Koninklijke Philips NV to Spin Off Lumileds Lighting (PHG)

Netherlands-based Koninklijke Philips NV (PHG) announced on Monday morning that it plans to spin off Lumiled Lightning, which will be combined with the company’s automotive lighting business.

The combined businesses to be spun off contributed 17% of Philips’ total lighting sales in 2013, according to MarketWatch. Philips is looking for outside investors for the Lumiled spin-off, while the company will continue to focus on activities with higher margins.

The spun-off businesses will focus on manufacturing LED components that are used in traffic lights, TVs, and smartphones, while Philips Lighting will “focus on selling integrated lighting systems and services and the software needed to operate those systems.”

PHG stock was up 83 cents, or 2.72%, in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is down 16.86%.

PHG Dividend Snapshot

As of Market Close on June 27, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of PHG dividends.

Markets Edge Lower; Finish Line Earnings Beat Estimates

Related BZSUM Stocks Mildly Higher To End The Week Nike Gains On Upbeat Earnings; Dollar General Shares Slip

Following the market opening Friday, the Dow traded down 0.16 percent to 16,818.99 while the NASDAQ tumbled 0.03 percent to 4,377.86. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.11 percent to 1,955.04.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

In trading on Friday, technology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.15 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Aware (NASDAQ: AWRE), up 15.9 percent, and Progress Software (NASDAQ: PRGS), up 10.5 percent.

Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares dropped around 0.20 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included K12 (NYSE: LRN), China Nepstar Chain Drugstore (NYSE: NPD), and Du Pont (NYSE: DD).

Top Headline

Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL) reported better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings.

Finish Line’s quarterly profit surged to $12.4 million, or $0.25 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $5.1 million, or $0.10 per share. Excluding certain items, it earned $0.28 per share.

Its sales climbed 16% to $406.5 million. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.21 per share on sales of $394 million.

Equities Trading UP

Progress Software (NASDAQ: PRGS) shares shot up 10.34 percent to $24.54 after the company reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter earnings and issued an upbeat outlook.

Shares of Nike (NYSE: NKE) got a boost, shooting up 2.76 percent to $78.98 after the company reported better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings. Nike posted its quarterly earnings of $0.78 per share on revenue of $7.43 billion. However, analysts were expecting a profit of $0.75 per share on revenue of $7.34 billion.

The Manitowoc Company (NYSE: MTW) shares were also up, gaining 9.22 percent to $32.45 after Relational Investors bought an 8.5% stake in the company and urged for splitting it in two. Jefferies upgraded Manitowoc from Underperform to Hold and raised the price target from $24.00 to $33.00.

Equities Trading DOWN

Shares of AmSurg (NASDAQ: AMSG) were 2.07 percent to $44.85 after the company priced 8.5 million share offering at $45.00 per share. Baird upgraded Amsurg from Neutral to Outperform and raised the price target from $44.00 to $55.00.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE: DD) shares tumbled 2.67 percent to $65.89 after the company cut its profit guidance for the second-quarter and year.

Dollar General (NYSE: DG) was down, falling 4.44 percent to $58.94 after the company’s CEO Rick Dreiling announced his plans to retire.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded up 0.12 percent to $105.97, while gold traded up 0.19 percent to $1,319.50.

Silver traded up 0.09 percent Friday to $21.18, while copper rose 0.22 percent to $3.18.

Eurozone

European shares were mostly lower today.

The eurozone’s STOXX 600 fell 0.04 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index dropped 0.31 percent, while Italy’s FTSE MIB Index slipped 0.46 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX climbed 0.11 percent and the French CAC 40 tumbled 0.01 percent while UK shares gained 0.19 percent.

Economics

The final reading of Reuter's/University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index surged to 82.5 in June, versus a final reading of 81.9 in May. However, economists were projecting a final reading of 81.9.

Data on farm prices for June will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Posted-In: Eurozone Futures Commodities Previews Economics Intraday Update Markets Movers Tech Trading Ideas

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Premature Expiration: Rate Hike Concerns Spook Stocks

Stocks dipped today after St. Louis Fed president James Bullard said that the first rate hike could come as early as the first quarter of 2015. Bank like Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Citigroup (C) fell.

Bloomberg News James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank

The S&P 500 dropped 0.1% to 1,957.22, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1% to 16,846.13. The Nasdaq Composite was little changed at 4,379.05, while the small-company Russell 2000 finished off 0.2% at 1,180.71.

The Lindsey Group’s Peter Boockvar assesses Bullard’s statement:

James Bullard, the St. Louis Fed President, does not vote and is usually middle of the road on the dove/hawk scale but he is shifting into the hawk camp today. He thinks inflation "may" reach 2% by year end (vs year end 2015 that the FOMC dots show). He thinks the unemployment rate will drop below 6% by year end (FOMC dots estimate 2015). And, he sounds like Mark Carney of the BoE with this line, "markets don't appreciate how close Fed is to goals." His conclusion from this is he forecasts the first rate rise at the end of Q1 2015. Bottom line, in terms of markets and rate policy we can discount Bullard because he does not vote and Yellen and Dudley still rule the dovish roost. But, the reality of the recent unemployment rate and inflation data points to a sooner rather than later meeting of the Fed's mandates and certainly before the mid 2015 aggregate FOMC estimates and certainly earlier than stock market expectations .

Normally, the onset of tightening wouldn’t be so problematic for stocks, explain Strategas Research Partners’ Jason Trennert and Eri Sato, but these aren’t normal times:

Generally speaking, the old market bromide "three steps and a stumble" has been a reliable guide to the way the market will react as the Fed starts tightening. Initial Fed rate increases are usually the result of a strengthening economy and are, as such, dealt by investors with equanimity if not outright enthusiasm. It is, generally speaking, only after the third Fed tightening, that market participants start to worry that the central bank is "behind the curve" and start to worry about the end of the expansion. The good news is that, if history is any guide, bulls have little to fear about the initial stages of tightening. The bad news is that history may be totally irrelevant after a period in which short rates have remained so low for so long and after the Fed has quintupled the size of its balance sheets. Given the fact that the Fed's grand experiment is so unprecedented, our best guess is that financial assets may exhibit far more volatility in the initial stages of tightening this time around.

Under normal conditions, financials should be gaining if the Fed were to start hiking rates sooner. Instead, financials were the second-worst performing sector today, as banks got hit after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sued Barclays (BCS) over its dark pools, causing the US-listed ADRs of the British bank to fall 7.4% to $14.55. While the largest dark pools in the U.S. are operated by European banks, U.S. banks are also getting hit. Morgan Stanley dropped 1.1% to $31.89, Citigroup fell 1.2% to $47.23, JPMorgan declined 0.2% to $57.39 and Goldman Sachs finished off 0.2% at $168.01.

