Friday, July 4, 2014

5 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- There isn't a day that goes by on Wall Street when certain stocks trading for $10 a share or less don't experience massive spikes higher. Traders savvy enough to follow the low-priced names and trade them with discipline and sound risk management are banking ridiculous coin on a regular basis.

Just take a look at some of the hot movers in the under-$10 complex from Wednesday, including Astex Pharmaceuticals (ASTX), which skyrocketed higher by 23.7%; Hanwha Solarone (HSOL), which soared higher by 16.3%; JA Solar (JASO), which ripped higher by 15.9%; and Amtech Systems (ASYS), which trended up by 15.6%. You don't even have to catch the entire move in lower-priced stocks such as these to make outsized returns when trading.

One low-priced stock that recently spiked sharply higher was solar player ReneSola (SOL), which I highlighted in Aug. 22's "5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar" at around $4.30 per share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of SOL had been uptrending very strong for the last four months and change, soaring higher from its low of $1.25 to $4.85 a share. This stock had recently pulled back off that $4.85 high to $3.52 a share. Shares of SOL were just starting to bounce off that $3.52 low and were quickly moving within range of triggering a breakout trade above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.25 to $4.50 a share and then above its 52-week high at $4.85 a share.

Best Electric Utility Stocks For 2015: Market Leader Inc(LEDR)

Market Leader, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides software-as-a-service-based business and marketing solutions for real estate professionals primarily in the United States and Canada. It offers real estate agents and brokerage companies with software-as-a-service based products, as well as online lead-generation, online prospect management, online real estate portal content and advertising, and customer coaching and training solutions. The company also offers consumers with free access to the information and tools they need throughout the home buying and selling process through its national consumer real estate sites. Its consumer Web sites include: JustListed.com, a service that notifies home buyers as soon as new homes hit the market; HouseValues.com, a service, which provides home sellers with market valuations of their current homes; and HomePages.com, a real estate portal that enables consumers to see the home listings in their area, view detailed neighbor hood and school data, compare recent home sales, find local real estate agents, and find the value of their own homes. In addition, the company offers Growth Leader, a Website and customer relationship management tool for real estate agents; RealtyGenerator, a lead-generation and lead management system for real estate brokerage offices; and ActiveRain.com that provides professional networking, referral, recruitment, content syndication, and online marketing services for professionals in real estate and related businesses. Market Leader, Inc. markets its products to individual agents and brokerage offices directly, as well as through marketing partnerships with real estate franchise networks. The company was formerly known as Housevalues, Inc. and changed its name to Market Leader, Inc. in November 2008. Market Leader, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Michael Lewis]

    For a bit of context, competitor Trulia (NYSE: TRLA  ) is in negotiations to buy Market Leader (NASDAQ: LEDR  ) for $355�million. Market Leader is a smaller (and growing) business that's similar to both Zillow and Trulia. Since Market Leader is still earnings negative, we can't compare it on a P/FCF basis, but we can look at other metrics. For one, Market Leader trades at a still-ridiculous-but-slightly less-so 57.2 times forward earnings. It trades at 6.4 times last year's sales. Zillow trades at 16.4 times last year's sales. Management expects sales to hit (on the high end) $182 million -- that implies a price of 10.55 times forward sales. If they double a year or two after, which would be unbelievably phenomenal, it would trade at 5.3 times sales.

5 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Ophthotech Corp (OPHT)

Ophthotech Corporation, incorporated on January 05, 2007, is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapeutics to treat diseases of the eye. The Company�� advanced product candidate is Fovista, which the Company is developing for use in combination with anti-VEGF drugs that represent the current standard of care for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Wet AMD is a serious disease of the central portion of the retina, known as the macula, which is responsible for detailed central vision and color perception. It is characterized by abnormal new blood vessel formation and growth, referred to as neovascularization, which results in blood vessel leakage, retinal distortion and scar formation. If untreated, the progressive retinal damage results in rapid, irreversible and severe vision loss. Wet AMD is the cause of blindness in patients over the age of 55 in the United States and the European Union.

