Stocks To Buy Now: Smart Technologies (nasdaq: Smt) Gets An 18% Bump, With More To Come

3 Stocks Reiterated As A Buy: EMC, WMT, F

Smart Technologies is one of visit this site the sector’s most promising investments. “In 1991, the company developed the first interactive whiteboard, called the SMART Board. Since then, the tech firm has made over two million of them,” Robinson said last week when he recommended SMT stock to Money Morning readers. “Smart Technology also has expanded its product line to include audio enhancement and student response systems, among other interactive offerings.” Note: The Fed’s 2014 taper means volatility ahead. So we’ve outlined how to find profits in a volatile market – like triple-digit gains in just days – if you start with this strategy…
Source: http://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/news/read/26751379/Stocks_to_Buy_Now

Walt Disney Stock is Still Magic For Investors

Company Overview In 1923, the Disney brothers founded a cartoon studio that ultimately gave birth to beloved animated characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Over the decades, the Walt Disney brand has grown into one of the worlds largest mass media companies, with 14 theme parks around the world, one of Hollywoods most established studios as well as dozens of cable television networks. In total, Walt Disney Co. employs 175,000 worldwide and brought in over $45 billion in the last fiscal year. Yield seekers may like to know that Walt Disney stock pays a modest (1.1%) dividend.
Source: http://investorplace.com/2014/03/walt-disney-stock-dis-stocks-to-buy/

Is Now the Time to Buy Utility Stocks?

Building all of this vital infrastructure is going to cost a pretty penny and take years to complete. That means some of the best stocks to buy could be the firms doing that heavy lifting and construction. More Than Half A Trillion Dollars North Americas energy landscape is currently a crisscrossed map of distribution bottlenecks, broken connections and pricing discrepancies. Eliminating those issues is key to even begin thinking about using our newfound bounty.
Source: http://investorplace.com/2014/03/energy-stocks-to-buy-mtz-cbi-kbr/

3 Energy Stocks to Buy for the Upcoming Infrastructure Boom

Clinton Group also noted that “there are innumerable private equity firms that we believe would be happy to consider a leveraged buyout of NutriSystem, leaving the management team, strategy and employees in place.” A representative for Nutrisystem didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Clinton Group in September called for Nutrisystem’s board to increase its dividend, saying such use of the weight-loss products company’s excess capital could improve value for shareholders and reduce its stock price volatility. The investment manager, which in 2012 encouraged Nutrisystem to replace its prior CEO and augment its board, said at that time that Ms. Zier had taken steps to put Nutrisystem on “firm footing” since joining the company.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140325-707933.html

Clinton Group Calls For Nutrisystem to Buy Back Stock

EQT Resources (NYSE: EQT ) , Cabot Oil & Gas (NYSE: COG ) , and Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL ) are all looking to ramp up production this year quickly with large upticks in capital spending, but which one is the best investment for your portfolio? All three of these companies are some of the lowest-cost producers in the country, but there are a couple of elements that make Ultra Petroleum stand out among these three. Find out what makes Ultra the best bet for natural gas companies in 2014 by tuning into the video below. What will be 2014’s version of Core Labs? The Motley Fool’s chief investment officer really nailed his 2013 top stock pick with oil services companyCore Labs, which shot up a spectacular 75% this year alone!
Source: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/24/what-is-the-best-natural-gas-stock-to-buy-today.aspx

This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.95 versus $1.33). The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Computers & Peripherals industry average. The net income increased by 17.5% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $869.92 million to $1,022.00 million. Net operating cash flow has increased to $2,190.00 million or 15.30% when compared to the same quarter last year. The firm also exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of -4.20%.
Source: http://www.thestreet.com/story/12542745/1/3-stocks-reiterated-as-a-buy-emc-wmt-f.html

What Is the Best Natural Gas Stock to Buy Today?

Areas like Austin, TX, are rapidly growing, and if Austin Energy was a publicly traded company it would be among my top recommendations. But there are exceptions, as Warren Buffett demonstrated with his purchase of NV Energy last year, which powers the Las Vegas area. This purchase wasn’t just about population growth. It was about powering that eternal glow in the middle of the Nevada desert.
Source: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/25/3-high-yielding-stocks-for-long-term-investors.aspx

President Obama Expands Sanctions Against Russia

For one, Iranians elected Hassan Rouhani — who campaigned, in part, on opening up Iran more to the world including negotiations on its nuclear program — as president last summer. Iran FM: Mixed response to Obama speech Inside Iran: What life’s really like Significant changes in Tehran’s approach followed, leading to an interim agreement in November involving Iran and the so-called P5+1 — the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany. The deal called for Iran to roll back parts of its nuclear program in return for relief from some sanctions. That agreement went into effect in January. The challenge now is to reach a permanent deal acceptable to all sides. Obama said Thursday that “a comprehensive agreement …
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/politics/obama-iran/index.html

