Best Life Sciences Stocks To Own For 2014

With shares of Corning (NYSE:GLW) trading around $17, is GLW an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Corning produces and sells specialty glasses, ceramics, and related materials worldwide. It operates in five segments: Display Technologies, Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies, Specialty Materials, and Life Sciences. Corning has launched Corning Lotus Glass, an environmentally friendly display glass for organic LED and LCD displays that are used in portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers. Smart phones, tablets, notebook computers, and their related materials are seeing explosive growth in developed and developing countries around the world.

Samsung Electronics���(SSNLF.PK)�purchase of Corning shares and a glass supply agreement between the two companies will last until 2023. Samsung Display is buying $2.3 billion worth of shares in Corning, according to a statement from Corning, making Samsung�� combined stake in Corning 7.4 percent. The Samsung purchase is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.

Top Transportation Stocks To Watch For 2015: Fiat SpA (FIATY)

Fiat SpA, incorporated in 1906, is engaged principally in the manufacture and sale of automobiles, agricultural and construction equipment and commercial vehicles. It also manufactures other products and systems, principally engines, transmission systems, automotive-related components, metallurgical products and production systems. In addition, it is involved in certain other sectors, including publishing and communications. The Company and its subsidiaries operates approximately in 50 countries. The Company operates under five segments: automobiles, agricultural and construction equipment (CNH-Case New Holland), trucks and commercial vehicles, components and production systems, and other businesses. On 10 June 2009, the Company acquired 20% interest in Chrysler Group LLC. In January 2014, Fiat SpA announced that through its wholly owned subsidiary Fiat North America LLC (FNA) completed its announced acquisition of all of the VEBA Trust�� membership interests in Chrysler Group LLC.

Automobiles

The Company�� automobiles segment designs, develops and sells automobiles, which include Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Abarth, Fiat Professional, Maserati and Ferrari. During the year ended December 31, 2009, this segment delivered a total of 2,150,700 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

Agricultural and Construction Equipment (CNH-Case New Holland)

The Company�� agricultural and construction equipment segment is engaged in the development of the agricultural and construction equipment industries in Europe and the United States. CNH operates through six brands: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture, Steyr, New Holland Construction, Case Construction and Kobelo. Case IH includes a range of tractors, combines and bailers. New Holland Agriculture�� products include tractors, harvesting equipment and telehandlers. Steyr is the producer of tractors in Austria. New Holland Construction is a producer of construction equipment with a network of 800 dealers an! d more than 2,100 points of sale in 100 countries.

Case Construction sells and provides service support for a range of construction machinery: from loader backhoes to crawler and wheel excavators, from wheel loaders to wheel and crawler skid steer loaders, from articulated dumpers to telescopic handlers. Kobelco produces and sells a range of compact, mid-size and full-size excavators ranging from 1.9 to 88 tons. It owns more than 250 sales outlets located throughout North America.

Truck and Commercial Vehicles

Truck and Commercial Vehicles segment develops, produces and sells a range of trucks and buses under the brands, which include Iveco, Iveco Irisbus, Iveco Astra and Iveco Magirus. Iveco produces a range of light, medium and heavy commercial and industrial vehicles for transportation and distribution of goods. Iveco Irisbus offers a range of vehicles, from minibuses to touring coaches, from urban buses to interurban buses designed to provide a solution to a variety of transportation needs, whether intraurban or interurban.

Iveco Astra produces 2, 3 and 4-axle vehicles for mining and offers over 210 Extra Heavy-Duty models for dump bodies, water and fuel tanks, cement mixers and pumps, drills, mobile service. In addition, it provides rigid dumpers of 14, 28, 32 and 40 tons and articulated dumpers of 25, 30, 35 and 40 tons. Iveco Magirus offers s range of vehicles for situations like fire, floods, earthquakes and explosions. It offers them under the Iveco Magirus, Lohr Magirus, Iveco Special Vehicles and Camiva brands.

