Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now

Japanese shares led most Asian markets higher Friday as the dollar edged towards a multi-year high against the yen.

The U.S. Federal Reserve�� forthcoming policy meeting, scheduled to finish next Wednesday, remained the main event on the horizon. After the U.S. posted a strong November labor report last week, expectations have increased for an imminent reduction of the central bank�� stimulus measures, which some think could start as early as next week.

Reuters Enlarge Image A panel displays world market indexes at an exhibition hall of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

As a result, the dollar strengthened 0.9% overnight against the yen (USDJPY) �and continued to push higher in Asian trading. At 楼103.56, the greenback was back within striking distance of the 楼103.74 high it reached in May.

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Own For 2015: Brazil Gold Corp (BRZG)

Brazil Gold Corp. incorporated on June 17, 2004, is engaged in reviewing mineral exploration. The Company has a Letter of Intent with Mineracao Rio De Padreas Ltda to acquire up to 100% of Mineracao�� interests in the Luziania Gold Project located in Goias State, Brazil. The Luziania Gold Project (LGP) is located about 50 kilometers southwest of Brasilia and 10 kilometers from the City of Luziania. LGP carries mining permits, environmental impact studies and ore recovery analyses. Effective July 30, 2013, Brazil Gold Corp acquired a 20% interest in FAL Minerals LLC, a gold mining company.

The Company is focused on reviewing exploration and other opportunities with the objective of bringing revenue to the Company. As of June 30, 2011, the Company was focused on evaluating possible new ventures and acquisitions. As of June 30, 2011, the Company had not generated any revenues from its operations.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap mining stocks Brazil Gold Corp (OTCMKTS: BRZG) and Trulan Resources (OTCMKTS: TRLR) were either active on the charts last week (in the case of the former) or recently the subject of paid promotions (in the case of the latter). However, mining is not exactly an easy business for a small and usually undercapitalized small cap mining stock given the amount it can cost to get a mine up and running. On the other hand, they could always be sitting on the next mother lode just waiting to come out of the ground. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about these two small cap mining stocks:

Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Cenkos Securities PLC (CNKS)

Cenkos Securities plc (Cenkos) is an independent, specialist institutional securities group, focused on growth companies and investment funds. The Company�� principal activities comprise of corporate broking and advisory and institutional equities. Corporate Broking and Advisory segment reflects the corporate finance, corporate broking and market making services provided to growth companies and investment funds. Institutional Equities segment reflects the institutional equities team who provide research-driven investment recommendations and execution capabilities to institutional clients. Cenkos earns fees from primary and secondary equity fund raising, acting as a key intermediary between growth companies or investment funds and institutional providers of capital. Revenue in Corporate Broking and Advisory segment is made up of placing commissions on fund raisings, corporate finance fees and retainer income, market making profits and commissions on secondary market transactions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Trista Kelley]

  Cenkos Securities Plc (CNKS) is running the spinoff and the share sale. Royal DSM NV (DSM), the world�� largest maker of vitamins, holds about 9 percent of SiS, while U.K. venture-capital trust Downing LLP owns 16.7 percent, Moon said. Provexis stockholders received one share of Science in Sport for every 100 shares of Provexis.

Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Verizon Communications Inc.(VZ)

Verizon Communications Inc. provides communication services. The company operates through two segments, Domestic Wireless and Wireline. The Domestic Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data services; and sells equipment in the United States. The Wireline segment provides voice, Internet access, broadband video and data, Internet protocol network, network access, long distance, and other services in the United States and internationally. The company serves consumer, business, and government customers, as well as carriers. As of December 31, 2010, its network covered a population of approximately 292 million and provided service to a customer base of approximately 94.1 million. The company was formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation and changed its name to Verizon Communications Inc. in June 2000. Verizon Communications Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  So yes, Frontier Communications can keep paying it’s dividend–at least for the time being–and that’s reason enough for it to jump 4.7% to $4.70 today at 2:51 p.m., while CenturyLink has gained 1.1% to $33.75. Verizon (VZ) has advanced 1.1% to $50.64 and AT&T (T) is up 0.9% at $35.86.

• [By Roger Conrad]

  Verizon (VZ), you could also throw in there, but if you look at these two companies, they've done about two-thirds of the capital spending over the past three years and they've done it without, while paying rising dividends, and you know, without running up debt.

Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG.PK)

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions, incorporated on December 1, 2005, is a provider of integrated supply and distribution technology. The Company�� Seed-to-Sale (S2S) integrated solution is a management and compliance technology for growers, caregivers and dispensaries in the market. The Company also works with public officials and government agencies to expand the acceptance of medicinal cannabis, and the adoption of a legal framework where maximum market expansion is possible. The Company solves the fragmentation problem by identifying tools that are important to dispensaries, and customizing those tools specifically catered to the industry. The Company's solutions include Spark, Ghost and S2S.

Spark

The Company�� SPARK Hosted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provides customers with enterprise-class hosted phone systems customized to fit customers��needs. SPARK's service is a fully-managed, cloud-based system. The Company offers the convenience of an online Internet Protocol (IP)-based telecommunications system while still delivering substantial savings to customers bottom line.

