starting to trend a bit higher and move within range of triggering a breakout trade above the upper-end of its sideways consolidating chart pattern.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SONS if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $3.56 to $3.59 a share and then once it takes out its 52-week high at $3.72 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.50 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SONS will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $5 to $5.50 a share.

Traders can look to buy SONS off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $3.33 to $3.25 a share, or right below more support at $3.10 a share. One could also buy SONS off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Tableau Software

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Another enterprise software player that looks ready to trigger a major breakout trade is Tableau Software (DATA), which provides software products helping people see and understand data. This stock has been under the control of the bulls so far in 2013, with shares up 43% so far.

If you take a look at the chart for Tableau Software, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares ripping higher from its low of $51.99 to its recent high of $74.97 a share. During that uptrend, shares of DATA have been mostly making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Shares of DATA have started to break out today above some near-term resistance at $69.89 a share. This stock is now quickly moving within range of triggering another major breakout trade above its all-time high at $74.97 a share.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DATA if it manages to break out above its all-time high at $74.97 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action 239,908 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then DAA will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $80 to $90 a share.

Traders can look to buy DATA off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support levels at $67.50 or $65 a share. One could also buy DATA off strength once it takes out its 52-week high at $74.97 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes

One airline player that's starting to trend within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes (GOL), through its subsidiaries, engages in the air transportation of passengers, cargo, and mailbags in Latin America. This stock has been hammered by the bears so far in 2013, with shares off by 42%.

If you look at the chart for Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares moving higher from its low of $2.74 to its recent high of $3.83 a share. During that uptrend, shares of GOL have been mostly making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Shares of GOL just recently formed a double bottom above its 50-day moving average at $3.57 to $3.55 a share. Shares of GOL are now starting to spike higher above those support levels and move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GOL if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.83 to $4.14 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.19 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then GOL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at its 200-day moving average of $5.30 a share to $6 a share.

Traders can look to buy GOL off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $3.46 a share. One can also buy GOL off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Dish Network

Another cable service provider that's starting to push within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Dish Network (DISH), which provides a direct broadcast satellite subscription television service in the U.S. This stock is off to a hot start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 30%.

If you look at the chart for DISH Network, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways for the last two months, with shares moving between $41 on the downside and $46.89 on the upside. Shares of DISH are now starting to spike higher right off its 50-day moving average of $43.91 a share. That move is quickly pushing shares of DISH within range of triggering a breakout trade above the upper-end of its sideways trading chart pattern.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DISH if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $46 to its 52-week high at $46.89 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.61 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then DISH will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $50 to $60 a share, or even $65 a share.

Traders can look to buy DISH off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $43.91 a share, or below some more key near-term support at $42.85 a share. One can also buy DISH off strength once it takes out that breakout level with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Phoenix New Media

My final breakout trading prospect is broadcasting player Phoenix New Media (FENG), a new media company providing premium content on an integrated platform across Internet, mobile and TV channels in China. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up big by 145%.

If you look at the chart for Phoenix New Media, you'll notice that this just recently made a huge run from $6 a share to $9.75 a share with heavy upside volume. Shares of FENG have now started to trend sideways and consolidate after these gains, with the stock moving between $8.52 to $7.50 on the downside and $9.28 to $9.75 on the upside. A high-volume move above the upper-end of its recent range could trigger a big breakout trade for shares of FENG.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FENG if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $9.28 a share and then once it clears its 52-week high at $9.75 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 316,975 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then FENG will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $10.75 to $13 a share.

Traders can look to buy FENG off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $8.52 a share, or below more support at $7.50 a share. One could also buy FENG off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a conformable percentage from your entry point.

To see more breakout candidates, check out the Breakout Stocks of the Week portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

Tooting, not blowing, your own horn at Schwab's Impact

The 1,500 registered investment advisers swarming into Washington, D.C. for Monday's official start to this year's Schwab Impact conference will have loads of educational sessions to scour for business tips and solutions.

In additional to technology seminars coverings systems from CRM and portfolio rebalancing to client reporting, sessions include tried and true practice management topics like recruiting, streamlining operations and, of course, social media. A few sound particularly novel, including, “Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It.”

A few panels that likely will draw big crowds include a Washington update on the regulation of retirement advisers to be delivered by Brian Graff, chief executive of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries on Monday. He'll likely offer the latest on proposed federal legislation that would require the Department of Labor to hold off on its fiduciary rulemaking until after the Securities and Exchange Commission boosts broker standards for giving investment advice.

Along similar lines, Harvard University lecturer Robert Pozen will offer his own perspective on how to improve the U.S. financial situation, and how the Washington gridlock could be overcome. The former MFS chairman is looking at a combination of entitlement and tax reforms — both individual and corporate — to lead the way toward progress.

Meanwhile, Schwab's chief investment strategist Liz Ann Sonders will offer a market outlook in a pre-conference session on Sunday afternoon for those arriving early. She'll be joined for the presentation by Greg Valliere, a policy strategist who will explain how the national political climate could impact the country's fiscal future. This pair was popular at last year's Impact conference in Chicago.

Behavioral finance sessions offered last month at the Financial Planning Association's adviser conference in Orlando, Fla., were standing-room only, so I'm expecting to see a similar crowd at such Schwab sessions. Barrett Ayers and Bob Bridges will discuss how to incorporate investment strategies within client portfolios based on those clients' behavioral finance tendencies.

In a separate session on Tuesday, Suzanne Duncan, global head of research at the State Street Center for Applied Research, will show advisers how investor behavior impacts the meaning of performance and in re-evaluating the adviser value proposition.

Another session I expect to be wildly popular with advisers is how to protect clients and their assets from online fraud. Three Schwab experts will offer tips for making advisory firms as difficult as possible to crack for cybercriminals.

I will be looking to pass on to readers some tips for surviving adviser exams from securities lawyer Thomas Giachetti.

And, it will be interesting to see whether the session on impact investing draws a crowd to hear about the types of investment vehicles that offer social and financial returns, since many studies suggest there's been great interest in such pursuits.

A presentation from! former Defense Department chief Leon Panetta will be the final thing standing between advisers and the Tuesday night “Take Flight” party at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The conference officially closes Wednesday at about noon with a few words from author Michael Lewis.

See you there! And for those not attending, my colleague Jason Kephart and I will be pleased to bring you the latest insights for advisers as the conference unfolds.

TSLA – DB Analyst Says Tesla Can Still Rise Another 40%

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Tesla’s (TSLA) stock closed down 11% in trading on Thursday after a third Tesla Model S caught fire in the past two months.

It has also taken a beating since it announced Q3 results and missed vehicle delivery expectations.

