Friday, October 10, 2014

Best Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2014

It has been a great year for Q4 Systems (NASDAQ: QFOR) and its shareholders. Although it is a small cap firm in the information technology sector, clients of Q4 Systems have included such blue chips as Alcoa, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens, among many others.

A previous article on Benzinga, "A Small Cap That is Cashing in on ObamaCare," detailed why Q4 Systems would do well as a result of the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare.

With the stock price up more than 500 percent for the last year of market action, that has clearly happened. Revenues are increasing by 40 percent on a quarterly basis, according to Yahoo Finance. Unlike many small caps, Q4 Systems posts a gross profit, has hundreds of employees, operates in several companies, and as a high retention rate for clients. As a result, while it is now trading at under $1, two of the most recent analyst recommendations have Q4 Systems at $5.25 a share and $7.00 a share.

Top 5 Net Payout Yield Stocks For 2015: Vical Incorporated(VICL)

Vical Incorporated engages in the research and development of biopharmaceutical products based on its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. Its products include Allovectin, a Phase III clinical trial product to treat metastatic melanoma; CyMVectin prophylactic vaccine for cytomegalovirus, which completed preclinical trial to prevent infection before pregnancy to preclude fetal transmission; and therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines for herpes simplex type 2 virus, which is under preclinical trial to prevent and protect against recurring flare-ups, reduce viral shedding ,and transmission. The company, through corporate collaborations, develops TransVax, which is in Phase III clinical trials to protect against CMV infection after stem cell transplants, as well as in Phase II clinical trial to protect against CMV infection after solid organ transplants; Collategene, an angiogenic therapy enc oding hepatocyte growth factor that is in Phase III clinical trials to induce local growth of blood vessels to restore blood flow to limbs affected by critical limb ischemia; Apex-IHN prophylactic vaccine for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus for the prevention of infection and disease in farm-raised salmon when exposed to infected wild salmon ; and ONCEPT therapeutic cancer vaccine encoding human tyrosinase for the treatment to increase survival time of dogs with oral melanoma. Vical Incorporated, through government collaboration, develops Prophylactic and/or therapeutic HIV vaccine, a Phase IIb clinical trial product to prevent/treat infection, disease, and/or viral shedding; and Tetravalent dengue vaccine, a Phase I clinical trial product to prevent dengue disease caused by all 4 dengue serotypes. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Vical (VICL) engages in the research and development of biopharmaceutical products based on its DNA delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. This stock closed up 5.8% to $1.62 in Tuesday's trading session.

    Tuesday's Range: $1.53-$1.63

    52-Week Range: $1.37-$4.74

    Tuesday's Volume: 7.28 million

    Three-Month Average Volume: 1.53 million

    From a technical perspective, VICL bounced higher here right above its recent 52-week low at $1.37 with monster upside volume. This stock recently gapped down big from $3.75 to $1.37 with huge downside volume. That move has now pushed shares of VICL into extremely oversold territory, since its current relative strength index reading is 21.80. Oversold can always get more oversold, but it's also an area where a stock can experience a powerful bounce higher from.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VICL as long as it's trending above its 52-week low at $1.37 and then once it sustains a move or close above Tuesday's high of $1.63 with volume that hits near or above 1.53 million shares. If we get that move soon, then VICL will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone that started at $3.75. Some possible upside targets if VICL gets into that gap with volume are $2.25 to $2.50.

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biopharmaceutical company Vical (NASDAQ: VICL  ) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Vical (VICL), which engages in the research and development of biopharmaceutical products based on its DNA delivery technologies for the prevention and treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases. This stock has been hit hard by the sellers over the last six months, with shares off sharply by 65%.

    If you look at the chart for Vical, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways and consolidating over the last two months, with shares moving between $1.01 on the downside and $1.35 on the upside. Shares of VICL have started to uptrend over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.01 to its recent high of $1.35 a share. During that move, shares of VICL have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now taken shares of VICL back above its 50-day moving average of $1.16 share and it's quickly pushing the stock within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VICL if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $1.35 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.17 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then VICL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at $1.53 a share to its gap-down day high of $1.61 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give VICL a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from last August that started at $3.70 a share.

