5 Best Canadian Stocks To Watch For 2014

Don't look now but SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) has become the best-performing stock in the solar industry. Over the past year, it's been better than fellow U.S.-based companies First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) and SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY  ) , and far better than most Chinese manufacturers. Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) and Trina Solar lag well behind even after recent pops higher; only Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) can come close to SunPower's return (and I'll get into the reason for that below).

SPWR Total Return Price data by YCharts

So, why is this stock so hot and can the streak continue? I think so, and there are three big reasons why.

Downstream solar is the dominant paradigm
If you have the choice between risky solar manufacturers and a downstream installer, it's better to choose the installer right now. They can lock in long-term power supply agreements, building a business that acts more like a bond than a volatile stock. SolarCity has used this model with success, and despite the fact that it isn't reporting a profit yet, it's building solar installations that will generate revenue for 20 or more years.

5 Best Canadian Stocks To Watch For 2014: Newmont Mining Corporation(Holding Company)

Newmont Mining Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and production of gold and copper properties. The company?s assets or operations are located in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, it had proven and probable gold reserves of approximately 93.5 million equity ounces and an aggregate land position of approximately 27,500 square miles. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

5 Best Canadian Stocks To Watch For 2014: Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. (BIN)

Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. operates as a vertically integrated non-hazardous solid waste management company in North America. It operates through three segments: Canada, the U.S. south, and the U.S. northeast. The company provides waste collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services to commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential customers in 13 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 6 Canadian provinces. It also owns and operates a power generating plant fuelled by landfill gas; and generates and sells methane gas. The company was formerly known as IESI-BFC Ltd. and changed its name to Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. in May 2011. Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. was founded in 2001 and is based in Vaughan, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Keep in mind, though, this is a sectorwide problem, not just one affecting Waste Management. Canada's Progressive Waste Solutions (NYSE: BIN  ) delivered an 11% increase in first-quarter revenue but succumbed to a decrease of 0.5% in recycling revenue because of lower realized metal prices. �

Best Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Sensata Technologies Holding N.V.(ST)

Sensata Technologies Holding N.V., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells sensors and controls primarily in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. It operates in two segments, Sensors and Controls. The Sensors segment offers pressure sensors, force sensors, temperature sensors, speed sensors, position sensors, motor protectors, and thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers and switches. Its sensors are used in various applications, such as automotive air-conditioning, braking, transmission, air bag, heavy vehicle off-road, industrial, aerospace, defense, and data/telecom applications, as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) applications. The Controls segment provides bimetal electromechanical controls, thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers, power inverters, and interconnection products. This segment also offers application-specific products, including motor and compressor protectors, circuit breakers, semicondu ctor burn-in test sockets, electrical HVAC controls, power inverters, precision switches, and thermostats. Its products are used in heating and air-conditioning systems, refrigerators, aircraft, automobiles, and light industrial system applications in industrial, aerospace, military, commercial, and residential markets. The company offers its products primarily under the Sensata, Klixon, Airpax, and Dimensions brand names. It serves original equipment manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive, industrial, and commercial end-markets; and industrial and commercial manufacturers and suppliers in the climate control, appliance, semiconductor, datacomm, telecommunications, and aerospace industries, as well as motor and compressor suppliers. The company was founded in 1916 and is based in Almelo, the Netherlands. Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. is a subsidiary of Sensata Investment Company S.C.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) fell 1.1 percent to A$73.73. Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) retreated 1.1 percent to S$3.78 today after posting earnings.

5 Best Canadian Stocks To Watch For 2014: Canadian Pacific Railway Limited(CP)

Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates as a transcontinental railway providing freight transportation services, logistics solutions, and supply chain expertise in Canada and the United States. It transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, sulphur, and fertilizers; merchandise freight; finished vehicles and automotive parts; forest products, which include wood pulp, paper, paperboard, newsprint, lumber, panel, and oriented strand board; and industrial and consumer products comprising chemicals, energy, and plastics, as well as mine, metals, and aggregates. The company provides rail and intermodal transportation services over a network of approximately 14,700 miles serving the principal business centers of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, British Columbia; and the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. Canadian Pacific Railway Limited was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Canada's national tragedy
  Unfortunately, the year was marred by more than just close calls. Earlier this month, a runaway train loaded with oil derailed in a quaint lakeside town in Quebec. An ensuing explosion caused an estimated 1.5 million gallons of oil to catch fire, ultimately killing 47 people. Despite a previously stellar safety record, oil-by-rail has seen several spills this year, including three small spills earlier this year by Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP  ) . Its largest accident resulted in a spill of 30,000 gallons of oil in Minnesota. However, those spills are really a drop in the bucket when compared with the devastating tragedy in Canada, which is by far the worst oil-by-rail disaster since the industry started relying on the rails because of a lack of pipeline capacity.�

• [By Eric Lam]

  BCE Inc. (BCE) dropped 1.3 percent to a February low, after Macquarie Group Ltd. said that phone shares are vulnerable amid increased regulation. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (CP) lost 4.4 percent to extend losses to a fourth day after its largest shareholder said it will sell part of its stake. WestJet Airlines Ltd. slid 2.3 percent after a measure of customers on its flights declined. A gauge of real estate investment trust fell for a seventh day, the longest streak in three years.

• [By Marshall Hargrave]

  Ackman and Pershing's largest position remains Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE: CP). Back in 2011, Ackman launched a campaign to oust CP's CEO and install the former CEO of rival railroad company Canadian National. Ackman was successful, and the stock has been on a tear ever since, nearly tripling from his original investment. 

5 Best Canadian Stocks To Watch For 2014: PPL Corporation(PPL)

PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, generates and sells electricity; and delivers natural gas to approximately 5.3 million utility customers primarily in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. The company operates in four segments: Kentucky Regulated, International Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Supply. The Kentucky Regulated segment engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity; and the distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.3 million customers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The International Regulated segment owns and operates electricity distribution businesses in the United Kingdom that deliver electricity to 7.7 million customers. The Pennsylvania Regulated segment delivers electricity to approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Supply segment owns and operates power plants to generate electricity using coal, uranium, natural gas, oil, and water res ources; markets and trades electricity and other purchased power to wholesale and retail markets; and acquires and develops domestic generation projects. It controls or owns a portfolio of generation assets of approximately 11,000 megawatts in Montana and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s distribution system included 649 substations with a capacity of 25 million kVA, 28,838 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 24,131 cable miles of underground conductors in the United Kingdom. It also operated 377 substations with a capacity of 31 million kVA, 33,122 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 7,368 cable miles of underground conductors in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  Oil continues to prove less and less useful for generation as prices head higher, and hydro represents a calculated decision to focus its energy portfolio elsewhere. PPL (NYSE: PPL  ) announced this week that it has successfully completed a $209 million hydroelectric expansion project, increasing output 70% to 60 MW.

Stocks To Watch For October 23, 2013

Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are:

Wall Street expects Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) to report its Q3 earnings at $1.55 per share on revenue of $21.68 billion. Boeing shares rose 0.71% to $123.35 in after-hours trading.

Cree (NASDAQ: CREE) issued a downbeat earnings forecast for the fiscal fourth quarter. Cree shares tumbled 15.23% to $63.00 in the after-hours trading session.

Analysts are expecting Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) to have earned $1.67 per share on revenue of $14.32 billion in the third quarter. Caterpillar shares gained 0.37% to $89.50 in after-hours trading.

Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Apollo Group shares jumped 15.81% to $24.25 in the after-hours trading session.

Analysts expect Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) to report its Q3 earnings at $1.04 per share on revenue of $5.76 billion. Eli Lilly shares surged 1.01% to close at $50.15 yesterday.