But Deutsche Bank’s (DB) Dan Galves is sticking to his price target of $200.

That would be a 40% premium on the current price.

In a Nov. 6 note, Galves argues that Tesla “has the potential to be at the leading edge of a paradigm shift in transportation.”

He also argues that it benefits from selling directly to the customer instead of going through a dealer.

“We expect that they can achieve premium margins vs traditional automakers, as they should be able to maintain a rather substantial premium price (due to fuel / maintenance savings) despite similar cost, while also capturing much of the additional margin that normally goes to a dealer,” said Galves.

“Volume growth could be massive in the context of an 85MM unit global market. And we see meaningful competitive advantages related to the company's supercharger network and its proprietary powertrain technology.”

Galves expects Tesla to have made 220,000 units by the end of the decade, but thinks the supply chain will probably act as the biggest risk to the company over time.

He also explains what’s behind the recent sell-off:

“We believe that the Q3 results provided positive data points on all these metrics, which we'll go through below. While we thought the quarter was positive, expectations were very high and the stock was down substantially in after-market trading. We believe that there has understandably been significant profit-taking over the last few weeks by investors that have made substantial returns over the last 6 months.”

Musk has previously said that he thinks Tesla is overvalued.

3 Auto Parts Stocks to Sell Now

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Hot Tech Stocks To Watch Right Now

For the current week, the overall ratings of three Auto Parts stocks are worse, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Each of these rates a “D” (“sell”) or “F” overall (“strong sell”).

Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:) is on the decline this week, earning a D (“sell”) after receiving a C (“hold”) last week. Allison Transmission engages in the design and manufacture of commercial and military fully-automatic transmissions and hybrid-propulsion systems for transit buses. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategories of Earnings Momentum and Margin Growth, ALSN also gets F’s. The stock currently has a trailing PE Ratio of 54.40. .

The rating of China Automotive Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:) declines this week from a C to a D. China Automotive System designs, markets, and sells custom-designed stained glass and leaded glass artifacts. The stock also gets an F in Margin Growth. .

The rating of China XD Plastics Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:) slips from a C to a D. China XD Plastics engages in the development, manufacture, and distribution of modified plastics primarily for use in the fabrication of automobile parts and components. .

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.

3 Restaurant Stocks Ready to Fizzle

America's addiction to food has propelled some restaurant stocks to record high prices. Valuations are such that even the slightest misstep and you could be looking at a stock that drops 20% to 30%.

While the usual suspects like Chipotle (CMG) and Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) soared after solid earnings reports, the rest of the industry may not be so fortunate.

Right now I'm watching three vulnerable restaurant chains that will report earnings this week. All are trading at peak prices and could stumble after earnings reports.

Last Monday, shares of Ruby Tuesday (RT) dropped some 8% after the company confirmed that its chairman had resigned and had sold his stock.

The sector remains strong as consumers continue to flock to casual dining. There's no letup in sight for Americans' tight budgets and time constraints, meaning these will remain primary drivers for growth.

The question I would ask is this: how far can these stocks fly?

At some point valuation matters, and for that reason I would be a bit cautious on the space.

Here are big three big restaurant industry names to sell before they report earnings in coming days:

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

The good old hamburger is alive and well in the U.S. But beef prices are ludicrously high and could be the trigger for a good old crash diet for a name like Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

Red Robin (RRGB) reports its earnings results on Tuesday before the market opens. The stock is up over 130% in the last year of trading. Analysts expect the company to grow profits by 18% in 2014. That is a very respectable number.

The question is would you be willing to pay 33 times 2013 estimated earnings for that growth? I sure wouldn't.

Given the risk of an earnings miss, the risks are tremendous. The stock could drop 30% easily if there is a miss.

Noodles & Co.

I'm a big fan of Noodles & Co. (NDLS). I eat there often with my two young daughters.

That said, how much pasta does the world need? I think many investors compare Noodles to Chipotle. They are not the same. In fact, if the country figures out that we need less pasta and not more, Noodles & Co. could be in big trouble. The company reports earnings on Wednesday after the market closes.

Noodles is a newly minted publicly traded company. Its shares got the obligatory pop when first available on the market, but the stock has traded sideways and drifted lower in the last month of trading. Analysts expect the company to grow profits by 37% in 2014.

That is impressive indeed, but the stock trades for 110 times 2013 estimated earnings. When the company last reported, it beat estimates by the proverbial penny per share. That's not going to cut it with this sort of valuation. Get out before the earnings are reported.

Wendy's

Shares of Wendy's (WEN) have soared in the last year. The stock has doubled in value in the last 12 months of trading. The third wheel in the fast food hamburger chain battle is certainly doing well for investors.

How long will the trend continue? At its current lofty valuation there is significant risk here. The company is only expected to make 23 cents per share this year. That's awfully close to break even or worse. It's also a low base for growth that might be attractive to aggressive investors that then leave at the first sign of trouble. Analysts expect the company to grow profits next year by 17%, but that's only to 27 cents per share.

There isn't much wiggle room here if you ask me. With the stock trading for 38 times 2013 estimated earnings, I would be worried about a sharp correction – or crash diet if you will. Get out before the company releases results as the earnings report is often the time when investors decide to bail.

Looking for investment options? Bonds are your best bet

The economy is heading for a slowdown and bond yields are not far from peaks seen during the year.  This by itself is a good case for buying into bond yields and the risk return profile of investing in bonds is very much in your favour. Bond funds that invest in government and corporate bonds are an alternative if you do not want to invest directly in bonds.

Ten year benchmark government bond yields are trading at around 8.25% levels. The peak seen on the 7.80% 2021 government bond, which is the benchmark ten year bond, is 8.45%, seen in May 2011. Benchmark AAA corporate bonds of five and ten year maturities are trading at close to 9.5% levels, down from peaks of 9.75%. The current levels of bond yields are at close to three year highs and the levels are where they are due to inflation. Inflation as measured by the WPI (Wholesale Price Index) is running at 9.06% levels and is expected to come in higher for the month of June, due to the fuel price hikes by the government in June. The RBI has raised the benchmark policy rate, the repo rate by 275 bps over the last fifteen months as inflation kept steadily moving higher from levels of 5% to levels of 9% and above. The repo rate is at 7.50% at present.

The economy in the meanwhile has show signs of slowdown. The IIP (Index of Industrial Production) growth for the month of May 2011 came in at 5.6%, against market expectations of over 8%. The IIP growth for May 2010 was at 8.5%.  IIP growth for the month of April 2011 was at 5.7% taking the April-May 2011 average to 5.7%. While two months of weak industrial growth does not indicate a slowdown for the full year, the environment outside does suggest that the economy can slowdown faster than expected and force GDP growth numbers for 2011-12 to be revised downward from 8%.