“This is not our preferred outcome. These sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the Russian economy, but could also be disruptive to the global economy. However, Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community,” Obama said. The Obama administration has been careful not to flag its future moves and there was no immediate indication whether it was considering adding two of Russia’s biggest businessmen, Gazprom head Alexei Miller and Rosneft head Igor Sechin, to the sanctions list. The penalties collectively add up to a growing divide between the United States and Russia, in their deepest dispute since the end of the Cold War more than two decades ago. Among the 20 singled out for sanctions, Obama targeted several individuals close to Putin.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/20/us-ukraine-crisis-obama-idUSBREA2J1ER20140320?feedType=RSS

secretary of Homeland Security, spoke with Obama about the invitation, Drake said. Napolitano declined to discuss that contact Thursday, but issued a statement congratulating UC Irvine. UC Irvine will hold a large ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on June 14 for all graduating students, but each of the 12 undergraduate and graduate schools also will have their own individual or shared ceremonies. The schools’ faculty and students generally pick their own commencement speakers, who have included Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, but Irvine officials decided last year they wanted to host Obama to mark the campus’ 50th anniversary. President Lyndon B. Johnson had attended the campus’ dedication and Irvine officials thought having Obama would be a nice way to close the circle, according to school administrators.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-obama-irvine-20140321,0,5225432.story

He did, however, come prepared with a gentle shot aimed at the popular comedian, who earlier this month outdid Obama with a “selfie” photograph she took while hosting the Academy Awards. “I thought it was a pretty cheap stunt myself, getting a bunch of celebrities in the background,” Obama gently ribbed, referencing DeGeneres’ famous “selfie” that featured Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey and Bradley Cooper. The photo broke the record for being retweeted the greatest number of times — a record that had previously been held by Obama for a photo of himself and first lady Michelle on election night 2012. The Ellen Show The appearance marked President Obamas second time on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2007, during his first White House campaign, he famously danced with DeGeneres. Later in the interview, DeGeneres teased Obama, who wasn’t in studio but appeared via satellite, about having run of the White House while his wife and two daughters are away on a week-long trip to China. RELATED: OBAMA ON ZACH GALIFIANAKIS’ WEBSERIES ‘BETWEEN TWO FERNS’ (VIDEO) “Michelle said she’s out of town and she wanted to know, did you make your bed this morning,” DeGeneres said.
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-returns-ellen-degeneres-show-joking-selfie-record-touting-obamacare-article-1.1728252

Michelle Obama tours Beijing’s Forbidden City

Andrew Lubimov/AP President Obamas latest sanctions mean little to Putins forces, who raised a Russian Navy flag on seized Ukrainian ship. In a statement from the South Lawn of the White House, Obama announced financial sanctions on 20 Russians, including some of President Vladimir Putins cronies, government officials and billionaires. Obama also signed an executive order that raises the possibility of penalties against key sectors of the Russian economy. The most hurtful would be targeting Russias critical energy exports. Its probably the biggest card Obama can play but Americas major European allies might be reluctant to go along.
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-address-ukraine-crisis-11am-white-house-statement-article-1.1727886

— Will I rejoice???? No, my liberal friend, I will not rejoice. Are YOU going to rejoice when the government has to bail out the insurance companies due to massive losses? Because you DO realize that the law calls for that, correct? Or will the bailout be OK because it’s a law wholly owned by democrats?
Source: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/20/obama-talks-health-care-scandal-and-celebrity-selfies-with-ellen/

Peng will take Obama through Beijings Forbidden City, accompany her to a school and host a private dinner and performance for her. Between past Chinese first ladies and American first ladies, there really hasnt been much interaction, says Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundations Asian Studies Center. The first ladies on both sides were not the main actors in the Sino-American drama. But could there be some symbolism that emerges from this meeting? It has been decades since Chinese and American leaders have clicked at high levels, says Cheng Li, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/as-michelle-obama-and-chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-prepare-to-meet-anticipation-is-high/2014/03/20/6cc55378-b522-4af6-bb06-e672787bde19_story.html

As Michelle Obama and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan prepare to meet, anticipation is high

Beijing and Washington have hailed the trip as an opportunity for both first ladies to highlight the importance of education and “people-to-people” exchange. But critics in the US have lambasted signals that human rights are off the agenda — although Obama is scheduled to eat at a Tibetan restaurant in Chengdu — and the cost to taxpayers of the trip, which the White House has declined to reveal. Peng Liyuan (L), wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, shows US First Lady Michelle Obama how to hol Obama, her family and Peng began at the No. 2 High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. Photos posted online by China’s state-run Legal Evening News showed them observing students at the school learning how to build robots.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michelle-obama-tours-beijings-forbidden-city-060755672.html