    Traders can look to buy VICL off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits just below its 50-day moving average at $1.20 a share or near more support at $1.10 a share. One can also buy VICL off strength once it starts to cle

Best Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2014: Collectors Universe Inc. (CLCT)

Collectors Universe, Inc. provides authentication and grading services to dealers and collectors of high-value coins, trading cards, event tickets, autographs, memorabilia, and stamps in the United States. It offers authentication and grading services for coins under the Professional Coin Grading Service brand name; sports and trading cards under the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) brand name; vintage autographs and memorabilia under the PSA/DNA authentication services brand name; and stamps under the Professional Stamp Experts brand name. The company also publishes authoritative price guides, rarity reports, and other collectibles data to provide collectors with information. In addition, it operates the Certified Coin Exchange business-to-business Website, certifiedcoinexchange.com, where dealers can sell and purchase certified coins and other certified collectibles; and Collectors Corner Business-to-Consumer Website, collectorscorner.com, a business-to-consumer W ebsite where consumers can visit, identify, search, sort over, and select for purchase coins, trading cards, and items of currency that are certified by the company, as well as Collectors Clubs for coin, currency, and trading card collectors; and manages and operates collectibles trade shows and conventions. The company provides its services to dealers, collectors, and retail buyers and sellers of collectibles. Collectors Universe, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jeff Hwang]

    Such multiple expansion may be a natural product of time (i.e., older cards naturally carry larger premiums over time), or more likely a combination of time and the card removal effect. That is, over time, the best examples of a given card get graded by Beckett Grading Services or Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a division of Collectors Universe (NASDAQ: CLCT  ) , and are thus removed from the pool of ungraded cards; as a consequence, the value of ungraded cards declines in relation to the value of graded cards (or the value of graded cards rises in relation to ungraded cards), resulting in multiple expansion.

Best Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2014: Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (STAF)

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 22, 2009, is an international staffing sector engaged in the acquisition and integration of the United States and international staffing agencies. Staffing 360 Solutions seeks staffing agencies in the information technology (IT), financial, accounting, healthcare and cyber security industries. On April 26, 2013, it consummated (the Closing) the acquisition 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of The Revolution Group, Ltd. (TRG). In March 2014, the Company announced that its subsidiary Staffing 360 Solutions (UK) Ltd acquired the business and assets of Poolia UK Ltd, subsidiary of Poolia AB. In May 2014, the Company acquired IT staffing firm PeopleSERVE.

In March 2012, the Company commenced its operations in the international staffing sector. On July 31, 2012, the Company formed Staffing 360 Alliance, Inc. (Staffing Alliance), which is a wholly owned subsidiary, for the purpose of exploring business prospects in the staffing sector. In September 2012, Alliance began operations and provides trained employees to companies who work in word processing, data entry, administrative support staff and other areas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    The government's closely watched jobs report today is expected to show that nonfarm payrolls increased by 218,000 positions and may have finally returned employment to its pre-recession level, but executive search or staffing stocks like Hudson Global Inc (NASDAQ: HSON), Robert Half International Inc (NYSE: RHI) and up and coming Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) have already made investors winners since the official end of the recession:

  • [By John Udovich]

    Despite a lukewarm economy and jobs situation, the staffing industry along with small cap staffing stocks like On Assignment, Inc (NYSE: ASGN), Kforce Inc (NASDAQ: KFRC) and up and coming Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) have actually put in pretty decent performances since the end of the financial crisis. I should mention that globally, staffing companies generate about $280 billion in annual revenue and there�are approximately 70,000 private employment services agencies around the world with the top 10 companies accounting for about a third of total industry sales while in the USA there are an estimated 15,000 staffing companies generating less than $20 million in revenues. Overall, Europe is the largest regional staffing services market with 40% of annual revenue, followed by the United States.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    If you saw the alarming headlines circulating everywhere this morning, then there's a good chance you've already taken on a new position in Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP). Both are solutions to the underscored problem, and truth be told, likely will benefit from ugly reality this morning's news is spreading. FTNT and CHKP may not be the best ways to play the news-based investing theme, however. The best long-term play is a solutions provider called Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF). While the company may not superficially sit in the same category as Fortinet or Check Point Software Technologies, fundamentally, it does, and may actually be better positioned for growth.

