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According to Yahoo finance, Crocs, Inc. (CROX) will release its third quarter financial results on Monday, October 21, 2013; however, the company's investor's relations page makes no note of any impending announcements. That being said, CROX normally reports Q3 EPS around October 24th. So, next Thursday-ish instead of Monday is possible. Wall Street anticipates that CROX will earn $0.18 for the quarter. iStock expects the Consumer Goods to hit Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $0.18, too. Crocs engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Hitting earnings would be a surprise as results topped the consensus twice and missed twice in the last four quarters. Unfortunately, misses have been more painful than hits. Last time out, CROX's shares tanked, nose-diving form $17 to less than $13.50 following the second quarter's profit checkup. In September, management pre-announced that Q3 would be lighter than originally thought. Management said, "The present financial outlook reflects continued weakness in the Company's Americas region where at once orders in the wholesale channel, as well as performance in the direct to consumer channel, are both below prior expectations; however the Company expects third quarter 2013 gross margins to be generally in-line with prior year performance. The softness in the Americas region during the third quarter is somewhat offset by stronger than expected revenue and comparable store performance in the Company's Asia Pacific and Europe regions." Current guidance stands at "revenue between $285 million and $295 million and GAAP diluted earnings per share between $0.15 and $0.18. This compares with the prior financial outlook for the third quarter of 2013 provided on July 24, 2013, of revenue between $300 million and $310 million and GAAP diluted earnings per share between $0.20 and $0.23." Analysts seem to be! uncertain what to expect as none changed their estimate since the company announced Q3 guidance. So, let's take a look at Google Trends to see if can find some hints on what to expect. CROC's earned $0.37 in the second quarter of 2012, which implies profits will fall by 51%. Meanwhile, search volume intensity for the keyword "Crocs" dipped at a much slower pace of 10.66%. So let's work backwards. Revenue for Q2 2012 was $295,569,000. Let's subtract 10.66%, and our Google Trends sales estimate is $264 million and below updated guidance. In the September pre-announcement, the executive team said gross margins would be about the same YoY, which was 54.38%. With that in mind, we come up with a gross profit of $143,574,434.4. If other expenses hold firm with last quarter, then hitting the bottom end of guidance could be tough. Overall: iStock thinks Crocs, Inc. (CROX) has a better chance of missing the street's expectations than topping the consensus. How Wall Street reacts to the news will depend on forward guidance. In the pre-announcement news, management hinted that business should be on the upswing in 2014.
Sometimes when it rains, it really pours. Mother Nature unloaded on numerous French vineyards this year. But for wine-collecting clients, it might not be a washout. The problem with this year’s harvest is that it started early, due to a very long, late winter, says Justin Gibbs, sales and marketing director at Liv-ex, an exchange for investment-grade wine in London. That put vines about three weeks behind their usual stage of development during the summer. Excessive rain in July was followed by August hailstorms in Burgundy that “literally tore vines to pieces,” says Gibbs. There was no relief from the bad weather during the fall harvest season, either. “Growers had waited until October in order to ripen their fruit, which increases the risks,” he adds. “And, lo and behold, come October, it was raining, as it often does and, so, they were picking (but) they have diluted, spoiled yields. … We don’t really have firm statistics yet but they believe that Bordeaux’s production will be the lowest since I think 1991-92, which is a very dire yield indeed.” The French agriculture ministry estimates that this year’s Bordeaux harvest will be down 19% from 2012, according to some news reports. That’s a double whammy for two reasons. First, it means two consecutive years of smaller crops. Chris Adams, chief executive office of Sherry Lehmann Wine & Spirits in New York, points out that 2012 also saw a short vintage in several key production areas. Second, it’s not just a question of quantity. Gibbs notes that if the available wines were sufficiently high quality, producers could raise their prices in the face of reduced supply. “The business aspect is that what they would do—if they could—would (be to offer) low yields, (with) high prices on release,” he says. “But they will struggle to do so if the quality isn’t there to support those prices. And, as far as we can tell, the quality will not be there. So, they won’t be able to raise their prices and they will have some very low yield.” But there are upsides to the crop problems, according to Adams. The Good News If the vintage’s viable wines are priced fairly relative to their quality, that could lead to much less expensive wines coming to market. In turn, those lower prices could bring in buyers who otherwise are priced out of the market’s top end. “If the price is fair, then you have something on your shelf that you can say, 'Look, it’s a lot less expensive than what you’ve seen from previous vintages, and it can drink pretty young,' ” he says. “And, so, that fills in while people are waiting for some other wines [to mature]. It gives consumers points of access to participate in certain wines and other vintages that might be priced out of their realm…it gives them a chance to consume some wines that, as I said, can be consumed young and are probably more affordable than they’ve seen in previous vintages,” Adams concludes. Collectors who own earlier vintages could also benefit from increased demand for their wines. The Liv-ex Fine Wines Investables Index peaked in late June 2011 at a level of 370; as of Oct. 30, it had dropped to 283. Both Adams and Gibbs agree that these lower market prices on many earlier vintages, several of which are highly rated, combined with recent short supplies, should spur renewed interest in previous high-quality vintages among merchants and collectors. “Over the last couple of years, the market has actually pulled back 25 to 30%, depending on which wines you follow,” says Gibbs. “It’s not a bad time to be picking up those wines ... Still, I suspect, in conclusion, there will be an impact but it’s not yet impacted. It’s not impacted the market, despite the fact that we know what’s coming. It will be the reality of the moment when I think we might see some sort of price impact.”
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices gained Friday, paring the week's steep losses as investors prepared for a pivot from the Federal Reserve's bond-buying stimulus. Bond investors got a close-up look this week at the Fed's attempt to guide the markets from reliance on the central bank's bond buys towards its stance that short-term interest rates will remain low into the foreseeable future. After the release of minutes from the Fed's policy meeting last month, longer-dated yields spiked while shorter-term Treasurys fell. Click to Play  Week in review: How the Dubai Airshow took off From the largest commercial launch in jetliner history with the Boeing 777X to the growing Dubai based airline FlyDubai, here are highlights from this week's Dubai Air Show. Photo: EPA The market reversed direction Friday, but benchmark notes nonetheless sustained weekly losses. The 10-year Treasury (10_YEAR) yield, which falls as prices rise, was down 4 basis points on the day at 2.751%, but rose 4.5 basis points this week. The 30-year bond (30_YEAR) yield fell 5.5 basis points to 3.831%, while the 5-year note (5_YEAR) yield fell 2 basis points to 1.350%. "I think it's a reversal of some of what we've seen over the last couple days," said Gabriel Mann, market strategist at RBS. "The moves have been somewhat dramatic this week, which makes sense given that the FOMC has been pounding the table on forward guidance." Nonetheless, the movement in the Treasury market suggests that investors are adjusting to the Fed's potential change in policy. "When a decision to taper is eventually made, it may not have the adverse impact that many appear to expect," said John Higgins and Jessica Hinds of Capital Economics in a report. "This is because the minutes of October's FOMC meeting strongly suggest that officials are looking to alter the mix, rather than the stance, of monetary policy in a way that should provide ongoing support for Treasurys."  Bloomberg  Enlarge Image Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Gains on Friday were one sign investors may be finding current yield levels to be an attractive buying opportunity. "We keep hearing about cash on the sidelines," said Chris Keith, senior vice president and fixed-income manager at Adviser Investments. "For people who are regular traders, why not take advantage?" Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said Friday that the central bank is likely to have dovish monetary policies for a number of years. Kansas City Fed President Esther George spoke about macro-prudential supervision, noting that it is an unproven tool. Data on Friday showed that the number of job openings at U.S. workplaces climbed to 3.91 million in September from 3.84 million in August.
