Top 5 Electric Utility Companies For 2015

Whole Foods�Market�(NASDAQ:WFM) opened its first store in Austin, Texas, in 1980 and it has since become the undisputed king of organic grocers. The company has laid out plans to open 1,000 stores in the U.S. in the coming decades, but it remains to be seen if its business model can support this kind of growth in the long term. Let�� use our CHEAT SHEET investing framework to decide whether Whole Foods is an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY.

C = Catalysts for the Stock�� Movement

Shares of Whole Foods jumped almost 10 percent on May 7 as the company announced strong second-quarter earnings. The organic grocer improved its gross margin by five basis points in the second quarter. This alleviated some concerns by investors that Whole Foods margin would erode as the competition intensified in the organic food space. Additionally, some analysts thought that Whole Foods��investments in price discounts and promotions would hurt its margins. Instead, these investments were offset by a reduction in administrative expenses due to greater economies of scale and strong comparable store sales growth of 6.9 percent.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (TEVA)

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical company, develops, produces, and markets generic drugs; and proprietary branded pharmaceuticals in various therapeutic categories and active pharmaceutical ingredients worldwide. The company?s provides generic drug portfolio of approximately 1,450 molecules and a direct presence in 60 countries. It offers generic pharmaceutical products in a range of dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, ointments, creams, liquids, injectables, and inhalants. The company sells its generic injectable products to hospitals, clinics, and other institutional channels, primarily in the United States and Europe, as well as in Latin America and eastern Europe. Its branded products include Copaxone to treat multiple sclerosis; and Azilect to treat Parkinson?s disease, as well as biosimilars, respiratory, and women?s health products. The company was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Petach Tikva, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Reasons for pessimism?
  I may be digging a little bit here -- I admit it's tough to come up with negatives -- but Friday's announcement invalidating several Teva (NYSE: TEVA  ) patents for multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone could shake up the market quite a bit. Could the emergence of two cheap generics from Momenta and Mylan in the first half of next year take some steam out of Tecfidera's rise? I can't see it being good news for either Teva or Biogen, but I'm not sure it's a death sentence, either.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Scorpio Tankers Inc.(STNG)

Scorpio Tankers Inc. provides marine transportation of crude oil and refined petroleum products worldwide. As of April 26, 2011, it owned one LR2 tanker, four LR1 tankers, four Handymax tankers, and one post-Panamax tanker, as well as chartered one LR1 and four Handymax product tankers. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Monaco, Monaco.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: STNG  ) reported earnings on July 29. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Scorpio Tankers missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: STNG  ) reported earnings on April 29. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Scorpio Tankers missed estimates on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Hot Wireless Telecom Companies To Own In Right Now: ProShares Short FTSE Xinhua China 25 (YXI)

ProShares Short FTSE China 25 (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks daily investment results that correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index (the Index). The Index consists of 25 of the largest and most liquid Chinese stocks listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This free float adjusted Index caps the weight of any of constituent stock at 10% to ensure broad representation of the Chinese economy. The Fund seeks investment results for a single day only, not for longer periods. The Index is compiled and calculated by FTSE International Limited (FTSE) on behalf of FTSE/Xinhua Index Limited (FXI). The Fund will typically concentrate its investments in issuers of one or more particular industries to the same extent that its underlying Index is so concentrated. The Fund�� investment advisor is ProShare Advisors LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By pamatlarge]

  Three short ETFs are designed to profit from China�� economic downward slide. The ProShares Short FTSE China 25 (YXI), an unleveraged ETF, holds shares in iShares FTSE China Large-Cap (FXI) swaps. Investors looking to magnify their returns can choose from two leveraged short ETFs: ProShares Ultra Short FTSE China 25 (FXP) and Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (YANG). Both ProShares Ultra Short and Direxion Daily hold shares that increase in value three times faster than an unleveraged ETF. The downside is that the per share price of these leveraged ETFs also drops three times faster.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Vectren Corporation (VVC)

Vectren Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides energy delivery services to residential, commercial, and industrial and other contract customers in Indiana and west central Ohio. It offers natural gas distribution and transportation services, and electric distribution services; and owns and operates coal-fired and gas-fired electric generating facilities with an installed generating capacity of 1,298 megawatts. The company�s electric transmission system consists of 989 circuit miles of 345, 138, and 69 kilovolt lines, and 35 substations; and distribution system comprises 4,281 pole miles of lower voltage overhead lines and 372 trench miles of conduit containing 1,999 miles of underground distribution cable, 96 distribution substations, and 54,000 distribution transformers. In addition, it provides gas marketing, gas portfolio optimization, and other portfolio and energy management services to municipalities, utilities, industrial operations, schools, and healthcar e institutions; mines and sells coal; offers underground construction and repair, performance contracting, and renewable energy services; and invests in energy-related opportunities and services, real estate, and leveraged leases. Further, the company engages in transmission pipeline construction and maintenance; pump station, compressor station, terminal, and refinery construction; and hydrostatic testing services. It serves the automotive assembly, parts, and accessories; feed, flour, and grain processing; metal castings; aluminum products; polycarbonate resin and plastic products; gypsum products; electrical equipment; metal specialties; glass; steel finishing; pharmaceutical and nutritional products; gasoline and oil products; ethanol; and coal mining industries. As of December 31, 2011, it supplied natural gas services to approximately 993,300 customers; and electric services to approximately 141,600 customers. Vectren Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartere d in Evansville, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Vectren Corp. (VVC): A Low Growth Utility