Posted-In: Stocks To WatchEarnings News Guidance Pre-Market Outlook Markets Trading Ideas

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Around the Web, We're Loving... Learn to Use Trading Platforms Like Hedge Fund Traders do Rumsfeld: Denial of Benefits to Fallen Soldiers' Families 'Inexcusable' Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Facebook, Baidu Lead Big Caps Beating Shutdown What Should You Know About AMZN? Most Popular MacBook Pro 2013 Rumor Roundup Why is AT&T Selling Its Cell Towers? Facebook Status Updates Go Down In Unexpected Outage (FB) IBM's Watson Coming to Smartphones Soon (IBM) Apple's 65-Inch Ultra HD Television To Arrive In 2014 UPDATE: Drexel Hamilton Initiates Coverage on Broadcom Corporation on Positive Market Outlook Related Articles (APOL + BA) Earnings Scheduled For October 23, 2013 Stocks To Watch For October 23, 2013 Boeing, Aerolineas Argentinas Complete Agreement for 20 Next-Generation 737s End of an Era? Boeing Cuts Back Production of its 747s Earnings Expectations For The Week Of October 21: The Crunch Is On Benzinga Weekly Preview: Earnings Season Continues, Delayed US Data To Hit Markets View the discussion thread. Partner Network #marketfy-ae-block { display: none; border: 2px solid #0a3f75; overflow: hidden; width: 300px; height: 125px; text-align: center; background-color: #45719E; position: relative; z-index: 1; } #marketfy-ae-block a { display: block; width: 300px; height: 125px; position: relative; z-index: 2; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; } #marketfy-ae-block-countdown-text { color: #f9fc99; padding: 0px 0 0 0; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; } #marketfy-ae-block-countdown-text-start { font-size: 12px; } #marketfy-ae-block-countdown { padding: 5px 0 5px 0; font-size: 26px; } #marketfy-ae-block-signup { padding: 5px 47px; } #marketfy-ae-block-signup:hover { background-color: #457a1a; } #marketfy-ae-block #marketfy-ae-block-logo { display: block; padding: 3px 0 0 0; margin: 0; } #marketfy-ae-block-logo { text-indent: -9999px; } #marketfy-ae-block-free { display: block; position: absolute; top: 7px; right: -23px; width: 80px; height: 16px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; opacity: 1; -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); -moz-transform: rotate(45deg); -ms-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; color: #333333; background-color: yellow; z-index: 500; text-shadow: 1px 1px #999999; } #marketfy-ae-block-arrow { position: relative; width: 60px; height: 60px; z-index: 10; margin: -80px 0 13px -21px; } #marketfy-ae-block-arrow img { height: 60px; width: auto; } Marketfy's International
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Have a Happier Thanksgiving by Dodging These Spending Pitfalls

Getty Images/Cultura RF Even with the most careful planning, a Thanksgiving budget can fall victim to bad weather, cranky relatives, and recipes that stray a bit too far toward the avant garde. Given that this is the last weekend to prepare and shop before your holiday celebration, let's run through some of the more common budgetary traps, and how to dodge them: The "Traditional" Dinner Turkey. Potatoes. Pie. Some things just seem to belong on a Thanksgiving table. According to a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people has fallen about 1 percent to $49.04 this year. At just $4.90 per person, that's quite a bargain. But some families go overboard on "tradition" and try to include everything that's ever appeared on a Thanksgiving table. That can get costly. "Thanksgiving dinners are notorious for being too elaborate and wasting food," says Coryanne Ettiene, a cooking show host and mother of three. "Create a menu that allows each guest to have two to four sides rather than the common six sides," she says. "Where possible, make your menu from scratch, using similar ingredients to carry the cost across the whole meal. If you have only one recipe that calls for saffron and can't use it in any other dish, maybe you skip the saffron this year." Nan Langen Steketee of Philadelphia cooks a large Thanksgiving dinner each year for more than 20 friends and family. Together, they keep the emphasis on the traditions themselves, rather than which plate they're served on. "We make our own applesauce from a family recipe," she says. "The apples are in-season and not terribly expensive, and it just tastes better." Steketee saves bread scraps in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to make stuffing, and uses the giblets from inside the turkey for flavor. Her guests all help with the preparations, and then enjoy the meal together. A Plus-One for the Plus-One? A seating arrangement at a large family Thanksgiving dinner can be as complicated as a small wedding's, and the inclusion of last-minute plus-ones can throw off even the most carefully orchestrated meal. But according to the guide for Thanksgiving etiquette by Emily Post, simply saying "no" to those guests isn't very polite. Since getting a firm head count can be difficult with the more spontaneous family members, have a plan in place or some extra sides available to account for drop-ins. A Terminal Wait Not hosting the dinner? More than 40 percent of Americans are planning to travel this Thanksgiving, according to a survey by TripAdvisor. Inclement weather can cause travel delays and all their hidden expenses: airport restaurants, rebooking fees, hotels, and other transportation if it's available. So before heading to the airport, you should have a plan B, and a cutoff in mind for how long you'll be willing to wait until you use it. The Unrequested Wake-up Call Saving on hotel costs by staying with loved ones may seem like a good idea until it's 3 a.m. and the dogs are barking, or the springs of the fold-out are popping through the mattress or a cousin's baby is wailing away. Because so many people do opt for the fold-out couch or guest room, hotel deals actually abound during Thanksgiving weekend. But trying to find one in the middle of the night while sneaking out the back door might be a challenge. Before you arrive, be realistic about accommodations. Now would be a very good time to hunt down a hotel near your holiday gathering and book a room. Overemphasizing the Liquid Liquid refreshments are part of any Thanksgiving dinner, but they don't all need to be top-shelf brands -- or even, for that matter, alcoholic. "The second biggest expense this time of year is the booze," says Ettiene. She suggests that hosts create a specialty cocktail for their Thanksgiving guests, and keep other selections to a minimum.

iPhone 5S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4: As Good as Gold in Brazil

If you live in Brazil and want to purchase the latest Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 5S, you'll pay the equivalent of $1,585 for the 16 GByte model that costs about $200 (with a contract) in the U.S. The new PlayStation 4 from Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) costs about $400 in the U.S. and a whopping $1,850 in Brazil. And the Xbox One from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) that was launched Friday and costs around $500 in the U.S. will sell for $1,016 in Brazil.

The Motorola division of Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) launched its low-cost Moto G model in Brazil earlier in November and the base 8 Gbyte unlocked version is expected to cost the equivalent of $280 ($179 in the U.S. when it becomes available next year).

Part of the problem, at least for the iPhone, is that Apple does not have a contract with any Brazilian carrier, so there are no subsidized phone prices. An iPhone 5S that costs about $199 to manufacture (not including software and marketing costs) and sells unlocked in the U.S. for $649 should probably not cost more than twice what it does in Brazil. Ah, but then, there are Brazilian taxes.

According to a Sony spokesperson, the base price for a PlayStation 4 on arrival in Brazil is $468. Taxes of one sort or another add more than $1,100 and the rest is retailer profit. Some 63% of the cost of a PlayStation 4 in Brazil goes to pay a variety of taxes.

The onerous taxes are intended to encourage companies to bring manufacturing operations to the world's fifth most populous country where they will support jobs and the local economy.

Apple is looking to circumvent the whole tax issue by building a plant in Brazil with its Taiwan-based manufacturing partner Foxconn. Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have also announced plans to build plants in Brazil. Under Brazilian law products manufactured in Brazil do not pay the hefty taxes for imported finished goods.

Brazil's economy, like other emerging economies over the past few years, has been booming, but inflation is beginning to take a toll on the country's spending power. Unemployment is rising as domestic demand falters, and foreign investment plans could be slowed or abandoned altogether.

Pre-Market Global Review - 11/22/13 - Dow Stays Above 16000

Good Morning Traders,
 
As of this writing 5:05 AM EST, here’s what we see:
 
US Dollar –Down at 80.880, the Dec US Dollar is down 237 ticks and is trading at 80.880.            
Energies – January Oil is down at 95.19.       
Financials – The December 30 year bond is down 1 tick and trading at 131.08.      
Indices – The December S&P 500 emini ES contract is unchanged and trading at 1793.75.  
Gold – The December gold contract is trading down at 1242.70 and is down 9 ticks from its close.   Note: The front month for crude is now January "14.
 
