Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now

Getty Images With Veterans Day approaching, it makes sense that charities dedicated to helping veterans and their families are ramping up their efforts. That's not lost on crooks, who also will ramp up their efforts. So, if you want to support those who have risked their lives for this country rather than enrich a bunch of crooks who are likely halfway around the world, heed the warning issued on Friday by the Better Business Bureau. Watch out for pitches from supposed charities that want you to think they care about U.S. military veterans. The solicitations can come by mail, email, social media, or door-to-door, the BBB said. Groups that say they're helping veterans and those they are helping them are two different things. So, the key is being able to recognize the scams as well as verify that where you intend to send your money is the real deal. How to Avoid Being Duped

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ambassadors Group Inc. (EPAX)

Ambassadors Group, Inc. provides educational travel experiences and online education research materials worldwide. Its Ambassador Programs and Other segment offers educational travel services to students and professionals. The company�s BookRags segment provides online research in the form of book summaries, critical essays, study guides, lesson plans, film summaries, biographies, literary criticisms, and references to encyclopedia articles. It offers People to People Ambassador Programs for the development and conducting of programs to grade school and high school students; and for the development, marketing, and operation of programs for professionals, college students, and athletes. The company also provides People to People Student Ambassador Programs, which offer educational opportunities for grade school, middle school, and high school students to visit foreign destinations to learn about the history, government, economy, and culture of such countries, as well as pr ovides educational and entertaining travel experience. In addition, it offers People to People Sports Ambassador Programs; and People to People Leadership Summit and World Leadership Forum Programs that provide domestic travel experiences for grade school, middle school, and high school students emphasizing leadership, community involvement, and government education. The company also offers People to People Citizen Ambassador Programs, which provide professionals to travel abroad to meet and exchange ideas with foreign citizens. In addition, it offers Discovery Student Adventures, a teacher recruited student travel program that provides opportunities for grade school, middle school, and high school students to visit destinations emphasizing adventure and scientific exploration. Further, the company operates bookrags.com, an educational Website. Ambassadors Group, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Ambassadors Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:EPAX), a leading provider of educational travel experiences, reported that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.06 per share, which will be paid on June 7, 2012 to all common shareholders of record on May 24, 2012.

Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Post Properties Inc. (PPS)

Post Properties, Inc., a real estate investments trust (REIT), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and management of multifamily apartment communities in the United States. As of December 31, 2007, the company owned 22,578 apartment units in 63 apartment communities, including 1,747 apartment units in 2 communities held in unconsolidated entities and 2,266 apartment units in 7 communities. It is also developing and selling 535 for-sale condominium homes in 4 communities and converting 349 apartment homes into for-sale condominium homes in 2 communities. The company primarily operates in Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Tampa, Florida metropolitan areas. Post Properties has elected to be taxed as REIT under the Internal Revenue Code and would not be subject to federal income taxes, if it distributes approximately 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1971 and is based in Atlanta, Ge orgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones] ng>Rate of Return: 30.76%

  Down 6% over 12 months, Post Properties Inc., a residential REIT, has a market cap of $2.46 billion; its shares were traded at around $45.02. The tangible book value is 20.98. PPS trades with a P/E ratio of 29.00 and a P/B of 2.10. The earnings yield is 2.80%.

  Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2013, Third Avenue Management holds 422,734 shares values at around $20.9 million.

  PPS is a relatively new holding for the firm, first bought in the second quarter of 2013. The firm bought 422,734 shares at an average price of $49.04, for a loss of 8.2%.

  Track historical pricing, revenue and net income since 1993:

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  Valley National Bancorp (VLY)

  Rate of Return: 26.4%

  Up 5% over 12 months, Valley National Bancorp has a market cap of $2.07 billion; its shares were traded at around $10.40. The tangible book value is 5.28. VLY trades with a P/E ratio of 14.60 and a P/B of 1.30. The earnings yield is 3.80%.

  Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2013, Third Avenue Management holds 1,462,501 shares values at around $13.8 million.

