China, Fed, a double whammy for European stocks

MADRID (MarketWatch) — European stocks were swathed in red on Thursday after weaker-than-expected preliminary data on China's manufacturing activity, which compounded some hawkishness within the minutes of the Federal Reserve's January meeting.

Economic data from the euro zone didn't help the Stoxx Europe 600 index (XX:SXXP)  much either, and it fell nearly 1% to 331.80, after closing up 0.1% on Wednesday. French consumer prices tumbled, while preliminary German purchasing manager index data were mixed.

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Decliners heavily outweighed gainers for the index, with banks, drugs and mining stocks driving the losses.

Aerospace companies were also a drag, with BAE Systems PLC (UK:BA) (BAESY)  slumping nearly 9% after the company posted a fall in 2013 net profit and guided lower for 2014 earnings. A day earlier, Germany canceled a multi-billion-euro order for the Eurofighter Typhoon jets, and that overshadowed news about completion of talks to reprice a deal to sell that aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

Plenty of earnings news was moving other shares as well. Randstad Holdings NV (NL:RAND)  slid over 8%. The Dutch staffing group said it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter of 2013 and revenue rose 1%, and also expects a gradual recovery to continue.

Shares of packaging company Rexam PLC (UK:REX)  fell 7.5% after posting a rise in full-year earnings as it won back North American market share, but also saw weakness in Western Europe and South America.

Aegon NV (NL:AGN)  fell over 6% after the Dutch insurer posted a 60% slide in net profit owing to hedging losses.

On the upside, shares of Technip SA (FR:TEC)  rose close to 6% after the French oil-services company said it expects operating margin at its key subsea unit of 12% in 2014, down from 13.5% in 2013. The company also said the board approved a 10% dividend increase.

Setting the stage for European stocks, Asia markets suffered losses across the board after sluggish trade data out of Japan and a contraction in China's manufacturing sector to a seven-month low, based on a preliminary HSBC/Markit "flash" version of its Purchasing Managers' Index.

Though analysts said the data may not be representing the full picture for Chinese factories, the data only added to some gloom triggered by Wednesday's Fed minutes that showed some members calling for a rise in rise in short-term interest rates as early as mid-2015.

Bloomberg

Craig Erlam, market analyst with Alpari U.K., said investors need to remember that the China numbers fell into surprise negative territory only last month. "In January, this was the straw that broke the camel's back and prompted huge capital outflows from emerging markets as investors panicked about an emerging market crisis this year due to Fed tapering," he said.

While the same situation may not develop, Erlam said investors may just get more cautious on the back of this, given they've "seen how quickly one poor number can escalate into significant risk aversion."

In Europe, Markit reported the flash German manufacturing PMI fell to 54.7 from 56.5 in January, a two-month low. The German Services Activity Index was at a 3-month high of 55.4 from 53.1 in January. Euro-zone wide data will be released later.

French consumer prices posted a record fall in January, retreating 0.6% from December, which was more than expected from analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal.

The French CAC 40 (FR:PX1) was holding up better than most other indexes, down 0.5% to 4,318.92, after heavyweight Danone SA (FR:BN)  rose over 2% The company said sales growth would be steady this year as it posted a fall in net profit and operating profit also fell.

Also in Paris, Veolia Environnement SA (FR:VIE)  shares rose close to 3% after announcing a €500 million ($685 million) contract to handle waste management in Buenos Aires.

The German DAX 30 index (DX:DAX)  fell 1.3% to 9,537.74, with Bayer AG (DE:BAYN)  off 1.6% and BASF SE (DE:BAS)  down 1.7% — both are heavyweights in the index.

The FTSE 100 index (UK:UKX)  fell 0.5% to 6,765.90.

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Editor's note:

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The rise of bitcoin has triggered a lively debate over the risks and rewards of virtual currencies. If you're interested in bitcoin, and will be in New York on Tuesday, March 4, you're invited to join us for an evening of cocktails and conversation on the topic. MarketWatch Senior Columnist Robert Powell will moderate a panel discussion with guests Todd Harrison, founder and CEO of Minyanville Media, and Mark T. Williams, a banking and risk management expert and a professor at the Boston University School of Management. This MarketWatch Investing Insights event is free, but space is limited. To attend, just RSVP to MarketWatchevent@wsj.com by Friday, Feb. 28.

Zucker: GOP being run from Fox News

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The chiefs of CNN and Fox News Channel are throwing shots at each other, each suggesting the other's network is essentially out of the news business.

Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes struck first, saying in an interview published this week that it was interesting for CNN "to throw in the towel and announce they're out of the news business." It was a reference to CNN President Jeff Zucker's efforts to expand CNN's offerings beyond breaking news.

"We happen to be in the business, as opposed to some other fair and balanced network," Zucker responded at a news conference on Friday.

He suggested that Ailes' remarks, published in the Hollywood Reporter, were silly and an attempt to deflect attention from "The Loudest Voice in the Room," a book on Ailes and Fox by New York magazine writer Gabriel Sherman that is being published this month.

WOLFF: A liberal takedown of conservative Roger Ailes

Zucker said he hadn't read the book, but that from what he heard it confirmed that "the Republican Party is being run out of News Corp. headquarters masquerading as a cable news channel."

A Fox News spokeswoman said that Ailes gave his Hollywood Reporter interview in December, suggesting it had nothing to do with Sherman's book. She had no other comment on what Zucker said during a meeting with journalists who cover television on Friday.

Zucker, in charge at CNN for a year now, has taken note of flat ratings in pushing CNN to diversify. Non-fiction shows with chef Anthony Bourdain and Morgan Spurlock, ordered before Zucker came to CNN, are consistently among the networks' highest-rated shows. CNN has also beefed up its documentary film unit.

WOLFF: The seemingly unbeatable Roger Ailes

The films drew some barbs from Ailes, as well, particularly the successful "Blackfish," about killer whales. "I guess he's going to do whales a lot," Ailes said. "If I were Discovery, I'd be worried."

Zucker said CNN had several other new non-fiction series i! n the works. In March, CNN will premiere "Death Row Stories," a crime series produced by Robert Redford and Alex Gibney and narrated by Susan Sarandon. CNN is also continuing its concentration on the 1960s with a 10-part series beginning in May. Later this month, CNN will air "The Sixties: The British Invasion" in the days before the 50th anniversary of the Beatles performing on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Despite such efforts, Zucker said CNN's first priority remains news. A succession of CNN leaders over the past two decades have struggled to figure out how CNN could get a consistent audience during slow news periods. Fox and MSNBC, which appeal heavily to audiences on opposite ends of the political spectrum, have taken viewers away from CNN.

"CNN is not and never will abandon our first and fundamental brand equity, which is news and breaking news," Zucker said.

He also shot down reports that CNN is looking to get into the late-night entertainment business, perhaps by hiring Jay Leno when Jimmy Fallon takes over on NBC's "Tonight" show next month. Zucker was once Leno's boss when he was head of NBC Universal.

"That's really not a priority for us at this time," he said. "We have some other things I'd like to concentrate on first."

Delamaide: New financial risk watchdog stumbles

WASHINGTON — Nobody said financial regulation was easy, and the new Office of Financial Research at the Treasury Department has gotten off to a bumpy start.

The OFR, created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform act, would be quick to point out that it is not a financial regulator per se.

But its mission of monitoring the financial system for possible risks that could bring on a new crisis make it potentially a major player in identifying sectors that require new regulation.

That accounts for the barrage of criticism that greeted the OFR's first formal report on a sector that might need the enhanced regulation for "systemically important financial institutions" — namely, the asset management sector that includes mutual funds and other forms of collective investment.

The report, "Asset Management and Financial Stability," came out in September, but The Wall Street Journal was still railing about its possible consequences last month in an editorial under the headline: "Washington's Worst Mistake of 2014?"

The Journal referred to a letter published that day and signed by a gaggle of former regulators, which cautioned against precipitous regulation of asset managers, arguing that the OFR report was flawed in its methodology and conclusions.

"At its heart, OFR's report reflects, first, a flawed analysis of asset managers, and second, fundamental misconceptions about how securities markets function," wrote these former regulators, including several former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The OFR has defended the report as simple research supplied to the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which groups together the financial regulatory agencies that would have the authority to actually make new rules.

Nonetheless, these former officials concluded, "the report seems intended to lead, ineluctably, to the imposition of the double-barreled blunderbuss of capit! al controls and liquidity restraints" on big asset managers such as Fidelity and BlackRock.

Apparent dissatisfaction with the report prompted the SEC to open up a Web page for public feedback. It is unusual for a regulatory agency to seek comment on another department's study, even if the SEC, which regulates mutual funds, ostensibly collaborated on the OFR report.

In any case, the feedback was overwhelmingly negative, focusing on the fundamental differences between banks, which operate with their own funds, and asset managers, which act as agents for investors. Predictably, the fund industry rejected the report.

"The OFR Study is replete with sweeping conclusions unsupported by data; lacks clarity, precision, and consistency in its scope and focus; and misuses or misinterprets data," wrote Paul Schott Stevens, head of the Investment Company Institute, the trade association for mutual funds. "These flaws have great potential to confuse or mislead both policymakers and the public."

But criticism also came from a watchdog group generally supportive of regulatory efforts. Better Markets criticized the report for its "inexcusable" lack of transparency about how and why the asset-management industry became the focus of the research office's first report.

"It appears to confirm some of the worst suspicions that OFR is influenced by and biased toward the too-­big-to-fail sell-side banks that dominate Wall Street," wrote Better Markets chief executive Dennis Kelleher and his colleagues. "After all, rather than focusing on the known systemic risks that they pose …

OFR chooses to take aim at the asset management buy-side of the financial industry, which, by comparison, presents much lower risk and played no role or virtually no role in the most recent financial crash."

One of the most biting comments came from James Angel, a Georgetown University expert on financial crises, who took the OFR to task for saying dozens of times there "could" and "may" be potential risks i! n the ass! et-management industry without providing any indication of how likely these were.

"Indeed an asteroid could wipe out the planet and thus threaten the financial stability of the United States, but how likely is that?" Angel wrote with some hyperbole. "Does that imply that the Fed should regulate NASA to make sure it can find and deflect dangerous asteroids?"

At a Brookings Institution event in December, OFR director Richard Berner said the agency stands by its report, which warns that herding behavior by fund managers and eventual liquidity problems, among other issues, could pose risks to the entire financial system.

But the ferocity of the criticism from all sides has undermined the new office's credibility before it even had any. Its annual report in December discussed several potential threats to the financial system — including runs on money market funds and high-frequency trading — but that report landed with a dull thud in the pre-Christmas flurry and drew little notice.

The lawmakers' vision for the OFR was to create a powerful resource for regulators to spot potential risks early on and take steps to head them off.

The new office may still achieve that status, but this early stumble has made its uphill climb to credibility and influence that much harder.

Darrell Delamaide has reported on business and economics from New York, Paris, Berlin and Washington for Dow Jones news service, Barron's, Institutional Investor and Bloomberg News service, among others. He is the author of four books, including the financial thriller Gold.

5 Hated Stocks That Could Get Squeezed Much Higher

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Nothing is better than waking up to a fresh short squeeze in the morning on Wall Street if you're long the stock getting squeezed. The taste of victory for the bulls is something to savor when you know there are a ton of bears caught on the wrong side of the trade getting squeezed. The profits add up quick.

>>5 Toxic Stocks to Sell in February

Just take a look at the short squeeze we saw in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) last week after the company report earnings and a new partnership and investment from Coca-Cola (KO). Shares of GMCR skyrocketed higher as the shorts were squeezed from under $85 a share post-earnings to its new 52-week high on Thursday of $122.38 a share. That's a monster squeeze that certainly was painful for anyone who was caught betting against shares of GMCR.

Since the prevailing trend right now in the stock market is up, I think it's as great a time as any to scan the market for stocks that are heavily-shorted. These are the names that could be setting up for the next GMCR-type short squeeze. All we need is for a few hedge funds and large traders to decide that it's open season on squeezing the bears and off to the races these stocks could go. Trends like this can develop very quickly in strong uptrending markets, since the bulls know it can be much easier to force the shorts to capitulate.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

With that in mind, here's a look at five stocks that could be setting to squeeze the shorts.

