5 Stocks Under $10 on the Verge of Breakouts

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Stock Trades to Take This Week

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

NeoPhotonics

NeoPhotonics (NPTN) is a designer and manufacturer of PIC-based modules and subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high-speed communications networks. This stock closed up 3.5% to $7.54 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $7.32-$7.57

52-Week Range: $4.75-$9.77

Tuesday's Volume: 69,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 124,923

>>5 Stocks Ready to Break Out

From a technical perspective, NPTN trended higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $7.19 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months, with shares moving higher from its low of $6.20 to its recent high of $7.98. During that uptrend, shares of NPTN have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of NPTN within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if NPTN manages to take out Tuesday's high of $7.57 to some near-term overhead resistance at $7.98 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NPTN as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $7.19 or above $7 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 124,923 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NPTN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9 to $10.

Mast Therapeutics

Mast Therapeutics (MSTX), a biopharmaceutical company, develops novel therapies for serious or life-threatening diseases with significant unmet needs. This stock closed up 8.1% to 51 cents per share in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $0.47-$0.51

52-Week Range: $0.40-$0.82

Tuesday's Volume: 957,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.32 million

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

From a technical perspective, MSTX spiked sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average of 46 cents per share with decent upside volume. This stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at 48 cents to 47 cents per share. Shares of MSTX are now starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if MSTX manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at 55 cents to its 200-day moving average at 57 cents per share with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MSTX as long as it's trending above its 50-day at 46 cents and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.32 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then MSTX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at 67 cent to 74 cents, or even 76 cents per share.

Zeltiq Aesthetics

Zeltiq Aesthetics (ZLTQ) develops and commercializes medical products such as CoolSculpting System, a non-invasive product for the selective reduction of body fat. This stock closed up 7.3% to $9.81 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $9.17-$9.87

52-Week Range: $3.20-$9.90

Tuesday's Volume: 595,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 231,600

>>5 Rocket Stocks Worth Buying This Week

From a technical perspective, ZLTQ spiked sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $8.77 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares moving higher from its low of $4 to its recent high of $9.90. During that uptrend, shares of ZLTQ have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ZLTQ within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if ZLTQ manages to take out Tuesday's high of $9.87 to its 52-week high at $9.90 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ZLTQ as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $8.77 or above $8.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 231,600 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ZLTQ will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $12 to $13.

Pingtan Marine Enterprise

Pingtan Marine Enterprise (PME) is a blank check company formed for the purpose of acquiring an operating business that has its main operations in the people's republic of China. This stock closed up 10.4% to $2.85 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $2.60-$2.87

52-Week Range: $1.31-$12.50

Tuesday's Volume: 86,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 53,295

From a technical perspective, PME ripped sharply higher here with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of PME within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if PME manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $2.94 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PME as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $2.27 and then once it sustains a move or close above $2.94 with volume that hits near or above 53,295 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PME will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $3.63 to $4.20. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give PME a chance to tag $5.

SGOCO Group

SGOCO Group (SGOC) is engaged in product design and brand development in the Chinese flat panel display market. This stock closed up 8.1% to $3.45 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $3.10-$3.46

52-Week Range: $0.70-$4.57

Tuesday's Volume: 103,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 287,558

From a technical perspective, SGOC bounced sharply higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $3.21 with lighter-than-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of SGOC within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if SGOC manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $3.74 to $3.84 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SGOC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.21 or above Tuesday's low of $3.10, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 287,558 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then SGOC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $4.57.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>Own Gold? Here's Why It's Time to Sell

>>4 Stocks Rising on Big Volume

>>3 Hot Stocks on Traders' Radars

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now

More than 20% of total rail carloads stem from the coal industry. Because of this reliance on coal shipments, CSX (NYSE: CSX  ) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC  ) each saw revenues from coal shipments drop by double digits in the first quarter of 2013 versus the same quarter last year. This also can't be great news for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) , as it owns BNSF railroads, which holds a 33% market share in coal shipments by rail, according to 2012 data.

These companies cater to the eastern United States, which has seen its coal industry hurt to a much greater degree than miners out west, such as Peabody Energy and its Powder River Basin thermal coal production. Coal from this region is produced further down the cost curve and is competitive with much lower natural gas prices than the Appalachian output.

Because exports are becoming a much bigger part of the domestic coal landscape, CSX has chosen to focus on providing greater access to a variety of export terminals. Peabody Energy is just one company that has deals in place to get its cheaper coal from the Powder River and Illinois basins to India, China, and the EU. For investors looking to capitalize on a rebound in the U.S. coal market, The Motley Fool has authored a special new premium report detailing exactly why Peabody Energy is perhaps most worthy of your consideration. Don't miss out on this invaluable resource -- simply click here now to claim your copy today.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Mawson Resources Ltd(MAW.TO)

Mawson Resources Limited, a development stage company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Finland, Peru, and Sweden. It explores primarily for gold, uranium, and copper ores. Its principal projects include the Rompas gold and uranium project with 132,890 hectares of claim reservations and 2,539 hectares of claim applications located in municipality of Ylitornio, Finland; and the Alto Quemado gold copper project comprising seven granted mineral concessions totaling 3,800 hectares situated in the Province of Caylloma, Peru. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Brilliant Mining Corp (BLT.V)

Brilliant Resources Inc., a junior resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and mining of mineral properties primarily in Canada, and west and central Africa. It primarily explores for nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum group elements. The company owns 100% interest in the Michikamau property that covers 4,325 hectares and is located in west central Labrador, Canada. It also owns rights to a geophysical survey project, which covers 28,051 square kilometers located in Equatorial Guinea, Africa. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

Top 10 Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2014: Austin Engineering Ltd (ANG.AX)

Austin Engineering Ltd engages in the manufacture, repair, overhaul, and supply of mining attachment products, general steelwork structures, and other associated products and services for the industrial and resources-related business sectors. Its products include off-highway dump truck bodies; hydraulic excavator and shovel buckets; wheel loaders; water tanks; lubrication service and fuel modules; tire handling equipment; and various materials handling products, such as fork frames, combi-forks, crane jibs, quick couplers, and blades. The company also offers specialized and fabrication products, including mineral processing equipment and heavy structural fabrication, as well as smelter components, such as potshells, busbar, and anodes. In addition, the company is involved in specialized machining and line boring activities consisting of overhaul and associated manufacture of shovel parts, track frames, and other equipment, as well as provides machining and mobile line bori ng services. It serves the mining, oil and gas, aluminum, and industrial sectors in Australia, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Carole Park, Australia.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: First Savings Financial Group Inc.(FSFG)

First Savings Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First Savings Bank, F.S.B. that provides various banking products and services to consumers and businesses. The company generates deposits and originates loans. Its deposit products include checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, regular savings accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises one-to four-family mortgage loans, multifamily loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial business loans, and construction loans, as well as consumer loans comprising home equity lines of credit and credit cards. As of January 25, 2010, it operated 14 offices in Clarksville, Jeffersonville, Charlestown, Sellersburg, Floyds Knobs, Georgetown, Corydon, English, Leavenworth, Marengo, Milltown, and Salem communities, Indiana. The company is based in Clarksville, Indiana.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: royal dutch shell `b`shs(RDSB.L)

Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an oil and gas company worldwide. The company explores for and extracts crude oil and natural gas. It also converts natural gas to liquids to provide cleaner-burning fuels; markets and trades natural gas; extracts bitumen from mined oil sands and convert it to synthetic crude oil; and generates electricity from wind energy. In addition, it converts crude oil into a range of refined products, including gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, lubricants, bitumen, sulphur, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); and produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use. The company holds interests in approximately 30 refineries; approximately 1,500 storage tanks and 150 distribution facilities; and fuels retail network of approximately 43,000 service stations under the Shell brand name. Royal Dutch Shell plc also markets its products under the Shell V-Power and Shell FuelSave brand names. In addition, the company offers lubricant s to the passenger cars, trucks, and coaches, as well as for industrial machinery in manufacturing, mining, power generation, agriculture, and construction industries. Further, it sells fuels, specialty products, and services to commercial customers; offers fuel for approximately 7,000 aircraft every day at 800 airports in 30 countries; provides fuels, lubricants, and related technical services to the marine industry; offers liquefied petroleum gas and related services to retail, commercial, and industrial customers for cooking, heating, lighting, and transport applications; provides transport, industrial, and heating fuels; and supplies approximately 11,000 tonnes of bitumen products. Additionally, the company produces a range of base chemicals, including ethylene, propylene, and aromatics; and intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc is headquartered in The Hag ue, the Netherlands.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Morgan Stanley China A Share Fund Inc.(CAF)