Automakers Take March By Storm as Sales Surge

Joe Raedle/Getty Images DETROIT -- U.S. auto sales went out like a lion in March. Automakers said Tuesday that new car and truck sales picked up speed halfway through the month, culminating in a strong final weekend. Toyota (TM) dealers had their two best sales weekends of the year at the end of the month, the company said. "We're optimistic that momentum will spring us into April," said Bill Fay, who manages the Toyota division in the U.S. Industry sales rose 6 percent to 1.5 million vehicles, far outpacing analyst expectations. The sales pace was the fastest since November, according to Autodata Corp. March sales helped rescue what was otherwise a disappointing first quarter. Analysts had predicted flat growth for the first three months of this year after harsh weather in January and February hurt sales. But March helped pull first quarter sales up 1.4 percent. The month saw some big gainers. Chrysler's sales rose 13 percent on demand for Ram pickups and the new Jeep Cherokee SUV. Subaru's sales were up 21 percent; its new Forester SUV jumped 53 percent to nearly 14,000. Toyota's sales rose 5 percent. Sales of the Prius hybrid fell 16 percent, as stable gas prices caused consumer interest in efficient vehicles to wane. But demand for its pickups and SUVs was strong. General Motors' (GM) sales were up 4 percent despite a series of safety recalls of older model vehicles. Buick saw double-digit gains because of its new Encore SUV, and sales of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup rose 7 percent. Jessica Caldwell, a senior analyst with the car shopping site Edmunds.com, said buyer consideration for GM brands on Edmunds' Web site has remained steady despite the recall crisis, which is currently the subject of several federal investigations. "Shoppers still see it as a trusted brand," she said. Nissan's sales were up 8 percent. Ford's (F) rose 3 percent, with a 5-percent gain for the F-Series pickup compensating for lower car sales. Volkswagen's sales fell 3 percent, while Hyundai and Honda (HMC) both saw 2 percent declines. All three rely more heavily on sales of cars, which were outsold by trucks and SUVs in March. While first quarter sales topped expectations, they didn't grow as quickly as last year, when the industry saw a 6 percent sales increase in the same three-month period. Jesse Toprak, the chief analyst for the car-buying site Cars.com, said the fundamentals that helped autos rebound from the recession remain the same. Low interest rates, declining unemployment and attractive new vehicles will continue to bring buyers into showrooms. But they won't be buying at the same pace. Since 2010, U.S. sales have grown an average of 10 percent each year, but they're now reaching a natural peak, he said. "We are certainly transitioning from a market that was in hyper-recovery mode to a mature market where double-digit gains will be increasingly difficult to attain," Toprak said. Based on the first quarter, Toprak lowered his full-year U.S. sales forecast to 16.1 million vehicles from 16.5 million. The industry sold 15.6 million cars and trucks in 2013. LMC Automotive, a data firm, also lowered its annual sales forecast, to 16.1 million vehicles from 16.2 million. Others said improving weather and increases in incentives should boost sales as spring progresses. Weaker-than-expected sales in January and February caused cars to pile up on dealer lots, and automakers will likely offer more deals to get them sold. "The momentum built in March should set the market up for a big month in April," said Alec Gutierrez, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book.

These Lies Could Trigger Another Market Collapse

The public has been brainwashed about deflation.

We've been hoodwinked by central banks, governments, and the manipulators who pull the reins of those Trojan horses into believing that deflation is a deadly disease. It's not.

Deflation, left to its own devices, is nothing more than a necessary and healthy corrective counterbalancing of excesses that build up in free-market economies.

So, why are we browbeaten into believing that deflation is so bad?

Here's the truth about deflation and how its fearmongers are really screwing us over.

Why Deflation Fears Drive Policy

First of all, deflation is when prices of commodities and goods and services fall.

When they increase, that's inflation.

Historically, deflation is woven into our subconscious as causing the Great Depression.

Which is convenient for the fearmongers, who swear they'll do everything in their power to prevent another depression. Their rallying cry is "stamp out deflation."

But deflation didn't cause the Great Depression. Deflation was a byproduct of a series of bad government and central bank decisions.

The Great Depression resulted from the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, which triggered the stock market crash of 1929. That on its own didn't cause the Depression, either.

How the government and bankers handled the crash exacerbated what would have been a tough recession, but their mishandling blossomed it into the Great Depression.

That's where the fear of deflation comes from. But that's rubbish. In fact, it's a lie.

Fast forward to 2008. We had another stock market crash, once again caused by excesses. The crash led to the Great Recession. And we're still nursing the hangover.

All that happened, really, was that interest rates were driven down by the Federal Reserve and lending standards were lowered to allow mortgage borrowers and corporations and banks to leverage themselves to take advantage of rising home prices, rising stock prices, and rising derivatives prices in an orgy of excess and greed.

No big deal, that happens. When the game ended, as it always does, the free market, as it always tries to, hammered home prices, stocks, and derivatives.

But while consumers could have largely benefited from the resultant deflation, wealthy investors in financial assets, governments, and the private bankers who run central banks, lose money in deflationary times.

And they're just not going to let that happen.

How the Fed and Banks Benefit from Inflation

As prices of homes, stocks, derivatives, commodities, and just about everything were falling, the Fed and the government went into high gear, ratcheting up fears of another Great Depression and lowering interest rates as their first line of deflation defense.

Now, here's the thing. As consumers, we are better off when prices decline after they've been artificially inflated by excess capital coursing through the economy with increasing velocity and speculative leverage that accompanies fast-rising prices.

When the speculative bubbles burst and leveraged consumers, producers, banks, and speculators get margin calls, dump assets, and stop buying hand over fist, prices drop quickly.

That's the free market doing what it does best, correcting excesses.

But, while that's good for the economy and especially middle-class Americans struggling with limited resources, it's not good for banks and it's not good for governments.

Banks and governments want inflation. They pretend they're afraid of inflation and say they'll do whatever it is they have to do to make sure inflation doesn't get out of control. But the truth is, they want inflation, they need inflation.

Inflation is caused by increasing amounts of cash and credit in the economy. Sometimes the added money comes from central banks "printing" money; sometimes more money becomes available because money is turned over (used more often and lent out over and over) in what's called an increase in the "velocity of money."

Sometimes inflation results from the high-powered effect of the combination of more printing and greater velocity of money.

If you're a bank and you lend out money, and there's more money circulating in the system all the time, your borrowers will likely have more money to pay you back.

If you're a government that runs deficits and has to borrow all the time, if there's more money in the economy you preside over, resulting inflation pushes people into higher tax brackets and elevates prices of goods and services that are taxed (so the total tax collected rises with rising prices). This all adds to government revenues and at the same time, like banks, they benefit by there being more money circulating to buy their bonds.

Inflation lowers the cost of fixed debts. It's great for banks and governments.

Deflation is good for consumers because it lowers the cost of goods and services after they've been artificially inflated. As long as deflation is allowed to squeeze out excesses, it's a very healthy part of cyclical economics when leverage and speculation run amok.

But governments and banks can't stand deflation. So they artificially manipulate free markets to stem what would otherwise be a healthy correction of excesses.

The reason the Fed lowered interest rates to essentially zero, for banks, not consumers, while fearmongering that deflation would lead to another Depression, was to pump banks full of money so they could buy the government's debts. The banks would use leverage to earn a decent return on the low-yielding bills, notes, and bonds the government was dishing out (as other international buyers pulled back).

When zero interest rates weren't enough, the Fed, with the government's approval and applause, embarked on quantitative easing (buying the same government bonds from the banks that they were buying from the Treasury so they could buy more of them, and buying their mortgage-backed securities that no one else wanted) so banks could return to record profit-making, increase their dividends, and lure more equity capital investors to make them stronger.

The Critical Lesson They Ignored... That Is Already Costing Us

There's no way after the crash and Great Recession that interest rates would have risen much. Prices of most goods and services would have come down a lot more and eventually found an equilibrium bottom in a more protracted recession. When it had run its course, it would have yielded a more advantageous level of prices for average Americans.

Instead, the Fed pumped banks full of money and lowered rates for corporate borrowers and the richest 1% in America.

The 1% could afford to borrow and leverage themselves again with financial assets that increase their wealth exponentially as they rise in yet another speculative pump-priming, asset-inflating binge.

By artificially manipulating interest rates - once again, for the benefit of banks, the government, and the richest 1% of Americans - the Fed has gotten prices up before average Americans could ever have benefited from what should have been a much lower, naturally settled base.

Are average Americans better off? No.

Is the economy growing again? No.

Are prices of goods and services at low and sustainable levels that encourage healthy consumption? No.

We've turned Japanese.

We haven't learned that the Japanese had a property bubble that led to a stock market bubble, and when both peaked in 1989 and crashed by 1992, the central bank artificially lowered rates and the government propped up insolvent banks.

And the country is still doing the same thing 22 years later.

That's what we're doing.