The anti-VEGF market for the treatment of wet AMD consists predominantly of two drugs that are approved for marketing and primarily prescribed for the treatment of wet AMD, Lucentis and Eylea, and off-label use of the cancer therapy Avastin. The use of anti-VEGF drugs has significantly improved visual outcomes for patients with wet AMD who have been treated with these drugs as compared to untreated patients.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of Ophthotech (NASDAQ: OPHT) got a boost, shooting up 25.78 percent to $39.54 after the company reported that it has entered into an ex-US licensing and commercialization deal with Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

  • [By John Udovich]

    The biotech sector has been pretty exciting this year�with small cap biotech stocks Prana Biotechnology Limited (NASDAQ: PRAN) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) having recently produced noteworthy news for investors�while Acceleron Pharma, Inc (NASDAQ: XLRN), Ophthotech (NASDAQ: OPHT) and BIND Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BIND) have just�set term sheets for their upcoming IPOs. Just consider all of the following recent news:

  • [By John Udovich]

    If you have not been watching the biotech sector lately, you should start paying attention as the sector along with small cap biotech stocks like Cell Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: CTIC), BIND Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: BIND) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) continue to produce a steady stream of good news for investors thanks to positive industry trends. Moreover, Ophthotech Corp (NASDAQ: OPHT), Foundation Medicine Inc (NASDAQ: FMI), Evoke Pharma and Fate Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: FATE) are this week's biotech IPOs that will no doubt be watched closely by Wall Street and industry observers in general. With that in mind, consider the following biotech news or recent articles about the industry and the small cap players in it:

5 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Cbeyond Inc.(CBEY)

Cbeyond, Inc. provides managed information technology (IT) and communications services to small businesses in the United States. Its services include local and long-distance voice, broadband Internet, mobile services, broadband laptop access, voicemail, email, Web hosting, fax-to-email, data backup, file-sharing, virtual private networking, and cloud servers; and cloud applications, data center infrastructure as a service, cloud private branch exchange phone systems, metro Ethernet, multi-protocol label switching, information security, administration management, and professional services to migrate and manage customer environments. It sells its products and services through direct sales; value-added resellers, local area network consultants, and other IT and communications consultants; and managed services providers, systems integrators, and software vendors. The company was formerly known as Cbeyond Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Cbeyond, Inc. in July 2006. Cbeyond, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Cbeyond (NASDAQ: CBEY) soared 6.29% to $6.76 in the pre-market trading. Cbeyond shares have dropped 10.67% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 26.42% in the same period.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Cbeyond (NASDAQ: CBEY) shares gained 38.56% to touch a new 52-week high of $9.81 after the company agreed to be acquired by Birch Communications in all-cash transaction valued at $323 million.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Cbeyond (NASDAQ: CBEY) shares reached a new 52-week low of $6.07. Cbeyond's PEG ratio is -1.19.

    Swisher Hygiene (NASDAQ: SWSH) shares touched a new 52-week low of $0.732. Swisher Hygiene appointed William Pierce as its new president and CEO.

5 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: FLIR Systems Inc (FLIR)

FLIR Systems, Inc. (FLIR), incorporated on March 8, 1978, is a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of thermal imaging systems. The Company�� advanced sensors and integrated sensor systems enable the gathering and analysis of critical information through a range of applications in commercial, industrial, and government markets worldwide. Its business is organized into two divisions: Commercial Systems and Government Systems. Commercial Systems division includes Thermal Vision & Measurement and Raymarine. Government Systems division include Surveillance, Detection, and Integrated Systems. It offers a range of sensor products, including infrared imaging cameras and systems, detector cores, CBRNE threat detectors, test and measurement instruments, radars, maritime electronics, and related products and solutions. On December 20, 2012, the Company acquired Lorex Technology Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired Traficon International NV. In August 2013, Tessera Technologies Inc announced that FLIR Systems, Inc. acquired a portion of the assets of Tessera's Micro-Optics business based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Thermal Vision & Measurement

Thermal Vision & Measurement (TVM) products are generally sold for applications where the customer need is to see at night or in adverse conditions or to image a scene while gathering valuable situational and temperature information. The Company�� infrared sensors business, which sells focal plane arrays and camera cores internally, as well as to third parties on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis, is also part of TVM. Its thermal and visible light security products are used to protect critical infrastructure, ports, borders, commercial sites, and residential homes. The Company offers a night vision system for passenger automobiles that provides drivers with the ability to see at night and through obscurants, such as fog, at distances much further and wider than can be seen with traditional headlights. As of December 31, ! 2012, provide camera cores for certain Audi, BMW, and Rolls Royce models through its partnership with Autoliv Electronics, a supplier of automotive safety equipment. The Company offers an integrated suite of maritime electronics that utilizes multifunction displays, infrared cameras, depth sounders, GPS, auto pilots, and advanced command and control software.

The Company is engaged in providing advanced thermal imaging technology for consumer applications. It�� easy to use, affordable, and lightweight personal vision thermal cameras give people the ability to see at night. In the home, its cameras can be used for numerous household and security applications, such as locating heat leaks, evaluating insulation coverage, detecting water damage, identifying intruders, and locating pests. The Company supplies hand-held systems to the law enforcement market. The Company supplies cooled and uncooled camera cores, sensors, and readout integrated circuits on an OEM basis for a range of applications where customers require a product at a lower level of integration than a fully developed thermal imaging system.