Morgan Stanley China A Share Fund, Inc. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. It is co-managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company. The fund invests in the public equity markets of China. It seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund invests in the growth stocks of companies. It employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Morgan Stanley Capital International China A Share Index. Morgan Stanley China A Share Fund, Inc. was formed on July 6, 2006 and is domiciled in the United States.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Magellan Health Services Inc.(MGLN)

Magellan Health Services, Inc. engages in the specialty managed healthcare business in the United States. The company, through its contracted network of third-party treatment providers, offers managed behavioral healthcare services, including outpatient programs, such as counseling or therapy; intermediate care programs comprising intensive outpatient programs and partial hospitalization services; and inpatient treatment and crisis intervention services. It also provides radiology benefits management services, such as the delivery of diagnostic imaging and other therapeutic services through contracts with health plans and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. In addition, the company offers specialty pharmaceutical management services, including contracting and formulary optimization programs; specialty pharmaceutical dispensing operations; and medical pharmacy management programs. Its specialty pharmaceutical management services are provided under contracts with health plans, insurance companies, employers, and governmental agencies to manage specialty drugs used in the treatment of conditions, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, hemophilia, infertility, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic forms of hepatitis, and other diseases. Further, the company provides Medicaid administration services comprising pharmacy point-of-sale claims processing systems and administration, drug utilization review, clinical prior authorization, utilization and formulary management services, preferred drug list programs, maximum allowable cost programs, and drug rebate program services under contracts with health plans and public sector healthcare clients for Medicaid and other program recipients. It serves health plans, insurance companies, employers, labor unions, and various governmental agencies. Magellan Health Services, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is based in Avon, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Magellan Health Services (Nasdaq: MGLN  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Itau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB)

Itau Unibanco Holding S.A., incorporated on September 9, 1943, is a bank in Brazil. The Company has four operational segments: Commercial Banking, Itau BBA, Consumer Credit and Corporate and Treasury. Commercial banking, including insurance, pension plan and capitalization products, credit cards, asset management and a variety of credit products and services for individuals, small and middle-market companies). Itau BBA includes corporate and investment banking. Consumer credit includes financial products and services to its non-accountholders. Corporate and treasury includes the results related to the trading activities in its portfolio, trading related to managing currency, interest rate and other market risk factors, gap management and arbitrage opportunities in domestic and foreign markets. It also includes the results associated with financial income from the investment of its excess capital.

On October 24, 2010, Itau Unibanco completed the integration of customer service locations throughout Brazil. In total, 998 branches and 245 customer site branches (CSB) of Unibanco were redesigned and integrated as Itau Unibanco customer service locations, thus creating a network of approximately 4,700 units in the country under the Itau brand. The Company is a financial holding company controlled by Itau Unibanco Participacoes S.A. (IUPAR). As of December 31, 2010, it had a network of 3,747 service branches throughout Brazil. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 913 CSBs throughout Brazil. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 28,844 automated teller machines (ATMs) throughout Brazil.

Commercial banking

The commercial banking segment offers a range of banking services to a diversified base of individuals and companies. Services offered by the commercial banking segment include insurance, pension plan and capitalization products, credit cards, asset management, credit products and customized products and solutions. The commercial banking segment comprises the specialized! areas and products, such as retail banking (individuals); public sector banking; personnalite (banking for high-income individuals); private banking (banking and financial consulting for wealthy individuals); very small business banking; small business banking; middle-market banking; credit cards; real estate financing; asset management; corporate social responsibility fund; securities services for third parties; brokerage, and insurance, private retirement and capitalization products.

The Company�� credit products include personal loans, overdraft protection, payroll loans, vehicles, credit cards, mortgage and agricultural loans, working capital, trade note discount and export. Its investments products include pension plans, mutual funds, time deposits, demand deposit accounts, savings accounts and capitalization plans. Its services include insurance (life, home, credit/cash cards, vehicles, loan protection, among others), exchange, brokerage and others. Its core business is retail banking, which serves individuals with a monthly income below R$7,000. In October 2010, it completed the conversion of branches under the Unibanco brand to the Itau brand and as of December 31, 2010, it had over 15.2 million customers and 4,660 branches and CSBs. Its public sector business operates in all areas of the public sector, including the federal, state and municipal governments (in the executive, legislative and judicial branches). As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 2,300 public sector customers. Itau Personnalite�� focus is delivering financial advisory services by its managers, who understand the specific needs of its higher-income customers; a portfolio of exclusive products and services; special benefits based on the type and length of relationship with the customer, including discounts on various products and services. Itau Personnalite�� customer base reached more than 600,000 individuals as of December 31, 2010. Itau Personnalite customers also have access to Itau Unibanco netwo! rk of bra! nches and ATMs throughout the country, as well as Internet banking and phone.

Itau Private Bank is a Brazilian bank in the global private banking industry, providing wealth management services to approximately 17,951 Latin American clients as of December 31, 2010. The Company serves its customers��needs for offshore wealth management solutions in major jurisdictions through independent institutions in the United States through Banco Itau Europa International and Itau Europa Securities , in Luxembourg through Banco Itau Europa Luxembourg S.A. , in Switzerland through Banco Itau Suisse , in the Bahamas through BIE Bank & Trust Bahamas and in Cayman through Unicorp Bank & Trust Cayman. As of December 31, 2010, it had over 565 very small business banking offices located throughout Brazil and approximately 2,500 managers working for over 1,235,000 small business customers. Loans to very small businesses totaled R$5,981 million as of December 31, 2010. As of December 31, 2010, it had 374 small business banking offices located nationwide in Brazil and nearly 2,500 managers who worked for over 525,000 companies. Loans to small businesses totaled R$28,744 million as of December 31, 2010.

As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 115,000 middle-market corporate customers that represented a range of Brazilian companies located in over 83 cities in Brazil. The Company offers a range of financial products and services to middle-market customers, including deposit accounts, investment options, insurance, private retirement plans and credit products. Credit products include investment capital loans, working capital loans, inventory financing, trade financing, foreign currency services, equipment leasing services, letters of credit and guarantees. The Company also carries out financial transactions on behalf of middle-market customers, including interbank transactions, open market transactions and futures, swaps, hedging and arbitrage transactions. It also offers its middle-market custom! ers colle! ction services and electronic payment services. The Company is able to provide these services for virtually any kind of payment, including Internet office banking. It charges collection fees and fees for making payments, such as payroll, on behalf of its customers.

The Company is engaged in the Brazilian credit card market. Its subsidiaries, Banco Itaucard S.A. (Banco Itaucard) and Hipercard Banco Multiplo S.A. (Hipercard), offers a range of products to 26 million customers as of December 31, 2010, including both accountholders and non-accountholders. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately R$16,271 million in outstanding real estate loans. As of December 31, 2010, it had total net assets under management of R$291,748 million on behalf of approximately 2.1 million customers. The Company also provides portfolio management services for pension funds, corporations, private bank customers and foreign investors. As of December 31, 2010, it had R$184,496 million of assets under management for pension funds, corporations and private bank customers. As of December 31, 2010, the Company offered and managed about 1,791 mutual funds, which are mostly fixed-income and money market funds. For individual customers, it offered 154 funds to its retail customers and approximately 287 funds to its Itau Personnalite customers. Private banking customers may invest in over 600 funds, including those offered by other institutions. Itau BBA�� capital markets group also provides tailor-made mutual funds to institutional, corporate and private banking customers.

