10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014

On an otherwise up day for the equities market on Thursday, four big-name retailers are in the red: GameStop (GME), J.C. Penney (JCP), Sears Holdings (SHLD) and Target (TGT). And with Black Friday just a few days away on Main Street, it’s natural that some buyers may be sniffing around for bargains on Wall Street.

But in reality, only one of these stocks is a buy at current prices, in my book. Now J.C. Penney shares did perk up� after the department store chain issued a slightly sunnier Q4 outlook. However, the fact remains that the company has missed analyst earnings estimates by a wide mile for the past several quarters, so I’m not so optimistic. As for Sears and Target, both companies disappointed shareholders with their third-quarter earnings results.

It’s a different story with GameStop, the largest video game and entertainment software retailer in the world. GME shares fell to a three-month low after the video game retailer released Q3 results. While GameStop swung to a profit last quarter, the company did guide its fourth-quarter forecast below the Street view. While analysts are calling for $2.15 EPS, GameStop expects earnings in the range of $1.97 to $2.14 per share.

Top 5 Mid Cap Companies To Buy For 2015: Activision Blizzard Inc(ATVI)

Activision Blizzard, Inc., through its subsidiaries, publishes online, personal computer (PC), console, and handheld games worldwide. The company develops and publishes PC-based computer games and maintains its proprietary online-game related service, Battle.net. It publishes interactive software products and peripherals. Its products cover various game categories, such as action/adventure, action sports, racing, role-playing, simulation, first-person action, music, and strategy. Activision?s products comprise Monsters vs. Aliens, Guitar Hero, X-Men Origins, PROTOTYPE, Transformers, Ice Age, Wolfenstein, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, DJ Hero, Band Hero, Call of Duty, Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero, Three map packs for Call of Duty, True Crime, Spider-Man, Bakugan, Blur, and Singularity. Its customers include retail outlets and distributors, including mass-market retailers, consumer electronics stores, discount warehouses, and game specialty stores. Activision Blizzard, Inc. is based in Santa Monica, California. Activision Blizzard, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Vivendi.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Activision Blizzard provides online entertainment products and services to a growing group of people worldwide. The company is now attempting to repurchase itself from its French owner. The stock has been on a strong surge higher in recent months, and is now trading near highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, it seems investors in the company have expected more, but earnings and revenue figures have been rising. Relative to its peers and sector, Activision Blizzard has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Activision Blizzard to OUTPERFORM.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  It's going to be huge. The game play video released just two weeks ago has already been viewed nearly 18 million times. Video game sales have been slumping for four years, but watching Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI  ) set new sales records with every Call of Duty installment proves that there is still healthy interest in marquee releases.

• [By DAILYFINANCE]

  1. Activision Blizzard (ATVI) Life was easy when everyone was playing . Facebook has reinvented the way game-hungry masses spend their time, logging into Facebook to tend to virtual farms, mafia campaigns, or item-finding experiences. It's not a surprise that the traditional video game industry has been struggling for three years. Market leader Activision Blizzard doesn't even make games anymore, and its player count has been steadily declining over the past year. is still a growing franchise, but that can't last forever. As traditional game companies are struggling, Zynga (ZNGA) -- which accounts for 18% of Facebook's revenue -- is thriving.

• [By Alex Planes]

  The world's largest dedicated video-game publishing company began operating on July 10, 2008, a day after Activision and Vivendi shareholders agreed to create Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI  ) . The new company, majority-owned by Vivendi and led by controversial Activision CEO Robert Kotick, had first been proposed in an $18.9 billion deal at the end of 2007 but had been delayed while European regulators ensured that no antitrust laws would be broken.

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: QUALCOMM Incorporated(QCOM)

QUALCOMM Incorporated engages in the development, design, manufacture, and marketing of digital wireless telecommunications products and services. The company operates in four segments: Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT), Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL), Qualcomm Wireless and Internet (QWI), and Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI). The QCT segment develops and supplies code division multiple access (CDMA)-based integrated circuits and system software for wireless voice and data communications, multimedia functions and global positioning system products. The QTL segment grants licenses to use portions of its intellectual property portfolio comprising patent rights useful in the manufacture and sale of wireless products, such as products implementing cdmaOne, CDMA2000, WCDMA, CDMA TDD, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and/or OFDMA standards and their derivatives The QWI segment consists of Qualcomm Internet Services that provides content enablement services for the wireless industry and pu sh-to-talk and other products and services for wireless network operators; Qualcomm Government Technologies, which offers development, hardware, and analytical services to the United States government agencies involving wireless communications technologies; Qualcomm Enterprise Services that provides satellite and terrestrial-based two-way data messaging, position reporting, wireless application services, and managed data services to transportation and logistics companies and other enterprise companies; and Firethorn, which builds and manages software applications that enable mobile commerce services. The QSI segment makes strategic investments to support the worldwide adoption of CDMA- and OFDMA-based technologies and services. QUALCOMM Incorporated primarily operates in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ashraf Eassa]