Components and Production Systems

The Company�� products under the Components and Production Systems include FPT Powertrain Technologies, Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau. FPT Powertrain Technologies provides engines and transmissions. Magneti Marelli designs and produces automotive systems and components: from lighting to engine control systems, from suspensions to electronic systems, from exhaust system! s to comp! onents to the aftermarket and motorsport. Teksid is the producer of grey and nodular iron castings. It manufactures approximately 600 thousand tons of engine blocks, cylinder heads, engine components, transmissions parts, gearboxes and suspensions. Comau makes body welding and assembly robots, and machining and assembly for mechanical systems. It delivers turnkey solution, which includes design, production, installation, production startup and maintenance to the customers.

Other Businesses

The Company�� other businesses includes the contribution from the Company�� publishing businesses, service companies and holding companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images BERLIN and MILAN -- Fiat Chrysler has denied a magazine report saying it's in merger talks with Volkswagen, while the German carmaker said it had no takeovers on its agenda. Germany's Manager Magazin said Thursday Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech had held talks with the owners of Fiat Chrysler about buying all or part of the group that was formed this year from the merger of Italian and U.S. carmakers. The magazine cited unnamed company sources. However, a VW spokesman said Europe's biggest carmaker was focused on delivering improvements at its existing operations. "There are currently no [merger and acquisition] projects on the agenda," he said. "We are now focusing on boosting efficiency across the group." The Agnelli family's holding firm Exor, which owns a 30 percent stake in Fiat Chrysler, denied any talks had taken place, as did Fiat Chrysler. Shares in Fiat Chrysler jumped 5 percent to 7.98 euros on the report, but had retreated to stand up 2.2 percent by 1352 GMT (9:52 a.m. Eastern time). VW's stock was 1.8 percent lower. VW Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn said in March the carmaker, though hoarding almost 18 billion euros ($24 billion) in cash, had no plans to expand the group through acquisitions as it was focusing on integrating its 12 brand network. VW has since sealed a 6.7 billion euro buyout of minority shareholders at Swedish truck division Scania to forge a long-planned alliance of its truck brands. The report could suggest "diverging views" between VW's management and the supervisory board about the carmaker's future course, said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst at investment researchers ISI Group, at a time when Winterkorn, 67, and Piech, 77, are soon likely to face a debate over succession. Rather than talking about further expansion, top managers at VW -- concerned that profitability gains aren't keeping pace with the company's steadily growing size -- have been pu

Best Life Sciences Stocks To Own For 2014: Carriage Services Inc (CSV)

Carriage Services, Inc. (Carriage), incorporated in December 1993, is a provider of death care services and merchandise in the United States. The Company operates in two business segments: funeral home operations and cemetery operations. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 159 funeral homes in 25 states and 33 cemeteries in 12 states. The Company provides funeral and cemetery services and products on both an at-need (time of death) and preneed (planned prior to death) basis. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Carriage completed two of the six acquisitions of funeral home businesses, one in Kentucky and the other in New York. In September 2011, the Company acquired Franklin & Downs Funeral Homes. In October 2011, the Company acquired Carman Funeral Home and Roberson Funeral Home, both in Northeast Kentucky. In February 2012, the Company acquired James J. Terry Funeral Home, Inc. On February 21, 2012, the Company acquired a funeral home business in Pennsylvania. In June 2012, the Company acquired Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home, Gray Funeral Home and Sunset Memorial Gardens in Lawton and Grandfield, Oklahoma. In December 2012, the Company acquired Cumby Family Funeral Service. In November 2013, Carriage Services Inc acquired Heritage Funeral Homes & Cremation Service.

Funeral Home Operations

The funeral homes offer a range of services (traditional burial and cremation) to meet a family�� death care needs, including consultation, the removal and preparation of remains, the sale of caskets and related funeral merchandise, the use of funeral home facilities for visitation and services, and transportation services. It provides burial and cremation services and sells related merchandise, such as caskets and urns. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 159 funeral homes in 25 states.