Veeva Systems

One stock player that could be setting up for a large short-squeeze is Veeva Systems (VEEV), which provides industry-specific cloud-based software solutions for the life sciences industry in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific. This stock has been under selling pressure from the bears over the last three months, with shares down by 15.7%.

>>5 Tech Stocks to Trade for Gains

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Veeva Systems is extremely high at 46.6%. That means that out of the 15 million shares in the tradable float, 5.83 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 19.9%, or by about 1.16 million shares. This is a monster short interest on a stock with a very low float and this is stock that's starting to look very attractive from a technical standpoint.

If you take a look at the chart for Veeva Systems, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $28.71 to $28.81 a share. Following that bottom, shares of VEEV have started to uptrend and the stock is now starting to break out above a key downtrend line. That breakout is quickly pushing shares of VEEV within range of triggering an even bigger breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VEEV if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $33.41 to $33.76 and then once it clears more resistance at $35.59 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 813,403 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then VEEV could easily get squeezed back towards its next major overhead resistance levels at $40 to $43 a share.

Traders can look to buy VEEV off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support at $30 or around those double bottom support zones at $28.81 to $28.71 a share. One can also buy VEEV off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Ubiquiti Networks

A wireless communications player that could be ready to deliver the shorts some major pain soon is Ubiquiti Networks (UBNT), which offers a portfolio of networking products and solutions for service providers and enterprises. This stock has been on fire over the last six months, with shares up big by 58%.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Ubiquiti Networks is extremely high at 27.2%. That means that out of the 29.69 million shares in the tradable float, 5.26 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 16%, or by about 853,000 shares. This is another equity that sports a monster short interest and a very low float. What's even worse for the bears here is that shares of UBNT are very close to entering blue-sky territory, or new all-time-high territory.

If you take a look at the chart for Ubiquiti Networks, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $37.50 to its intraday high of $46.51 a share. During that uptrend, shares of UBNT have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of UBNT back above its 50-day moving average and into breakout territory above some near-term overhead resistance at $45.31 a share. Shares of UBNT are now quickly approaching an even bigger breakout trade that could push the stock into new all-time-high territory.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in UBNT if it manages to break out above its all-time high of $48 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.05 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then UBNT will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $60 to $70 a share.

Traders can look to buy UBNT off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $42.54 a share or around more support at $42 a share. One could also buy UBNT off strength once it starts to clear its all-time high of $48 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Tower Group International

One insurance player that could be preparing for a large short-squeeze soon is Tower Group International (TWGP), which underwrites insurance and reinsurance products in Bermuda, the U.S., and London markets. This stock has been annihilated by the bears over the last six months, with shares down by a remarkable 83%.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Tower Group International is extremely high at 23.2%. That means that out of the 53.18 million shares in the tradable float, 2.9 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 12.6%, or by about 1.41 million shares. Are the short-sellers pressing their luck here with shares of TWGP? I believe they are and this stock is preparing to squeeze them hard.

If you take a look at the chart for Tower Group International, you'll notice that this stock has recently formed a major bottoming chart pattern at $2.41, $2.44, $2.40 and $2.50 a share. Following that bottom, shares of TWGP have started to spike higher off those key support levels and the stock is now quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade above some near-term overhead resistance levels.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in TWGP if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.85 to its 50-day moving average of $2.97 and then more resistance at $3 a share. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.67 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then TWGP could easily squeeze back towards its next major overhead resistance levels at $3.40 to $4.10 a share, or even $5 a share. There's also a monster gap-down-down zone that sits right above $5 a share that the shorts will want nothing to do with.

Traders can look to buy TWGP off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below those key near-term support levels at $2.50 or at $2.40 a share. One can also buy TWGP off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Neonode

Another short-squeeze candidate for your bear-bashing radar is Neonode (NEON), which develops and licenses optical MultiSensing touch and user interface solutions based on its zForce touch technology. This stock has been in play with the bulls over the last three months, with shares up sharply by 24%.

>>4 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Neonode is very high at 26.7%. That means that out of the 30.97 million shares in the tradable float, 8.86 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a massive short interest on a stock with a relatively low float. This stock could easily explode higher with a short interest this high if the bulls decide to move into this name with large volume buying.

If you look at the chart for Neonode, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $5.50 to its intraday high of $6.80 a share. During that uptrend, shares of NEON have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of NEON within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NEON if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.08 to $7.14 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 482,862 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NEON will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $7.94 to its 52-week high at $8.84 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give NEON a chance to tag or trend north of $10 a share.

Traders can look to buy NEON off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $6.04 a share. One can also buy NEON off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

SolarCity

My final short-squeeze trading idea is none other than SolarCity (SCTY), which engages in the design, installation, and sale or lease of solar energy systems to residential and commercial customers and government entities in the U.S. This stock is off to a monster start in 2014, with shares up sharply by 33%.

>>4 Hot Stocks on Traders' Radars

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for SolarCity is extremely high at 28.1%. That means that out of the 37.93 million shares in the tradable float, 9.34 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 16%, or by about 1.28 million shares. This is a disgustingly higher short interest on a stock with a relatively low float. This is also another stock that the bears are probably fretting over right now since it's so close to entering new all-time-high territory.

If you look at the chart for SolarCity, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways and consolidating over the last month, with shares moving between $65.61 on the downside and $79.86 on the upside. Shares of SCTY have started to spike sharply higher off the lower-end of its recent range and the stock is now quickly approaching a major breakout trade into new all-time-high territory.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SCTY if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $77.50 to its all-time high at $79.86 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 4.30 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then SCTY will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $90 to $100 a share.

Traders can look to buy SCTY off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below Thursday's low of $69.40 a share or near that recent range low of $65.61 a share. One can also buy SCTY off strength once it starts to take out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a conformable percentage from your entry point.

Keep in mind that SolarCity is set to report earnings on Feb. 24 after the market close. Could this stock be the next GMCR? It very well may by, but at a minimum I think this stock will squeeze very hard ahead of its earnings report. Be ready if we get it.

To see more stocks that could be setting up for monster short-squeezes, check out the Short-Squeeze Stock Candidates portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Stocks Ready to Explode Higher

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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.

Why Weight Watchers International, Inc. Got Walloped

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 weight management specialist Weight Watchers International  (NYSE: WTW  ) plummeted 26% today after its quarterly results and outlook disappointed Wall Street.

So what: The stock has plunged over the past several months on poor sales trends, and today's abysmal Q4 results -- earnings sank 47% on a revenue decrease of 11% -- coupled with downbeat guidance suggest that things are only getting worse. In fact, membership paid weeks, or global engagement, sank 8.5% over the year-ago period, reinforcing concerns over rapidly increasing digital calorie-counting competition.

Now what: Management now sees full-year EPS of $1.30-$1.60, well below the average analyst estimate of $2.78. "In Q4, we performed in line with our expectations," President and CEO Jim Chambers said in a statement. "While we are confident that we are on the right track to execute a successful transformation, 2014 will be a very challenging year." Of course, with the stock now off more than 50% from its 52-week highs and trading at a price-to-sales well below 1, those challenges might already be baked into the valuation.

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Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now

The U.S. Department of Defense wrapped up the workweek Friday with the announcement of nine new contracts, worth more than $791 million in total. One single contract, however, accounted for fully 62% of the funds on offer.

The winners of that contract, a $494 million firm-fixed-price, multiple-award, task-order contract for the supply of hardware, software, and related integration services needed for the U.S. Army's "Information Technology Enterprise Solution-2" (ITES-2S) enterprise business systems project, include:

Dell's (NASDAQ: DELL  ) Federal Systems business International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM  ) And four privately owned companies -- Unicom Government, CDW Government, Iron Bow Technologies, and World Wide Technology.

The specific type of contract being awarded is best described as an "umbrella" contract, setting a maximum amount of funds that can be spent (the $494 million). Dell, IBM, and the other contract winners will now need to bid against each other to sell the Army equipment and software in response to specific task orders, up until said ceiling value has been reached.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Bio-Reference Laboratories Inc.(BRLI)

Bio-Reference Laboratories, Inc. provides clinical laboratory testing services for the detection, diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring, and treatment of diseases primarily in the greater New York metropolitan area. It offers various chemical diagnostic tests, including blood and urine analysis, blood chemistry, hematology services, serology, radio-immuno analysis, toxicology, pap smears, tissue pathology, and other tissue analysis. The company also operates a clinical knowledge management service unit, which uses customer data from laboratory results, pharmaceutical data, claims data, and other data sources to provide administrative and clinical decision support systems. In addition, it operates a Web-based connectivity portal solution for laboratories and physicians to provide laboratory ordering and results to physician customers. The company provides its services directly to physicians, geneticists, hospitals, clinics, and correctional and other health facilities. Bio-Refe rence Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Bio-Reference Laboratories Inc.(BRLI) projected fiscal-fourth quarter earnings below expectations and also gave a cautious view for the recently started fiscal year. The clinical-testing company said it has been under pressure from reimbursement rates, higher costs stemming from upgrading acquisitions in Florida and California, as well as substantial start-up costs for its inherited cancer program.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Royce Micro-Cap Trust Inc.(RMT)

Royce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed Royce & Associates, LLC. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in value stocks of companies with market capitalization of less than $500 million. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against Russell 2000 Index. Royce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc was formed on December 14, 1993 and is domiciled in the United States.

Best Diversified Bank Stocks For 2015: Richmond Minerals Inc (RMD.V)

Richmond Minerals Inc. engages in the exploration and development of base and precious metals in northern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. The company primarily explores for iron, copper, gold, uranium, nickel, and chromium deposits. Its principal properties include the Halle Property that is located east of Belleterre, Quebec; and the Ste. Anne du Lac Property that consists of approximately 150 claims located northeast of Mont-Laurier, Quebec. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: eHealth Inc.(EHTH)

eHealth, Inc. offers Internet-based insurance agency services for individuals, families, and small businesses in the United States. The company also offers technology licensing and Internet advertising services. Its ecommerce platforms organize and present health insurance information in various formats, as well as enables individuals, families, and small businesses to research, analyze, compare, and purchase various health insurance plans. The company offers various medical health insurance coverage plans, such as preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization and indemnity plans, Medicare plans, short-term medical insurance, student health insurance, and health savings account eligible health insurance plans, as well as ancillary plans, such as dental, vision, and life insurance. Its customers access its ecommerce platforms through its Websites, including eHealth.com, eHealthInsurance.com, eHealthMedicare.com, and PlanPrescriber.com, as well as through a network of marketing partners. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  The other option here is eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH  ) �a private health insurance platform for individuals, families, and small businesses that's been around for years. In its third-quarter results released last week, eHealth noted that membership had risen by 24% to 1.147 million from the year-ago period, clearly showing skepticism in the Obamacare health reform law suggesting the success and options its private platform offers. If there's any company that can use Healthcare.gov's nightmarish start to its advantage, it's eHealth!

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH  ) �-- a provider of private market online health insurance services for individuals, families, and small businesses -- jumped as much as 17% after the company reported third-quarter earnings results.

