10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now

Continuing its efforts to transform itself from a pure Internet service provider into an information technology company, EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK  ) announced Monday it is buying�cloud computing and hosted IT services provider CenterBeam for $22 million.�

California-based CenterBeam�provides remote managed IT services primarily to mid-sized businesses, and operates a 140-person IT support center that offers help desk assistance, desktop technical support, and application support services. �

Believing the acquisition will allow the ISP to "fast track" the implementation of its IT services product development while also providing "expertise, scale, and redundancy," EarthLink Chairman and CEO�Rolla P. Huff said: "CenterBeam's advanced set of products, tools, and processes will enable us to quickly bring a robust set of remote managed IT Services and collaboration services to market."

EarthLink intends to offer CenterBeam's cloud computing portfolio, which� provides a full suite of collaboration services, along with its nationwide hosted voice platform, through its existing distribution channels.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: QR Energy LP(QRE)

QR Energy, LP, through its subsidiary, QRE Operating, LLC, engages in the acquisition, production, and development of onshore crude oil and natural gas properties in the United States. As of March 31, 2011, its properties consisted of working interests in 2,140 gross producing wells located in Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. QRE GP, LLC operates as the general partner of the company. QR Energy, LP was founded in 2006 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  QR Energy L.P. (NYSE: QRE) is an energy total return home run for investors. This MLP after a recent acquisition is now one of the largest producers (2,300 barrels per day) in the historic East Texas oil field. Raymond James has a $19 target, the consensus is at $20. Investors are paid a huge 11.7% distribution. MLP distributions may include return of principal.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  While I still think LRE units are undervalued, BreitBurn Energy Partners probably presents a more compelling case at present.

  QR Energy (NYSE: QRE) reported a solid third quarter, with earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) up 13 percent to $69 million. Production was up 5 percent despite a disruption at some of it operations.
  

  Distributable cash flow for the quarter was up 26 percent to $35 million, or $0.54 per unit, adequately covering its current distribution of $0.4875. (The partnership will convert to monthly distributions in 2014.) Based on Friday’s close, this translates into an annualized yield of 11.8 percent. Given that QRE’s solid performance came despite temporary production issues, it looks like a decent bet in the upstream MLP space for 2014.

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  3. QR Energy (NYSE: QRE  ) -- 11.7% yield
  QR Energy is an exploration and production MLP, focused on developing mature assets in five different oil- and gas-producing regions stretching from the Permian Basin up to central Michigan. It's a small operation, with reserves of 99.1 million barrels of oil equivalent to its name.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Oaktree Capital Group LLC (OAK)

Oaktree Capital Group, LLC (Oaktree) is a global investment management firm focused on alternative markets. Oaktree manages funds in investment strategies that fall into the six asset classes, which include distressed debt, corporate debt, control investing, convertible securities, real estate and listed equities. As of June 30, 2011, the Company�� assets under management (AUM) totaled $79.5 billion. The Company�� manager is Oaktree Capital Group Holdings GP, LLC. The Company manages assets on behalf of other institutional investors in the world, including 70 of the 100 United States pension plans, 37 states in the United States, over 350 corporations, over 300 university and charitable endowments and foundations, and over 150 non-United States institutional investors, including six of the top 10 sovereign wealth fund nations.

Funds managed by Oaktree include both separate accounts and commingled funds. The commingled funds include open-end and closed-end limited partnerships for which the Company or a subsidiary serves as the general partner or, in certain limited cases, co-general partner. Oaktree makes principal investments in these funds.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  Oaktree Capital (OAK) has a market capitalization of $7.92 billion. The company employs 750 people, generates revenue of $144.98 million and has a net income of $6.672 billion. Oaktree Capital�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $-638.22 million. The EBITDA margin is -440.21 percent (the operating margin is -445.31 percent and the net profit margin 4,602.21 percent).

