Hot Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now

By Ironwood Investment Management

The Ironwood SMID Cap Value portfolio had a strong February. The strategy advanced 6% for the month. The strategy's materials and processing, producer durables, utility and energy stocks drove the strong performance.

Within those sectors some of the better performing stocks were Platform Specialty Products (PAH), Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO), Weatherford International (WFT), Xylem (XYL), Zynga (ZNGA) and Dynegy (DYN). The one thing all of these stocks have in common is that the management team is executing on the transition strategy that we outlined when we first purchased the stock.

We did not initiate any positions in February. Here are the positions eliminated in February.

Itron (ITRI): We owned Itron as of our January 1, 2013 inception date as we believed the new CEO Philip Mezey, hired in November 2012, would renew the company's focus on advancing its technology and rationalizing its cost structure after a series of mergers. This transition was needed as the company was facing a period of reduced levels of new orders.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Buy Right Now: CDI Corporation(CDI)

CDI Corp. provides engineering and information technology project outsourcing solutions and professional staffing services primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It operates in four segments: ES, MRI, Anders, and ITS. The ES segment provides engineering, design, project management, staffing, and outsourcing solutions to oil, gas, refining, alternative energy, power generation and energy transmission, chemicals, and heavy manufacturing industries; engineering, design, logistics, and staffing services to the defense industry, primarily in marine design, systems development, and military aviation support; engineering, design, project management, staffing, and facility start-up services to pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical, and regulated medical services industries; and architecture, civil and environmental engineering, communication technology, and consulting services to governmental, educational, and private industry customers. The MRI segment opera tes as a global franchisor that does business as MRINetwork and provides the use of its trademarks, business systems, and training and support services to its franchisees who engage in the search and recruitment of executive, technical, professional, and managerial personnel for employment by their customers. It also provides training, implementation services, and back-office services to enable franchisees to pursue staffing opportunities. The Anders segment provides contract and permanent placement candidates to customers in the areas of architecture, building services, rail, commercial and industrial construction, consulting engineering, facilities management, interior design, surveying, and town planning. The ITS segment offers various information technology related services, which include staffing augmentation, permanent placement, outsourcing, and consulting. The company was founded in 1950 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on CDI (NYSE: CDI  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Philadelphia-based CDI Corp. (NYSE: CDI  ) has won a $36 million contract to provide watercraft engineering and marine services to the U.S. Navy.

Hot Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: NK Lukoil OAO (LKOH)

NK Lukoil OAO (Neftyanaya Kompaniya LUKOIL OAO or NK LUKOIL OJSC) is a Russia-based integrated oil and gas company. The Company is engaged in the business of oil exploration, production, refining, marketing and distribution. It is an owner of refineries, gas processing, petrochemical plants and gas stations network located in Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Africa. The Company�� petroleum products are sold in the Russian Federation, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and the United States. NK Lukoil OAO operates through numerous subsidiaries and affiliated companies. In April 2013, the Company acquired a 100% of Samara-Nafta ZAO and completed acquisition of CJSC Kama-Oil. In June 2013, it sold a 99.57% stake in Lukoil Odes'kyi NPZ PAT. The Company�� major shareholder is NKO ZAO NRD with a stake of 91.60%. In December 2013, it consolidated a 100% stake in ISAB Srl. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Julia Leite]

  Brazil�� Ibovespa (IBOV) fell to a six-week low, while the real slid to its weakest level in four years, spurring central bank intervention. Housing Development Finance Corp. drove India�� S&P BSE Sensex down, while the rupee completed its worst month in a year. OAO Lukoil (LKOH), Russia�� second-largest oil producer, slipped 2.3 percent as crude slumped.

• [By Rajhkumar K Shaaw]

  Russian stocks rose as oil, the nation�� main export earner, climbed. OAO Lukoil (LKOH) gained for the first time this week. Benchmark gauges in Hungary and Turkey also advanced. Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS, the Turkish carmaker part-owned by Fiat SpA, climbed for a second day on bets plans to roll out a new vehicle will boost revenue from exports.

• [By Maria Levitov]

  Russia�� Micex Index extended a five-day drop to 3.4 percent, led by OAO Lukoil (LKOH) and OAO Gazprom. Ukraine�� dollar-denominated bonds gained, sending yields to the lowest this week, as President Viktor Yanukovych announced possible investments from China. The PX Index slid to a seven-week low in Prague as Vienna Insurance Group AG plunged 4.2 percent.