In Thermal Measurement Markets thermal imaging systems are used for monitoring the condition of mechanical and electrical equipment. The company�� systems provide the ability to view thermal distribution in real time for products ranging in size from small hybrid integrated circuits to jet engines. Common applications include product development of microelectronics, cell phones, laptop computers, telecommunications equipment, consumer appliances, automotive components, and aircraft engines. Systems used in research and development applications require high imaging performance and measurement precision, coupled with extensive analysis and reporting software. Thermal imaging applications for manufacturing process control include applications where temperature consistency is critical, including monitoring the quality of metal, plastic and glass cast parts, which are highly depend! ent upon ! the temperature distribution in the mold; monitoring the quality of paper, which is dependent upon proper and even moisture distribution during the drying process; and monitoring the quality of products such as rubber gloves, which can be thermally examined to locate abnormally warm or cool spots, indicating non-uniform thickness that may result in a quality defect.

Infrared imagers can detect missing insulation, electrical faults, water intrusion and pest infiltration, can gauge energy efficiency, and can help detect the presence of moisture. Market segments include building diagnostics, energy auditing and home inspection, property and facility management, HVAC and plumbing, and moisture detection and restoration. Specially designed infrared systems can detect and image hydrocarbon gas emissions or leaks. It supplies trade professionals a range of test equipment to deliver high accuracy readings for the measurement of electricity, light, sound, temperature, humidity, airflow, revolutions per minute, and water quality. The Company offers fee-based training on the principles of thermography and the use of its products through ITC, its Infrared Training Center, which provides instruction, training, certification and applications engineering from several FLIR locations or at the customer�� site. It also licenses Infrared Training Centers to third parties in certain countries.

The Company competes with Danaher (Fluke), General Dynamics (Axsys), L-3 Communications, Sofradir (ULIS), Axis Communications, NEC and Testo.

Raymarine

Raymarine is a provider of marine electronics, and continues as a pioneer in the technologies that give boaters confidence on the water. The products that Raymarine develops and markets is intended to fulfill all of the marine electronic needs of recreational boaters and offer best-in-class integrated control solutions for all of their on-board instrumentation. Raymarine designs, develops, and markets electronics for the maritime market a! nd is a p! rovider of fully integrated stem to stern networked electronic systems for boats of many sizes. The business distributes its products through a network of independent distributors and retailers, as well as through its relationships with boat builders, providing both first fitment and aftermarket solutions.

The Company competes with Furuno, Garmin and Navico.

Surveillance

Surveillance focuses on providing enhanced vision and detection capabilities to a range of military, paramilitary, law enforcement, public safety, and other government customers. Its systems typically provide the capability to see over long distances, day or night, through adverse weather conditions, and from a range of vehicle, man portable, and fixed installation platforms. Typical applications include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), force protection, drug interdiction, search and rescue, special operations, and target designation. Surveillance products are sold off-the-shelf or can be customized for specific applications and frequently incorporate additional sensors, including visible light cameras, radars, low light cameras, laser rangefinders, laser illuminators, and laser designators.

Surveillance offers a range of products across multiple applications. For airborne applications, it has developed highly stabilized platforms, known as gimbals, which typically contain multiple payloads in addition to the infrared imaging system, as well as sophisticated software and analytic capabilities. For land applications, it manufactures three types of products: hand-held products, platform mounted products, and targeting products. Platform mounted surveillance systems include imaging and radar solutions, which are typically housed in a weather-tight enclosure and feature remote control capabilities and multi-sensor integration capability. Hand-held products are ruggedized and have optional lenses and target location capabilities. Ground-based targeting products are designed t! o attach ! to existing daylight sights to provide bore-sighted, nighttime capabilities. For maritime applications, it manufacture shipborne products which are similar to its airborne gimbals, but are inverted and customized for the marine environment.