Third Point LLC has a $1 billion position in SoftBank Corp.(9984.TO), according to a firm spokeswoman, who confirmed remarks made by the firm's Chief Executive Daniel Loeb on Thursday. Mr. Loeb's detailed the position at an investor conference in New York. Third Point has recently been investing in Japan and Mr. Loeb has publicly declared support for the monetary policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Sony Corp. is among his other investments in Japan. Mr. Loeb hand delivered a letter to the head of the electronics and technology giant and pushed for Sony to separate its film business. While the company rebuffed that idea, Mr. Loeb said recently that he feels the company has taken positive steps and he has continued to meet with management. Earlier at the same conference, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital Inc. said his firm has a long position in Micron Technologies(MU), according to people familiar with the matter. Micron shares were up 5.4% in midday trade, at $19.79.
 At the end of trading Wednesday, the Dow closed down 0.40 percent to 15,273.26 while the NASDAQ dropped 0.19 percent to 3,761.10. The S&P also fell, declining 0.27 percent to 1,692.77. Top Headline
AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) reported a 15% rise in its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings. AutoZone's quarterly profit surged to $371.2 million, or $10.42 per share, from $323.7 million, or $8.46 per share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings came in at $9.76 per share. Its net sales climbed 12% to $3.1 billion, while sales at stores open at least one year jumped 1%. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $10.34 per share on sales of $3.09 billion. AutoZone's total auto-parts sales climbed 10% to $2.99 billion. However, its domestic commercial sales jumped 17% to $506.8 million. AutoZone closed up 2.60 percent on Wednesday at $425.07. Equities Trading UP
MAKO Surgical (NASDAQ: MAKO) closed up 82.13 percent to $29.45 after the company agreed to be acquired by Stryker (NYSE: SYK) for $30 per share in cash. Shares of Ascena Retail Group (NASDAQ: ASNA) got a boost, closing up 15.82 percent to $20.06 after the company reported upbeat fiscal fourth-quarter results. Nordic American Tankers (NYSE: NAT) also closed up 10.67 percent to $8.92 after the Dow Jones Global Shipping Index showed strength throughout the session on Wednesday. Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY) took a hit on Wednesday, closing down 6.15 percent to $8.01 as traders became skeptical that its buyout would be executed. AAR (NYSE: AIR) shares tumbled 9.25 percent to close at $27.16 after the company reported a drop in its fiscal first-quarter profit. J. C. Penney Company (NYSE: JCP) closed down 14.54 percent to $10.17 despite a Dow Jones report stating that J.C. Penney will hire around 35,000 holiday season workers. Commodities
In commodity news, oil closed down 0.80 percent to $102.31, while gold closed up 1.30 percent to $1,333.40. Silver traded up 0.64 percent Wednesday to $21.72, while copper rose 0.51 percent to $3.28. Eurozone
European shares were mixed today. The Spanish Ibex Index surged 0.84 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index rose 0.14 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX dropped 0.02 percent and the French CAC 40 fell 0.01 percent while U.K. shares declined 0.27 percent. Economics
The MBA's index of mortgage application activity climbed 5.5% in the week ended September 20, versus a rise of 11.2% in the week ended September 13. US durable-goods orders rose 0.1% in August, while core durable-goods orders fell 0.1% in the month. US new home sales climbed 7.9% to an annual rate of 421,000 in August. However, economists were projecting sales to rise to a rate of 420,000 in August. Crude stockpiles increased 2.6 million barrels for the week ended September 20, the US Energy Information Administration reported. However, analysts were expecting a fall of 1.5 million barrels.
LONDON (AP) — Shares in Aberdeen Asset Management have surged after the company struck a deal with Lloyds Banking Group that analysts say will make it Europe's biggest independent fund manager. In a statement, Aberdeen said it will buy Lloyds' asset management unit Scottish Widows Investment Partnership for around 550 million pounds ($885 million) in shares. In return, Lloyds — still around one-third owned by the British government following a bailout — will get a 9.9% stake in Aberdeen. The two will also form a long-term strategic partnership whereby Aberdeen will manage assets on behalf of Lloyds. Lloyds said it will be a "supportive" shareholder and has committed to maintain its initial shareholding in Aberdeen for at least a year, and a third of it for at least three years. Aberdeen could make a further 100 million pounds cash payout to Lloyds over five years if certain performance criteria are met. The sale, which is expected to be completed early next year following the necessary regulatory approval, does not include Scottish Widows, Lloyds' life, pensions and investment business. "We are confident that this transaction will deliver considerable additional value to our expanded client base and this will therefore benefit our shareholders," said Martin Gilbert, Aberdeen's chief executive. Investors cheered the prospect of another 136 billion pounds worth of funds being added to Aberdeen's current portfolio of around 200 billion pounds. Aberdeen shares were up 14.1% to 487 pence in London. "After the completion of this acquisition Aberdeen Asset Management will become the largest fund management firm in Europe," said Alastair McCaig, an analyst at IG. For Lloyds, McCaig said the deal is another step the bank has taken to "reorganize its portfolio of exposure." Shares in Lloyds rose 1.4 percent to 76 pence. Lloyds had to be bailed out by the British taxpayer at the height of the banking crisis in 2008 but has recently shown signs that it is h! ealing. The government recently sold some of its stake in the bank.