Cemetery Operations

The Company�� cemetery products and services include interment services, the rights to interment in cemetery sites (including gr! ave sites, mausoleum crypts and niches) and related cemetery merchandise, such as memorials and vaults. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 33 cemeteries in 12 states.

The Company competes with SCI, Stewart and StoneMor Partners L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The first thing to realize about StoneMor is that arcane and flexible accounting rules make it important to dig beneath its GAAP earnings. Growth throughout the industry has been substantial, as up-and-coming Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV  ) continued to stay on pace for double-digit sales growth as it rapidly expands its reach. Even well-established player Matthews International (NASDAQ: MATW  ) managed to grow revenue by nearly 14% in the quarter that ended in March, although its earnings fell slightly from the year-ago quarter. Still, StoneMor's sales haven't been able to rise as quickly as its peers, with its previous report including just a 6% gain in revenue.

Best Life Sciences Stocks To Own For 2014: Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC)

Nuveen Multi-Strategy Income & Growth Fund 2 (the Fund), formerly Nuveen Preferred and Convertible Income Fund 2, is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund intends to invest in a portfolio of preferred securities, securities and, to a lesser degree, high yield securities. The Fund may also invest in other debt instruments and common stocks acquired upon conversion of a convertible security.

On January 1, 2005, Nuveen Institutional Advisory Corp. (NIAC), the Funds' previous adviser, and its affiliate, Nuveen Advisory Corp. (NAC), were merged into Nuveen Asset Management (NAM), each wholly owned subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments, Inc. (Nuveen). As a result of the merger, NAM is the Adviser to all funds previously advised by either NIAC or NAC. The investment portfolio of the Fund includes JPMorgan Chase & Company, ING Group NV, Union Planters Corporation, HBSC Holdings Public Limited Company, Wachovia Corporation, Omnicare Capital Trust II, Hanover Compressor Capital Trust and CIT Group Incorporated.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Dowdee]

  The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

  BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

Best Life Sciences Stocks To Own For 2014: IHS Inc. (IHS)

