Top Stocks For 2014, Best Stocks To Buy 2014: February 2013

2/28/2013

Heinz Q3 Profit Slips

H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ ) has reported that for fiscal Q3 2013, although sales grew by 2% year-over-year to $2.93 billion during the quarter, net profit declined by 5% to $270 million ($0.83 per share).

The company says it would have reported a gain in profitability had it not been for the impact of discontinued operations, which affected EPS by $0.12. On average, analysts had been expecting sales of $2.99 billion and EPS of $0.90.

In spite of the bottom-line drop, certain segments in the company's business performed well. It characterized its emerging-markets segments as "the primary growth driver" as organic sales in the sector increased by nearly 18% on a year-over-year basis, led by Latin America, Indonesia, and China. During Q3, emerging markets were responsible for 23% of total sales. Global Ketchup delivered organic sales growth of 4.2%, driven by strong performance in Russia, Latin America, and Canada.

Heinz made headlines last week when it was announced that the company had entered into a buyout agreement with a consortium comprised of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital.

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Bristow Group Passes This Key Test

There's no foolproof way to know the future for Bristow Group (NYSE: BRS ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.

A cloudy crystal ball
In this series, we use accounts receivable and days sales outstanding to judge a company's current health and future prospects. It's an important step in separating the pretenders from the market's best stocks. Alone, AR -- the amount of money owed the company -- and DSO -- the number of days' worth of sales owed to the company -- don't tell you much. However, by considering the trends in AR and DSO, you can sometimes get a window onto the future.

Sometimes, problems with AR or DSO simply indicate a change in the business (like an acquisition), or lax collections. However, AR that grows more quickly than revenue, or ballooning DSO, can, at times, suggest a desperate company that's trying to boost sales by giving its customers overly generous payment terms. Alternately, it can indicate that the company sprinted to book a load of sales at the end of the quarter, like used-car dealers on the 29th of the month. (Sometimes, companies do both.)

Why might an upstanding firm like Bristow Group do this? For the same reason any other company might: to make the numbers. Investors don't like revenue shortfalls, and employees don't like reporting them to their superiors.

Is Bristow Group sending any potential warning signs? Take a look at the chart below, which plots revenue growth against AR growth, and DSO:

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. FQ = fiscal quarter.

The standard way to calculate DSO uses average accounts receivable. I prefer to look at end-of-quarter receivables, but I've plotted both above.

Watching the trends
When that red line (AR growth) crosses above the green line (revenue growth), I know I need to consult the filings. Similarly, a spike in the blue bars indicates a trend worth worrying about. Bristow Group's latest average DSO stands at 71.9 days, and the end-of-quarter figure is 72.9 days. Differences in business models can generate variations in DSO, and business needs can require occasional fluctuations, but all things being equal, I like to see this figure stay steady. So, let's get back to our original question: Based on DSO and sales, does Bristow Group look like it might miss its numbers in the next quarter or two?

I don't think so. AR and DSO look healthy. For the last fully reported fiscal quarter, Bristow Group's year-over-year revenue grew 16.8%, and its AR grew 14.0%. That looks OK. End-of-quarter DSO decreased 2.4% from the prior-year quarter. It was down 3.2% versus the prior quarter. Still, I'm no fortuneteller, and these are just numbers. Investors putting their money on the line always need to dig into the filings for the root causes and draw their own conclusions.

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1 Stock to Get on Your Watchlist for March

Macy's (NYSE: M ) is an old retailer. Sure, it was established in the 1800s. But lately it has been logging banner results that come straight out of the 21st century. And yet, for whatever reasons, Wall Street doesn't seem too interested in the department store.

I think that's a mistake. Macy's is poised to keep up the outperformance, and here's why.

Latest results
Macy's managed a strong fourth quarter despite the tough consumer environment. Comparable sales were up by 3.7%, while full-year adjusted profits ended up 20%. Macy's saw total revenue grow by over $1 billion in 2012, and it generated enough cash to repurchase shares and double its dividend.

What's even more impressive, though, is how the company's tech strategies have succeeded in boosting Macy's retailing reach. Here are three key ways that the department store has been building out its tech advantage.

Internet sales: Macy's reported a 48% jump in online sales last quarter, and a 41% rise for the full year. By comparison, eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY ) grew its online marketplace orders by 11% last year. And Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN ) , in what counts for a monster quarter for the e-tailing giant, increased net sales by 27%.

Sure, Macy's is growing from a much smaller base than these two retailers. But the company is beating multi-channel sellers, too. Best Buy�was only able to manage a 10% increase in online shopping over the holiday selling season. Macy's is doing something right here, and it's not just about growing from a small base.

Fulfillment: Maybe it's about better delivery services. As part of its all-channel sales strategy, Macy's has been busy upgrading stores so that they can double as distribution centers for online orders. Thanks to that investment the retailer can now fill online orders from 300 of its locations, up from just 23 stores last year. Amazon, meanwhile, only has around 40 fulfillment centers spread across the U.S., although it has been increasing that tally lately. Again, Amazon handles a ton more volume through those warehouses. But Macy's fulfillment build-out is progressing so well that the company can entertain the idea of a same-day delivery service to further boost sales.

And making efficient use of the existing store infrastructure is one factor that's helping boost Macy's earnings. After bottoming out well below peers in 2009, the company's EBITDA margin is back up to near 14%, within striking distance of Kohl's (NYSE: KSS ) and Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN ) .

M EBITDA Margin TTM data by YCharts.

Mobile: Shopping through mobile devices like smartphones and tablets is a big trend in retailing right now. Macy's is taking full advantage of the customer stampede onto those devices. The company had an app ready to go for Black Friday that helped customers navigate to specials in real time within their local stores. It was part of Macy's big push for younger shoppers. Continuing that strategy, the company aims to have 13 new millennial brands introduced by the end of this year, while expanding on 11 existing brands. CFO Karen Hoguet says those launches set up a "very important source of growth" for this year and next.

Risks
Still, even the best selling strategies won't save a retailer from a weak product line. For example, Macy's did well moving handbags, watches, and shoes last quarter, but came up short in the housewares and junior's departments. The company will have to keep improving on its localized fashion offerings, or it risks falling behind on fast-moving consumer trends.

Also, the company holds about $7 billion in long-term debt. While that's a hefty burden, Macy's has been making progress at paying it down. The company lowered its total debt level by $800 million last year. And I think what remains is manageable considering that the company booked $2.3 billion in operating cash flow last year.

Bottom line
But is it cheap? Macy's shares are trading at about 9 times forward earnings. That's less than the forward P/E of 10 for Kohl's and 13 for Nordstrom. Of course, the price looks even better compared to the online retailers that Macy's has been besting by some metrics lately. Amazon trades at 73 times expected earnings, and eBay at 17. And the company sports something else that they don't: a dividend currently yielding 2%. Overall, I think Macy's is a good value, and it should beat rivals -- and the market -- from here.�

More stocks to watch
The retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.

Starwood Earnings Show Annaly Is on the Right Track

When Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY ) announced last November its intention to add some commercial flavor to its stable of residential securities, some questioned the sagacity of its bid to purchase CreXus Investments (NYSE: CSX ) . Considering Annaly's long history of conservative, low-risk investing in agency-only, residential mortgage-backed securities, investor discomfort was just about guaranteed.

Now that a few weeks have passed, things are looking less spooky, as commercial paper has been hitting the headlines with its newfound popularity. But, just because hedge funds are hot to get their mitts on commercial MBSes, does that mean mortgage REITs should jump on the bandwagon, too?

The answer to that question appears to be a resounding, "Yes!"

Starwood reflects heady commercial market
Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD ) , which originates and invests primarily in commercial mortgages and other commercial debt, showed up on fourth-quarter earnings day with an astounding 38% jump in non-GAAP core earnings in the last quarter of 2012 compared to the year-ago quarter, and a 37% increase in net income.

Having its finger on the pulse of commercial real estate and mortgage activity is what Starwood does best, and it has been very busy recently making deals to expand its reach. The company originated over $1 billion in loans�just in the fourth quarter of 2012, and in January, Starwood agreed to purchase LNR Property in a deal that a Stifel Nicolaus analyst characterized as "major-league transformative."�

Starwood's CEO Barry Sternlicht notes that money is moving out of fixed income and into real property as values rise. According to Bloomberg, commercial property prices have risen 38% over the past two years.