  VLY is another new holding for Third Avenue, first buying 1,462,501 shares in the second quarter of 2013, at an average price of $9.34, for a gain of 11.3%.

  Track historical pricing, revenue and net income since 1990:

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  Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD)

  Rate of Return: 23.14%

  Up 11% over 12 months, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. has a market cap of $3.35 billion; its shares were traded at around $26.94. The tangible book value is 5.97. BKD trades with a P/B of 3.30. The earnings yield is 1.80%.

  Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2013, Third Avenue Management holds 658,866 shares values at around $17.429 million.

  Bought in the second quarter of 2013, BKD is another new holding for Third Avenue. The firm made a new buy of 658,866 shares at an average price of $27.55, for a 2.2% loss.

  Track historical pricing,

• [By Philip Springer]

  Post Properties Inc. (NYSE: PPS): 14.7%

  
  Here are the largest homebuilders and their shares’ performance so far this year:
  
  Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN): -2.3%

Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Kid Brands Inc (KID)

Kid Brands, Inc., incorporated on June 1966, is a designer, importer, marketer and distributor of branded infant and juvenile consumer products. The Company through its wholly owned operating subsidiaries: Kids Line, LLC (Kids Line); LaJobi, Inc. (LaJobi); Sassy, Inc. (Sassy), and CoCaLo, Inc. (CoCaLo) designs and markets branded infant and juvenile products in a number of categories, including, among others: infant bedding and related nursery accessories and decor, nursery appliances, bath/spa products and diaper bags (Kids Line and CoCaLo); nursery furniture and related products (LaJobi), and developmental toys and feeding, bath and baby care items with features that address the various stages of an infant�� early years, including Kokopax line of baby gear (Sassy). In addition to its branded products, it also markets certain categories of products under various licenses, including Carter��, Disney, Graco and Serta.

The Company�� products are sold primarily to large, national retail accounts and independent retailers (including toy, specialty, food, drug, apparel and other retailers). The Company maintains relationships with international distributors to service certain retail customers in several foreign countries, as well as with several independent representatives to service select domestic and foreign retail customers. The Company�� infant and juvenile product line consists of approximately 7,400 products that principally focus on newborn to three year old children. It also caters to the age range between three through seven, including toddler bedding and beds, as well as kitchen products. Kids Line products, which are marketed primarily under the Kids Line, Carter�� and Disney brands, and CoCaLo products, which are marketed primarily under the CoCaLo Baby, CoCaLo Couture, and CoCaLo Naturals brands, each consist primarily of infant bedding and related nursery accessories and decor, such as blankets, rugs, mobiles, nightlights, hampers, lamps and wall art, as well as nurser! y appliances, diaper bags and spa/bath products. LaJobi products, which are marketed primarily under the Babi Italia, Europa Baby, Bonavita, Graco and Serta brands, consist primarily of cribs, mattresses and other nursery furniture. Sassy products, which are marketed primarily under the Sassy, Carter��, Garanimals and Kokopax brands, consist primarily of developmental toys and feeding, bath and baby care items and baby gear with features that address the various stages of an infant�� early years. The Company has five product categories: Hard Good Basics, Soft Good Basics, Toys and Entertainment, Accessories and Decor, and Other. Hard Good Basics includes cribs and other nursery furniture, feeding, food preparation and kitchen products, baby gear and organizers. Soft Good Basics includes bedding, blankets and mattresses. Toys and Entertainment includes developmental toys, bath toys and mobiles. Accessories and Decor includes hampers, lamps, rugs and decor. Other includes all other products that do not fit in the above four categories.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Kid Brands (NYSE: KID  ) has put a new individual in the CEO chair. The man formerly occupying that position, Guy Paglinco, will depart in order to, as the company put it, "pursue other activities." His replacement is James Christl, who will also serve as senior vice president. The transition is effective immediately, although Paglinco will remain a full-time employee of Kid Brands until July 5. Following that, he will make himself available in an advisory capacity for a further six months.

Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: PokerTek Inc.(PTEK)

PokerTek, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of electronic table games and related products for casinos, cruise lines, racinos, card clubs, and lotteries worldwide. Its products include PokerPro system, an automated 10-seated poker table with electronic components that allows players to play live poker against one another in a brick and mortar environment using electronic cards and chips by supporting poker, cash games, tournaments, and various languages; and Blackjack Pro, which offers the traditional game of Blackjack on the new ProCore automated table game platform, as well as allows operators to configure the game rules and payouts to meet their needs. The company distributes its gaming products using internal sales force and select distributors. PokerTek, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Brumley]

  With the stock down more than 13% since early March, it would be easy to assume Multimedia Games Holding Company (MGAM) was headed for a nasty earnings report at the end of April. The market was wrong, however. MGAM posted a 25% increase in revenue for the quarter, and a 28% improvement in earnings … and that was before the acquisition of PokerTek (PTEK). Bringing PokertTek into the fold will almost assure a fourth straight year of revenue and income growth.

Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. Inc.(HITK)

Hi Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in developing, manufacturing, and marketing generic and prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and nutritional products in liquid and semi-solid dosage forms in the United States. The company offers a range of products for various disease states, including glaucoma, asthma, bronchial disorders, dermatological disorders, allergies, pain, stomach, and oral care. Its generic pharmaceutical products include oral solutions and suspensions, topical creams and ointments, and nasal sprays. The company also manufactures liquid ophthalmic, otic, and inhalation products; and prescription vitamins. In addition, it markets a line of branded products that include OTC medications, nutritional products, cosmetics, and medical devices primarily for people with diabetes. The company offers its products to chain drug stores, drug wholesalers, managed care purchasing organizations, Federal government agencies, generic dis tributors, mass merchandisers, and mail-order pharmacies. Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Amityville, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Still, some stocks are bucking the trend. Goodyear Tire & Rubber (GT) has gained 1.4% to $18.90, the largest gainer in the S&P 500, after reaching a deal with a union. The real winners: Hi-Tech Pharmacal (HITK) has gained 22.3% to $43.05 after agreeing to be purchased by Akorn (AKRX), which has jumped 9.6% to $18.02.

• [By David Chulak]

  Look at Hi-Tech Pharmacal�� (HITK) cash flow statement below. Hi-Tech just received approval by the FDA for an oral concentrate of Lorazepam. Lorazepam is an often-used drug for the treatment of anxiety and is probably used by more Wall Street analysts than I care to know about. Note that the last three years indicate that net income is greater than operating cash flow. This is known as a red flag and should be investigated thoroughly if you intend to invest in any stock with similar numbers.

Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: CVR Energy Inc (CVI)

CVR Energy, Inc. (CVR Energy), incorporated September 2006, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, acts as an independent petroleum refiner and marketer of transportation fuels in the mid-continental United States. In addition, the Company, through its majority-owned subsidiaries, acts as an independent producer and marketer of nitrogen fertilizer products in North America. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned the general partner and approximately 70% of CVR Partners, LP (the Partnership), a limited partnership which produces nitrogen fertilizers in the form of ammonia and an aqueous solution of urea and ammonium nitrate used as a fertilizer (UAN). The Company operates in two segments: the petroleum segment and the nitrogen fertilizer segment. On December 15, 2011, the Company acquired Gary-Williams Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries (GWEC).

Petroleum Business

The Company operates a 115,000 barrels per day complex full coking medium-sour crude oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas and, as of December 15, 2011, a 70,000 barrels per day crude oil unit refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. Its combined production capacity represents approximately 15% of its region's output during the year ended December 31, 2011. The Coffeyville facility is situated on approximately 440 acres in southeast Kansas, approximately 100 miles from Cushing, Oklahoma, a crude oil trading and storage hub. The Wynnewood facility is situated on approximately 400 acres located approximately 65 miles south of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and approximately 130 miles from Cushing, Oklahoma. During 2011, its Coffeyville refinery's product yield included gasoline (mainly regular unleaded) (44%), diesel fuel (42%), and pet coke and other refined products, such as natural gas liquids (NGL) (propane and butane), slurry, sulfur and gas oil (14%). Its Wynnewood refinery's product yield included gasoline (54%), diesel fuel (31%), asphalt (6%), jet fuel (3%) and other products (6%) during 2011.