We're relegating the middle class to oblivion while the rich get richer and corporations get fatter.

And we're heading towards another speculative bubble in financial assets.

So, the next time someone warns you about deflation, tell them you'd love to see the free market back in operation and that a healthy dose of deflation is what really sets the stage for sustainable economic recoveries and feeds a growing middle class.

Instead of the 1%.

April Fools' pranks not just for laughs

In a concerted effort to fight obesity, the nation's major fast-food chains today jointly announced plans to sell items in one size only: puny.

Of course they didn't. That's pure poppycock.

But it's the kind of April Fools' Day prank that -- when believed for even a nano-second -- accomplishes exactly what every marketer wants more of but keeps getting less of in a fragmented world: attention. Aching particularly for social media buzz that just might go viral, major marketers from Frito-Lay to American Eagle have joined-in early on the April Fools' Day fun. But not just for laughs.

"Brands know that generating conversation on social media is critical not just for top-of-mind awareness, but for the cool factor," says Denise Lee Yohn, author of What Great Brands Do. "They do these goofy thing so they're considered relevant."

Among this year's wackiest April Fools' Day PR stunts:

- Cheetos perfume. As if the neon-orange munchies don't feel icky enough in your fingers, imagine wearing them as a fragrance?Frito-Lay has sent out a half-way convincing press release announcing the Chester Cheetah has "entered" the perfume category with Cheetau, "a prestige fragrance that celebrates the irreverent, intriguing and playful nature of the iconic feline."

- American "Beagle" dogwear. The American Eagle Outfitters website features a high profile image of a woman and her beagle in matching, pink outfits. There's a convincing, three-minute video explaining why "American Beagle" is creating clothing for dogs. One faux designer in the video even notes: "American Beagle is going to be huge. I see Milan. I see Paris."

- Bras for cats. The online bra and lingere shopping site, True & Co., has posted a bra-sizing system for cats and kittens. Then, of course, this disclaimer: No actual kittens were involved with our fitting process.

- Chocolate flooring. Now here's a floor you can not only eat off of -- but eat the floor, itself. Chocolate flooring is being p! eddled by BuildDirect, a technology company for do-it-your-selfers. "You can literally taste the quality," says CEO Jeff Booth.

- Eagle-caught salmon. FreshDirect, the online supplier of fresh meats produce and baked goods, on its site and via social media has announced the freshest-possible product available to customers: Eagle-caught salmon.

- Undie iron. The wrinkles in your hard-to-iron undies can conquered with this tiny, fits-on-the-finger iron from Fruit of the Loom. The USB-powered device, the company says, "is guaranteed to increase underwear positivity by 54%."

- Shakeless Tic Tacs. Iconic Tic Tac mints will roll out in a new shakeless pack, the company says, with a wink. Tic Tac Shakeless packs are custom-engineered to be silent for one purpose: No shake, no share!

Is a Rackspace Hosting Acquisition Good for CenturyLink Shareholders?

Rackspace Hosting Inc. (NYSE: RAX  ) takeover talks are heating up as analysts believe that CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL  ) has a high probability of making a bid. While this might make sense as a way to better compete against companies like Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) , is this really in the best interest of shareholders?

Why would CenturyLink want Rackspace?
Rackspace operates two core segments: web hosting business and a variety of cloud infrastructure, or laaS, services. CenturyLink is a communications company, most notably in phone and broadband Internet services, but it also has a large network of data centers and assets in the cloud.

According to analyst David Phipps, there are four notable ways that Rackspace would be a good fit with CenturyLink. First, the combined company would create services revenue double that of CenturyLink's alone. Second, it would spark overall revenue growth. Third, it would increase customer stickiness. Lastly, it modestly boosts leverage.

In regards to boosting services revenue and leverage, both companies have made major attempts to grow in laaS in the last several months, including key announcements from both companies. With Amazon being such a juggernaut, it seems reasonable that many of Phipps's statements about increasing revenue, product synergies, and leverage have to do with this particular business.

Unfortunately, if the goal is to combine two up-and-coming players in the cloud to create more leverage and a stronger presence against the likes of Amazon, then a combined CenturyLink and Rackspace may not be the way to go. This marriage could have big problems.

Is CenturyLink really interested?
CenturyLink's existing laaS business is small, but earlier this year the company announced that it would be cutting prices and adding new features to its services plan. The company is leveraging the power and market-leading network of its data centers to keep costs in check rather than having to build centers that specialize in cloud infrastructure to handle the increased workload.

CenturyLink joins about half-a-dozen other companies that own roughly 3% of the laaS market. In fact, Amazon is the only distinguishing leader in laaS and controls one-third of the industry. IaaS is a large part of a broader cloud business that includes application platforms and is growing at 50% annually. First-quarter revenue was $3.5 billion.

CenturyLink has created its current market presence via the acquisition of two key companies: Tier 3 last year and its $2.5 billion purchase of Savvis in 2011. While $2.5 billion, plus the unknown price for Tier 3, might seem a bit outrageous for a 3% market share, it's important to note that Amazon's cloud business is valued at $50 billion with its one-third market share, meaning $2.5 billion was likely a fair price .

CenturyLink's acquisitive nature in laaS gives reason to believe that it might be interested in Rackspace, and that Phipps might be correct in making this call. It would definitely compliment Rackspace's decision to explore strategic options.

Would it be a mistake?
However, Rackspace is not the company that CenturyLink should chase. CenturyLink already has nearly $21 billion in debt on its balance sheet, and according to Phipps, the company would need $6 billion in financing in order to get the deal done, putting pressure on its balance sheet.

There are also operational reasons for why this deal could be bad news. Rackspace generates most of its revenue from web hosting, but its fastest growing segment is the cloud, which created revenue of $121.4 million in the first quarter with year-over-year growth of 34%. This growth lags the overall industry. Acquiring Rackspace would be would be purchasing a company that is losing market share in its only real growth segment.

Moreover, Rackspace has refused to follow industry peers like Amazon and CenturyLink with price cuts. Its chief technology officer recently said that Rackspace offers premium services and would not base its pricing off its peers. An example of Rackspace's premium products can be seen with its 15GB cloud server that costs $0.68 per hour. Amazon offers the same service for just $0.28 per hour. Rackspace lacks an edge, and with aggressive cost cutting, there should be concerns as to whether its 34% growth is sustainable.

Foolish thoughts
CenturyLink and Rackspace have operating margins of 15% and 8%, respectively. Pricing power is important for the sustainability of each company's valuation. However, Amazon's operating margin is only 1%, meaning it can continue to steal share and undercut both companies in laaS without the Wall Street backlash. While CenturyLink might be interested in Rackspace, investors should fear CenturyLink if this speculation turns into a reality.

Warren Buffett's biggest fear is about to come true
Warren Buffett just called this emerging technology a "real threat" to his biggest cash-cow. While Buffett shakes in his billionaire-boots, only a few investors are embracing this new market which experts say will be worth over $2 trillion. It won't be long before everyone on Wall Street wises up, that's why The Motley Fool is releasing this timely investor alert. Click here to learn more about what's keeping Buffett up at night and the one public company we're calling the "brains behind" the technology.

Madoff aides convicted in Ponzi trial

Joann Crupi, a former employee of Bernard L. Madoff Investments Securities LLC, exits federal court in New York Bloomberg News

Five former aides to Bernard Madoff who spent decades working for his firm were found guilty of helping run the biggest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history, a $17.5 billion fraud exposed by the 2008 financial crisis.

The three men and two women, hired by Mr. Madoff with little financial experience, were convicted on all counts. The defendants failed to persuade a federal jury in Manhattan they were ignorant of the fraud despite being part of the inner circle at his New York-based firm.