The Company provides securities services in the Brazilian capital markets. Its services also include acting as transfer agent, providing services relating to debentures and promissory notes, custody and control services for mutual funds, pension funds and portfolios, providing trustee services and non-resident investor services, and acting as custodian for depositary receipt programs. The Company also provides brokerage services to inte! rnational! customers through its broker-dealer operations in New York, through its London branch, and through its broker-dealers in Hong Kong and Dubai. Its main lines of insurance are life and casualty (excluding Vida Gerador de Benefucio Livre), extended warranties and property. Its policies are sold through its banking operations, independent local brokers, multinational brokers and other channels. As of December 31, 2010, it had 9.9 million in capitalization products outstanding, representing R$2,620 million in liabilities with assets that function as guarantees of R$2,646 million. The Company distributes these products through its retail network, Itau Personnalite and Itau Uniclass branches, electronic channels and ATMs. These products are sold by its subsidiary, Cia. Itau de Capitalizacao S.A.

Itau BBA

Itau BBA is responsible for its corporate and investment banking activities. As of December 31, 2010, Itau BBA offered a portfolio of products and services to approximately 2,400 companies and conglomerates in Brazil. Itau BBA�� activities range from typical operations of a commercial bank to capital markets operations and advisory services for mergers and acquisitions. As of December 31, 2010, its corporate loan portfolio was R$ 76,584 million. In investment banking, the fixed income department was responsible for the issuance of debentures and promissory notes that totaled R$18,888 million and securitization transactions that amounted to R$4,677 million in Brazil in 2010. In addition, Itau BBA advised 35 merger and acquisition transactions with an aggregate deal volume of R$16,973 million in 2010.

Itau BBA is also active in Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES) on-lending to finance large-scale projects, aiming at strengthening domestic infrastructure. In consolidated terms, total loans granted by Itau BBA under BNDES on-lending represented more than R$9,010 million in 2010. Itau BBA focuses on the products and initiatives in the international ! business ! unit, such as structuring long-term, bilateral and syndicated financing, and spot foreign exchange. In addition, in 2010 Itau BBA continued to offer a large number of lines of credit for foreign trade.

Consumer Credit

As of December 31, 2010, its portfolio of vehicle financing, leasing and consortium lending consisted of approximately 3.8 million contracts, of which approximately 71.1% were non-accountholder customers. The personal loan portfolio relating to vehicle financing and leasing reached R$60,254 million in 2010. The Company leased and financed vehicles through 13,706 dealers as of December 31, 2010. Sales are made through computer terminals installed in the dealerships that are connected to its computer network. Redecard S.A. (Redecard) is a multibrand credit card provider in Brazil, also responsible for the capturing, transmission, processing and settlement of credit, debit and benefit card transactions. As of December 31, 2010, the Company held approximately 50% interest in Redecard�� capital stock.

The Company competes with Bradesco, Banco do Brasil S.A. (Banco do Brasil), Banco Santander, Caixa Economica Federal (CEF), BNDES, HSBC, Banco Citibank S.A, Banco de Investimentos Credit Suisse (Brasil) S.A., Banco JP Morgan S.A., Banco Morgan Stanley S.A., Banco Merrill Lynch de Investimentos S.A., Banco BTG Pactual S.A., Banco Panamericano S.A, Citibank S.A., Banco GE Capital S.A. and Banco Ibi S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  Itau Unibanco (ITUB): A lot of investors have never heard of Itau because it’s headquartered in Brazil, but it’s one of the world’s largest financial institutions. With 5,000 branches, 100,000 employees and nearly $500 billion in assets (yes, half a trillion!), ITUB is not just the largest Latin American bank, it is one of the biggest in the world. With proven dominance in Brazil (and Latin America), Itau Unibanco is a go-to financial pick, and it currently yields an attractive 3.5%. I recently recommended that my Inner Circle readers sell ITUB on a nice bounce due to the risk of near-term weakness on economic data out of China, but I�� already looking for an opportunity to get back in.

Is 'The Bond Rally Of A Lifetime' Finally Over?

When the Fed started talking about reducing its $85 billion monthly purchases of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities in May, Treasury bonds started to fall (chart 1) and yields jumped (chart 2).

Although Fed officials have vigorously denied that tapering signals an impending rise in interest rates, investors obviously didn't believe the central bankers.

(chart 1)

Many interest rate forecasters shout that the three-decade-long decline in Treasury bond yields is over, and they may be right—finally. These same pundits have been saying so repeatedly ever since rates started down in 1981.

(chart 2)

As I discussed in my recent book, The Age of Deleveraging, and in many Insights before and since, back in 1981, few agreed with me that serious inflation was unwinding and interest rates would fall. Indeed, the consensus called for rates to remain high or even rise indefinitely.

Yet when 30-year Treasury yields peaked at 15.21% in October of that year, I stated that inflation was on the way out and "we're entering the bond rally of a lifetime." Later, I forecast a drop to a 3% yield. Again, most other forecasters thought I was crazy.

Most investors have a distinct anti-Treasury bond bias, and not just because they fervently believe that serious inflation and leaping yields are inevitable. Stockholders inherently hate them. They say they don't understand Treasury bonds. But their quality has been unquestioned, at least until recently, and their prices rose promptly in 2011 after S&P downgraded them.

Treasurys and the forces that move yields are well-defined—Fed policy and inflation or deflation are among the few important factors.

Stock prices, by contrast, are much more difficult to fathom. They depend on the business cycle, conditions in that particular industry, Congressional legislation, the quality of company management, merger and acquisition possibilities, corporate accounting, company pricing power, new and old product potentials, and myriad other variables.

Stockholders do understand that Treasurys normally rally during weak economic conditions, which are negative for stock prices, so they consider declining Treasury yields to be a bad omen. Brokers also don't want to recommend Treasurys since commissions on them are low, and investors can avoid commissions altogether by buying them directly from the Treasury.

Wall Street denizens also disdain Treasurys, as I learned firsthand while at Merrill Lynch and then White, Weld years ago. Investment bankers didn't want me along on client visits when I was forecasting lower interest rates. They wanted projections of higher rates that would encourage corporate clients to issue bonds immediately, not wait for lower rates and cheaper financing costs. That's what's happening today in anticipation of Fed tightening and higher interest rates—more financing to pay for mergers and acquisitions as well as other needs.

Top Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now

Professional managers of bond funds are a sober bunch who perennially fret about inflation, higher yields, and subsequent losses of principal in their portfolio. But if yields fall, they don't rejoice over bond appreciation but worry about reinvesting their interest coupons and maturing bonds at lower yields.

This disdain for bonds, especially Treasurys, persists despite their vastly superior performance vs. stocks since the early 1980s. Starting then, a 25-year zero-coupon Treasury, rolled into another 25-year annually to maintain the maturity, beat the S&P 500, on a total return basis, by 6.1 times (chart 3), even after the recent substantial bond sell-off.

(chart 3)

This is one of our very favorite charts since we have actually participated in this marvelous Treasury bond rally as forecasters, portfolio managers and investors. And please note that we've never, never, never bought Treasurys for their yield. We couldn't care less what the yield is—as long as it's going down! We want Treasurys for the same reason that most of today's stockholders want equities—appreciation.

Chipotle Is Sizzling On Wall Street

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) climbed by double digits Friday, a day after the fast-food chain reported that its third-quarter profit soared by 15% and its revenue surpassed Wall Street projections.

Chipotle had earnings of $83.4 million, or $2.66 a share, an increase over $72.3 million, or $2.27 a share in the previous year. It had revenue of $826.9 million, representing an increase of 18%. Wall Street analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had anticipated earnings of $2.78 a share and revenue of $820 million.

Looking ahead, the big twin questions for Chipotle are: Will the company have to raise its prices slightly next year to offset increases in ingredients and related expenses and,If so, how willingly will its customers accept the news?

Chipotle is also determined to stop using in its restaurants all produce that has genetically-modified organisms (GMO). "While the timing is difficult to predict as we still have work to do to remove GMOs from our ingredients, a price increase around midyear is a reasonable assumption," said Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung during a conference call.

Chairman and Co-CEO Steve Ells said on the same conference call that a price hike could come in the mid-single digit range.

As families continue to search for reliable and affordable restaurants for dining, Chipotle has rivals on every corner in America, or so it seems. A price jump on the menu – and even a very moderate one – carries with it a potential risk of disappointing or alienating the market of cost-conscious diners.

Chipotle has been eager to establish an image that differentiates itself from traditional "fast-food" companies. In its view, Chipotle is in a higher class than the standard fare of hamburger chains (which, by the way, are also trying hard to leave the past behind by modernizing menus and featuring a greater variety of foods for both diet-conscious and discriminating consumers).