  In a sense, I really hate this market. Why? Everything seems to be appreciating on a pretty consistent basis, making it tough to buy in when it's time to deploy some capital. Now, while I am completely cognizant of the fact that the printing presses at the Fed are working overtime to ensure that this liquidity limbo continues for a good while longer, it's becoming ever-so-frustrating to get good deals on quality companies. Qualcomm (QCOM), a company that I've been a huge fan of for quite some time, finally gave me a chance to buy it on-sale, and I was pounding the table both on my StockTalks and in articles to buy this under $63. I still think there's still quite a bit more room to run.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Marcio Jose Sanchez/APApple CEO Tim Cook introduces Apple Watch. Apple (AAPL) is basking in the glory of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. It sold a record 10 million of its new smartphones during the debut weekend, once again raising the bar in premium mobile gadgetry. It hasn't been perfect. The rollout of iOS 8 has proven buggy, particularly with older Apple devices. There have also been isolated reports of a handful of iPhone 6 Plus handsets that have bent after being carried in a pocket. However, by and large, Apple continues to be the tastemaker of consumer tech. That reputation will be put to the test in a few months when the Apple Watch hits the market. The world's most valuable tech company's first foray into wearable computing will be widely watched for a couple of reasons. For starters, it's Apple. Anything new that it puts out is going to benefit from consumer tech's shiny spotlight. It also will be the first major product category that Apple enters since the passing of Steve Jobs three years ago. Apple's track record for innovation in the post-Jobs era will be on the line. However, the biggest reason that the market will be keeping tabs on Apple's portable wristwatch computer is that wearable computing has been a surprising dud so far. Wear and Tear It's been a little more than two years since Pebble turned heads by introducing the first smart watch. It was a hot commodity on Kickstarter, where it raised the money and publicity necessary to get its product to market. Using Bluetooth to work in cahoots with smartphones to push text alerts, emails and other notifications to your wrist, Pebble's device gained a cult following among early adopters. Developers noticed, and now there are thousands of apps that play nice with Pebble. Retailers hopped on board, and today, you can pick up a Pebble for as little as $150 at Best Buy (BBY) or Amazon.com (AMZN). The market assumed that Apple would roll out a smart watch fairly rapidly after Pebble began

• [By Kofi Bofah]

  On September 10, 2013, Apple (AAPL) brought its latest iPhone 5S to market. Immediately upon launch, hipsters, teenage girls, and celebrities were abuzz with chatter regarding the merits of new iOS 7 features, which were made complete with fingerprint recognition and Touch ID button. Meanwhile, technology geeks were eagerly deconstructing the potential of the A7 processor driving this latest iPhone installment. The A7 is unofficially hailed as the first 64-bit chip to be installed within a consumer smart phone. Competitors, such as Anand Chandrasekher, former Chief Marketing Officer at Qualcomm (QCOM), immediately circled the wagons to haughtily dismiss the A7 chip as a "marketing gimmick." According to Chandrasekher's thesis, the consumer smart phone market will have no need to leverage the full capacity of a 64-bit chip. Interestingly, Qualcomm promptly changed Chandrasekher's role at the company following said commentary.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Qualcomm provides digital communications products to a variety of consumers and companies worldwide. The company is under investigation for possible overcharging and using its position of “dominance” in the marketplace to limit competition. The stock has been trending higher, but is currently pulling back. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been increasing. However, investors have had mixed feelings about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, Qualcomm has been a relative year-to-date performance leader. Look for Qualcomm to OUTPERFORM.