The Company! owns and operates a crude oil gathering system serving Kansas, Oklahoma, western Missouri and southwestern Nebraska. The system has field offices in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Plainville, Kansas and Winfield, Kansas. The system consists of approximately 350 miles of feeder and trunk pipelines, 100 trucks, and associated storage facilities for gathering sweet crude oils purchased from independent crude oil producers in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri. It also leases a section of a pipeline from Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (Magellan), which is incorporated into its crude oil gathering system. During 2011, the Company�� crude oil gathering system had a gathering capacity of approximately 38,000 barrels per day. During 2011, it gathered an average of approximately 35,000 barrels per day.

CVR Energy owns a pipeline system capable of transporting approximately 145,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Caney, Kansas to its refinery. Crude oils sourced outside of its gathering system are delivered by common carrier pipelines into various terminals in Cushing, Oklahoma, where they are blended and then delivered to Caney, Kansas via a pipeline owned by Plains Pipeline L.P. (Plains). The Company also owns associated crude oil storage tanks with a capacity of approximately 1.2 million barrels located outside its Coffeyville refinery, 0.5 million barrels of crude oil storage at Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and lease an additional 3.3 million barrels of storage capacity located at Cushing, Oklahoma and other locations. In addition to crude oil storage, it owns approximately 4.5 million barrels of combined refinery related storage capacity.

CVR Energy has access to foreign crude oil from Latin America, South America, West Africa, the Middle East, the North Sea and Canada. It purchases domestic crude oil from Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, North Dakota, Missouri, and offshore deepwater Gulf of Mexico production. During 2011, its Coffeyville crude oil supply blend consisted of approx! imately 8! 0% light sweet crude oil, 2% light/medium sour crude oil and 18% heavy sour crude oil. During 2011, Wynnewood's crude oil supply blend consisted of approximately 88% sweet crude oil and 12% light/medium sour crude oil.

During 2011, approximately 35% of the Coffeyville refinery's products were sold through the rack system directly to retail and wholesale customers, while the remaining 65% was sold through pipelines via bulk spot and term contracts. The Company makes bulk sales (sales into third party pipelines) into the mid-continent markets via Magellan and into Colorado and other destinations utilizing the product pipeline networks owned by Magellan, Enterprise Products Operating, L.P. (Enterprise) and NuStar Energy, LP (NuStar). Approximately 60% of the Wynnewood refinery's finished products sold are distributed in Oklahoma. Customers for its petroleum products include other refiners, convenience store companies, railroads and farm cooperatives.

The Company competes with BP, Conoco Phillips, HollyFrontier, NCRA, Valero, Flint Hills Resources, CHS and Shell.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Business

The nitrogen fertilizer business, operated by the Partnership, is the nitrogen fertilizer plant in North America. It utilizes a pet coke gasification process to produce nitrogen fertilizer. The nitrogen fertilizer facility's primary input is pet coke. The nitrogen fertilizer facility includes a 1,225 ton-per-day ammonia unit, a 2,025 ton-per-day UAN unit and a gasifier complex having a capacity of 84 million standard cubic feet per day. Linde LLC (Linde) owns, operates, and maintains the air separation plant that provides contract volumes of oxygen, nitrogen and compressed dry air to the gasifier for a monthly fee.