The fall in IIP growth for May is to be seen in conjunction with the status of growth drivers in the economy. Monetary policy is tight and its effects are seen on credit growth, which has fallen from levels of 23.5% to levels of 20% over the last six months. Interest rate sensitive industries from auto to real estate are seeing a slowdown. Vehicle sales growth has dropped from high double digit growth levels to low single digit growth levels. Infrastructure spending is coming off due to tight liquidity and high interest rate conditions (as per industry leaders).  Financial services sector is facing issues of a weak capital market with broad equity indices still trading below levels seen in late 2007. High interest rates and weak capital markets are forcing corporates to put off expansion plans. There is clearly a case for the economy to slow down further.

The economic environment in the global front is not looking positive. Economic growth in the big economies of US, China and Japan is looking to come off. US unemployment rate at 9.2% has gone up from below 6% levels seen in 2006 and is not looking to go down soon. China is fighting inflation, which is trending at 6.4% levels and has raised rates and lowered growth forecasts. Japan is coming out of a natural disaster that closed down it nuclear facilities. Eurozone is facing a debt crisis and many countries in the Eurozone including Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland will see growth come off sharply on spending cuts, and this will bring down growth in the region.

Growth drivers absent, inflation drivers such as demand and commodity prices will also cool off leading to falling inflation expectations. In such a scenario, bond will do extremely well and at levels close to three year highs, chances of yields falling is much better than chances of yields rising. 

The author is editor www.investorsareidiots.com a financial web site for investors.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now

Getty Images Depending on your personal investing philosophy, risk profile, strategy, and a host of external factors, there's a long list of traits you could put on your checklist for what makes a stock right for your portfolio. And then there are the exceptions -- companies that, for good reason, fall outside of the parameters you've set, but that you can't help thinking are a "good investment" But picking a good investment doesn't always have to be so complex. You can use simpler screen -- a checklist of just a few traits that are universally good markers of an appealing long-term holding. Here are three key traits that will key you in to a good investment, regardless of the company's sector, whether it's considered a growth or value stock, or even whether it's a market favorite or a pariah. 1. A brand that's synonymous with the product Technology companies largely rely on human capital for their ongoing competitiveness. Needless to say, people are highly unpredictable assets that can, and do, change quickly. So, products with an Apple logo will only stay popular so long as the mechanics and technology created by its people are cutting-edge. In other words, it's the talent that made Apple (AAPL) what it is today. And in order to remain great, Apple needs to retain its best people and be better than its competitors in acquiring the top minds in its industry. That's why, despite the company's incredible growth and ability to shape the future of multiple industries, Apple will never be as sound an investment as, say, Coca-Cola (KO). Sure, Coca-Cola has an amazing manufacturing and distribution system, along with a super-secret formula to make its signature soft drink. But its true beauty as a company, a brand, and an investment, is that it has taken the simplest of ingredients and through brilliant branding turned its core product into one of the biggest, most recognizable brand names in the world (actually, the third biggest, according to Interbrand's 2013 rankings). Other companies can slap their labels on bottles of sugar water. And plenty have. There will always be imitators and wannabes looking to peel off a piece of Coca-Cola's market share. But in the eyes of consumers across the globe, a Coke will always be a Coke, regardless of who's sitting in the corner offices at company headquarters. A company like Coca-Cola isn't going to grow at amazing rates. An earnings report likely won't show a massive gain in earnings per share that no one saw coming. But as a long-term investment, there are few, if any, better businesses to own a piece of. For as far out as anyone can possibly foresee, people will continue drinking the more than 500 Coca-Cola products, and its formula will barely change. The company sells a tremendous variety of other products, not to mention owning a great portfolio of bottlers. In recent years, its namesake product has dropped off a bit in developed nations as health concerns have grown; however, the company owns 16 "billion-dollar brands," and hundreds more that have the ability to drive the company's growth well into the future. If you had invested $10,000 in Coca-Cola in January 1985, today, your shares would be worth $573,134. It's easy to back-test a portfolio and make returns look great, and there have been times when Coke stock has dropped precipitously. But, over a nearly 30-year period, this result is difficult to argue with. 2. Managers intent on running the business using its own cash generation In a time when far too many companies go public and existing public companies are far too eager to raise additional capital in the debt or equity markets, it is nearly always a good sign to see a company whose managers are averse to capital raising. There are plenty of reasons to raise capital, and many are perfectly legitimate. However, a business that is running on its own cash generation is a strong indicator of both healthy operations and long-term-oriented management. When Charlie Munger -- Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A) vice-chairman and Warren Buffett's closest confidant -- became interested in a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD (BYDDY), he explained to Buffett the company's merits. Its manager is an engineering virtuoso whom Munger calls a mix of Jack Welch and Thomas Edison. Its products (electric cars, batteries, mobile phones) were considered some of the best in their industry and were quickly adopted by various Chinese municipalities looking to decrease their public transportation carbon footprint. The two approached the company's CEO, Wang Chuanfu, with an offer to buy 25 percent of the company. Now, just to state the obvious, usually when Warren Buffett comes a-knocking, the red carpet is rolled out and he's is received with eager handshakes to do the deal. But Wang said no -- he had no desire to hand over a quarter of his company. His answer only made Buffett's conviction in the company even stronger. The refusal revealed that Wang was a manager who clearly did not want to give away the store, regardless of the short-term benefits and PR boost of running a company one-quarter-owned by the World's Greatest Investor. Managers who are more inclined to hold on to their business, whether it's buying shares on the open market or refusing to raise endless amounts of capital, are ones who truly believe in the longevity of their biggest investment. The parties eventually agreed to a 10 percent stake via Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican subsidiary. And since the 2008 investment, BYD has had plenty of troubles, including the erosion of its solar panel business and cellphone battery segment. But its electric vehicles continue to gain traction, showing up well beyond China's borders. There are BYDs used as Dutch taxis and, closer to home, electric buses manufactured in Los Angeles and being sold across the United States. The company has had short-term issues, but Buffett has yet to sell a single share. 3. Boring Businesses A sexy investment, like anything sexy, is alluring in the most inexplicable ways. When an investor sees the latest tech stock flying high in the markets or hears of friends who got in early on some golden IPO, it is nearly impossible to not want a piece of the action. However, many of these businesses are enormously complicated, and few besides their managers and industry experts actually know how it all works. If this were outside the stock market, and instead a private company, why would anyone buy into a business they didn't understand? When evaluating an investment, look for simplicity. Take it a step further -- seek out businesses that are boring. Take Winmark (WINA), for example. Winmark is the company behind secondhand stores such as Plato's Closet, Play It Again Sports, Music Go Round, and others. It doesn't operate these stores, it only franchises them. The company also has a small and medium-size business leasing segment. Taking a royalty on sales of used women's clothing and asset leasing is not a business that one discusses on a first date, but it happens to be a highly cash-generative, no-brainer business. While the world of investing is often challenging, it doesn't have to be. Winmark participates in a business that does well in good times, and thrives in periods of economic uncertainty when shoppers turn to consignment stores for better deals. It capitalizes on the fact that the United States is a small-business engine, with countless people trying to take their slice of the American Dream. It's an easy, understandable and boring business that earns money. In five years, its stock is up more than 320 percent. In fact, perhaps because the company is so boring, it receives no analyst coverage from Wall Street. Companies neglected by Wall Street leave greater opportunities for retail investors who spot the good pick and have the ability to get in at a lower price. For comparison, buying Apple at a steep discount to its intrinsic value is very difficult because thousands upon thousands of professional analysts and managers are constantly looking at the stock and pricing it accordingly. Of course, on the flip side, a company with little coverage means the investor has to do more dirty work. The Takeaway Turning over 1,000 rocks to find a handful of gems may seem daunting, or even impossible. The thing is, using a quick checklist such as the one above allows an investor to throw out 750 of those rocks in less than an afternoon's worth of Internet browsing. While these qualities may seem overly simplified, they offer a quick tool to help identify businesses that are likely better than their peers and warrant further investigation. Use these guidelines in conjunction with a more personalized criterion for investment, and you'll soon be on your way to a sustainable, risk-averse long-term portfolio.