• [By David Williamson]

  Obamacare is racking up expenses, in particular, with the creation of insurance exchanges. In this video, David Williamson looks at this feature of Obamacare, and a possible free market solution. The problem is that these exchanges are proving more expensive than originally thought, up to an estimated $5.7 billion for 2014. No wonder less than half of the states in the country have come on board. One solution is an online insurance exchange. A form of such an exchange already exists. Will it work for a nationwide insurance market?�Hard to say. On the one hand, it could offer small businesses unprecedented access to insurance plans. On the other hand, an online market may simply offer those plans with the best commissions and not the best deals.� (NASDAQ: EHTH  )

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Dollar/Yen (YY)

YY Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates an online social platform in the People�s Republic of China. It provides YY Client, a personal computer based user software that offers real-time access to user-created online social activities groups. The company also offers Web-based YY that enables users to conduct real-time interactions on the Web without any downloads or installations; and Mobile YY, a smartphone application. In addition, it operates Duowan.com, a game media Website that provides information on online games and other resources for users and online game players. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Guangzhou, the People�s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin Chen]

  YY (NASDAQ: YY  ) has added two independent directors to its board of directors. The China-based video social network now has a total of nine directors overseeing the company's strategy and finances.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Megastar Development Corp. (MDV.V)

Megastar Development Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. It owns gold and base metal properties in Quebec and British Columbia. The company holds interests in the SIMKAR property consisting of 557 acres located east of Val d'Or, Quebec; and RALLEAU property consisting of located east of Qu茅villon, Quebec. It also holds an option agreement to acquire 100% interest in a total of 46 mineral claim units located in the Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia. The company is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Southern Cross Goldfields Ltd(SXG.AX)

Southern Cross Goldfields Limited engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties primarily in Western Australia. The company has approximately 3,300 square kilometers of permits under license or agreements in the Central Yilgarn gold and nickel province. It holds interest in the Parker Range gold project located in Southern Cross; the Marda gold project located in Marda-Diemals greenstone Belt; and the Bullfinch North nickel project located in the Southern Cross greenstone belt. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in West Perth, Australia.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Canaccord Finl Inc (CF.TO)

Canaccord Financial Inc., an independent and full-service investment dealer, provides various investment products, brokerage services, and investment banking services to private, institutional, and corporate clients. The company operates in two segments, Canaccord Genuity and Canaccord Wealth Management. The Canaccord Genuity segment engages in the investment banking, research, and trading activities on behalf of corporate, institutional, and government clients, as well as in principal trading activities. It offers an integrated platform for equity research, sales and trading, and investment banking services. This segment focuses its service offerings in the areas of mining and metals, energy, technology, life sciences, consumer products, real estate, infrastructure, sustainability and cleantech, financials, agriculture and fertilizers, media and telecommunications, transportation and industrial products, paper and forestry products, investment trusts, support services, an d structured products. The Canaccord Wealth Management segment provides wealth management solutions and brokerage services to individual investors, private clients, charities, and intermediaries. Its services include wealth management strategies, investment opportunities, and financial planning solutions. The company also offers insurance and estate planning services to its Canadian private clients, which comprise retirement protection programs, capital preservation plans, and insurance strategies for handling capital gains. The capital markets division of the company, Canaccord Genuity, has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia, China, Singapore, and Barbados. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Orckit Communications Limited(ORCT)

Orckit Communications Ltd. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of telecom equipment. It facilitates telecommunication providers' delivery of broadband residential, business, and mobile services over wireline or wireless networks with its family of products. The company?s product portfolio includes packet transport network switches, a multi protocol label switching (MPLS) and MPLS transport profile dual stack based portfolio enabling packet, as well as legacy services over packet networks with a set of transport features. Orckit Communications markets its products directly and indirectly through strategic alliances, as well as distribution and reseller partners worldwide. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)

IAC/InterActiveCorp engages in the Internet business in the United States and internationally. The company�s Search segment develops, markets, and distributes various downloadable toolbars; provides search, reference, and content services through its destination search and other Websites, including Ask.com and Dictionary.com; and aggregates and integrates local advertising and content for distribution to publishers on Web and mobile platforms, as well as markets and distributes mobile applications through which it provides search and additional services. Its Match segment offers subscription-based and advertiser-supported online personals services through its Websites comprising Match.com, Chemistry.com, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, and OkCupid.com, as well as through mobile applications and Meetic-branded Websites. The company�s ServiceMagic segment offers Market Match service that matches consumers with service professionals; Exact Match service, which enables con sumers to review service professional profiles and select the service professional that meets their specific needs; and 1800Contractor.com, an online directory of service professionals. This segment also offers Website design and hosting services. Its Media and Other segment operates CollegeHumor.com, an online entertainment Website that targets young males; Vimeo, a Website on which users can upload, share, and view video; and Pronto.com, a comparison search engine. This segment also engages in the creation of video content for various distribution platforms; and operates as an Internet retailer of footwear and related apparel and accessories, as well as focuses on multimedia business. The company was formerly known as InterActiveCorp and changed its name to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July 2004. IAC/InterActiveCorp was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  AP/Jim Mone Is Bitcoin a slam-dunk as the currency of the future? The Sacramento Kings seem to think so. The NBA team recently became the first pro sports franchise to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. Basketball fans will be able not only to purchase tickets and merchandise online with the digital cryptocurrency, but also to use it to buy souvenirs at the arena come game time. The team is the latest in a growing number of commercial entities finding a slot in their virtual cash registers for Bitcoin. Little by little, momentum is building for a widespread acceptance of the upstart currency. Overstocking The Kings' drive towards the Bitcoin basket comes a week after the big online retailer Overstock.com (OSTK) announced it would start accepting payments in the currency. The move was an instant hit -- the first day the company had the nifty Bitcoin button as an option in its shopping cart, its customers used it to make more than 800 transactions for total sales of around $130,000. Overstock.com was by no means the first online marketplace to accept the currency. Numerous web retailers have been doing so for some time. It's a natural fit, %VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks in a way, since Bitcoin exists solely in the digital realm. Customers booking flights on discount travel operator CheapAir.com, for example, can use Bitcoin to buy their tickets, as can love seekers on dating site OkCupid, owned by IAC/InteractiveCorp (IACI). These digital players are going to have plenty of company. Earlier this month, online games purveyor Zynga (ZNGA) started to dip its toes in the water, announcing that it was testing Bitcoin payments for some of its titles in conjunction with specialist transaction facilitator BitPay. But if Overstock.com didn't get there first, it's still the largest and most prominent e-retailer to take the Bitcoin plunge thus far. This is a big win for the currency and its advocates, and Overstock.com will surely be followed by more well-known comp

• [By Igor Novgorodtsev]

  InterActiveCorp (IACI) bought Ask.com for $1.85 billion in 2005. The new Perion will be worth only about 40% of that. After the merger, Perion will leapfrog its much larger rivals: Babylon and AVG (AVG). Finally, Perion should be able to increase its operating margins as it can spread its SG&A costs over a much larger base (Conduit EBITDA margin is 32% vs. Perion's 23%). Perion will keep its senior management team intact: Josef Mandelbaum will remain its CEO and Yacov Kaufman its CFO. Perion has successfully orchestrated a roll-up acquisitions of privately-held Sweetpacks and Smilebox, so I have high confidence that they know how to integrate a new business.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) announced that its CEO is stepping down from his current position to become chairman of a new operating unit. Investors cheered the management shakeup which is potentially hinting at a spinoff. Shares hit new 52 week highs of $70.44 before closing at $68.49, up 13.98 percent.

• [By Rex Crum]

  Additionally, Devitt initiated coverage of IAC/InterActive Corp. (IACI) �with an equal weight rating and best-case stock price scenario of $67 a share.

Best Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Equity Residential (EQR)

Equity Residential (EQR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is focused on the acquisition, development and management of multi-family residential properties, which includes the generation of rental and other related income through the leasing of apartment units to residents, in United States. ERP Operating Limited Partnership (or Operating Partnership), which is an Illinois limited partnership, conducts the multifamily residential property business of EQR. All of the Company's property ownership, development and related business operations are conducted through the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership holds all of the assets of the Company, including the Company's ownership interests in its joint ventures. As of December 31, 2011, the Company, directly or indirectly through investments in title holding entities, owned all or a portion of 427 properties located in 15 states and the District of Columbia consisting of 121,974 apartment units. In December 2012, it acquired four multifamily properties totaling 1,134 units.

The Company is structured as an umbrella partnership REIT (UPREIT). EQR is the general partner of, and, as of December 31, 2011, owned an approximate 95.7% ownership interest in ERPOP. The remaining 4.3% interest is owned by limited partners. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� wholly owned properties included 404 properties and 113,157 apartment units. Its consolidated partially owned properties include 21 properties and 3,916 apartment units. The Company�� military housing includes two properties and 4,901 apartment units. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� properties had an average occupancy of approximately 94.2% (94.7% on a same store basis).

During the year ended December 31, 2011, EQR acquired apartment properties consisting of 20 consolidated properties and 6,103 apartment units and acquired five land parcels; acquired one vacant land parcel in New York City in a joint venture with Toll Brothers, and acquired o! ne unoccupied property in the San Francisco Bay Area consisting of 95 apartment units. During 2011, it also acquired a 97,000-square foot commercial building adjacent to its Harbor Steps apartment property in downtown Seattle, and sold consolidated apartment properties consisting of 47 properties and 14,345 apartment units. Subsequent to 2011, the Company acquired two land parcels, and sold one property consisting of 704 apartment units.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  Among real estate trusts:

  American Tower��(AMT),�the diversified �REIT, is the best performer in the index.�It was�up 4.6% after saying�Friday it will buy the parent of tower operator Global Tower Partners for $4.8 billion. HCP (HCP), a healthcare REIT, was�up 3.3%. Prologis (PLD) an industrial REIT, was�up 2.8%. Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) was�up 2.7%. Boston Properties (BXP), the office REIT, was�up 2.3%. Equity Residential (EQR), a residential REIT, was�up 2.4%. Ventas (VTR), a healthcare REIT, was�up 2%.

   

• [By Sean Williams]

  This week, I'd like to turn your attention back to the residential real estate investment trust sector and highlight why Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR  ) is a great income-producing stock you can trust moving forward.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Residential real estate investment trust Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR  ) had a particularly good day, jumping by 3.4%. REITs that specialize in apartment community ownership are in fantastic shape if the Fed is thinking about reducing its bond buying. As lending rates rise from less monetary easing, the desire to purchase a home should drop considerably, making apartment living a smart choice. Equity Residential already has high occupancy rates, but, as rates rise, it could see occupancy tick even higher.

PayPal CEO's credit card hacked, used in shopping…

SAN FRANCISCO - PayPal CEO David Marcus said on Monday that his credit card details were stolen and the information was used to finance a fraudulent spending spree.

Marcus said the card was probably "skimmed" at the hotel he was staying at, or at a merchant he visited, during a recent trip to the U.K.

"They then cloned it and went on a shopping spree," the executive wrote on Twitter.

Marcus noted that his credit card had EMV chip technology, a more secure system currently in use in Europe. But that didn't stop the data from being stolen and used for a "ton of fraudulent" transactions, according to the PayPal chief.

A skimmer is a device fixed to the front of an ATM or point-of-sale terminal that secretly swipes credit and debit information when customers slip their cards into the machines to withdraw cash or pay for something. This malicious technology has been around for years, but skimmers are constantly improving it, according to cyber security expert Brian Krebs.

PayPal's Marcus did not waste an opportunity to tout his company's security benefits, saying the breach would not have happened if the merchant had accepted PayPal as a form of payment. PayPal says it does not share card or bank account details with merchants when shoppers use the service to buy something.

PayPal is trying to expand from its online roots to become a common way to pay in physical stores. The security of card transactions in retail locations has been questioned recently by the massive theft of customer data from Target.

"Obfuscating card data online, on mobile, and now more and more offline remains one of PayPal's strongest value props," Marcus added on Twitter.

If your cell phone rings once, don't call back

If you see a missed cell phone call from an unknown number and call them back, hold on to your wallet before you get taken by yet another scam.

Cell phone users can quickly lose $20 or more if they are hit up by scammers who are playing one-ring games with our cell phones.

The fraudsters get computers to send thousands of calls to random cell phone numbers, ring once and disconnect.

If you're curious about the missed call, you might return the call right away. But then, you're going to be charged $19.95 for an international call, according to the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan.

After that, there's a $9-per-minute charge. Music plays to make it appear you're on hold and drag out that call.

The phone may be old school when it comes to scamming, but it's still a popular way for con artists to grab cash.

The Internet can be a scary place, as well, for scams.

The Federal Trade Commission has two new blog posts to give businesses and consumers specifics on telemarketing fraud. One FTC blog is called (Con)tempting fate and another is An Online Payday Loan or Window to a Scam?

The FTC is warning that some scam artists have targeted people looking for online payday loans. The consumers gave their bank account information online, and once the company had the account numbers, the consumers were enrolled in an ongoing membership for an online mall, which is known as a continuity plan, or negative-option plan.

But because the terms of the program were obscure, consumers wouldn't catch on to the scam unless they checked their statements. And the company took their silence and failure to cancel as permission to regularly debit money from their accounts.