5 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Systemax Inc.(SYX)

Systemax Inc. operates as a direct marketer of brand name and private label products. The company operates in two segments, Technology Products and Industrial Products. The Technology Products segment sells computers, computer supplies, and consumer electronics in North America and Europe. This segment offers individual technology products in categories, including computers; computer parts; television and video; audio; cameras and surveillance; car and GPS; cell phones; software; video games and toys; home and office; and other products. The Industrial Products segment sells various industrial products and supplies in North America. This segment provides products in categories, such as material handling; storage and shelving; workbench and shop desks; packaging and supplying; furniture and office; foodservice and appliances; janitorial and maintenance; tools and instruments; fasteners and hardware; motors and power transmission; HVAC/R and fans; electrical and bulbs; plumb ing supplies; and safety and medical items. The company offers its products through its relationship marketers, catalog mailings, and Internet Websites. It serves individual consumers; and business customers comprising for-profit businesses, educational organizations, and government entities. Its portfolio of catalogs comprises various brand names, such as TigerDirect.com, Global Computer Supplies, TigerDirect.ca, Misco, Global Industrial, Nexel, and Inmac WStore. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 42 retail stores in North America; and 7 distribution centers in Europe. Systemax Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Port Washington, New York.

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 Systemax (NYSE: SYX  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Loyalty and marketing specialist Alliance Data Systems (NYSE: ADS  ) grabbed a tiger by the tail with a multiyear agreement to�provide private label credit card services�to�Systemax (NYSE: SYX  ) subsidiary TigerDirect.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: FuelCell Energy Inc.(FCEL)

FuelCell Energy, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacturing, and sale of high temperature fuel cells for clean electric power generation primarily in South Korea, the United States, Germany, Canada, and Japan. The company offers proprietary carbonate Direct FuelCell Power Plants that electrochemically produce electricity from hydrocarbon fuels, such as natural gas and biogas. Its fuel cells operate on a range of hydrocarbon fuels, including natural gas, renewable biogas, propane, methanol, coal gas, and coal mine methane. The company also develops carbonate fuel cells, planar solid oxide fuel cell technology, and other fuel cell technologies. It provides its products to universities; manufacturers; mission critical institutions, such as correction facilities and government installations; hotels; and natural gas letdown stations, as well as to customers who use renewable biogas for fuel, including municipal water treatment facilities, br eweries, and food processors. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) tumbled 4.99% to $2.51 after falling 4.00% on Wednesday.

  Posted-In: market losersNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bravo Brio Restaurant Group Inc.(BBRG)

Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. owns and operates Italian restaurant brands in the United States. Its brands include BRAVO! Cucina Italiana, and BRIO Tuscan Grille. The company also operates an American-French bistro restaurant under the brand Bon Vie. As of March 02, 2012, it owned and operated 95 restaurants in 30 states. The company was formerly known as Bravo Development, Inc. and changed its name to Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. in June 2010. Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shaun Currie, CFA]

  Bravo Brio Restaurant Group (BBRG) presented at a retail/restaurant conference on Tuesday and provided very important information to investors. To give some background, the stock has been an underperformer for two reasons:

• [By CRWE]

  Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:BBRG) owner and operator of the BRAVO! Cucina Italiana (BRAVO!) and BRIO Tuscan Grille (BRIO) restaurant concepts, will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2012 financial results on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 5:00 PM ET.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Bravo Brio Restaurant Group (NASDAQ: BBRG  ) saw comps slide 1.6% at BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and a steeper 3.2% drop at Brio Tuscan Grille. However, the midpoint of its comps guidance for all of 2013 suggests that the operator of modestly upscale Italian restaurants will check in with positive same-store sales for the balance of the year.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Bravo Brio Restaurant Group (BBRG)

  During the second quarter Ashton increased his position in Bravo Brio by 540%. Ashton purchased 108,000 shares at a second quarter price range of $15.37 to $19.01, with an estimated average price range of $17.28. Since then the price per share has dropped approximately -8.7%.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: The Babcock & Wilcox Co (BWC)

The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W), incorporated on March 8, 2010, is a technology innovator in power generation systems, a specialty constructor of nuclear components and a service provider in its segments. The Company provides a variety of products and services to customers in the power and other steam-using industries, including electric utilities and other power generators, industrial customers in various other industries, and the United States Government. The Company operates in four business segments: Power Generation, Nuclear Operations, Technical Services and Nuclear Energy.