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: Diana Shipping inc. (DSX)

Diana Shipping Inc. provides shipping transportation services. It transports dry bulk cargoes that include commodities, such as iron ore, coal, grain, and other materials along worldwide shipping routes. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s fleet consisted of 23 dry bulk carriers, including 14 Panamax, 1 Post-Panamax, and 8 Capesize dry bulk carriers with a combined carrying capacity of approximately 2.5 million deadweight tonnage. Its customers include national, regional, and international companies. The company was formerly known as Diana Shipping Investments Corp. and changed its name to Diana Shipping Inc. in February 2005. Diana Shipping Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Athens, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  To say the last few weeks have been disappointing ones for shareholders of maritime shipping stocks like NewLead Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:NEWL), FreeSeas Inc. (NASDAQ:FREE), or Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX) would be an understatement. After a fantastic second half of 2013 for most shipping stocks, the industry has been submerged (metaphorically) since the beginning of 2014. For perspective, DSX gained 32% over the course of the last six months of 2013, bur has fallen 5% since then. NEWL, though a loser all throughout the latter part of last year, has fallen a whopping 13% since 2014 began. FREE has performed about the same, offering glimmers of hope in the latter part of 2013, but popping that bubble in the meantime.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The recent strength from Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SINO) and the now-renewed strength from Safe Bulkers, Inc. (NYSE:SB) would suggest those two stocks are among the very best ways to play the rebound currently unfurling in the shipping sector. And to be fair, both are fine companies in their own right. The top play in the dry goods maritime shipping arena, however, may well be Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX). No, DSX isn't one of the fun and exciting small caps in the maritime shipping space. But, there's a lot to be said for size and stability, which SB and SINO can't offer.

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: Apollo Global Management LLC(APO)

Apollo Global Management, LLC is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to pension and endowment funds, institutional investors, individual investors, pooled investment vehicles, and corporations. It manages client focused portfolios, hedge funds, real estate funds, and private equity funds for its clients. The firm invests in the fixed income and alternative investment markets across the globe. Its alternative investments include investment in private equity and real estate markets. The firm's private equity investments include traditional buyouts, distressed buyouts and debt investments, corporate partner buyouts, distressed asset, turnaround, corporate restructuring, special situation, acquisition, and industry consolidation transactions. Its fixed income investments include distressed debt, senior bank loans, and value oriented fixed income securities. The firm seeks to invest in chemicals; commodities; consumer and retail; oil an d gas, metals, mining, agriculture, commodities, distribution and transportation; financial and business services; manufacturing and industrial; media distribution, cable, entertainment, and leisure; energy, packaging and materials; and satellite and wireless. It seeks to invest in companies based in across North America with a focus on United States, and Europe. The firm employs a combination of contrarian, value, and distressed strategies to make its investments. It conducts an in-house research to create its investment portfolio. The firm seeks to acquire minority positions in its portfolio companies. Apollo Global Management, LLC was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York with nine additional offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  21st Century Fox (NASDAQ: FOXA) and Apollo Global (NYSE: APO) announced they will jointly create a new media group with a 50/50 ownership split. Shares of 21st Century Fox lost 2.05 percent, closing at $32.43 while shares of Apollo Global lost 3.55 percent, closing at $22.01.

• [By Will Ashworth]

  However, apparently Caesars Entertainment and its private equity owners, TPG Capital and Apollo Global Management (APO), don�� read those kinds of books. They��e too busy shuffling paper.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  It�� also an active period for sales of stock in already-public companies. Among other deals, Apollo Global Management LLC(APO) and other insiders in Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.(SFM) are offering 15 million shares�� roughly $511 million stake��n the grocer late Thursday.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  A sizable block of Realogy Holdings (NYSE: RLGY  ) shares is about to change hands in a secondary offering. The company announced that "certain funds associated with" Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO  ) are unloading their collective stake of just over 25.1 million shares. The transaction's underwriters are Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase's J.P. Morgan Securities, which will buy all of the shares then turn around and sell them to the public.�

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: BNP Paribas SA (BNP)

BNP Paribas SA is a France-based bank group with four core businesses: Retail Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Investment Solutions and Other Activities. Retail Banking comprises the French retail banking division, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro in Italy, BeLux Retail Banking, Europe-Mediterranean, all BNP Paribas Group retail banking businesses out of Euro Zone: in the United States, in Asia, in the Mediterranean Basin and Africa, in Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, personal finance and equipment solutions. The Corporate & Investment Banking business provides to its clients financing, advisory and capital markets services. The Investment Solutions division offers private banking, asset management, securities services, real estate and insurance services. In November 2013, the Company launched 'Hello Bank!', a mobile, digital bank operating in France, Belgium and Germany. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  BNP Paribas SA (BNP), Societe Generale SA (GLE) and Credit Agricole SA (ACA), France�� largest banks by market value, reported second-quarter profit that exceeded analysts��estimates. Paris-based Societe Generale, which said income more than doubled from a year earlier, trades at 10.8 times projected earnings, 64 percent below its 2009 high. Credit Agricole trades at 8.6 times projected profit and BNP Paribas at 10.7 times, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: Renishaw PLC (RSW)