Hatched in the 1970s, Mr. Madoff's fraud targeted thousands of wealthy investors, Jewish charities, celebrities and retirees. It unraveled in 2008 when the economic crisis led to more withdrawals than Mr. Madoff could afford to pay out. In addition to $17.5 billion in principal, it erased about $47 billion in fake profit that customers thought was being held in their accounts.

Today's verdict, after five months of testimony and four days of deliberations, is a major victory for the U.S. government, coming in the only criminal trial brought in the five years since the scam was revealed. Mr. Madoff refused to cooperate with prosecutors.

Some clients learned they lost their life savings after Mr. Madoff's confession and arrest on Dec. 11, 2008, leading to criticism of regulators who repeatedly overlooked the scam. Mr. Madoff, 75, pleaded guilty the next year and is serving 150 years in a North Carolina prison.

BEGAN PROBE

Prosecutors began probing Mr. Madoff's highest-ranking employees soon after his arrest. While the con man claimed to have carried ou

Strauss: No place like home, entrepreneurs?

Q: I am trying to decide whether to continue to work from home or move out into an outside office. With my business growing, moving seems like the natural move, but I sure do like saving money! What to do? -- Jill

A: I am tempted to quote The Clash, and in fact I will:

"Should I stay or should I go now?
If I stay there will be trouble,
if I go there will be double.
So you got to let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?"

So yes, there are pros and cons to each choice. One person who seemed to really understand this dichotomy is Diane Ackerman in her book, One Hundred Names for Love. Says she:

"Working from home meant we could vary snack and coffee breaks, change our desks or view, goof off, drink on the job, even spend the day in pajamas, and often meet to gossip or share ideas.

"On the other hand, we bossed ourselves around, set impossible goals, and demanded longer hours than office jobs usually entail. It was the ultimate "flextime," in that it depended on how flexible we felt each day, given deadlines, distractions, and workaholic crescendos."

That last point is an important one: As we all know, working from home gives one a lot of flexibility. If you have young kids who need attention, or just like the option of mixing things up every day, working from home certainly makes that easier. And yet, on the other hand, it also therefore requires not a little bit of discipline.

Working from home used to be fairly uncommon, but of course that is not true today. With all of the tech tools available we all seem to do it to one extent or another. And that is another reason why having discipline is more important than ever if you choose to work from home: The line between work/play/home has become very blurry, probably too blurry.

Raise your hands if you are guilty of this: It's 11 pm, you are home, hanging out, and you absent-mindedly check your email. You notice a work email come in and what do you do? You respond to it of course. And the next thing! you know, a half an hour has gone by, working.

So the deal with working from home is that you have to draw clear lines if you are going to make it work. As I used to say back when I worked at home full-time: The good news is that you see your kids a lot. The bad news is that you see your kids a lot. If you are able to draw those clear lines, and not let work interfere with your home life and vice versa, it is a great option.

And remember this too: Even if your business is growing, working from home remains a viable option. You can always rent space in an office somewhere to meet clients or do other work.

On the other hand, working out of an outside office has its joys as well. For one, there are indeed less distractions. The line between work and home is far more clearly drawn when you have a separate physical place for each.

Yes, it will cost you more, but there is also probably an opportunity cost to working from home, so hopefully, if you work from an outside office, your business will indeed grow.

You might also be less lonely. One problem with working from home is that you can feel disconnected and alone. But when you rent an office or some other space, you are out there in the world of work.

You may also find that you are more effective working this way. Certainly that is what Marissa Mayer thought when the Yahoo CEO decided that allowing Yahoo employees to continue to regularly work from home was not such a good idea. In her memo to staff on the subject, Mayer said, "To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices."

So, although I hate to sound like the lawyer I am, the answer to the question, "Should I work in or out of the house" is, it depends. The decision requires a careful balancing of needs, abilities and desires (said he, writing from his home office at 9 p.m.).

Today's tip: If you have ever ! been chal! lenged by managing your business sales pipeline, you might want to check out Pipedrive, a simple and powerful tool for managing sales.

I recently spoke with Pipedrive's co-founder Timo Rein on his top sales tips, and he offered us this nugget: "Be over-prepared but under-communicate." Specifically, Rein says, "You need to be asking customers the right questions. And there's no way you know what the right questions are unless you know the concerns and goals of your customer. Without being prepared you can't properly decode the answers."

Steve Strauss is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship. His column appears Mondays. E-mail Steve at: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com. An archive of his columns is here. His website is TheSelfEmployed.

JetBlue: Today, Doing What Delta Air Lines Can’t

If this is the year that airline stocks like United Continental Holdings (UAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and American Airlines (AAL) take off, JetBlue (JBLU) has been the exception that proves the rule.

While United Continental has gained 21% in 2014, Delta Airlines has risen 25%, Southwest Airlines (LUV) has advanced 27% and American Airlines has surged 48%, JetBlue has gained 4.6%.

But JetBlue’s stock is doing something that Delta Air Lines and the other carriers can’t do today: gain. Cowen’s Helane Becker and Conor Cunningham explain why:

JetBlue announced the sale of LiveTV to Thales for $400MM. We believe the $400MM purchase price appears fair, based on past revenue generation; however, if LiveTV ends up generating +$150MM in revenues as Thales (HO, NR) expects, we believe the price paid is low given LiveTVs comps. We believe JetBlue will use the proceeds from the sale of LiveTV for working capital and to fund aircraft deliveries…JetBlue is expected to take delivery of nine aircraft in 2014 and has a backlog of 136 aircraft with Airbus and Embraer. We also expect JetBlue CAPEX to trend lower for as the company had expected 2014 CAPEX of $75MM related to LiveTV.

Shares of JetBlue have gained 1.6% to $8.89 at 11:35 a.m. today, while United Continental Holdings has dropped 0.6% to $45.65, Delta Air Lines has fallen 1% to $34.15, American Airlines has declined 1.2% to $37.13 and Southwest Airlines is off 0.3% at $23.84.

3 Machinery Stocks to Buy Now

Popular Posts: 9 Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy NowBiggest Movers in Energy Stocks Now – CHK KOG CLD PXDHottest Technology Stocks Now – GTAT N WDAY AMAT Recent Posts: Biggest Movers in Healthcare Stocks Now – LCI STJ CYH SIRO Biggest Movers in Financial Stocks Now – ENV KCG MFC CIM Biggest Movers in Technology Stocks Now – CGNX ADVS SYNA HIMX View All Posts 3 Machinery Stocks to Buy Now

The grades of three machinery stocks are better this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these stocks has an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”) rating.

Luxfer Holdings PLC Sponsored ADR () is progressing from last week’s rating of B (“buy”) as the company improves to an A (“strong buy”) this week. Luxfer Holdings, a materials technology company, engages in the design, manufacture, and supply of materials, components, and gas cylinders. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategory of Equity, LXFR also gets an A. Shares of the stock have been changing hands at an unusually rapid pace, three times the rate of the week prior. .

American Railcar Industries, Inc. () is bettering its rating of C (“hold”) from last week to a B (“buy”) this week. American Railcar Industries designs, manufactures, and sells hopper and tank railcars in North America. .

This week, WABCO Holdings () pushes up from a C to a B rating. Wabco Holdings manufactures and sells control systems, including advanced braking, stability, suspension, transmission control and air compressing and processing systems, that improve vehicle performance and safety and reduce overall vehicle operating costs. .

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

3 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves Higher

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

>>5 Blue-Chip Stocks to Trade for Gains

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.

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

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

ReachLocal

ReachLocal (RLOC) provides a suite of online marketing and reporting solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. This stock closed up 2.9 % to $7.04 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $6.76-$7.06

52-Week Range: $5.87-$14.45

Thursday's Volume: 118,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 150,905

From a technical perspective, RLOC spiked notably higher here and broke out above some key overhead resistance levels at $6.87 to $6.90 with lighter-than-average volume. This breakout is significant, since shares of RLOC have been tapping up against those resistance levels and failing for the last two months. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if RLOC manages to clear Thursday's intraday high of $7.06 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RLOC as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $6.76 or above more support levels around $6.50 to $6.30 and then once it sustains a move or close above $7.06 with volume that hits near or above 150,905 shares. If that move begins soon, then RLOC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $7.96 to its gap-down-day high from May near $8.50. Any high-volume move above $8.50 will then give RLOC a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone that started near $10.50.