  Our first example looks at Vectren Corp.�� historical earnings, a utility with a 15-year historical earnings growth rate that is below our 3% threshold established in Part 1. Note that fair valuation is calculated using Graham Dodd�� Formula (GDF) deriving a fair value PE of 13.8 (slightly below, but close to our PE 15 standard). However, a normal PE of 16 has been historically applied by Mr. Market. Therefore, valuation falls between a PE of 13.8 to 16, or well within a range of normalcy.

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  I like the diversification, and the fact that the company has offered many of these products for anywhere from 30 years to 100 years may explain why it�� paid a dividend for the last 32 years. That dividend is presently at 4.3%.

  Vectren Corporation (VVC)

  The final stock on our list of secret dividend stocks is Vectren Corporation (VVC). VVC is another an energy play that�� diversified into four segments. The company provides 566,000 customers with natural gas delivery in Indiana.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies For 2015: Vocera Communications Inc (VCRA)

Vocera Communications, Inc. (Vocera), incorporated on February 16, 2000, is a provider of mobile communication solutions. The Company�� solutions consist of its Voice Communication, Messaging and Care Transition solutions. Its Voice Communication solution, which includes a communication badge and a software platform, enables users to connect with other hospital staff. The Company�� Messaging solution delivers text messages and alerts directly to and from smartphones. Its Care Transition solution is a voice and text-based software application that captures, manages and monitors patient information when responsibility for the patient is transferred or handed-off from one caregiver to another, or when the patient is discharged from the hospital. Users can communicate with others using the Vocera communication badge or through Vocera Connect client applications available for BlackBerry, iPhone and Android smartphones, as well as Cisco wireless Internet protocol (IP) phones and other mobile devices. In January 2014, Vocera Communications Inc announced the acquisition of mVisum.

Communication solution can also be integrated with nurse call and other clinical systems to alert hospital workers to patient needs. The Company�� solutions are deployed in over 800 hospitals and healthcare facilities, including hospital systems, hospitals, and clinics, surgery centers and aged-care facilities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company had shipped over 400,000 communication badges to its customers. The Company outsources the manufacturing of its products. Vocera offers a range of services, including clinical workflow design, wireless assessment, solution configuration, training and project management. It also provides a classroom-based curriculum for systems administrators, information technology professionals and clinical educators. The Company provides around-the-clock technical support to its customers through its support centers in San Jose, California, and Reading, United Kingdom.!

Voice Communication solution

The Company�� Voice Communication solution consists of a software platform that connects communication devices, including its hands-free, wearable, voice-controlled communication badges, Vocera-branded smartphones and third-party mobile devices that use its software applications to become part of the Vocera system. The system transforms the way mobile workers communicate by enabling them to connect with the right person simply by the name, function or group name of the person they want to reach, often while remaining at the point-of-care. Its system responds to over 100 voice commands.

Vocera�� Voice Communication solution is a software platform that runs on its customers��Windows-based servers. In addition, it controls the calling and messaging functions of the mobile client devices and maintains profiles for users and groups that enable customization of workflow patterns for each customer. The Company�� communication badge is a wearable device that operates over customers��wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks. The badge is worn clipped to a shirt or on a lanyard. It can be used to conduct hands-free communication. It enables two-way voice conversations without the need to remember a phone number or use a handset. Its badge also incorporates automatic diagnostic mechanisms that feed data on wireless network performance back to the software platform for reporting and diagnosis of problems. In October 2011, it introduced the Vocera B3000 badge. In 2012, the Company added Cisco wireless IP phones to the list of mobile devices it supports.

Messaging solution

The Company�� Messaging solution delivers text messages, alerts and other information, directly to and from smartphones. Its solution consists of a software platform and client applications that run on BlackBerry, iPhone or Android devices. Its Messaging solution includes a range of client applications, including Alert, Chat and Commander.

Care! Transition Solution

The Company�� platform, which includes modules for patient transfers, shift changes, physician sign-outs and patient and family information exchanges, allows hospitals to standardize and monitor patient hand-offs. Its Care Transition solution can be deployed through either a hosted software-as-a-service model or as a server-on-site model and has been deployed by over 120 hospitals.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Ascom and Polycom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Vocera Communications (NYSE: VCRA  ) have gotten slaughtered by 38% today after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the first quarter came in at $22.4 million, which translated into a non-GAAP net loss of $0.07 per share. Both figures were significantly worse than the $24.3 million in revenue and $0.02 per share adjusted loss that the Street was expecting. CEO Bob Zollars conceded that management was disappointed with the results.