5 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Own For 2015

The Department of Defense awarded Sweden's Volvo AB (NASDAQOTH: VOLVY  ) -- or more specifically, Volvo's Mack Trucks subsidiary -- a $177.5 million contract Friday for the purchase of tractor trailers.

The contract, designated "fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment/indefinite-delivery," is what is commonly known as an "IDIQ" contract. This means that while the price paid per item purchased may be fixed, there is no obligation incumbent upon the Pentagon to buy any particular number of trucks -- although the size of the contract certainly suggests their intention to buy a lot of them.

With your average Mack truck ranging in price from just under $100,000 to as high as $200,000, this contract could easily encompass the sale and purchase of 1,000 or more trucks and trailers from Mack's several product lines, with sales stretching from now through April 9, 2017. Purchases will be made for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.

5 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Own For 2015: Southern Copper Corporation(SCCO)

Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, producing, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, and Chile. It is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce anode copper; and refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes, as well as refined silver. The company operates Toquepala and Cuajone mines in the Andes Mountains located southeast of the city of Lima, Peru, as well as a smelter and refinery in the coastal city of Ilo, Peru. It also operates La Caridad and Buenavista copper mines, and smelting and refining plants in Mexico. In addition, the company operates five underground mines that produce zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold; a coal mine which produces coal and coke; and a zinc refinery. Further, it has 145,064 hectares of mineral rights in Peru; 176,250 hectares of exploration concessions in Mexico; 1,068 hectares of exploration concessions in Argentina; 35,958 hectares exploration concessions in Chile; and 2,544 hectares of exploration concessions in Ecuador. The company was founded in 1952 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Copper Corporation is a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Southern Copper (NYSE: SCCO  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

5 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Own For 2015: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Notable earnings reports currently on tap for next week: Qihu 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: QIHU), Avago Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Joy Global Inc. (NYSE: JOY), Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD), and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL).

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: ExamWorks Group Inc. (EXAM)

ExamWorks Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides independent medical examinations (IME), peer and bill reviews, and related services in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Its IME services are used by clients to confirm the veracity of claims by sick or injured individuals for workers� compensation, automotive, personal injury liability, and disability insurance coverage. The company also offers peer review services, including medical record reviews, nurse file reviews, and utilization reviews by members of its medical panel to provide medical opinion of a claimant�s condition and treatment; bill review services, such as physician and hospital bill reviews, and surgical cost estimates; and other IME related services comprising litigation support, medical record retrieval, administrative support services, and managed technology services. ExamWorks Group, Inc. provides its services through its medical panel of independently contract ed physicians and other medical providers. It serves property and casualty insurance carriers, law firms, third-party claim administrators, government agencies, and state funds. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Examworks Group (EXAM) is a provider of independent medical examinations, peer and bill reviews and related services. This stock closed up 9.4% at $24.28 in Wednesday's trading session.

  Wednesday's Volume: 1.62 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 209,788
  
  Volume % Change: 583%

  From a technical perspective, EXAM exploded higher here right off some near-term support at $21.91 with heavy upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $13.79 to its intraday high of $24.40. During that uptrend, shares of EXAM have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This move also pushed shares of EXAM into breakout territory, since the stock took out its former 52-week high at $23.56.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in EXAM as long as it's trending above $23 or $22.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above Wednesday's high of $24.40 with volume that hits near or above 209,788 shares. If we get that move soon, then EXAM will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $28 to $30.

5 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Own For 2015: Coinstar Inc.(CSTR)

Coinstar, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides automated retail solutions primarily in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The company owns and operates self-service Redbox kiosks that enable consumers to rent or purchase movies and video games; and self-service coin-counting kiosks where consumers can convert their coin to cash, a gift card, or an E-certificate. It also engages in identifying, evaluating, building, and developing new self-service concepts in the automated retail space, which includes coffee, refurbished electronics, and photo self-service concepts. As of December 31, 2011, the company had 35,400 Redbox kiosks in 29,300 locations and 20,200 coin-counting kiosks in 19,900 locations primarily in supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants, financial institutions, convenience stores, and restaurants. Coinstar, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Canadian Value]

  Position % of Fund Assets 1) First American Financial Corp. (FAF) 7.0% 2) Apple, Inc. (AAPL) 6.5% 3) Coinstar, Inc. (CSTR) 4.8% 4) EMC Corp. (EMC) 4.4% 5) Coach, Inc. (COH) 4.4% 6) Kohl's Corp. (KSS) 4.1% 7) Blucora, Inc. (BCOR) 4.0% 8) Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK) 3.1% 9) OM Group, Inc. (OMG) 3.0% 10) American International Group, Inc. (AIG) 2.8% TOTAL 44.1% One area that we believe still offers some value in the market is in high quality, large��ap technology stocks that may be momentarily out��f��avor as they transition from rapid growth to slower growth. In particular, we become interested when that transition is also accompanied by a change in capital allocation policies designed to return more cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. We believe that Apple and EMC are two of the absolute highest quality technology businesses in the world and both have recently announced very material, shareholder��friendly changes to how they will allocate capital.

5 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Own For 2015: STARWOOD PROPERTY TRUST INC.(STWD)

Starwood Property Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust, primarily focuses on originating, investing in, financing, and managing commercial mortgage loans and other commercial real estate debt investments, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. It also focuses to invest in commercial properties subject to net leases, residential mortgage loans, and residential mortgage-backed securities. SPT Management, LLC serves as the manager of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. The company qualifies as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes, if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Starwood Property Trust was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Fabian]

  This fund is pegged to the FTSE NAREIT All Mortgage Capped Index, a benchmark measure that includes top names in the space such as Annaly Capital (NLY), American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC), Starwood Property Trust (STWD) and Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO).

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment, our analysts discuss some of the day's big movers and shakers.�Shares of Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT  ) rise after Deutsche Bank initiates coverage with a buy rating. Trading in Herbalife (NYSE: HLF  ) is halted after the company's auditor resigns. Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) gains ground on the news that inflation in China is slowing. And Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD  ) declines after the real estate company announces a secondary stock offering.