What this means for Annaly
Obviously, Annaly's management has been scoping the commercial sector, as well. CreXus is within the Annaly family�and is managed by FIDAC, an investment advisement company created by Annaly founder Michael Farrell. FIDAC, which was bought by Annaly in 2004, also manages Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM ) , that roguish hybrid mREIT that can't seem to get its accounting house in order. Since the same people who manage Annaly have also overseen CreXus since 2009, there is some real familiarity between the companies.

So, at least to me, it seems that Annaly's purchase of CreXus is less a panicked reaction�to the Fed's open-ended QE3 program and more of a well-considered move. After all, Annaly has always had the option to branch out of agency-only paper if "compelling other long-term investment opportunities" came along. From what I can see, the nascent CMBS market is about as compelling as it gets.�

Will Annaly Capital Management once again start paying huge dividends to shareholders? Although things are looking up for the venerable mortgage REIT, there are some crucial issues investors have to understand about Annaly's business model before buying the stock. In this brand-new premium research report on the company, our analyst runs through these absolute must-know topics, as well as the future opportunities and pitfalls of the company's strategy. Click here now to claim your copy.

Show Me the Money, Wet Seal

Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.

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

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. FCF = free cash flow. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over the past 12 months, Wet Seal burned $3.8 million cash while it booked a net loss of $26.3 million. That means it burned through all its revenue and more. That doesn't sound so great.

All cash is not equal
Unfortunately, the cash flow statement isn't immune from nonsense, either. That's why it pays to take a close look at the components of cash flow from operations, to make sure that the cash flows are of high quality. What does that mean? To me, it means they need to be real and replicable in the upcoming quarters, rather than being offset by continual cash outflows that don't appear on the income statement (such as major capital expenditures).

For instance, cash flow based on cash net income and adjustments for non-cash income-statement expenses (like depreciation) is generally favorable. An increase in cash flow based on stiffing your suppliers (by increasing accounts payable for the short term) or shortchanging Uncle Sam on taxes will come back to bite investors later. The same goes for decreasing accounts receivable; this is good to see, but it's ordinary in recessionary times, and you can only increase collections so much. Finally, adding stock-based compensation expense back to cash flows is questionable when a company hands out a lot of equity to employees and uses cash in later periods to buy back those shares.

So how does the cash flow at Wet Seal look? Take a peek at the chart below, which flags questionable cash flow sources with a red bar.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of last fully reported fiscal quarter. Dollar values in millions. TTM = trailing 12 months.

When I say "questionable cash flow sources," I mean items such as changes in taxes payable, tax benefits from stock options, and asset sales, among others. That's not to say that companies booking these as sources of cash flow are weak, or are engaging in any sort of wrongdoing, or that everything that comes up questionable in my graph is automatically bad news. But whenever a company is getting more than, say, 10% of its cash from operations from these dubious sources, investors ought to make sure to refer to the filings and dig in.

With 49.3% of operating cash flow coming from questionable sources, Wet Seal investors should take a closer look at the underlying numbers. Within the questionable cash flow figure plotted in the TTM period above, stock-based compensation and related tax benefits provided the biggest boost, at 19.3% of cash flow from operations. Overall, the biggest drag on FCF came from capital expenditures.

A Foolish final thought
Most investors don't keep tabs on their companies' cash flow. I think that's a mistake. If you take the time to read past the headlines and crack a filing now and then, you're in a much better position to spot potential trouble early. Better yet, you'll improve your odds of finding the underappreciated home-run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

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We can help you keep tabs on your companies with My Watchlist, our free, personalized stock tracking service.

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Nikkei Up Sharply

Asian markets were higher on the last day of February as global political concerns eased.

Why Optimer Pharmaceuticals Shares Soared

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Optimer Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OPTR ) , a biopharmaceutical company, rose as much as 19% following the resignation of its CEO and the announcement of a planned strategic review for the company.

So what: Before the opening bell, Optimer announced that its CEO, Pedro Lichtinger, had agreed to step down, and noted that its chairman, Dr. Henry McKinnell, will be taking over the CEO role. In addition, Optimer announced the beginning of a strategic review, which -- for savvy investors -- means that management could be looking to optimize shareholder value through a potential sale of all, or parts, of the company. Optimer already sold its stake in Optimer Biotechnology for $60 million in October, so clearly management is finally getting serious about increasing shareholder value.

Now what: The problem with increasing shareholder value through a strategic review is that it's going to be difficult with only one drug on the market: Dificid for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Sales of the drug have been impressive in 2012 after a price cut was enacted, but estimates for 2013 only project about $107 million in total revenue. That means we're talking about a company valued at more than five times sales of its only drug. If we strip out the $98 million in cash Optimer has on its balance sheet, then we get down to a tad over four times sales figures -- but even that may be too rich a price for a buyer to absorb.

Craving more input? Start by adding Optimer Pharmaceuticals to your free and personalized watchlist so you can keep up on the latest news with the company.

While you can certainly make huge gains in biotechs like Optimer, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

2/27/2013

Is Zoegenix on the Verge of FDA Approval?

In the following video, Motley Fool health-care analyst David Williamson discusses Zoegenix's (NASDAQ: ZGNX ) 30% leap, as the FDA delays approval for its pain medication Zohydro. A delay would make very little sense if the FDA were planning to reject the drug, and the company has stated that the FDA says this delay will be brief. David tells us why this is surprising, and what is driving the market's reaction.

While you can certainly make huge gains in biotech and pharmaceuticals, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

Top Stocks For 2/4/2013-7

SILA,Gold American Mining Corp. (OTC BB: SILA.OB)

Gold American Mining Corp. (OTC.BB:SILA) is a publicly traded precious metals exploration company focused on the aggressive, ongoing acquisition and exploration of holdings with rich gold and silver production potential. Based in Reno, Nevada, Gold American has developed a promising portfolio of international properties in regions marked by stable politics, sound economies and friendly business relations.

Gold American Mining Corp. (OTC.BB:SILA) (�Gold American� and/or �the Company�) recently reported additional positive results from its Guadalupe property, located in the heart of the Fresnillo district, Zacatecas, Mexico.

Fieldwork continues to identify additional veins within the property � as such several veins remain without names. To date nine veins have been mapped within the Guadalupe property. In certain locations the width of sampling was limited by the size of the workings and as such the true width of mineralization remains unknown. The highlights from the most recent sampling program are listed below:

Several previously unknown historic shafts were also identified within the property. It is apparent that these shafts were sunk along strike from other workings as there are often no outcrops in the vicinity of the shafts. In these situations the mineralized dumps near those workings were sampled. The key results from those new dumps are listed below:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Location Type Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t)-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1703 Centenario Vein Chip 0.6 0.97 282.0-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1712 San Agustin Vein Chip 1.0 0.25 74.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Location Type Description Au (g/t) Ag (g/t)---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sandstone with strong 1701 Unnamed Vein Dump calcite veining 1.41 70.2---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryolitic fragments and 1706 Centenario Vein Dump abundant quartz veins < 0.03 138.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartz veins with strong 1707 Centenario Vein Dump iron oxide 0.09 230.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Very oxidized sandstone 1715 San Antonio Vein Dump with calcite veins 1.04 74.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silicified breccia with 1724 Unnamed Vein Dump strong oxides 0.04 93.8----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several exposures/workings that occur immediately off of the property were also sampled. These areas were sampled because the veins are known to continue onto the property, however there are no exposures immediately on the property side of the boundary. The following results are provided for reference only:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Location Type Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t)---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1709 Marcos de Oro Vein Dump - 0.48 254.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1711 Marcos de Oro Vein Dump - 0.17 132.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1725 San Antonio Vein Chip 0.7 1.63 470.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1726 San Antonio Vein Chip 1.0 0.86 106.0---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1727 San Antonio Vein Chip 0.6 2.44 22.3----------------------------------------------------------------------------

�The fast pace of exploration achieved on the property since we started operations in late April has expanded considerably our knowledge of the property and reaffirmed our intentions to drill its main objectives,� said Johannes Petersen, President of Gold American. �We are very excited with our findings to date. As soon as we receive the final report and maps of the recently completed geophysics campaign we will be able to finalize the design of the drilling program and initiate the permitting process with a view at commencing drilling before the end of the year,� added Mr. Petersen.

ABOUT GOLD AMERICAN MINING CORP.

Gold American Mining Corp. is a publicly traded (OTC.BB:SILA) precious metals exploration company focused on the aggressive, ongoing acquisition and exploration of holdings with rich gold and silver production potential. Based in Reno, Nevada, Gold American has developed a promising portfolio of international properties in regions marked by stable politics, sound economies and friendly business relations.