In other scams, the pretext of "free" trial memberships for travel and discount clubs tricked some people into divulging their bank account information, too, to generate regular charges.

And now there's a funeral home scam.

Yes, con artists are sending e-mails with "funeral notifica! tion" in the subject line. The Better Business Bureau reports that the message appears to be from a funeral home in Texas, but it could be from anywhere.

The e-mail invites you to an upcoming "celebration of your friend's life service."

Nothing to celebrate here; delete the e-mail.

Scammers want to trick you and be able to download malware onto your computer.

The one-ring cell scam seems simple, but you could see how someone could get caught, too.

Brian Kowaleski, 45, of Laingsburg, outside of Lansing, said last week he received one of these one-ring, hang-up cell phone calls two minutes after midnight.

"They try to make it like an odd call in the middle of the night, like an emergency," Kowaleski said.

The area code was 268, which could look like a 248 area code out of metro Detroit, in the middle of the night.

Kowaleski later looked up the 268 area code and it was for Antigua, an island in the West Indies.

Fortunately, Kowaleski did not call back.

"I don't call back strange numbers. I don't answer strange numbers. I just feel lucky if I missed someone's telemarketing call," he said.

But some are concerned that seniors, college students or others could rush to return a missed call.

"People won't even know they got scammed until a month later when they get the bill," Kowaleski said.

Others across the country have reported such calls in the past few days.

Julie Kosobucki, marketing and communications coordinator for the BBB serving Wisconsin, received a few one-ring cell calls with the area codes 268 and 767.

On her phone, one call showed up as "Dominica."

Kosobucki, 24, said she was not duped because she had heard earlier warnings via the BBB network on such calls. And, generally, she does not call anyone back unless they've left a voice mail.

But she can understand that some consumers do have a habit of calling first, asking questions later.

"My mom, if she gets a missed call from someone, she's ! a lot mor! e likely to call back, even if they don't leave a voice mail, " Kosobucki said.

The BBB warned that the one-ring calls are coming from the Caribbean Islands, including Grenada, Antigua, Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands.

The BBB said if a person thinks they've been hit by this scam, they should immediately call their cell phone carrier and keep an eye on their bill.

If by chance, you do call back, by all means hang up immediately. Often these scams involve callers hearing music or other distractions that could make those return calls last even longer.

The best bet is not to return that odd missed call. Don't fall for "free memberships." And ignore those texts from funeral homes, too. The scammers are once again working overtime to get access to our money.

Contact Susan Tompor at stompor@freepress.com

CREE – Cree Will Continue to Shine for Investors

Popular Posts: Dig Beneath Twitter To Find 2 Real IPO Opportunities Recent Posts: CREE – Cree Will Continue to Shine for Investors A Return to Fed Watching for Signs of ‘Tapering’ ATHM – Autohome Debut Shows Chinese IPOs Are Back View All Posts

Dear Hilary, It seems like CREE is trying to rebound but I’m concerned about buying when it’s been struggling the last few weeks. Has your outlook changed at all? – Christopher

Thanks for your question, Christopher. I’d like to take a minute to address my latest outlook on Cree (CREE) with everyone.

The short answer is no, my outlook has not changed on the stock despite its post-earnings weakness. I still like the long-term catalysts driving CREE and it remains a buy at current prices.

Let me go into more detail. As I’ve talked about, the shares slumped last month in the wake of guidance that was below the Street’s expectations, and have been unfairly punished ever since. Earnings guidance of 36 cents to 41 cents per share compared to estimates of 44 cents per share reflected continued investment in the business through higher sales and marketing expenses as management works to expand its retail presence and increase brand visibility.

Analysts didn’t like the lower numbers, but I feel they are ignoring the larger picture here. I was pleased to see CREE’s investment in its future. There is a sizable market opportunity for CREE, as LED lighting has a tailwind at its back: the mandated phase-out of 100 watt incandescent bulbs, and the likely movement toward banning smaller (40 and 60 watt) bulbs.

The expanding relationship with Home Depot (HD), and thus a strong retail presence, should also help lift CREE in terms of consumer mindshare. I’ve mentioned before that CREE’s bulbs have the Energy Star rating in place, which means that people who buy and install the bulbs will be able to receive rebates from their utilities. This is important because it’s a financial incentive that will lead to increased adoption.

While the Street remains focused on near-term earnings bumps, I do believe that once the marketing efforts pick up increased traction, investors will turn their attention to the longer-term prospects within a multi-billion dollar global industry. I continue to like it at current prices.

Who will work less under Obamacare

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Working more may be less rewarding for some people under Obamacare.

That's because, just like other income-based government programs, the more you earn, the less assistance you receive. This disincentive to bringing home a bigger paycheck will shrink the labor force by the equivalent of 2.5 million workers by 2024, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates released this week.

Obamacare provides federal subsidies for those who make less than $46,000 for individuals and $94,200 for families of four in 2014. Because the subsidy levels are tiered based on income, a few extra dollars of pay can greatly lower your subsidy amount. And in some cases, it can actually cost you money.

Take a 50-year-old couple with two children. If they earn $94,000, they will receive a $3,345 subsidy and only have to pay $8,930 in premiums, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation subsidy calculator. But if their salary increases by just $1,000, they no long qualify for a subsidy and have to pay the full $12,275 cost of insurance.

"People can work less and make more," said Casey Mulligan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, who has written about how part-time work will become attractive under Obamacare.

Share your story: Will you work less now that you have Obamacare insurance or Medicaid?

Others will just see their some of their extra income whittled away by a decline in the subsidy. But that may be enough to change their behavior, much as higher-income people who will be subject to a new Obamacare tax may not want to work as hard.

While lower-income adults still need money for food, shelter and other necessities, Obamacare can relieve them of the additional pressure of getting health care. So the CBO projects that many people will cut back on hours worked to remain eligible for assistance, but not walk away from their jobs.

Look at someone who earns $29,000 a year, who would lose $115 in subsidies if she earned $! 1,000 more.

"You could bust a gut to $30,000, but then your subsidy goes down," Katherine Baicker, a health economics professor at Harvard. "You think maybe I should spend that time taking care of my kids."

In states that have opted to expand Medicaid -- about half the nation -- individuals earning just under $16,000 and families of four with incomes less than $32,500 can now qualify.

Some studies on Medicaid show how access to the program can affect work. In Wisconsin, for instance, employment among adults allowed into Medicaid in 2009 dropped 20% during the analysis period. And their quarterly earnings fell by $200 to $400, on balance, said study co-author Laura Dague, an assistant professor at Texas A&M.

  Will Obamacare affect health care costs?

For some, access to health insurance independent of their job will prompt them to leave the workforce entirely. They had remained employed only because they needed health insurance and had no other way of getting it previously, said Gary Claxton, director of the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Those who may want to quit their jobs include people nearing retirement or folks who are ill or caring for a sick family member. The disabled may want to cut back, as may people working extra shifts. And some may prefer to have that extra time to spend as they want.

While they have no doubt that Obamacare will affect work habits, experts warn that though the CBO number may seem eye-popping, the reductions will be mainly at the margins. There were 155 million people in the labor market in December.

Target exec gives hack details to Senate

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The nation finally got a detailed account of the massive Target hack Tuesday, when the company's chief financial officer testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Target (TGT, Fortune 500) executive John Mulligan told senators it was the Justice Department that first notified the company of the data breach on Dec. 12. Three days later, Target was able to confirm hackers had slipped malware into their point-of-sale network, affecting all card terminals in U.S. stores.

Mulligan reiterated that hackers made off with two batches of data: Information found on 40 million cards swiped during the holiday shopping season, plus personal data kept by Target on up to 70 million customers.

All this happened despite Target's firewalls, malware detection software and data-loss prevention tools.

"I want to say how deeply sorry we are for the impact this has had on our guests," he said, explaining that retailers are facing "increasingly sophisticated threats" that outmatch current protections.

  Who hacked Target?

The event has put pressure on Target to accelerate implementation of advanced chip-based credit card technology, a safer method that is already found around the world but has not yet been adopted in the United States by the retail and finance industries. Mulligan said Target will update its system by early next year.

"This attack has only strengthened our resolve. We will learn from this incident," Mulligan said.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) will report earnings on Wednesday. Here's what you need to watch for in the company's results.

Great expectations
The first issue that needs to be addressed is whether the beverage and snack food giant met Wall Street's expectations. Analysts peg profits for PepsiCo at $1.19 per share this quarter. PepsiCo booked earnings per share of $1.12 in the same quarter last year, so the company is expecting an improvement in profit growth. PepsiCo reported approximately $16 billion in sales for the second quarter of last year, and $65 billion for the full-year 2012.

Revenue growth
PepsiCo's first-quarter 2013 overall organic net revenues grew 4.4%. Even though PepsiCo has felt the effects of a recent pullback in domestic soda sales, about 65% of the company's beverage business comes from non-carbonated offerings, a segment that shows real growth potential, notably in developed markets.

In relatively untapped emerging markets, both PepsiCo and rival Coca-Cola are spending billions of dollars�in the pursuit of vigorous growth. For example, India represents one of the last untouched markets for cola companies. As a result, Pepsi and Coke are fighting tooth and nail to gain market share for their namesake brands. Indian consumers sip 14 servings of soft drinks annually, while Americans guzzle more than 28 times as much cola.�Yet the Asian nation's population is nearly four times that of the U.S.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FMX)

Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), incorporated on May 30, 1936, is a holding company. The Company conducts its operations through principal holding companies, each of which it refers to as a principal sub-holding company. These companies are Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (Coca-Cola FEMSA), which engages in the production, distribution and marketing of soft drinks, and FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V. (FEMSA Comercio), which operates convenience stores. The Company�� convenience store chain OXXO operated a total of 7,492 stores as of March 31, 2010. Compania Internacional de Bebidas, S.A. de C.V. (CIBSA) owns a 53.7% interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA. On April 30, 2010, FEMSA announced the closing of the transaction, pursuant to which FEMSA agreed to exchange 100% of its beer operations conducted by FEMSA Cerveza for a 20% economic interest in the Heineken Group. In February 2009, Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired with The Coca-Cola Company the Brisa bottled water business in Colombia from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired the production assets and the rights to distribute in the territory, and The Coca-Cola Company obtained the Brisa brand.

Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V.

Coca-Cola FEMSA is a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Coca-Cola FEMSA operates in various territories, including Mexico, a substantial portion of central Mexico (including Mexico City and the states of Michoacan and Guanajuato) and southeast Mexico (including the Gulf region); Central America, including Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas), Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide) and Panama (nationwide); Colombia; Venezuela; Argentina, including Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and Brazil, including the area of greater Sao Paulo, Campinas, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the state of Minas Gerais and part of the state of Goias.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages, own brands and b! rands licensed from the Company. The Coca-Cola trademark beverages include sparkling beverages (colas and flavored sparkling beverages), water, and still beverages (including juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and isotonics). Out of the more than 100 brands and line extensions of beverages sold and distributed by Coca-Cola FEMSA, its most important brand, Coca-Cola, together with its line extensions, Coca-Cola light, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola light caffeine free, accounted for 61.4% of total sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� next largest brands, Ciel (a water brand from Mexico), Fanta (and its line extensions), Sprite (and its line extensions), ValleFrut and Hit, accounted for 10.5%, 5.8%, 2.6%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively, of total sales volume in 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term line extensions to refer to the different flavors in which it offers its brands.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in each of its territories in containers authorized by The Coca-Cola Company, which consist of a variety of returnable and non-returnable presentations in the form of glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term presentation to refer to the packaging unit in which it sells its products. Presentation sizes for its Coca-Cola trademark beverages range from a 6.5-ounce personal size to a 3-liter multiple serving size. For all of its products excluding water, Coca-Cola FEMSA considers a multiple serving size as equal toor larger than one liter. In addition, it sells some Coca-Cola trademark beverage syrups in containers designed for soda fountain use, which it refers to as fountain. It also sells bottled water products in bulk sizes, which refers to presentations equal to or larger than five liters, which have a much lower average price per unit case than its other beverage products.