Power Generation

Through Power Generation segment, the Company supplies boilers fired with fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, or renewable fuels, such as biomass, municipal solid waste and concentrated solar energy. In addition, the Company supplies environmental equipment and components and related services to customers in different regions around the world. The Company designs , engineers, manufactures, supplys, constructs and services utility and industrial power generation systems, including boilers used to generates steam in electric power plants, pulp and paper making, chemical and process applications and other industrial uses.

Power Generation segment specializes in engineering, manufacturing, procurement and erection of equipment used in the power generation industry and various other industries, and the provision of related services, including engineered-to-order services, products and systems for energy conversion worldwide and related auxiliary equipment, such as burners, pulverizers, soot blowers and ash handling systems; heavy-pressure equipment for energy conversion, such as boilers fueled by coal, oil, bitumen, natural gas, municipal solid waste, biomass and other fuels; environmental control systems, including both wet and dry scrubbers for flue gas desulfurization, modules for selective catalytic reduction of the oxides of nitrogen, equipment to capture! particulate matter, such as fabric filter baghouses and wet and dry electrostatic precipitators, and similar devices, and power plant equipment and related heavy mechanical erection services.

The Company supports primarily fossil operating plants with a variety of additional services, including the installation of new systems and replacement parts, engineering services, construction, inspection, maintenance and field technical services, such as condition assessments and inventory services. The Company offers a range of construction services through a wholly owned subsidiary including erection of utility and industrial boiler plants and installations of cogeneration facilities and pollution control equipment, such as selective catalytic reduction systems and flue gas desulfurization scrubbers.

The Company also provides power through cogeneration, refuse-fueled power plants and other independent power-producing facilities. In this market, the Company owns and operates facilities, supply equipment and serve as contractors for engineer-procure-construct services and operations and maintenance.

Nuclear Operations

Through Nuclear Operations segment, the Company engineers , design and manufactures precision naval nuclear components and reactors for the United States Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.The Company's Nuclear Operations segment specializes in the design and manufacture of close-tolerance and equipment for nuclear applications. In addition, the Company is a manufacturer of critical nuclear components, fuels and assemblies for government and limited commercial uses. The Company also converts or downblend high-enriched uranium into low-enriched fuel for uses in commercial reactors to generate electricity. The Company has also been a provider in the receipt, storage, characterization, dissolution, recovery and purification of a variety of uranium-bearing materials. All phases! of urani! um downblending and uranium recovery are provided at the Company's Lynchburg, Virginia and Erwin, Tennessee sites.

The Company works closely with the DOE-supported nuclear non-proliferation program. This program is assisting in the development of a high-density, low-enriched uranium fuel required for high-enriched uranium test reactor conversions.

Technical Services

Through Technical Services segment, the Company provides various services to the United States Government, including uranium processing, environmental site restoration services and management and operating services for various United States Government-owned facilities. These services are provided to the DOE, including the NNSA, the Office of Nuclear Energy, the Office of Science, the Department of Defense and the Office of Environmental Management.

The Company�� principal operations include managing and operating nuclear production facilities; managing and operating environmental management sites; managing spent nuclear fuel and transuranic waste for the DOE, and providing critical skills and resources for DOE sites.The Company manages and operates complex, high-consequence nuclear and national security operations for the DOE and the NNSA, primarily through its joint ventures. The Company's Technical Services segment's overall activity primarily depends on authorized spending levels of the DOE, NNSA, the Office of Nuclear Energy, the Office of Science, the Department of Defense and the Office of Environmental Management.

Nuclear Energy

Through Nuclear Energy segment, the Company supplies commercial nuclear steam generators and components to nuclear utility customers. In addition, this segment offers a full spectrum of services for steam generators and balance of plant equipment, as well as nondestructive examination and tooling/repair solutions for other plant systems and components. The Company's Nuclear Energy segment fabricates pressure vessels, reactors, stea! m generat! ors, heat exchangers and other auxiliary equipment. This segment also provides specialized engineering and maintenance services and power plant construction. This segment specializes in performing full scope, prototype design work coupled with manufacturing integration. The Company is developing the B&W mPower reactor, a small modular reactor design with the flexibility to provide between 180 megawatts to greater than 1,000 megawatts of electrical power generation (in increments of 180 megawatts) and the capacity to operate for a four year operating cycle without refueling.