For more information the Company and its projects, visit Gold American�s website at:www.gold-american.com

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HMS Holdings Corp (NASDAQ:HMSY) recently announced that Bart M. Schwartz has been elected to the Company�s Board of Directors. Mr. Schwartz is an internationally recognized expert in corporate compliance, corporate monitoring and crisis management. He is Chairman of Guidepost Solutions, LLC, a global investigations, intelligence and security company with expertise in designing and managing the installation of physical security and life safety systems for sophisticated facilities and operations.

HMS is the nation�s leader in coordination of benefits and program integrity services for healthcare payors. HMS�s clients include health and human services programs in more than 40 states; commercial programs, including commercial plans, employers, and over 100 Medicaid managed care plans; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); and Veterans Administration facilities. As a result of the company�s services, clients recover over $1 billion annually, and save billions of dollars more through the prevention of erroneous payments.

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McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE)

MFE Last Traded Price: $47.03

Intel to Acquire McAfee, Moving Into Online Security

Making one of most eye-catching moves in its 42-year history, Intel announced this morning that it planned to acquire McAfee for $7.68 billion in cash.

Under the terms, Intel will pay $48 a share in cash, a 60 percent premium over McAfee�s Wednesday closing stock price of $29.93.

The deal makes Intel Corp. a major player in the security software and services market. This allows Intel to shed some of its identity as a component supplier, and raise the bar higher up on the the technology chain.

Intel Corp. expects the market for security technology to grow as more electronic gadgets like cars and home appliances increase their computing power and all start connecting to the online Internet world.

Analysts expect that many of the tools that McAfee provides today may be built-in to chips and devices over time.

McAfee

research found that searching for the latest Cameron Diaz pictures and downloads yields a ten percent chance of landing on a website that�s tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.

http://www.mcafee.com

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Stock futures up; Bernanke, Italy in focus

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

Shaking off an Italy-inspired global market meltdown, U.S. stock futures pointed to a slightly higher open Tuesday, with investors awaiting upcoming testimony from Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke and data expected to show a rise in new-home sales and consumer confidence. See full story.

Home Depot profit up 32%; outlook cautious

No. 1 U.S. home-improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. on Tuesday cheered investors with a 32% increase in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit, helped by better-than-expected sales gains. See full story.

Working from home is a dead-end job

Yahoo employees who work from home will have to start packing up their lunches and reporting to the office for duty. But new research suggests there may be a good reason for them to show up: a future. See full story.

Is your company watching your weight?

More companies are tracking employees� medical data to cut costs�and make them healthier. But are their methods invasive? See full story.

Gold�s death cross is no reason to feel grim

So with gold entering a death cross, you have to ask: how useful is this indicator? See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Top Stocks For 2/27/2013-1

MusclePharm Corporation (OTCBB:MSLP), one of the fastest growing nutritional supplement companies in the United States with a proprietary formulation used in eight performance products, reports that MuscleGel achieved NSF certification. In addition, the Company�s Recon and Assault nutritional products will be NSF certified within the coming months.

NSF International is an independent, not-for-profit organization that meets the growing demands of athletes, coaches and all those concerned about banned substances in sports supplements. NSF International created the new NSF Certified for Sport Program. This new NSF program is a focused solution designed to minimize the risk that a dietary supplement or sports nutrition product contains banned substances. This program is part of NSF’s successful 60-year history of providing certification programs for food, water and consumer goods.

MLB, the MLB Player�s Association, NFL, the NFL Player�s Association, PGA, LPGA and the CCES have all chosen NSF�s Certified for Sport program to help verify the products their athletes use are safer and free of banned substances. NSF GMP for Sport certification verifies that the facility, operations and ingredient sourcing are in compliance with GMP requirements via ongoing audits.

MusclePharm�s top management has extensive experience in the sports world and has harnessed this drive and focus into building a business to benefit its customers and help Fuel The Athlete Inside.

Headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, the company is a fast-growing developer and manufacturer of safe, scientifically approved, nutritional supplements that are free of banned substances and tested by athletes. They are designed to help athletes, bodybuilders, weightlifters and fitness enthusiasts improve their performance.

Big 5 Sporting Goods (Nasdaq:BGFV) is one of America’s top retailers of name brand sporting goods and accessories. With 388 locations spread throughout 12 western states you can find a convenient location near you using Big 5′s store locator on their website.

Big 5 provides a full-line product offering in a traditional sporting goods store format that averages approximately 11,000 square feet. Big 5′s product mix includes athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as a broad selection of outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, snowboarding and in-line skating.

The company sells private label merchandise under its owned labels comprising Court Casuals, Golden Bear, Harsh, Pacifica, Rugged Exposure and Triple Nickel, in addition to labels licensed from a third party, including Avet, Body Glove, Hi-Tec, Maui & Sons, and Realm and The Realm. As of January 3, 2010, it operated 384 stores in 11 states under the Big 5 Sporting Goods name. The company was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in El Segundo, California.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTRI), a leading provider of weight management programs and services reported recently that, in spite of facing the deepest recession since the Great Depression and record unemployment rates, many Americans would pass up a work promotion to drop 10 to 20 pounds, according to the new Nutrisystem Diet Index.

Americans would also rather give up sex than gain weight, and they’d toss their cell phones and give up watching TV to have a toned tummy, according to the new findings. The Nutrisystem Diet Index is a new series of national consumer surveys tracking America’s diet behaviors, attitudes and trends throughout the year. Each survey has a scale that measures America’s current diet and lifestyle behavior and choices.

“The fact of the matter is, America is obsessed with dieting and weight loss, but the majority of Americans aren’t eating healthier or getting thinner,” said Joe Redling, chairman and CEO of Nutrisystem, Inc. “We’ve developed the Nutrisystem Diet Index to better understand America’s attitudes toward dieting and to start a dialogue about healthy dieting and healthy lifestyle habits and trends.”

The first Nutrisystem Diet Index revealed that Americans place a high value on being healthy, but they abandon the idea of achieving a healthier weight and lifestyle, because they ultimately feel their goals are too difficult to attain and maintain. The American lifestyle is also a factor. Inconveniences of work, giving up favorite foods, not having the time to plan ahead, cooking for a larger family and the cost of healthy foods are cited as some of the biggest barriers.

Top Stocks For 2/27/2013-20

Xerox Corp. (NYSE:XRX) has launched two first-of-a-kind iPhone applications that let users keep track of health insurance benefits and store key health information that can be accessed on-the-go � often when they need it most �from their iPhone.With the Benefits GenieTM Lite application, users can enter their health and insurance benefit information for themselves and family members right into their phone. The application makes it easy to keep track of known allergies, prescribed medications, current vaccinations, health screenings, past and future doctor appointments, appointment reminders, physician contact information, and benefit co-payments and deductibles.

Xerox Corporation engages in the production and sale of document systems and services for businesses. It offers a range of color, and black-and-white multifunction devices; and printers, copier fax products, and document related software solutions. The company also provides business process and information technology outsourcing services comprising claims reimbursement and electronic toll transactions to customer call centers and HR benefits management, as well as supports and supplies toner, paper, and ink products.

Majestic Gold Corp. (TSX.V:MJS) (FSE:MJT)

It is known to all that the primary use of gold is associated to jewelry. About 78% of the gold consumed each year goes into the manufacture of different jewelry products.

Although primarily used as a store of value, gold has many modern industrial uses including dentistry and electronics. Gold has traditionally found use because of its good resistance to oxidative corrosion and excellent quality as a conductor of electricity.

MJS.V recently increased resource estimates on its Song Jiagou Mine.

As part of the ongoing assessment on the Song Jiagou Mine, Wardrop Engineering Inc. has revised their previous resource estimate (NR 23 April, 2010) as a result of the revision to the contract mining costs (NR 30 September 2010) which allowed cut-off grades to be reduced from 0.40 g/t to 0.30 g/t and warranted a revision of the block model.

Subsequent to the initial resource estimate, Wardrop determined that rotating the block model perpendicular to drilling direction was the most favorable orientation to evaluate the deposit and to calculate the revised resource. The new cut-off grade and the re-orientation of the model significantly increased the overall size of the resource and the contained ounces of gold in both the inferred and indicated categories.

The increase in the size of the resource from 53 to 72.5 million tonnes will very significantly reduce the strip ratios to be used as MJS.V continues its engineering studies on the Song Jiagou mine. Wardrop will move forward now to re-evaluate a production pit design.