In Mexico, Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio consis! ts of Coc! a-Cola trademark beverages, and includes Mundet trademark beverages licensed from FEMSA in some Mexican territories. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product sales in Latincentro consist predominantly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Per capita consumption of its sparkling beverages products in Colombia and Central America was 92 and 146 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009. Its product portfolio in Venezuela consists of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Venezuela was 174 eight-ounce servings during 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio in Mercosur consists mainly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages, and the Kaiser beer brand in Brazil, which Coca-Cola FEMSA sells and distributes on behalf of FEMSA Cerveza. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Brazil and Argentina was 214 and 359 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009.

The Company competes with Pepsi Beverage Company, Grupo Embotelladores Unidos, S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Jumex, Groupe Danone, Cadbury Schweppes, Big Cola, Consorcio AGA, S.A. de C.V., Postobon, Florida Ice and Farm Co. S.A., Cerveceria Nacional, S.A., Pepsi-Cola Venezuela, C.A., AmBev and Quilmes Industrial S.A.

FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V.

FEMSA Comercio operates a chain of convenience stores in Mexico, under the trade name OXXO. OXXO stores are concentrated in the northern part of Mexico, but also have a presence in central Mexico and the Gulf coast. FEMSA Comercio is the largest single customer of FEMSA Cerveza and of the Coca-Cola system in Mexico. During 2009, a typical OXXO store carried 1,954 different store keeping units (SKUs) in 31 main product categories.

The Company competes with 7-Eleven, Super Extra, Super City, Circle-K and AM/PM.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: PEP is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: The Coca-Cola Company (KO) with a 2.8% yield, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (DPS) with a 3.2% yield and Fomento Econ (FMX) with a 1.7% yield.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Monster Beverage Corp (MNST)

Monster Beverage Corporation, formerly Hansen Natural Corporation, incorporated on April 25, 1990,is a holding company. The Company develops, markets, sells and distributes alternative beverage. The alternative beverage category combines non-carbonated ready-to-drink iced teas, lemonades, juice cocktails, single-serve juices and fruit beverages, ready-to-drink dairy and coffee drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and single-serve still water (flavored, unflavored and enhanced) with new age beverages, including sodas that are considered natural, sparkling juices and flavored sparkling beverages. It has two reportable segments, namely Direct Store Delivery (DSD), whose principal products comprise energy drinks, and Warehouse (Warehouse), whose principal products comprise juice-based and soda beverages. The DSD segment develops, markets and sells products primarily through an exclusive distributor network, whereas the Warehouse segment develops, markets and sells products primarily directly to retailers. Corporate and unallocated amounts that do not relate to the DSD or Warehouse segments specifically, have been allocated to Corporate and Unallocated.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, it continued to expand its existing product lines and flavors and further develop its distribution markets. In particular, it continued to focus on developing and marketing beverages that fall within the category generally described as the alternative beverage category. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it introduced a number of new products, including Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy, a non-carbonated energy drink with electrolytes, Monster Energy Zero Ultra, a carbonated energy drink which contains zero calories and zero sugar, bermonster Energy Brew, a non-alcoholic energy drink, manufactured using a brewed fermentation process, Hansen�� Coconut Water, in original and tropical flavors, packaged in re-sealable Tetra Prisma boxes, Peace Tea Cranberry, Pink Lemonade and Texas-Style Sweet ! Tea, ready-to-drink iced teas, Monster Cuba-Lima, a carbonated lime flavored non-alcoholic energy drink, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, a carbonated punch + energy drink and Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, a carbonated punch + energy drink.

DSD Segment

Monster Energy Drinks offers products under the Monster Energy drink product line: Monster Energy, Lo-Carb Monster Energy, Monster Energy Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 (named Ripper in certain countries), Monster MIXXD, Monster Energy Absolutely Zero, Monster Energy Import and Import Light, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, M3 Monster Energy Super Concentrate energy drinks, bermonster Energy Brew, Monster Energy Zero Ultra and Monster Cuba-Lima.

Java Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the Java Monster product line: Java Monster Kona Blend, Java Monster Loca Moca, Java Monster Mean Bean, Java Monster Vanilla Light, Java Monster Irish Blend and Java Monster Toffee. Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology Energy Drinks - A line of carbonated energy drinks containing nitrous oxide. It offer products under the Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology product line: Super Dry, Anti Gravity and Black Ice.

-Presso Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the X-Presso Monster coffee + energy drinks product line: X-Presso Monster Hammer and X-Presso Monster Midnite.

Monster Rehab Tea + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes. It offers products under the Monster Rehab drink line: Monster Rehab Tea + Lemonade + Energy, Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Green Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Protean + Energy and Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy.

Worx Energy Energy Shots - A line of energy suppleme! nts which! contains zero calories and zero sugar. It offers products under the Worx Energy energy shot product line: Original Formula and Extra Strength.

Peace Tea Iced Teas - A line of ready-to-drink iced teas. It offers products under the Peace Tea product line: green tea, imported Ceylon tea, sweet lemon tea, razzleberry tea, cranberry tea, pink lemonade tea, Texas-style sweet tea and Caddy Shack tea + lemonade.

Warehouse Segment

Hansen�� brand sodas have been a natural soda brand on the West Coast of the United States for more than 30 years and are made with natural flavors. Hansen�� brand sodas, sweetened with cane sugar, and Hansen�� Diet Sodas, sweetened with Splenda no calorie sweetener and Acesulfame-K, contain no preservatives, sodium, caffeine or artificial colorings. It offers sodas under the Hansen�� brand name: Hansen�� Sodas, Hansen�� Diet Sodas and Hansen�� Natural Mixers, as well as Hansen�� Sparkling Waters, in a variety of flavors.

Its Blue Sky products contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine (other than its Blue Sky energy drinks) or artificial coloring and are made with sugar and natural flavors. It offers products under the Blue Sky product line: Blue Sky Natural Soda, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Sodas (sweetened with Truvia brand stevia extract, an all natural sweetener), Blue Sky Premium Sodas, Blue Sky Organic Natural Sodas, Blue Sky Seltzer Waters, Blue Sky Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Caf Energy drinks and Blue Sky Recover Energy drinks.

Its original Hansen�� energy drinks compete in the functional beverage category, namely, beverages that provide a benefit in addition to simply delivering refreshment. It offers products under the Hansen�� energy drink product line: Hansen�� Natural Energy Pro, Hansen�� Energy Diet Red and Hansen�� Natural Stamina Pro.

Its fruit juice product line includes Hansen�� Natural Apple Juice, Ha! nsen�� ! Natural Grape Juice, White Grape Juice, Pineapple Juice, Apple Grape Juice, Apple Strawberry Juice, Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Cranberry-Apple Juice, Cranberry-Grape Juice, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, and Organic Apple Juice. In March 2012, it added Hansen�� Natural Apple Orange Pineapple Juice which contains 100% juice as well as 120% of the United States Recommended Daily Allowances (the USRDA) for vitamin C. It also offer Hansen�� Natural Lo-Cal juice cocktails, a line of all natural, low-calorie cocktails in four flavors. The Lo-Cal juice cocktails are sweetened with Truvia sweetener. Hansen�� juice products compete in the shelf-stable juice category.

It offers a number of aseptically packed boxed juice products, including its dual-branded multi-vitamin 100% juice line, which itsell in conjunction with Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) through Costco stores. It offers its Hansen�� Natural line of multi-vitamin 100% juices to other customers. These multi-vitamin juices contain eleven essential vitamins and six essential minerals and are available in a variety of flavors. In February 2012, it added Hansen�� Natural Organic Apple Juice, a 100% USDA Certified Organic Apple Juice with 100% of the USRDA for vitamin C.

Its Hansen�� Junior Juice product line is a 100% juice line targeted at toddlers and preschoolers. These juices have added calcium and all flavors contain 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. It also offers organic juices as well as Hansen�� Organic Junior Water, a lightly flavored reduced calorie beverage, both of which contain 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. In addition, it offers Junior Juice Coconut Water Twist, a line of fruit and coconut water juices containing 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.

Its Hubert�� Lemonade is a line of premium ready-to-drink lemonades. Hubert�� Lemonade is sweetened with cane sugar and Truvia sweetener. Hubert�� Lemonade i! s all nat! ural and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or artificial colorings. It offers products under the Hubert�� Lemonade product line: Strawberry Lemonade, Limeade, Mango Lemonade, Honey Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade and Original Lemonade. It added Cherry Limeade and Blackberry Lemonade flavors to the product line in February 2012 and October 2012, respectively. In July 2012, it introduced 4-count multi-packs of select flavors.

Hubert�� Half & Half is sweetened with cane sugar and Truvia sweetener, and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or artificial colorings. Its Fruit and Tea Stix product line is an all-natural, low-calorie powder drink mix line, sweetened naturally with Truvia sweetener. Its Angeleno Aguas Frescas is a line of premium ready-to-drink aguas frescas. Angeleno Aguas Frescas are sweetened with cane sugar and real fruit juice and contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or artificial colorings. It offers flavors under the Angeleno Aguas Frescas product line: Mango, Melon, Pineapple, Jamaica (Hibiscus) and Tamarindo. Its Hansen�� Natural PRE products include a line of prebiotic and probiotic digestive wellness ready-to-drink beverages and powder drink mixes, containing specially formulated blends by Jarrow Formulas. PRE prebiotic ready-to-drink beverages are sweetened with either cane sugar or stevia. PRE probiotic powder drink mixes are sweetened with cane sugar and stevia. In March 2012, it introduced Hansen�� Natural Coconut Water, a line of premium 100% Coconut Waters available in Pure and Tropical flavors.

The Company competes with TCCC, PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo), The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (the DPS Group), Red Bull Gmbh, Kraft Foods, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Nestle Beverage Company, Tree Top Inc. (Tree Top), Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. (Ocean Spray), Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, No Fear, Amp, Adrenaline Rush, NOS, Venom, Redline, 180, Red Devil, Rip It, Xenergy, 5-Hour Energy ! Shots, Mi! O Energy, Stacker 2, VPX Redline Energy Shots, Red Bull, Rockstar, Burn, V-Energy, Lucozade, Adrenaline Rush, Power Play, Mother, Hell, Shock, Tiger, Boost, Gladiator, TNT, Shark, Hot 6, Nalu, Battery, Bullit, Flash Up, Black, Non-Stop, Bomba, Semtex, Starbucks Frappuccino, Starbucks Double Shot, Starbucks Double Shot Energy Plus Coffee , other Starbucks coffee drinks, Rockstar Roasted, Seattle�� Best, illy issimo coffee, Full Throttle Coffee, Arizona, Lipton, Snapple, Nestea, Xing Tea, Honest Tea, Gold Peak Tea, Fuze Tea, the DPS Group, Cott Corporation and National Beverage Corporation, Jones Soda Co., Crystal Geyser, J.M. Smucker Company, Reeds, Inc., Zevia, Tree Top, Mott��, Martinelli��, Welch��, Ocean Spray, Tropicana, Minute Maid, Langers, Apple , Eve, Seneca, Northland, Juicy Juice, Old Orchard, Calypso, Simply Lemonade, Minute Maid, Cabana, Tropicana, Newman�� Own, Vita Coco, ZICO and O.N.E.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  Monster Beverage (MNST)

  Monster Beverage detracted from performance as revenue growth decelerated in the face of negative press related to the safety profile of energy drinks. Despite this transient headwind, the brand continues to take share, profitably, from traditional carbonated soft drinks. We continue to expect the Company's growth profile, over a multi-year period, will eclipse double-digits, despite periodic negative press. Energy drinks continue to be a highly disruptive offering in the beverage industry, driven by a generational shift in preference for caffeinated products. While the level of caffeine in the typical Monster Energy drink is higher than most traditional carbonated soft drinks, it has half as much (per ounce) than most popular coffee house offerings. We believe this relatively new value proposition should position Monster to continue taking share from traditional beverage incumbents.