Renishaw plc is a metrology company. The Company is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of advanced precision metrology and inspection equipment together with products for the healthcare sector, including Raman spectroscopy systems, dental systems, molecular diagnostic equipment and neurosurgical products. The Company operates in two segments: metrology and healthcare products. The Company�� metrology segment product include Machine Tool Probe Systems, Co-ordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) products, large scale metrology, fixtures, materials research, styli for probe systems, performance testing products, gauging and position encoders. Its healthcare products include Dental Scanners, Raman Microscopes, Dental CAD Software, Neurosurgical robot, Structural and Chemical Analyser, In situ monitors and Neurosurgical Implantables. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Renishaw Plc (RSW) tumbled 5.7 percent to 1,580 pence, its lowest price since Aug. 7. The maker of precision tools said revenue for the quarter ended in September fell to 79 million pounds from 95.9 million pounds in the year-ago period.

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2014: Bank of Hawaii Corp (BOH)

Bank of Hawaii Corporation, incorporated on February 4, 1998, is a bank holding company. The Company�� operating subsidiary is Bank of Hawaii (the Bank). The Bank provides a range of financial services and products primarily to customers in Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific Islands. The Bank's subsidiaries include Bank of Hawaii Leasing, Inc., Bankoh Investment Services, Inc. and Pacific Century Life Insurance Corporation. The Bank's subsidiaries are engaged in equipment leasing, securities brokerage, investment services and providing credit insurance. It operates in four segments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Investment Services, and Treasury and Other. Its other subsidiary is the BOHC Investment Fund, LLC (the Fund). The Fund was organized to invest in and hold securities of Qualified High Technology Businesses.

Retail Banking

Retail Banking offers a range of financial products and services to consumers and small businesses. Loan and lease products include residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases and installment loans. Deposit products include checking, savings, and time deposit accounts. Retail Banking also offers retail insurance products. Products and services from Retail Banking are delivered to customers through 65 Hawaii branch locations, 494 automated teller machines (ATMs) throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, e-Bankoh (on-line banking service), around-the-clock customer service center, and a mobile banking service.

Commercial Banking

Commercial Banking offers products, including corporate banking, commercial real estate loans, commercial lease financing, auto dealer financing, and deposit products. Commercial lending and deposit products are offered to middle-market and large companies in Hawaii. Commercial real estate mortgages focus on customers that include investors, developers, and builders predominantly domiciled in Hawaii. Commercial Banking also includes international banking a! nd operations at the Bank's 11 branches in the Pacific Islands and also provides merchant services to its small business customers.

Investment Services

Investment Services includes private banking, trust services, investment management, and institutional investment advisory services. The private banking and personal trust group assists individuals and families in building and preserving their wealth by providing investment, credit, and trust services to high-net-worth individuals. The investment management group manages portfolios utilizing a variety of investment products. Institutional client services offer investment advice to corporations, government entities and foundations. Investment Services also provides a full service brokerage offering equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products.

Treasury and Other

Treasury consists of corporate asset and liability management activities, including interest rate risk management and a foreign exchange business. This segment's assets consist of interest-bearing deposits, investment securities, federal funds sold and purchased, government deposits, and short and long-term borrowings. The primary sources of noninterest income are from bank-owned life insurance, net gains from the sale of investment securities, and foreign exchange income related to customer driven currency requests from merchants and island visitors.

Investment Securities

The Bank�� investment securities portfolio includes debt securities issued by the United States Treasury and Government Agencies, debt securities issued by states and political sub-divisions, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage-backed securities issued by government agencies and the United States Government-Sponsored Enterprises. As of December 31, 2012, its available-for-sale investment securities portfolio consisted of securities with an average base duration of less than three years.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Percentages aside, the benefit of the relative health of these housing markets can be seen in the performance of smaller, regional banks like Bank of Hawaii (NYSE: BOH  ) , BB&T (NYSE: BBT  ) , and TD Bank (NYSE: TD  ) which have large presences in Hawaii, West Virginia, and Maine, respectively. Shares of all of these banks have more than recovered since the financial crisis as a testament to this.