Primarily covering the energy and natural resources sectors, master limited partnerships take advantage of favorable tax laws to distribute cash to investors in a tax-efficient way. Recently, the need for pipelines and other energy infrastructure to transport huge, newly-discovered oil and natural gas reserves has helped MLPs like Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) and Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) to grow substantially while paying distribution yields of between 4 percent and 6 percent. Many MLPs pay even higher yields, however, and with those payouts often being tax-advantaged, you'll potentially lose less of your income to Uncle Sam. The downside: MLPs can make your tax preparation a lot harder, as complicated reporting requirements make them harder to deal with than an ordinary stock investment.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: BlueFire Equipment Corp (BLFR)

NA

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, BLFR has surged (+5.08%) up +0.030 at $.620 with 208,022 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:01AM EDT July 19, 2013).

  BlueFire Equipment Corporation previously reported field testing of its proprietary polycrystalline diamond cutter (PDC) drill bits has exceeded company expectations.

  BlueFire�� exclusive technology provides the potential for higher rates of penetration (ROP) and longer bit runs in hard rock formations and shales.

  BlueFire Equipment Corporation Chairman and CEO William A. Blackwell said, ��.S. drilling companies continue to seek out and employ new technologies to improve performance and effectiveness. Culminating years of research and development, BlueFire has taken a ground up approach to redesigning the PDC bit to help meet these needs.��/p>

• [By CRWE]

  Today, BLFR surged (+8.91%) up +0.049 at $.599 with 202,607 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:28PM EDT July 15, 2013).

  BlueFire Equipment Corporation previously reported field testing of its proprietary polycrystalline diamond cutter (PDC) drill bits has exceeded company expectations.

  BlueFire�� exclusive technology provides the potential for higher rates of penetration (ROP) and longer bit runs in hard rock formations and shales.

  BlueFire Equipment Corporation Chairman and CEO William A. Blackwell said, ��.S. drilling companies continue to seek out and employ new technologies to improve performance and effectiveness. Culminating years of research and development, BlueFire has taken a ground up approach to redesigning the PDC bit to help meet these needs.��/p>

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Access Midstream Partners LP (ACMP)

Access Midstream Partners, L.P., formerly Chesapeake Midstream Partners, L.L.C. (Partnership), incorporated on January 21, 2010, owns, operates, develops and acquires natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil gathering systems and other midstream energy assets. The Company is focused on natural gas and NGL gathering. The Company provides its midstream services to Chesapeake Energy Corporation (Chesapeake), Total E&P USA, Inc. (Total), Mitsui & Co. (Mitsui), Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko), Statoil ASA (Statoil) and other producers under long-term, fixed-fee contracts. On December 20, 2012, the Company acquired from Chesapeake Midstream Development, L.P. (CMD), a wholly owned subsidiary of Chesapeake, and certain of CMD's affiliates, 100% of interests in Chesapeake Midstream Operating, L.L.C. (CMO). As a result of the CMO Acquisition, the Partnership owns certain midstream assets in the Eagle Ford, Utica and Niobrara regions. The CMO Acquisition also extended the Company's assets and operations in the Haynesville, Marcellus and Mid-Continent regions.

The Company operates assets in Barnett Shale region in north-central Texas; Eagle Ford Shale region in South Texas; Haynesville Shale region in northwest Louisiana; Marcellus Shale region in Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Niobrara Shale region in eastern Wyoming; Utica Shale region in eastern Ohio, and Mid-Continent region, which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, Delaware and Permian Basins. The Company's gathering systems collect natural gas and NGLs from unconventional plays. The Company generates its revenues through long-term, fixed-fee gas gathering, treating and compression contracts and through processing contracts.

Barnett Shale Region

The Company's gathering systems in its Barnett Shale region are located in Tarrant, Johnson and Dallas counties in Texas in the Core and Tier 1 areas of the Barnett Shale and consist of 25 interconnected gathering systems and 850 miles of pipeline. During the year! ended December 31, 2012, average throughput on the Company's Barnett Shale gathering system was 1.195 billion cubic feet per day. The Company connects its gathering systems to receipt points that are either at the individual wellhead or at central receipts points into which production from multiple wells are gathered. The Company's Barnett Shale gathering system is connected to the three downstream transportation pipelines: Atmos Pipeline Texas, Energy Transfer Pipeline Texas and Enterprise Texas Pipeline. Natural gas delivered into Atmos Pipeline Texas pipeline system serves the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area and south, east and west Texas markets at the Katy, Carthage and Waha hubs. Natural gas delivered into Energy Transfer Pipeline Texas pipeline system serves the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area and southeastern and northeastern the United States markets supplied by the Midcontinent Express Pipeline, Centerpoint CP Expansion Pipeline and Gulf South 42-inch Expansion Pipeline. Natural gas delivered into Enterprise Texas Pipeline pipeline system serves the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area and southeastern and northeastern the United States markets supplied by the Gulf Crossing Pipeline.