Initial Conclusion: This is not a correlated market.  The dollar is down- and oil is down- which is not normal and the 30 year bond is trading lower.  The Financials should always correlate with the US dollar such that if the dollar is lower then bonds should follow and vice versa.  The indices are unchanged and the US dollar is trading lower which is not correlated.  Gold is trading lower which is not correlated with the US dollar trading down.   I tend to believe that Gold has an inverse relationship with the US Dollar as when the US Dollar is down, Gold tends to rise in value and vice-versa. Think of it as a seesaw, when one is up the other should be down.   I point this out to you to make you aware that when we don't have a correlated market, it means something is wrong.  As traders you need to be aware of this and proceed with your eyes wide open. 
               
Asia traded mainly mixed with half the exchanges trading lower and the other half higher.  As of this writing all of Europe is trading higher. 
 
  Possible challenges to traders today is the following:
                                                
1.  FOMC Member George Speaks at 8:40 AM EST.  This is major          
2.  JOLTS Job Openings is out at 10 AM EST.  This is major.          
3.  FOMC Member Tarullo Speaks at 12:40 PM EST.  This is major.          

    
      Currencies       
 
Yesterday the Swiss Franc made it's move at around 10 AM EST after the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index report was released.  Subsequently the USD fell, the markets rose and so did the Swiss Franc.  This was a long opportunity on the Swiss Franc.  The key to capitalizing on these trades is to watch the USD movement.  The USD rise only lent confirmation to the move.  As a trader you could have netted 20 ticks on this trade.  

Charts Courtesy of Trend Following Trades

 

Swiss Franc - 12/13 - 11/21/13

USD - 12/13 - 11/21/13

Bias

Yesterday we said our bias was neutral as we had 10 economic reports, most of which were major.  The Dow rose 109 points and this time stayed above the 16000 level.  Today the markets aren't correlated however our is to the upside.  Why?  The USD and Bonds are both trading lower as of this writing and that is bullish.   Could this change?  Of Course.  Remember anything can happen in a volatile market.

Yesterday we said our bias was neutral as we had 10 economic reports, most of which were major.  Only this time the markets rose above the 16,000 level and stayed there into the close.  The other indices rose as well.  So what happened?  Well the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index was released at 10 AM and as we stated in our Market Bias video this is a major report and proven market mover.  The report came in negative and remember as of late the markets advance on negative news due to tapering fears.  The Dow advanced and never looked back.  This is very much a news driven, event driven market that has no sense of normalcy.  Today for the first time in a few days we don't really have any major news driving the markets so we'll have to see if the Dow stays above the 16,000 level or will it lose ground?  Time will tell....

Many of my readers have been asking me to spell out the rules of Market Correlation.  Recently Futures Magazine has elected to print a story on the subject matter and I must say I'm proud of the fact that they did  as I'm Author of that article.  I encourage all viewers to read that piece as it spells out the rules of market correlation and provides charts that show how it works in action. The article is entitled "How to Exploit and Profit from Market Correlation" and can be viewed at:

http://www.futuresmag.com/2013/08/01/how-to-exploit-and-profit-from-market-correlation

As a follow up to the first article on Market Correlation, I've produced a second segment on this subject matter and Futures Magazine has elected to publish it.  It can be viewed at:

http://www.futuresmag.com/2013/08/16/how-to-exploit-and-profit-from-market-correlation?ref=hp

 
As readers are probably aware I don't trade equities.   While we're on this discussion, let's define what is meant by a good earnings report.  A company must exceed their prior quarter's earnings per share and must provide excellent forward guidance.  Any falloff between earning per share or forward guidance will not bode well for the company's shares.  This is one of the reasons I don't trade equities but prefer futures.  There is no earnings reports with futures and we don't have to be concerned about lawsuits, scandals, malfeasance, etc.
 
Anytime the market isn't correlated it's giving you a clue that something isn't right and you should proceed with caution. Today our bias is to the upside.  Could this change?  Of course.  In a volatile market anything can happen.  We'll have to monitor and see.
  

As I write this the crude markets are trading lower and the US Dollar is declining.  This is not normal.  Think of it this way.  If the stock market is trading lower, it's safe to assume that the crude market will follow suit and vice versa.  Crude trades with the expectation that business activity is expanding.  The barometer of which is the equities or stock market.  If you view both the crude and index futures side by side you will notice this. Yesterday January crude dropped to a low of 93.47 a barrel and held.  We'll have to monitor and see if crude either goes lower or holds at the present level.   It would appear at the present time that crude has support at $93.86 a barrel and resistance at 96.32.  This could change.  All we need do is look at what happened last fall when crude was trading over $100.00 a barrel.  We'll have to monitor and see.  Remember that crude is the only commodity that is reflected immediately at the gas pump. 

Future Challenges:
- Budget Battle - Forthcoming.     
 

Crude oil is trading lower and the US Dollar is declining.  This is not normal.  Crude typically makes 3 major moves (long or short) during the course of any trading day: around 9 AM EST, 11 AM EST and 2 PM EST when the crude market closes.  If crude makes major moves around those time frames, then this would suggest normal trending, if not it would suggest that something is not quite right.  If you feel compelled to trade consider doing so after 10 AM when the economic reports are released and the markets give us better direction.  As always watch and monitor your order flow as anything can happen in this market.  This is why monitoring order flow in today's market is crucial.  We as traders are faced with numerous challenges that we didn't have a few short years ago.  High Frequency Trading is one of them.   I'm not an advocate of scalping however in a market as volatile as this scalping is an alternative to trend trading.

Remember that without knowledge of order flow we as traders are risking our hard earned capital and the Smart Money will have no issue taking it from us.  Regardless of whatever platform you use for trading purposes you need to make sure it's monitoring order flow.  Sceeto does an excellent job at this.  To fully capitalize on this newsletter it is important that the reader understand how the various market correlate.  More on this in subsequent editions.
 

Nick Mastrandrea is the author of Market Tea Leaves. Market Tea Leaves is a free, daily newsletter that discuses and teaches market correlation. Market Tea Leaves is published daily, pre-market in the United States and can be viewed at www.markettealeaves.com  Interested in Market Correlation?  Want to learn more?  Signup and receive Market Tea Leaves each day prior to market open.  As a subscriber, you’ll also receive our daily Market Bias video that is only available to subscribers.

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

Posted-In: Futures Forex Pre-Market Outlook Markets

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Crude Futures Post Strong Gains

Crude futures are having the best day in almost two months, rallying $1.50 per barrel to $95.40. After building a base in lower 93s, the contract cleared the major resistance at 95.20 and reached 95.63. Since making the high, the contract has pulled back to 95.16 before resuming is rally.

Posted-In: Commodities Technicals Markets Trading Ideas

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Around the Web, We're Loving... Come Learn 6 Proven Trading Strategies at Our Holliday Trading Summit Lightspeed Trading Presents: Intra-day and Swing Trading the First Two Hours of the Market Rumsfeld: Denial of Benefits to Fallen Soldiers' Families 'Inexcusable' Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Facebook, Baidu Lead Big Caps Beating Shutdown What Should You Know About AMZN? Most Popular Home Depot Versus Lowe's: What Three Analysts Are Saying New Battery Technologies Could Dramatically Change Electronics Market Five Star Stock Watch: Tesla Motors, Inc. Voxeljet Shares Respond After Sour Citron Research Report Sony's $399 PlayStation 4 Costs $381 To Produce Apple Trapped in Narrow Range Related Articles (USO) Crude Futures Post Strong Gains Crude Tests Major Support Again Crude Declines Crude Finding Support Under 94 Support in Crude Gives Way Top Performing Energy ETFs (XES, IEZ, GEOS, SLB, HAL) View the discussion thread. Partner Network

Fed Minutes Takeaways: On Track to End QE, but Stick to Low Rates

Federal Reserve officials had a wide-ranging discussion about the outlook for monetary policy at their Oct. 29-30 policy meeting. The bottom line was that they stuck to the view that they might begin winding down their $85 billion-per-month bond-buying program in the "coming months" but are looking for ways to reinforce their plans to keep short-term interest rates low for a long-time after the program ends.