Higher One

Higher One (ONE) provides technology-based refund disbursement, payment processing, and data analytics services to higher education institutions and students in the U.S. This stock closed up 1.9% to $3.74 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $3.61-$3.78

52-Week Range: $3.48-$11.93

Thursday's Volume: 199,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 332,408

From a technical perspective, ONE spiked modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $3.53 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $3.48 to $3.53. Following that bottom, shares of ONE have started to move slightly higher and push within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if ONE manages to take out some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.85 to $4 and then above more resistance at $4.25 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ONE as long as it's trending above those double bottom support levels and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 332,408 shares. If that breakout kicks off soon, then ONE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $4.84 to $5, or even $5.50 to $5.75.

Empire Resorts

Empire Resorts (NYNY), through its subsidiaries, is engaged in hospitality and gaming industries in New York. This stock closed up 1.2% to $6.65 a share in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $6.56-$6.70

52-Week Range: $2.30-$9.39

Thursday's Volume: 84,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 135,157

From a technical perspective, NYNY spiked modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $6.20 with lighter-than-average volume. This spike higher on Thursday is starting to push shares of NYNY within range of triggering a major breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels. That trade will hit if NYNY takes out its 50-day moving average at $6.77 and then once it clears more key overhead resistance levels at $6.80 to $6.88 and $6.98 with high volume. Those resistance levels have held this stock down for almost two months, so a break above them should be considered bullish price action.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NYNY as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $6.20 or at $6.05 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 135,157 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then NYNY will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level just above $7.50. Any high-volume move above that level will then give NYNY a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from April that started near $9.

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

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Huge Stocks on Traders' Radars

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

>>Move In to Hedge Funds' 5 Favorite REITs This Summer

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com.

You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

The Evolution of Diesel Engines Just Took Another Step Forward (CDTI, HPTG, CMI)

Look out Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDTI), and Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI), you may want to take notice too. Little HydroPhi Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCMKTS:HPTG) is about to make a big splash in your pool, which could make life very difficult and much easier (respectively) for the two of you. How's that? In simplest terms, all signs point to HydroPhi Technologies' diesel efficiency working quite well, saving those who use it money, while simultaneously saving the environment.

For those not familiar with it - and that may well been most people reading this commentary right now - HydroPhi Technologies Group is the brains and brawn behind a piece of hardware called the HydroPlant. About the size of the breadbox, a HydroPlant has turned an old-but-out-of-reach idea into a reality.... the injection of hydrogen into the airflow of a diesel engine. By so doing, a diesel engine's efficiency is improved, and greenhouse gas emissions are lowered. Problem: Where does one get a supply of hydrogen gas to inject into the airflow of a diesel engine? HPTG has solved the problem... water. The HydroPlant technology can split water molecules into its two atoms - hydrogen and oxygen - and force the two gases into the combustion chamber to create 20% better fuel efficiency and 70% cleaner exhaust. The installation of the HydroPlant is relatively simple, and the only "fuel" it needs is readily available water.

Almost needless to say, it's something a company like Clean Diesel Technologies should view as competition, while a name like Cummins should be excited about, and perhaps even downright support. See, Clean Diesel Technologies makes a somewhat-competing technology (though the two could be complementary as well), while Cummins - maker of diesel engines - has found it challenging to maintain demand in a world that's increasingly interested in electric cars and green-friendly automobiles, which includes increasingly-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles. By putting a HydroPlant device on board wherever a Cummins engine is installed, diesel power doesn't look like a bad alternative at all any longer. 

So what did HydroPhi Technologies Group "do" that should be turning heads this morning? It was in today's press release, although it wasn't the crux of the release. The purpose of today's news was to announce that a second operator of transit buses in Mexico was going to install HydroPlants on two of their buses as something of a test-drive; clearly they're interested. The more compelling part of the press release was the comment about the first organization that put the HydroPhi Technologies Group to the test by installing them on four transit buses. As it turns out, those four buses did indeed burn 20% less fuel and emitted 70% less greenhouse gases. As a result of the trial, that operator placed a large-scale order of HydroPlants for at least part of its fleet of 2700 buses.

In other words, HPTG just made its first sale. It certainly won't be its last sale, however. With a global market of hundreds of thousands of public transit buses in the world, in addition to a similar number of tractor trailer rigs, that first sale barely even scratches the surface. The first sale does, however, fully legitimize this young company.

For more on HydroPhi Technologies Group, visit the company's website here.

Q&A: Buying your first car? Follow these tips

Between learning how to deal with overeager car salesmen and deciphering new lingo like residual values, buying your first car can be a confusing and exhausting process. To make it a little easier before you walk into the dealership, David Flores, a financial counselor with GreenPath Debt Solutions, answered your questions as part of USA TODAY's weekly Twitter chat series for Millennials. Below is a summary of the questions and answers.

Q: How do you decide between leasing a car and buying a car? What's the better way to go?

A: Think about how you drive, mileage each day. Leases come with a mileage limit and it will cost you at the end when you turn in the car if you go over the limit. You can also buy additional mileage up front, called mileage bands, but it will cost you more per month.

Q: How important is a down payment when buying a new or used car?

A: If you have poor credit, you may need to put more down. Think about what you want to spend each month.

Q: Will shopping around for a good interest rate on a loan hurt my credit?

A: No, if you do it within a short period of time. Credit bureaus understand you need to shop around. Try shopping in a 30-day window. Spreading out your credit inquiries could affect your credit score.

Q: What's the first step I should take if I am giving my car as a trade-in? Look at the Bluebook?

A: Yes! You will make more selling yourself than trading in. But if you want to trade in, negotiate a price on your new car before revealing to the dealership that you have a car to trade-in. If they know you have a trade-in in advance, they'll take the trade-in value into account when negotiating and may not give you the best possible price on the new car.

Q: What's the importance of knowing about residual values? What is that and why does it matter?

A: Do you want to turn in the car at the end of the lease or buy it outright? Knowing how much it's worth when you first lease can save you money at turn-in. A lower residual ! value at the end means the car will cost you less to buy.

Q: A 72-month term is tempting because it makes the payments so low. Is that OK to do if the APR is very low too?

A: You could be paying a lot for repairs (once the warranty expires). Plus you are paying interest for a long time.

Q: Should I shop based on the price of the vehicle or the monthly payment?

A: Never shop for payment, even if it's low. It could be longer term and higher interest.

Q: Besides the price of the car, what other expenses do you have to take into consideration?

A: Maintenance of the car and insurance. Luxury cars cost more to maintain and insure than economy cars.

A: Are extended warranties worth the price?

A: Research basic warranty first. You might not need an extended one. See if your car has had recall issues. And if you think you will drive longer than the original warranty, it might make sense. If not, don't spend the extra money.

Q: Can I rely on a vehicle history reporting service to find out the history of a used car before buying it?

A: Histories are good but you also want to get a car inspected by a mechanic to ensure a sound vehicle.

Join next week's chat on March 12 at 3 p.m. ET. We'll be talking about how to protect your identity. Email questions ahead of time to Hadley Malcolm at hmalcolm@usatoday.com. Use the hashtag #millennialmoney to ask questions and follow along.

Wait, Dov Charney Was Still CEO of American Apparel?

Normally I wouldn’t write about a stock that trades under a buck, but since we’re talking about American Apparel (APP), I guess I can make an exception. Today, news broke that controversial Dov Charney is out as CEO from the company he founded.