Ells said on the call that his company's "focus is helping us realize our vision for changing the way people think about fast food."

Chipotle, like its fast-food rivals, has to walk a tightrope. It wants to project an image of offering good food at reasonable, family-friendly prices. But it also wants its customers to feel that they're getting a quality dining experience, just like they might have in a slightly fancier restaurant chain.

This corporate challenge underscores the changing economy restaurant situation in the U.S. With establishments expanding their traditional offerings, the industry is becoming ever more competitive for the middle-class consumer's business.

Chipotle's food, beverage and packaging expenses increased by 21% in the period, with food by itself costs representing 33.6% of the total revenue. Chipotle encountered expenses related to increases in ingredients owing to rising prices for tomatoes, corn and tomatillos in the company's popular salsas, in addition to surges in dairy and chicken prices.

The Bottom Line

For now, Chipotle's ace in the hole is its reputation for serving good food at affordable prices. But if a price rise shows up on its menu, it has to hope that its customers will decide to shrug off the higher prices and remain loyal.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014

It looks like the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is set to break its run of triple-digit movements -- and take away investors' streak of gains for the week, as well. The blue chip index has turned down by around 25 points as of 2:15 p.m. EDT, with most stocks in the red -- although few Dow members have made big movements on this Friday. It's a nice breather for investors after the volatility of the past few weeks, but expect more of that to come as questions surrounding quantitative easing's inevitable tapering heat up.

The future of stimulus isn't something long-term investors need to worry about, but keeping an eye on stocks is key to maintaining the best portfolio you can. Who's making waves today? Let's catch up on the stories -- and movers -- you need to know about.

Signs of strength from consumers
Housing, and rising consumer sentiment, have dominated talk around the economic recovery this year, and the University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters consumer confidence�report for May showed a better-than-expected reading of 84.1 for the month, down only slightly from April's score. That combination of economic strength has done wonders for Home Depot (NYSE: HD  ) , today's Dow leader with shares up 1.8%. Home Depot's pulled ahead�of rival Lowe's (NYSE: LOW  ) , particularly after last quarter's earnings report, where the former�raised its guidance, but the latter missed projections. That separation for leadership in the industry has Home Depot poised to continue soaring as the economy's rebound picks up.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ong Kang Wei]

  Another example of such a product is Colgate-Palmolive (CL)'s Colgate toothpaste. I do not think I have to elaborate much here. Toothpaste is needed in our everyday life, and we will definitely have to buy more toothpaste after we have finished using a packet of it, ensuring that Colgate gets more and more sales over the years.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: KMB is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: The company's peer group includes: Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) with a 3.1% yield, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) with a 2.3% yield, and Clorox Corporation (CLX) with a 3.4% yield.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  One concern, though, is how the company handled news of Venezuela's currency devaluation. Clorox (NYSE: CLX  ) and Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  ) also felt the pinch, with Clorox taking about a $0.05 to $0.10 per-share earnings hit and Colgate losing about $0.50 per share. But they also addressed the potential devaluation more proactively than P&G did. Clorox actually�anticipated�the devaluation in its February earnings report, projecting the potential hit if a devaluation took place. Colgate didn't provide specific guidance in advance but clearly saw it as an issue, delivering on a promise to give prompt guidance revisions after the devaluation occurred.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Remer: Oh, huge opportunity to change. But it will take time. You asked about MasterCard. It will take time to potentially replace the ecosystems that exist and how are those leading organizations -- the MasterCards, the Visas (NYSE: V  ) , the American Express (NYSE: AXP  ) , the PayPals -- going to come down to the next generation and give them the reason why they should utilize that same payment system.

• [By Infinity Group]

  This year saw Facebook partnering with HTC to provide a Facebook branded mobile phone called First. The phone never gained much traction, and it became clear that Facebook was testing the market. I do not believe that Facebook would be interested in BlackBerry's handset business, but may consider it if the price is right. It is foreseeable that Facebook could utilize the BBM integration with the handset, and the infrastructure to build out Facebook's data centers. The build out would allow for tighter integration in Asian markets, where historically BlackBerry has been strong. BlackBerry has also been experimenting with other technology such as mobile payments with Visa (V). In an ever changing environment, Facebook could find a competitive advantage with some of BlackBerry's technology.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The biggest concern for the two largest credit card processing companies -- MasterCard and Visa (NYSE: V  ) �-- is whether or not consumer spending is growing or slowing. If global dollars transacted and volumes are falling, that would mean less processing revenue for these giants. However, I can't actually recall the last time we saw a steady decline in credit card usage since the deep recession of 2009.

• [By David Hanson]

  In the following video, Motley Fool financial analyst David Hanson takes a question from a Fool reader, who writes, "Bought Visa (NYSE: V  ) on a 'Hold' report at $178.54. Wish I would have picked it up when in the $140-$145 range. What is your opinion going forward on this stock?"

Hot Dividend Companies To Buy Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  On April 29, 1952, IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) IBM president (and soon-to-be CEO) Thomas J. Watson, Jr. announced to the public that IBM would soon introduce "the most advanced, most flexible high-speed computer in the world." It was called the Defense Calculator while in development, but IBM later rechristened it the 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine -- the company's first commercially available scientific computer. It would be the symbolic bridge between two eras of IBM -- from punched-card tabulators to digital computers and from the leadership of the first Thomas J. Watson to the second.

• [By Dan Carroll]

  Unfortunately, IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) shares aren't having the same kind of good day. Big Blue's stock has fallen 2.1% to lead the Dow down. Blame competitor Accenture (NYSE: ACN  ) for this one, as the company reduced its earnings�and revenue outlook for the year in a move that took the IT industry south. IBM's still on strong footing with its IT and cloud businesses, however, although Accenture's caution about a slowdown in the industry is worth watching for IBM shareholders.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and investors have been increasingly nervous about the tech giant's ability to keep its long-term restructuring efforts moving forward. With rival IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) having faced tough conditions in the IT market and with Accenture (NYSE: ACN  ) squarely aimed at the same consulting customers that HP hopes to poach in its reorganization efforts, Hewlett-Packard faces pressure to start producing solid results from its strategic moves sooner rather than later.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  One of the best assets that Buckeye has acquired recently is the Perth Amboy marine terminal in the New York Harbor, which it purchased from Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) for $260 million. In conjunction with the sale, Chevron entered into a multi-year storage and services agreement. Buckeye plans to spend more than $100 million to transform the terminal into one that can store multiple products as well as link it by pipeline to its nearby Linden complex and to upgrade it to handle Bakken-sourced crude oil coming in by rail and ship. This is an area where Buckeye really excels as it can take an underutilized asset from a large integrated company like Chevron and turn it into something of even greater value.�

• [By Claudia Assis]

  Energy companies in the Gulf also shut down about 40% of natural gas production. Several energy firms, including BP PLC (BP) , Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC) , Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) ,�Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) �and Chevron Corp. (CVX) , began evacuating workers earlier in the week.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) has experienced more than impressive growth in both its share price and its profits in the past four years. Lately its gains have petered out. The problem is that much of that growth has come from a few countries in Asia, and if one analyst report is accurate, there will be little to no growth from those areas ahead. Nomura Securities is downgrading Philip Morris to a Reduce rating from Neutral, but for all practical purposes it is a Sell rating. The firm’s $76 price target suggests downside of more than $10 ahead.

• [By Efficient Alpha]

  Philip Morris International (PM) is a favorite of mine, not only for its 4% dividend but also for its protection against global inflationary pressures. The company can pass through higher commodity prices and smokers will keep coming back for more. The company has 16% of the international market and is making strong progress in China. Asia accounts for 36% of sales, followed by the EMEA region (27%), the EU (26%) and Latin America/Canada (11%). Shares have posted an annual return of 15% since its spinoff in 2008.

• [By GuruFocus]

  The decade low yield of tobacco stocks can be clearly seen from our new interactive charts, which are embedded below. The chart shows the dividend yield of three tobacco stocks: Reynolds American (RAI), Philip Morris International (PM) and British American Tobacco (BTI).