Furthermore, MJS.V recently reported results of mining operations at its Song Jiagou Mine for the first three calendar quarters of 2010.

Total of 4,709.37 ounces of gold produced and 4,592.13 ounces of gold sold for the period; the balance remains in inventory
Gold sales of US $5,419,422 for the period at an average price of US $1,180.15 per ounce

Majestic Gold Corp. (MJS.V) is a gold exploration and development company with a very advanced gold deposit in Shandong province of China.

For More Information On Majestic Gold : www.majesticgold.net

League Now Holdings Corporation,(LNWZ.OB) is in the development stage of (4) sports software programs, four (4) games, football, baseball, basketball, and hockey each identified by the market names Madden 2006, MLB 2006, NBA Live 2006, and NHL 2006 respectively.

The four (4) leagues currently have to be updated to reflect the current roster changes of the corresponding sports teams.

Now the company has joined hands with a real innovator Pure Motion, with their patented technology the marriage could create a winning team.

Pure Motion was formed to develop and introduce skill improvement products and systems for recreational sports, particularly those that require a high degree of fine motor skill and mental acuity.

Pure Motion’s management has developed extensive research in cybernetics and human motor functions.

Pure Motion has developed a proprietary reflector measurement technology, which it calls TOMI (The Optimal Motion Instructor). TOMI is a software-based device that records every motion and angle of an object in three-dimensional space and groups the collected data into a graphical feedback system. The results are then displayed in a series of high resolution, easy-to-understand graphs and charts.

Plenty of people who become affiliated with the recreation of the world of golf immediately guess that the particular formula to success has been that one who is capable to make the first stroke as far down the fairway that they can. If you happen to pause and consider it, that kind of is practical. In spite of everything, we tend to commonly perceive skilled professional golfers in the media bumping golf balls right and far down the fairway. These kinds of are in general the shots that will stick in our memories plus which help you cultivate a major belief system within most of us which usually calmly tells your body that people need to be ready to hit incredibly effective drives down the fairway. Never the less, would it delight players to recognize that putting is literally the most important stroke in the whole game?

For more information about this company please visit http://www.tomi-golf.com

Prestige Brands Holdings Inc. (NYSE:PBH) announced on November 30, 2010 that it has partnered with Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. to launch an integrated campaign for PediaCare, a full line of pediatric over-the-counter products that treat a variety of children�s ailments. The campaign repositions the brand for continued long-term growth.At the center of the campaign are unique television spots, both celebrating the joys of healthy and happy children. The spots use a �cin�ma verit� style, capturing parent-child moments in a way that is reminiscent of a home movie shot by a mom or dad.

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing, sale, and distribution of over-the-counter healthcare, household cleaning, and personal care products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company�s Over-The-Counter Healthcare segment offers treatments for sore throat relief, eye redness relief, wart removal, bruxism, oral care, pediatric healthcare, personal ear care, liquid bandages, and pain relief sprays.

Resolute Energy Corporation (NYSE:REN) announced its participation in upcoming investor conferences. On Wednesday, December 8, 2010, the Company will present to attendees of the Capital One Southcoast 5th Annual Energy Conference, being held at the Omni Royal Orleans in New Orleans, LA at 8:40 AM CST. The event will be webcast and can be viewed on Resolute�s website at http://www.resoluteenergy.com. On Thursday, December 9, 2010, the Company will present to attendees of the Susquehanna Financial Group�s Winter Energy Event, being held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver, CO at 3:00 PM CST. A copy of the presentation will be posted on Resolute�s investor relations website.

Resolute Energy Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and hydrocarbon liquids. Its oil and gas properties are located in Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, Alabama, and Oklahoma. The company primarily focuses on the Aneth Field Properties located in Utah and the Wyoming Properties comprising Hilight Field and related properties in Wyoming. As of December 31, 2009, its estimated net proved reserves were approximately 64 million equivalent barrels of oil. The company is based in Denver, Colorado.

Alterra Shareholders Approve Markel Merger

On Tuesday, specialty insurers Markel (NYSE: MKL ) and Alterra Capital Holdings (NASDAQ: ALTE ) announced that their respective shareholders have "overwhelmingly" voted to approve the merger of the two companies. Assuming regulators approve, and other usual closing conditions are similarly satisfied, the companies plan to consummate their merger sometime in Q2 2013.

At that time, Alterra shareholders will receive 0.04315 Markel shares, plus $10 cash, for each share of Alterra they own -- resulting in a per-share purchase price of about $31.27 based on Market's current $493 share price.

Alterra shares rose 2.7% in Tuesday trading, only to fall back to 0.32% gain at day's end. Shares currently trade for $30.94.

AOL Launches Premium Video Platform in Canada

Entertainment and media conglomerate AOL (NYSE: AOL ) has announced that its subsidiary AOL Canada launched�AOL On,�a premium curated video platform featuring�more than 500,000 premium videos across 17 different channels. The�AOL On Video Network currently boasts 169 million video streams a month reaching 7.8 million monthly unique visitors.

Reaching across all screens including desktop, tablet, mobile, mobile apps, and connected TVs, Rashida Jeeva, AOL On Canada's�general manager, said, "The launch of AOL On Canada comes at an incredible time for online digital media, with increasing demand of online video from advertisers and with consumers accessing online video at a rising rate this new product only furthers our commitment to the online video experience."

AOL further said the Canadian division of American Express (NYSE: AXP ) ,�American Express Canada, will be the official advertising launch partner with advertising seen across 100% of AOL On's platforms.�

AOL will continue to offer premium video across all of its owned and operated properties, including�AOL.ca,�The Huffington Post Canada,�Autoblog Canada,�AOL Music Canada,�Engadget,�and�Moviefone.

In addition to the online video hub, the AOL On app is available for Android smartphones and tablets, as well as iPhones and iPads.

Proof Apple Needs a Low-Cost iPhone More Than Ever

In this video, Motley Fool tech and telecom analyst Andrew Tonner takes a look at some numbers from research firm Kantar showing that, yet again, Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android platform gained market share for the three-month period ending in Jan. 2013, up 6.4% to 49.4% of the market, with Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) iOS slipping 4.7% to a 45.9% market share. Andrew notes that while in the previous three-month period Android was only slightly lower in its asking sales price than iOS, it had a significantly lower ASP this quarter than iOS, suggesting that Apple needs a low price point iPhone now more than ever to prevent further market share erosion.

As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other web companies, it's also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn't sold. That's why it's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource, and you'll receive a bonus year's worth of key updates and expert guidance as news continues to develop.

2/26/2013

DreamWorks Animation Swings to Quarterly, Annual Loss

DreamWorks Animation (NASDAQ: DWA ) unveiled some red ink in its Q4 and fiscal 2012 results. For the quarter, the company posted revenue of $265 million, a 21% year-over-year improvement on Q4 2011's $219 million. The bottom line, however, plunged into negative territory with a loss of $83 million ($0.98 per diluted share), compared with a $24 million ($0.29) profit in the same period the previous year.

Although that revenue figure beat the average analyst expectation of $213 million, EPS missed by a long shot. The market had been anticipating a much narrower loss of $0.03 per share. �

For the full year, revenue was just under $750 million, or 62% better than in 2011. The net loss was $36 million ($0.43 per diluted share), against a profit of $87 million ($1.02) the year before.

DreamWorks Animation attributed the bottom-line shortfalls to a series of expensive writeoffs for several of its titles, including a $165 million charge for the underperforming Rise of the Guardians, and a $54 million hit to delay a planned 2014 release, Me & My Shadow.

Why Netflix Is a Long-Term Winner

In the following video, Jason Moser discusses Netflix with David Meier, who shares the important takeaway messages from yesterday's Netflix investor conference.

Although Netflix has been a volatile stock over the short term, David sees it as a long-term play. He compares it with Amazon.com and Comcast, both of which are making farsighted investments with the intention of becoming the consumer's preferred entertainment provider, just like Netflix is.

David describes the company's business model as buying content first, such as through movie deals with Disney, and attracting subscribers later. He compares the great content with that of AMC Networks, another company that's been successful lately. He emphasizes the timeless nature of Netflix's great content even as television continues to evolve and content delivery methods change with the advent of new devices.

Given these positives, David closes by saying that Netflix is worth buying, even at today's prices. He sees value in the company's database of viewer preferences and in its long-term investments in technology.