Hot Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: Central European Distribution Corp (CEDCQ.PK)

Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC), incorporated on September 4, 1997, operates primarily in the alcohol beverage industry. CEDC is a producer of vodka and is Central and Eastern Europe�� integrated spirit beverages business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, as measured by total volume, the Company produced and distributed approximately 33.2 million nine-liter cases . The Company�� business primarily involves the production and sale of its own spirit brands (principally vodka), and the importation on a basis of a range of spirits, wines and beers. Its primary operations are conducted in Poland and Russia. In addition the Company also has operations in Hungary and Ukraine. CEDC has six manufacturing facilities located in Poland and Russia. On February 7, 2011, the Company completed purchasing of the remaining stake of the Whitehall Group.

CEDC is an importer of spirits, wines and beers in Poland, Russia and Hungary. The Company mai ntains import contracts for a number of internationally recognized brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Campari, Jagermeister, Remy Martin Cognac, Corona, Budweiser (Budvar), E&J Gallo wines, Carlo Rossi wines, Sutter Home wines, Metaxa Brandy, Sierra Tequila, Teacher�� Whisky, Cinzano, Old Smuggler, Grant�� Whisky and Concha y Toro wines. In addition to its operations in Poland, Russia, and Hungary the Company has Ukraine and distribution agreements for its vodka brands in a number of key export markets including the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Baltics and the CIS for Green Mark, Zhuravli, Parliament and Zubrowka, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France for Zubrowka and many other Western European countries. In 2011, exports represented 11% of its sales by value.

Poland

In Poland, CEDC is the vodka producers with a brand portfolio that includes Absolwent, Zubrowka, Zubrowka Biala, Bols, Palace and Soplica brands, each of which it p roduces at its Polish distilleries. It produces and sells ! vo! dkas primarily in three vodka sectors: premium, mainstream, and economy. The Company owns two production sites in Poland: one in Oborniki and one in Bialystok. In the Oborniki distillery, it produces the Bols and Soplica vodka brands, among other spirit brands. In Bialystok it produces Absolwent and Zubrowka. Zubrowka is also exported out of Poland to many markets around the world, including the United States, England, Japan and also France. In addition to the Absolwent and Zubrowka brands, in Bialystok it produces the Zubrowka Biala brand. The Company has rights to import and distribute approximately 70 brands of spirits, wine and beer into Poland. It also provides marketing support to the suppliers. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 10.7 million nine-liter cases of vodka, wine and spirits through its Polish business during 2011 including both its own produced vodka brands as well as its exclusive agency import brands. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 1 91 thousand nine-liter cases of Zubrowka outside of Poland. During 2011, the Company�� Polish operations accounted for 26.3% of its revenue.

Russia

CEDC produces Green Mark in Russia and the sub-premium vodkas in Russia, Parliament and Zhuravli. During 2011 the Company introduced new brands to the Russian market Talka, Sotka and Silver Blend. The Company also produces Yamskaya, the economy vodka in Russia, and premixed alcohol drinks, or long drinks. The Company also owns Whitehall, which holds the exclusive rights to the import of such leading premium wine and spirit brands as Concha y Toro, Paul Masson, Robert Mondavi, DeKuyper, Jose Cuervo and Label 5. In addition to these import activities, Whitehall has distribution centers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Rostov as well as a wine and spirits retail network located in Moscow. During 2011, the Company�� Russian operations accounted for 70.2% of its revenue. During 2011,the Company produced a nd sold approximately 16.6 million nine-liter cases of! vodka! t! hrough ! its Russian business in the main vodka segments in Russia: premium, sub-premium, mainstream, economy and cheap. In addition it produced and sold approximately 2.8 million nine-liter cases of long drinks.

Hungary

The Company sells Royal Vodka in Hungary through its Bols Hungary subsidiary. The imported brands to Hungary include Bols Vodka, Zubrowka, Royal Vodka, Campari, Cinzano, Jaegermeister, Bols Liqueurs, Cointreau, Carolans, Galliano, Irish Mist, Jose Cuervo, Calvados Boulard, Remy Martin, Metaxa, St Remy, Grant��, Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew and Old Smuggler.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Molson Coors Brewing Company(TAP)

Molson Coors Brewing Company brews, markets, sells, and distributes beer brands. It sells its products in Canada, under the Coors Light, Molson, Rickard's Red, Carling, Pilsner, Keystone Light, Creemore Springs, and Granville Island brands. The company also brews or distributes products under license from third parties, which include Heineken, Amstel Light, Murphy's, Asahi, Asahi Select, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Dry, and Foster's. In addition, it imports, distributes, and markets the Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, and Pacifico brands, through a joint venture agreement with Grupo Modelo. Further, the company sells various brands in the United States, which include Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Miller Genuine Draft, MGD 64, Miller Chill, Sparks, Miller High Life, Miller High Life Light, Keystone Light, Icehouse, Mickey's, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Light, Old English 800, Blue Moon, Henry Weinhard 's, George Killian's Irish Red, Leinenkugel's, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch, Coors Non-Alcoholic, and Sharp's. Additionally, it sells various brands in the United Kingdom comprising Carling, C2, Coors Light, Worthington's, White Shield, Caffrey's, Kasteel Cru, and Blue Moon, as well as various regional ale brands. The company also sells the Grolsch brands through a joint venture with Royal Grolsch N.V. and the Cobra brands through a joint venture called Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd.; and distributes brands sold under license, including Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, Pacfico, Singha, and Magners Draught Cider. In addition, it markets and sells Zima, Si'hai, Coors Gold, and Coors Extra brands to various international markets. The company was formerly known as Adolph Coors Company and changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company as a result of its merger with Molson Inc. in February 2005. Molson Coors Brewing Company was founded in 1873 and is headquartere d in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rex Moore]

  The Brewers Association today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S. (based on 2012 sales volume), and the top of the rankings holds little surprise. Led by its Budweiser and Bud Light brands, Anheuser-Busch (Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) ) is No.1. MillerCoors (Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) ), Pabst Brewing, D.G. Yuengling, and Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM  ) round out the top five. (The complete lists are below this video.)

• [By Alex Planes, Sean Williams, and Travis Hoium]

  Things haven't been too much better on the beer front, with both domestic giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) looking abroad to make deals. With pocketbooks clenched tight as higher taxes and a slow recovery drain the American consumer, Anheuser-Busch took to purchasing Grupo Modelo's international operations, while Molson Coors gobbled up Eastern Europe's StarBev in a $3.5 billion transaction last year to get their share of faster emerging-market growth. Diageo is attempting to find new pathways to growth as well, but it's approaching things from a distilling angle by attempting to become a majority stakeholder in India's largest distiller, United Spirits.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Company % of Assets Pepsico (PEP) 3.4 Philip Morris (PM) 2.3 Tesco PLC ADR (TSCO) 2.1 Molson Coors Brewing (TAP) 2.1 Microsoft (MSFT) 1.9 Merck (MRK) 1.9 Procter & Gamble (PG) 1.8 Avon Products (AVN) 1.6 Wal��art (WMT) 1.6 Medtronic 1.6 Hospira (HSP) 1.5 BP (BP) 1.4 Medco Health Solutions (MHS) 1.3 Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 1.3 Unilever NV (UL) 1.3
  Jeff is also optimistic about natural gas and believes the recession in Europe could be setting up "a generational buying opportunity."

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  4 (tie). Colorado
  Colorado's beer excise taxes also come in at $0.08 per gallon, perhaps reflecting the importance of the Coors brand of Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) to the state's overall economy. That's a trend you'll see elsewhere on the list, as well as with Massachusetts, which just barely missed the list at No. 7 and provides the headquarters for craft-brew specialist Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM  ) . Per-capita beer consumption of 30.9 gallons per year leaves Colorado at No. 20 nationwide.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Pepsico Inc.(PEP)

PepsiCo, Inc. engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of foods, snacks, and carbonated and non-carbonated beverages worldwide. The company operates in four divisions: PepsiCo Americas Foods (PAF); PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB); PepsiCo Europe; and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA). The PAF division offers Lay?s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips and dips, Cheetos cheese flavored snacks, Fritos corn chips, Quaker Chewy granola bars, and SunChips multigrain snacks in North America; Quaker oatmeal, Aunt Jemima mixes and syrups, Cap?n Crunch cereal, Quaker grits, and Life cereal, as well as Rice-A-Roni, Pasta Roni, and Near East side dishes in North America; and various snack foods under Doritos, Marias Gamesa, Cheetos, Ruffles, Emperador, Saladitas, Sabritas, and Lay?s brands in Latin America. The PAB division provides carbonated soft drinks, beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, 7UP, Tropicana Pure Premium, Electropura, Sierra Mist, Epura, and Mirinda brands; ready-to-drink tea, coffee, and water products through joint ventures with Unilever and Starbucks; and sells concentrate to authorized bottlers, and branded finished goods directly to independent distributors and retailers. This division also manufactures third-party brands, such as Dr Pepper, Crush, Rock Star, and Muscle Milk. The PepsiCo Europe division offers Frito Lay Snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices, and Quaker foods in Europe. The AMEA division provides snack food under the Lay?s, Kurkure, Chipsy, Doritos, Smith?s, Cheetos, Red Rock Deli, and Ruffles brands; Quaker-brand cereals and snacks; and beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under the Pepsi, Mirinda, 7UP, and Mountain Dew brands. PepsiCo, Inc. was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  3 stocks to consider
  For a good mix of positive dividend attributes, the following stocks offer a compelling combination of low payout ratios, long dividend histories, and attractive yields:

  Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) has a 26-year history of raising its dividends every year, with a current yield of 3.4%. Big oil stocks have faced the challenge of finding ways to replace lost production volume from older wells suffering natural declines in output, but Chevron has done a better job than many of its rivals in replacing that lost production with new asset purchases in promising areas around the world. Despite an already attractive yield from a dividend that the company increased by 11% in May, a payout ratio of 27% shows that Chevron could easily keep boosting its dividend in the years to come. PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) has used its global snack and beverage business to produce consistent cash flow and profits over the long run, giving back much of its earnings in the form of dividends. Its 2.8% yield comes after 41 consecutive years with payout boosts. With a payout ratio of 55%, Pepsi needs to keep growing in order to support further dividend increases, but even as soft drink makers in the U.S. have to deal with rising concerns about obesity, Pepsi has taken the lead with a forward-looking emphasis on healthier offerings that should serve it well throughout the world. Consumer-products maker Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB  ) sports the highest payout ratio in this group at 66%, but its 3.4% yield and 41 straight years of rising dividends make it a logical stock to invest in for dividend investors. The company has done a good job of taking advantage of missteps from rivals in the industry, with an emphasis on growth in emerging markets like Latin America. As rising consumer middle classes in emerging nations demand more of the conveniences that people in developed countries take for granted, Kimberly-Clark is positioning itself to
• [By Steve Symington]

  Sure enough, shares of SodaStream briefly jumped more than 40% during premarket trading today after rumors surfaced�saying industry giant PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) was in talks to acquire the comparatively tiny at-home carbonation specialist.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Coke was losing ground in the 1980s. By 1983, its flagship fizzy brown drink was outsold in supermarkets by the upstart Pepsi (NYSE: PEP  ) and its brilliant "Pepsi Challenge" campaign. Coke CEO Roberto Goizueta was ready to take a chainsaw to the company's core business if it meant winning over the youthful Boomer generation, and he had come into the corner office with experience tweaking Coke's iconic formula for regional tastes. A massive but highly secretive project began under the name "Project Kansas," with initially positive results. However, a small but highly vocal minority of Coke's top-secret taste-testers remained adamantly opposed to the notion of a different Coke. These complaints would come back to haunt Coke when it went ahead with the launch despite objections.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  Soft drinks have always been a hit among people of all ages, until recently. This trend has taken a dip as weight gain, poor dental health, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are on the rise. People are now much more health conscious as the rate of obesity is accelerating at a great pace. Sugar, being the most important ingredient of soft drinks, is the main contributor to obesity. PepsiCo (PEP), being one of the largest beverage and food companies, is also facing this heat since there has been a decline in the sales of soft drinks in the U.S. Despite this decline, the cola company has managed to grow its revenues by 2%. PepsiCo owns 200 brands, 22 of which do over $1 billion in annual sales.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Marani Brands Inc (MRIB)

Marani Brands, Inc. (Marani), incorporated on May 30, 2001, is engaged in the importation and sale of alcoholic beverage products, primarily Marani Vodka, its flagship product. The Company�� primary business is the business of Margrit Enterprises International, Inc. (MEI), which is in the distribution of wine and spirit products manufactured in Armenia. Marani Vodka is made from winter wheat harvested in Armenia, distilled three times, aged in oak barrels lined with honey and skimmed dried milk, then filtered 25 times. Bottling of the product occurs at the Eraskh distillery in Armenia. On April 4, 2008, the Company, FFBI Merger Sub Corp. and MEI executed, and on April 7, 2008, the parties closed, a three party Merger Agreement.