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Shares of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) are down 0.8% this afternoon on news that a Janney analyst has downgraded the stock. Mark Kalinowski reduced the stock's rating from "buy" to "neutral" and lowered his earnings-per-share estimate for the year by $0.03 to $5.68. While the lower EPS estimate doesn't matter that much -- it was a small move, and the average analyst polled by FactSet pegs full-year earnings at $5.69 -- investors are worried because Kalinowski believes this summer's U.S. sales may come in much lower than what investors are currently predicting. Kalinowski lowered his same-store sales numbers from 2% to 1.1% for June and from 2% to 1.5% for July.�

• [By Nicole Seghetti]

  The study found that�McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) is the single most frequented business in the U.S., despite the company's same-store sales declines since early last year. The fast-food giant is scaling back its bloated menu, which has expanded by 70% since 2007 to roughly 145 items. Menu bloat has led to slower operations, tarnishing customer service. The company has more singularly focused on the value-conscious consumer, but the drive toward this consumer has hurt McDonald's. The Golden Arches saw weak earnings growth in the most recent quarter, due to sacrificing profit margins by focusing on value menus to avoid losing customers.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Andrew Tonner]

  Whether or not tech giant�Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) remains a buy is one of the most constantly talked about issues for tech investors everywhere -- and for good reason. Although the company's certainly created plenty of fortunes with its historic rise, it's also proven quite disappointing over the last 12 months. It seem Apple's shares might have finally found a floor after it announced the astounding increase to its capital return program in late April. However, Fool contributor Andrew Tonner recently saw an analyst note detailing at least one more major move Apple could do this year to keep the gains coming. To find out more, watch the video below.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  Just after Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) got treated to the third degree for its tax practices stateside, the Mac maker may be about to get similarly scrutinized across the pond. According to Financial Times, European regulators are investigating Apple's sales practices in the region as potentially being anti-competitive.

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  What's the better way? Find excellent companies available for reasonable prices and hold them for the long haul. Attempting to profit from volatility is a gambler's game. Just look at Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) over the past two years. Investors who attempted to buy Apple on its way down from $700 according to the "buy low, sell high" mantra have thus far been rewarded with further losses:

5 Things to Know Before Signing Up for a Store Credit Card

Best Casino Stocks To Own For 2014

Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If you're hitting the mall this holiday season, it's likely the cashier in at least one store will cheerfully ask if you want to apply for a store credit card and save 5 percent, 10 percent or, in some cases, 20 percent on your purchase. "They're very tempting and easy to get because they're often marketed at the point of sale," says Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and consumer research at creditcards.com. "It's like junk food. It's very easy and compelling to get these cards, but if you get too many of them, it will degrade your credit." Here's what you should know before applying for a store credit card. 1. Store credit cards often carry higher interest rates. The average credit card interest rate is about 15 percent, but many retail credit cards charge interest rates of 20 percent or more. If you pay off your balance in full each month, a high APR may not faze you. But if there's any chance of carrying a balance, you might want to think twice before signing up, says Anisha Sekar, vice president of credit and debt at the personal finance website nerdwallet.com. 2. Inquiries can impact your credit score. Each time you apply for credit, whether it's with a department store or a major credit card issuer, it can temporarily ding your credit score. Although the impact of each inquiry is typically five points or less, "you just don't want to be opening a bunch of new accounts if you're in the market for a major loan," says Liz Weston, personal finance columnist and author of the book "Your Credit Score." "If you're in the market for an auto loan or a mortgage, you don't want to lose a single point." Applying for too many credit cards within a short time frame makes you look like a bigger credit risk, so don't apply for a credit card at every place you buy holiday gifts. Store cards often carry a low credit limit, so if you spend a lot, you'll have a high credit utilization ratio -- your balance versus your total available credit -- which can also lower your score.

California: 10K a day applying for Obamacare

More people are signing up for Obamacare coverage in California.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Californians are flocking to the Obamacare health exchange there, with 10,000 a day registering on the web site last week.

The Covered California board also voted Thursday not to allow residents to extend individual policies that don't comply with Obamacare. Seeking to quell an uproar over insurers canceling plans, President Obama last week allowed state regulators and insurers to extend these policies for another year.

More than 360,000 people have created accounts on the Covered California website, through Nov. 19, according to health exchange officials. Some 39% of them are eligible for Medi-Cal. The rest can pick a private insurance policy on the exchange, with about half of them eligible for federal subsidies to defer premiums or out-of-pocket expenses.

Nearly 80,000 residents have signed up for a policy, the final step on the exchange before working out payment with the insurance company. That's up from 59,000 in mid-November.

"What we're seeing is people signing up," said Peter Lee, Covered California's executive director.

Younger Californians age 18 to 34 account for about 22.5% of the sign ups in October, just about the share they represent in the state population. Luring in younger and healthier consumers, who use fewer medical services and would offset older, costlier policyholders, are vital to the health of the state exchange. If young people don't enroll, then rates could soar for 2015.

"Not only are we seeing strong enrollment numbers overall, but enrollment in key demographics like the so-called young invincibles is very encouraging," said Lee.

Share your story: Are you signing up for Obamacare?

Those ages 55 to 64 account for about one-third of the 30,830 people in October who signed up for a plan.

Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield of California are capturing the majority of those picking plans, with each securing just over a quarter, according to exchange data.

One area where the exchange needs improvement is outreach to non-English speaking Californians, advocates at the exchange's board meeting said. Some 85.5% of those signing up are English-speakers, though only 56.1% of the state population is.

&n! bsp; Why sex workers are celebrating Obamacare

Coverage begins on Jan. 1, while open enrollment runs through March 31. Those who don't enroll face a penalty of $95 or 1% of family income, whichever is greater.

Also, although roughly 450,000 residents who are losing their current individual policies face higher premium prices on the exchange, the board opted not to take Obama up on his "fix." Extending the policies risks destabilizing the exchange because it is likely to attract sicker people seeking more comprehensive coverage, while allowing healthier policy holders to retain their bare bones plans. That could cause rates to rise in 2015. Also, it will cause much confusion among Californians. An insurance trade group representative urged board members not to allow extensions.

California joins at least eight other states rejecting the extensions. Some 200,000 residents will be allowed to extend their plans into early next year because their carriers -- Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross -- did not give them sufficient notice.

Make the Most of Employee Benefits During Open Enrollment

In addition to choosing a health insurance plan, what employee benefits should I consider during open enrollment?

SEE ALSO: 7 Smart Uses for Your Flex Account Money

Many people focus solely on their health insurance choices. But there are other benefits at stake during open enrollment. Here are some important considerations to help you make the most of those extra benefits for 2014.

Understand the new flexible spending account rules. Setting aside money in an FSA can be a great way to lower your taxable income and provide tax-free money for medical expenses. Contributions to health care FSAs are now limited to $2,500 per year, but you may have more time to use the money. In the past, you'd generally lose any money remaining in the account on December 31 (some employers offer a grace period to March 15). The Treasury Department and IRS recently changed the rules so that employers may allow people to carry over $500 in their accounts from one year to the next. It's up to employers to decide whether to implement this new option. Some will add the carryover as early as 2013 or wait until 2014; some will choose to keep the grace period (plans may not offer both the $500 carryover and the grace period); and some may still require you to use the money by December 31. Ask your employer which rules apply to your plan. See Big Change to Flexible Spending Accounts for more information.

Get tax-free money for child care. Although the contribution limit for health care FSAs shrank in 2013, the lower limit doesn't apply to dependent-care FSAs. Many employers still let you set aside up to $5,000 per family in a dependent-care flexible spending account, which lowers your taxable income and gives you tax-free money to pay for care for children under age 13 or dependent parents while you work. The higher your income, the more you'll come out ahead with a dependent-care FSA rather than claiming the child-care credit. See FSA or Child-Care Credit? for more information.

Take advantage of transportation benefits. Many people overlook pretax benefits that cut commuting costs. You could set aside up to $245 per month before taxes for qualified parking expenses and another $245 per month for qualified transit passes and vanpooling expenses in 2013. For 2014, the parking benefit will rise to $250, but the transit benefit is scheduled to drop to $130 unless Congress takes action to bring it back up to the same level as the parking benefit (Congress didn't boost the transit-benefit limit for 2013 until January).