  • [By John Udovich]

    As US and global economies recover, hiring should increase with overlooked recruitment related stocks like Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc (NASDAQ: CSOD), 51job, Inc (NASDAQ: JOBS) and Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) being among the first to benefit aside from those who have found employment:

Best Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2014: iShares MSCI Austria Capped ETF (EWO)

iShares MSCI Austria Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the Austrian market, as measured by the MSCI Austria Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the Austrian equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tom Aspray]

    This is quite a bit better than the 9.2% gain of the iShares MSCI Italy (EWI) or the 8.9% rise in the iShares MSCI Austria (EWO). All three have done significantly better than the Spyder Trust (SPY), which is up 3.6%. The French and German country ETFs have not yet moved above their late 2013 highs.

Best Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2014: Apollo Group Inc.(APOL)

Apollo Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides online and on-campus educational programs and services at the undergraduate, master?s, and doctoral levels. The company offers various degree programs in arts and sciences, business and management, criminal justice and security, education, health care, human services, nursing, psychology, and technology through its campus locations and learning centers in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as through its online education delivery system. It also provides various degree programs in Chile and Mexico, and through online; financial services education programs, including Master of Science in three majors, as well as certification programs in retirement, asset management, and other financial planning areas; and training and education to professionals in the legal and finance industries through its schools in the United Kingdom and a network of offices in Europe. In addition, the company offers p rogram development, administration, and management consulting services comprising degree program design, curriculum development, market research, student admissions, and accounting and administrative services to private colleges and universities for their working learners? programs; and sells books and other publications. Apollo Group, Inc. was founded in 1973 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    It hasn�� been a great week for for-profit schools, as the Massachusetts Attorney General today filed a complaint against Corinthian Colleges (COCO) for allegations it ��isrepresented its training programs and job placement rates in order to increase profits, and pushed students into high-interest subprime loans��and industry heavyweight Apollo Group (APOL) fell yesterday after reporting weaker-than-expected fiscal second-quarter revenue.

  • [By Dan Newman]

    In addition, graduation rates should also be reviewed. College Reality Check reports that only 13.2% of Ashford University students graduate in four years. Only 16% of Western Iowa Tech students graduate in two years. Many for-profit colleges, such as Ashford, have similar graduation rates below the national average. At�Apollo Group's (NASDAQ: APOL  ) University of Phoenix, at its Phoenix campus, only 2.6% of students graduated within four years, according to information gathered by the Chronicle of Higher Education. In the University of Phoenix's online program, just 0.7% graduated within four years.

Best Information Technology Companies To Invest In 2014: Google Inc.(GOOG)

Google Inc. maintains an index of Web sites and other online content for users, advertisers, and Google network members and other content providers. It offers AdWords, an auction-based advertising program; AdSense program, which enables Web sites that are part of the Google Network to deliver ads from its AdWords advertisers; Google Display, a display advertising network that comprises the videos, text, images, and other interactive ads; DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a real-time auction marketplace for the trading of display ad space; and YouTube that provides video, interactive, and other ad formats for advertisers. The company also provides Google Mobile that optimizes Google?s applications for mobile devices in browser and downloadable form; and enables advertisers to run search ad campaigns on mobile devices, as well as Google Local that provides local information on the Web; and Google Boost for small businesses to participate in the ads auction. In addition, it offers And roid, an open source mobile software platform; Google Chrome OS, an open source operating system; Google Chrome, a Web browser; Google TV, a platform for the consumers to use the television and the Internet on a single screen; and Google Books platform to discover, search, and consume content from printed books online. Further, the company provides Google Apps, a cloud computing suite of message and collaboration tools, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Sites; Google Search Appliance that offers real-time search of business and intranet applications, and public Web sites; Google Site Search, a custom search engine; Google Commerce Search for online retail enterprises; Google Checkout to make online shopping and payments streamlined and secure; Google Maps Application Programming Interface; and Google Earth Enterprise, a firewall software solution for imagery and data visualization. Google Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Andrew Tonner]

    After its recent earnings blowout, shares of search giant�Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) are back to defying gravity (and handily outpacing the market).

  • [By Anders Bylund]

    It's not often that Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) makes news when it's buying another computer. But this time, it's an extra-special machine that it bought in conjunction with NASA. It can do certain things thousands of times faster than a traditional supercomputer, and will�be lent out to third-party researchers.

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