Obama student loan forgiveness

Obama does ESPN radio

1 View reader contributions and add your own related to this story. Add Videos or PhotosBe first to contribute Sign in now to share your story. Sign in with FacebookSign in with Google+ Be first to contribute You’ve contributed successfully to: Obama does ESPN radio Thanks! Check out your photo or video now, and look for it in USA TODAY online, mobile, and print editions. Your submission didnt go through. Please try again.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2014/03/20/obama-colin-cowherd-espn-radio-health-care/6651113/

Student Loans Are Ruining Your Life. Now They’re Ruining The Economy, Too

Loans average $750, and a repayment rate of 99 percent, which shows that students will pay back their loans if given the opportunity. As students continue to successfully repay their loans, they are creating that repayment history and opening the door for millions of other students in the future. Beginning on April 2, all student loans sourced by Vittana.org will be posted on Kivas website for crowdfunding rather than on the Vittana website. Visitors will be able to browse through the stories and profiles of students and select one they want to support with a loan of $25 or more. Kiva connects millions of people around the world through lending to alleviate poverty in areas lacking access to traditional banking systems. With as little as a $25 loan, anyone can help a borrower to start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy and realize his or her potential.
Source: http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/03/kiva-vittana-crowdfund-student-loans-developing-world/

In two recent decisions, though, courts granted relief to borrowers who hadn’t made voluntary payments on their debt and who refused to enroll in income-based repayment plans. The appeals court judges in both cases said enrolling would have been pointless given the women’s tiny incomes. In a third case, the borrower was both employed and healthy, but wage garnishments by his student lenders left him unable to support his wife and two children. Michael Hedlund was twice granted relief in bankruptcy court, but his lenders challenged the decisions both times, said Derek Foran, a partner with San Francisco-based Morrison & Foerster, who along with attorney Yonatan Braude represented Hedlund for free in those appeals. The court battles ultimately resulted in a decision by http://www.obamastudentloanforgiveness.net/ the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld Hedlund’s bankruptcy relief.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/04/column-weston-bankruptcy-colum-idUSL1N0M11WC20140304

Provide the means of obtaining a college education, without the burden of graduating with a mountain of debt. We go to college to increase our opportunity in our adult life. While receiving a degree does just that, the burden that debt places on us can be detrimental to our progress in our adult lives. These astronomical student loans can even impact the economy as a whole, TIME reports. We will be less likely to spend money on goods and services that help this country thrive economically, because of our student loans.
Source: http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php/2014/03/05/student-loans-essential-or-a-farce/

Portions of Student Loans are Increasingly Going Toward Non-College Expenses

The catch is that “if you had $5,000, you would not be eligible for a student loan discharge,” Sommer added. Several recent court decisions have challenged the notion that only the worst-off borrowers, typically those who are permanently disabled, can get education debt erased. The borrowers who won these discharges had low costs, either receiving free legal help or representing themselves. In most cases, borrowers in bankruptcy don’t even ask for help because they figure a discharge of debt is so rare. In one study of 170,000 student loan debtors who filed for bankruptcy protection in 2007, only 51 won full discharges of their debt and 30 received partial discharges. The author of the study, which was published in the American Bankruptcy Law Journal, found that only 213 of the student loan debtors studied even tried to have their education debt discharged by filing what’s known as an “adversary proceeding.” Since bankruptcy law doesn’t allow student loans to be erased in a regular filing, this extra step is necessary before education debt can be discharged.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/04/us-column-weston-bankruptcy-colum-idUSBREA2326420140304?feedType=RSS

My debt is hanging over my mind. Im taking that all on myself. Rong isnt alone. Across the U.S., students are taking on increasingly large amounts of debt to pay for heftier education tuitions. Figures released last week by the Federal Reserve of New York show that aggregate student loans nationwide have continued to rise. At the end of 2003, American students and graduates owed just $253 billion in aggregate debt; by the end of 2013, American students debt had ballooned to a total of $1.08 trillion, an increase of over 300%.
Source: http://business.time.com/2014/02/26/student-loans-are-ruining-your-life-now-theyre-ruining-the-economy-too/

It followed a warning by the U.S. Education Departments inspector general last month about the rising popularity of online education, which has led more students to borrow excessively for personal expenses. Its report said that among online programs at eight universities and colleges, non-education expenses such as rent, transportation and miscellaneous items made up more than half the costs covered by student aid, the WSJ reports. In 2011-2012, about a quarter of student borrowers got loans totaling more than their tuition, after grants, by about $2,500, according to research by Mark Kantrowitz, a higher-education analyst and publisher of the education site Edvisors.com. Some students say they are planning to get a degree but must borrow as much as possible because they cant find jobs that pay enough to cover day-to-day expenses.
Source: http://ecreditdaily.com/2014/03/portions-of-student-loans-are-increasingly-going-toward-non-college-expenses/