The Company purchases all of its products from a single supplier, Eraskh Winery, Ltd., under an exclusive distribution agreement with Eraskh, an Armenian manufacturer of wine and other spirits. The new bottles for Marani Vodka are being manufactured in France by Saver Glass Company and China by Universal Group Co., Ltd. and shipped to Armenia to be filled at Eraskh. The Company�� product is being distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. (SWS), in Southern California, in conjuction with PLCB Pennsylvania and Nevada. SWS is an alcoholic beverage distributor in the United States. The Company has established additional distributors, such as QV Distributors in Arizona and Wein-Baur in Illinois.

The Company competes with Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and Brown-Forman.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Marani Brands Inc (MRIB.PK)

Marani Brands, Inc. (Marani), incorporated on May 30, 2001, is engaged in the importation and sale of alcoholic beverage products, primarily Marani Vodka, its flagship product. The Company�� primary business is the business of Margrit Enterprises International, Inc. (MEI), which is in the distribution of wine and spirit products manufactured in Armenia. Marani Vodka is made from winter wheat harvested in Armenia, distilled three times, aged in oak barrels lined with honey and skimmed dried milk, then filtered 25 times. Bottling of the product occurs at the Eraskh distillery in Armenia. On April 4, 2008, the Company, FFBI Merger Sub Corp. and MEI executed, and on April 7, 2008, the parties closed, a three party Merger Agreement.

The Company purchases all of its products from a single supplier, Eraskh Winery, Ltd., under an exclusive distribution agreement with Eraskh, an Armenian manufacturer of wine and other spirits. The new bottles for Marani Vodka are being manufactured in France by Saver Glass Company and China by Universal Group Co., Ltd. and shipped to Armenia to be filled at Eraskh. The Company�� product is being distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. (SWS), in Southern California, in conjuction with PLCB Pennsylvania and Nevada. SWS is an alcoholic beverage distributor in the United States. The Company has established additional distributors, such as QV Distributors in Arizona and Wein-Baur in Illinois.

The Company competes with Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and Brown-Forman.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: SABMiller PLC (SBMRY.PK)

SABMiller plc, incorporated on March 17, 1998, is a holding company, which has brewing and beverage interests across six continents. The Company together with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of beverages. The Company is a brewer with more than 200 beer brands. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes international beers, such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch, as well as local brands, such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow, Tyskie and Victoria Bitter. It is a bottler for the Coca-Cola Company in Africa and Central America. It operates in Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.

Latin America

The Company�� primary brewing and beverage operations cover six countries across South and Central America (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru). The Company is brewer in Argentina, and it exports to Bolivia, Ch ile and Paraguay. It bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in El Salvador and Honduras, and for Pepsico International in Panama.

Europe

The Company�� primary brewing operations cover eight countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain (Canary Islands) and the Netherlands. A further 16 countries, including Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine are covered in a strategic alliance with Anadolu Efes through brewing, soft drinks or export operations. The Company exports volumes to a further seven European markets, of which the largest are the United Kingdom and Germany.

North America

The Company�� North America segment includes its 58% owned MillerCoors and 100% of Miller Brewing International and the its North American holding companies. The Company�� wholly owned Miller Brewing International business is based in Milwaukee, the United States and exports its brands to Canada and Mexico and throu ghout the Americas.

Africa

The ! Co! mpany�� brewing and beverage operations in Africa cover 15 countries. A further 21 are covered through a strategic alliance with the Castel group and it also has an associated undertaking in Zimbabwe. The Company bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in 20 of its African markets (in alliance with Castel in 14 of these markets).

Asia Pacific

The Company�� partners with China Resources Enterprise, Limited in China. The Company is engaged in brewing business in India. The Company has operation in Vietnam and it exports to various markets, including South Korea and Singapore.

South Africa

The Company�� South African Breweries (Pty) Ltd (SAB) is South Africa�� producer and distributor of lager and soft drinks. It also exports brands for distribution across Namibia. Its soft drinks division is bottler of products for The Coca-Cola Company. The Company has hotel and gaming interests through its associate, Tsogo S un Holdings Ltd, a hotel and gaming group in South Africa.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: WhiteWave Foods Co (WWAV.N)

WWF Operating Company, incorporated on March 14, 1988, is a consumer packaged food and beverage company. The Company manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy products throughout North America and Europe. The Company operates in two segments: North America and Europe. The North America segment offers products in the plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy product categories throughout North America. Europe segment offers plant-based food and beverage products throughout Europe. The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dean Foods Company (Dean Foods).

The Company�� brands distributed in North America include Silk plant-based foods and beverages, International Delight and LAND O LAKES coffee creamers and beverages, and Horizon Organic dairy products, while its European brands of plant-based foods and beverages include Alpro and Provamel. The Co mpany sell its products to a variety of customers, including grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and convenience stores, as well as various away-from-home channels, including restaurants and foodservice outlets, across North America and Europe. The Company sells its products in North America and Europe primarily through its direct sales force and independent brokers. The Company utilizes five manufacturing plants, two distribution centers, and three co-packers across the United States. Additionally, it has four plants across Europe in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, each supported by an integrated supply chain.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: SABMiller PLC (SBMRY)

SABMiller plc, incorporated on March 17, 1998, is a holding company, which has brewing and beverage interests across six continents. The Company together with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of beverages. The Company is a brewer with more than 200 beer brands. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes international beers, such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch, as well as local brands, such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow, Tyskie and Victoria Bitter. It is a bottler for the Coca-Cola Company in Africa and Central America. It operates in Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.

Latin America

The Company�� primary brewing and beverage operations cover six countries across South and Central America (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru). The Company is brewer in Argentina, and it exports to Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay. It bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in El Salvador and Honduras, and for Pepsico International in Panama.

Europe

The Company�� primary brewing operations cover eight countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain (Canary Islands) and the Netherlands. A further 16 countries, including Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine are covered in a strategic alliance with Anadolu Efes through brewing, soft drinks or export operations. The Company exports volumes to a further seven European markets, of which the largest are the United Kingdom and Germany.

North America

The Company�� North America segment includes its 58% owned MillerCoors and 100% of Miller Brewing International and the its North American holding companies. The Company�� wholly owned Miller Brewing International business is based in Milwaukee, the United States and exports its brands to Canada and Mexico and throughout the Americas.

Africa

The Compa! ny�� brewing and beverage operations in Africa cover 15 countries. A further 21 are covered through a strategic alliance with the Castel group and it also has an associated undertaking in Zimbabwe. The Company bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in 20 of its African markets (in alliance with Castel in 14 of these markets).

Asia Pacific

The Company�� partners with China Resources Enterprise, Limited in China. The Company is engaged in brewing business in India. The Company has operation in Vietnam and it exports to various markets, including South Korea and Singapore.

South Africa

The Company�� South African Breweries (Pty) Ltd (SAB) is South Africa�� producer and distributor of lager and soft drinks. It also exports brands for distribution across Namibia. Its soft drinks division is bottler of products for The Coca-Cola Company. The Company has hotel and gaming interests through its associate, Tsogo Sun Holdings Ltd, a hotel and gaming group in South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rex Moore]

  The craft brewing industry saw 15% volume growth in 2012, while the big guys -- led by Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) and SABMiller (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) , are watching their megabrands lose market share.

• [By Barry James]

  LONDON -- In its final results for the year to March 31, SABMiller (LSE: SAB  ) (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) , the global beverage-brewer and bottler with more than 200 beer brands and Coca-Cola bottling operations, saw group revenue increase by 10% to $34.5 billion and EBITA rise 14% to $6.4 billion, while pre-tax profit fell 16% to $4.7 billion.

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  At current valuations, STZ stock is not attractive relative to its larger and better diversified megabrewer rivals — all of which have better exposure to emerging markets. As long-term holdings, I see better value in Heinken, Anheuser-Busch InBev and SAB Miller (SBMRY).

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Tsingyuan Brewery Ltd (BEER)

Tsingyuan Brewery Ltd., formerly Sabre Industrial, Inc., incorporated on July 25, 1996, is a manufacturer and distributor of brewer's malt and beer throughout northern and eastern China. The Company has two business lines: brewer's malt and beer production.

The brewer's malt is shipped to brewers in 10 provinces across China. The beer products are distributed throughout six provinces. The Company utilizes the German brewing techniques and uses barley, water and hops. Tsingyuan Brewery Ltd. promotes nine products under its brand names Qinglin, Qingyi, and Qingyuan.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Central European Distribution Corp (CEDCQ)

Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC), incorporated on September 4, 1997, operates primarily in the alcohol beverage industry. CEDC is a producer of vodka and is Central and Eastern Europe�� integrated spirit beverages business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, as measured by total volume, the Company produced and distributed approximately 33.2 million nine-liter cases . The Company�� business primarily involves the production and sale of its own spirit brands (principally vodka), and the importation on a basis of a range of spirits, wines and beers. Its primary operations are conducted in Poland and Russia. In addition the Company also has operations in Hungary and Ukraine. CEDC has six manufacturing facilities located in Poland and Russia. On February 7, 2011, the Company completed purchasing of the remaining stake of the Whitehall Group.

CEDC is an importer of spirits, wines and beers in Poland, Russia and Hungary. The Company maintains import contracts for a number of internationally recognized brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Campari, Jagermeister, Remy Martin Cognac, Corona, Budweiser (Budvar), E&J Gallo wines, Carlo Rossi wines, Sutter Home wines, Metaxa Brandy, Sierra Tequila, Teacher�� Whisky, Cinzano, Old Smuggler, Grant�� Whisky and Concha y Toro wines. In addition to its operations in Poland, Russia, and Hungary the Company has Ukraine and distribution agreements for its vodka brands in a number of key export markets including the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Baltics and the CIS for Green Mark, Zhuravli, Parliament and Zubrowka, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France for Zubrowka and many other Western European countries. In 2011, exports represented 11% of its sales by value.

Poland

In Poland, CEDC is the vodka producers with a brand portfolio that includes Absolwent, Zubrowka, Zubrowka Biala, Bols, Palace and Soplica brands, each of which it produces at its Polish distilleries. It produces and sells vodka! s primarily in three vodka sectors: premium, mainstream, and economy. The Company owns two production sites in Poland: one in Oborniki and one in Bialystok. In the Oborniki distillery, it produces the Bols and Soplica vodka brands, among other spirit brands. In Bialystok it produces Absolwent and Zubrowka. Zubrowka is also exported out of Poland to many markets around the world, including the United States, England, Japan and also France. In addition to the Absolwent and Zubrowka brands, in Bialystok it produces the Zubrowka Biala brand. The Company has rights to import and distribute approximately 70 brands of spirits, wine and beer into Poland. It also provides marketing support to the suppliers. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 10.7 million nine-liter cases of vodka, wine and spirits through its Polish business during 2011 including both its own produced vodka brands as well as its exclusive agency import brands. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 191 thousand nine-liter cases of Zubrowka outside of Poland. During 2011, the Company�� Polish operations accounted for 26.3% of its revenue.

Russia

CEDC produces Green Mark in Russia and the sub-premium vodkas in Russia, Parliament and Zhuravli. During 2011 the Company introduced new brands to the Russian market Talka, Sotka and Silver Blend. The Company also produces Yamskaya, the economy vodka in Russia, and premixed alcohol drinks, or long drinks. The Company also owns Whitehall, which holds the exclusive rights to the import of such leading premium wine and spirit brands as Concha y Toro, Paul Masson, Robert Mondavi, DeKuyper, Jose Cuervo and Label 5. In addition to these import activities, Whitehall has distribution centers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Rostov as well as a wine and spirits retail network located in Moscow. During 2011, the Company�� Russian operations accounted for 70.2% of its revenue. During 2011,the Company produced and sold approximately 16.6 million nine-liter cases of vodka th! rough its! Russian business in the main vodka segments in Russia: premium, sub-premium, mainstream, economy and cheap. In addition it produced and sold approximately 2.8 million nine-liter cases of long drinks.