The precipitous drop in Netflix shares since the summer of 2011 has caused many shareholders to lose hope. While the company's first-mover status is often viewed as a competitive advantage, the opportunities in streaming media have brought some new, deep-pocketed rivals looking for their piece of a growing pie. Can Netflix fend off this burgeoning competition, and will its international growth aspirations really pay off? These are must-know issues for investors, which is why we've released a brand-new premium report on Netflix. Inside, you'll learn about the key opportunities and risks facing the company, as well as reasons to buy or sell the stock. We're also offering a full year of updates as key news hits, so make sure to click here and claim a copy today.

Berkshire, 3G Capital to Buy Heinz in $23 Billion Deal

NEW YORK (AP) -- H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ ) has agreed to be acquired by an investment group including billionaire investor Warren Buffett in a deal valued at $23.3 billion.

The ketchup company says it's the largest deal ever in the food industry. Heinz shareholders will receive $72.50 in cash for each share of common stock they own. The transaction value includes the assumption of Heinz's debt. Based on Heinz's number of shares outstanding, the deal is worth $23.3 billion excluding debt.

"It's our kind of company," Buffett said in an interview on CNBC, noting its signature ketchup has been around for more than a century. "I've sampled it many times."

In addition to its ketchup, Heinz makes Classico spaghetti sauces, Ore-Ida potatoes, and Smart Ones frozen meals. Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A ) (NYSE: BRK-B ) and 3G Capital, the investment firm which also bought Burger King in 2010, say Heinz will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh.

Given the saturated North American market, Heinz has increasingly looked to emerging markets for growth. In its last quarter, the company said emerging markets made up 23 percent of sales.

The per-share price for the deal represents a 20 percent premium to Heinz's closing price of $60.48 on Wednesday. Heinz said the deal was unanimously approved by its board. Buffett said on CNBC that Berkshire is putting $12 billion to $13 billion into the deal. But he noted that Berkshire will still have room to make more acquisitions, noting that its businesses continually replenish its cash supply.

"Anytime we see a deal is attractive and it's our kind of business and we've got the money, I'm ready to go," Buffett said.

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

7 mutual funds to ride over the next fiscal cliff

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

Just when you thought the U.S. was safely past the �fiscal cliff,� it turns out there�s another cliff the economy could tumble over. See full story.

Throw away that RX 350 F Sport dash, Lexus

You wouldn�t think that Satan lived in Lexus�s RX 350 F Sport. But Dan Neil had a devil of a time with the upscale SUV�s Remote Touch controller. See full story.

Mercedes-Benz powers up new C63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz is taking a page out of the playbook of the SLS supercar to power up a new version of the C63 AMG, named the Edition 507. It goes on sale this summer in the U.S. after a reveal in March at the Geneva motor show, according to Autoweek.com. See full story.

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 roadster

A 217-mph argument against restraint. See full story.

New England begins to dig out from massive snow

As a blizzard that dropped more that 38 inches in some areas moved offshore, residents of New England began the slow process of digging out. Freezing temperatures, widespread power outages and abandoned cars on major roadways were expected to slow the process. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

The market�s recent strong run has brought out the buyers, but also the bears � with a growing number of high-profile investing pros suggesting the better-than-expected results and a return to record highs is leading lambs to slaughter. See full story.

3 More FTSE Dividends Lifted This Week

LONDON -- The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE ) recovered 44 points today to reach 6,336 following yesterday's 104-point plunge. Today the index was lifted mainly by rising mining shares as commodities prices ease upwards.

The average dividend yield of the FSTE 100 is currently about 3%, so if we find companies that pay more than that or are raising their dividends, they could be worth a closer look. We look at three companies that have lifted their payouts this week.

Travis Perkins (LSE: TPK )
On Wednesday Travis Perkins lifted its full-year dividend by a whopping 25% to 25 pence per share, and it was still covered 3.8 times by adjusted earnings per share of 95.1 pence. The rest of the results showed revenue up 1.4% to 4.8 billion pounds and adjusted operating profit up 4.3% to 327 million pounds.

The share price responded by falling 2.8% on the day and then dropping a further 1.6% to 1,251 pence on Thursday. But today it took back 9 pence, with the dividend representing a yield of 2%.

BAE Systems (LSE: BA ) (NASDAQOTH: BAESY )
BAE Systems, a constituent of the Fool's Beginners' Portfolio, released full-year results on Thursday, and they included a welcome 3.7% rise in the annual dividend to 19.5 pence. On the current share price of 350 pence, that's an attractive yield of 5.6%. There was a 7% fall in sales to $17.8 billion, but operating profit was up 3.7% to $1.64 billion.

BAE has maintained its record of lifting its dividend each year throughout the recession, and further increases for the next two years are forecast. The shares are currently on a forward P/E of only eight.

Informa (LSE: INF )
On Thursday we also had results from Informa, the knowledge, events, and academic-services specialist. Highlights included record adjusted earnings per share of 40.7 pence, up 7.7% on the 2011 figure, though revenue was broadly flat. Adjusted pre-tax profit rose 7.3% to 317.4 million pounds.

But what we're really interested in here is Informa's 10.1% rise in its full-year dividend to 18.5 pence. With the shares currently changing hands for 499 pence, that's a yield of 3.7%, which isn't bad -- and it follows Informa's record of steady year-on-year dividend rises.

Dividend rises like these three are always welcome, and companies that manage steady payouts form the cornerstones of many a portfolio. Whether you're investing for income or growth, good old cash is always welcome. And that's why I recommend the brand-new Fool report "The Motley Fool's Top Income Share For 2013," in which our top analysts identify a share that they believe will provide handsome dividend income for years to come. But it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

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10 FTSE 100 Shares to Avoid Market Madness

LONDON -- Market statisticians have a measure for the way a share moves with respect to the wider market: the beta. This is a measure of the volatility of returns on the share compared with the rest of the market in the same period.

High-beta shares have previously exaggerated the market's movements. Low-beta shares are popular if you do not want your portfolio to be buffetted by extremes of market sentiment.

Here are the 10 lowest beta shares in the FTSE 100 today.

Company	Price (pence)	Beta	P/E (forecast)	Yield (forecast, %)	Market cap (million pounds)
Severn Trent	1,614	0.18	17.5	4.7	3,847
Randgold Resources	5,450	0.19	14	0.7	5,020
United Utilities	733	0.32	18.2	4.7	4,998
National Grid	707	0.35	13.1	5.8	25,721
AstraZeneca	2,910	0.36	8	6.4	36,281
Centrica	349	0.38	12.9	4.7	18,133
Reckitt Benckiser	4,471	0.38	17.3	3	32,157
WM Morrison Supermarkets	262	0.38	9.9	4.5	6,114
SSE	1,425	0.39	12.5	4.9	13,657
Imperial Tobacco	2,362	0.44	11.1	4.9	23,336

Five of these stood out in particular.

AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN ) �is one of the FTSE 100's three big pharma plays.

With its most recent results, the company reported a revenue decline of 15%. Earnings per share (EPS) was 9% lower for the year. The dividend was held.

The non-discretionary nature of AstraZeneca's sales means that the shares do not fall victim to market panics. There is also a substantial dividend on offer. For 2012, AstraZeneca paid a $2.80 dividend. At today's price, that equates to a 6.3% yield.

There are concerns over AstraZeneca's ability to grow earnings in the future. Consensus is for a 4.4% decline in EPS this year, followed by another 4.3% fall in 2014. The large dividend payout makes it more difficult for AstraZeneca to finance acquisitions with cash. The low share-price rating will also make any paper-backed acquisitions more dilutive for shareholders.

Imperial Tobacco
Investors know that the number of cigarettes smoked worldwide has little to do with market or economic sentiment. This means that the shares of a big tobacco firm such as�Imperial Tobacco (LSE: IMT ) �are often low beta.

At today's price, Imperial also offers bargain potential. The shares trade on 11.1 times forecast 2013 earnings, falling to 10.3 times consensus estimates for 2014. The dividend is forecast to rise in 2013 and 2014, meaning that the shares offer the prospect of a 5.4% yield next year.

The industry faces powerful headwinds in coming years. Recently in the U.K., more restrictions on tobacco sales have come into force. In Australia, plain packaging was demanded from December last year. Governments around the world are making it more difficult to become a smoker.

Severn Trent
Don't make the mistake of assuming that utilities never disappoint investors. It is surprisingly common for investors in this sector to see earnings or dividends decline.