Ghost

By offering customers a customized, tailored mobile solution, the Company's Ghost Mobile Apps give a marketing tool with a texting and e-mail solution, keeping customers in constant contact with patients and clients. The Company creates an optimized experience in context to each device or screen size.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alan Brochstein]

  Not too surprisingly, supply is starting to increase. We have seen some companies enter the space by expanding their own businesses, but there have been some reverse mergers lately too. I had mentioned Refill Energy (REFG.PK) recently (soon to be Medical Cannabis Financial Group), but earlier this month Promap (PMAP.OB) acquired 94% of Advanced Cannabis Solutions (link to 8-K). As an aside, I think that this company is worth considering given the management team and the business model. Investors should keep in the back of their mind that there are many companies that are quietly developing their business models and could become public over time, especially as the regulatory and legal landscapes improve.

Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: H.J. Heinz Company (HNZ)

H. J. Heinz Company manufactures and markets food products for consumers, and foodservice and institutional customers in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company primarily offers ketchup, condiments and sauces, frozen food, soups, beans and pasta meals, infant nutrition, and other food products. It sells its products through its sales organizations, independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain, wholesale, cooperative, and independent grocery accounts; convenience stores; bakeries; pharmacies; mass merchants; club stores; foodservice distributors; and institutions, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, health-care facilities, and government agencies. The company was founded in 1869 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Koppenheffer]

  But despite the 50% stake in a joint venture to buy H. J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) , which was announced recently, Berkshire's cash pile is building up again. I was hoping to hear Buffett say, "We've just bagged another "elephant."

• [By Rich Smith]

  Campbell is cheap
  When you stack up the stock of Campbell Soup against a couple of its bigger rivals -- H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) and Mondelez International (NASDAQ: MDLZ  ) -- it's clear that Campbell's stock is the best bargain of the bunch. Its 19 price-to-earnings ratio is nearly 15% cheaper than Heinz's 22.2 P/E, and it offers an eye-popping 37% discount to the 31 P/E at Mondelez.

• [By CRWE]

  H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) reported a conference call and Webcast for Securities Analysts and Media (listen only) to discuss the Company�� first-quarter Fiscal 2013 results and its Fiscal 2013 outlook at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, August 29, 2012.

Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Brookfield Office Properties Inc. (BPO)

Brookfield Properties Corporation is a publicly owned real estate investment firm. The firm engages in the ownership, development, and management of premier commercial properties. It also provides ancillary real estate service businesses, such as tenant service and amenities. The firm invests in the real estate markets of the United States with a focus on North American cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Calgary, Denver, and Minneapolis. It primarily invests in properties and development sites predominantly office buildings. The firm operates as a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. It was formerly known as Carena-Bancorp Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Le Holding Carena-Bancorp Inc. in 1978. The company further changed its name to Carena-Bancorp, Inc. in 1985; to Carena Developments Limited in 1989; and to Brookfield Properties Corporation in 1996. Brookfield Properties was founded in 1923 and is based in New York, New York wi th an additional office in Toronto, Canada

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  Brookfield's public assets include a 21% stake (and potentially more given certain warrants held by Brookfield) in General Growth Properties (GGP), a 51% stake in Brookfield Office Properties (BPO), a 36% stake (again, more if certain warrants are exercised) in Rouse Properties (RSE) and 21% stake in Canary Wharf Group Plc, which is majority owned by Songbird Estates Plc (SBEPF.PK).

Top 10 Japanese Companies To Own In Right Now: Mastercard Incorporated(MA)

MasterCard Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides transaction processing and related services to customers principally in support of their credit, deposit access, electronic cash and automated teller machine payment card programs, and travelers? cheque programs. Its payment solutions include payment programs, marketing, product development, technology, processing, and consulting and information services. The company provides transaction processing services comprising transaction switching, which include authorization, clearing, and settlement; connectivity services, such as network access, equipment, and the transmission of authorization and settlement messages; and other payment-related services consisting of products used to prevent or detect fraudulent transactions, cardholder services, professional consulting and research services, compliance and penalty, account and transaction enhancement services, holograms, and publication services. MasterCard Incor porated manages and licenses payment card brands, including MasterCard, MasterCard Electronic, Maestro, and Cirrus. The company?s payment programs, which are facilitated through its brands, include consumer credit, debit and prepaid programs, commercial payment solutions, and contactless payment solutions. It serves approximately 22,000 financial institutions. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Woods]

  Last week, traders weren�� very kind to the equity markets. They were particularly hard on financial stocks, as the Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) was down more than 4% in the week ended 4/11. Things were even worse for many individual financial-related stocks, including credit card payment processors MasterCard (MA) and Visa (V).

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Matt Sayles/AP Celebrities don't make the best financiers. Several years ago, a handful famous people jumped into the prepaid debit card business, only to find it wasn't quite the easy route to profits they might have believed it to be. Perhaps they were under that impression because, to coin an old phrase, the financial sector is where the money is. But succeeding in it can be much trickier than it looks. Fed by All Those Fees It's easy to understand why the prepaid card market would be appealing for someone looking for a good side business. In a word: fees. Using a prepaid card generates a raft of payouts for the customer. These can include activation fees, monthly subscription fees, loading fees, ATM withdrawal fees (not to mention ATM balance inquiry fees), customer service fees ... and on and on. How can card issuers tack on so many costs to a simple financial instrument? After all, a typical credit or debit card using the Visa (V) or MasterCard (MA) network carries few if any fees for the user. But prepaid cards are targeted towards a different kind of customer -- lower-income individuals, and those who can have a difficult time securing financial instruments (such as teenagers). Many of these folks lack the income or credit score for a traditional credit card and might not have the means to satisfy the requirements of a traditional bank account. In other words, since they have limited options, as a group these individuals are virtually a captive market for prepaid products. I'd Just Like an Autograph Instead, Thanks