Eagle Ford Shale Region

The Company's gathering systems in its Eagle Ford Shale region are located in Dimmit, La Salle, Frio, Zavala, McMullen and Webb counties in Texas and consist of 10 gathering systems and 618 miles of pipeline. During 2012, gross throughput for these assets was 0.169 billion cubic feet per day. The Company connects its gathering systems to central receipt points into which production from multiple wells is gathered. The Company's Eagle Ford gathering systems are connected to six downstream transportation pipelines, which include Enterprise, Camino Real, West Texas Gas, Regency Gas Service, Eagle Ford Gathering and Enerfin. The Company processes gas at Yoakum or other Enterprise plants and transports residue to Wharton residue header w! ith conne! ctions to numerous interstate pipelines.

Haynesville Shale Region

The Company's Springridge gas gathering system in the Haynesville Shale region is located in Caddo and DeSoto Parishes, Louisiana, in one of the core areas of the Haynesville Shale and consists of 263 miles of pipeline. During 2012, average throughput on the Company's Springridge gathering system was 0.359 billion cubic feet per day. The Company connects its gathering system to receipt points that are at central receipt points into which production from multiple wells is gathered. The Company's Springridge gathering system is connected to three downstream transportation pipelines: Centerpoint Energy Gas Transmission, ETC Tiger Pipeline and Texas Gas Transmission Pipeline. The Company's Mansfield gas gathering system in the Haynesville Shale region is located in DeSoto and Sabine Parishes, Louisiana, in one of the areas of the Haynesville Shale and, as of December 31, 2012, consist of 304 miles of pipeline. During 2012, average throughput on the Company's Mansfield gathering system was 0.720 billion cubic feet per day. The Company connects its gathering system to receipt points that are at central receipt points into which production from multiple wells is gathered and treated. The Company's Mansfield gathering system is connected to two downstream transportation pipelines: Enterprise Accadian Pipeline and Gulf South Pipeline. Natural gas delivered into Enterprise Accadian pipeline can move to on-system markets in the Midwest and to off-system markets in the Northeast through interconnections with third-party pipelines. Natural gas delivered into Gulf South pipeline can move to on-system markets in the Midwest and to off-system markets in the Northeast through interconnections with third-party pipelines.

Marcellus Shale Region

Through Appalachia Midstream, the Company operates 100% of and own an approximate average 47% interests in 10 gas gathering systems that consist of approximately 5! 49 miles ! of gathering pipeline in the Marcellus Shale region. The Company's volumes in the region are gathered from northern Pennsylvania, southwestern Pennsylvania and the northwestern panhandle of West Virginia, in core areas of the Marcellus Shale. The Company operates these smaller systems in northeast and central West Virginia, southeast Pennsylvania, northwest Maryland, north central Virginia, and south central New York. During 2012, gross throughput for Appalachia Midstream assets was just over 1.8 billion cubic feet per day. The Company's Marcellus gathering systems' delivery points include Caiman Energy, Central New York Oil & Gas, Columbia Gas Transmission, MarkWest, NiSource Midstream, PVR and Tennessee Gas Pipeline. Natural gas is delivered into a 16-inch pipeline and delivered to the Caiman Energy Fort Beeler processing plant where the liquids are extracted from the gas stream. The natural gas is then delivered into the TETCo interstate pipeline for ultimate delivery to the Northeast region of the United States. Natural gas delivered into Central New York Oil & Gas 30-inch diameter pipeline can be delivered to Stagecoach Storage, Millennium Pipeline, or Tennessee Gas Pipeline's Line 300. In Columbia Gas Transmission lean natural gas is delivered into two 36-inch interstate pipelines for delivery to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States. Natural gas is delivered into a MarkWest pipeline for delivery to the MarkWest Houston processing plant where the liquids are extracted from the gas stream. In NiSource Midstream natural gas is delivered into a 20-inch diameter pipeline and delivered to the MarkWest Majorsville processing plant where the liquids are extracted from the rich gas stream. In PVR natural gas is delivered into the 24-inch diameter Wyoming pipeline and the Hirkey Compressor Station. In Tennessee Gas Pipeline natural gas is delivered into this looped 30-inch diameter pipeline (TGP Line 300) at three different locations can be received in the Northeast at points along th! e 300 Lin! e path, interconnections with other pipelines in northern New Jersey, as well as an existing delivery point in White Plains, New York.

Niobrara Shale Region

The Company's gathering systems in the Niobrara Shale region are located in Converse County, Wyoming and consist of two interconnected gathering systems and 79 miles of pipeline. During 2012, average throughput in the Company's Niobrara Shale region was 0.013 billion cubic feet per day. The Company connects its gathering systems to receipt points,which are either at the individual wellhead or at central receipts points into which production from multiple wells are gathered. The Company's Niobrara gathering systems are connected to two downstream transportation pipelines: Tallgrass/Douglas Pipeline and North Finn/DCP Inlet Pipeline. Natural gas delivered into Tallgrass/Douglas pipeline is sent to the Tallgrass processing facility; after processing, natural gas is delivered to Cheyenne Hub, Rockies Express Pipeline, or Trailblazer Pipeline through Tallgrass Interstate Gas Transmission.

Utica Shale Region

The Company's gathering systems in the Utica Shale region are located in northeast Ohio and consist of 67 miles of pipeline. The Company's Utica gathering systems are connected to two downstream transportation pipelines: Dominion East Ohio (Blue Racer) and Dominion Transmission, Inc.

Mid-Continent Region

The Company's Mid-Continent gathering systems extend across portions of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas. Included in the Company's Mid-Continent region are three treating facilities located in Beckham and Grady Counties, Oklahoma, and Reeves County, Texas, which are designed to remove contaminants from the natural gas stream.

Anadarko Basin and Northwest Oklahoma

The Company's assets within the Anadarko Basin and Northwest Oklahoma are located in northwestern Oklahoma and the northeastern portion of the Texas Panhandle and consist of appro! ximately ! 1,578 miles of pipeline. During 2012, the Company's Anadarko Basin and Northwest Oklahoma region gathering systems had an average throughput of 0.457 billion cubic feet per day. Within the Anadarko Basin and Northwest Oklahoma, the Company is focused on servicing Chesapeake's production from the Colony Granite Wash, Texas Panhandle Granite Wash and Mississippi Lime plays. Natural gas production from these areas of the Anadarko Basin and Northwest Oklahoma contains NGLs. In addition, the Company operates an amine treater with sulfur removal capabilities at its Mayfield facility in Beckham County, Oklahoma. The Company's Mayfield gathering and treating system gathers Deep Springer natural gas production and treats the natural gas to remove carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide to meet the specifications of downstream transportation pipelines.