IHS Inc. (IHS), incorporated on May 5, 1994, is a source of information and insight in areas, such as energy and power; design and supply chain; defense, risk, and security; environment, health and safety (EHS) and sustainability; country and industry forecasting, and commodities, pricing, and cost. The Company is organized by geographies into three business segments: Americas, which includes the United States, Canada, and Latin America; EMEA, which includes Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and APAC (Asia Pacific). IHS sources data and transforms it into information and insight that businesses, Governments, and others use every day to make decisions. Its product development teams have also created Web services and application interfaces. These services allow its customers to integrate the Company�� information with other data, business processes and applications (computer-aided design, enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, and product data/lifecycle management). The Company develops its offerings based on its customers' workflows, and it sells and delivers them into the industries in which IHS�� customers operate. As of November 30, 2011, HIS focused on five customer workflows: strategy, planning, and analysis; energy technical; product engineering; supply chain, and EHS & sustainability. As of November 30, 2011, it was focused on six verticals: energy and natural resources; Government, defense and security; chemicals; transportation; manufacturing, and technology, media, and telecommunications. In March 2012, the Company acquired Displaybank, a global authority in market research and consulting for the display industry; the Computer Assisted Product Selection (CAPSTM) electronic components database and tools business, including CAPS Expert, from PartMiner Worldwide, and the digital oil and gas pipeline and infrastructure information business from Hild Technology Services. In March 2012, the Company acquired IMS Research. In March 2012, the Company acquired BDW Automotive GmbH. I! n May 2012, it acquired Xedar Corporation, a developer and provider of geospatial information products and services. In July 2012, the Company acquired CyberRegs business from Citation Technologies, Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired GlobalSpec, Inc. On April 16, 2011, IHS acquired ODS-Petrodata (Holdings) Ltd. ODS-Petrodata is a provider of data, information, and market intelligence to the offshore energy industry. On April 26, 2011, it acquired Dyadem International, Ltd. (Dyadem). Dyadem offers operational risk management and quality risk management solutions. On May 2, 2011, the Company acquired Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI). CMAI is a leading provider of market and business advisory services for the worldwide petrochemical, specialty chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, fibers, and chlor-alkali industries. On August 10, 2011, the Company acquired Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT). SMT offers Windows-based exploration and production software, and its solutions are used by geoscientists worldwide to evaluate potential reservoirs and plan field development. On November 10, 2011, it acquired Purvin & Gertz. Purvin & Gertz is a global advisory and market research firm that provides technical, commercial, and strategic advice to international clients in the petroleum refining, natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and petrochemical industries. Energy and Power IHS covers the technical and economic spectrum of energy and power. Detailed records and forecasts on oil, gas and coal supplies, combined with insights on traditional and emerging energy markets, help enable its customers to make decisions. Its offerings include production information on more than 90 % of the world's oil and gas production in more than 100 countries; oil and gas well data that includes geological information on more than four million current and historic wells worldwide; energy activity data that includes current and future seismic, drilling and development activities in more than 180 countries and 335 hydrocarbon-producing regions worldwide; information and research to develop unconventional hydrocarbon resources-shale gas, coal bed methane and heavy oil; knowledge of energy markets, strategies, industry trends, and companies; information and research summits, such as IHS CERAWeek and the IHS Herold Pacesetters Energy Conference, which offer decision makers the opportunity to interact with its experts, and critical information about analysis of coal, nuclear and renewables, including wind, solar, and hydro power. The Company competes with DrillingInfo, Inc., TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, Accenture, Deloitte, Wood Mackenzie, Ltd., Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton, LMKR and Paradigm Ltd. Design and Supply Chain IHS Design and Supply Chain solutions provide information for customers that allow them to manage a product from conception to research and development to production, maintenance and disposal. It also provides companies access to specifications and standards. The Company�� offerings include market and technology research and analysis; standards management solutions, including more than 370 commercial and military standards and specification publishing organizations; advanced product design and process engineering; strategic product content and supply chain management; environmentally compliant product design; counterfeit part risk mitigation; product performance and cost optimization, and indirect parts and maintenance, repair, and operations logistics, inventory and cash flow optimization tables, including wind, solar, and hydro power. The Company competes with SAI Global and Thomson Reuters Corporation. Defense, Risk and Security IHS delivers open source intelligence in the areas of global defense, risk, and security, including maritime domain awareness. IHS offers open source intelligence solutions for military planners, national security analysts, and defense and maritime industry strategy and planning professionals. The Company�� offerings include military and national security assessments; defense equipment and technology information; defense budgets and procurement forecasting; defense industry trends and analysis; terrorism and insurgency analysis; global commercial ship identification and specifications; live tracking of commercial ship movements; shipping and shipbuilding markets and forecasts, and ports and port security information. The Company competes with McGraw-Hill, Gannett, Forecast International and Control Risks Group. EHS and Sustainability IHS EHS and Sustainability solutions support critical decisions around environmental, health and safety, operational risk, greenhouse gas and energy, product stewardship and corporate responsibility. The Company�� offerings include global and local software implementations; material compliance and lifecycle information content; strategic planning services in greenhouse gas management and cap-and-trade; compliance and verification expertise for local, regional, national, and international EHS and sustainability management system responsibilities, and risk management assessment across a range of industries. The Company competes with SAP and Verisk. Country and Industry Forecasting IHS delivers detailed forecasts and analysis of economic conditions within political, economic, legal, tax, operational, and security environments worldwide. Additionally, IHS provides forecasts, market-sizing, and risk assessments for a number of industries worldwide, including aerospace and defense, agriculture, automotive, chemicals, construction, consumer and retail, energy, finance, government, healthcare and pharmaceutical, military and security, mining and metals, commerce and transport, and telecommunications. Its offerings include in-depth analysis of the business conditions, economic prospects, and risks in more than 200 countries and more than 170 industries; security risk analysis and daily updates on both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and sovereign risk ratings in more than 200 countries; event-driven updates of its risk analysis and ratings; short-, medium- and long-term forecasts for business planning and decision making; historical information since 1970; Deep market intelligence for the automotive, agriculture, chemicals, construction, consumer goods, commerce and transport, energy, financial, healthcare and pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and steel industries; and scenario explorations examining alternative outcomes to the questions impacting global business. The Company competes with Economist Intelligence Unit and Moody's Corporation. Commodities, Pricing and Cost IHS offers information, forecasts, and analysis to help its customers understand the how, when, and what of commodity prices and labor costs. IHS analysts monitor and forecast more than 1,300 global price, wage, and manufacturing costs across the regions for sectors, including energy products, chemicals, steel, nonferrous metals, industrial machinery and equipment, electronic components, paper and packaging, transportation, and building materials. Its offerings include analysis and forecasts for more than 1,300 global price, wage, and manufacturing costs; market intelligence of drivers, assumptions, and risks relating to commodity and service prices; cost and price data with actionable insights; forecasts covering global spot market prices, wages, and material costs; advisory forums to assist in monitoring, forecasting, and managing power and energy portfolio project costs, and consulting capabilities that enable clients to source materials. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Colorado-based IHS (NYSE: IHS  ) will be under new management soon. The business analytics provider announced Wednesday that current President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Key will take over the role of President and Chief Executive Officer from Jerre Stead on June 1.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including Family Dollar Stores�(NYSE: FDO), Micron Technology�(NASDAQ: MU), Constellation Brands�(NYSE: STZ),�IHS (NYSE: IHS), and Sonic (NASDAQ: SONC).