In the last five years at�Severn Trent� (LSE: SVT ) , net profit is ahead by just 5.3%. Although dividend per share is up from 61.5 pence to 70.1 pence, the payout was cut 10% for 2011.

Severn Trent is forecast to increase its dividend by 8.2% for 2013, followed by another 6.1% increase the year after. This puts the shares on a prospective 2014 yield of 5%. Earnings are expected to increase this year and next, giving a 2014 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.7 times consensus forecasts.

Like most utilities, Severn Trent carries a lot of debt. Don't assume that its dependable income stream means that earnings and dividends are gold plated.

United Utilities
United Utilities (LSE: UU ) �provides water and sewerage services across North-West England. Like Severn Trent, United Utilities is a low-beta, high P/E, high-debt, high-yield water share.

If you want an example of a utility company that has been forced into dividend cuts, then check out United Utilities. The shareholder dividend at the company was cut 45.9% for 2009. This was followed by a 5% rise for 2010. Shareholders were disappointed again when the company cut the payout for 2011 by 12.5%.

In the last five years, dividends per share at the company have fallen by an average of 11.3% per year. In that time, EPS has fallen by an average of 2.4% a year.

The shares currently trade on a forecast P/E for 2014 of 16.9, with a forecast yield of 4.9%.

Reckitt Benckiser Group
Reckitt Benckiser (LSE: RB ) �owns a portfolio of household brands such as�Harpic,�Calgon,�and�Dettol. The predictable demand for these products makes Reckitt Benckiser's future sales more assured than most other listed companies'.

The strength of RB's brands gives the company pricing power. All of these positives flow through to strong shareholder returns. In the last five years, dividends have increased by an average of 19.5% per year. The shares are up 62.3% in that time.

EPS is forecast to reach 273 pence for 2014, with the dividend hitting 163 pence per share. That puts the stock on a 2014 P/E of 16.4, with a forecast yield of 3.2%. That's a small premium to pay for such a quality company.

Buying companies that operate strong brands is an investment trait of U.S. billionaire superinvestor Warren Buffett. Recently, he�has been buying shares in a different U.K. blue chip. To find out which company this money-making genius has been buying, get the free Motley Fool report "The One U.K. Share Warren Buffett Loves."�This report is completely free and will be delivered to your inbox immediately. Just�click here�if you want to learn more.

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Wealthiest Investors Heading Back to Stocks: Spectrem Report

More than half of America’s wealthiest investors are eyeing a return to the equity markets in 2011, according to a new report released Tuesday by Spectrem Group.

A total of 52% of U.S. households with a net worth between $5 million and $25 million, not including primary residence, say they are likely to purchase equities over the next 12 months, according to Spectrem’s “Ultra High Net Worth Investor 2010.”

This makes equities, which include individual stocks and stock mutual funds, the most popular investment choice for ultra high net worth investors in 2011, surpassing cash (35%), international investments (33%) and fixed income products (31%), the report says.

“It’s not that the ultra wealthy are feeling more optimistic than they were in 2009,” said Catherine McBreen, Spectrem’s managing director, in the report. “It’s more that they realize cash is not their only investment option. Despite overall concerns about the economy, they are looking for opportunities and are finding stocks to be particularly appealing.”

Additional insights from the study, based on a survey of 516 households conducted in November 2010, are available on Spectrem’s newly launched Millionaire Corner website. Chicago-based Spectrem Group, a strategic consulting firm specializing in the affluent and retirement markets, has been studying investors for the past 20 years.

“With more than half of the nation’s wealthiest investors likely to buy equities over the course of 2011 and given the sizable cash balances this group has amassed, stock market investors across the board may have even more reason to look forward to 2011,” said George H. Walper Jr. (left), president of Spectrem Group, in a statement.

Report highlights include:

The rules requiring a higher fiduciary standard for brokers reflects UHNWIs’ widespread perception that the fees charged by advisors are very expensive. Nearly 60% of investors with $100,000 to $1 million in assets find the services of a financial advisor to be “very expensive,” and investors across all wealth levels rate accounting firms as by far the most trustworthy providers of financial services.
Ultra high net worth households had average cash balances, including money market funds, checking, savings, Treasury bills and CDs, of $659,000 at the end of 2010. This represented 10% of their total investable assets.
Wealthy investors said the recession, brought on in part by a bursting housing bubble, taught them that their home is not a stable financial asset. They ranked this lesson as more significant than realizations about debt, financial experts and insurance coverage.

Read about Spectrum’s Millionaire Investor Confidence Index at AdvisorOne.com.

Taleb: I’m No Black Swan; Watch Out For Bad Auctions

Appearing on CNBC today, Nassim Taleb, author of Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, denied any central role in precipitating last Thursday’s crash, as The Wall Street Journal yesterday implied.

“I don’t know anything about Thursday’s event,” Taleb told the program. Taleb is an advisor to trading firm Universa, but is not familiar with the everyday strategy of the firm.

“I don’t have enough facts” about Thursday to say whether the collapse was, indeed, a “black swan” event.

What Taleb wanted to tell the world, as his book approaches re-print, is that the financial situation is more dire than it was a year ago, when he took a self-imposed hiatus from everyday trading.

“The world is vastly more fragile than it was when I left it. The crisis of 2008 was caused by debt, hidden risks, and irresponsible risk management. We have more debt, more irresponsible risk management … lower tax basis, and more hidden risks.”

The only encouraging thing Taleb sees are the Greek austerity measures. “Even the Europeans who are lecturing the Greeks are not in great shape. Everyone is in the same boat. The problem today is government should shoot for a surplus, because the environment is much more fragile than before.”

And the catalyst for something bad: “The U.S. is going to have $5 trillion to $6 trillion to borrow next ten years. It’s going to be competing with European governments, and corporates. One day, you’re going to have a bad auction. And that’s going to be the start of something new.”

Top Stocks To Buy For 2/19/2013-2

Orsus Xelent Technologies Inc. (AMEX:ORS) witnessed volume of 1.33 million shares during last trade however it holds an average trading capacity of 756,249.00 shares. ORS last trade opened at $5.24 reached intraday low of $4.11 and went -23.83% down to close at $4.22.

ORS has a market capitalization $10.64 million and an enterprise value at $24.73 million. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 0.67 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 0.51. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at -71.91% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 1.76%.

The company made a return on asset of 0.22% in past twelve months and return on equity of -42.98% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $20.73 million gaining $8.19 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was -48.40%.

According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $4.00K cash in hand making cash per share at 0.00. The total of $10.77 million debt was there putting a total debt to equity ratio 39.10. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 1.35 and book value per share was 10.92.

Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated 13.58% where the stock price exhibited up beat from its 50 day moving average with $2.24 and remained above from its 200 Day Moving Average with $2.00.

ORS holds 2.52 million outstanding shares with 2.01 million floating shares where insider possessed 2.08%.

Will This Big Data Bet Pay Off?

Don't tell Red Hat (NYSE: RHT ) �that it's too early to bet big on Big Data. Last week, the open-source specialist announced plans to make its Red Hat Storage environment fully compatible with the Hadoop file system for tackling Data analysis projects.

"Red Hat is uniquely positioned to excel in enterprise big data solutions, a market that IDC expects to grow from $6 billion in 2011 to $23.8 billion in 2016," analyst Ashish Nadkarni said in a press release. Perhaps, but there's also no shortage of competitors -- including IBM (NYSE: IBM ) and Teradata (NYSE: TDC ) , both of which are well-known for selling the sort of large-scale database and data warehousing technology commonly used for analytics.

Can Red Hat adequately set itself apart as IDC predicts? How will it overcome a known shortage of trained data scientists when selling Big Data projects to clients? Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova addresses these questions and more in the video below. Please watch, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think.

The amount of data we store every year is growing by a mind-boggling 60% annually! To make sense of this trend and pick out a winner, The Motley Fool has compiled a new report called "The Only Stock You Need to Profit From the NEW Technology Revolution." The report highlights a company that has gained 300% since first recommended by Fool analysts but still has plenty of room left to run. To get instant access to the name of this company transforming the IT industry, click here -- it's free.

2/25/2013

Can Ferro Beat These Numbers?

Ferro (NYSE: FOE ) is expected to report Q4 earnings around Feb. 28. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Ferro's revenues will drop -10.9% and EPS will remain in the red.