The primary geographic markets for the nitrogen fertilizer business' fertilizer products are Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado and Texas. The nitrogen fertilizer business markets the ammonia products to industrial and agricu! ltural cu! stomers and the UAN products to agricultural customers. The nitrogen fertilizer business sells ammonia to agricultural and industrial customers. Agricultural customers include distributors such as MFA, United Suppliers, Inc., Brandt Consolidated Inc., Gavilon Fertilizer LLC, Transammonia, Inc., Agri Services of Brunswick, LLC, Interchem and CHS Inc. Industrial customers include Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc., National Cooperative Refinery Association, and Dyno Nobel, Inc. The nitrogen fertilizer business sells UAN products to retailers and distributors.

The Company competes with Agrium, Koch Nitrogen, Potash Corporation and CF Industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Susan J. Aluise]

  The company, whose earnings have been blistered by low natural gas prices, has reworked its business model to focus more on boosting profitability in its regulated utility operations. That’s a solid strategy for FE, given the state of the energy market. Also, the bad news has been priced in, providing a potentially attractive entry point for investors.

  CVR Energy (CVI)

  CVR Energy (CVI)�stock is down 9% since Jan. 2. CVI stock has a lofty dividend yield of 8%, and its valuation is attractive now with a puny forward P/E of 9.4. CVI shares soared by more than 3% on Thursday after the company reported fourth-quarter and full-year earnings.

• [By Russ Fischer]

  CVR Energy, Inc. (CVI)

  Energy and Chemical segment. CVR Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum refining and nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing. The company operates a coking medium-sour crude oil refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas and Wynnewood, Oklahoma; and a crude oil gathering system serving Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. It also owns a proprietary pipeline system that transports crude oil from Caney, Kansas to its refinery. The Nitrogen Fertilizer segment operates a nitrogen fertilizer plant in North America that utilizes a pet coke gasification process to produce nitrogen fertilizer. Yield: 5.1%

Best High Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: OmniVision Technologies Inc.(OVTI)

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets semiconductor image-sensor devices. The company offers CameraChip image sensors, which are single-chip solutions that integrate various functions, such as image capture, image processing, color processing, signal conversion, and output of a processed image or video stream for use in various consumer and commercial mass-market applications; and CameraCube imaging devices that are image sensors with integrated wafer-level optics. It also provides companion chips used to connect its image sensors to various interfaces, including the universal serial bus and other industry standard interfaces; and companion digital signal processors that perform compression in standardized still photo and digital video formats. In addition, the company designs and develops software drivers for Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows, as well as for embedded operating systems, such as Blackberry OS, Palm OS, Symbian, Windows CE, Windows Embedded, and Windows Mobile. Its products are used in mobile phones, notebooks, Webcams, digital still and video cameras, commercial and security and surveillance, and automotive and medical applications, as well as in entertainment devices. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers and value added resellers, as well as indirectly through distributors worldwide. OmniVision Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) got a boost, shooting up 7.22 percent to $17.38 after the company posted better-than-expected Q3 results.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  Once upon a time, I was also an OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) bull, thinking the image sensor specialist's lead in backside-illuminated technology gave it a substantial leg up against the competition. When OmniVision lost the iPhone 4S primary camera spot to Sony,�that was just the first sign that things may never be the same. The company subsequently lost the iPhone 5 primary sensor, also to Sony. HTC has gone with STMicroelectronics�for the "UltraPixel" sensor in its One flagship (OmniVision sources the secondary sensor), which lends to the idea that BSI sensors are becoming commoditized. Goodbye, pricing power. I gave up on OmniVision long ago.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Briefly in the news
  And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.

  OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) investors are seeing the big picture. Shares of the image sensor maker moved higher after posting better-than-expected quarterly results. Revenue soared 54%, and OmniVision's profit of $0.31 a share blew away the $0.21 analysts were targeting. Nokia (NYSE: NOK  ) is no longer the leading smartphone seller in Finland. Tech tracker IDC reports that Samsung outsold Nokia in its home country this past quarter. So much for the hometown hero. Vringo (NASDAQ: VRNG  ) got another tech giant to pay up, but it won't be much. The company announced a patent-infringement settlement with Mr. Softy in which Vringo will receive $1 million and enter into a licensing deal with the world's largest software company.