Shares of biotech�Dynavax Technologies� (NASDAQ: DVAX ) �plunged 30% this morning after the company provided an update on its experimental hepatitis B vaccine Heplisav. According to its press release, the company met with the Food & Drug Administration, and the regulatory agency has stated that Dynavax simply doesn't have enough data to confirm the safety of the vaccine. This can't come as a total surprise to investors who have been tracking Dynavax over the last few months. Back in November, the FDA's advisory committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of the vaccine's efficacy. The major problem, however, was the lack of data to support the drug's safety in the broad age range that the company was seeking approval for (ages 18-70). The committee voted 8-5, with one member abstaining, that the company needed more safety data. A Complete Response Letter from the FDA quickly followed in February, and a lack of safety data was again cited as the main reason for the rejection. 10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AMAG) AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Its principal product includes Feraheme (ferumoxytol) injection for intravenous (IV) use, which was approved for marketing in the United States in June 2009 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for use as an IV iron replacement therapy for the treatment of IDA in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The company is pursuing marketing applications in the European Union, Canada, and Switzerland for Feraheme for the treatment of IDA in CKD patients. AMAG Pharmaceuticals was founded in 1981 and is based in Lexington, Massachusetts. 10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Amarantus Bioscience Holdings Inc (AMBS) Amarantus BioScience Holdings, Inc., formerly Amarantus BioSciences, Inc., incorporated on March 22, 2013, is focuses on developing intellectual property and proprietary technology in order to develop drug candidates and diagnostic blood tests to diagnose and treat human diseases. The Company owns the intellectual property rights to a therapeutic protein known as Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor (MANF), owns the intellectual property rights to biomarkers related to oncology and neurodegeneration named BC-SeraPro and NuroPro respectively, has a license to an Alzheimer�� disease blood test named LymPro, and owns a number of proprietary cell lines called PhenoGuard. MANF was the first therapeutic protein discovered from a PhenoGuard Cell Line. In December 2012, the Company acquired neurodegenerative diagnostic portfolio from Power3 Medical Products. On March 22, 2013, the Company was merged with into Amarantus Bioscience Inc. The Company also owns an inventory of 88 cell lines that Amarantus refers to as PhenoGuard Cell Lines. MANF is a protein that corrects protein misfolding. The Company�� MANF product development effort is centered on a therapy for Parkinson�� disease. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Bryan Murphy]
Two weeks ago I penned some bullish thoughts on Amarantus BioScience, Inc. (OTC:AMBS). In simplest terms, I liked the way the stock had spent some time in consolidation mode, and looked like was testing the upper boundary of that zone - I figured a breakout from AMBS was imminent. So I waited... and waited.... and waited. Nothing. A week and a half later, I let the stock fall off my mental radar. As it turns out, I should have been a little more patient. Amarantus BioScience finally did the deed yesterday, and is following through today. - [By Bryan Murphy]
I've taken bullish swings on - and been wrong to do so - Amarantus BioScience, Inc. (OTC:AMBS) before. My most recent bullish call on the budding biotech name was in April... a rally that fizzled shortly after I said it was just getting started. Somehow though, I find myself coming back to AMBS as a breakout candidate. This time, however, it's for a slightly different reason.
Celsion Corporation, an oncology drug development company, develops and commercializes targeted chemotherapeutic oncology drugs based on its proprietary heat-activated liposomal technology. The company is developing its lead product, ThermoDox that is in Phase III clinical trial for primary liver cancer; and in phase II clinical trial for treatment of recurrent chest wall breast cancer. It has a license agreement with Yakult Honsha to commercialize and market ThermoDox for the Japanese market. The company also has a license agreement with Duke University under which it received exclusive rights to commercialize and use Duke's thermo-liposome technology. In addition, Celsion Corporation has a joint research agreement with Royal Phillips Electronics to evaluate the combination of Phillips' high intensity focused ultrasound with its ThermoDox to determine the potential of this combination to treat a range of cancers. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Columbia, M aryland. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the Move: NQ Mobile Inc. (NYSE: NQ) is up 26% at $11.09 as the company fights back against a short-seller report. Celsion Corp. (NASDAQ: CLSN) is up 339.3% at $5.14 following a reverse 1:4.5 stock split. Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) is up 4.7% at $17.50. - [By EquityOptionsGuru]
The Prolieve Thermodilatation System was actually developed by the current management of Medifocus while employed at Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ:CLSN). The system was also jointly developed with Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) before being acquired by Medifocus in July 2012. Prolieve has already received FDA approval, is currently generating revenue, and is the only in office alternative to drug therapy. The system essentially uses microwave energy to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland that typically affects men over the age of 50. The Prolieve device works by compressing and heating prostatic tissue that may be blocking the flow of urine. This particular treatment option offers patients several benefits including the following:
10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc (Q) Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc. is a provider of biopharmaceutical development services and commercial outsourcing services. The Company operates in two segments: Product Development and Integrated Healthcare Services. The Company�� Product Development segment operates as a contract research organization (CRO) focused primarily on Phase II-IV clinical trials and associated laboratory and analytical activities. The Company�� Integrated Healthcare Services segment is a global commercial pharmaceutical sales and service organizations and Integrated Healthcare Services provides a range of services, including commercial services, such as providing contract pharmaceutical sales forces in geographic markets, as well as healthcare business services for the healthcare sector, such as outcome-based and payer and provider services. In August 2012, it acquired Expression Analysis, Inc. Product Development Product Development provides services and that allow biopharmaceutical companies to outsource the clinical development process from first in man trials to post-launch monitoring. The Company�� service offering provides the support and functional necessary at each stage of development, as well as the systems and analytical capabilities. Product Development consists of clinical solutions and services and consulting. Clinical solutions and services provides services necessary to develop biopharmaceutical products, including project management and clinical monitoring functions for conducting multi-site trials (generally Phase II-IV) (core clinical) and clinical trial support services that improve clinical trial decision making and include global laboratories, data management, biostatistical, safety and pharmacovigilance, and early clinical development trials, and strategic planning and design services that improve decisions and performance. Consulting provides strategy and management consulting services based on life science and advanced analytics, as well as regulatory and comp! liance consulting services. The Company competes with Covance, Inc., Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., PAREXEL International Corporation, ICON plc, inVentiv Health, Inc. (inVentive), INC Research and PRA International. Integrated Healthcare Services Integrated Healthcare Services provides the healthcare industry with both geographic presence and commercial capabilities. The Company�� commercialization services are designed to accelerate the commercial of biopharmaceutical and other health-related products. Service offerings include commercial services (sales representatives, strategy, marketing communications and other areas related to commercialization), outcome research (drug therapy analysis, real-world research and evidence-based medicine, including research studies to prove a drug�� value) and payer and provider services comparative and cost-effectiveness research capabilities, clinical management analytics, decision support services, medication adherence and health outcome optimization services, and Web-based systems for measuring quality improvement. The Company competes with inVentiv, PDI, Inc., Publicis Selling Solutions, United Drug plc, EPS Corporation and CMIC HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. 