The Company's Anadarko Basin and Northwest Oklahoma systems are connected to a transportation pipelines transporting natural gas out of the region, including pipelines owned by Enbridge and Atlas Pipelines, as well as local market pipelines such as those owned by Enogex. These pipelines provide access to Midwest and northeastern the United States markets, as well as intrastate markets.

Permian Basin

The Company's Permian Basin assets are located in west Texas and consist of approximately 358 miles of pipeline across the Permian and Delaware basins. During 2012, average throughput on the Company's gathering systems was 0.076 billion cubic feet per day. The Company's Permian Basin gathering systems are connected to pipelines in the area owned by Southern Union, Enterprise, West Texas Gas, CDP Midstream and Regency. Natural gas delivered into these transportation pipelines is re-delivered into the Waha hub and El Paso Gas Transmission. The Waha hub serves the Texas intrastate electric power plants and heating market, as well as the Houston Ship Channel chemical and refining markets. El Paso Gas Transmission serves western the United ! States ma! rkets.

Other Mid-Continent Regions

The Company's other Mid-Continent region assets consist of systems in the Ardmore Basin in Oklahoma, the Arkoma Basin in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas and the East Texas and Gulf Coast regions of Texas. The other Mid-Continent assets include approximately 648 miles of pipeline. These gathering systems are localized systems gathering specific production for re-delivery into established pipeline markets. During 2012, average throughput on these gathering systems was 0.031 billion cubic feet per day.

The Company competes with Energy Transfer Partners, Crosstex Energy, Crestwood Midstream Partners, Freedom Pipeline, Peregrine Pipeline, XTO Energy, EOG Resources, DFW Mid-Stream, Enbridge Energy Partners, DCP Midstream, Enterprise Products Partners Inc., Regency Energy Partners, Texstar Midstream Operating, West Texas Gas Inc., TGGT Holdings, Kinderhawk Field Services, CenterPoint Field Services, Williams Partners, Penn Virginia Resource Partners, Caiman Energy, MarkWest Energy Partners, Kinder Morgan, Dominion Transmission (Blue Racer), Enogex and Atlas Pipeline Partners.

Top Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Halliburton Company(HAL)

Halliburton Company provides various products and services to the energy industry for the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas worldwide. It operates in two segments, Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation. The Completion and Production segment offers production enhancement services, completion tools and services, cementing services, and Boots & Coots. Its production enhancement services include stimulation and sand control services; completion tools and services comprise subsurface safety valves and flow control equipment, surface safety systems, packers and specialty completion equipment, intelligent completion systems, expandable liner hanger systems, sand control systems, well servicing tools, and reservoir performance services; cementing services consist of bonding the well and well casing, while isolating fluid zones and maximizing wellbore stability, and casing equipment; and Boots & Coots include well intervention services , pressure control, equipment rental tools and services, and pipeline and process services. The Drilling and Evaluation segment provides field and reservoir modeling, drilling, evaluation, and wellbore placement solutions that enable customers to model, measure, and optimize their well construction activities. Its services comprise fluid services, drilling services, drill bits, wireline and perforating services, testing and subsea services, software and asset solutions, and integrated project management and consulting services. The company serves independent, integrated, and national oil companies. Halliburton Company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  A final name to watch here is�Halliburton� (NYSE: HAL  ) , which recently participated in the completion of the largest shale well in the country. Argentina represents an important growth opportunity for a company that has been expanding its business internationally. Overall, Latin America has been a fast-growing market for the company, with sales in the region growing 21% year over year. If the Argentinian shale resources turn out to be as good as early reports indicate, then it could really help fuel Halliburton's international growth.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Archer Ltd (ARCHER)

Archer Ltd, formerly Seawell Limited is a Bermuda-based global oilfield service company. The Company provides drilling services, such as platform drilling, land drilling, modular rings, directional drilling, drill bits, tubular services, drilling and completion fluids, cementing tools, plugs and packers, underbalanced services, rentals and engineering. It specialises also in well services, such as wireline intervention, specialist intervention, frac valves, wireline logging, integrity diagnostics, imaging, production monitoring, coiled tubing, completion services and fishing. As of January 3, 2012, the Company's organizational structure centered on four geographic and strategic areas: North America (NAM), North Sea (NRS), Latin America (LAM) and Emerging Markets & Technologies (EMT). As of December 31, 2010, it was active through a number of subsidiaries, namely Seawell, Allis-Chalmers Energy, Gray Wireline, Rig Inspection Services and TecWel, among others.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: EV Energy Partners LP (EVEP)

EV Energy Partners, L.P. (the Partnership) is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's properties were located in the Barnett Shale, the Appalachian Basin (which includes the Utica Shale), the Mid Continent areas in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana, the San Juan Basin, the Monroe Field in Northern Louisiana, the Permian Basin, Central and East Texas (which includes the Austin Chalk area), and Michigan. On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Mid Continent area. On December 1, 2011, the Company along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Barnett Shale. It acquired a 31.02% proportional interest in these properties. On December 20, 2011, the Company, along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, acquired additional oil and natural gas properties in the Barnett Shale. It acquired a 31.63% proportional interest in these properties. On February 7, 2012, the Company along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, had a second closing on the oil and natural gas properties, and acquired a 31.63% proportional interest in these properties.

Barnett Shale

The Barnett Shale properties are located in Denton, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties in Northern Texas. Its portion of the estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, was 647.4 one billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), 72% of which is natural gas. During 2011, the Company drilled 35 wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 100% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and the Company owns an average 29% working interest in 976 gross productive wells.

Appalachian Basin

The Company�� activities are concentrated in the Ohio and West Virginia areas of the Appalachian Basin. Its Ohio area properties are producing from the Knox and Clinton f! ormations and other Devonian age sands in 41 counties in Eastern Ohio and 11 counties in Western Pennsylvania. Its West Virginia area properties are producing from the Balltown, Benson and Big Injun formations in 23 counties in North Central West Virginia. Its estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 126.4 Bcfe, 76% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled 33 grosswells, 26 of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 92% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 41% working interest in 8,670 gross productive wells.

Mid-Continent Area

The properties are located in 47 counties in Oklahoma, 17 counties in Texas, four parishes in North Louisiana, one county in Kansas and six counties in Arkansas. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 81.2 Bcfe, 63% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled 82 wells, all of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 33% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 12% working interest in 1,864 gross productive wells.