• [By Paul Ausick]

  The dollar value of global merger & acquisition (M&A) transactions in the oil & gas industry plunged by nearly 50% in 2013 from a record high level in 2012. The transaction count fell by 20% led by a very sluggish first half of the year. The data was reported last Thursday by research firm IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).

Best Life Sciences Stocks To Own For 2014: BAB Inc (BABB)

BAB, Inc., incorporated on July 12, 2000, franchises and licenses bagel and muffin retail units under the Big Apple Bagel (BAB) and My Favorite Muffin (MFM) trade names. At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and 6 licensed units in operation in 24 states. The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: BAB Systems, Inc. (Systems) and BAB Operations, Inc. (Operations). At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and six licensed units in operation in 24 states.

The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The BAB franchised brand consists of units operating as Big Apple Bagels, featuring daily baked bagels, flavored cream cheeses, premium coffees, gourmet bagel sandwiches and other related products. Licensed BAB units serve the Company's par-baked frozen bagel and related products baked daily. BAB units are primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Western United States. The MFM brand consists of units operating as My Favorite Muffin, featuring a variety of freshly baked muffins, coffees and related products, and units operating as My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe, featuring these products as well as a variety of specialty bagel sandwiches and related products.

The Company�� BAB offering franchises in all 50 states, its initial development focus is targeted for the Midwest, specifically Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. A! s part of its introductory development plan, BAB will be donating 10% of the initial franchise fee from its 50 SweetDuet units to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, of which BAB is a corporate sponsor. SweetDuet, as its name implies, is a fusion concept, pairing self-serve frozen yogurt with BAB's exclusive line of My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins, broadening the shop's offering and therefore differentiating itself from the numerous frozen yogurt outlets already populating the market. SweetDuet shops include BAB's Brewster's Coffee and a streamlined breakfast menu. The concept is designed to work in 1600 square feet of space.