Review your 401(k) contributions. The contribution limit for 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457s and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan remains $17,500 in 2014, plus an extra $5,500 if you're 50 or older during the year. But that doesn't mean you should leave your 401(k) on autopilot. If you haven't been maxing out your contributions, see whether you can afford to contribute a bit more than you did last year. And boost your contribution level to make the most of catch-up contributions if you'll have your 50th birthday this year. See Retirement Account Contribution Limits for 2014 for more information.

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014

Look into long-term-care insurance, especially if you're a single woman. Your employer may let you buy long-term-care insurance with a group discount of 5% to 10%, and you may be able to keep the policy even after you leave your job. You might get a better deal if you buy a policy on your own, especially if you're healthy. But your employer's plan may be a better deal if you have health issues or if you're a single woman. Several major long-term-care insurers have switched from unisex to gender-differentiated pricing, causing single women to pay about 50% more than single men (married women often benefit from a couples' discount). But you may still be able to get a policy with unisex rates through your employer during open enrollment. See How to Make Long-Term Care More Affordable for more information.

Supplement your disability insurance. Although most employers provide some disability insurance to their employees, it's usually much less than you'd need to cover your bills if you were unable to work for an extended period. Calculate how much coverage you'd actually receive free from your employer, and see whether it's worthwhile to fill in the gaps by buying extra coverage during open enrollment. See Better Deals on Disability Insurance for more information.

Buy your own life insurance. Employers generally provide up to one to two times your income in life insurance free, and they will let you buy extra coverage during open enrollment. But their supplemental policies generally cost more than you'd pay for a preferred-rate individual policy, and the rates typically go up every five years instead of staying fixed for 20 or 30 years. See 10 Insurance Mistakes to Avoid for more information.

Dental insurance: Do the math. Many employers are offering dental coverage as an add-on this year. But before signing up, compare the total premiums you would pay over the year with the annual coverage cap, which is often $2,000 or less. If your employer offers a subsidized plan as a fringe benefit, it could be a good deal. But otherwise it may be more cost-effective to add pretax money to your flexible spending account to cover dental expenses.

Still, one of your biggest decisions during open enrollment is to choose your employer's health insurance policy for the upcoming year. See How Employees Can Save Money on Health Care Costs for cost-cutting strategies that can help you save money in 2014.

Got a question? Ask Kim at askkim@kiplinger.com.

OECD cuts 2014 global growth forecast

PARIS (AP) — Global growth is expected to lag this year and next, but for the first time in a long time, it's not all Europe's fault.

That's the view of a leading international economic body, which said Tuesday that a slowdown in emerging economies and the potential for another U.S. budget crisis are the main sources of concern for the global.

In its half-yearly forecast, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development lowered its forecast for global growth to 2.7% for this year and 3.6% for next. In May, it had predicted 3.1% and 4% growth, respectively.

Just as the economy of the 17-country eurozone is emerging from its longest-ever recession brought on by a debt crisis, other economies are coming off the boil.

5 Best Penny Stocks To Own For 2014

Emerging markets, which have helped shore up global growth in recent years, are beginning to lag, partially over fears that a pickup in the U.S. economy will spell the end of cheap credit. The U.S. Federal Reserve has pumped trillions of dollars into the U.S. economy in an attempt to keep a lid on market interest rates and get money flowing. The stimulus, which has been going on in various guises for years, has also helped sustain growth in emerging countries. Now businesses there are bracing themselves for the end of the stimulus.

The OECD also cautioned about the impact of another damaging fight over the U.S. budget. A little over a month ago, the U.S. narrowly avoided technically defaulting on some of its debts following a protracted and often dysfunctional battle in Congress.

"Brinkmanship over fiscal policy in the United States remains a key risk and uncertainty," Pier Carlo Padoan, the OECD's chief economist, wrote in a commentary accompanying the report.

The OECD recommended that the U.S. scrap its policy of capping borrowing with a debt ceiling and instead come up with a more reasoned plan to reduce debt.

The eurozone is also beginning to improve, the OECD said, although risks remain. It predicted that overall, the eurozone will shrink 0.4% this year, as compared with the 0.6% slide forecast in May.

But the report warned that the recovery is uneven, and unemployment won't begin to fall — from very high levels — until next year.

IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI): How Attractive Is Match Business?

IAC InterActive Corp. (NASDAQ:IACI) should see improved margins and revenue from its Match business as subscriber growth could be boosted by favorable secular trends and new monetizing opportunities.

Founded in 1993 and launched in 1995, Match.com is now one of the most recognized online properties in the world. Since its acquisition in June 1999 by IAC, Match has expanded its business portfolio to include PeopleMedia (2009), Singlesnet (2010), OkCupid (2011), Meetic (2011), Twoo (2013) and more. Based on comScore worldwide desktop Internet traffic data, these sites collectively comprise the most visited online dating platform in the world

Investors have been intrigued by this business given favorable secular trends, which many expect will support future subscriber growth. These include continued growth in the population of single adults, changing social perceptions related to online dating and greater Internet penetration globally particularly mobile, which enables more targeted, location-based functionality.

"We are bullish on Match and derive a $3.5b enterprise value for the Match segment. Given this valuation, the remainder of the business appears to be significantly undervalued," UBS analyst Eric Sheridan wrote in a note to clients.

Match is the second-largest segment at IAC by revenue (behind Search & Applications), comprising 26 percent of IAC's total sales in 2012. The segment's revenues have grown 78 percent over the past two years (29 percent in 2011 and 38 percent in 2012), largely driven by acquisitions.

In total, as of the second quarter 2013, Match featured 3.2 million subscribers, up 15 percent from last year. The business has three divisions – Core, Meetic, and Developing.

Out of the total subscribers, Core subscribers comprised 61 percent, Meetic accounted for 25 percent, and Developing subscribers represented 14 percent.

"We believe organic growth can continue at a low double-digit rate driven by the aforementioned secular growth driver! s (which we expect will translate to mid-single digit subscriber growth), as well as monetization initiatives to improve revenue per subscriber within specific Match brands," Sheridan noted.

Year-over-year Core subscriber growth has been relatively consistent in the high single-digit range over the past four quarters, and it is expected to moderate gradually into the mid-to-low single digit range over time.

In addition, Match Stir Events and Offline Game Nights provide additional revenue opportunities on top of recurring subscription fees.

Originally founded in 2001, Meetic is Europe's largest dating site, operating in 15 countries with approximately 25,000 new members joining every day. The company has been listed on the EURONEXT PARIS since 2005.

Meetic has now produced three consecutive quarters of subscriber growth. Adjusting for write-offs, the company has experienced two consecutive quarters of revenue growth, as well.

Management has since shifted its priorities for Meetic from "stabilize" to "grow" (in terms of subscribers, revenues and profits). Like Core Match, Meetic has introduced additional revenue streams to help achieve this goal. More specifically, in December 2012, Meetic introduced Meetic Soirees – group gatherings designed for singles similar to Match Stir Events.

"We expect that revenue per subscriber will begin to improve in 2014; however, over the next two years, we expect the majority of revenue growth will be driven by subscriber additions," Sheridan said.

IAC's Developing revenues are comprised of primarily ad-driven websites, including OkCupid, DateHookup, Kiss.com (formerly Singlesnet), and Twoo. Also in this bucket are Match's non-European international operations and Tinder.

While IAC plans to grow revenue from these sites, it views many of these properties as acquisition tools for its paid subscription offerings.

In the first two quarters of 2013, Developing revenues benefited from the addition of Twoo, though at a lo! wer reven! ue per user. Looking forward, organic revenue growth expected in the high-to-mid teens primarily driven by subscriber growth, but with improving revenue per subscriber trends along the way.

Moreover, Tinder, which has ranked among the top 25 iOS Social Networking apps in the U.S. since January, has yet to be monetized, and could offer meaningful upside in the future.

In addition to its secular revenue growth prospects, investors have also been attracted to Match's margin profile. Specifically, Match features higher operating income margins margins than the rest of IAC – 32 percent versus 16 percent for overall IAC in 2012.

"Looking forward, we believe margins for Match will continue to drift higher towards the 35% mark," Sheridan said.

The company should see a decline in marketing and acquisition costs over Match business. The heavy marketing spend till date to drive subscriber growth and to promote its new monetization initiatives could provide a source of leverage going forward as this spending rolls off.