Bloomberg News

My first response: Charney was still CEO? Based solely on stock price alone–American Apparel’s shares have dropped 28% a year for the past five years–Charney would have been long gone. Then toss in the controversial nature of his tenure at the company–including this infamous Jane Magazine article, which detailed his outside-the, um, box behavior–and it’s amazing the guy’s still around.

As for the stock, it’s gained 6.4% to 68 cents on news of Charney’s departure. I’m sure that’s great comfort to investors who were in for the long haul.

Seriously, how do you destroy that much value and still get to run a company?

Men's Wearhouse increases bid for Jos. A Bank

There's yet a new knot in the tightening tie of the ongoing men's clothing war.

The Men's Wearhouse clothing chain is adding fuel to its relentless pursuit of arch-rival Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, by increasing its previous takeover offer by 10% to roughly $1.78 billion, the company announced Monday morning.

Stock in each company is up in the 8% neighborhood.

It's been a wild, cat and mouse chase between the two men's clothing giants, as each has ambitions to remain among the last national men's store chains standing in the highly competitive, $57 billion men's apparel business. The move comes just 10 days after Jos. A. Bank, in a protective move, announced that it planned to purchase the parent of Eddie Bauer for about $825 million. Even then, Jos. A. Bank said at the time that it would considering dropping the Eddie Bauer deal if it received a better acquisition offer.

STOCKS MONDAY: How markets are doing

Which may explain why, on Monday, Men's Wearhouse opted to up it offer to $63.50 per share, up from its prior bid of $57.50 per share. The new offer, set to expire on March 12, is conditioned on Jos. A. Bank ending its deal for Eddie Bauer. Other conditions include Jos. A. Bank's directors redeeming or invalidating the shareholder rights plan that's in place.

But the 1,133-store Men's Wearhouse chain didn't stop there. The chain, founded in 1973, said it may even raise the bid further, to $65 per share, if it is able to examine Jos. A. Bank's books and given access to the company's management team.

Men's Wearhouse President and CEO Doug Ewert said in a statement that it would even be willing to talk about offering Jos. A. Bank shareholders the opportunity to choose to receive Men's Wearhouse stock for part of its proposal.

"We have had extensive dialogue with shareholders of both companies over the last several months and have received widespread support for this transaction," said Ewert, in a statement.

Jos. A. Bank did not immediately respond to ! an email seeking comment.

The Associated Press contributed.

Fed Cuts Monthly Asset Purchases To $35 Billion At June Meeting, Markets Waits For Yellen Talk

 The Federal Open Market Committee has cut another $10 billion from it quantitative easing program. The reduction brings the Fed's monthly bond purchases to $35 billion with $15 billion going toward mortgage bonds and $20 billion toward treasuries.

In a statement on its latest policy move, the FOMC wrote,"growth in economic activity has rebounded in recent months. Labor market indicators generally showed further improvement. The unemployment rate, though lower, remains elevated. Household spending appears to be rising moderately and business fixed investment resumed its advance, while the recovery in the housing sector remained slow." The tone of the note was more optimistic than in prior months.

The FOMC also noted, "The Committee currently judges that there is sufficient underlying strength in the broader economy to support ongoing improvement in labor market conditions."

The move is in line with prior cuts to the easy money program and consistent with the committee's earlier guidance. The stock market moved into positive territory following the 2 p.m. release Wednesday coming off of a down start to the trading day. Investors are waiting to see if Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen offers any meaningful commentary in her 2:30 p.m. press conference. Before the conference, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by about 23 points, or 0.14% and the S&P 500 was up 0.3%. The 10-year Treasury note yield was flat.

Consumer Prices Record Biggest Jump in More Than a Year

Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images WASHINGTON -- U.S. consumer prices recorded their largest increase in more than a year in May as costs for a range of goods and services rose, pointing to a steady firming of inflation pressures. The Labor Department said Tuesday its Consumer Price Index increased 0.4 percent last month, with food prices posting their biggest rise since August 2011. The uptick in price pressures should comfort some Federal Reserve officials who had worried inflation was running too low. Still, a separate inflation gauge watched most closely by the Fed continues to run below the U.S. central bank's 2 percent target. Fed officials start a two-day policy meeting Tuesday. The Fed is expected to further trim its monthly bond buying program, but isn't seen raising interest rates until mid-2015. A separate report from the Commerce Department showed housing starts and permits fell in May, a sign that the housing recovery could remain in slow mode. Fed Chair Janet Yellen has warned that a protracted housing slowdown could undermine the economy. Groundbreaking for homes fell 6.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1 million units in May. Permits declined 6.4 percent to a 991,000-unit pace, pulling back from the 1.06 million units touched in April. U.S. stock index futures turned negative on the data, while prices for U.S. Treasury debt fell. The dollar hit session highs versus the yen and the euro. "Medical care costs will help push inflation to 2 to 2.5 percent later this year. But the Fed could tolerate that," said Craig Dismuke, chief economic strategist at Vining Sparks in Memphis, Tennessee. Last month's increase in consumer prices was the largest since February 2013 and above economists' expectations for a 0.2 percent gain. It followed a 0.3 percent advance in April. In the 12 months through May, consumer prices increased 2.1 percent, the biggest rise since October 2012. That came on top of a 2 percent rise in April and was above economists' expectations for a year-on-year increase of 2 percent. It was the first back-to-back 2 percent rise in the year-on-year CPI since early 2012. Stripping out food and energy prices, the so-called core CPI rose 0.3 percent, the largest increase since August 2011. It had risen 0.2 percent in April. In the 12 months through May, the core CPI increased 2 percent. That was the biggest gain since February of last year and followed a 1.8 percent rise in April. Economists had forecast the core CPI rising 0.2 percent from April and 1.9 percent from a year-ago. Food prices increased 0.5 percent in May, rising for a fifth consecutive month. Prices for meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables rose. Poultry and fish prices also increased as did the cost of eggs. Gasoline prices increased 0.7 percent. Prices for electricity also rose after declining in the prior month. The core CPI was lifted by a 0.3 percent rise in rent. There were also increases in medical care costs, apparel, new cars prices and airline fares. -.

OMG! Hot or Not is back!

  See the new Hot or Not LONDON (CNNMoney) Hot or Not, an online platform where people rate the attractiveness of participants, took the Internet by storm over a decade ago.

Now Hot or Not's creators have relaunched the dating app to help people connect with the hottest people in their areas.

The updated Hot or Not app encourages people to vote on the most attractive (and least attractive) users, then gives users a popularity score and compiles a 'Hot List' to show in real-time where the most babelicious people are each neighborhood.

The app is designed to take the guesswork out of tracking down good-looking people. For example, concert goers using the app will be able to check their iPhones to see whether highly rated 'hot people' are at the bar or near the stage. Users can also chat through the app, provided they rate one another as 'hot'.

"Since 2000, the Hot or Not brand has been an inspiration behind some of the most popular platforms and products currently available to consumers including Facebook (FB, Tech30) and YouTube," said Andrey Andreev, CEO of Hot or Not. "With the addition of 'Hot Lists' ... we are bringing an elevated and more exciting version of this iconic brand to a new generation of users."

But the app is not for the faint of heart. Online daters can be ruthless in their assessment of people's physical attractiveness. Each individual will have a "hot rating" attached to their profile, which is decided by voting. Needless to say, some users may not be happy with their results.

  App lets girls anonymously ! rate guys

The app currently has over 10 million users in the United States and is pitting itself against other popular dating apps it helped spawn, included Tinder.

The company behind the app -- London-based Badoo -- would not reveal user numbers in other markets, though the app is available in over 30 languages.

The Hot or Not mobile app originally launched in May 2013.

Amazon Or Alibaba: Which Would You Rather?

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E-commerce has become one of the most profitable industries this side of the dot-com boom of the late 1990s.