Associated Press The Federal Reserve building in Washington.

They struggled to build a consensus on how they would respond to a variety of different scenarios. One example: What to do if the economy didn't improve as expected and the costs of continuing bond-buying outweighed the benefits? Another example: How to convince the public that even after bond buying ends, short-term interest rates will remain low.

Here is a first look at key passages (in italics) and what they suggest about Fed policy:

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: It looked a little softer in the near-term, but officials weren't veering from their view on how the recovery would play out:

Although the incoming data suggested that growth in the second half of 2013 might prove somewhat weaker than many of them had previously anticipated, participants broadly continued to project the pace of economic activity to pick up. The acceleration over the medium term was expected to be bolstered by the gradual abatement of headwinds that have been slowing the pace of economic recovery—such as household-sector deleveraging, tight credit conditions for some households and businesses, and fiscal restraint—as well as improved prospects for global growth. While downside risks to the outlook for the economy and the labor market were generally viewed as having diminished, on balance, since last fall, several significant risks remained, including the uncertain effects of ongoing fiscal drag and of the continuing fiscal debate.

OUTLOOK FOR BOND BUYING: Given their expectations for the economy, they still expect to end the program in the months ahead:

Participants reviewed issues specific to the Committee's asset purchase program. They generally expected that the data would prove consistent with the Committee's outlook for ongoing improvement in labor market conditions and would thus warrant trimming the pace of purchases in coming months.

WHAT IF THE BOND-BUYING PROGRAM STOPS WORKING BEFORE THE LABOR MARKET IMPROVES: The Fed might end bond buying and find another way to stimulate the economy.

Some participants noted that, if the Committee were going to contemplate cutting purchases in the future based on criteria other than improvement in the labor market outlook, such as concerns about the efficacy or costs of further asset purchases, it would need to communicate effectively about those other criteria. In those circumstances, it might well be appropriate to offset the effects of reduced purchases by undertaking alternative actions to provide accommodation at the same time

KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID: Fed officials are trying harder to keep a consistent message after the confusion in markets earlier this year.

Participants broadly endorsed making the Committee's communications as simple, clear, and consistent as possible, and discussed ways of doing so. With regard to the asset purchase program, one suggestion was to repeat a set of principles in public communications; for example, participants could emphasize that the program was data dependent, that any reduction in the pace of purchases would depend on both the cumulative progress in labor markets since the start of the program as well as the outlook for future gains, and that a continuing assessment of the efficacy and costs of asset purchases might lead the Committee to decide at some point to change the mix of its policy tools while maintaining a high degree of accommodation

MODEST SUPPORT FOR THRESHOLD CHANGE: The Fed has been saying it will keep short-term rates low until after the jobless rate falls below 6.5%. Some economists think the Fed should lower that threshold to provide more support to the job market. There wasn't a great deal of support for such a move.

A couple of participants favored simply reducing the 6½ percent unemployment rate threshold, but others noted that such a change might raise concerns about the durability of the Committee's commitment to the thresholds.

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INFLATION BOUNDS: The Fed is also considering offering a lower bound on inflation. That got some support, though not rousing.

In general, the benefits of adding this kind of quantitative floor for inflation were viewed as uncertain and likely to be rather modest, and communicating it could present challenges, but a few participants remained favorably inclined toward it.

LOW RATES FOR LONG: Fed officials appear to be gravitating toward an "inertial" policy approach. In other words, toward assuring the public that the Fed won't be in a hurry to raise short-term rates even after its 6.5% threshold is crossed.

Several participants concluded that providing additional qualitative information on the Committee's intentions regarding the federal funds rate after the unemployment threshold was reached could be more helpful. Such guidance could indicate the range of information that the Committee would consider in evaluating when it would be appropriate to raise the federal funds rate. Alternatively, the policy statement could indicate that even after the first increase in the federal funds rate target, the Committee anticipated keeping the rate below its longer-run equilibrium value for some time, as economic headwinds were likely to diminish only slowly. Other factors besides those headwinds were also mentioned as possibly providing a rationale for maintaining a low trajectory for the federal funds rate, including following through on a commitment to support the economy by maintaining more-accommodative policy for longer. These or other modifications to the forward guidance for the federal funds rate could be implemented in the future, either to improve clarity or to add to policy accommodation, perhaps in conjunction with a reduction in the pace of asset purchases as part of a rebalancing of the Committee's tools

DON'T FORGET IOER: The Fed pays 0.25% to banks that keep reserves on deposit with the central bank. Some economists think it should reduce that rate to encourage lending. The idea hasn't had much traction in the past, but it is back in play.

Most participants thought that a reduction by the Board of Governors in the interest rate paid on excess reserves could be worth considering at some stage, although the benefits of such a step were generally seen as likely to be small except possibly as a signal of policy intentions.

4 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

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Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

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With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain (IRM) is a global provider of information protection and storage services. This stock closed up 5.8% to $30.15 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 7.28 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.71 million

Volume % Change: 392%

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From a technical perspective, IRM spiked sharply higher here and broke out above some key overhead resistance at $29.06 with heavy upside volume. This move also pushed shares of IRM into its previous gap down zone from June that started near $34. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if IRM can manage to take out Friday's high of $30.31 and its 200-day moving average at $30.69 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in IRM as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $28.45 and then once it sustains a move or close above $30.31 to $30.69 with volume that hits near or above 1.71 million shares. If we get that move soon, then IRM will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $34 to $36.

Healthcare Services Group

Healthcare Services Group (HCSG) provides management, administrative and operating expertise and services to the housekeeping, laundry, linen, facility maintenance and dietary service departments of the health care industry in the U.S. This stock closed up 3.9% to $28 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 895,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 248,289

Volume % Change: 264% 


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From a technical perspective, HCSG ripped higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $27.90 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last five months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $21.57 to its intraday high on Friday of $28.01. During that uptrend, shares of HCSG have been mostly making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if HCSG can take Friday's high of $28.01 to its 52-week high at $28.07 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HCSG as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $26.87 or above its 50-day at $26.30 and then once it sustains a move or close above $28.01 to $28.07 with volume that hits near or above 248,289 shares. If we get that move soon, then HCSG will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $33 to $35.

Ternium

Ternium (TX) is engaged in the manufacturing and processing of flat and long steel products for the construction, home appliances, capital goods, container, food, energy and automotive industries. This stock closed up 2.9% at $27.96 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 693,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 203,238

Volume % Change: 310%

From a technical perspective, TX trended higher here right above some key near-term support levels at $26.40 and its 50-day moving average at $26.02 with heavy upside volume. This move briefly pushed shares of TX into new 52-week-high territory, since the stock flirted with some near-term overhead resistance at $28.18. Shares of TX managed to close just below that level at $27.96. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if TX can manage to take out Friday's high of $28.40 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in TX as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $27.04 or above its 50-day at $26.02 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $28.40 with volume that this near or above 203,238 shares. If we get that move soon, then TX will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are its next major overhead resistance levels at $32 to $34.

Intrexon

Intrexon (XON) is a synthetic biology company that designs, builds and regulates gene programs using its proprietary and complementary technologies. This stock closed up 8.5% at $19.67 in Friday's trading session.

Friday's Volume: 1.38 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 390,792

Volume % Change: 219%

From a technical perspective, XON gapped sharply higher here with strong upside volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last three months, with shares dropping sharply lower from its high of $31.44 to its recent low of $17.52. During that move, shares of XON have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of XON could be ready to see an end to its downside volatility in the short-term if this stock can take out Friday's high and enter a new uptrend.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in XON as long as it's trending above $19 or $18 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $20.45 with volume that's near or above 390,792 shares. If we get that move soon, then XON will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day of $22.17 to $23, or even $24.