The average estimate for revenue is $394.6 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.05.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Ferro notched revenue of $414.8 million. GAAP reported sales were 24% lower than the prior-year quarter's $546.1 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, non-GAAP EPS came in at -$0.02. GAAP EPS were -$3.66 for Q3 versus $0.22 per share for the prior-year quarter.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 16.4%, 270 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 1.5%, 570 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -76.2%, 7,970 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $1.74 billion. The average EPS estimate is $0.07.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 137 members out of 156 rating the stock outperform, and 19 members rating it underperform. Among 49 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 47 give Ferro a green thumbs-up, and two give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Ferro is outperform, with an average price target of $5.23.

The rich are different than you and me: They might not notice the moneymaking stories right under our noses. In our new report, "Middle-Class Millionaire-Makers: 3 Stocks Wall Street's Too Rich to Notice," we give you three Peter Lynch-inspired buy-what-you-know stocks for the 99%. Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add Ferro to My Watchlist.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Crushes Earnings Estimates

Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE: CTB ) reported earnings on Feb. 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Cooper Tire & Rubber beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew slightly. GAAP earnings per share shrank significantly.

Gross margins expanded, operating margins increased, net margins dropped.

Revenue details
Cooper Tire & Rubber booked revenue of $1.06 billion. The five analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ foresaw revenue of $1.03 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were the same as the prior-year quarter's.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at $1.15. The eight earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.86 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.15 for Q4 were 65% lower than the prior-year quarter's $3.32 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 18.1%, 720 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.7%, 600 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 6.9%, much worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $999.9 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.80.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $4.32 billion. The average EPS estimate is $3.13.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 225 members out of 275 rating the stock outperform, and 50 members rating it underperform. Among 80 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 70 give Cooper Tire & Rubber a green thumbs-up, and 10 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Cooper Tire & Rubber is outperform, with an average price target of $28.21.

Looking for alternatives to Cooper Tire & Rubber? It takes more than great companies to build a fortune for the future. Learn the basic financial habits of millionaires next door and get focused stock ideas in our free report, "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich." Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add Cooper Tire & Rubber to My Watchlist.

These Banks Dip Into Bonds

U.S. dollar corporate bond issues topped $30 billion last week, with nearly half going to international export-import or development banks and companies headquartered outside the U.S.

A trio of banks made up a sizable slice of the total: Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS ) , JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM ) and Mitsubishi UFJ subsidiary Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi tapping the bond market for $4.5 billion, $2.5 billion, and $2.25 billion, respectively. None of the three detailed what the money would be used for, which is typical for banks.

Specialty chemicals producer Ashland (NYSE: ASH ) mixed up a formula of notes with three- to 30-year maturities to borrow $2.3 billion. The money is being used to pay down existing loans.

Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH ) prescribed a mix of five-, 10-, and 30-year paper to raise $1.3 billion. According to the SEC filing, the money will go toward Cardinal's acquisition of AssuraMed. In this video, my Foolish colleague Brenton Flynn explains how this acquisition helps Cardinal expand its business.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP ) made the billion-dollar borrowers' club with $1 billion split between 10.5- and thirty-year paper. Kinder Morgan is using the money to pay down its commercial paper. Unrelated to the debt offering, Kinder Morgan also announced its involvement in a crude-oil rail transportation project. I'm just speculating, but freeing up some room on a credit line could be helpful in managing the cash flow for a new project.

Goodyear Tire (NASDAQ: GT ) rolled out $900 million of eight-year notes. The high-yield -- if you can call 6.5% high -- issue was upsized from $750 million and will be used "to fund discretionary contributions to its frozen U.S. pension plans and, to the extent not used for such purposes, for general corporate purposes."

Wyndham Worldwide wasn't playing games with an issue of $850 million of new debt. The money will be used to repurchase or redeem higher-rate paper. Replacing high-rate notes with lower-rate paper seems a sure way to cut costs.

Bonds aren't as exciting or widely covered as stocks, but keeping tabs on company borrowing and use of that money should be a part of investment research.

With big finance firms still trading at deep discounts to their historic norms, investors everywhere are wondering if this is the new normal, or whether finance stocks are a screaming buy today. The answer depends on the company, so to help you figure out whether JPMorgan is a buy today, I invite you to read our premium research report on the company today. Click here now for instant access!

Add Wyndham�Worldwide�Corp�Common to My Watchlist.
Add Mitsubishi�UFJ�Financial�Group to My Watchlist.
Add Morgan�Stanley to My Watchlist.
Add Kinder�Morgan�Energy�Partners to My Watchlist.
Add JP�Morgan�Chase�&�.�Common�St to My Watchlist.
Add The�Goodyear�Tire�&�Rubber�Comp to My Watchlist.
Add Cardinal�Health to My Watchlist.
Add Ashland to My Watchlist.

Behold the Dangers of a One-Trick Pony

At the end of last year, I proclaimed Omontys -- an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, or ESA, that aids in the formation of red blood cells -- as one of my 10 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 to be thankful for. The drug, developed by Affymax (NASDAQ: AFFY ) and Takeda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQOTH: TKPYY ) , was designed to be a once-a-month injectable treatment for patients on dialysis with chronic kidney disease. Today, it's the straw that broke Affymax shareholders' back.

On Saturday, Affymax and Takeda, in cooperation with the FDA, announced the voluntary recall of all lots of injectable Omontys. According to the release, more than 25,000 patients have received the anemia drug since it launched, with 0.2% of them responding with a hypersensitivity reaction that -- in a third of those patients -- led to anaphylaxis. Fatal reactions were reported in 0.02% of all cases where Omontys was administered.

Houston, we have a problem.

For Takeda, the blow isn't as severe, as it's a large pharmaceutical company with dozens of partnerships. For Affymax, this is a completely different story.

In its third-quarter results, released in November, Affymax noted Omontys sales of just $15 million -- it wasn't exactly selling like hotcakes to begin with -- and noted at the time that the company wouldn't be receiving any further milestone or profit equalization payments from Takeda for 2012. Moving forward, it's not going to be receiving anything as Omontys is Affymax's only approved drug. Keep in mind that operating expenses including stock-based compensation were guided to a whopping $130 million to $135 million last quarter, and it boasts just $100 million in cash and investments.�

OK... breathe... Affymax had to have thought this through and clearly has other compounds in its pipeline, right? That'd be wishful thinking because it only has two other compounds in clinical trials: a late-stage conversion study on -- you guessed it -- Omontys for use as a once-a-week ESA as opposed to three times a week, and a mid-stage study outside of the U.S. utilizing Omontys to treat dialysis and non-dialysis related anemia for patients with pure red cell aplasia.

(Bangs head on table)

It gets even worse. Let's assume for a moment that Affymax and Takeda are able to work out these not-so-minor kinks with Omontys to the FDA's satisfaction -- it'll still be giving Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN ) even more time to further its market share lead. Amgen, which makes Epogen -- the leading anemia treatment for the past two decades --�fortified its market-leading spot a while ago by signing multi-year dialysis center agreements with DaVita (NYSE: DVA ) and Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS ) . They're arguably the two biggest names in dialysis, as my Foolish colleague Brandy Betz noted last month. While this doesn't negate Affymax from dealing with DaVita and Fresenius, it makes orchestrating an agreement far less likely.

This is the danger of investing in a one-trick pony. There are plenty of one-drug biotechs in existence that have fared quite well -- including Alexion Pharmaceuticals with Soliris � but Affymax is quick to remind us of the dangers of putting all your eggs in just one basket. Only time will tell if Omontys can be saved, but, for the time being, Affymax shares should be counted as damaged goods.

While you can certainly hope to make huge gains in biotechs like Affymax, the best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

Top Stocks To Buy For 2/24/2013-2

DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. (NYSE:DFT) witnessed volume of 4.21 million shares during last trade however it holds an average trading capacity of 817,377.00 shares. DFT last trade opened at $24.41 reached intraday low of $22.45 and went -7.44% down to close at $23.14.

DFT has a market capitalization $1.40 billion and an enterprise value at $1.87 billion. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 6.14 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 1.77. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at 16.33% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 37.07%.

The company made a return on asset of 2.51% in past twelve months and return on equity of 4.15% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $246.13 million gaining $4.29 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was 24.70% holding 296.10% quarterly earnings growth.

According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $226.72 million cash in hand making cash per share at 3.75. The total of $698.70 million debt was there putting a total debt to equity ratio 42.40. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 2.86 and book value per share was 14.13.

Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated 11.81% where the stock current price exhibited down beat from its 50 day moving average price of $25.47 and remained below from its 200 Day Moving Average price of $24.13.