10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Neoprobe Corporation(NEOP) Neoprobe Corporation, a biomedical company, engages in the development and commercialization of precision diagnostics that enhance patient care and improve patient benefit. The company is developing and commercializing targeted agents aimed at the identification of occult (undetected) disease. Neoprobe?s two lead radiopharmaceutical agent platforms, Lymphoseek and RIGScan are intended to help surgeons better identify and treat certain types of cancer. Lymphoseek is a diagnostic imaging agent intended for radiolabeling and administration in radiodetection and visualization of the lymphatic system draining the region of injection for delineation of the lymphatic tissue; and RIGScan is an intraoperative biologic targeting agent consisting of a radiolabeled murine monoclonal antibody. The company has a biopharmaceutical development and supply agreement with Laureate Biopharmaceutical Services, Inc. to support the initial evaluation of the viability of the CC49 master working c ell bank, as well as the initial steps in re-validating the commercial production process for the biologic agent used in RIGScan CR. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Dublin, Ohio. 10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc.(OGXI) OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies that address treatment resistance in cancer patients. The company?s clinical stage products include Custirsen, a phase III clinical stage product for treatment in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer; OGX-427, which is in phase II clinical development stage is designed to inhibit heat shock protein 27; and SN2310 that completed phase I stage of clinical development is designed to evaluate safety in patients with advanced cancer. Its pre clinical stage products include GX-225 that is focused on reducing the production of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-5; and CSP-9222, lead compound from a family of caspase activators. OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is based in Bothell, Washington. 10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Galectin Therapeutics Inc (GALT) Galectin Therapeutics Inc., formerly Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on January 26, 2001, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in drug development to create therapies for cancer and fibrotic disease. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has two compounds in development, one is to be used in cancer therapy and the other intended to be used in the treatment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease. These two compounds are produced from different natural starting materials, both possessing the property, which lends itself to binding to and inhibiting galectin proteins. GM-CT-01, the Company's product candidate for cancer therapy, is a linear polysaccharide polymer consisted of mannose and galactose that has a defined chemical structure and is derived from a plant source. GR-MD-02, the Company's product for treatment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease with inflammation and fibrosis, is a polysaccharide polymer possessing both linear and globular structures, which also is derived from a plant source. GM-CT-01 has in development for the therapy of colorectal cancer and is in a Phase I/II clinical trial as a combination therapy with a tumor vaccine in patients with advanced melanoma. Based on the completed Phase I and partially completed Phase II clinical trials, the Company is exploring two additional potential indicia for the use of GM-CT-01 in combination with cancer chemotherapy. There are two additional pathways for the development of GM-CT-01 for use in treatment of cancer. GM-CT-01 was found to be generally safe when studied in a Phase I clinical trial in end-stage cancer patients with multiple tumor types alone and in combination with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), which is an Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved chemotherapy used for treatment of various types of cancer. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Roberto Pedone]
Galectin Therapeutics (GALT) offers drug research and development to create new therapies for fibrotic disease and cancer. This stock closed up 9.6% to $12.06 in Monday's trading session. Monday's Volume: 674,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 222,171
Volume % Change: 149% Shares of GALT jumped higher on Monday after Ascendiant initiated coverage on the stock with a buy recommendation. From a technical perspective, GALT spiked sharply higher here with strong upside volume. This stock has been uptrending for the last three months, with shares ripping higher from its low of $3.95 to its recent high of $13.21. During that move, shares of GALT have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GALT within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if GALT manages to take out Monday's high of $12.44 and then once it clears its 52-week high at $13.21 with high volume. Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GALT as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $11 or at $10 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 222,171 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GALT will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $13.21, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $15 to $16.
10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (INO) Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on June 29, 1983, is engaged in the development of a new generation of vaccines, called synthetic vaccines, focused on cancers and infectious diseases. The Company's SynCon technology enables the design of universal vaccines capable of providing cross-protection against existing or changing strains of pathogens, such as influenza and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Company's electroporation delivery technology uses brief, controlled electrical pulses to increase cellular uptake of the vaccine. Its clinical programs include cervical dysplasia (therapeutic), avian influenza (preventive), prostate cancer (therapeutic), leukemia (therapeutic), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV vaccines. It is advancing preclinical research and clinical development for a universal seasonal/pandemic influenza vaccine, as well as preclinical work for other products, including malaria and prostate cancer vaccines. Its partners and collaborators include University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health/Malaria Vaccine Initiative (PATH/MVI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Merck, ChronTech, University of Southampton, United States Military HIV Research Program (USMHRP), the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and HIV Vaccines Trial Network (HVTN). As of December 31, 2011 it owned 16.1% interest in VGX Int��. Inovio�� Solution The Company�� synthetic vaccine platform consists of its SynCon vaccine design process and electroporation delivery technology. It has developed a preclinical and clinical stage pipeline of vaccines. The Company�� synthetic vaccines are designed to prevent a disease (prophylactic vaccines) or treat an existing disease (therapeutic vaccines). Its synthetic vaccine consists of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) plasmid encoding a selected antigen! (s), which is introduced into cells of humans or animals with the purpose of evoking an immune response to the encoded antigen. The Company�� synthetic vaccines are designed to generate specific antibody and/or T-cell responses. The Company�� SynCon technology provides processes that employ bioinformatics, which combine extensive genetic data and sophisticated algorithms. Its design process uses the genetic make-up of a common antigen(s) from multiple strains of a virus within a viral sub-type or taxonomic group (family) of pathogens, such as HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and other diseases to synthetically create a new antigen for the desired pathogen target that does not exist in nature. Its synthetic vaccine candidates are being delivered into cells of the body using its electroporation (EP) DNA delivery technology. Cancer Synthetic Vaccines The Company has two broad types of cancer vaccines: preventive (or prophylactic) vaccines, which are intended to prevent cancer from developing in healthy people, and treatment (or therapeutic) vaccines, which are intended to treat an existing cancer by strengthening the body�� natural defenses against the cancer. Two types of cancer preventive vaccines are available in the United States. The United States Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) has approved two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix that protect against infection by the two types of HPV-types 16 and 18-that cause approximately 70% of all cases of cervical cancer worldwide. In addition, Gardasil protects against infection by two additional HPV types, 6 and 11, which are responsible for about 90% of all cases of genital warts in males and females but do not cause cervical cancer. Cervarix manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is composed of virus-like particles (VLPs) made with proteins from HPV types 16 and 18. Cervarix is approved for use in females��ages 10 to 25 for the prevention of cervical cancer caused by! HPV type! s 16 and 18. Gardasil manufactured by Merck, is approved for use in females for the prevention of cervical cancer, and some vulvar and vaginal cancers, caused by HPV types 16 and 18 and for use in males and females for the prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11. The vaccine is approved for these uses in females and males ages 9 to 26. The FDA has also approved a cancer preventive vaccine that protects against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Inovio�� VGX-3100 is designed to raise immune responses against the E6 and E7 genes of HPV types 16 and 18 that are present in both pre-cancerous and cancerous cells transformed by these HPV types. E6 and E7 are oncogenes that play an integral role in transforming HPV-infected cells into