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To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>4 Stocks Under $10 to Trade for Breakouts

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>>Why You Should Buy Hedge Funds' 5 Favorite Stocks

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.

Nearly Impossible to Get into Top Tier of App Business

For all the hundreds of millions of apps and the billions of downloads from the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) App Store and Google Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play, the same apps dominate the top of the lists over and over. Breaking into the app business on a mammoth scale is nearly impossible, unless a company already has an extraordinary presence.

The Distimo "Top Global Apps — August 2013" report lists the top paid and free apps from each of the major stores. Free apps get many more downloads than paid ones, not surprisingly.

Ironically, two of the top five free downloads at the Apple App Store are Google Maps and YouTube, which shows that the market continues to believe Google’s map product is the best in the world. YouTube has more users that almost all other major video sites combined. Google is unlikely to give up either of these positions.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) and Facebook Messenger are among the top five downloaded apps at Google Play. This status speaks to the popularity of the social network and the size of its billion-plus growing membership.

But free games continue to hold a disproportionate piece of both paid and free apps, and a tiny number of game publishers are particularly powerful. King.com, Pop Candy and Play Loft have much of the top of this market. King.com’s “Candy Crush Sage” is among the top five most downloaded apps on both the Apple and Google lists. Also on the list, “Despicable Me” has its own movie and a multi-title franchise. Also there, “Plants vs. Zombies” is four years old and also has plenty of versions and sequels.

Several very well-known apps are not on either top five list, but each must get millions of downloads a month. Twitter, weather apps, Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), Gmail, Pinterest, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Skype and Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) already rule across the PC, tablet and smartphone “ecosystems.” None of these is likely to lose popularity, and some probably will gain more.

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There are anecdotes about three people in a garage who build an app and made millions. If they exist, it must be in very small numbers.

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Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Here's what Jim Cramer had to say about some of the stocks callers offered up during the "Mad Money Lightning Round" Thursday evening:

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): "They're taking a lot of share and I like them."

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO): "They're doing a great job and I think they can go much higher." KeyCorp (KEY): "It's up real big and it doesn't do well with this yield curve." Celldex Therapeutics (CLDX): "I say to hold onto this stock. I'm not a seller." ExOne (XONE): "That's a 3D play. I like this one for speculation only." To read a full recap of "Mad Money" on CNBC, click here. To sign up for Jim Cramer's free Booyah! newsletter with all of his latest articles and videos please click here. To watch replays of Cramer's video segments, visit the Mad Money page on CNBC. -- Written by Scott Rutt in Washington, D.C. To email Scott about this article, click here: Scott Rutt Follow Scott on Twitter @ScottRutt or get updates on Facebook, ScottRuttDC

How Does Wal-Mart Look Compared to Target, Costco and Best Buy?

Thursday will likely be a big day for Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT  ) , the world's largest retailer with a market capitalization of more than $255.3 billion and 2012 sales of roughly $469.2 billion, as it reports its earnings for the third quarter of 2013. In comparison, Target (NYSE: TGT  ) , one of Wal-Mart's biggest competitors, has a market capitalization of $41.3 billion and 2012 sales of $73.3 billion, while Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST  ) sits in the middle with a market capitalization of $53.5 billion and 2012 revenue of almost $105.2 billion. All three retailers will be watched closely going into the holiday season by investors for indications of how the last quarter of the year will treat these mega-retailers. Tomorrow might just be the most important day of them all. 

Earnings expectations
For the quarter, the consensus between analysts is that Wal-Mart will post earnings per share of $1.13 on revenue of $116.79 billion. If this expectation comes to fruition, then it would market a 4.6% increase in the company's earnings per share of $1.08 from the same quarter a year ago. Furthermore, it would imply that revenue for the industry behemoth has risen by 2.5% from the $113.93 billion the company reported this time last year.

On a year-over-year basis, matching earnings would imply that the company has seen its nine-month earnings per share rise by 4.8% from $3.35 in the first three quarters of last year to $3.51 this year. This would imply revenue of $347.9 billion, a 2% increase from the $341.2 billion it clocked in during the same period last year. If this quarter is anything like last quarter, the disparity between earnings per share will likely be attributable to a small improvement in the company's cost of goods sold as a percentage of revenue, combined with few common shares outstanding.

How does Wal-Mart stack up against its peers?
While analyzing a company's performance year-to-date is nice, it is more important to understand how the company has performed over an extended period of time, especially compared to its peers. In an attempt to assess this, I decided to pit the company up against Target and Costco.

From a revenue perspective, Wal-Mart has performed in the middle of the pack. Over the past five years, the company saw its revenue rise by 16%. In comparison, Target was only capable of increasing its revenue by 12.9%. Although both of these growth rates are acceptable, they pale in comparison to the 47.2% growth rate experienced by Costco.

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Looking now toward net income, we see a similar, but slightly different story. While Costco saw its net income rise by an astonishing 87.8%, placing it in first place again, it was Target that earned second place with a growth rate of 35.5%. In contrast, Wal-Mart came in third place with a 26.9% improvement in its net income; still good but leaving investors to question if Target or, very possibly, Costco, might eventually knock Wal-Mart out of the number one spot eventually.

A new threat appears
In addition to competition coming in from Target and Costco, Wal-Mart is also being threatened by a company that no one would have guessed a few years ago. The culprit? None other than Best Buy (NYSE: BBY  ) , an electronics retailer with a market capitalization of $15 billion.

Shares for the specialty retailer are up 292.8% from their 52-week low as the company has successfully turned its once faltering business around to at least some degree. Although revenue for the company had continued to decline year-to-date, it has been able to return from losses to profitability once again due to its ability to control costs.

Now, admittedly, the company is far smaller than Wal-Mart and its focus is in electronics while Wal-Mart focuses on... well... everything, but a new advertisement for the company recently released challenges the assertion that Wal-Mart is the true place to buy things on the cheap. In addition to cutting $200 off the purchase price of a variety of Hewlett-Packard laptops (and beating at least one model by a penny), it's giving significant discounts on Apple products, such as $1,099.99 for the regularly priced $1,299.99 MacBook Pro with retina display.

What this means for Best Buy is that it will likely garner some significant traffic this holiday season, but this traffic will come at the cost of lower margins. The downside to this is lower profitability in the short-term, but it offers a higher chance for customers to become enchanted by the Best Buy name, which could help in the long run.

Foolish takeaway
Undoubtedly, Wal-Mart is the big fish in the retail industry. However, just because of this, we cannot assume that this will always hold true. Target is catching up in terms of profitability, whereas Costco has rapidly expanded and is beating the giant on both its top line and bottom line in terms of year over year growth. Furthermore, Best Buy, though still small, should serve as a warning that size isn't everything in retail and that, in time, a smaller retailer may have ample opportunity to catch up to and steal market power from, a company as big as Wal-Mart in at least one of its segments.

As far as earnings go, I don't believe it's out of the question to expect big things from the power player that is Wal-Mart in the short term. But, investors should remain only cautiously optimistic in the company's future prospects, because it appears as though multiple competitors are beginning to close in.

To learn about two retailers with especially good prospects, take a look at The Motley Fool's special free report:
"The Death of Wal-Mart: The Real Cash Kings Changing the Face of Retail." In it, you'll see how these two cash kings are able to consistently outperform and how they're planning to ride the waves of retail's changing tide. You can access it by clicking here.

Treasuries Brace for 3-Percent 10-Year and 4-Percent 30-Year Yields

It is no secret now that interest rates have risen. Long-term Treasury yields and even intermediate Treasury yields are now perhaps even starting to normalize even with Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve keeping Fed Funds down at the 0.00% to 0.25% target rate. The problem that is going to startle longer-term bond investors is that the 10-year Treasury Note is getting closer and closer to 3% and the 30-year Treasury Bond is getting closer to 4%. We are seeing that the iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond (NYSEMKT: TLT) and the ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (NYSEMKT: TBT) are also starting to reach critical levels.