San Juan Basin

The properties are located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico and La Plata County in Colorado. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, 68.6 Bcfe, 59% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled two wells, one of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 94% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 71% working interest in 227 gross productive wells.

Monroe Field

The properties are located in two parishes in Northeast Louisiana. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 60.9 Bcfe, 100% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled one well, which was completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 100% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 100% working i! nterest i! n 3,930 gross productive wells.

Permian Basin

The properties are located in the Yates, Seven Rivers, Queen, Morrow, Clear Fork and Wichita Albany formations in four counties in New Mexico and Texas. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 54.1Bcfe, 37% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it did not drill any wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 99% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 93% working interest in 160 gross productive wells.

Central and East Texas

The properties produce primarily from the Austin Chalk formation and are located in 30 counties in Central and East Texas. Its portion of the estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011 was 60.9 Bcfe, 46% of which is natural gas. During 2011, the Company drilled 16 gross wells, 15 of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 93% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 12% working interest in 1,829 gross productive wells.

Michigan

The properties are located in the Antrim Shale reservoir in Otsego and Montmorency counties in northern Michigan. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 44.9 Bcfe, 100% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it did not drill any wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 99% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it has an average 84% working interest in 370 gross productive wells.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Houston-based EnerVest has also placed acreage for sale through its master limited partnership EV Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) , after initial results came in under expectations. The MLP's CEO, Mark Houser, said the decision to sell out of the Utica was because oil production doesn't fit its low-cost business model. �

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Investors in oil and gas MLP EV Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) have endured a very rough year. The company's units have been cut by nearly a third since the year started. With units now trading at a much lower price, let's look at three reasons why you might want to add these units to your portfolio.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  One area investors really need to drill deeper into is the company's reserve base, which will give you a better idea of how it's producing the income needed to support the large distribution. Today, we're going to drill down into the reserves of EV Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) to get a better idea of what an investor is actually buying when adding units to their portfolio.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Linn Energy LLC (LINE.O)

Linn Energy, LLC (LINN Energy) is an independent oil and natural gas company. The Company�� properties are located in the United States, primarily in the Mid-Continent, the Permian Basin, Michigan, California and the Williston Basin. Mid-Continent Deep includes the Texas Panhandle Deep Granite Wash formation and deep formations in Oklahoma and Kansas. Mid-Continent Shallow includes the Texas Panhandle Brown Dolomite formation and shallow formations in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Illinois. Permian Basin includes areas in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Michigan includes the Antrim Shale formation in the northern part of the state. California includes the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin. Williston Basin includes the Bakken formation in North Dakota. On December 15, 2011, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties located primarily in the Granite Wash of Texas and Oklahoma from Plains Exploration & Production Company (Plains).

On November 1, 2011, and November 18, 2011, it completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Permian Basin. On June 1, 2011, it acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in the Cleveland play, located in the Texas Panhandle, from Panther Energy Company, LLC and Red Willow Mid-Continent, LLC (collectively Panther). On May 2, 2011, and May 11, 2011, it completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Williston Basin. On April 1, 2011, and April 5, 2011, the Company completed two acquisitions of certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Permian Basin. On March 31, 2011, it acquired certain oil and natural gas properties located in the Williston Basin from an affiliate of Concho Resources Inc. (Concho). During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company completed other smaller acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties located in its various operating regions. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 7,759 or 69% of its 11,230 gross produc! ! tive wells.

Mid-Continent Deep

The Mid-Continent Deep region includes properties in the Deep Granite Wash formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths ranging from 10,000 feet to 16,000 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma and Kansas, which produce at depths of more than 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Deep proved reserves represented approximately 47% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 49% were classified as proved developed reserves. The Company owns and operates a network of natural gas gathering systems consisting of approximately 285 miles of pipeline and associated compression and metering facilities that connect to numerous sales outlets in the Texas Panhandle.

Mid-Continent Shallow

The Mid-Continent Shallow region includes properties producing from the Brown Dolomite formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths of approximately 3,200 feet, as well as properties in Ok lahoma, Louisiana and Illinois, which produce at depths of less than 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Shallow proved reserves represented approximately 20% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 70% were classified as proved developed reserves. The Company owns and operates a network of natural gas gathering systems consisting of approximately 665 miles of pipeline and associated compression and metering facilities that connect to numerous sales outlets in the Texas Panhandle.

Permian Basin

The Permian Basin is an oil and natural gas basins in the United States. The Company�� properties are located in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico and produce at depths ranging from 2,000 feet to 12,000 feet. Permian Basin proved reserves represented approximately 16% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 56% were classified as proved developed reserves.

Michigan

The Michigan region includes proper ties producing from the Antrim Shale formation in the no! rthe! rn ! part o! f the state, which produces at depths ranging from 600 feet to 2,200 feet. Michigan proved reserves represented approximately 9% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 90% were classified as proved developed reserves.

California

The California region consists of the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin. California proved reserves represented approximately 6% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 93% were classified as proved developed reserves.

Williston Basin

The Williston Basin is one of the premier oil basins in the United States. The Company�� properties are located in North Dakota and produce at depths ranging from 9,000 feet to 12,000 feet. Williston Basin proved reserves represented approximately 2% of total proved reserves, as of December 31, 2011, of which 48% were classified as proved developed reserves.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Statoil ASA (STO)

Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Company�� segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a joint venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Development and Production Norway

Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Company�� field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, while its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.

Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Company�� licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-operated fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Company�� total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and partner-operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Company�� producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.

Development and Production International

Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.

The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in Brazil and the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.

The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Company�� Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It runs two refineries, two gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.

Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ownership with Petoro. The Company is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Company�� methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.

Technology, Projects and Drilling

Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  The field, located about 250 miles southwest of New Orleans, is one of the biggest oil discoveries in the ultra-deepwater frontier of the Gulf of Mexico and is estimated to contain nearly 6 billion barrels of oil resource in place. Exxon and Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) , the Norwegian oil and gas giant, each hold a 50% interest in the field.