BAB franchised stores daily bake a variety of fresh bagels and offer up to 11 varieties of cream cheese spreads. Stores also offer a variety of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, salads, soups, various dessert items, fruit smoothies, gourmet coffees and other beverages. A typical BAB store is in an area with a mix of both residential and commercial properties and ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. The Company's current store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons, and includes approximately 750 square feet devoted to production and baking. A satellite store is typically smaller than a production store, averaging 800 to 1,200 square feet. Although franchise stores may vary in size from other franchise stores, store layout is generally consistent.

MFM franchised stores daily bake 20 to 25 varieties of muffins from over 250 recipes, plus a variety of bagels. They also serve gourmet coffees, beverages and, at My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe locations, a variety of bagel sandwiches and related products. The typical MFM store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons.The Company advertises its franchising opportunities in directories, newspapers and the Internet.

The Company competes with Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Panera Bread Company and Brue! gger's Ba! gel Bakery.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, BABB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.800 thus far (ref. google finance July 11, 2013).

  For the quarter ended May 31, 2013, BAB had revenues of $658,000 and net income of $125,000, or $0.02 per share, versus revenues of $826,000 and net income of $267,000, or $0.04 per share, for the same quarter last year. For the quarter ended May 31, 2012, the Company received a $171,000 payment for the buyout of the Franchise Agreement from its Minot, ND franchisee so the franchisee could pursue its other business interests associated with the local energy boom. In that acceptance by the Company of the voluntary buyout is unique, no such transaction occurred nor was such income earned in the quarter ended May 31, 2013.

Best Life Sciences Stocks To Own For 2014: BGC Partners Inc.(BGCP)

BGC Partners, Inc. operates as a financial intermediary to the financial markets specializing in the brokering of various financial products. It provides electronic marketplaces, including government bond markets, spot foreign exchange, foreign exchange options, corporate bonds, and credit default swaps in various financial markets through its eSpeed- and BGC Trader- branded trading platform which can be accessed through its high speed data network, over the Internet, or third party communication networks. The company?s brokerage services include trade execution, broker-dealer services, clearing, processing, information, and other back office services, as well as cover various products, including fixed income securities, interest rate swaps, foreign exchange, equities, equity derivatives, credit derivatives, commodities, futures, and structured products. It also provides financial technology solutions, market data, and analytics related to financial instruments and markets . In addition, the company offers customized screen-based market solutions, which enables its clients to develop a marketplace, trade with their customers, issue debt, trade odd lots, access program trading interfaces, and access its network and intellectual property. Further, it licenses intellectual property portfolio and software solutions to various financial markets participants; and provides software development, software maintenance, customer support, infrastructure, and internal technology services to support electronic trading platforms. The company serves banks, broker-dealers, investment banks, trading firms, hedge funds, governments, investment firms, professional trading firms, futures commission merchants, and other professional market participants and financial institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and other Americas. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  BGC Partners (NASDAQ: BGCP  ) is waxing optimistic about its current quarter. The company updated its previously issued guidance, indicating that its nearly complete Q2 will come in at the higher end of the range for revenues and EPS. The former was for distributable earnings revenue of $435 million-$465 million, while the latter anticipated pre-tax distributable earnings of $42 million-$53 million.

• [By Brian Womack]

  ��t�� a defensive strategy because R&D costs are going up and the number of customers is going down,��said Amir Anvarzadeh, a manager of Japanese equity sales at BGC Partners Inc. (BGCP) in Singapore. ��his tells you there�� a problem in the industry.��

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Finally, Tudor Investment's biggest closed positions included Apple�and the iShares MSCI Emerging Market Index Fund ETF. Other closed positions of interest include Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FTR  ) and BGC Partners (NASDAQ: BGCP  ) . Frontier, recently yielding more than 9%, is a rural telecom specialist. It's weighed down with considerable debt, and is shifting its business focus, favoring business customers more. It's been posting declining revenue lately, though, and its credit rating took a hit in recent months, also. Some worry that its acquisition of landline business from Verizon�may not be as lucrative as expected, and fear a dividend cut.