In Search and Rescue market thermal imaging systems are used in airborne nd shipborne search and rescue missions to rescue individuals in danger or distress on boats or vehicles, or wounded or lost in adverse conditions. Such systems are in use by organizations such as the United States Army, United States Coast Guard, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air National Guard, and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense. In Border and Maritime Patrol market thermal imaging systems are used in airborne, shipborne, hand-held and fixed installation applications for border and maritime surveillance, particularly at night, to enforce borders and coastal waters, to monitor national fishing boundaries and to prevent smuggling. Its cameras are deployed along numerous borders worldwide, including in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In Surveillance and Reconnaissance market Thermal imaging systems are used in surveillance and reconnaissance applications for the precise positioning of objects or people from substantial distances and for enhanced situational awareness, particularly at night or in conditions of reduced or obscured visibility. It also offers high-resolution frequency-modulated continuous wave radars that enable wide-area surveillance capable of detecting potential threats before they cross a perimeter. These systems can be installed on fixed platforms, manned mobile platforms, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Company supplies airborne thermal imaging systems for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Agencies with this type of equipment have the ability to track suspects, locate lost persons, and provide situational awareness to officers on the ground. It offers several products that provide precise t! arget loc! ation and designation capabilities in applications ranging from clip-on rifle scope devices to high-precision, stabilized, airborne laser designator systems. Thermal imaging systems enable government agencies to expand their drug interdiction and support activities by allowing greater surveillance and detection capabilities. The Company�� systems are in use by the United States Customs Service, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as by foreign government agencies.

The Company competes with BAE Systems, DRS (a Finmeccanica company), Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Sagem, Sofradir, and Thales.

Detection

The Company�� Detection segment provides capabilities in the development of advanced sensor technologies used to detect and identify CBRNE threats. The Detection segment is focused on developing technologies and products to penetrate a global market for advanced threat detection capabilities. Detection manufactures and markets the portable explosive detector, the smallest spectroscopic radiation detector, and the smallest hand-held Raman sensor.

The Company offer both indoor and outdoor biological air monitors that are used by various governmental agencies, including the United States Department of Defense, airport authorities, and the National Park Service, for layered security at facilities and events. Its explosives detection products are used to identify military-grade explosives and homemade explosive devices in a range of military and public safety applications, such as screening high-risk individuals at checkpoints, identifying improvised explosive device (IED) makers, and screening air passengers and baggage. Its radiation products protect the public by warning of radionuclide exposure and have been or are being used by the U.S. Department of Energy�� Nuclear Emergency Search Team, the New York Police Department, the Internat! ional Ato! mic Energy Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the United Kingdom�� Home Office Border and Immigration Agency.

The Company competes with Agilent Technologies, Canberra Industries, Idaho Technologies, NUCSAFE, SAIC, Smiths Detection, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and United Technologies.

Integrated Systems

Integrated Systems develops platform solutions for combating sophisticated security threats and incorporates multiple sensor systems in order to deliver actionable intelligence for wide area surveillance, intrusion detection, border security, and facility security. Integrated Systems incorporates advanced sensors from both the FLIR product suite and external vendors in order to design and manufacture adaptive and effective force protection, homeland security, and commercial solutions that are designed to save lives and protect critical assets. Integrated Systems utilizes an array of sensor technologies, such as radars, thermal imaging and visible light cameras, chemical detectors, radiation detectors, and command and control systems, provided by its other segments as well as from external parties, to create high value solutions for customers across the world.

Integrated Systems manufactures and markets several accurate mobile and fixed solutions for perimeter surveillance. The Cerberus mobile unmanned towers and manned SkyWatch towers are utilized for protecting borders, securing facilities, protecting forces, and safeguarding the public. These tower systems can be deployed in almost any environment and are fully networkable platform solutions that integrate various sensor suites, including infrared thermal or visible light cameras, ground surveillance radar, video motion detection, and unattended ground sensors. In addition, Integrated Systems offers open-source software that enables customers to command, control, and monitor their sensor networks. Cohesion is a flexible integration software enabling CBRNE sensors to be incorporated into standard command! and cont! rol software systems and is specifically designed to support or integrate with its or third-party advanced sensors and devices. Cameleon video integration software allows for advanced monitoring and control of video surveillance camera networks.

The Company competes with Boeing, Cobham, Honeywell, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, Raytheon, SAIC, Telephonics, and Thales.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR  ) landed a big contract from the Pentagon on Tuesday.

    Announced among more than a dozen Department of Defense contract awards that added up to more than $2.7 billion in total value, FLIR's $82.4 million award for the procurement of Talon Forward Looking Infrared Systems may not look like much, but it amounts to nearly 6% of all revenues the company collected last year.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    The Department of Defense issued $312.5 million worth of new contract awards Monday. Notable winners included subsidiaries of two major defense contractors, FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR  ) and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) .

  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Some of the companies most dependent on government for revenue are Harris Corp. (HRS) �with 80% of revenue government-derived; Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) �with 58%; Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) �with 54%; and Waste Management Inc. (WM) � and Republic Services Inc. (RSG) �both with 50%, according to Goldman Sachs.

  • [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

    Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) rallied 9.7% following the release of several new products at CES, including a thermal imaging system for smartphones.

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