cancerous cells. In March 2011, it initiated a randomized, double-blind Phase II study of VGX-3100 delivered using the CELLECTRA intramuscular electroporation device in women with HPV Type 16 or 18 and diagnosed with, but not yet treated for, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3. The study is designed to enroll 148 subjects. In January 2011, it announced the publication of a scientific paper in the journal Human Vaccines detailing potent immune responses in a preclinical study of its SynCon vaccine for prostate cancer targeting two antigens, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA). In January 2011, the Company announced the regulatory approval of a Phase II clinical trial (WIN Trial) to treat leukemia utilizing its new ELGEN 1000 automated vaccine delivery device. The single dose level, Phase II study, called WT1 immunity via DNA fusion gene vaccination in haematological malignancies by intramuscular injection followed by intramuscular electroporation. Cancer Vaccines encodes for hTERT, an antigen related to non-small cell lung, breast and prostate cancers. The vaccine is delivered using its electroporation delivery technology. Infectious Disease Synthetic Vaccines In Marc! h 2011, the Company announced the initiation of a follow-on open label, single dose Phase II clinical study in collaboration with ChronTech of the ChronVac-C HCV DNA vaccine delivered using its electroporation technology in treatment naive HCV infected individuals. Its HIV vaccines consist of candidates for HIV prevention, as well as therapy or treatment. PENNVAX-B is designed to target HIV clade B (most commonly found in the United States, North America, Australia and the European Union (EU). PENNVAX-G is designed to target HIV clades A, C and D, which are more commonly found in Asia, Africa, Russia and South America. This Phase I clinical study of PENNVAX-B (HVTN-080) vaccinated 48 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers to assess safety and levels of immune responses generated by Inovio�� PENNVAX-B vaccine delivered with its CELLECTRA electroporation device. PENNVAX-B is a SynCon vaccine that targets HIV gag, pol, and env proteins. The Company�� VGX-3400X targets H5N1. The vaccine consists of three distinct DNA plasmids coded for a consensus hemagglutinin (HA) antigen derived from different H5N1 virus strains; a consensus neuraminidase (NA) antigen derived from different N1 sequences; and a consensus nucleoprotein (NP) fused to a small portion of the m2 protein (m2E) based on a broader cross-section of influenza viruses in addition to H5N1 and H1N1. Conventional vaccines are strain-specific and have limited ability to protect against genetic shifts in the influenza strains they target. They are therefore modified annually in anticipation of the next flu season�� new strain(s). It is focused on developing DNA-based influenza vaccines able to provide broad protection against known as well as newly emerging, unknown seasonal and pandemic influenza strains. Animal Health/Veterinary VGX Animal Health, Inc. (VGX AH), a majority-owned subsidiary, has licensed LifeTide, a plasmid-based growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) technology for swine. LifeTide is one of onl! y four DN! A-based treatments approved for use in animals and is the only DNA-based agent delivered using electroporation that has been granted marketing approval (Australia). VGX AH is also developing a GHRH-based treatment for cancer and anemia in dogs and cats. It is developing a synthetic vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) administered by its vaccine delivery technology. The FMD virus is one of the most infectious diseases affecting farm animals, including cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and is a serious threat to global food safety. The Company competes with Crucell N.V, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Inc., Novartis, Inc., MedImmune and CSL. Advisors' Opinion: - [By George Budwell]
Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEMKT: INO ) develops DNA-based vaccines and delivers them using a proprietary electroporation technique. Shares of Inovio have been a roller coaster all year long, and have certainly been the playground of day traders. Last week, Inovio shares lost more than 10% of their value on heavy volume, suggesting the stock may continue to experience downward pressure. This rapid move downward is surprising because the company recently signed a licensing deal with Roche (NASDAQOTH: RHHBY ) to commercialize Inovio's multi-antigen DNA immunotherapies for prostate cancer and hepatitis B. As part of the deal, Inovio received $10 million upfront, and milestone payments could go as high as $412 million.
10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: InterMune Inc.(ITMN) InterMune, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, and commercialization of therapies in pulmonology and fibrotic diseases. In pulmonology, the company focuses on therapies for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and fatal lung disease. It markets pirfenidone, an orally active drug that inhibits the synthesis of TGF-beta under the Esbriet name in the European Union, as well as in a Phase III clinical trial in the United States. Pirfenidone is also approved for the treatment of IPF in Japan, where it is marketed by Shionogi & Co. Ltd. under the Pirespa trade name. The company?s research programs focus on the discovery of small-molecule therapeutics and biomarkers to treat and monitor serious pulmonary and fibrotic diseases. InterMune, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Brisbane, California. Advisors' Opinion: - [By Rich Smith]
On Thursday, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former vice president of finance, accounting officer, and controller of InterMune (NASDAQ: ITMN ) with insider trading. - [By Ben Levisohn]
Markey rates the stock a Buy with an $11 price target. Shares of MannKind have jumped 14% to $7.85 today. The SPDR Biotech ETF (XBI) has gained 0.7% to $119.85 today, while Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) has gained 1% to $49.05, NPS Pharmaceuticals (NPSP) has fallen 4.1% to $23.56, and InterMune (ITMN) has risen 2.6% to $14.89.
10 Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: DiaMedica Inc (DMA) DiaMedica Inc. (DiaMedica) is a development-stage company. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of diabetes and related diseases. DiaMedica's compound, DM-199, is a recombinant human protein for the treatment of both Type I and Type II diabetes and their complications. DiaMedica is starting a Phase I/II clinical trial for DM-199. DM-199 is a recombinant human protein, which improves glucose control, protects beta cells through the expansion of a population of antigen-specific immunosuppressive cells (Tregs), and proliferates insulin producing beta cells through the activation of certain growth factors. The Company�� DM-204 is a G-protein-coupled receptor agonist (GPCR) monoclonal antibody to treat Type II diabetes and some of the associated complication's. activating a receptor resulted in insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and vasodilation.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Friday proposed to reduce the amount of ethanol in the nation's fuel supply for the first time, acknowledging that the biofuel law championed by both parties in 2007 is not working as well as expected. While the proposal highlights the government's struggle to ramp up production of homegrown biofuels that are cleaner-burning than gasoline, but is unlikely to mean much for consumers at the pump. The change would require almost 3 billion gallons less ethanol and other biofuels to be blended into gasoline in 2014 than the law requires. The 2007 law tried to address global warming by requiring oil companies to blend billions of gallons of biofuels into their gasoline each year. But politicians who wrote the law didn't anticipate fuel economy to improve as much as it has in recent years, which reduced demand for gasoline. Meanwhile, next-generation biofuels, made from agricultural waste such as wood chips and corncobs, have not taken off as quickly as Congress required and the administration expected. President Obama has championed biofuels since his days as an Illinois senator, and his administration has resisted previous calls to lower biofuel volumes or repeal the law. EPA officials said they were still committed to alternative fuels as part of a comprehensive energy strategy. If the EPA stuck to the volumes mandated by law, the amount of biofuel required would generate more ethanol than many engines can safely handle, officials said. "Biofuels are a key part of the Obama administration's 'all of the above' energy strategy, helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon pollution and create jobs," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. Biofuel supporters, however, said the proposal marked a departure for the Obama administration. "This is the first time that the! Obama administration has shown any sign of wavering," said Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Ethanol Council. Bob Dinneen, the head of the Renewable Fuels Association, the Washington group that lobbies on behalf of the ethanol industry, said the proposal "cannot stand." "An administration committed to addressing climate change cannot turn its back on biofuels," Dinneen said. The ethanol mandate created an unusual alliance between oil companies, which have seen ethanol cut into their share of the gasoline market, and environmental groups that oppose planting more corn for fuel. A recent AP investigation found that corn-based ethanol's effect on the environment is far worse than the government predicted or admits. The oil industry lobbied hard for a reduction.
Fiksu provides an SDK that is used by a wide range of companies including 7 Eleven, Coca-Cola, Disney, Samsung and Zynga that helps them grow their user base. It measures each iPad only once even if it is running multiple apps with its SDK so it can provide some insight into how well the various iPad models are doing. (Note that my family and I own Apple shares). Fiksu has been monitoring the usage of its SDK on the iPads that have it installed since the initial availability of the iPad 4, iPad Mini, iPad Air and will be following the Retina iPad Mini. Twelve days after they became available a year ago: iPad 4's represented 0.31% of the iPad's that were using Fiksu's SDK iPad Mini's represented 0.33% of the iPad's that were using its SDK Now 12 days after launch: iPad Air's represent 1.56% of the iPad's that are using Fiksu's SDK Note that as of 10:15 am ET the percentage was 1.77% but since it is updated during the day it tends to fluctuate 
Source: Fiksu This data shows the iPad Air is off to a terrific start It appears from the graph and numbers that the Air is having much greater traction in the first two weeks after it became available than the iPad 4 and Mini a year ago. However, there are a number of assumptions that need to be taken into account to develop an estimate for how the iPad Air's are selling vs. the 4's and Mini's a year ago. To estimate how iPad Air sales may be tracking compared to the iPad 4 and Mini you can take the percentage that Fiksu's SDK is showing up on the Air's (1.56%) and divide it by the combined 4's & Mini's (0.64%) to get a ratio of 2.44x or 144% higher. Since Fiksu's measurements are calculated against the number of iPads in use I believe you also need to take into account the larger install base of current iPads vs. a year ago. My calculations for the number of iPads as of mid-November are: About 106 million iPads had been sold by the mid-November 2012 timeframe. This is based on the 98 million that had been sold as of September 2012 and adding one-third of the December quarter's 22.9 million unit sales. About 178 million iPads have been sold by the mid-November 2013 timeframe. This is based on the 169 million that had been sold as of September 2012 and adding one-third of my December quarter projection of 25.5 million units. These calculations assume that all iPads are in use and that none are sitting in a drawer or broken. To take these into account it would probably be worthwhile to decrease the numbers by at least 10%. Which means there are 61% more units to consider (68% higher base discounted by 10%) when determining how many iPad Air's have sold. However this is only one data point When you work through the numbers it shows that the iPad Air is selling at multiples of the iPad 4 and Mini. While I believe the iPad Air is selling at a higher rate than the iPad 4 and Mini, I'm not convinced it is 144% higher from the SDK ratio and especially 231% when taking the 144% ratio and multiplying it by the 61% higher install base. Fiksu's numbers are only one data point so it would be prudent to see what other metrics and analysis indicate as we go through the quarter. It also does not take into account the Retina iPad Mini which just launched. I am also tracking the Air's lead-times and have started to do it for the Retina Mini (the information is available via this Google Doc) which gives some feeling for how well supply is catching up to demand. Keep in mind that there are a number of factors that could distort the above analysis for how the Air is doing against the iPad 4 and Mini from a year ago: Fiksu has its SDK installed on about 1,800 apps currently vs. 700 a year ago, an increase of 157% Are the 1,100 new apps that use Fiksu's SDK installed at a higher (or lower) rate on iPad Air's than iPad 4's and Mini's? Are iPad Air users more likely to install one of the 1,800 apps than the iPad 4 and Mini users did a year ago when there were 700 apps Fiksu's apps tend to be more U.S. oriented vs. Apple's sales The geographies that the Air has been launched are different than the ones a year ago Fiksu's apps are only installed on a percentage of all iPads so it does not capture all iPad usage Follow me on Twitter @sandhillinsight. You can find my other Forbes posts here.
  Popular Posts: 6 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now5 Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy Now9 Biotechnology Stocks to Sell Now Recent Posts: 10 Best “Strong Buy” Stocks — CSGP TYL PCYC and more 5 Stocks With Bad Earnings Momentum — FNBN NAV SGK LGCY VNR 22 Commercial Banking Stocks to Buy Now View All Posts This week, 22 Commercial Banking stocks are improving their overall ratings on Portfolio Grader. Each of these stocks is rated an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”). HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:) is making headway this week, with the company’s rating improving to an A (“strong buy”) from a B (“buy”) last week. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategories of Earnings Growth, Earnings Revisions, Earnings Surprise, and Margin Growth, HTBI also gets A’s. . Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:) is making progress this week as its rating of C (“hold”) from last week increases to a B (“buy”) rating this week. Pinnacle Financial Partners is a holding company for Pinnacle National Bank. . Taylor Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:) is seeing ratings go up from a B last week to an A this week. Taylor Capital Group is a bank holding company for Cole Taylor Bank. . BSB Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:) boosts its rating from a C to a B this week. BSB Bancorp operates as a bank holding company. . BNC Bancorp (NASDAQ:) improves from a C to a B rating this week. BNC Bancorp offers products and services to individuals and small- to medium-sized local businesses. . Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:) earns a B this week, jumping up from last week’s grade of C. Wells Fargo provides financial services in mainly wholesale banking, mortgage banking, consumer finance, equipment leasing, agricultural finance and commercial finance. . PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:) shows solid improvement this week. The company’s rating rises from a C to a B. PacWest Bancorp is the holding company for Pacific Western Bank. . U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:) boosts its rating from a C to a B this week. U.S. Bancorp provides banking and financial services. . Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:) gets a higher grade this week, advancing from a C last week to a B. Huntington Bancshares is a multi-state bank holding company. . Independent Bank Corp.’s (NASDAQ:) ratings are looking better this week, moving up to a B from last week’s C. Independent Bank is the holding company for Rockland Trust. . First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:) is seeing ratings go up from a C last week to a B this week. First Financial Bankshares is a multi-bank holding company. . Pacific Continental Corporation (NASDAQ:) improves from a B to an A rating this week. Pacific Continental Bank is a bank holding company that provides commercial banking, financing, and mortgage lending in parts of Washington state and Oregon. . First Community Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:) shows solid improvement this week. The company’s rating rises from a C to a B. First Community Bancshares is the holding company for First Community Bank. . The rating of Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (NASDAQ:) moves up this week, rising from a C to a B. Bryn Mawr Bank offers a full range of personal and business banking services. . Banco de Chile Sponsored ADR (NYSE:) earns a B this week, jumping up from last week’s grade of C. NonactiveBanco de Chile provides a wide customer base of individuals and corporations with general banking services. The current dividend yield is 3.3%. . This week, BOK Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:) pushes up from a C to a B rating. BOK Financial provides a range of financial services to commercial and industrial customers, other financial institutions, and consumers in the United States. . This is a strong week for Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:). The company’s rating climbs to B from the previous week’s C. Glacier Bancorp is a regional multi-bank holding company providing commercial financial services to individuals and corporations. . This week, Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:) ratings are up from a C last week to a B. Washington Trust offers a range of financial services to individuals and businesses, including wealth management. . First Connecticut Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:) shows solid improvement this week. The company’s rating rises from a C to a B. First Connecticut Bancorp operates as the holding company for Farmington Bank that provides consumer and commercial banking services to businesses, individuals, and governments in central Connecticut. . First Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:) improves from a B to an A rating this week. South Carolina Bank and Trust is a bank holding company that provides retail and commercial banking, mortgage lending, consumer finance loans, and trust and investment services. . The rating of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:) moves up this week, rising from a C to a B. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is a global financial institution that serves clients through CIBC retail markets and wholesale banking. The stock price has risen 6.2% over the past month, better than the 1.7% decrease the S&P 500 has seen over the same period of time. At present, the stock has a dividend yield of 3.6%. . The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:) is seeing ratings go up from a C last week to a B this week. Bank of Nova Scotia offers various personal, commercial, corporate, and investment banking services in Canada and internationally. The stock’s dividend yield is 2.4%. . Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.
 Mary Jo White Bloomberg Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Jo White is targeting an increase in investment adviser examinations despite the SEC's struggles to increase its budget. In a session Tuesday at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's annual conference in New York, she reiterated that the SEC examines annually just 8% of its nearly 11,000 registered investment advisers. “I would like to see that number go up as high as it can,” Ms. White said. She noted that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc., the broker-dealer regulator, covers annually about 45% of the approximately 4,600 firms registered with the organization. Ms. White acknowledged that the SEC is hamstrung by the budget battle in Washington. Like other federal agencies, it is operating on its budget — $1.321 billion, less about $66 million due to sequestration — under a so-called continuing resolution approved by Congress last month. The SEC has requested a $1.674 billion budget for fiscal 2014, in part to hire 250 new investment adviser examiners. While the SEC plies Congress for more money and meets strong resistance from Republican lawmakers it is trying to increase adviser exams by selectively deploying the firepower that it has. For instance, it is zeroing in on recurring problems that it has noted through sweep exams, such as an uptick in investment advisers' and brokers' improperly participating in initial public offerings of stock that they recently sold short. “We're not going to take any resources away from bigger frauds and the bigger cases. That would be a huge mistake,” Ms. White said. “We need to obviously pick our spots.” As it battles for a bigger budget, the SEC is trying to wrestle to the ground nearly 100 mandatory regulations to implement the financial reform law. Ms. White said that the SEC would be able to “see the light at the end of the tunnel” on the rules by the end of the first quarter. She was noncommittal about when or whether the SEC would proceed on a rule that would raise investment advice standards for brokers. The reform law gave the SEC the authority to promulgate a regulation that would establish uniform fiduciary duty for retail investment advice. Ms. White said that consumers are confused about the differing standards that investment advisers and! brokers must meet. Advisers have to act in the best interest of their clients. Brokers adhere to a less-stringent standard that requires them to sell products that are suitable for their clients, even if they come with higher fees than available elsewhere in the market. “It is a high priority for me to figure out what we should do,” Ms. White said. “It is a question for the commission to decide.” Ms. White was similarly circumspect about whether the SEC will propose a rule to end mandatory arbitration clauses in brokerage client contracts. The reform law gave the SEC authority to advance a regulation. “It is something we will look into,” Ms. White told reporters on the sidelines of the SIFMA conference.
 NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Millions of Americans will soon be able to access their FICO credit scores for free. FICO scores are used by nearly every major lender to assess the creditworthiness of credit card and loan applicants. But these scores are mostly invisible to consumers, unless you go to FICO's website and sign up for a subscription of $14.95 per month -- a service you need to cancel within 10 days if you don't want to be charged anything. That's going to change, however. FICO (FICO) announced Monday that it plans to allow any lender using FICO scores to make the scores available to consumers for free through a program called FICO Score Open Access. Barclaycard US and First Bankcard (the credit card business of First National Bank of Omaha) are the first to sign on, with free scores being made available to credit card customers starting today.  Three ways to boost your credit score This will make it possible for customers to know exactly how they're being viewed by their lenders, and help them better assess the types of credit and rates they should be able to qualify for. FICO is already in talks with additional lenders, and it expects at least 25 million customers to have access to free scores by the end of the year. "Consumers today are confused by the various credit scores available for purchase," James Wehmann, executive vice president of FICO's Scores division, said in a statement. "This new program provides individuals with the specific FICO Score used by lenders to make credit decisions regarding an individual customer. In addition to getting credit scores, customers at participating banks will be able to see the two main factors impacting their particular score -- whether it's late payments, a lack of credit history or large amounts of debt. FICO said. 
 Gene J. Puskar/AP WASHINGTON -- Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose slightly last week but remained near historically low levels. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan increased to 4.16 percent from 4.10 percent last week, which was the lowest level in four months. The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.27 percent from 3.20 percent. Rates have been falling since September when the Federal Reserve surprised investors by continuing to buy $85 billion a month in bonds. The purchases are intended to keep long-term interest rates low. Slower hiring in recent months has many analysts predicting that the Fed will maintain the current pace of the bond purchases into early next year, which should keep mortgage rates low for the time being. The recent drop in mortgage rates could help boost home sales, which slowed in September after rates reached their highest averages in two years. The decline in sales has also affected price gains. Real estate data provider CoreLogic said Tuesday that a measure of U.S. home prices rose only slightly in September from August, a sign that prices are leveling off after big gains earlier this year.
SAN FRANCISCO -- If you want to own a piece of the fastest-growing public company in the mobile advertising business, it's going to cost you. That's because Twitter's public stock valuation isn't only rich by historic standards. It's also pricey compared to those of Facebook and LinkedIn, its larger rivals in the market for social media ads sold on smartphones and tablets. Twitter twice raised the price of its 70 million-share offering, to $26, giving it a market valuation of $18.3 billion, making it one of the largest tech IPOs in 10 years. The professional investors who bought Twitter IPO shares are betting that the company's revenue will grow quickly, fueled by sales of mobile ads. If that's true of most Twitter IPO buyers, the stock could surge on Thursday, driving the company's valuation even higher. But if those buyers include enough hedge fund managers and other active traders intent on flipping the stock, the mania for Twitter shares might quickly cool. LinkedIn and Facebook have price-to-sales ratios of 12-to-1, based on Wall Street's revenue estimates for next year. Google, the largest seller of online advertising, is valued at about six times expected 2014 sales. Twitter's investment bankers expect the company to post $950 million in 2014 sales, giving it a price-to-expected-sales ratio of 19 even before it starts trading. In exchange, shareholders will get a chance to own some serious growth. If Wall Street's projection is on the mark, Twitter's revenue will rise 53% next year. That's faster than LinkedIn's expected growth of 42% and Facebook's, at 36%. But unlike its two larger rivals, which are now generating operating income and net income consistently, Twitter isn't expected to be profitable this year. In its most recent quarter, the San Francisco-based social media upstart saw its loss from operations triple from a year earlier to $63 million, even while revenue for the period doubled to $168.6 million, powered! by mobile ad sales. Twitter is the latest of more than a dozen online companies that have been gone public during the last three years, a list that includes Groupon, Zynga, Zillow, Pandora Media, Yelp, OpenTable and Angie's List. Thanks to this second Internet stock boom, when growth investors have gotten comfortable funding new business models, these companies are now worth more than $150 billion in combined market worth. Twitter is now worth more than any of those save for LinkedIn and Facebook, and its shares are pricier than those of its larger social networking rivals, even though Twitter's business model has yet to produce any profits. The company operates in a market that holds both tremendous opportunity and fierce competition. Stock analysts who cover Facebook expect the company to report sales of $10.4 billion next year, up 36 percent from an average estimate of $7.6 billion for 2013. Facebook is expected to sell more than $5 billion in mobile ads next year and has a current valuation of $120 billion. In its most recent quarter, Facebook got almost half its ad revenue from mobile device users. Twitter, meanwhile, said in its IPO filing "more than 70 percent" of its advertising revenue is mobile. LinkedIn, which gets just under a quarter of its revenue from online ads -- both mobile and desktop -- and the rest from premium subscriptions, expects revenue to jump 42% next year to $2.2 billion. At a valuation of $26.6 billion, LinkedIn is priced at 12 times expected sales. That's pricey, even for a growth stock -- but not as expensive as Twitter. John Shinal has covered tech and financial markets for 15 years at Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, the San Francisco Chronicle, Dow Jones MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal Digital Network and others.
Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The all-time high list is littered with stocks of all kinds, and that breadth is one of the things that makes this rally so delicious, Jim Cramer said Monday on "Mad Money". What is breadth? That is when stocks from many different sectors are all participating in a rally. With the S&P 500 up over 20% for the year, that's clearly what we have in today's markets, said Cramer. The transports is one sector participating, with FedEx (FDX) and Boeing (BA) among the standouts. Retail is another hot group, with Walgreen (WAG) and Costco (COST) leading the charge. Even in smaller sectors that few follow there are new highs, said Cramer -- just look at water, with Pall (PLL) and Pentair (PNR), and packaging, with Sealed Air (SEE) and Ball (BLL). Investors probably expect to see biotech on the new high list with Amgen (AMGN), but probably not defense stocks like Raytheon (RTN), which is supposed to be fighting the sequester. Then there are the spirits stocks, the media giants, utilities, software and more, all participating in this remarkable end of the year surge. Cramer said perhaps the only sector not participating is the financials, where the headlines of lawsuits and regulations are still translating into real earnings risks for investors. Know Your IPO In the "Know Your IPO" segment, Cramer sat down with Scott Culter, head of Global Listings at NYSE Euronext (NYX), to discuss the initial public offering market and the hotly anticipated Twitter IPO, which will begin trading soon under the ticker TWTR. Culter said companies like Twitter choose to list their stocks on the New York Stock Exchange because of the quality execution and its unparalleled access to the global markets. He said the transparency of IPO is also important to investors as everyone can see the process of choosing a fair opening price. When asked about that first 30 minutes after the market open when IPOs are waiting to open, Culter explained that during that period the specialist is working with the underwriters of the IPO, along with the traders on the floor and those using the online platforms, to determine the right time and price to open trading. The goal, he said, is a balance that teases out lots of buyers and sellers and it's a delicate dance that the NYSE does better than anyone else. Given the expected demand for the Twitter IPO, Culter said the NYSE did a test two weeks ago to simulate a high volume day, along with the opening of Twitter and everything operated "seamlessly." It's a LOCK Don't believe the hype, Cramer warned investors. While many people will be lining up for the upcoming Twitter IPO, many will also get burned in the aftermarket once the stock opens for business. That's why sometimes the smarter move is to look for IPOs that bomb on their first day and determine whether you have a broken IPO or a broken company. That's why Cramer circled back to LifeLock (LOCK), the protectors against identity theft that came public 13 months ago. LifeLock was a classic case of a broken IPO, Cramer explained, as shares priced below the range they were expecting only to drop 7% on their first day of trading. In the weeks that followed, LifeLock shares slipped 23%. But after finally regaining its footing from its ill-priced IPO, LifeLock has rallied 129% from its lows and just beat earnings expectations by 1 cent a share on sharply higher-than-expected revenue. While the IPO was a breakdown of market mechanics, Cramer explained, everything LifeLock has done since has been remarkable. Cramer said the fundamentals at LifeLock remain terrific, with a $7 billion addressable market for the company's $10 to $25 monthly service. Shares trade at 32 times earnings, well within the range money managers will pay for a company that's growing at 25% a year. Lightning Round In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Wolverine World Wide (WWW), BP (BP), Pharmacyclics (PCYC) and Navios Maritime Partners (NMM). Cramer was bearish on JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and W. P. Carey (WPC). Executive Decision: Michael Bonney In the "Executive Decision" segment, Cramer spoke with Michael Bonney, CEO of Cubist Pharmaceuticals (CBST), the makers of antibiotics to treat drug-resistant bacteria, which recently posted disappointing results including a nine-cents-a-share earnings miss on weaker-than-expected revenue. Cramer said the earnings are not the story at Cubist because the company's $1.2 billion in acquisitions are what is helping shares post a 33% gain since he last spoke to Bonney. Bonney was also upbeat on Cubist's acquisitions, saying that while they still expect growth from the current line of antibiotics, the acquisitions have allowed the company to diversify its revenue base, turning the story once again back to the pipeline of coming drugs. Cubist expects Phase III trial data from one of its drugs as early as next month, said Bonney, and Cubist should have drugs in front of the Food and Drug Administration in June of next year and again in late 2014 and early 2015. When asked about these new antibiotics, Bonney explained the real advancements are coming from antibiotics that have both oral and IV formulations that boast shorter courses of therapy and fewer drug interactions than the current available treatments. He said these new classes of drugs aren't for everyone, but for a subset of patients they can make a real difference and save the health care system a lot of money. Cramer said Cubist remains an interesting opportunity given its recent weakness. No Huddle Offense In his "No Huddle Offense" segment, Cramer opined on the disparity between the homebuilding stocks and the home-related stocks. He said these sectors seems to trade as if they're totally unrelated when, in fact, they are. Cramer said there's a reason why homebuilders such as Pulte Homes (PHM) are down 2% for the year and Toll Brothers (TOL) is up only 1%, while home-related stock Masco (MAS) is up 26% for the year and Home Depot (HD) has risen 24%. Homebuilders trade on consumer confidence and interest rates, Cramer explained, while the home-related stocks trade on the pent-up demand to spend on an existing home that's finally rising in value again. That's why he continues to like stocks like Home Depot, but thinks all of the home builders are still sell, sell, sells, as there's simply no reason to own them. To watch replays of Cramer's video segments, visit the Mad Money page on CNBC. To sign up for Jim Cramer's free Booyah! newsletter with all of his latest articles and videos please click here. -- Written by Scott Rutt in Washington, D.C. To email Scott about this article, click here: Scott Rutt Follow Scott on Twitter @ScottRutt or get updates on Facebook, ScottRuttDC At the time of publication, Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS had a position in COST. Jim Cramer, host of the CNBC television program "Mad Money," is a Markets Commentator for TheStreet.com, Inc., and CNBC, and a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. All opinions expressed by Mr. Cramer on "Mad Money" are his own and do not reflect the opinions of TheStreet.com or its affiliates, or CNBC, NBC Universal or their parent company or affiliates. Mr. Cramer's opinions are based upon information he considers to be reliable, but neither TheStreet.com, nor CNBC, nor either of their affiliates and/or subsidiaries warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. 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