U.s. Stocks Fall Most In Month Amid Global Selloff On Ukraine

Stocks finish lower on Ukraine fears

Secretary of State John Kerry arriving in Kiev today. Buying Opportunity The Ukraine news is troubling, but there are always global risks and short-term fluctuations because of these risks, Karyn Cavanaugh , a market strategist at ING U.S.Investment Management in New York, said in a phone interview. Her firm oversees about $200 billion. I see this being short-term unless it escalates. If we do see some market gyrations and volatility, it could be a buying opportunity. The geopolitical tension comes after the S&P 500 rose 4.3 percent in February, the most since October, to end the month at a record 1,859.45.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/U-S-Stocks-Fall-Most-in-Month-Amid-Global-5285402.php

US STOCKS-Wall St slides as Ukraine tensions escalate

Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. The price of oil is also up, with crude prices rising by almost 2% to more than $104 per barrel. “Russia’s involvement clearly magnifies the scope for contagion and increases the possibility that global energy prices will be affected both directly and indirectly,” wrote Stephanie Flanders, chief European market strategist for JPMorgan asset management in London. The tension also triggered a spike in wheat and corn prices, as Ukraine is a leading exporter of both grains.
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/03/investing/stocks-markets/index.html

GPIF Pressure to Buy Stocks to Benefit Public, Ito Says

Elsewhere across Europe bourses moved sharply lower. Britains FTSE 100 index was trading 1.5% lower to 6,708.35 and Germanys DAX index dropped 3.4% to 9,358.89. Frances CAC 40 was down 2.7% to 4,290.87. Tokyos Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.3% to 14,652.23 on Monday in Japan and Hong Kongs Hang Seng declined 1.5% to 22,500.67. Global markets are on edge after Russias move into Ukraines Russian-speaking Crimea injected a major bout of uncertainty into markets and raised fears of the conflict broadening.
Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20140303/BUSINESS07/303030084/Stocks-fall-chaos-Ukraine

Stocks fall on chaos in Ukraine

A link has been sent to your friend’s email address. Join the Nation’s Conversation View reader contributions and add your own related to this story. Add Videos or PhotosBe first to contribute Sign in now to share your story. Sign in with FacebookSign in with Google+ Be first to contribute You’ve contributed successfully to: Biotech, health stocks dominate week’s busy IPO calendar Thanks! Check out your photo or video now, and look for it in USA TODAY online, mobile, and print editions.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/03/03/biotech-ipo-health-care-deal/5989659/

US STOCKS-Wall St sells off as Ukraine-Russia tension rises

I think this will happen over time. The fund also has to show it is independent from politicians. Diversify Assets The Topix index sank 8.1 percent this year through yesterday, the biggest slump among 24 developed markets tracked by Bloomberg. Investors are questioning whether the Japanese premier can follow the first two parts of his Abenomics growth strategy — monetary easing and fiscal stimulus — with reforms needed to make the economic recovery sustainable. GPIF must find a way to manage its money flexibly as well as broaden investments, Abe said to parliament on Feb.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-03/gpif-pressure-to-buy-stocks-to-benefit-public-ito-says.html

STOCKS AROUND THE WORLD GET SLAMMED: Here’s What You Need To Know

With the Russian economy already struggling to grow, most Wall Street experts believe Putin isn’t like to go through with a major military action. ” Direct costs of war to Russia could reach at least 3% of GDP , which consists of nearly half (or about $30 billion) of gas exports from Russia to Europe, which is carried out through Ukraine and which would most likely be disrupted in case of a war,” said Vladimir Osakovskiy, an economist at BofA Merrill Lynch. Credit Suisse’s Alexander Redman and Arun Sai note that Russia could also get hit with economic sanctions while risking getting effectively shut out of the global capital markets. Meanwhile, there were lots of economic data coming out in the U.S. and abroad.
Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stocks-around-world-slammed-heres-210010353.html

Biotech, health stocks dominate week’s busy IPO calendar

The S&P energy sector index, which opened higher, was down 0.6 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 207.75 points or 1.27 percent, to 16,113.96. The S&P 500 lost 19.45 points or 1.05 percent, to 1,840. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 58.584 points or 1.36 percent, to 4,249.534.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/markets-usa-stocks-idUSL1N0M018620140303

The index found some support when it fell to 1,840, but broke below it after the first what stock to buy now attempt. The S&P 500 extended losses in early afternoon trading and then recovered slightly to close above the support level. “It’s too early to tell whether this would be a buying opportunity because we need to see how this (tension between Ukraine and Russia) plays out. It depends on how far this escalates, but I would suggest hedging before making any bets at this point,” said Randy Frederick, managing director of active trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas. The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as the VIX, shot up 14.29 percent, its biggest one-day jump in a month, to end at 16.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/markets-usa-stocks-idUSL1N0M01SV20140303?feedType=RSS