Furthermore, if management's strategy around free-to-join sites is successful (i.e., using OkCupid and Tinder to funnel users towards paid sites), customer acquisition costs could be lower going forward.

"As IAC further integrates the businesses acquired within the Match portfolio, we believe there are opportunities to leverage R&D and G&A expenses across the platform globally," Sheridan added.

New monetization initiatives, a reduction in marketing spend & acquisition costs, and opportunities to leverage Match's global scale should lead to margin improvement over time.

5 hottest toys this holiday season

Thanksgiving is coming up at the end of November, which means that kids are soon to start filling their Christmas lists with all the latest toys.

The holiday season is an important time for retail companies as consumers flock to stores and stock up on gifts for friends and family. It's a major benchmark for stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target, but it's just as important for the companies making the products.

With that in mind, here's a look at the toys, games and gadgets that are expected to drive big business in the next couple of months.
After the success of its Monster High dolls, Mattel decided to expand into the realm of fairy tales with Ever After High.

Featuring characters like Apple White, Hunter Huntsman and Madeline Hatter, the line features the children of popular fairy tale characters and casts them in a high school setting. The dolls are divided into Royals, who are destined to lived happily ever after, and Rebels, who want to change their destinies. Ever After High dolls can be pre-ordered for about $20.

5 Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014

DreamWorks' Despicable Me 2 was one of the biggest box-office hits of the year, pulling in more than $350 million this summer. So it's no surprise that the movie has spawned a line of popular toys. There are a variety of Despicable Me toys out there — everything from small figures to Despicable Me Monopoly — but the big-ticket item for this Christmas are the collector's edition toys.

The minions, in particular are expected to sell fast, like the Minion Dave Talking Action Figure. It's pricey for an action figure, retailing for as much as $70, but it has plenty of features to justify that expense. The figure comes with talking-sound effects, changeable expressions, fart sounds and — the real selling point — "super fart sounds."

Video games do big business in the fourth quarter, and Disney ! is looking to double up on the spike in video game and toy sales with its Disney Infinity game.

Infinity, released earlier this year, is a video game that uses toys with near-field communication technology. The toys show up in the game, which means if you want to play as, say, Buzz Lightyear, you have to buy the Buzz Lightyear toy first.

It's a great method for extortion profit-making, first pioneered by Activision's Skylanders series of video games. Speaking of which, the latest Skylanders game, Skylanders: SWAP Force, was set to release on Oct. 13, and should be another Christmas hit.

Disney Infinity retails for around $60, and SWAP Force will release at $75; both include starter toys, and are available across multiple platforms.

Most eyes in the video game industry will be on Microsoft and Sony after they release their next-gen consoles, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

The new consoles are upgrades of systems that have been around for more than six years, which means gamers are eager for new specs, better graphics and (hopefully) improved game play. Both consoles are boasting wide catalogs of launch titles, including entries from Activision, Electronic Arts and others.

The Playstation 4 released Friday for about $400, while the Xbox One will launch Nov. 22 for around $500.

Superheros never go out of style, and Mattel is looking to capitalize on that with the next Imaginext Batcave through its Fisher-Price brand.

The Batcave spans multiple levels (with an elevator for convenient travel) and includes Batman and Robin figures. Kids (or Batman-obsessed adults) can monitor the Joker on the Batcomputer, fly around in the Batwing glider and even drive Batman around on the Batcycle. The Batcave retails for about $40 and does not come with superpowers.

InvestorPlace.com is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Endo Health Systems: What Now?

Endo Health Systems (ENDP) made big news on Nov. 5, when it announced it would buy Paladin for some $1.6 billion, and create a new holding company in Ireland to own both companies and spin off a company called Knight Therapeutics to be based in Canada.

If that makes your head spin, it should. It’s an extremely complicated deal that should lower Endo’s tax rate and make it more competitive in the generic drug market. And despite all the moving parts, investors seem to love the deal: Shares of Endo have gained nearly 50% since the deal was announced.

It’s been ten days since the deal, so it seems like a good time to step back and consider whether it was really a good idea. JPMorgan, for one, thinks it was. In a note today, analyst Chris Schott and team write:

While the Paladin deal expands potential growth areas for the company, Endo's business development focus remains on the heavily fragmented US market, where the company believes it can create the most value by operating acquired assets more efficiently. Management sees a robust pipeline of potential future deals and does not necessarily view other companies that benefit from a low tax rate [(Actavis (ACT), Perrigo (PRGO), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX))] as direct competitors for the assets it is targeting. We believe business development is likely to accelerate post the Paladin deal and the re-domicile to Ireland, and view Endo as in the early stages of its consolidation strategy…And with greater than $2 billion in capacity to do deals, we expect business development to accelerate.

So despite the big rally, Schott remains positive on the stock and raises its price target to $73 from $65.

Shares of Endo have dropped 0.7% to $65.23 today at 3:31.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014

There's nothing scarier than a crashing stock market to make you second-guess whether you've done enough personal financial planning to make it through what could be tough times ahead. But by keeping a few simple tips in mind, you can ensure that no matter what happens in the markets in the days and weeks to come, you'll be comfortable that your financial plan will ultimately bring you success in reaching the goals you've set for yourself.

Theory vs. reality
It's all well and good during a bull market to think hypothetically about what you'd do if the stock market dropped dramatically. In fact, many investors explicitly wanted a correction like the one we've seen over the past month or so, hoping that a pullback would let them buy once-soaring stocks at somewhat cheaper prices.

Yet,�when the correction actually comes, it can be a lot harder to follow through on the plans you made during calmer times. In the past two days, the Dow has fallen more than 550 points, with today's 354-point drop marking the worst day for the market since November 2011. Suddenly, the explanations for why stocks are dropping seem like they could continue to drag the market far lower, making stock purchases seem premature.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Sunshine Holdings Limited (Y34.SI)

China Mining International Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the investment, development, and management of commercial and residential properties primarily in the People�s Republic of China. It holds properties for rental and related income; engages in the sub-leasing and management of commercial developments, service apartments, and SOHO offices; and provides hotel and property management services, as well as maintenance and related services. The company was formerly known as Sunshine Holdings Limited and changed its name to China Mining International Limited in March 2012. China Mining International Limited was founded in 1999 and is based in Zhengzhou, the People�s Republic of China.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Blackrock Preferred (BTZ)

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust IV is a closed ended balanced mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc. The fund is co managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., and BlackRock Investment Management, LLC. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. The fund invests in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. For the fixed income portion of the portfolio, it primarily invests in securities with an average credit quality of BBB by Standard & Poor�s Corporation. The fund was formerly known as BlackRock Preferred & Equity Advantage Trust. BlackRock Preferred & Equity Advantage Trust was formed on December 27, 2006 and is domiciled in the United States.

Best Medical Companies For 2014: Avenue Income Credit Strategies Fund (ACP)

NA

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Maintaining its $0.12 per share�monthly dividend payout, closed-end management investment company�Avenue Income Credit Strategies Fund� (NYSE: ACP  ) �said yesterday it�will make the payout�on May 31 to the holders of record at the close of business on May 15. The stock will trade ex-dividend May 13.�

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: TICC Capital Corp.(TICC)

TICC Capital Corp., a business development company, operates as a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The firm invests in both public and private companies. It invests in secured and unsecured senior debt, subordinated debt, junior subordinated debt, preferred stock, and common stock. The firm primarily invests in debt and/or equity securities of technology-related companies that operate in the computer software, Internet, information technology infrastructure and services, media, telecommunications and telecommunications equipment, semiconductors, hardware, technology-enabled services, semiconductor capital equipment, medical device technology, diversified technology, and networking systems sectors. It concentrates its investments in companies having annual revenues of less than $200 million and a market capitalization or enterprise value of less than $300 million. The firm invests between $5 million and $30 million per transaction. It seeks to exit its investments within 7 years. It serves as the investment adviser to TICC. The company was formerly known as Technology Investment Capital Corp. and changed its name to TICC Capital Corp. in December 2007. TICC Capital Corp. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, closed-end asset manager TICC Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: TICC  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Community Partners Bancorp(CPBC)