DFT holds 60.42 million outstanding shares with 59.48 million floating shares where insider possessed 24.15% and institutions kept 104.60%.

2/24/2013

Top Stocks For 2/18/2013-4

MusclePharm Corporation, MSLP

MusclePharm Corporation (OTCBB:MSLP.OB) One of the fastest growing nutritional supplement companies in the United States recently announced a distribution agreement with Sportika Export Inc., a leading sports nutrition distributor, to over 130 countries internationally.

MusclePharm�s multiple products are currently available in 1,200 of the top GNC stores in the United States, as well as over 450 Vitamin Shoppe stores. MusclePharm�s award-winning products � Assault, Battle Fuel, Bullet Proof, Combat Powder, Recon and Shred Matrix�are also available online at gnc.com, bodybuilding.com, amazon.com and many other locations.

MusclePharm Corporation manufactures and markets sports nutrition products for athletes, body builders, and health minded individuals in the United States and internationally. MSLP�s nutrition products consist of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and dietary supplements. MSLP�s product portfolio includes Assault, a combination of clinically proven, naturally occurring substances for providing muscles with increased energy at the cellular level; Battle Fuel that comprises natural compounds to impact the body’s hormonal, recovery, and immune pathways; Bullet Proof, a clinically proven combination of natural components to support the restful state of sleep possible, as well as to optimize recovery and repair through specific hormonal modulation and precise nutrient delivery.

Last Trade: 0.48

For more information about MusclePharm, please visit: www.musclepharm.com

Herbalife Ltd., HLF

Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) The Herbalife Family Foundation (HFF) has established two new programs in Kiev, Ukraine and Turin, Italy, to help support better nutrition and kitchen renovation projects.

The Casa Herbalife program was created in 2005 to help bring good nutrition to children in need. HFF works with organizations to improve their ability to provide children with more nutritious foods. These two new programs mark the 54th and 55th programs worldwide, respectively.

CasaOz Non Profit Association is a day center for sick children and their families based in Turin, not far from a local children’s hospital. It began its operations in May 2007. The Casa Herbalife program will help provide daily meals for children and their families, and encourage them to prepare meals together within a safe and healthy environment. HFF will also assist with the renovations of their new kitchen facilities. CasaOz Non Profit Association in Turin, Italy is the second Casa Herbalife program in Italy and the 17th in Herbalife’s Europe Middle East and Africa region.

Herbalife Ltd. is a global network marketing company that sells weight-management, nutrition, and personal care products intended to support a healthy lifestyle. Herbalife products are sold in 73 countries through a network of approximately 2.1 million independent distributors. The company supports the Herbalife Family Foundation and its Casa Herbalife program to help bring good nutrition to children. Herbalife’s website contains a significant amount of information about Herbalife, including financial and other information for investors at http://ir.Herbalife.com. The company encourages investors to visit its website from time to time, as information is updated and new information is posted.

Last Trade: 55.05

Visit Herbalife’s website at: www.herbalife.com

The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of this Web-Site or its agents, affiliates, officers, directors, staff, or contractors. The author at the time of this article did not own any shares or receive any consideration financial or otherwise from any company or person mentioned or referred to in the article.

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

After a Long Rally, the Facebook Bears Emerge

After shares of Facebook (NASDAQ: FB ) �rallied strongly over the past six months, largely due to analyst upgrades, there has been a recent rise in the number of analysts making bear calls on the stock now that it's at a higher price point.

In this video, Motley Fool senior technology analyst Eric Bleeker highlights some of the current concerns, such as waning user engagement and fears that Facebook's recent successes in mobile advertising may be cannibalizing its desktop revenue. He tells us why these fears are warranted, but says that he likes seeing Facebook sell-offs, because they bring the stock down to a great entry point for investors who see it for what it could be one day: the most powerful advertising platform in history.

After the world's most hyped IPO turned out to be a dunce, most investors probably don't even want to think about shares of Facebook. But there are things every investor needs to know about this company. We've outlined them in our newest premium research report. There's a lot more to Facebook than meets the eye, so read up on whether there is anything to "like" about it today, and we'll tell you whether we think Facebook deserves a place in your portfolio. Access your report by clicking here.

DragonWave Rallies On Pair Of Contract Announcements

DragonWave (DRWI) shares are trading higher after the company this morning made a pair of contract announcements.

The company said it signed a deal with The Blue Zone, a fixed wireless provider, for microwave backhaul equipment to be used in a system in Jordan. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
DragonWave also announced that Atlantic Tele-Network (ATNI) has signed a master purchasing agreement to buy DRWI products. The value of the deal was not provided.

DRWI this morning is up 48 cents, or 6%, to $8.52.

Web Classes Grapple With Stopping Cheats

Traditional colleges and a new breed of online-education providers, trying to figure out how to profit from the rising popularity of massive open online courses, are pouring resources into efforts to solve a problem that has bedeviled teachers for centuries: How can students be stopped from cheating?

Enlarge Image

Close David Walter Banks for The Wall Street Journal

Satia Renee, a 50-year-old from Smyrna, Ga., sees incidences of cheating as a byproduct of course design.

Coursera, a Silicon Valley-based MOOC, recently launched a keystroke system to recognize individual students' typing patterns. EdX, its East Coast rival, is employing palm-vein scans. Other strategies include honor codes, remote web-camera proctors and test-taking centers.

Until recently, MOOCs have offered only certificates of completion that in some cases come with a letter grade. Typically, papers have been assessed by fellow students and tests marked by computers. Students frequently study together in online chat rooms�and there is often little to prevent them from cheating on tests or papers.

Buying Now Better Than Renting In UK

The Halifax reports that it is now cheaper to buy property in the United Kingdom (UK) than it is to rent, with monthly mortgage payments some 16% less expensive than rent for properties of similar size, condition and location. The study shows that the situation is the same in all 12 regions of the country and is being driven by a decline in home sales while rents continue to rise. Even so, lack of job security, inability to raise a down payment and strict lending conditions are still keeping sales low. For more on this continue reading the following article from Property Wire.

The cost of buying a home in the UK is 16% lower than renting, according to new research by the Halifax.

The average monthly costs associated with buying a three bedroom house stood at £621 in December 2012, some £120 or 16% lower than the typical monthly rent of £741 paid on the same property type. Over the course of a year this is equivalent to a saving of £1,440.

The research also shows that the gap between the costs of buying and renting has widened by £21 per month over the past year. At the end of 2011, the monthly costs associated with home buying was £99 or 14% lower than renting. Over the past year, buying costs have risen by 1%, while the cost of renting has increased by 4%.

Buying a house is more affordable than renting in all 12 UK regions. Buying is most affordable compared to renting in London with the typical homebuyer paying 15% or £193 a month less than the average renter at £1,101 against £1,294. In Yorkshire and the Humber there is virtually little difference, with average monthly buying costs just £1 lower than average monthly rental costs of £482 against £483.

‘The sharp decline in home buying costs over the past few years, combined with a significant increase in rents, has greatly improved the financial attractiveness of buying a home. This shift has contributed to the increase in the numbers of house purchases, which reached a five year high in 2012,’ said Martin Ellis, housing economist at the Halifax.

‘Despite this pick up, home buying levels remains well below the levels at the height of the market. Today, concerns over job security and raising a deposit are the main obstacles to people buying their own home. However, it is worth noting that once homebuyers are on the first rung of the ladder, their monthly costs are notably lower,’ he added.

Buying has been cheaper than renting since 2009 with buying becoming increasingly less expensive over the past three years. In contrast, in 2008 average home buying costs at £935 were 30% or £217 higher than the average monthly rent paid of £719.

The substantial improvement in the affordability of buying relative to renting since 2008 is largely due to a 34% decline in home buying costs over the past four years. The majority of this fall occurred in 2009 due to a drop in both house prices and mortgage rates.

The average monthly cost of renting has risen by 14% or £89 over the past three years from £652 in December 2009 to £741 in December 2012.

Home purchase is at its highest level for five years but remains well below peak. The lower costs of buying compared with renting are likely to have contributed to the 6% increase in the number of house sales in 2012. Nonetheless, whilst sales last year were the highest in the past five years, the total of 932,000 was still 42% lower than in 2007 when it was 1,619,000.

Concerns over job security and raising a deposit are key obstacles to buying. According to the latest Halifax housing confidence survey more than half the respondents highlighted concerns about job security (58%) and the challenges in raising a deposit (55%) as the main barriers to buying a home.