The question to ask is what happens when investors who own 10-year to 30-year noted and bonds realize that they have lost 5% to 10% (or slightly more) in their bond portfolios. Investors flocked to bonds as a safety net because stocks were too volatile, yet stocks have more than doubled off their lows and suddenly they are finding out that bonds come with risk too.

Monday brought on a rather dismal notion in rates. The 10-Year Treasury yield hit a high of 2.88% on Monday. The prior stop had been around 2.70%. On May 1 this yield was as lows at 1.61%, so now we have seen interest rates rise more than 1.25%. Keep in mind that the lowest 10-year yields of about 1.40% in July 2012 have now doubled.

The 30-year Treasury yield of 3.88% is up from a recent low of 2.81% at the start of May. The lowest yield back in 2012 was 2.45%. Now rates appear to be challenging 4%, which will have peeled off close to 15% of the face value of any Long Bond buyer who purchased when yields were at the lows.

If you do not believe that rates are killing bond values in retirement and investing portfolios, take a look. The iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond (NYSEMKT: TLT) ETF hit a 52-week low of $102.49 on Monday. Its yield is 2.87%, but the 52-week high is $127.72. On May 1 that price was $123.12, so this ETF has lost almost 17% f its value in just over 100 days.

If you want the inverse of this, the inversely correlated and leveraged ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (NYSEMKT: TBT) ETF hit a new 52-week high of $82.45 against a 52-week low of $58.23. The exchange-traded product closed at $58.49 on May 1. Because its price rises with yields and with all of the leverage, this exchange-traded product is up literally 40% since just the start of May.

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What is happening is that the markets continue to brace for a tapering of the $85 billion per month in mortgage-backed securities and Treasury bonds by the Federal Reserve. It is interesting that this sell-off is coming at a time with very low participation in August and now that stocks have sold off for two weeks.

If you have been around through various interest rate cycles, you know that rates do not rise only over a very short period of time. Rates rise rapidly, and of course they ALWAYS rise too far. The problem that bond investors have to worry about is not just that the 10-year wants to challenge 3% and the 30-year wants to challenge 4%. The real worry is that the bear market in bonds is barely three months old, and of course mortgage rates are now up 100 basis points or more as well.

Some good news is possible. Municipal bonds are getting very cheap, ditto for junk bonds. REITs and high-yield bonds have been getting slammed as well. This will create some serious value for investors who can take a long-term opportunistic approach, but that opportunity may still be a ways off.

Monday Closing Bell: Markets Inch Higher after Weak Opening

November 11, 2013: U.S. equity markets opened lower Monday morning on a day when bond markets were closed in observance of Veterans Day and trading activity was relatively light. No U.S. economic data was reported today either nor were there any notable earnings reports.

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

Tuesday's calendar includes speeches by Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota, and Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart and the following scheduled data releases and events (all times Eastern):

7:30 a.m. – National Federation of Independent Business small business optimism index 8:30 a.m. – Chicago Fed national activity index 11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month bill auctions 1:00 p.m. – 3-year note auction

Here are the closing bell levels for Monday:

S&P500 1771.89 (+1.28; +0.07%) DJIA 15783.10 (+21.32; +0.14%) NASDAQ 3919.79 (+0.56; +0.01%) 10YR TNOTE 2.747% (+0.0625) Gold $1,281.10 (-3.50; -0.3%) WTI Crude oil $95.14 (+0.54; +0.05%) Euro/Dollar: 1.3415 (+0.0057; +0.43%)

Big Earnings Movers: Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO) is up 28.3% at $24.05. Gulf Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: GURE) is up 15.8% at $2.46.

Stocks on the Move: ViroPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: VPHM) is up 25.4% at $49.38 on a $4.2 billion buyout offer from London-listed Shire. Zalicus Inc. (NASDAQ: ZLCS) is down 72.3% at $1.30 on a failed drug trial.

In all, 128 NYSE stocks put up new 52-week highs today, while 32 stocks posted new lows.

5 Hated Earnings Stocks That You Should Love

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Short-sellers hate being caught short a stock that reports a blowout quarter. When this happens, we often see a tradable short squeeze develop as the bears rush to cover their positions to avoid big losses. Even the best short-sellers know that it's never a great idea to stay short once a bullish earnings report sparks a big short-covering rally.

This is why I scan the market for heavily shorted stocks that are about to report earnings. You only need to find a few of these stocks in a year to help enhance your portfolio returns -- the gains become so outsized in such a short time frame that your profits add up quickly.

That said, let's not forget that stocks are heavily shorted for a reason, so you have to use trading discipline and sound money management when playing earnings short-squeeze candidates. It's important that you don't go betting the farm on these plays and that you manage your risk accordingly. Sometimes the best play is to wait for the stock to break out following the report before you jump in to profit off a short squeeze. This way, you're letting the trend emerge after the market has digested all of the news.

Of course, sometimes the stock is going to be in such high demand that you risk missing a lot of the move by waiting. That's why it can be worth betting prior to the report -- but only if the stock is acting technically very bullish and you have a very strong conviction that it is going to rip higher. Just remember that even when you have that conviction and have done your due diligence, the stock can still get hammered if The Street doesn't like the numbers or guidance.

If you do decide to bet ahead of a quarter, then you might want to use options to limit your capital exposure. Heavily shorted stocks are usually the names that make the biggest post-earnings moves and have the most volatility. I personally prefer to wait until all the earnings-related news is out for a heavily shorted stock and then jump in and trade the prevailing trend.

With that in mind, here's a look at several stocks that could experience big short squeezes when they report earnings this week.

Ciena

My first earnings short-squeeze trade idea is communications networking equipment provider Ciena (CIEN), which is set to release numbers on Wednesday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Ciena to report revenue of $532.99 million on earnings of 16 cents per share.

Just recently, FBR Capital said that Ciena is benefiting from an optical upgrade cycle and it expects the company to report stronger than expected results for its July quarter. That said, the firm expects Ciena's guidance for its October quarter to be in-line with expectations, and warns that its revenue recognition can be lumpy. The firm has an outperform rating on the stock.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float Ciena is extremely high at 20.8%. That means that out of the 92.18 million shares in the tradable float, 20.77 million shares are sold short by the bears. If the bulls get the earnings news they're looking for, then shares of CIEN could easily experience a large short-squeeze post-earnings.

From a technical perspective, CIEN is currently trending below its 50-day moving average and above its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been downtrending over the last month, with shares falling from its high of $23.63 to its low of $19.78 a share. During that move, shares of CIEN have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of CIEN have started to bounce off that $19.78 low and it's quickly moving within range of a near-term breakout trade.

If you're bullish on CIEN, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 50-day moving average at $21.32 a share and then once it takes out more near-term resistance levels at $21.57 to $22 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 3.54 million shares. If that breakout hits, then CIEN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $23.63 a share. If that level gets taken out with volume, then we could see CIEN tag $26 to $28 a share.

I would simply avoid CIEN or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout, and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $19.78 to $19 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then CIEN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels $17 to $16 a share.

Navistar International

Another potential earnings short-squeeze play is Navistar International (NAV), a manufacturer of international brand commercial and military trucks, which is set to release its numbers Wednesday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Navistar International to report revenue of $2.92 billion on a loss of $1.30 per share.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Navistar International is pretty high at 12.4%. That means that out of the 53.80 million shares in the tradable float, 10.62 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a decent short interest on a stock with a relatively low tradable float. Any bullish earnings news could easily spark a big short-squeeze for shares of NAV post-earnings.

From a technical perspective, NAV is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation pattern for the last month and change, with shares moving between $32.54 on the downside and $35.90 on the upside. Any high-volume move above the upper-end of its recent range could trigger a big breakout trade for shares of NAV post-earnings.