Hungary

The Company sells Royal Vodka in Hungary through its Bols Hungary subsidiary. The imported brands to Hungary include Bols Vodka, Zubrowka, Royal Vodka, Campari, Cinzano, Jaegermeister, Bols Liqueurs, Cointreau, Carolans, Galliano, Irish Mist, Jose Cuervo, Calvados Boulard, Remy Martin, Metaxa, St Remy, Grant��, Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew and Old Smuggler.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Monster Beverage Corp (MNST.O)

Monster Beverage Corporation, formerly Hansen Natural Corporation, incorporated on April 25, 1990,is a holding company. The Company develops, markets, sells and distributes alternative beverage. The alternative beverage category combines non-carbonated ready-to-drink iced teas, lemonades, juice cocktails, single-serve juices and fruit beverages, ready-to-drink dairy and coffee drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and single-serve still water (flavored, unflavored and enhanced) with new age beverages, including sodas that are considered natural, sparkling juices and flavored sparkling beverages. It has two reportable segments, namely Direct Store Delivery (DSD), whose principal products comprise energy drinks, and Warehouse (Warehouse), whose principal products comprise juice-based and soda beverages. The DSD segment develops, markets and sells products primarily through an exclusive distributor network, whereas the Warehouse segment develops, markets and sells products primarily directly to retailers. Corporate and unallocated amounts that do not relate to the DSD or Warehouse segments specifically, have been allocated to Corporate and Unallocated.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, it continued to expand its existing product lines and flavors and further develop its distribution markets. In particular, it continued to focus on developing and marketing beverages that fall within the category generally described as the alternative beverage category. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it introduced a number of new products, including Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy, a non-carbonated energy drink with electrolytes, Monster Energy Zero Ultra, a carbonated energy drink which contains zero calories and zero sugar, bermonster Energy Brew, a non-alcoholic energy drink, manufactured using a brewed fermentation process, Hansen�� Coconut Water, in original and tropical flavors, packaged in re-sealable Tetra Prisma b oxes, Peace Tea Cranberry, Pink Lemonade and Texas-Style Sw! e! et Tea, ready-to-drink iced teas, Monster Cuba-Lima, a carbonated lime flavored non-alcoholic energy drink, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, a carbonated punch + energy drink and Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, a carbonated punch + energy drink.

DSD Segment

Monster Energy Drinks offers products under the Monster Energy drink product line: Monster Energy, Lo-Carb Monster Energy, Monster Energy Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 (named Ripper in certain countries), Monster MIXXD, Monster Energy Absolutely Zero, Monster Energy Import and Import Light, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, M3 Monster Energy Super Concentrate energy drinks, bermonster Energy Brew, Monster Energy Zero Ultra and Monster Cuba-Lima.

Java Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the Java Monster product line: Java Monster Kon a Blend, Java Monster Loca Moca, Java Monster Mean Bean, Java Monster Vanilla Light, Java Monster Irish Blend and Java Monster Toffee. Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology Energy Drinks - A line of carbonated energy drinks containing nitrous oxide. It offer products under the Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology product line: Super Dry, Anti Gravity and Black Ice.

-Presso Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the X-Presso Monster coffee + energy drinks product line: X-Presso Monster Hammer and X-Presso Monster Midnite.

Monster Rehab Tea + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes. It offers products under the Monster Rehab drink line: Monster Rehab Tea + Lemonade + Energy, Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Green Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Protean + Energy and Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy.

Worx Energy Energy Shots - A line of energy ! suppl! em! ents wh! ich contains zero calories and zero sugar. It offers products under the Worx Energy energy shot product line: Original Formula and Extra Strength.

Peace Tea Iced Teas - A line of ready-to-drink iced teas. It offers products under the Peace Tea product line: green tea, imported Ceylon tea, sweet lemon tea, razzleberry tea, cranberry tea, pink lemonade tea, Texas-style sweet tea and Caddy Shack tea + lemonade.

Warehouse Segment

Hansen�� brand sodas have been a natural soda brand on the West Coast of the United States for more than 30 years and are made with natural flavors. Hansen�� brand sodas, sweetened with cane sugar, and Hansen�� Diet Sodas, sweetened with Splenda no calorie sweetener and Acesulfame-K, contain no preservatives, sodium, caffeine or artificial colorings. It offers sodas under the Hansen�� brand name: Hansen�� Sodas, Hansen�� Diet Sodas and Hansen�� Natural Mixers, as well as Hansen�� Sparkling W aters, in a variety of flavors.

Its Blue Sky products contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine (other than its Blue Sky energy drinks) or artificial coloring and are made with sugar and natural flavors. It offers products under the Blue Sky product line: Blue Sky Natural Soda, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Sodas (sweetened with Truvia brand stevia extract, an all natural sweetener), Blue Sky Premium Sodas, Blue Sky Organic Natural Sodas, Blue Sky Seltzer Waters, Blue Sky Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Caf Energy drinks and Blue Sky Recover Energy drinks.

Its original Hansen�� energy drinks compete in the functional beverage category, namely, beverages that provide a benefit in addition to simply delivering refreshment. It offers products under the Hansen�� energy drink product line: Hansen�� Natural Energy Pro, Hansen�� Energy Diet Red and Hansen�� Natural Stamina Pro.

Its fruit juice product line includes Hansen�� Natural Ap! ple Juice! ,! Hansen

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Craft Brew Alliance Inc (BREW)

Craft Brew Alliance, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 1981, is an independent craft brewer. The Company is engaged in brewing, marketing and selling of craft beers in the United States. The Company operates two segments: Beer related operations and Pubs and Other. Beer related operations include the brewing and sale of craft beers from its five breweries. Pubs and Other operations primarily include its five pubs, four, of which are located adjacent to its breweries. The Company brews its Widmer Brothers, Redhook and Kona beers in each of its three mainland production breweries, including New Hampshire Brewery, Oregon Brewery and Washington Brewery. The Company also owns and operates a small manual style brewery, primarily used for small batch production at the Rose Quarter in Portland, Oregon. The Company�� beer portfolio is consisted of the Widmer Brothers, Redhook and Kona brand families. On May 2, 2011, the Company sold 42% interest in Fulton Street Brewery, LLC.

The Company�� Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen is a golden, cloudy wheat beer with a pronounced citrus aroma and flavor. This beer is usually served with a lemon slice. Its Drifter Pale Ale is brewed with generous amounts of summit hops. It also includes Drop Top Amber Ale and Rotator India Pale Ale. Initial beers in the series 924 series include the Nelson Imperial IPA and the Pitch Black IPA, which is a Pacific Northwest twist on a traditional IPA, brewed in the style of a Cascadian Dark. Beers in this brand are offered as a draft product and as a four pack for bottles. Widmer Brothers beers include Brothers��Reserve and Alchemy Project. Widmer Brothers seasonal beers are Citra Blonde, Okto, Brrr and W series.

The Redhook family of beers is consisted of sessionable (lower alcohol by volume) and approachable beers. Its Long Hammer IPA is the beer within the brand family and is English pub-style bitter ale with a bold hop aroma and profile that is not overpoweringly bitter. Its

Redhook Pilsner is a crisp, easy-! drinking, golden lager that is modeled after beers originally brewed in Plzen, Czechoslovakia. Redhook ESB is rich, full-bodied amber ale with a smooth flavor profile featuring toasted malts and a pleasant finishing sweetness. Its Copperhook Ale is copper-colored ale with caramel notes and a clean refreshing finish. The Company�� Blueline Series brand is offering from the Redhook brand family for the West Coast beer drinker. These beers are hand crafted by the brewers and are available at its Washington Brewery pub, as well as at select restaurants, bottle shops and public houses in the Seattle, Washington area. Its Brewery Backyard Series is produced at its New Hampshire brewery as a draft product available at the brewery�� pub and at select local establishments. Redhook seasonal beers include Nut Brown Ale, Winterhook Winter Ale and Wit.

The Company�� Kona Beers brand family is consisted of beers that deliver the essence of the Hawaiian Islands that is Always Aloha. The Company�� Longboard Island Lager is a traditionally brewed lager with a delicate, slightly spicy hop aroma that is complimented by a fresh, malt-forward flavor and a smooth, refreshing finish. Its Fire Rock Pale Ale is a crisp, Hawaiian Style pale ale with pronounced citrus and floral hop aromas and flavors that are backed up by a generous malt profile.

Kona seasonal beers include Koko Brown Ale, American brown ale with a deep amber color and rich mahogany hues. This ale has a smoky, roasted nut aroma and flavor, with a coconut twist. Koko Brown Ale is Kona�� spring seasonal. Its Pipeline Porter is smooth and dark, with a roasty aroma and earthy flavor. This ale is brewed with fresh 100% Kona coffee. Its Wailua Wheat is golden, sun-colored ale with a bright, citrusy flavor. This beer is brewed with a touch of tropical passion fruit to impart a slightly tart and crisp finish. Kona offers two variety packs: Island Hopper variety 12-packs and Big Kahuna variety 24-packs. Both packages include the brewe! ry�� Lo! ngboard Island Lager along with Fire Rock Pale Ale and then two of its Aloha series seasonal offerings: Koko Brown, Wailua Wheat and Pipeline Porter.

The Company competes with Heineken, Corona Extra and Guinness.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Katje]

  Publicly traded Craft Brew Alliance (BREW) is the owner of three key craft beer brands. The company, through two mergers, owns the brands Redhook, Widmer, and Kona. One of those brands (Redhook) has a partnership coming with Buffalo Wild Wings that could create coverage of the company's stock and blow revenue estimates out of the water.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  The fantastic performance and growth of this company was noted by Portfolio Grader back in August and the stock was upgraded to an A. Shares of SAM stock remain a “strong buy” at the current price. When it comes to beer stocks to buy now, this is one of the most tempting.

  Best Booze Stocks to Buy Now -�Craft Brew Alliance (BREW)

  Craft Brew Alliance (BREW) makes craft beers under three very popular brands for beer aficionados. The Widmar Brothers, Redhook and Kona brands of beer have all received rave reviews … and that’s just one reason BREW is one of the best beer stocks to buy now.

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Attitude Drinks Inc (ATTD)

Attitude Drinks Incorporated (Attitude), incorporated on May 10, 1988, is a brand-development company. The Company focuses on the non-alcoholic single serving beverage business, developing and marketing of milk based products in two segments: sports recovery and functional dairy. The Company does not directly manufacture its products but instead outsources the manufacturing process to third party packers.

Attitude has developed its second product, which is branded as Phase III Recovery is a milk-based protein drink which is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors. The Company�� co-packer for its dairy based product is O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc. in Batavia, New York. This product contains 35 grams of protein that are inherent in filtered milk. The product is packaged as a retort-processed shelf stable dairy-based 100% milk-based sports recovery drink in both chocolate and vanilla flavors.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company and Pepsico Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Attitude Drinks Inc (OTCMKTS: ATTD), Axiologix, Inc (OTCMKTS: AXLX) and Unisource Corporation (OTCMKTS: USRC) have all been getting some attention lately in investment emails or investor alerts thanks in part to paid promotions. And while there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed paid promotions or investor relations activity, such activity can backfire on unwary investors or traders. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three small cap stocks to help you decide whether they are truly hot or not:

Top 5 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: Alkaline Water Company Inc (WTER.OB)

The Alkaline Water Company Inc., formerly Global Lines Inc, incorporated on June 6, 2011, is a developer of electrolysis beverage process, packaged and branded as Alkaline84. Alkaline84 is the Company's flagship product designed to encourage daily consumption of Alkaline Water through a consumer oriented bulk delivery system. The Company is engaged in the development of a national retail bulk distribution network delivering Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) to consumers everywhere. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its packaged Alkaline84 branded beverage products.

Alkaline84 is available in two sizes: three liters and one gallon. Alkaline84 is a pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with 84 trace minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline84 is available for consumer sales at a number of major retail locations across the southwestern United States.