For years, industry titans like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) have jockeyed for position as the online leader in internet retail sales. These companies have enjoyed the privilege of having little to no competition in the marketplace -- until now.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba recently took to the World Wide Web and has been making a virtual killing in the consumer shopping market. The company recently filed its initial public offering and disclosed its prospectus in early May of this year with the SEC.

Alibaba declared profits of $2.8 billion for a nine-month period that ended on December 31, 2013. That was on revenue of just under $7 billion, which translates to $0.43 on every dollar in revenue generated.

Related: No Legwork Wednesday – Nintendo's Wii U

Why is this significant?

Primarily because Amazon, by comparison, reported a profit of only $274 million on revenue of nearly $75 billion for the entire 2013 fiscal year. That translates to less than $0.01 of profit per dollar of revenue.

So what accounts for this massive discrepancy between a veteran e-commerce company and the new kid on the block?

To put the answer in the simplest possible terms, it is the business mode.

Amazon has a now-legendary strategy of pumping its profits back into the business and putting tremendous pressure on its hyper-thin margins. This has made investors unhappy, since doing so has caused shares to drop over 18 percent so far in 2014.

While the investment world waits for Alibaba's IPO to hit the U.S. stock exchange as an alternative to Amazon and eBay stocks, there is a very real possibility that there will be a new leader in the online commerce race. The respective strategies for both companies include invading the other's home base, so to speak. Amazon has long been working to boost its sales numbers in China and Alibaba is moving in on U.S. consumers with laser-focused abandon.

So what exactly does the Alibaba business model look like?

The company has three primary web domains – Juhuasuan, Taobao and Tmall – which are essentially virtual bridges between buyers and sellers. It is probably what an e-commerce site would look like if Google were to merge with Amazon or eBay.

Alibaba profits off of the merchant sales and advertising fees and allows those merchants to achieve a higher position on its search engine. The company doesn't sell directly to consumers since it claims that doing so would cause unnecessary competition with the very merchants that it wants selling their products on its sites. The Alibaba model instead feeds profitability and strengthens cash flow, allowing for the flexibility to be able to improve its overall strategy as it expands its business.

So looking ahead, which is the better stock investment – Alibaba or Amazon? It may technically be too early to know definitively, but based on Alibaba's numbers so far, putting money into the Chinese company may prove to be a smart move once it hits the U.S. stock exchange.

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© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Beer Man: Hops dominate Smuttynose's barleywine

Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.

This week: Smuttynose Barleywine-Style Ale

Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, N.H.

www.smuttynose.com

Smuttynose has produced an ale that follows the trend of many United States breweries, with a barleywine that has its fine malt profile somewhat overshadowed by bitterness and piney hops.

This is usually the formula when a beer is called a "barleywine-style ale" as opposed to just calling it a barleywine, which traditionally in England has very different hop flavoring and low bitterness.

Smuttynose's beer pours an amber color with orange highlights from the caramel malts. There is a hint of caramel in the aroma, along with a rich resinous hop background.

Flavors of raisins, toffee, caramel and vanilla provide the main malt flavors, but the pine, grapefruit and bitterness of the hops kick in and start to dominate. The rest of the sampling experience was similar: Strong malt flavor and sweetness right away, immediately followed by the hop experience.

The body is full and rich, with medium carbonation, temporarily leaving a nice, creamy mouthfeel before the hops provide a dry finish that alleviates any cloying sweetness. Aging this beer might alleviate the hops a bit and allow the malts to be more forward. There were no unpleasant boozy tones from the high 10.6% ABV.

The label of the barleywine shows an old-timey English cultivator holding a staff studded with hop cones. That is what the beer is all about: a traditional English malty barleywine matched with strong American hops.

Smuttynose's regular beer lineup includes Shoals Pale Ale, Old Brown Dog Ale, Finestkind India Pale Ale, Robust Porter and Star Island Single, a Belgian pale style. The barleywine is part of its Big Beer series that, depending on the season, includes a doppelbock, imperial stout, Scotch ale, Belgian quadruple, wheat wine ale and many more. The brewery, like many in the U.S., is continuousl! y growing and is in the process of expanding its facilities.

Smuttynose is available in 23 states, mostly east of the Mississippi River but also including California and Sweden; its distributor list is here.

Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns Click here.

Netflix Prices $400M Offering of 5.75% Senior Notes

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Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) today announced the pricing of an offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.750% senior notes due 2024 (the "Notes").  The Notes are being offered to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The sale of the Notes is expected to close on February 19, 2014, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.  Interest on the Notes will accrue at a rate of 5.750% per year, and will be payable in cash semi-annually in arrears, beginning on September 1, 2014.

The Notes will mature on March 1, 2024, unless earlier repurchased or redeemed. Holders may require Netflix to repurchase their Notes upon the occurrence of certain change of control events at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.

Netflix intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions.

Posted-In: Bonds News Offerings Markets

(c) 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Mattel stock sinks as holiday sales disappoint

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Mattel says it was a tough time in toyland this past holiday season.

Shares of Mattel were hammered Thursday after the world's largest toy maker said sales of key toys like Barbie and Fisher-Price preschool items dropped in its fourth quarter.

Company stock has fallen 11% to $38.28 per share.

CEO Bryan Stockton called 2013 a "challenging and transformative year at retail."

Toy makers count on the November and December holiday season to make 40% or more of annual revenue. But traditional toy makers are struggling as kids turn more toward electronic devices and video games.

While fourth-quarter net income climbed 21% from year-ago results depressed by a litigation charge, the company's quarterly performance missed both analysts' estimates and the company's own expectations.

For the three months ended Dec. 31, Mattel Inc. earned $369.2 million, or $1.07 per share. That compares with $306.5 million, or 87 cents per share, a year ago. The prior-year period included an $87.1 million litigation charge.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected earnings of $1.19 per share.

Revenue dropped 7% to $2.11 billion from $2.26 billion. Analysts expected $2.37 billion.

Barbie and Fisher-Price sales both declined 13%. Sales for Hot Wheels fell 8%.

One bright spot was American Girl, which reported a 3% sales increase. Mattel said the performance was mostly helped by sales of the 2013 Girl of the Year, Saige.

CEO Stockton said weakness was mostly in the U.S. and the El Segundo, Calif.-based toy maker is continuing to invest in emerging markets like China and Russia.

Mattel's full-year net income increased to $903.9 million, or $2.58 per share, from $776.5 million, or $2.22 per share, in the previous year.

Annual revenue edged up 1% to $6.48 billion from $6.42 billion.

23-year-old bests billionaire Gates at chess in 9…

Being the richest guy in the world and a computer magnate doesn't necessarily make you a stellar chess player.

Bill Gates learned this the hard way when newly crowned world chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, of Norway, beat him handily, in a mere nine moves — in front of an audience, no less. The speed game took place during a popular Norwegian-Swedish talk show hosted by Norwegian TV presenter Fredrik Skavlan. It will be aired in Scandinavia on Friday.

The 58-year-old Microsoft founder was challenged to a game during the talk show to be shown in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The pragmatic Gates was under no illusions. He said before the match that the game had "a predetermined outcome."

During the brief game, Gates, in suit and tie, did his best against the Carlsen, 23, in shirtsleeves.

No doubt Gates' young employees defer to him in his Seattle headquarters, but Carlsen had no problem showing up the powerful inventor-philanthropist.

Norwegian chess world champion Magnus Carlsen reacts after receiving four different awards during the Norwegian Sports Gala on Jan. 4, 2014.(Photo: Audun Braastad, AFP/Getty Images)

Carlsen might have been a tad nervous, however, going up against the multibillionaire given he knocked over one of his chess pieces and scrambled to put it right.

Gates laughed as he pondered a move and uttered, "Oh, shoot" when he knew the jig was up.

He good-naturedly gave Carlsen his due at the end of the match: "Wow, that was quick," Gates said, and then smilingly shook Carlsen's hand.