• [By Michael Fitzsimmons]

  The Oil & Gas business also provides key technology used in extraction, development, and environmental protection of shale gas. GE is the
  world leader in gas-powered generation and transportation. Under water, last year GE launched the first subsea compressor for Statoil (STO), creating an industry-leading position in a new market.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Today, Continental Resources� (NYSE: CLR  ) , Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL  ) , Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) , and Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) have access to nearly 2 million combined acres ,equivalent to 1,280 square miles. They're dotting the plains of western North Dakota with drilling rigs and production wells. All of this drilling has led to massive growth in oil production, which brings economic development and jobs to this once forgotten state. For a visual showing how fast oil production grew, click here to see a 25-year EIA time lapse of energy production in the Bakken.�

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: National-Oilwell Inc.(NOV)

National Oilwell Varco, Inc. designs, constructs, manufactures, and sells systems, components, and products used in oil and gas drilling and production; provides oilfield services and supplies; and distributes products, and provides supply chain integration services to the upstream oil and gas industry worldwide. Its Rig Technology segment offers offshore and onshore drilling rigs; derricks; pipe lifting, racking, rotating, and assembly systems; rig instrumentation systems; coiled tubing equipment and pressure pumping units; well workover rigs; wireline winches; wireline trucks; cranes; and turret mooring systems and other products for floating production, storage and offloading vessels, and other offshore vessels and terminals. The company?s Petroleum Services & Supplies segment provides various consumable goods and services to drill, complete, remediate, and workover oil and gas wells and service pipelines, flowlines, and other oilfield tubular goods. It also manufacture s, rents, and sells products and equipment for drilling operations, including drill pipe, wired drill pipe, transfer pumps, solids control systems, drilling motors, drilling fluids, drill bits, reamers and other downhole tools, and mud pump consumables. In addition, this segment provides oilfield tubular services comprising the provision of inspection and internal coating services; equipment for drill pipe, line pipe, tubing, casing, and pipelines; and coiled tubing pipes and composite pipes. Its Distribution Services segment sells maintenance, repair and operating supplies, and spare parts to drill site and production locations. The company primarily serves drilling contractors, shipyards and other rig fabricators, well servicing companies, pressure pumping companies, oil and gas companies, supply stores, and pipe-running service providers. National Oilwell Varco, Inc. was founded in 1862 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV  ) , a maker of oil and gas drilling and oilfield services equipment, doubled its quarterly dividend to $0.26 a share.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV  ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and the revolution in the U.S. energy industry continues to promise the potential for huge sales growth for the companies that provide essential materials and services to oil and gas exploration and production companies. Yet National Oilwell Varco earnings might well not keep up with those revenue gains, raising concerns that falling margins could persist and hold back the company's growth prospects.

• [By Harlan Kessler]

  Whenever you see a company that is undervalued with plenty of competitive advantages and financial strength, you are looking at a winner. The company that meets these specifications in the energy business is National Oilwell Varco (NOV). The company supplies drillers and producers with anything they need ranging from rigs to drilling parts and also provides a range of services, whether it is piping inspection or the training of drilling crew in the use of sophisticated systems. It exerts such a profound influence that, according to a Morningstar estimate, it has a 60% share in the market for rig equipment and 90% of all rigs carry some of its equipment. It also operates in over 700 locations across the world. We should remember that the folks who made the real money in the Gold Rush were the suppliers of picks and shovels.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings released on Friday included:

  Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) reported third quarter EPS of $0.50 on revenue of $8.10 billion, compared to last year�� loss of $0.55 per share on revenue of $5.29 billion. General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) reported third quarter EPS of $0.36 on revenue of $35.7 3 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.36 on revenue of $36.35 billion. Ingersol-Rand (NYSE: IR) reported EPS of $0.57 on revenue of $3.75 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.07 on revenue of $3.59 billion. Schlumberger N.V. (NYSE: SLB) reported third quarter EPS of $1.29 on revenue of $11.61 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.08 on revenue of $10.61 billion. Honeywell International (NYSE: HON) reported EPS of $1.24 on revenue of $9.65 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.20 on revenue of $9.34 billion.

  Pre-Market Movers

• [By David Smith]

  A promising partnership
  Total outlays for subsea facilities were slightly more than $25 billion in 2011. That number is expected to rocket to about $130 billion by 2020. Among several companies that will benefit from this nearly five-fold growth are Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) and Cameron International (NYSE: CAM  ) .

• [By David Smith]

  Big and not so big at your service
  In the services sector, perhaps the most difficult to comprehend of the sub-sectors, you likely have a good handle on the kingpin, Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . The company, with a $100 billion market cap, operates in about 85 countries, through the efforts of more than 100,000 employees. Its services include everything from soup to nuts, or seismic to production assistance. So, if you're looking for an ideal company to constitute a single proxy for the services contingent, Schlumberger's a good bet.

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Not surprisingly, the industry's annual capital spending has more than tripled over the past decade, coming in at $550 billion in 2011, according to oil-field services firm Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . Yet despite shelling out all that money, the industry as a whole has been unable to secure enough new reserves to offset production.

Top 10 Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(RCL)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates in the cruise vacation industry worldwide. It owns five cruise brands, which comprise Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises, and CDF Croisi�es de France. The Royal Caribbean International brand provides various itineraries and cruise lengths with options for onboard dining, entertainment, and other onboard activities primarily for the contemporary segment. It offers surf simulators, water parks, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, and shore excursions at each port of call, as well as boulevards with shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. The Celebrity Cruises brand operates onboard upscale ships that offer luxurious accommodations, fine dining, personalized services, spa facilities, venue featuring live grass, and glass blowing studio for the premium segment, as well as resells computers and other media devices. The Pullmantur brand provides an array of onboard activities and serv ices to guests, including exercise facilities, swimming pools, beauty salons, gaming facilities, shopping, dining, complimentary beverages, and entertainment venues serving the contemporary segment of the Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cruise markets. The Azamara Club Cruises brand offers various onboard services, amenities, gaming facilities, fine dining, spa and wellness, butler service for suites, and interactive entertainment venues for the up-market segment of the North American, United Kingdom, German, and Australian markets. The CDF Croisieres de France brand offers seasonal itineraries to the Mediterranean; and various onboard services, amenities, entertainment venues, exercise and spa facilities, fine dining, and gaming facilities for the contemporary segment of the French cruise market. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 39 ships with a total capacity of approximately 92,650 berths. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was founded in 1968 and is headqua rtered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Carnival�(CCL) has fallen 7.6% to $34.56 in early trading this morning after the company reported a profit of $1.38, above forecasts for $1.32, but issued disappointing guidance. It’s also dragging down shares of�Royal�Caribbean�Cruises (RCL), which have fallen 3.1% to $38.18.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)

  Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has made the largest insider buy this week, buying nearly one million dollars worth of shares.

• [By Christopher Palmeri]

  Norwegian Cruise Line, the third-largest U.S. cruise operator after Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), has advanced 57 percent since the sale of 27.1 million shares at $19 each in the IPO, giving it a market value of $6.07 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The stock fell 1.7 percent to $29.76 at the close in New York yesterday.

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  路 Royal Caribbean (RCL)

  Someone asked me a question about how I could consider Carnival attractive. So I��l connect those two stocks to my investing style when I answer that question.