The Company competes with Alstom S.A., Doosan Babcock, Babcock Power, Inc., Foster Wheeler AG., Hitachi, Ltd., Bechtel National, Inc., URS Corporation, CH2M Hill, Inc., Fluor Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., AREVA Inc., EnergySolutions, Inc. and Northrop Grumman Corporation.

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 Babcock & Wilcox (NYSE: BWC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By The Energy Report]

  JH: One of the areas where the U.S. for decades has been the leading technological power is in small nuclear reactors. We've used them on our aircraft carriers and on our nuclear submarines safely and efficiently. The U.S. has an advantage in understanding small modular nuclear reactors. One of the companies that we have followed for a long time that's working on that is Babcock & Wilcox Co. (BWC). There's also Fluor Corp. (FLR), which is working on small modular nuclear reactors. President Obama and the Department of Energy are funding research on the implementation of small modular nuclear reactors.

• [By Michael J. Carr]

  The Babcock & Wilcox Co. (NYSE: BWC) is a leader in the nuclear power industry. The company makes nuclear reactors for submarines and aircraft carriers, and even with cutbacks in defense spending, it reported a $2.8 billion backlog in that sector. The company also has a backlog of $2.3 billion in its power generation business segment.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Coffee Holding Co. Inc.(JVA)

Coffee Holding Co., Inc. engages in manufacturing, roasting, packaging, marketing, and distributing roasted and blended coffees in the United States and Canada. The company offers three categories of products: wholesale green coffee, private label coffee, and branded coffee. The wholesale green coffee product category consists of unroasted raw beans imported from worldwide that are sold to roasters and coffee shop operators in approximately 90 varieties. The private label coffee product category includes coffee roasted, blended, packaged, and sold under the specifications and names of others. As of October 31, 2010, the company supplied private label coffee under approximately 34 different labels to wholesalers and retailers in cans, brick packages, and instants in various sizes. The branded coffee product category comprises coffee roasted and blended to the company's own specifications and offered under its seven brand names in various segments of the market. The company also offers other products, including trial-sized mini-brick coffee packages; specialty instant coffees; instant cappuccinos and hot chocolates; and tea line products. Its coffee brands include Cafe Caribe, S&W, Cafe Supremo, Don Manuel, Fifth Avenue, Via Roma, IL CLASSICO, and Entenmann. Coffee Holding Co., Inc. markets its private label and wholesale coffee through trade shows, industry publications, face-to-face contacts, internal sales force, and non-exclusive independent food and beverage sales brokers, as well as through its Web site, coffeeholding.com. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Staten Island, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  What do you get when you cross a Coffee Holding Co., Inc. (NASDAQ:JVA) with a Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA) and a Kraft Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ:KRFT)? No, it's not a setup for a punch line - there's a legitimate answer. And that answer is, Latteno Food Corp. (OTCMKTS:LATF).

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Keating Capital Inc (KIPO)

Keating Capital, Inc., incorporated on May 9, 2008, is a business development company. The Company is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Company focuses to invest principally in equity securities, including convertible preferred securities, and other debt securities convertible into equity securities, of primarily non-public United States based companies. Keating Investments, LLC (Keating Investments) serves as the Company�� investment adviser and also provides it with the administrative services necessary for it to operate. Keating Investments is primarily responsible for the selection, evaluation, structure, valuation and administration of the Company�� investment portfolio. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had investments in industries, including technology equipment, consumer products and clean technology. In May 2013, the Company completed the sale of Solazyme Inc.