Asked if he ever felt intellectually inadequate, Gates quipped, "When I play chess with him."

Gates, whose net worth was estimated this month at $78.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Inde! x, was even given a slight advantage. He had 2 minutes to make his moves. Carlsen had 30 seconds. Carlsen won the game in 1 minute, 20 seconds.

The chess champ bested defending champion Viswanathan Anand of India last November, and the matches that resulted in his first world title were covered round-the-clock in Norway.

Carlsen is known for standing up and walking away from the board during games.

"I just feel that if there is not too much to think about, it's better to walk around a little bit, maybe get some drinks, some food to get some energy and also to get the blood flowing a little," Carlsen has said.

At least he didn't get up for a snack and drink during his short bout with Gates.

The boyishly handsome Carlsen — a grandmaster since age 13 -- is a veritable rock star in the world of chess. He has done some modeling for a clothing line and has earned the nickname "the Justin Bieber of chess."

Let's hope the similarities end with their stylish haircuts, and Carlsen confines his speedy antics to the chessboard.

Postal Service, union wrangle over Staples

WASHINGTON (AP) — The opening of Postal Service retail centers in dozens of Staples stores around the country is being met with threats of protests and boycotts by the agency's unions.

The new outlets are staffed by Staples employees, not postal workers, and labor officials say that move replaces good-paying union jobs with low-wage, nonunion workers.

"It's a direct assault on our jobs and on public postal services," said Mark Dimondstein, president of the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union.

The dispute comes as the financially struggling Postal Service continues to form partnerships with private companies, and looks to cut costs and boost revenues. The deal with Staples began as a pilot program in November at 84 stores in California, Georgia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as a way make it easier for customers to buy stamps, send packages or use Priority and certified mail.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said the program has nothing to do with privatization and everything to do with customer service and driving up demand for the agency's products.

"The privatization discussion is a ruse," Donahoe said in an interview. "We have no interest in privatizing the Postal Service. We are looking to grow our business to provide customer convenience to postal products."

Staples spokeswoman Carrie McElwee referred questions about union concerns to the Postal Service. She said the company "continually tests new products and services to better meet the needs of our customers."

Union leaders fear that if the Staples program is successful, the Postal Service will want to expand it to more than 1,500 of the company's other stores. That could siphon work and customers away from nearby brick-and-mortar post offices, taking jobs from postal workers and even leading traditional post offices to close.

Union leaders have been visiting Staples stores to meet with managers, asking them to share the union's displeasure with upper management.

Dimondstein asked! to meet with the Staples CEO Ronald Sargent, who has declined.

The union plans to hold "sustained" protests this month at Staples stores in the San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., area that would be expanded elsewhere. Union officials also are considering how they can exert pressure on Staples shareholders.

"If Staples insists on continuing to refuse to staff those stores with postal workers, we're going to urge people to take their business elsewhere," Dimondstein said.

The union says it's not asking to shut down the program. It wants the counters to be run by postal employees, not workers hired by Staples. The average postal clerk earns about $25 an hour, according to the union, plus a generous package of health and retirement benefits. The Staples post office counters are run by nonunion workers often making little more than the minimum wage.

The Postal Service increasingly has looked to work with the private sector to help increase business. In November, it announced a lucrative deal with Amazon to begin package delivery on Sunday.

The agency has struggled for years with declining mail volume, but the lion's share of its financial plight stems from a 2006 congressional requirement that it make annual $5.6 billion payments to cover expected health care costs for future retirees. It has defaulted on three of those payments. The Postal Service lost $5 billion over the past year, though operating revenue rose 1.2%.

So far, the Postal Service has rebuffed the union's demands.

As far as who will staff the counters, "that's Staples' business. They make their own business decisions and it has nothing to do with us," Donahoe said.

Donahoe said he'd like to see post office counters in every Staples store "as soon as possible." But he doesn't see them as replacing any of the 33,000 traditional post offices. He said he sees the program as an opportunity "to grow the business."

James O'Rourke, a professor of management at the University of Notre Dame, said t! he Postal! Service is simply following the trend of other businesses such as banks and medical clinics opening in grocery and drug stores to get more customers and save overhead costs.

"You can't blame the union for looking suspiciously at this move, but from the perspective of postal management and postal customers, this is all good," O'Rourke said.

Donahoe acknowledged that it could save money in employee costs, but insisted that is not the agency's motivating force. Since 2008, the Postal Service has reduced its employees by more than 200,000, mainly through attrition.

"Keeping our expenses down is no different than what any other business would do," he said.

Back in 1988, the Postal Service tried a similar plan to put retail units in Sears stores in Chicago and Madison, Wis. APWU members picketed Sears headquarters in Chicago, mailed thousands of letters of protest to then Sears Chairman Ed Brennan and even cut up their Sears credit cards.

The pressure worked and a year later the program ended, with Sears saying it did not want to be at the center of a dispute between the Postal Service and the union. But the APWU's membership now is almost half of what it was 25 years ago, and unions don't carry the same clout they once did.

Dimondstein, who took the helm of his union in November and pledges a more activist approach, insists his members will bring considerable pressure on Staples.

"I think we have a lot of clout," he said. "We're in every hamlet, town, city and state in the country."

Follow Hananel on Twitter at SamHananelAP

Community Trust Bank Corp. (CTBI) Dividend Stock Analysis

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Community Trust Bank Corp. (CTBI). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: Community Trust Bank Corp. owns and operates Community Trust Bank, Inc. of Pikeville, KY, which provides commercial banking services in Kentucky and West Virginia; and a trust company.

Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number

CTBI is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 53.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $29.43. CTBI did not earn any Stars in this section.

Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%

CTBI earned one Star in this section for 1.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1988 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years.

Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

1. NPV MMA Diff.
2. Years to > MMA

The negative NPV MMA Diff. means that on a NPV basis the dividend earnings from an investment in CTBI would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.41%. If CTBI grows its dividend at 1.5% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%.

Memberships and Peers: CTBI is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers™ Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: IberiaBank Corp. (IBKC) with a 2.2% yield, Hancock Holding Co. (HBHC) with a 2.7% yield, and Capital City Bank Group Inc. (CCBG) with a 0.0% yield.

Conclusion: CTBI did not earn any Stars in the Fair Value section, earned one Star in the Dividend Analytical Data section and did not earn any Stars in the Dividend Income vs. MMA section for a total of one Star. This quantitatively ranks CTBI as a 1-Star Very Weak stock.

Using my D4L-PreScreen.xls model, I determined the share price would need to decrease to $28.34 before CTBI's NPV MMA Differential increased to the $500 minimum that I look for in a stock with 33 years of consecutive dividend increases. At that price the stock would yield 4.5%.

Resetting the D4L-PreScreen.xls model and solving for the dividend growth rate needed to generate the target $500 NPV MMA Differential, the calculated rate is 6.3%. This dividend growth rate is higher than the 1.5% used in this analysis, thus providing no margin of safety. CTBI has a risk rating of 1.75 which classifies it as a Medium risk stock.

CTBI is a stock I watched for some time before buying. The company has good financials with a low free cash flow payout of 26% and a reasonable debt to total capital of 46%. The stock is currently trading well above my calculated fair value price of $29.43, so for now I will wait for a more opportune time to add to my position.

Disclaimer: Material presented here is for informational purposes only. The above quantitative stock analysis, including the Star rating, is mechanically calculated and is based on historical information. The analysis assumes the stock will perform in the future as it has in the past. This is generally never true. Before buying or selling any stock you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion. See my Disclaimer for more information.

Full Disclosure: At the time of this writing, I was long in CTBI (3.5% of my Dividend Growth Portfolio). See a list of all my dividend growth holdings here.

Related Articles:
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About the author:Dividends4LifeVisit Dividends4Life at:
http://www.dividend-growth-stocks.com/

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