If you're in the bull camp on NAV, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $35.27 to $35.90 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.18 million shares. If that breakout triggers, then NAV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $38.81 a share. Any high-volume move above that level will then give NAV a chance to trend north of $40 a share.

I would simply avoid NAV or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $33.27 a share to its 50-day at $32.41 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then NAV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at its 200-day of $29.47 a share to $27 a share.

Conn's

One potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is Conn's (CONN), a specialty retailer of durable products, which is set to release numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Conn's to report revenue of $259.74 million on earnings of 60 cents per share.

Just recently, Piper Jaffray said that Conn's is taking steps to increase its market share, faces little competition, and should report strong second quarter earnings. The firm said Conn's is raising its market share by extending credit at relativity low rates to customers with low credit ratings. The firm has a buy rating on the stock with a $76 per share price target.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Conn's is very high at 16.8%. That means that out of the 24.16 million shares in the tradable float, 4.23 million shares are sold short by the bears. This stock is a low float and high short interest situation. Any bullish earnings news could easily spark a monster short-squeeze for shares of CONN post-earnings.

From a technical perspective, CONN is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $31.02 to its recent high of $68.73 a share. During that uptrend, shares of CONN have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.

If you're bullish on CONN, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out to a new 52-week high above $69.30 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 459,330 shares. If that breakout triggers, then CONN will set up enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $75 to $80 a share.

I would avoid CONN or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that move and then drops back below some near-term support at $65 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then CONN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $62.38 to its 50-day at $60.53 a share. Any high-volume move below its 50-day moving average will then give CONN a chance to re-test its next major support levels at $57.50 to $55 a share.

Bazaarvoice

Another earnings short-squeeze prospect is Bazaarvoice (BV), a provider of social commerce software solutions, which is set to release numbers on Wednesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Bazaarvoice to report revenue of $44.12 million on a loss of 8 cents per share.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Bazaarvoice is very high at 14.4%. That means that out of the 41.18 million shares in the tradable float, 6.33 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 11.6%, or by 656,000 shares. If the bears are caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of BV could rip sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts rush to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, BV is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation pattern for the last month and change, with shares moving between $10.15 on the downside and $11.50 on the upside. Any high-volume move above the upper-end of its recent range post-earnings could trigger a major breakout trade for shares of BV.

If you're bullish on BV, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $11.35 to $11.50 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 661,797 shares. If that breakout triggers, then BV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $13 to $14 a share.

I would simply avoid BV or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below its 50-day at $10.34 a share and then below some key near-term support at $10.15 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then BV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $9 to its 200-day at $8.57 a share.

Titan Machinery

My final earnings short-squeeze play is owner and operator of a network of agricultural and construction equipment stores Titan Machinery (TITN), which is set to release numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Titan Machinery to report revenue of $463.11 million on earnings of 20 cents per share.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Titan Machinery is extremely high at 36.1%. That means that out of the 16.94 million shares in the tradable float, 6.21 million shares are sold short by the bears. This stock sports a monster short interest and a very low tradable float. Any bullish earnings news could easily set off a large short-squeeze for shares of TITN post-earnings.

From a technical perspective, TITN is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last five months, with shares dropping from its high of $24 to its recent low of $16.87 a share. During that downtrend, shares of TITN have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of TITN have started to bounce modestly off that $16.87 low and it's starting to trend within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

If you're in the bull camp on TITN, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $18.60 a share and then back above its 50-day moving average at $18.99 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 360,003 shares. If that breakout triggers, then TITN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major resistance levels at $21 to its 200-day moving average at $23.43 a share.

I would avoid TITN or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $17.31 a share to its 52-week low of $16.87 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then TITN will set up to enter new 52-week-low territory, which is bearish technical price action. Some possible upside targets if TITN makes a new 52-week low are $15 to $14 a share.

To see more potential earnings short squeeze plays, check out the Earnings Short Squeeze Plays portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

Chrysler recalls 1.2 million Ram pickups

Chrysler is recalling about 1.2 million Ram trucks to fix front-end problems that could lead to steering troubles.

The company announced three recalls on Friday. It wants to inspect the trucks and says only 453,000 will likely need repairs.

Chrysler said Friday in a statement that it knows of six crashes and two injuries involving the 2008 to 2012 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks that are being recalled, and one crash with no injuries from the other recalled models.

The trucks are being recalled because tie-rod ends in the steering system may have been installed improperly, which Chrysler says stemmed from technicians misinterpreting instructions. Those tie-rods could be out of alignment, which Chrysler says can lead to steering failures.

The company has since updated the instructions and the parts involved.

The first case covers 842,400 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks from 2003 through 2008. Chrysler says 116,000 were repaired with tie-rods in the steering system that could be out of alignment.

The other two involve trucks with tie-rod assemblies that were replaced in previous recalls. They cover 294,000 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks from the 2008 through 2012 model years, and 2008 Ram 1500 four-by-four mega cabs. Also included are 43,000 Ram 4500 and 5500 four-by-four chassis cabs from 2008 through 2012.

Customers will be notified by letter in December, and work could begin in January, the company said. Owners of Ram 4500 and 5500 models can take their trucks to dealers for interim repairs because parts may not be available until late next year, the statement said. The interim service would involve realignment of the front ends.

Chrysler said about 968,000 of the affected trucks are in the U.S., with another 157,000 in Canada, 37,100 in Mexico and 18,000 from other countries.

NuPathe is (Almost) Your Next Best Bet (PATH)

It's not hard to find an attractive stock with the market is rallying - the rising tide lifts all stocks. The real test for a ticker is when the whole market is tanking (like Thursday), and a stock manages to make gains against the grain. Enter NuPathe Inc. (NASDAQ:PATH). This little biopharma stock is up 3% today, which isn't much, but given the market it's a virtual windfall. It's the reason for the rally - or lack of a reason to be more specific - that makes PATH such a compelling buy here.

Don't sweat it if you've never heard of PATH; most people haven't. The company is the maker of a medical product called Zecuity, which is (in simplest terms) a patch that delivers a migraine treatment transdermally. NuPathe has a couple of other things in the pipeline, but neither is anywhere near being marketable.

Here's the thing ... none of those products or news linked to them are behind the current rally. At least not yet. This chart says something is brewing though; the market always has something of a sixth sense about these things, and NuPathe is no exception. Indeed, the bullish undertones of the chart of PATH are the big story worth a closer look here.

There are a few big buying cues here. One of them is the string of higher lows. The other is the fact that PATH hit a higher high today. Of course, the fact that shares took a big hit in October and are ripe for a rebound doesn't hurt. Throw in the fact that the buying volume is starting grow, and it's hard to argue that the NuPathe Inc. tide hasn't fully turned already.

The clincher here has yet to materialize. That's going to be a close above $1.81, which was not only where NuPathe peaked for several days in late October, but also where the key 20-day moving average line is now. PATH shares traded above that mark briefly on Thursday, but pulled back to a close of $1.77. The bulls have tipped their hand though - the cat's out of the bag about the interest in the stock.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter.

6 IPOs have doubled this year. Twitter next?

  Container Store keeps employees happy NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Investors have been flocking to initial public offerings this year. And several IPOs have been huge hits.

So far in 2013, there have been six IPOs in which the stock doubled from its offering price on the first day of trading, according to Renaissance Capital, an IPO advisor in Greenwich, Conn. Could Twitter be the seventh?

We'll find out soon enough. But even if Twitter doesn't soar on its first day, it's been an amazing year for IPOs. There haven't been six IPOs that have doubled since 2000, said Kathy Smith, a principal at Renaissance. Only eight IPOs have doubled on the first day in the period between 2001 and 2012, she added.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

The Container Store (TCS) was the latest to do so. The retailer priced its IPO at $18 a share last Friday. The stock surged 101% to end the day at $36.20 a share.