During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company made four portfolio company investments, which included investments in NeoPhotonics Corporation (NeoPhotonics); Livescribe, Inc. (Livescribe); Solazyme, Inc. (Solazyme), and MBA Polymers, Inc. (MBA Polymers). NeoPhotonics develops and manufactures photonic integrated circuit based components, modules and subsystems for use in telecommunications networks. Livescribe is a developer and marketer of a mobile, paper-based computing platform, consisting of smartpens, dot paper, smartpen applications, accessories, desktop software, an online community and development tools. Solazyme is engaged in development and commercialization of algal oil and bioproducts for the fuels and chemicals, nutritionals and health sciences markets. MBA Polymers is a manufacturer of recycled plastics sourced from end of life durable goods, such as computers, electronics, appliances and automobiles. The Company focuses to provide capital primarily to micro-cap companies and small-cap companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Keating Capital (KIPO)

  Over the past week there were four insiders making buys into Keating Capital as the company�� price is sitting near its 52-week low and as the company made a secondary public offering of its stocks.� The insiders making buys during this public offering of common stock were CEO and President Timothy Keating, Director Taylor Simonton, Chief Investment Officer Kyle Rogers and CFO, COO, CCO and Treasurer Frederic Schweiger.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: YPF Sociedad Anonima(YPF)

YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA, an energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Argentina. The company also involves in refining, marketing, transportation, and distribution of oil and a range of petroleum products, petroleum derivatives, petrochemicals, LPG, and bio-fuels; and gas separation and natural gas distribution operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of approximately 531 million barrels of oil and 2,533 billion cubic feet of gas; and retail distribution network of 1,622 YPF-branded service stations for automotive petroleum products. The company?s crude oil transportation network includes approximately 2,700 kilometers of crude oil pipelines with approximately 640,000 barrels of aggregate daily transportation capacity of refined products; crude oil tankage of approximately 7 million barrels; and terminal facilities at 5 Argentine ports. In addition, it participates in 3 power stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 1,622 megawatts. The company was founded in 1977 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA is a subsidiary of Repsol YPF, S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  That is very easy to fix, however. Investors should look at the recent example of YPF SA (NYSE: YPF), the Argentine oil giant. Actions by the government of Argentina drove down the share price. Since then, the country has worked to make YPF SA, and Argentia, more attractive to investors. As a result, YPF SA is up more than 90 percent for 2013. Much of the economic health of Brazil rests on the performance of Petrobras, so more beneficial actions from the Government of Brazil should be expected.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  After lots of speculation, oil and gas giant Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) has finally come to terms on a joint development agreement with Argentine national oil company YPF (NYSE: YPF  ) . The $1.24 billion deal will help further the development of oil and gas at Argentina's Vaca Muerta formation. Vaca Muerta, which in Spanish means "dead cow," holds more hope for both Chevron and Argentina than that name might imply, as it's estimated to hold 27 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  In order to expand, Chevron has been working�on a joint venture agreement�with YPF� (NYSE: YPF  ) , which is the national drilling company in the country and a key holder in the Vaca Muerta field. The $1.5 billion venture would help jump-start the development of that field and could be worth up to $15 billion in total future investments. Foreign investments like Chevron's will be important in developing the play; its estimated that about $3 billion would be required just to get the shale gas extraction started, with upwards of $25 billion needed to develop Vaca Muerta's shale oil and gas potential.

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Lakes Entertainment Inc.(LACO)

Lakes Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, finances, and manages Indian owned casino properties. It has development and management or financing agreements with three separate tribes for casino operations in Michigan and California. The company manages the Red Hawk Casino for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians situated in El Dorado County, California, which features 2,200 slot machines, 70 table games, 7 poker tables, 5 restaurants, 4 bars, retail space, a parking garage, and a child care facility and arcade. It also develops and finances a casino to be built on the reservation of the Jamul Indian Village located to the east of San Diego, California. In addition, Lakes Entertainment, Inc. engages in developing, financing, and managing non-Indian casino projects in Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, and Ohio. The company was formerly known as Lakes Gaming, Inc. and changed its name to Lakes Entertainment, Inc. in 2002. Lakes Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Emerson]

  I will conclude Part one of Reflections from 20 Years of Investing (2001- 2008) with the discussion of three more sizable winners: Forward Industries (FORD), Lake Gaming (LACO) and Fairchild (FA).