Community Partners Bancorp operates as the holding company for Two River Community Bank, a state-chartered commercial bank that provides a range of commercial and retail banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit organizations, professionals, and individuals principally in Monmouth and Union counties, New Jersey. The company offers a range of deposit products, including non-interest bearing or lower cost interest bearing checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit accounts. It also provides various loan products consisting of construction loans for residential dwellings, apartment buildings, restaurants, shopping centers, and owner-occupied business properties; commercial business loans; commercial real estate loans for the acquisition of new property or the refinancing of existing property; residential real estate and consumer loans, including residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, equity loans, personal loans, automobile loans, and overdraft protection; participation loans; and small business administration loans. In addition, the company offers safe deposit boxes, night depositories, wire transfers, money orders, travelers? checks, automated teller machines, direct deposits, telephone and Internet banking services, and corporate business services. It operates 15 banking offices in Middletown, Allaire, Atlantic Highlands, Cliffwood, Manasquan, Navesink, Port Monmouth, Red Bank, Tinton Falls, West Long Branch, Westfield, Cranford, and Fanwood, New Jersey. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Middletown, New Jersey.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: First Federal of Northern Michigan Bancorp Inc.(FFNM)

First Federal of Northern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First Federal of Northern Michigan that provides various banking services to individuals, families, and businesses. Its deposit products include NOW accounts, regular savings, money market deposits, term certificate accounts, and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises mortgage loans secured by one-to four-family residential real estate; commercial loans; commercial real estate loans; and consumer loans, including loans secured by savings accounts, new and used automobiles, mobile homes, boats, recreational vehicles, and other personal property. It also engages in the mortgage banking activities that involve the origination and subsequent sale into the secondary mortgage market of one-to four-family residential mortgage loans. Further, the company leases, sells, develops, and maintains real estate properties. It operates eight full-service facilities in Alpena, Cheboygan, Emmett, Iosco, Otsego, Montmorency, and Oscoda Counties, Michigan. The company was founded in 1957 and is based in Alpena, Michigan.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Cr Artigiano(CRA.MI)

Credito Artigiano S.p.A. engages in the provision of banking and investment services in Italy. It offers loans, savings accounts, insurance, investments, pension funds, and credit card services. The company operates three product lines, including investment and bank insurance that provides savings products, and life and casualty insurance; transfer products; and financing products, such as mortgage, consumer, and business loans, as well as factoring services. It also offers online banking services. The company serves families, professionals, and small businesses. It operates a network of approximately 144 branches in the areas of London, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Florence, Lawn, Piacenza, Pisa, Pistoia, Lucca, Rome, Lodi, and Cremona. The company, formerly known as Piccolo Credito Artigiano, was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy. Credito Artigiano S.p.A. is a subsidiary of Credito Valtellinese Soc Coop.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG)

Lloyds Banking Group plc, incorporated on October 21, 1985, is a holding company. The Company is a financial services group providing a range of banking and financial services, primarily in the United Kingdom, to personal and corporate customers. The Company operates in four segments: Retail, Commercial Banking, Wealth, Asset Finance and International and Insurance. Retail provides banking, mortgages and other financial services to personal customers in the United Kingdom. Commercial Banking provides banking and related services to business clients, from small businesses to large corporate. Wealth, Asset Finance and International provides private banking and asset management and asset finance in the United Kingdom and overseas and operates the Company�� international retail businesses. Insurance provides long term savings, protection and investment products in the United Kingdom and Europe and provides general insurance to personal customers in the United Kingdom.

Retail

The Retail division operates the retail bank in the United Kingdom and is a provider of current accounts, savings, personal loans, credit cards and mortgages. This includes a range of current accounts including packaged accounts and basic banking accounts. It is also the provider of personal loans in the United Kingdom, as well as being the United Kingdom�� credit card issuer. Retail is the private sector savings provider in the United Kingdom. It is also a general insurance and bancassurance distributor, offering a range of long-term savings, investment and general insurance products.

Commercial Banking

The Commercial Banking division supports the Company�� business clients from small businesses to corporate. Commercial Banking provides support to corporate clients through the provision of core banking products, such as lending, deposits and transaction banking services whilst also offering clients expertise in capital markets (private placements, bonds and syndicated loans), ! financial markets (foreign exchange, interest rate management, money market and credit) and private equity.

Wealth, Asset Finance and International

Wealth, Asset Finance and International consists of the Company�� the United Kingdom and international wealth businesses, the Company�� the United Kingdom and international asset finance and online deposit businesses along with its international retail businesses. The Wealth business consists of private banking and asset management. Wealth�� private banking operations cater to the range of wealth clients from affluent to Ultra High Net Worth within the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, and internationally. Asset Finance consists of a number of leasing and speciality lending businesses in the United Kingdom, including Lex Autolease and Black Horse Motor and Personal Finance along with its leasing and specialty lending businesses in Australia and its European online deposit business. The international business comprises its non-core banking business outside the United Kingdom, with the exception of corporate business written through the Commercial Banking division. This primarily consists of Ireland, Retail Europe and Asia.

Insurance

The Insurance division provides long-term savings, protection and investment products and general insurance products to customers in the United Kingdom and Europe. The United Kingdom Life, Pensions and Investments business provides long-term savings, protection and investment products distributed through the bancassurance, intermediary and direct channels of the Lloyds TSB, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows brands. The European Life, Pensions and Investments business distributes products primarily in the German market under the Heidelberger Leben and Clerical Medical brands. The General Insurance business is a distributor of home insurance in the United Kingdom, with products sold through the branch network, direct channels and strategic corporate! partners! . It operates primarily under the Lloyds TSB, Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Andrew Marder]

  The banks facing the first wave of investigation are Barclays (NYSE: BCS  ) , Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS  ) , HSBC (NYSE: HBC  ) , and Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE: LYG  ) . These companies are going to pay out something, as they've already admitted that rules were broken. The question remains -- how much will it cost?

• [By Mark Rogers]

  Today I'm looking at the earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for�Lloyds� (LSE: LLOY  ) (NYSE: LYG  ) , the troubled FTSE 100 bank. All my figures are courtesy of S&P Capital IQ.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: Ohio Legacy Corporation(OLCB)

Ohio Legacy Corp. operates as a bank holding company for Premier Bank & Trust, National Association that provides retail and commercial banking services to its customers located in Stark, Wayne, and Belmont Counties in Ohio. The company offers a range of deposit products, including interest-bearing demand deposits, noninterest-bearing demand deposits, personal and business checking, time accounts, savings and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, Internet banking, cash management, and direct-deposit services. It also provides commercial loans, construction loans, real estate mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, and installment and personal loans. In addition, the company offers safe deposit box facilities, courier services, night depository facilities, Internet banking, cash management, direct-deposit services, and electronic funds transfer services, as well as provides trust, wealth management, and investment brokerage services. It provides its banking s ervices through its four branch offices and a trust office. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in North Canton, Ohio. Ohio Legacy Corp. is a subsidiary of Excel Bancorp, LLC.

Top 10 Financial Companies To Own For 2014: The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.(NDAQ)

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. provides trading, clearing, exchange technology, securities listing, and public company services worldwide. It offers trading across various asset classes, including cash equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products, and exchange traded funds; capital formation solutions; financial services and exchanges technology; market data products; and financial indexes, as well as clearing, settlement, and depository services. The company also provides broker services comprising technology and customized securities administration solutions, such as back-office systems to financial participants. In addition, it offers global listing services; technology solutions for trading, clearing, settlement, and information dissemination; and facility management integration, surveillance solutions, and advisory services, as well as develops and licenses NASDAQ OMX branded indexes, associated derivatives, and financial products. As of December 31, 2010 , a total of 2,778 companies listed securities on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ OMX Group supports the operations of approximately 70 exchanges, clearing organizations, and central securities depositories. The company was formerly known as The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and changed its name to The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. in February 2008. The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. was founded in 1971 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CNNMoney Staff]

  Stocks continued to rally despite the fact that options trading was temporarily halted Monday afternoon at exchanges run by CBOE Holdings (CBOE), Nasdaq OMX (NDAQ), BATS Global Markets and Miami International Holdings due to issues at the Options Price Reporting Authority (OPRA), which provides trading data and price quotes.