There were three other consumer focused companies that more than doubled: sandwich shop Potbelly (PBPB), organic grocery store Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) and Noodles & Co. (NDLS), a casual dining chain.

"There's a lot of interest, maybe too much interest, in fast-growing consumer expansion stories," said Smith. "I think investors are looking for growth in a slow-growth economy."

The other two IPOs that doubled were voxeljet (VJET), a German maker of 3-D printers, and Benefitfocus (BNFT), which provides "cloud-based" services for employee benefits.

Four of these six stocks have moved higher since their first day of trading. The two exceptions are Potbelly and Benefitfocus, which are down more than 10% since their initial pop.

A! nd the booming IPO market shows no signs of slowing. Six companies started trading on Wednesday. And Thursday brings the much talked about debut of Twitter.

Twitter raised its IPO price range Monday, suggesting the company is anticipating robust demand.

But Smith said she wouldn't compare social media darling Twitter to the IPOs that have doubled this year. Those companies were less well-known to investors and therefore priced conservatively, she said.

  From 140 characters to $13 Billion

The spike in IPO activity this year comes as companies seek to sell shares into a rising stock market.

"Companies like to go public when valuations are at their highest," said James Krapfel, an equity analyst at Morningstar. Higher stock prices have also prompted private equity firms to exit their positions, creating an extra push to go public, he added.

The stock market has been on a tear, with the S&P 500 index is up just under 24% this year. The Dow and S&P 500 have hit a series of record highs in a bull market that started in March 2009.

The First Trust US IPO index (FPX), which mimics an index that measures the performance of recent IPOs, has done even better than the broader market. It has gained 38% this year.

While the IPO market is at a "post-recession high," Krapfel cautioned that a strong debut is not always a good indication of how a stock will perform over the long term.

"Investors should be mindful that a company's long-term prospects may not be fully reflected in the first day of trading," he said.

Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) is an example of how a company can bounce back from a botched IPO. The social network's stock offering was marred by technical glitches and the stock finished its first day o! f trading! barely above the $38 offering price. Shares then quickly sunk in the first few months following its May 2012 IPO due to concerns about earnings.

But Facebook shares have rallied 85% so far this year thanks to strong growth in mobile advertising.

So even though Facebook's IPO is still remembered for being a dud, no shareholders are currently complaining. It will be interesting to see if Twitter's investors are as happy as Facebook's 18 months from now.

Zillow Inc (Z) Q3 Earnings Preview: Another Huge Surprise In The House?

Zillow, Inc. (Z) will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2013 financial results on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time), following the release of the company's quarterly financial results. Zillow® CEO Spencer Rascoff and CFO Chad Cohen will host the webcast.

Wall Street anticipates that the internet service provider will lose $0.08 per share for the quarter. iStock expects Z to top Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is a loss of $0.05.

Zillow engages in the operation of a real estate and home-related information marketplace on mobile and the Web in the United States. The company owns and operates Zillow.com; Zillow Mobile, a suite of home-related mobile applications; Zillow Mortgage marketplace, where borrowers connect with lenders to find loans and get mortgage rates; Zillow Digs, a home improvement marketplace for consumers to find visual inspiration and local cost estimates; and Zillow Rentals, a marketplace and suite of tools for rental professionals, Postlets, Solutions, Buyfolio, Mortech, and HotPads.

In its limited public life, Zillow has smoked past Wall Street's consensus seven of the last eight quarterly checkups. The average bullish surprise was 336.63% more than analysts' expectations. WOW. Profits fell short once by 10%, which was just a penny.

As you might expect, Zillow's earnings-driven price-performance mostly lines up with the direction of the surprise. Z's price gained ground in the three-day surrounding the new six of seven better than expected results. Meanwhile, one bullish surprise and the lone miss were greeted with boos and a backpedalling stock price.

The average gain for the half-dozen green reactions was 11.15% while the pair of red reactions averaged 20.65%. Based on this history, Zillow is likely to swing dramatically following Tuesday afternoon's announcement.

Picking the right side of the tape is the question. Let's see if we can find some clues using website traffic and! search trends, along with last quarter's 10-Q.

First up, the number of visitors to Zillow.com increased in Q3 versus Q2, according to Alexa.com and Quantcast.com. Both sites are unofficial numbers but are in agreement. Using Quantcast's traffic estimates, iStock calculates a 13.56% increase in traffic to Zillow.com during the third-quarter relative to the second quarter. Meanwhile, Alexa.com says page views were up 5.30% during the last three months.

Our traffic findings are confirmed by Google Trends. Quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) search volume intensity for the keyword "Zillow" increased by 9.56%. More visitors and more pageviews usually mean more revenue for websites. In Q2, Zillow turned a penny profit on versus expectations of a loss of 11 cents.

 

With the pieces in place to generate more revenue, it comes down to management controlling expense. In the second quarter's 10-Q, there were a number of references to higher expenses to help the business grow.

The key for iStock is a company's ability to keep costs and revenue increases/decreases in line. In other words, if sales are growing by 10%, we want to see costs increasing by no more than 10%. Of course, our preference would be for costs to climb at a slower rate or actually fall, but a one-for-one ratio is cool with us.

But, this in not the relationship iStock found in Q2's 10-Q. Total costs and expenses jumped 116% while revenue increased 69%. On the surface, the relationship looks bad; however, 100% of the difference comes from the sales and marketing line-item, which we see as more of an investment than a cost. If it is money well spent, it should translate into future business and a positive return on investment. Perhaps, evidence of it being money well-spent will show up in forward guidance.

Otherwise, all other costs increased at a similar pace as revenue growth.

Overall: The iEstimate, Zillow, Inc.'s (Z) EPS surprise history, Google and web traffic trends suggest Z will deliver another stron! g announc! ement after the market closes on Tuesday. Hopefully, for shareholders, the sales and marketing investment will begin to pay off with robust guidance.

Why You Can't Resist Daily Deals

Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch In Right Now

Scott Olson/Getty Images And you thought Groupon was dead. Turns out that daily deals are hip again, and for good reason. According to research firm BIA/Kelsey, spending on daily deals is expected to rise 23 percent in 2013, with further growth coming in at a 19.8 percent annual clip through 2016. At that point, we'll be spending $5.5 billion on flash sales and insta-deals. No wonder shares of Groupon (GRPN) have nearly doubled year to date. The deal deliverer accounted for $2.3 billion in revenue last year, or 64 percent of what remains a surprisingly vast and vibrant market. Privately held peer LivingSocial reported $536 million in 2012 revenue. Why so much growth when Groupon fired co-founder and former CEO Andrew Mason over performance issues barely six months ago?

Third Century Bancorp Releases Earnings for Q2; Board Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend (OTCBB:TDCB, OTCMKTS:CLNOD)

Third Century Bancorp (TDCB)

Today, TDCB  remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.00 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:   1:53PM EDT August 5, 2013).

Third Century Bancorp previously reported it had net income of $156,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2013, or $0.12 per share, compared to net income of $71,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, or $0.05 per share. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recorded net income of $216,000, or $0.17 per share, compared to net income of $183,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2012, or $0.14 per share.

Third Century Bancorp (TDCB) 5 day chart:

EQCO2, Inc. (CLNOD)

EQCO2, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CLNOD) (www.eqco2.com) through its Discovery Carbon subsidiary, develops emissions offset strategies for companies, municipalities, and countries. Today, CLNOD has shed (-0.84%) down -0.001 at $.118 with 12,300 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: Delayed: 12:37PM EDT August 5, 2013), but don't let this get you down.

Best Low Price Companies For 2014

CLNOD daily range is at ($.119 – $.118) thus far and currently at $.118 would be considered a (+58899.99%) gain above the 52 wk low of $0.0002 and rightly so. The stock is up +0.12 ( +4438.46%) since the concerning dates of February 6, 2013 – August 5, 2013. +4438.46% is the 6 month high.

EQCO2, Inc. (CLNOD) 5 day chart: