Posh pickup trucks can top $70,000

Pickups aren't just for electricians and farmers anymore. The workhorse vehicles have evolved into show horses.

Automakers are scrambling to add features like cooled seats and heated steering wheels as shoppers show the sky's the limit for what people will pay for a pickup. Prices for luxury pickups can top $70,000.

"I've had Porsches, and this truck is the best vehicle I've ever owned. It's just a dream, said Jack Lockhart of his $69,305 Ford F-450 King Ranch heavy-duty pickup. "They can take the keys from my cold, dead fingertips."

The retired University of California Irvine telecom specialist and his wife have logged 10,000 miles in their mammoth rig since May.

Ford and GMC pioneered the segment more than a decade ago with special editions like the F-150 Harley-Davidson and Sierra Denali.

"Our customers feel good about being successful, and they want people to know it," said John Swanson, a salesman at Somerset Buick GMC in Troy.

Luxury pickup models are proliferating, and the industry wants in on the action.

Chevrolet created a new high-end package called the High Country for its 2014 Silverado pickup. Prices start at $45,100, even before buyers add options such as a power sunroof and DVD/BluRay player for the rear-seat entertainment system.

Toyota has added two deluxe versions of its Tundra full-size pickup — one with a Western theme, the other targeted at buyers along the east and west coasts. Prices start at $47,230.

"Automakers profit hugely" from luxury pickups, said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics. "The incremental cost of adding the new materials and features is way short of what they can charge for the trucks."

The features automakers pack into this new generation of luxury pickups seem limited only by designers' imaginations. Ram's Laramie Longhorn boasts rare wood trim with a unique grain created when the walnut trees grew around strands of barbed wire on a cattle ranch.

"We have not discovered if there's a ce! iling to this market," Ford truck group marketing manager Doug Scott said. "We anticipated the Platinum model would be 3% of F-150 sales. It's been more than twice that."

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Prices for a four-wheel drive 2013 F-150 Platinum start at $50,225. Ford offers five premium trim levels — Lariat, Platinum, King Ranch, Limited and the SVT Raptor off-road sport truck.

"Ford segments the market very finely to suit the individual buyer," said Bob Wheat, general sales manager of Village Ford in Dearborn. "People who spend that kind of money on a truck like to personalize it."

There's no Harley-Davidson model yet, but don't be surprised if the deluxe package that started the luxury pickup bonanza in 1999 returns.

"It makes sense for automakers to capitalize on their core customers' desire for more luxurious, better-equipped trucks," said Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell.

Luxury models account for 30% of F-150 sales and more than half of Ford's bigger and more profitable Super Duty medium-duty pickups.

Sales of Ram luxury models have nearly tripled (up 162%) since 2009, said Bob Hegbloom, chief of Chrysler's Ram brand.

"I don't know if we've seen the upper end of the trend yet," Hegbloom said. Ram has sold 37% more of its luxury models this year compared with 25% for Ram overall and 23% for the total pickup market.

"Pickups have really evolved over the last decade," said Mike Sweers, chief engineer of the Toyota Tundra. "Capability is still the No. 1 reason people buy pickups, but people want the same level of comfort and features they get in luxury cars and SUVs."

While other automakers use multiple trim levels to appeal to luxury-minded truck buyers around the country, GM has two different brands. The GMC Sierra Denali has a large and loyal following, accounting for about 16% of Sierra sales.

"It's roomy, quiet and com! fortable,! " Sierra marketing manager Kenn Bakowski said. "That appeals to affluent people who can buy any vehicle and need the functionality of a pickup."

Chevy added the Silverado High Country "because our customers were ready to move up" in price, said Lloyd Biermann, Chevrolet pickup marketing manager. About 30% of Chevy's full-size pickups already sold for more than $40,000.

"It makes sense to give loyal Chevrolet customers a place to move up to," Biermann said.

Out With the Old, In With the New (USNA, DNR)

When I shed USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA) from my hypothetical portfolio yesterday, I wasn't necessary in a hurry to replace it with a different pick. But, that doesn't mean I wouldn't fill in the slot that USNA left behind with another idea if the right opportunity came along. Well, the right opportunity came along. I'm adding Denbury Resources Inc. (NYSE:DNR) to my position list, at the same 5% allocation that USANA Health Sciences had.

Even if you don't think you're familiar with DNR, you may be more familiar with it than you think. Denbury Resources is an independent oil gas name that - to be honest - doesn't look all that different from its peers. There is one key distinguishing factor here, however, that's compelling about this company.... it's consistently profitable, even with the ever-changing price of oil.

That's not to say it's always grows profits. Lower oil prices and tepid demand crimped income in 2009 and 2010, when per-share income fell from 2008's $1.55 to 0.70 in 2009 and $0.62 in 2010. We've also seen something of a profit lull in recent quarters, as the price of crude up until a few months ago had been suppressed. Either way, with oil prices on the rise and not looking like they're going to budge anytime soon, the prior earnings estimates may not do the company or shares of DNR justice. The pros still have quarterly profits slated to fall in the latter half of this year, as well as next year. I don't see it happening, with oil prices on the rise but demand not really falling off.

With all of that being said, the biggest reason of all I'm so willing to replace USANA Health Sciences, Inc. just a day after I shed the nutritional supplement company is based on the healthy shape of the Denbury Resources chart. It's coming out of not only a long-term slump, but a long-term wedge shape that's allowed bullishness to brew for a couple of years. It could take at least several months to unleash all that pent-up bullishness. The proverbial coming-out party is the way DNR has pushed its way above the falling resistance line, but has pushed up and off of two different rising support lines (all red) since January.

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But the stock's at risk of another oil meltdown? Maybe, but I don't think so.

Truth be told, DNR shares probably shouldn't have raced all the way to $40 in mid-2008; that was pure speculation. Likewise, the pullback to less than $6.00 later in the same year was also overbaked. I've got a feeling the market's not going to inflict the same kind of volatility-driven pain in itself again. Now, the chart says traders know how the oil game is played, and they're trading it in a more predictable manner. There's still a horizontal ceiling at $20.00 that needs to be broken, but I don't think it'll be an issue given the momentum that's been brewing for a while.

Although I don't consider Denbury Resources Inc.a Buffett-esque 'forever' stock, this isn't a short-term idea either. I'm planning on holding it at least for several weeks, and I'd like for that holding period to turn into months as long as progress is being made.

If you'd like to get more stock picks like the USANA Health pick that reaped more than a 100% gain (or just to follow the DNR trade), just sign up for the free daily newsletter. You'll get picks, market calls, and a whole lot more.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc (GTAT): A Gem That's About To Shine?

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. is really advancing yesterday as the crystal growth equipment and solutions provider's shares are up almost 9% on the day. The sharp performance is compliments of an UBS upgrade.

The research firm moved GTAT into the "Buy" column from a "Neutral" rating with a price-target of $10 – 21.4% potential upside to target – not bad.

GT Advanced provides crystal growth equipment and solutions for the solar, light emitting diode (LED), and electronics industries worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Polysilicon; Photovoltaic (PV); and Sapphire.

UBS Analyst, Stephen Chin says, "Our checks find use of sapphire by the major Tier-1 mobile consumer electronics companies is now viewed as a key part of their differentiation strategy. We believe there is a significant increase in the % of sapphire content in the recently launched mobile products such as Samsung's smartwatch and Apple's iPhone 5S."

Making the case for his change of opinion, Chin reasons, "We expect this trend to accelerate as shown in a recently published patent on new ways to incorporate sapphire on display covers by Apple. GT is the largest sapphire equipment supplier and likely beneficiary of this inflection point in mobile devices. . . Our own industry checks last week in Asia found a first ever Tier-1 customer is now set to ramp its sapphire content significantly in 1H14 with 500 furnaces from GT which we believe is for a phase 1 cover screen build out. We increase our 2014 mobile sapphire sales and EPS by $150M (assume 300 furnaces at $500K each) and $0.30 respectively assuming a gross margin of 40%."

If Chin is right, this is a radical shift in sentiment for GTAT. In the tech company's most recent 10-Q, management wrote, "The price for sapphire material has recently experienced significant decreases. We expect that current low prices will continue for some time. Consequently, we anticipate that demand for our ASF systems will also remain limited. Further, customers ! have requested, and expect that they will continue to request, delivery of ASF systems be delayed until the price of sapphire recovers which has delayed the timing of which amounts attributable to ASF systems roll-off of backlog and into revenue and the timing on which we enter into new contracts to sell ASF systems. Additionally, we may receive requests to cancel deliveries, which would reduce our reported backlog."

However, management did add the qualifier, "The use of sapphire in industrial applications and consumer electronics has been adopted to a limited extent. While the use of sapphire in these applications is still in the very early stages, it represents a potential market and may result in increased demand for sapphire manufacturing equipment."

This is where Chin is headed with his brave call as eight of the 11 analysts following GT rate the stock as a "hold", one as an "underperform", and only two see the company as some degree of "buy."

It's been our experience that a lot of money can be made when pivot points are correctly diagnosed.

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The current consensus 2014 estimate for GTAT is $0.38 on sales of $567.44 million. We aren't sure what UBS' estimates are for sales and EPS; so, we'll work off the bottom of the current range to set the low bar.

Next year's low EPS estimate is $0.18, let's add $0.30 and use $0.48 for our calculations. The lowball sales number is $467.75 million. We'll tack on another $150 million to arrive at $617.75 million.

For the past five-years, GTAT traded with average price-to-earnings and price-to-sales ratios of 8.31 and 1.4, respectively. With our lowball 2014 EPS and revenue numbers, we arrive at potential price-targets of $3.98 and $7.18 – remember, these are bottom-of-the-barrel figures.

Since GT has not traded with the P/E necessary to hit Chin's $10 target in the last half-decade, P! /S is pro! bably a better valuation metric. To hit $10 requires a the specialty-semiconductor to trade at 1.95 times sales, which is above the norm, but below the five-year max of 2.5.

Overall: If Stephen Chin is correct that GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (GTAT) sapphire business is at an inflection point, then $10 could prove to be conservative 12-to-18 months from now.

Fannie and Freddie Common Getting Interesting

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) common shares hit their lowest level in four months Friday, suggesting it may be time to take another look at these admittedly speculative securities.

While big-name investors including Bruce Berkowitz, Perry Capital, Paulson & Co. and Claren Road Asset Management have tended to favor the junior preferred stock in the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Perry acknowledged in a July 7 lawsuit that it also owns common shares.

Perry's arguments in its suit, one of several filed by GSE shareholders in recent months, takes issue with an Aug. 17, 2012 amendment to preferred stock purchase agreements that sweeps all GSE profits into the Treasury's coffers.

While the claim from Perry attorney Ted Olson of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher argues the amendment "enriches the federal government through a self-dealing pact, and destroys tens of billions of value in the Companies' preferred stock," it also contends the deal illegally "destroys value in the Companies' publicly held common stock." Betting on either preferred or common shares of Fannie and Freddie is largely a wager on politics and law, rather than the more traditional investing metric of profitability. The government sponsored entities have plenty of profits. The question is whether private investors have any right to those profits. Public officials have indicated in recent months that they don't believe private investors are entitled to much if any of the profits. Nonetheless, preferred shares have marched steadily higher in value. The Fannie Mae "S" Series (FNMAS) shares were quoted at $5.65 on Friday morning -- 18% below their 52-week high of $6.90. Freddie Mac "Z" Series ( FMCKJ ) were also at $5.65 on Friday, roughly 22% off the 52-week high. Both issues are up about 20% over the last month, and trade at roughly 25% of face value. The movement suggests investors have some faith the lawsuits brought against the government will succeed. But if that is the case, the common shares should also get a lift. Instead, they have essentially gone straight down since hitting 52-week highs in late May of $5.44 for Fannie and $5.00 for Freddie. Fannie shares hit $1.03 in early trading Friday morning but rebounded later to $1.15, a 6% gain on the day. Freddie hit a low of $0.98 before climbing to $1.07, a 7% gain on the day.

Much of the disparity in the performance of preferred and common shares in recent months may be attributed to a correction from an earlier period of outperformance by the common. During a stretch in May, the common shares exploded on little more than the words of a few investors such as Berkowitz, who made clear at the time he didn't even own the common shares (though he acknowledged he saw some potential value in them).

The preferred shares, which despite their deceptive name have more in common with bonds than stock, still trade at just about 25% of their value at the time they were issued. They will ultimately need to be paid in full before common shares are worth a penny. That's why my colleague Phil van Doorn and I have argued during past run-ups in the common stock that investors should focus on the preferred shares.

But at a certain point the common shares start to look like an interesting gamble.

How much should the preferred be worth relative to the common? It's difficult to say. But by and large, what benefits one should benefit the other, since both will require a legal change in their status so they can claim a share of Fannie and Freddie's profits. While not all the lawsuits argue on behalf of the common shares, Perry attorney Olson, a former U.S. solicitor general under the George W. Bush administration, may be the best in the business when it comes to winning lawsuits against the U.S. government. In other words, common shareholders could hardly ask for a better advocate. -- Written by Dan Freed in New York. Follow @dan_freed

Disclosure: TheStreet's editorial policy prohibits staff editors, reporters and analysts from holding positions in any individual stocks.

The rich are richer than ever

The combined wealth of the 400 richest Americans topped $2 trillion, according to Forbes magazine. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and famed investor Warren Buffett were first and second richest.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The 400 richest Americans are the richest they've ever been, according to Forbes magazine.

The combined net worth of the people on the list hit a record $2.02 trillion, up 19% from last year's total of $1.7 trillion, thanks in large part to a strong stock market and a real estate recovery. The average net worth of members of this year's list is $5 billion, up $800 million from a year ago.

Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) founder Bill Gates took the top spot as the richest American for the 20th year in a row, with a personal fortune of $72 billion. Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKA, Fortune 500) Warren Buffet came in second with a net worth of $58.5 billion. Buffet also posted the biggest dollar gains on this year's list, with his wealth climbing a staggering $12.5 billion.

Mark Zuckerberg also had a good year, thanks to the rebound in Facebook's (FB) share price. After dropping to number 36 last year, he returned to the top 20 with a personal fortune of $19 billion. His gain of $9.6 billion made him this year's second-biggest gainer.

It took a lot more money to make this year's list, with the minimum net worth set at $1.3 billion. That meant that 28 people from last year dropped off the list, including T. Boone Pickens, whose wealth dipped to $950 million.

Forty-eight women also made the 2013 list, including Hyatt Hotels heiress Jennifer Pritzker, who was formerly known as James Pritzker, and is the first transgender billionaire, according to Forbes.

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Most of this year's billionaires had a good year: 314 members saw their fortunes climb this year, while only 30 members saw their net worth decline.

The Week Ahead: Stress Index Says Don't Worry Yet…

It seems like everyone's playing a bit of a waiting game in anticipation of this week's FOMC meeting, including MoneyShow’s Tom Aspray, who offers some plays to make, since there will be an almost guaranteed new amount of market volatility after Wednesday's announcement.

Stocks put in a fine performance last week ahead of the much anticipated FOMC meeting this week. Basically, stocks only corrected a month from the August highs before, again, turning higher. Though quite a few stocks did undergo double-digit declines from their recent highs, the major averages did not.

The cooling of the situation in Syria has taken some of the pressure off the global markets, even though it may be transitory. Investors seem to be more comfortable now with the range of potential outcomes.

The majority of technical concerns about the stock market were resolved last week, but still, the market action needs to be watched closely over the next few weeks. It will be important to see technical precursors of upward acceleration to confirm sharply higher prices.

Many are still concerned about another major market decline, such as we saw in 2010 and 2011, while some even expect something worse than 2008. One measure of economic stress is the St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index, which is “constructed from 18 weekly data series: seven interest rate series, six yield spreads, and five other indicators.”

The chart shows that the Index formed a top in late 2002, (point 1), and then started a multi-year decline, finally bottoming in 2007. The Index broke through its resistance, line a, in early 2008 at the start of the recession.

The spike high reading of 6.154 came on October 17, 2008, (point 2), right in the middle of the financial panic. As stocks were bottoming in March 2009, it was down significantly at 4.14, consistent with less financial stress, even though stock prices were lower.

The stock market’s lows in both September 2010, (point 3), and in October of 2011, (point 4), were accompanied by peaks in the Index. The chart of the NYSE Composite shows how the peaks in the Index corresponded to lows in the NYSE Composite. This includes the major low in 2009.

The Index hit a low of -0.908 in March 2013, and is in a slight uptrend now. It closed last week at -0.357. A move above the 2010 and 2011 highs, line b, would be a cause for concern. This Index and other great economic indicators can be found at the St. Louis Fed’s Web site.

On the global economic front, the news continues to get better from the Eurozone, and there seems to have been a sentiment change on emerging markets as well. Just a few weeks ago, I thought there might not be a contrary opinion trade until 2014.

Some of the emerging market ETFs are already up 7%, so far, this month, as it seems like others are drawing the same conclusions. Robert Kapito, co-founder of BackRock, Inc. (BLK), which has assets of $3.9 trillion, said that “The emerging markets are going to account for about 60 to 65% of the world’s growth over the next 20 years.”

So far, in 2013, the Asset Performance chart shows that the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) is still down 8.4% for the year, but it was down over 19% in June. It has risen above the dismally performing bond market (TLT) and gold (GLD). This week’s plunge in gold has dropped its yearly performance to -21%, but it was down over 27% in June. I reviewed both gold and the gold miners in last Friday’s column.

The US stock market is still leading with the Spyder Trust (SPY) up 18.6%, while the European markets (VGK) are now up close to 10% for the year, as they have gotten a nice boost in the past three weeks.

NEXT PAGE: What to Watch

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Jobs Report Aside, Here's Why Tapering Is Still on the Table

Investors generally took the lackluster August jobs report as a sign the U.S. Federal Reserve will hold off announcing a tapering of its $85 billion a month bond program at the Sept. 17-18 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

The Labor Department reported today (Friday) that U.S. job growth last month increased by a less-than-expected 169,000 jobs, adding to signs that economic growth likely slowed in the third quarter. The unemployment rate dipped in August to 7.3% from 7.4%. Economists were looking for employers to have increased headcount in August some 180,000.

So what will the Fed do?

We asked Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald.

"The 'so-bad-it's-good' theme continues," Fitz-Gerald told us this morning. "The softness of the jobs number clearly perpetuates the hope for further stimulus."

But if there is a delay in Septaper, investors must remember it won't be permanent...

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"While the markets are excited by the prospect of more 'free' money, the bogeyman remains in the shadows," Fitz-Gerald said. "Eventually the party will end. And, when it does, every new dollar put in now makes for a potentially very rocky ride."

Fitz-Gerald said we could still see some Fed action come mid-September - and investors need to be ready for a market reaction.

"The Fed is under increasing pressure to taper without destroying the financial markets; this number wasn't soft enough to remove the possibility of a 'test-taper' this fall," he said. "Whether the taper is $10 or $10 billion doesn't matter. The markets are going to have a 'taper-tantrum.'"

The "Bad" August Jobs Report

Along with the dreary August jobs report came significant downward revisions for the previous two months.

Job growth in July was revised down to a thin 104,000 from the initially reported 162,000. June's figure was revised downward to 172,000 from an earlier estimate of 188,000.

However, this month's unemployment rate decline came for a discouraging reason: Scores of Americans have stopped looking for work and are no longer counted among the unemployed.

"Unemployment dropped as yet more people left the workforce. That's bad any way you cut it because the smaller workforce means lower future growth," Fitz-Gerald explained. "People haven't put two and two together yet."

The size of the workforce declined by roughly 300,000, and the participation rate - a key measure of employment - dropped to 63.2% from 63.4%, its lowest level since August 1978.

Also discouraging is that the length of the work week ticked up to an average (still weak) 34.5 hours. Average hourly earnings rose a measly five cents, and temporary employment rose by 13,000.

Employers continue to shift some positions to part-time and wring more work out of full-timers in attempts to curb costs they face under upcoming Obamacare. The number of involuntary part-timers seeking full-time work is a whopping 8.2 million.

Businesses have an incentive to create part-time jobs in lieu of full-time ones because they don't have to provide health insurance to part-timers.

While Obamacare hits small businesses, investors can make moves today to make money off our changing national healthcare system... just go here to find out how.

Related Articles:

The Globe and Mail:
U.S. Job Growth Misses Expectations, Offers Cautionary Note for Fed Bloomberg:
Treasuries Extend Gains as Economy Add Fewer Jobs USA Today:
Stock Futures Jump on August Jobs Numbers

Is Sina a Buy at These Prices?

With shares of Sina (NASDAQ:SINA) trading around $56, is SINA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Sina is an online media company serving China and the global Chinese communities. The company's digital media network of SINA.com, SINA.cn and Weibo.com, enable Internet users to access professional media and user-generated content in multimedia formats from the web and mobile devices and share their interests to friends and acquaintances. SINA.com offers distinct and targeted professional content on each of its region specific websites and a range of complementary offerings. SINA.cn provides information and entertainment content from SINA portal customized for wireless device users. It generates its revenues from online brand advertising and fee-based services. International consumers make up a large portion of the population, and they are growing eager to become connected through the social world, so companies like Sina stand to make increasing profits through their networks.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

Sina stock has been fairly quiet over the last year as it attempts to regain its footing after a large decline. The stock seems to be perking up and getting ready to explore new prices. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Sina is trading above its rising key averages which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

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(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Sina options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Sina Options	39.22%	30%	29%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a small amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
July Options	Average	Average
August Options	Average	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call and put buyers or sellers, neutral over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a small amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Improving Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Sina’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Sina look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3	2012 Q2
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	109.52%	-74.95%	102.75%	226.67%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	19%	4.32%	16.96%	10.63%
Earnings Reaction	1.29%	5.36%	-15.12%	10.39%

Sina has seen improving earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these figures, the markets have been pleased with Sina’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Poor Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Sina stock done relative to its peers, NetEase (NASDAQ:NTES), Sohu (NASDAQ:SOHU), Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO), and sector?

	Sina	NetEase	Sohu	Yahoo!	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	11.87%	48.86%	29.68%	31.51%	27.56%

Sina has been a poor relative performer, year-to-date.

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Conclusion

Sina is an online media company that aims to serve Chinese consumers in and outside of China. The stock is now resting after seeing large declines in the last few years. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue numbers have improved, which has pleased investors. Relative to its peers and sector, Sina has been a poor relative performer, year-to-date. WAIT AND SEE what Sina does in coming quarters.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014

After the big tsunami and earthquake hit Japan, many wondered if Toyota (NYSE: TM  ) would return to its dominant position in the auto world. In this video, Blake Bos reviews recent developments. On the plus side, Toyota's redesigned Camry is selling well and contributing to improved margins. Consumer Reports rates Toyota No. 1 in quality, and the stock is up 32% through third quarter 2012. On the other hand, the huge Chinese auto market faces headwinds as Japan and China squabble over islands in the South China Sea. The company is not cheap at the moment. However, while Toyota may not be a value investment, it also enjoys limited downside potential and could prove profitable over the long haul.

Toyota has rebounded nicely from the troubles of recent years, but is the stock still a buy at current prices? The Motley Fool's automotive expert John Rosevear and industrials analyst Isaac Pino have collaborated to create some of the most in-depth Toyota research available for smart investors like you. Thousands have already claimed their own premium ticker coverage, and you can gain instant access to your own by clicking here now.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated provides healthcare services in the United States. Its Health Benefits segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; and non-employer based insurance options for purchase by individuals. It also provides health and well-being services for individuals aged 50 and older; and for services dealing with chronic disease and other specialized issues for older individuals, as well as health plans for the beneficiaries of acute and long-term care Medicaid plans. This segment offers its services through a network of 730,000 physicians and other health care professionals, and 5,300 hospitals. Its OptumHealth segment provides health, financial, and ancillary services and products that assist consumers through personalized health management solutions; benefit administration, and clinical and network management; health-based financi al services; behavioral solutions; and specialty benefits, such as dental, vision, life, critical illness, short-term disability, and stop-loss product offerings. The company?s Ingenix segment offers database and data management services, software products, publications, consulting and actuarial services, business process outsourcing services, and pharmaceutical data consulting and research services. Its Prescription Solutions segment provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services comprising retail network pharmacy contracting and management, claims processing, mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy, benefit design consultation, rebate contracting and management, drug utilization review, formulary management programs, disease therapy management, and adherence programs to employer groups, union trusts, managed care organizations, Medicare-contracted plans, Medicaid plans, and third party administrators. The company was founded in 1974 and is based in Minne tonka, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ken Sweet]

  Shareholders of UnitedHealth (UNH) reaped the rewards this year from the managed care company's strong profits and upbeat guidance.

  UnitedHealth raised its full-year guidance in late April to $3.95 to $4.05 a share, well ahead of analysts' forecasts. The company also increased its quarterly dividend last month to 16.25 cents a share, from 12.5 cents a share.

  UnitedHealth's performance is also tied to what has been broad investor interest in healthcare stocks this year as a defensive play against what has been a recently downward-trending market.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is the newest of the DJIA components, now that Kraft Foods has split itself up. The health insurance giant closed out 2013 at $54.24, and that was well off the 52-week high, as its range in the past year was $49.82 to $60.75. Analysts believe that the stock will rise some 23.4% to $66.97 by the end of 2013. The insurer has a lower dividend than most DJIA stocks, at only about 1.6%, and its market value is close to $55 billion. UnitedHealth so far has recovered only about half of its losses from last summer.

• [By Victor Mora]

  UnitedHealth Group is a diversified healthcare company that is seeing increased attention as healthcare concerns take center stage. The stock has been steadily trending higher, and is now trading near all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have been on the rise, but investors in the company expected a little more. Relative to its strong peers and sector, UnitedHealth Group has had an average year-to-date performance. Look for UnitedHealth Group to continue to OUTPERFORM.

• [By Victor Mora]

  UnitedHealth Group is a health and well-being company that provides essential healthcare services during a critical time in the United States. The stock has witnessed a promising move higher that has taken it to all-time high prices, where it may consolidate before coasting higher. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue numbers have been on the rise, but investors have not been too pleased with the company’s reports. Relative to its peers and sector, UnitedHealth Group has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for UnitedHealth Group to OUTPERFORM.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: CVS Corporation(CVS)

CVS Caremark Corporation operates as a pharmacy services company in the United States. The company?s Pharmacy Services segment provides a range of pharmacy benefit management services, including mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy services, plan design and administration, formulary management, and claims processing; and drug benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the Federal Government?s Medicare Part D program. This segment primarily serves employers, insurance companies, unions, government employee groups, managed care organizations and other sponsors of health benefit plans, and individuals. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 44 retail specialty pharmacy stores, 18 specialty mail order pharmacies, and 4 mail service pharmacies located in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This segment operates business under the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services, Caremark, CVS Caremark, CarePlus CVS/pharmacy, CarePlus, RxAmerica, Accordant, and TheraCom names. The company?s Retail Pharmacy segment sells prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods through its pharmacy retail stores and online, as well as offers film and photo finishing, and health care services. This segment operated 7,182 retail drugstores located in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia; and 560 retail health care clinics in 26 states and the District of Columbia under the MinuteClinic name. It has a strategic alliance with Alere, L.L.C. for the management of disease management program offerings that cover chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. CVS Caremark Corporation was founded in 1892 and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon] CVS/Caremark is the nation's premier integrated pharmacy services provider, combining one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical services companies with the country's largest pharmacy chain.
  
  Owens had a relatively small holding of 200,000 shares which he purchased in the third quarter of 2011 at about $36 per share. In the fourth quarter, he increased his holding by 50%, adding 100,000 shares at about $37 per share. CVS�� share price has actually increased more than 20% in the last year, and more than 21% in the fourth quarter alone.
  
  Record-setting third-quarter earnings results, announced Nov. 3, 2011, contributed to the rise. Net revenues increased 12.5% to a record $26.7 billion. Revenues in its Pharmacy Services segment rose 25.8% to $14.8 billion, due primarily with the addition of a previously unannounced, long-term contract with Aetna Inc., and its acquisition of the Medicare prescription drug business of Universal American Corp. in the second quarter of 2011.
  
  In the first nine months of 2011, the company also returned over $3 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.
  
  CVS has been growing over the long term as well. Its revenue per share increased at a 10-year annual rate of 11.5%, and its free cash flow per share increased at a 10-year annual rate of 21.4%. GuruFocus rated CVS Caremark the business predictability rank of 4.5-star. Steven Romick did an extensive analysis of CVS here.
  
  Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX)
  
  Boston Scientific Corporation is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of minimally invasive medical devices.
  
  Owens bought 9,200,000 shares of Boston Scientific Corp. at about $8.70 per share. In the next three quarters, he bought a total of 12,900,000 more shares at $8, $6.50 and $5.75 per share, respectively. He sold a total of 800,000 shares in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011 at about $7 per share. He then bought 3,300,000 shares at about $7 per share in the second q! uarter of 2011, 1,800,000 shares at about $6.50 in the third quarter, and 9,900,000 shares at about $5.50 in the fourth quarter.
  
  Boston Scientific�� revenue over the past decade has gone up and down, most recently decreasing to $7.8 billion in 2010,
• [By CRWE]

  CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS) reported that Dave Denton, executive vice president and chief financial officer of CVS Caremark Corporation, will be speaking at William Blair & Company’s Growth Stock Conference on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at approximately 8:50 a.m. CDT (9:50 a.m. EDT).

Top Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: LifePoint Hospitals Inc.(LPNT)

LifePoint Hospitals Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates general acute care hospitals in non-urban communities in the United States. The company?s hospitals provide a range of medical and surgical services comprising general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, rehabilitation services, and pediatric services, as well as specialized services, such as open-heart surgery, skilled nursing, psychiatric care, and neuro-surgery. Its hospitals also offer outpatient services, including one-day surgery, laboratory, x-ray, respiratory therapy, imaging, sports medicine, and lithotripsy. As of December 31, 2009, LifePoint Hospitals owned or leased 47 hospitals with a total of 5,552 licensed beds in 17 states. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. (NasdaqNM:LPNT) operates independently of HCA Inc. as of May 11, 1999.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vatalyst]

  Life Point Hospitals (LPNT) operates general acute care hospitals in growing, non urban areas in the US. It looks to acquire hospitals where it will be the sole provider to the community.

  On the earnings front, it had a good first quarter, beating analyst estimates. The common stock currently trades at a price to earnings ratio of 10.1, well below its 10 year historical average of 13.5. Its price to book ratio stands at 0.82 with price to cash flow being 5.1.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: TII Network Technologies Inc.(TIII)

Tii Network Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells products for use in the networks to service providers in the communications industry in the United States. It provides network interface devices (NID), including overvoltage surge protectors, digital subscriber line (DSL) service splitters, and customer bridge modules; building entrance terminals; and accessories comprising station protectors, customer wiring modules, electro-magnetic interference filters, and line test modules. The company also offers broadband products, such as DSL electronic products that include xDSL plain old telephone service splitters to isolate voice and data signals; Outrigger, an outdoor intelligent residential gateway; HomePlug technology that enables networking of voice, data, and audio devices through the consumers? AC power lines. In addition, it provides connectivity products consisting of connector block and terminal block products; voice over I nternet protocol products; switchable voice NID products; voice intercom systems for use in multi-dwelling units; and wire terminals and other connectivity products. Further, the company offers fiber optic products which comprise wall mount enclosures, rack mount enclosures, OSP fiber enclosures, cable assemblies, miscellaneous fiber accessories, and optic network terminals installation accessories. Additionally, it offers overvoltage surge protection products, including two and three electrode gas tubes; station overvoltage surge protectors; protector modules; and protector packs and cat 5 cat 6 protection products, as well as other surge protection products comprising a 75 ohm coaxial protector for cable networks; a 50-ohm coaxial protector for wireless service providers? cell sites; a gel-sealed Ethernet data protector; and power line/data line protectors for personal computers and home entertainment systems. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Edgewoo d, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Reese]

  Tii Network Technologies (NASDAQ: TIII) helps protect expensive telecom equipment with its overvoltage surge protection devices. This is especially useful during lightning strikes and power surges. Its Total Failsafe products offer modular station protectors, while its In-Line products protect broadband coaxial cables.

  Naturally, large telecom carriers like Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) are big customers and account for 34% of sales. DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV), Power & Telephone Supply and Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL) are also customers. With Verizon and other cell phone providers upgrading to 4G, Tii’s sales should remain very strong.

  The stock is a good buy, but it is thinly traded, so use a limit order within 10 cents of the previous day’s closing price. Buy TIII under $3.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: Alliance Holdings GP L.P.(AHGP)

Alliance Holdings GP, L.P., through its subsidiaries, produces and markets coal primarily to utilities and industrial users in the United States. It produces a range of steam coal with varying sulfur and heat contents. The company operates nine underground mining complexes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and West Virginia. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 697.4 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In addition, the company leases land; and operates a coal loading terminal, with a capacity of 8.0 million tons with ground storage of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 tons, on the Ohio River at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Further, it engages in purchasing and selling coal; and providing services, including ash and scrubber sludge removal, coal yard maintenance, and arranging alternate transportation services. Alliance GP, LLC, serves as the general partner of the company. Allian ce Holdings GP, L.P. is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Stuart]

  Alliance Holding(AHGP) is a diversified coal producer with mining operations in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia and Maryland.

  The stock has slumped 18% in the past three months due to a secondary offering of 2.75 million shares, which was released in April for $52 a share. Shares are now trading $6 below the offering price.

  Management has stepped up and put its own money to work with CEO Joe Craft buying $3 million worth of stock last week. The company pays a dividend of $2.22 a share, with a yield of 5%. Alliance trades at a discount to other coal competitors at a P/E of 15. With expectations calling for 20% growth, the shares look attractive. TheStreet Ratings has a $61 price target on Alliance.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: The Travelers Companies Inc.(TRV)

The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Business Insurance; Financial, Professional, and International Insurance; and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers property and casualty products and services, such as commercial multi-peril, property, general liability, commercial auto, and workers? compensation insurance. It operates in six groups: Select Accounts, which serves small businesses; Commercial Accounts that serves mid-sized businesses; National Accounts, which serves large companies; Industry-Focused Underwriting that serves targeted industries; Target Risk Underwriting, which serves commercial businesses requiring specialized product underwriting, claims handling, and risk management services; and Special ized Distribution that offers products to customers through licensed wholesale, general, and program agents. The Financial, Professional, and International Insurance segment provides surety and financial liability coverage, which uses a credit-based underwriting process; and property and casualty products primarily in the United States., the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals. It distributes its products through independent agents, sponsoring organizations, joint marketing arrangements with other insurers, and direct marketing. The company was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Cramer]

  This insurer never ran into trouble like so many of its cohorts and yet somehow hasn't received the kudos its management deserves for steering the ship through the shoals of bad investments. Jay Fishman, the CEO, is easily the best executive in the insurance industry and Travelers will get its due in 2011, which will make it so that its 12% return in 2010 will seem quite small. I think it can trade to $68 and not be expensive, particularly when people begin to give the well-run insurers a nice premium to the ne'er-do-wells.

• [By Victor Mora]

  Travelers provides valuable insurance products and services to an increasing number of consumers and companies. However, a recent earnings report has investors in the company feeling a bit disappointed. The stock has been on a modest rise over the last several months, but is now seeing a slight pullback. Over most of the last four quarters, investors in the company have had mixed feelings about the stock, though earnings and revenue figures have been rising. Relative to its peers and sector, Travelers has been an average year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Travelers does this coming quarter.

• [By Victor Mora]

  Travelers provides valuable insurance products and services to an increasing number of consumers and companies looking to mitigate risk. The stock has been on a significant run over the last several years and is now trading at all-time high prices. Earnings and revenue have been increasing over most of the last four quarters which has kept investors upbeat. Relative to its strong peers and sector, Travelers has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Travelers stock to OUTPERFORM.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: Aegon NV(AEG)

AEGON N.V. provides life insurance, pensions, and asset management products and services worldwide. The company?s life insurance products include traditional, term, universal, whole, and other life insurance products sold as part of defined benefit pension plans, endowment policies, post-retirement annuity products, and group risk products; supplemental health insurance products comprise accidental death, other injury, critical illness, hospital indemnity, medicare supplement, and student health; specialty lines consists of travel, membership, and creditor products; and long term care insurance products for policyholders who require care due to a chronic illness or cognitive impairment. It also offers a range of savings and retirement products and services, including mutual funds, and fixed and variable annuities, savings accounts and investment contracts, segregated funds, guaranteed investment accounts, and single premium immediate annuities, as well as investment advice to individuals. In addition, the company offers employer solutions and pensions, such as retirement plans, pension plans, and pension-related products and services; investment products, including onshore and offshore bonds, and trusts; reinsurance products and solutions to life insurance and financial services companies; general insurance products comprising house, car, and fire insurance; and asset management products and services, including general account assets, unit-linked funds, and third party activities. AEGON N.V. markets its products through independent and career agents, financial planners, registered representatives, independent marketing organizations, banks, broker-dealers, benefit consulting firms, wirehouses, affinity groups, institutional partners, independent managing general agencies, and specialized financial advisors, as well as through online, direct, and worksite marketing. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherl ands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By seekingalpha.com]

  Shares of this life insurance company are trading at $4.25 at the time of writing, and at the low end of their 52-week trading range of $4.18 to $8.07. At the current market price, the company is capitalized at $7.50 billion. Earnings per share for the last fiscal year were $0.69, placing the shares on a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.13.

  These earnings are expected to rise through the next couple of years, hitting $0.73 this year, and then rising to $0.89 the following year. AEG received Dutch government aid in the 2008 financial crisis, and has been selling operations to repay its debts. The latest sale, Guardian Life in the U.K. for $451 million, takes it a step closer to achieving this goal. It will continue to manage Guardian’s assets of £7.5 billion (approximately $11 billion).

  Well on the way to achieving its target of full repayment to the Dutch government, and continuing to shed non core assets, for Aegon it is deals like the Guardian one that will push it to a better-managed profit stream. When the company has fully repaid its debts, it is likely to reinstate dividend payments. This will help the stock price near and long term.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: Whole Foods Market Inc.(WFM)

Whole Foods Market, Inc. engages in the ownership and operation of natural and organic food supermarkets. The company offers produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, coffee and tea, nutritional supplements, and vitamins. It also provides specialty products, such as beer, wine, and cheese; body care and educational products, such as books; and floral, pet, and household products. As of February 9, 2011, the company operated 302 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Moskowitz]

  Whole Foods has consistently improved revenue and earnings on an annual basis, it has established its own niche where it rules the organic and natural food industry, debt management is good, margins are strong for the industry, leadership is solid, and analysts love the stock: 13 Buy, 11 Hold, 0 Sell.

• [By Dan Moskowitz]

  If the economy is actually recovering and can maintain momentum on its own, then Whole Foods is a landslide winner. But that would be a very risky bet. This might be bucking the trend, but the following rating is based on logic in relation to the Main Street economy as well as a focus on capital preservation.

• [By Zachary Silver]

  Whole Foods continues to demonstrate profitability as a natural foods grocer. With an impressive expansion plan over the next several years and substantial investments in pricing discounts and promotions, the company will be able to cater to more customers than ever before and capitalize on the estimated 12-percent growth in the organic food industry over the next two years. While competition will certainly intensify as bigger-name retailers shift their focus toward natural foods, Whole Foods has built strong brand equity and a loyal customer base. There is certainly some downside risk if the macroeconomic picture darkens: Some customers will inevitably find cheaper substitutes to Whole Foods. However, because of the grocer�� strong history of profitability and impressive growth prospects, Whole Foods is an OUTPERFORM.

• [By James K. Glassman]

   Executives at Whole Foods seem to have learned from their past money mistakes. After pushing too fast for growth and acquiring Wild Oats for a pricey $565 million in 2007, the company needed to pull out of its debt with an infusion of cash from private equity firm Leonard Green. 
  
  Now, the company's keeping its powder dry and its cash cushion stuffed. The high-end grocer is ramping up growth again, but this time, without depleting its cash hoard; it plans to open 25 new stores in this fiscal year that ends in October and 28 to 32 the following year. The company raised its dividend in January by 4 cents, to 14 cents per share. The stock, at $94.46, yields 0.6%. 
  
  Whole Foods had a cash flow of $755 million last year, with capital expenditures of $167 million.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: Local.com Corporation(LOCM)

Local.com Corporation operates as an Internet search advertising company that enables businesses and consumers to find each other and connect locally. Its Owned and Operated business unit manages its flagship online property Local.com and a proprietary network of approximately 20,000 local Websites that reach approximately 15 million monthly unique visitors. The company places various display, performance, and subscription advertisement products on its Local.com and proprietary network. Its Network business unit operates a private label local syndication network of approximately 1,000 U.S. regional media Websites; 80,000 third-party local Websites; and its own organic feed of local businesses plus third-party advertising feeds that focus primarily on local consumers to a distribution network of hundreds of Websites. The company?s Sales and Ad Services business unit provides approximately 45,000 direct monthly subscribers with Web hosting or Web listing products. The compan y was formerly known as Interchange Corporation and changed its name to Local.com Corporation in November 2006. Local.com Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquarters in Irvine, California.

10 Best Cheap Stocks For 2014: Cardero Resource Corporation(CDY)

Cardero Resource Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, the United States, and Canada. The company holds a 75% interest in the Carbon Creek deposit, a metallurgical coal development project located in the Peace River Coal Field of northeast British Columbia, Canada. It also has an option to acquire 100% interest in the Pampa El Toro project, an iron sands deposit, located in southern Peru; option to acquire up to an 85% interest in the Longnose property in St. Louis county, northeastern Minnesota; and 100% leasehold interest in the Titac property, located in St. Louis county, northeastern Minnesota. The company was formerly known as Sun Devil Gold Corp. and changed its name to Cardero Resource Corp. in May 1999. Cardero Resource Corp. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis]

  Cardero Resource Corp.(CDY) is down about 18% since the start of 2011, but shares are still up 50% in the past six months. Currently at $1.80, this mineral exploration company is a penny stock worth buying with a 52-week range of $1 to $2.37.

4 Things You Should Know About Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers

Top 5 Tech Companies To Buy For 2014

Alamy

Spam email is easy to ignore, delete, or shuffle off to some forgotten corner of your inbox. But physical junk mail is a bit tougher to disregard -- especially when it's a big, bulky envelope from a bank with a pre-approved credit card offer. But just because we see them all the time doesn't mean we know exactly what we're dealing with. Here are some facts you need to know about those pre-approved credit card offers filling up your mailbox. They Don't Hurt Your Credit ... Until You Apply. Most people understand that when you apply for a credit card, mortgage or other loan, the potential lender will check your credit score to see if you qualify. And that inquiry will temporarily lower your score. So if an offer is "pre-approved," does that mean they've done an inquiry and hurt your credit? Well, here's the good news: The "pre-approval" process doesn't actually involve checking your credit report. "You are not 'pre-approved,' you are conditionally approved," explains John Ulzheimer, credit expert at CreditSesame.com. "The reason your name ended up on the list is that they will go to credit reporting agencies and buy those lists." In other words, they sent you that offer because they have a rough idea of where you fall on the credit score spectrum. But this is a "soft inquiry" that doesn't hurt your score; they won't pull your actual credit report unless you apply for the card. You Still Might Get Rejected. So here's the bad news: Since they didn't actually pull your credit report before sending you that offer, you're not as "pre-approved" as it says on the envelope. When you mail in the offer and the bank checks your credit, there's a chance that you won't get approved for the card. This happens more often than you might think, often because the recipients of those offers messed up their credit between when they got put on the pre-approved list and when they actually apply for the card. "If you look at the low-end cards [for people with poor credit], as low as 80 percent of people who are pre-approved actually get approved," says Greg Lull of CreditKarma. "Especially in the low-credit space, a lot can change in six months." If you've got good credit and you're getting a lot of offers for rewards cards, your chances of getting approved are much greater -- more like 95 percent, because people in that range are less prone to making mistakes like late payments. Rather than getting outright rejected for the card, Ulzheimer says it's likely they'll just approve you for a card with terms that aren't as great as you expected. Many of those letters will give you a range of interest rates and credit limits for which you're pre-approved, and your actual credit score will determine where you fall on that spectrum. So what if you apply for one of these pre-approved offers, and then get a card with worse terms -- say, a higher interest rate or a restrictive credit limit? In that case, you could always cancel the card, but that could give a bit of a ding to your credit score: You still have the hard inquiry from the credit check, but now you don't have the benefit of the improved utilization ratio that you get from having more credit. Our advice? First, call up the customer service number on the back of the card and threaten to cancel the account if they don't give you better terms. You Should Probably Shred Them We say "probably" because these offers don't include critical financial information that can be used for identity theft. And without your Social Security number, no one can grab an offer out of your mailbox, fill it out and get a credit card in your name. But there's still a risk of identity theft here. "It is a good idea to go ahead and shred it," says Gerri Detweiler of Credit.com. "I don't think it's the most popular form of identity theft ... But there's a fair amount of ID theft that occurs among family members." A thief rifling through your trash probably won't have the requisite information to get a credit card in your name. But your teenage child or your brother-in-law who's crashing on your couch might be able to dig up your Social Security number, fill out the application and then run roughshod over your credit history with a card in your name. So if you don't want those offers, tear them up or shred them before you throw them out. Or, on second thought... You Can Opt Out of Getting Them Just as there's a do-not-call list for telemarketers, so too can you opt out of receiving credit card offers. It's pretty simple: Just go to OptOutPrescreen.com and tell the major credit bureaus that you'd like them to stop putting you on the lists that they give to banks. You can opt out for five years, or permanently. There are lots of reasons why you might do this. Maybe you're concerned about identity theft. Maybe you care about the environment and don't like how many trees get killed by banks trying to sign you up for credit cards. Or maybe you just think it's a pain in the neck to have to tear up credit card offers. But if you're considering getting a new credit card in the near future, you may want to stay on the list and apply for your next credit card through one of these offers. While there's no guarantee you'll be approved, your chances are certainly better than if you're just browsing the Internet for cards that look good and applying at random. "The average person only gets approved for 30 pecent of the credit cards they apply for, and then you've got that hard inquiry but didn't get credit," points out Lull. By contrast, if you're responding to a pre-approved offer, you already know that you've got a good chance of getting approved.

Apple's Tim Cook Is Trying My Patience

When Tim Cook succeeded Steve Jobs as the chief executive officer of Apple, (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The burden of following the legendary Jobs, while promising riches beyond belief, looked like a no-win situation for Cook. His accomplishments would inevitably be traced to Jobs and Cook's failures would be a result of his own poor performance.

But now I am running out of patience with Cook.

Like much of the rest of the civilized world, I am waiting for Apple to come up with a new "wow" innovation, something that was a hallmark of the tenure of Jobs, who passed away Oct. 5, 2011. Cook has chosen to recycle existing successes.

The U.S. media suggest that Apple may announce the birth of iRadio at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10-14 in San Francisco.

But this has been described as a "Pandora-like" innovation because users can customize the music to meet their tastes.

Hmmm. Well, I can remember back during the good old days, when every tech company was scrambling to concoct an "Apple-like" product.

Maybe Cook will drop a bomb at the conference and change my perception of him. Perhaps he will ignite Apple's stock price and send it back to the stratosphere. Or maybe he will deliver a dud.

The company's stock market performance has been desultory.

And most discouraging of all, Cook can appear to be insensitive to the plight of his stockholders, as he mouths vague observations about Apple's performance and prospects.

I used to think that Cook was being shrewd and wily to keep the information close to his chest, aware that Google and other Apple rivals hang on his every word. Now, however, I wonder if Cook actually has anything to say at all. Of course, people can argue -- with a measure of reason -- that it would be foolish of Cook to say anything, in the fear that he could allow his foes to beat Apple to the next tech breakthrough.

It's also a fair point to say that Cook deserves more time than just a few years to make his mark. After all, Jobs didn't present the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad overnight.

But I'd contend that Cook is hardly a rookie at Apple -- and this kind of scrutiny, fair or not, goes with the turf of running what is widely considered the most dynamic company in Silicon Valley, if not the entire United States.

Wall Street apparently seems to wonder about that, too.

Since Cook became CEO on Aug. 24, 2011:

Apple is up 20%. The S&P 500 is up 39%. SPDR Technology Select Sector ETF is up 35%
. Google is up 65%.

Since Cook announced a management shakeup on Oct. 29, 2012:

Apple is down 25%
. The S&P 500 is up 16%
. SPDR Technology ETF is up 10%. Google is up 28%.

As The Fool's astute Evan Niu pointed out in a piece published on April 22, Cook has delivered strong fundamentals: "Last quarter was quite literally the strongest quarter Apple has ever posted in terms of revenue, net income and unit volumes for the iPhone and iPad, even if it wasn't enough for investors."

It could also be argued, however, that Cook recently squandered a golden opportunity last week to show that he and his company are on the right track. He appeared on May 28 as the main attraction at the All Things Digital conference in California. Cook could have seized the moment. Instead, he talked in vague concepts and offered his stockholders nothing in the way of assurances that they should feel good about their investments.

As I examined MarketWatch's liveblog account of Cook's comments, the word that comes to mind is "discouraging." I am not an Apple stockholder but I can imagine that Apple Nation gnashed its teeth when Cook chose not to give the slightest bit of detail to describe Apple's strategy and his own vision.

For example, when asked about Apple's formidable foes, Cook answered: "We've always had competent rivals."

Whither the future? "We have to focus on products."

What can we look forward to from Tim Cook's Apple?

"We have several game changers in us."

And how about that ever-declining stock price? It "has been frustrating."

Say, what abut the much-discussed Apple TV? It has been "very good as a learning point."

Everyone is now talking about computer wearables, such as Google Glass (or, dare I say, the prospective iWatch from Apple). What do you think, Mr. Cook? "I'm interested in a great product."

Top 10 Stocks To Buy Right Now

And so it went.

Maybe I expect too much. But Cook certainly has the goods. He is by all indications a laser-smart, genial, forward-thinking CEO. He keeps his cool in interviews and never allows the questioners to throw him off his game, much like a tennis player who won't be pushed to abandon his game plan.

I just wish he would tell us what's on his mind. He would help the shareholders, the company -- and, yes, himself.

NutriSystem: Diet Dollars

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that over 60% of the US population needs to reduce their weight. That's a huge market in more ways than one, asserts Glenn Rogers; the contributing editor to Internet Wealth Builder looks at one player in the diet field.

NutriSystem (NTRI) has been in business for over 40 years, and provides its clients with a complete menu, along with counseling, online tools and applications, along with cookbooks and complete meal planning.

Currently, its two celebrity spokespeople are Terry Bradshaw and Janet Jackson. Since most of the company's revenues are from direct consumer sales, well-known celebrities, plus a heavy marketing spend, have been features of this operation.

Recently, the company released its second-quarter financials to June 30. Revenues for the quarter were $97.5 million (with operating income of $9.8 million), both of which, were in line with the company's expectations, although revenue fell short of analysts' predictions. EBITDA for the quarter was $13.5 million.

The company has no debt, other than standing bank arrangements, so it appears to be in a position to continue to pay the hefty dividend of $0.175 per quarter ($0.70 annually). They also increased their guidance for the rest of this year.

The new CEO, Dawn Zire, reported that earnings increased by 57%, driven by continued gross margin improvement and scaled back marketing costs.

The company is now focused on growing revenue as well as continuing to improve margins. The danger with that approach is that they will end up scaling back their marketing budget too much—it's a fine line.

The stock performance over the last few years has been spotty. It peaked at $70 per share in 2006-07, and then followed the rest of the market down in 2008-09. The last couple of years have been pretty dismal with the shares trading sideways to down.

However, the stock has been trading very well for the last few months, and with a dividend yield of 5.5%, it looks like it will continue to run, even though the shares are starting to look very expensive on a p/e basis.

I don't normally like buying into companies that are this pricy, but NutriSystem recently announced a new partnership with Walmart, which could be the proverbial game changer for the business. They are now offering their weight-loss kick-start program exclusively at nearly 3,700 Walmart stores.

Citigroup recently raised its price target from $10 to $15, buying into the turnaround story and pointing out that the company only needs a 2% share to become a billion-dollar brand.

This is definitely not a widows and orphans stock; rather, it requires a degree of risk tolerance. But it has been climbing steadily off its lows and the chart looks almost perfect. Action now: Buy with a target of $16.

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Hussman - The Outlook Will Shift as Conditions Shift

After a prolonged and strenuously overvalued, overbought, overbullish, rising-yield syndrome in stocks, followed by a more recent and still-unrepaired breakdown in market internals, I remain concerned about what might be called a broken speculative peak. I should note, however, that this doesn't rule out further market highs – recall that the initial deteriorations in market internals in 2000 and 2007 were both followed by subsequent recoveries to marginal new highs, creating extended market peaks over the course of several quarters before severe market losses followed.

Despite our grave concerns about market risk here, we also have to allow for the possibility that the recent bull market will carry further. Yet it's critical to understand that allowing for that possibility has rarely been successfully achieved by ignoring overvalued, overbought, overbullish syndromes or deteriorating market action. Rather, the most useful opportunity to respond constructively is on an early improvement in market action, after overvalued, overbought, overbullish conditions have been cleared.

As I noted more than a year ago, this sort of constructive response to improved market action (absent overextended syndromes) has historically been beneficial even in periods where our broad return/risk estimates have been negative – something that is not unique to this cycle, but can be validated in historical cycles as well. While we incorporated that refinement into our work in early 2012, the period since then has been a largely uncorrected extension of overvalued, overbought, overbullish conditions, fueled by temporarily self-fulfilling superstition about the efficacy of monetary policy in removing all risk. The advance since then has persisted despite conditions that have been violently negative historically. In my view, we're probably only observing an example of delayed punishment.

Our investment outlook will shift as market conditions shift, and we will lean toward a more constructive stance whe! n conditions support it. There are straightforward ways to do that while still remaining careful about larger cyclical risks. Present conditions simply don't provide historical evidence that investors can expect to be rewarded by accepting market risk here.

Market conditions will change, not least because the belief in some "monetary put option" itself is superstition (see Following the Fed to 50% Flops), and not least because the Fed has announced – in what should be no uncertain terms – that it intends to taper this policy going forward. Moreover, despite the view that economic factors are the Fed's sole consideration and that small disappointments will cause the Fed to "flinch," the members of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee have become increasingly aware of the diminishing effectiveness and growing distortions resulting from QE. This is evident in recent speeches even by "dovish" members. The FOMC has also noted that "an ongoing evaluation of the efficacy, costs, and risks of asset purchases might well lead the Committee to taper or end its purchases before it judged that a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market had occurred."

Last week's Federal Reserve monetary policy symposium at Jackson Hole certainly provided no support for the "flinch" expectation. Rather, the academic presentations emphasized the general futility of quantitative easing, while the presentations by policy-makers such as other central-bank heads focused largely on the mechanics of an exit:

"The United States and most other advanced countries are closing on five years of all-out expansionary monetary policy that has failed in all cases to restore normal conditions of employment and output. These countries have been in liquidity traps where monetary policies that normally expand the economy by enlarging the monetary base are ineffectual. Reserves have become near-perfect substitutes for government debt, so open-market policies of funding purchases of! debt wit! h reserves have essentially no effect."

- Robert Hall, Stanford Economist & Chair of NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee, Federal Reserve Economic Policy Symposium (Jackson Hole)

"The portfolio balance channel of QE works largely through narrow channels that affect the prices of purchased assets, with spillovers depending on particulars of the assets and economic conditions. It does not, as the Fed proposes, work through broad channels such as affecting the term premium on all long-term bonds. The Fed's purchases of long-term US Treasury bonds significantly raised Treasury bond prices, but has had limited spillover effects for private sector bond yields, and thus limited economic benefits. Moreover, since the safety premium on Treasury bonds stem from the economic benefits they provide to investors, by reducing the supply of Treasury bonds, the economy is deprived of extremely safe and liquid assets and welfare is reduced."

- Arvind Krishnamurthy & Annette Vissing-Jorgenson, Northwestern University, Federal Reserve Economic Policy Symposium (Jackson Hole)

Note that even the benefit of "significantly raised Treasury bond prices" no longer exists, as 10-year Treasury yields and 30-year fixed mortgage yields are now higher than both their starting and average levels since QE2 was initiated in 2010. The interest cost of buying a home with a 30-year fixed mortgage has increased by 40% since last year. Moreover, while nobody evidently cares that the Fed is almost certainly insolvent on a mark-to-market basis here, to the extent that the Fed experiences net losses on its holdings, the overall impact on public finance is equivalent to the Treasury issuing debt at a higher interest cost than necessary.

In any event, we remain defensive here on the basis of a broad range of considerations, and our outlook will shift when the evidence shifts. Our investment horizon of interest remains the complete market cycle, even as our operational horizon of interest continues to be ! the prese! nt moment. In other words, we align our investment outlook with the return/risk profile that we estimate at each point in time, based on prevailing conditions, and we view our investment horizon from the perspective of a complete bull-bear market cycle.

One result of this discipline is that even though I expect that the present cycle will be completed by a market loss on the order of 40-55%, conditions can certainly emerge over the course of this cycle that could warrant a more constructive stance than we have presently, though possibly less extended than we'd like. The most likely constructive opportunity would emerge from a moderate retreat in market valuations, ideally to "oversold" conditions from an intermediate-term perspective, coupled with an early firming in measures of market internals. Though larger cyclical risks here will probably make some line of defense important in any event, our outlook certainly has room to be more constructive as conditions change. We would expect such opportunities regardless of whether bull or bear market outcomes unfold ahead.

The foregoing comments represent the general investment analysis and economic views of the Advisor, and are provided solely for the purpose of information, instruction and discourse. Only comments in the Fund Notes section relate specifically to the Hussman Funds and the investment positions of the Funds.

Fund Notes

Our estimates of return/risk in stocks continue to be unusually negative due to a recent deterioration in market internals (including but not limited to interest-sensitive sectors) following what we view as a strenuously overvalued, overbought, overbullish speculative episode. Strategic Growth remains fully hedged, with a "staggered strike" position where the index put option side of the hedge has strike prices slightly below present market levels. Strategic International remains fully hedged. Strategic Dividend Value remains hedged at about 50% of the value of its stock holdings. Strategic Tot! al Return! carries a duration of about 4 years (meaning that a 100 basis point move in interest rates would be expected to impact Fund value by about 4% on the basis of bond price fluctuations), with about 4% of assets in precious metals shares and about 4% of assets in utility shares.

In short, the Funds remain broadly defensive across all sectors. This will change, but the recent spike in our risk estimates across all asset classes suggests the potential for general illiquidity and price weakness. We are most inclined to increase exposure to Treasury securities on price weakness, as these are the closest portfolio substitutes for short-term Treasury bills yielding close to zero. We are most concerned about equities, where we estimate unusually thin risk premiums that – in the context of deteriorating market internals – appear likely to be pressed higher (which would be synonymous with lower prices).

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Prospectuses for the Hussman Strategic Growth Fund, the Hussman Strategic Total Return Fund, the Hussman Strategic International Fund, and the Hussman Strategic Dividend Value Fund, as well as Fund reports and other information, are available by clicking "The Funds" menu button from any page of this website.

Estimates of prospective return and risk for equities, bonds, and other financial markets are forward-looking statements based the analysis and reasonable beliefs of Hussman Strategic Advisors. They are not a guarantee of future performance, and are not indicative of the prospective returns of any of the Hussman Funds. Actual returns may differ substantially from the estimates provided. Estimates of prospective long-term returns for the S&P 500 reflect our standard valuation methodology, focusing on the relationship between current market prices and earnings, dividends and other fundamentals, adjusted for variability over the economic cycle (see for example The Likely Range of Market Returns in the Coming Decade and Valuing the S&P 500 Using Forward Operating Earnings ).
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5 Stocks Under $10 in Breakout Territory

 DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

First Security Group

First Security Group (FSGI) operates as the holding company for FSGBank, which provides banking products and services to various communities in Tennessee and Georgia. This stock closed up 6.5% to $2.29 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $2.16-$2.30

52-Week Range: $1.30-$7.45

Tuesday's Volume: 80,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 509,606

From a technical perspective, FSGI ripped higher here right above some near-term support levels at $2.14 to $2.12 with lighter-than-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of FSGI within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if FSGI manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.38 to $2.52 and then once it clears its 200-day moving average at $2.80 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in FSGI as long as it's trending above some key support levels at $2.14 to $2.12 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 509,606 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then FSGI will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from June that started at $5.08.

Document Security Systems

Document Security Systems (DSS) is engaged in fraud and counterfeit protection for all forms of printed documents and digital information. This stock closed up 8.7% to $1.68 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $1.48-$1.68

52-Week Range: $1.37-$4.60

Tuesday's Volume: 755,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 472,073

From a technical perspective, DSS ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $1.45 with above-average volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last three months, with shares dropping from its high of $3.64 to its recent low of $1.37. During that move, shares of DSS have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of DSS have now started to rebound off that $1.37 low and it's now quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if DSS manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $1.75 to $1.88 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DSS as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $1.45 to $1.37 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 472,073 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then DSS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 50-day moving average at $2.05 to its next major resistance area at $2.30. Any high-volume move above those levels will then put its 200-day at $2.39 or $3 into range for shares of DSS.

SGOCO Group

SGOCO Group (SGOC) engages in designing and developing LCD/LED monitors, TVs and other application-specific products for sale primarily to the flat-panel display market in China. This stock closed up 8.8% to $2.58 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $2.26-$2.59

52-Week Range: $0.70-$3.40

Tuesday's Volume: 146,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 522,556

From a technical perspective, SGOC bounced sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $2.25 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.51 to its recent high of $3.10. During that move, shares of SGOC have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of SGOC within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if SGOC manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.10 to its 52-week high at $3.40.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SGOC as long as it's trending above $2.25 or its 50-day at $1.92 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 522,556 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SGOC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $4 to $4.50.

Richmont Mines

Richmont Mines (RIC) engages in the mining, exploration and development of mining properties, principally gold in Canada. This stock closed up 2.4% to $1.68 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $1.61-$1.68

52-Week Range: $1.31-$5.50

Tuesday's Volume: 76,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 101,786

From a technical perspective, RIC bounced higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $1.59 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.31 to its recent high of $1.71. During that move, shares of RIC have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of RIC within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if RIC manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $1.71 to $1.80 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RIC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $1.59 or above more near-term support levels at $1.50 to $1.44 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 101,786 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then RIC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.10 to $2.20. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give RIC a chance to tag its 200-day moving average at $2.48.

Demand Media

Demand Media (DMD) operates as an Internet media and domain services player worldwide. This stock closed up 1% to $6.53 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $6.40-$6.56

52-Week Range: $5.79-$11.50

Thursday's Volume: 656,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 591,328

From a technical perspective, DMD bounced modestly higher here right above some near-term support levels at $6.50 to $6.08 with above-average volume. This move is starting to push shares of DMD within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if DMD manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $7.09 to more near-term overhead resistance at $7.15 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DMD as long as it's trending above near-term support levels at $6.25 or $6.08 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 591,328 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then DMD will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from June that started at $8.20. That entire gap could easily get filled if DMD gets a high-volume move into that zone, so make sure to watch this name for that breakout.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.