Hot Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: Digirad Corp (DRAD)

Digirad Corporation, incorporated in 1997, is the developer and manufacturer of medical diagnostic imaging systems, including solid-state gamma cameras for nuclear cardiology and general nuclear medicine applications. The Company operates in two segments: DIS (its diagnostic imaging service business) and its product segment. Through DIS, the Company provides in-office imaging services to physicians, offering certified personnel, required licensure, an imaging system and other support and supplies for the performance of nuclear and ultrasound imaging procedures under the supervision of its physician customers. The Companies imaging systems are sold in both portable and fixed configurations. DIS physician customers enter into annual lease contracts for imaging services generally delivered on a per-day basis. The Company�� product segment sells solid-state gamma cameras and provides camera service and maintenance.

Imaging Services

DIS offers portable nuclear and ultrasound imaging services. Its nuclear modality services include an imaging system, a certified nuclear medicine technologist and a cardiac stress technician, often certified or a trained nurse or paramedic, the supply of radiopharmaceuticals, and required licensing services for the performance of nuclear imaging procedures under the supervision of physicians. The ultrasound imaging service is similar, in that the Company provides the ultrasound equipment and one ultrasound technologist. Its portable nuclear imaging operations use a hub and spoke model, in which centrally located regional hubs anchor multiple van routes in the surrounding metropolitan areas. At its DIS hubs, clinical personnel load the equipment, radiopharmaceuticals, and other supplies onto specially equipped vans for transport to the physician�� office or other customer locations, where they set up the equipment for the day. The Company provides nuclear and ultrasound services primarily under annual contracts for services delivered on a per-day ! basis.

Products

Digirad markets and manufactures a line of nuclear medicine cameras for nuclear cardiology and general nuclear medicine applications. Its cameras are used in hospitals, imaging centers, physician offices and by mobile service providers. Its nuclear cameras feature detectors based on solid-state technology developed by the Company. The solid-state technology provides the Company with the capability to market and manufacture a diverse family of cardiac and general-purpose cameras.

The Cardius family of cardiac SPECT (single-photon emission computerized tomography) solid-state imagers makes it possible to image patients up to 500 pounds in a sitting position. Upright imaging makes it possible to image bariatric, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or claustrophobic patients that typically could not be imaged lying down on. The Company offers fixed dual-head and triple-head cardiac camera models for use within a facility and a portable dual-head configuration that makes it possible to move the system to provide service to multiple rooms or sites. Its flagship in cardiology is the Cardius XACT SPECT/CT system. It features a triple-head design and a low dose volume computed tomography (CT) attenuation correction methodology.

The Company�� ergo is a large-field-of-view planar portable imaging camera. The ergo imaging system is targeted to hospitals with multi-camera general nuclear medicine departments, academic centers, pediatric hospitals, regional trauma centers, women�� health centers and cancer centers. The Company also provides triple-head Cardius 3 XPO system, which provides shorter image acquisition time. Its Cardius X-ACT camera is a rapid cardiac SPECT/VCT imager. The Cardius X-ACT camera is positioned more toward the hospital and larger cardiology practices.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); p]

  Digirad Corp.(DRAD) agreed to pay at least $3.5 million in cash to acquire medical-outsourcing provider Telerhythmics, a deal that will add to the larger company’s sales and bottom line.

Hot Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: Theragenics Corporation(TGX)

Theragenics Corporation operates as a medical device company serving the cancer treatment and surgical products markets primarily in the United States and Europe. It operates through two segments, Surgical Products and Brachytherapy Seed. The Surgical Products segment manufactures, markets, and sells disposable devices primarily utilized in surgical procedures. It offers wound closure products, including sutures, needles, and other surgical products; vascular access products comprising introducer sheaths, guidewires, and accessories; and specialty needles consisting of coaxial, biopsy, brachytherapy, guidewire introducer, spinal, and disposable veress, as well as access trocars and other needle-based products. This segment?s products are used in various markets and applications, such as interventional cardiology and radiology, vascular surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, urology, veterinary medicine, pain management, endoscopy, and spinal surgery. The Brachytherapy See d segment manufactures, markets, and sells TheraSeed and I-Seed, which are FDA-cleared devices for treatment of solid localized tumors and localized prostate cancer. The company sells its products primarily to physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers, original equipment manufacturers, and to a network of distributors. Theragenics Corporation was founded in 1981 and is based in Buford, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  I hate to be the one to say I told you so, but, I told you so. Back on February 26th I suggested IsoRay, Inc. (NYSEMKT:ISR) shares were a budding breakout play. The 48% rally that's played out for ISR in the meantime unfurled right on cue. While overbought in the very short run, this small cap stock looks like it's earning the right to be compared to the likes of bigger brothers in the cancer-treatment space... names like Roche Holding Ltd. (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) or Theragenics Corporation (NYSE:TGX).